Objectives CD36, a class B scavenger receptor expressed on macrophages mediates uptake of oxLDL and contributes to foam cell formation, a hallmark of early atherosclerosis. Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. We investigated a role for the CD36 pathway in nicotine-induced activation of macrophages and foam cell formation in vitro and in ApoE-/- mice in vivo. Methods Human THP1-differentiated macrophages were incubated with or without nicotine, the protein and mRNA expression of CD36 or proinflammatory cytokines TNFa, MCP1, IL6 and CXCL9 were determined by real-time PCR or Western blot, respectively, nicotine-induced production of reactive oxygen species were determined by DCFDA assay and lucigenin chemiluminescence. In some experiments, the macrophages were transfected with CD36 siRNA to knockdown CD36. Macrophage uptake of lipoprotein was determined by using 125I-oxLDL lipoprotein cellular degradation assay. Foam cell formation was determined by Oil O Red staining. For in vivo experiments, apoE-/- and CD36-/-/apoE-/- double knockout mice were used and treated with normal mice diet, high fat high cholesterol diet (HF) and HF with nicotine for 15 weeks. CD11b+/Ly-6Chi inflammatory monocyte population in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Atheorgenic lesion area in aorta was determined. Results Nicotine at "physiological" concentrations (100 nmol/L) found in smokers' serum increased mRNA and protein expression of the B scavenger receptor CD36 by 116 ± 19% without affecting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. These effects of nicotine were mediated by a common signalling pathway dependent on reactive oxygen species, PKCd phosphorylation and PPARg. Antioxidants as well as non-cholinergic nicotinic blockers prevented nicotine-induced CD36 upregulation. OxLDL increased expression of CD36 and proinflammatory cytokines including TNF-a, MCP-1, IL6, and CXCL9, by 2-4 fold (all p < 0.05); the combination of nicotine with OxLDL increased expression of CD36 and inflammatory cytokines by 3-7 fold (all p < 0.05). siRNA knockdown of CD36 significantly reduced mRNA expression of CD36 and the expression of inflammatory genes. Nicotine dose-dependently increased OxLDL uptake (25%) and intracellular cholesterol accumulation in macrophage, which was prevented by CD36 siRNA. Incubation of macrophages with OxLDL for 72 hours resulted in foam cell formation that was exacerbatedby pre-incubation with nicotine in a CD36-dependent manner. Treatment of ApoE-/- mice with physiological concentrations of nicotine markedly enhanced population of peripheral blood inflammatory monocytes (CD11b+/Ly-6Chi population) and aorta atherosclerotic plaque coverage, effects that were not seen in double knockout ApoE-/-/CD36-/- mice. Conclusions Our results show for the first time that physiological levels of nicotine increase the expression of CD36 and downstream atherogenic pathways in macrophages. The results with transgenic double knockout ApoE-/-CD36-/- mice suggest that macrophahge CD36 is a main signaling pathway in responsible for the pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic properties of nicotine. These studies identify nicotine as a critical new cardiovascular risk factor of cigarette smoking and caution against the chronic nicotine delivery programs for smoking cessation.


Several experimental groups have recently obtained the so called vortex electrons (electrons with orbital angular momentum (OAM) of l ≤ 100¯h) with energies of ∼ 300keV. The gyromagnetic ratio of such electrons becomes proportional to the OAM value, which leads to the corresponding increase of the electron magnetic moment. In this paper we investigate the transition radiation from the "charge + magnetic moment" system using the theory of classical electrodynamics. The circular polarization of optical transition radiation amounts up to ∼ 70%, which allows to use this effect for the independent measurement of the electron orbital momentum value.


Receptor kinases are essential to perceive the signals that induce cellular events such as cell division, cell differentiation and cell death. The Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor-like Kinase 1 ( At SERK1) is a receptor-like kinase (RLK) containing five leucine-rich repeats in its extracellular domain. At SERK1 is proposed to participate in a signal transduction cascade involved in ovule and embryo development. The downstream components of the At SERK1 signal transduction cascade are mostly unknown. Therefore we used the yeast two-hybrid system to screen for proteins interacting with the kinase domain of At SERK1. As a result of the screen we found six different putative At SERK1 interacting proteins. These proteins were predicted to encode a member of the Arabidopsisthaliana family of 14-3-3 proteins called GF14 l , the AAA-ATPase At CDC48, a putative RNA binding protein (RBP), the potassium transporter KEA1, the aquaporin At SIP1 and a racemase-like protein. As we were looking for proteins that may be involved in the signal transduction cascade mediated by the At SERK1 receptor kinase we performed i n vitro kinase assays to determine which proteins At SERK1 can use as a substrate. GF14 l , At CDC48 and RBP can be transphosphorylated by At SERK1 in vitro . Therefore, only the interaction of At SERK1 with these proteins was studied in further detail.In vitro binding assays were performed to confirm the interaction with At SERK1 and showed that GF14 l preferably binds to the phosphorylated At SERK1 kinase domain. The interaction between At SERK1 and GF14 l in vivo was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation assays and in plant cells by the occurrence of FRET between fluorescently labelled At SERK1 and GF14 l proteins. In the kinase domain of At SERK1 we found a putative 14-3-3 binding motif with the sequence RPPSQPP surrounding Ser-394. This motif is located in a loop opposite to the active site of the kinase molecule. Beside At SERK1 another 20 Arabidopsis receptor-like kinases contain a putative 14-3-3 binding domain in this loop.Like GF14 l , the ATPase At CDC48 preferably binds to the phosphorylated kinase domain in an in vitro binding assay and the in vivo interaction was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation assays. Upon binding, At SERK1 is able to transphosphorylate At CDC48 on a threonine residue within the C-terminal 62 residues of the protein. In yeast, At CDC48 is also able to interact with the At SERK1-binding partners GF14 l and the protein phosphatase KAPP. The interaction between At CDC48 and a 14-3-3 protein was confirmed in plant cells by co-immunoprecipitation. This shows analogy to the mammalian CDC48 homologue p97/VCP, which can be phosphorylated by the JAK-2 kinase and dephosphorylated by the phosphatase PTPH1 that associates with a 14-3-3 protein. Based on the function and the cellular localisation of At CDC48 we propose that At SERK1 is involved in one of the many controlling pathways of the cell cycle. The observation that several Arabidopsis protein kinases predicted to be involved in cell division also contain a putative 14-3-3 binding sequence supports this hypothesis.


The FDTD method requires the discretization of time and space. Samples in time are ∆t apart whereas, in simulations with one spatial dimension, samples in space are ∆x apart. It thus appears that one must specify ∆t and ∆x in order to perform a simulation. However, as shown in Sec. 3.3, it is possible to write the coefficients ∆t/ε∆x and ∆t/μ∆x in terms of the material parameters and the Courant number (ref. (3.19) and (3.20)). Since the Courant number contains the ratio of the temporal step to the spatial step, it allows one to avoid explicitly stating a definite temporal or spatial step—all that matters is their ratio. This chapter continues to examine ways in which FDTD simulations can be treated as generic simulations that can be scaled to any size/frequency. As will be shown, the important factors which dictate the behavior of the fields in a simulation are the Courant number and the points per wavelength for any given frequency. We conclude the chapter by considering how one can obtain the transmission coefficient for a planar interface from a FDTD simulation.


In this research, the molten salt corrosion behavio r NiCrFeNbMoTiAl coating applied by plasma spray on alloy T22 (2 o Cr - 1Mo), when exposed to an etching agent of 80% V 2O5 - 20% Na 2SO 4 in a range temperature between 700°C to 900°C was evaluated. The corrosion rates were de termined by using the technique of linear polarization resistance. The re sults showed an increase in corrosion rate with increasing temperature .


We prospectively compared the value of MRI and clinical palpation for detecting cervical metastases in patients with primary cancer of the head and neck. Sixty patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract were evaluated with MRI and clinical palpation before undergoing a total of 81 neck dissections. The results of preoperative clinical palpation and MRI were compared with the histopathologic outcome. The sensitivity and specificity were 75.6% and 97.5%, respectively, for clinical palpation and 73.2% and 95%, respectively, for MRI. The rate of occult cervical metastasis was 24% with clinical palpation and 26.8% with MRI. The use of MRI did not improve the rate of early detection of occult metastasis, nor did it improve the detection of extracapsular spread. Our findings show that we could not depend on palpation or MRI alone to determine the need for elective neck dissection. However, MRI can be used to improve the preoperative grading of cervical lymph nodes. In selected cases, this may direct surgeons to convert the treatment plan to choose a more conservative neck dissection or, after sentinel node sampling and frozen-section control, to convert the treatment to a more radical dissection.


This study aims to clarify the characteristics of the factors that affect the electro-coagulation oxidation treatment of the plating wastewater containing cyanide, and to investigate the components of a new treatment system and operation mechanism which increase the removal efficiency. The electro-coagulation method is a new technology in which problems found in previous researches were complemented and also has a lower possibility of a secondary source of pollution. In the case of the electrode combination of electro-coagulation conducted in the laboratory, Aluminium(Al) was appropriate in anode, STS316L was appropriate in cathode. In the case of the electrode combination in electric oxidation, the best treatment efficiency of wastewater was gained when ruthenium oxide-titanium metal plate was used for anode, STS316L for cathode. In regards to the HRT, one of the important factors was 5 minutes, and the gab of electrodes was 10mm. The system was composed in two levels by incorporating coagulation and oxidation. The current density in electric oxidation was 80㎃/㎠. From the experimental results presented, when the electric oxidation system was applied in the treatment of plating waste water mixed with cyanide and heavy metals, safer and more stable treatment efficiency was obtained compared to the previous treatment methods. In addition, the discharged water could meet the criteria of discharged water.


In this paper at first a new measure of stability of clustering solutions over different bootstrap samples of a data set is proposed. Thereafter in this paper, a multiobjective optimization based clustering technique is developed which optimizes both the measures of symmetry and stability simultaneously to automatically determine the appropriate number of clusters and the appropriate partitioning from data sets having symmetrical shaped clusters. The proposed algorithm utilizes a recently developed simulated annealing based multiobjective optimization technique, AMOSA, as the underlying optimization method. Here assignment of points to different clusters are done based on a recently developed point symmetry based distance rather than the Euclidean distance. Results on several artificial and real-life data sets show that the proposed technique is well-suited to detect the number of clusters from data sets having point symmetric clusters.


In this paper two proofs will be given showing that an ascending nilpotent group can be embedded in the multiplicative group of a division ring, if and only if its subgroup of elements of finite order can be embedded in a division ring. The first proof will depend on the material in a paper by the author (see [3]), and the second proof will use the results in the first part of the paper "On ordered division rings" by B. H. Neumann (see [5]). The construction in the first proof is used to show that any automorphism of the group can be extended to the division ring. First we will determine which countably generated locally finite groups can be embedded in a division ring. As a corollary to this a criterion for embedding locally nilpotent periodic groups will be obtained. With this result we will be able to completely determine which ascending nilpotent groups can be embedded in a division ring. In this paper a group G will be said to have property E if it can be embedded in a division ring D, and to have property EE if every automorphism of the group G can be extended to be an automorphism of some division ring D. The theorem on countable locally finite groups depends mainly on a result of Amitsur (see [l]). The following notation is adapted from the notation of Amitsur's paper. 7r will denote the set of all primes and 7Ti the set of all odd primes p such that 2 has odd order mod p. Let m and r be relatively prime integers. Put s=(r — 1, m), t = m/s and n = minimal integer satisfying rn==l mod m. Denote by Gm,r a group generated by two elements A and B satisfying the relations Am = l, Bn = A', and BAB~1=Ar. Denote by GZ,T a group G which has an ascending tower of subgroups {77,| 0^i< oo } such that G = U<"177,and each 7p is isomorphic to Gmi,rj for some relatively prime integers mi and r,-. Let s,= (f, — 1, m,), /,• = m,/s,and «,• = minimal integer satisfying r^=l mod nt. T*, 0* and 7* will denote the binary tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral groups (see [l]). Amitsur proved the following:


Abstract Palatogobius grandoculus is described based on two specimens taken from a depth of 256–276 m off Cozumel, Mexico, in the Western Caribbean. It differs from the only other described species in the genus, Palatogobius paradoxus, by having a much larger eye, shorter snout, and narrower interorbital width. Body scales extend forward on sides past the first dorsal fin origin, whereas in P. paradoxus they extend forward only to beneath the soft dorsal fin. Palatogobius grandoculus has 21 pectoral fin rays, whereas there are 18–20 (usually 19) in P. paradoxus. Vomerine teeth are absent in P. grandoculus.


Testing is an important, time-consuming, and often difficult part of the software development process. It is therefore critical to introduce testing early in the computer science curriculum, and to provide students with frequent opportunities for practice and feedback. This paper presents an automated system to help introductory students learn how to test software. Students submit test cases to the system, which uses a large corpus of buggy programs to evaluate these test cases. In addition to gauging the quality of the test cases, the system immediately presents students with feedback in the form of buggy programs that nonetheless pass their tests. This enables students to understand why their test cases are deficient and gives them a starting point for improvement. The system has proven effective in an introductory class: students that trained using the system were later able to write better test cases -- even without any feedback -- than those who were not. Further, students reported additional benefits such as improved ability to read code written by others and to understand multiple approaches to the same problem.


The number of pied crows in South Africa has grown significantly over the past 15 years, without any explanation for the increase. However, something sheep farmers are experiencing is that these crows are becoming a nuisance, almost in the 'league' of blackbacked jackal and caracal.


Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an information technology-based concept bringing several benefits to product development organizations. However, it has been reported that PLM implementations in industry render unsatisfactory results. Hence, the overall aim of the work presented in this thesis is to develop new tools and methods that can lead to improved outcomes from future PLM implementations. In-depth understanding of the operational aspects of PLM implementations is needed in order to develop methods and tools that can support practitioners. However, most of the existing discussions of characteristics and challenges in PLM implementations are provided without thorough case studies of the implementations from which they are drawn. In particular, the role of requirements management in PLM implementation is argued to be in need of clarification. The problem is approached by presenting an in-depth case study of a recent PLM implementation, focusing on operational requirements management issues. In order to achieve improved outcomes from PLM implementations, being able to evaluate the outcomes is argued as being necessary. Furthermore, it is argued that it would be beneficial to be able to evaluate tentative PLM solutions during development and PLM implementations leading to the development and deployment of PLM solutions, rather than evaluating the effects resulting from having used a PLM solution. It is found that such methods and tools are currently lacking and need to be proposed, developed and evaluated. The problem is approached by utilizing published experiences, in terms of guidelines, from previous PLM implementations. A guideline can be defined as a directional recommendation for what to do (or what not to do) in a specific context. Available guidelines are first summarized in a tool, followed by a discussion of their relevance and application in relation to the in-depth case study. It is found that most of the guidelines, though highly relevant to the case, were not fully applied, and that a better application of more of the guidelines would lead to better outcomes. It is furthermore demonstrated that PLM implementation guidelines can be used to identify weak spots associated with conducted PLM implementations. A subset of the summarized guidelines (those regarding the PLM solution) is then utilized in a proposed method to identify risks associated with a PLM solution. As such, the methods and tool serve as discussion-facilitating support and direct focus on areas in need of improvement. Future work includes developing a guidelines structure and seeking to expand the guidelines set to cover more areas.


Purpose - This paper aims to contribute to the growing body of empirical evaluations of subjective wellbeing by assessing the impact of basic cultural values and beliefs on job satisfaction across 20 countries in Eastern and Western Europe. Design/methodology/approach - Basic cultural values and beliefs are defined by reference to traditional vs secular values and survival vs self-expression values, respectively. Data derived from the European Values Study 1999/2000 are utilised, which provide detailed information not only on job satisfaction and socio-demographic characteristics, but also on individuals' subjective views on religion, family values, work, child-parent ties, political engagement, tolerance and interpersonal trust. Ordered probit regressions are performed to determine the significance of these characteristics, values and beliefs on job satisfaction. Findings - The study highlights the strong influence of a society's broad cultural heritage on individuals' wellbeing at work. This raises questions about the impetus for numerous motivational interventions by managers and consultants. Traditional cultural values exhibit a strong influence on workers' job satisfaction in Western Europe. Interpersonal trust serves as a particularly strong predictor of job satisfaction for both Eastern and Western Europe, and for both male and female workers. The main difference between Eastern and Western Europe is driven primarily by the importance of family and religion. Originality/value - In previous studies, job satisfaction has been strongly associated with measures of organisational culture. In contrast, the broad cultural heritage of a society as measured by its basic value and belief system has not figured prominently in this literature. This paper adds value by contributing to this fledgling field of empirical research.


Due to the development of internet technology and computer science, data is exploding at an exponential rate. Big data brings us new opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, we can analyze and mine big data to discover hidden information and get more potential value. On the other hand, the 5V characteristic of big data, especially Volume which means large amount of data, brings challenges to storage and processing. For some traditional data mining algorithms, machine learning algorithms and data profiling tasks, it is very difficult to handle such a large amount of data. The large amount of data is highly demanding hardware resources and time consuming. Sampling methods can effectively reduce the amount of data and help speed up data processing. Sampling technology has been widely used in big data context. Data profiling is the activity that finds metadata of data set and has many use cases, e.g., performing data profiling tasks on relational data, graph data, and time series data for anomaly detection and data repair. However, data profiling is computationally expensive, especially for large data sets. Hence this article focuses on researching sampling for data profiling tasks in big data context and investigates the application of sampling in different categories of data profiling. From the experimental results of these studies, the results got from the sampled data are close to or even exceed the results of the full amount of data. Therefore, sampling technology plays an important role in the era of big data, and we also have reason to believe that sampling technology will become an indispensable step in big data processing in the future.


A numerical scheme is proposed for the solution of the three-dimensional radiative transfer equation with variable optical depth. We show that time-dependent ray tracing is an attractive choice for simulations of astrophysical ionization fronts, particularly when one is interested in covering a wide range of optical depths within a 3D clumpy medium. Our approach combines the explicit advection of radiation variables with the implicit solution of local rate equations given the radiation field at each point. Our scheme is well suited to the solution of problems for which line transfer is not important, and could, in principle, be extended to those situations also. This scheme allows us to calculate the propagation of supersonic ionization fronts into an inhomogeneous medium. The approach can be easily implemented on a single workstation and also should be fully parallelizable.


Don Kulick:
The Construction of a New Kind of Sick Personality Type: The Sex Client

The article discusses the criminalizing and pathologizing of the sex client in Sweden. Drawing on inpirations from Michel Foucault and queer studies, it analyses discourses in Sweden from the mid-1900s into the 2000s. Basically, the processes of criminalizing and pathologizing are related to the installment of an official, good sexuality, the only morally comprehensible one. Of special importance in this development is the prioritizing by the State of govern¬mentalizing techniques that do not primarily work by way of prohibitions (although such are also employed). Furthermore, there is the radical feminist influence on Swedish ideologies on "gender parity", demanding that men con¬¬form to standards imagined to be inherently feminine. Finally, there is the development of new forms of Swedish nationalism, stressing Sweden's obligation of moral leadership to the rest of the world, in particular the EU.


A lthough only recently into avian art, John Brasaemle is a stranger to neither art nor birds. In the mid-seventies he exhibited southwest watercolors at the Bluedoor Gallery in Taos, New Mexico. Along came three children and out the window went the time to paint his own projects. He kept his hand in by painting scenery every year for local high schools' drama presentations, and by illustrating various special requests, including three educational books. In 2001 the opportunity arose for him to make a career change. John retired after thirty years of teaching elementary school art. Birds entered his life many years ago via a great little parakeet. Then came two, and then more. While the kids were at piano practice, John and his wife, Carol, would visit a local pet store and look at the myriad of birds. John the artist liked the brightly colored ones, but Carol won out and Snickers, the African Grey, joined the clan. Then came breeding greys and membership in AFA and the local bird club, RMSA. As retirement loomed, John began looking at how to use his talents in all that free time. Through Carol's writing, the Original Flying Machine and John were connected and he has illustrated for each of their issues. He has been fortunate to also be published in two other bird magazines. Initially John used everything to research his artwork, but now he prefers seeing the actual type of bird, do sketching, and take copious photos for reference. Through the club's annual show, member's birds, and continually looking for contacts, he is building quite a library from which to work. John is not an ornithological illustrator, hut rather tries to capture the essence and life of the bird. Instead of painting every feather he works with textures, patterns, and layered colors to give the impression of each species. The eyes need to make contact with the viewer. It is the eyes and the posture that make his paintings most successful. In the nine months since retirement, John has painted over one hundred birds and hundreds of drawings. He has gone from committed teacher to committed painter. John has been a member of AFA for over ten years. He has been a delegale from their local club and both Brasaernles are very committed to their birds and to AFA.


In 32 adult human kidneys obtained at necropsy, renal demensions, measured from radiographs, were correlated with the number and cross-sectional area of glomeruli, determined by point-counting and computerized image analysis. Cortical area, measured from post-mortem angiograms, was poorly correlated with glomerular area and was not significantly correlated with glomerular number per kidney. The area of the whole kidney was poorly correlated with the number of glomeruli per kidney and was not significantly correlated with glomerular area. However renal dimensions, particularly total renal area, were highly significantly correlated with the product of glomerular area and number. This may allow glomerular numbers to be estimated in life but will not assess loss of glon the ageing kidney, the number of glomeruli per unit volume increased.


Predicting human trajectories is a challenging task due to the complexity of pedestrian behavior, which is influenced by external factors such as the scene's topology and interactions with other pedestrians. A special challenge arises from the dependence of the behaviour on the density of the scene. In the literature, deep learning algorithms show the best performance in predicting pedestrian trajectories, but so far just for situations with low densities. In this study, we aim to investigate the suitability of these algorithms for high-density scenarios by evaluating them on different error metrics and comparing their accuracy to that of knowledge-based models that have been used since long time in the literature. The findings indicate that deep learning algorithms provide improved trajectory prediction accuracy in the distance metrics for all tested densities. Nevertheless, we observe a significant number of collisions in the predictions, especially in high-density scenarios. This issue arises partly due to the absence of a collision avoidance mechanism within the algorithms and partly because the distance-based collision metric is inadequate for dense situations. To address these limitations, we propose the introduction of a novel continuous collision metric based on pedestrians' time-to-collision. Subsequently, we outline how this metric can be utilized to enhance the training of the algorithms.


This study was set out to investigate the contents of core competences and their training demands for industrial safety and hygiene professional engineers (ISHPEs). The contents of 7 core and 35 sub-core competences were developed and used to conduct field surveys to safety and health managers (SHMs) from two types of industry of the high-tech and traditional, respectively. Both the "deficiency" of ISHPEs and the "importance" of each investigated sub-core competence were assessed by the SHMs from each selected industry type using a 5-point Likert scale (5: very high; 4: high; 3: moderate; 2: low; 1: very low). We found that 9 out of 35, and 13 out of 35 sub-core competences were "high deficiency" and "high importance", respectively. The Bayesian decision making process was used to determine the training demand of each investigated sub-core competence. We found that 16 and 14 sub-core competences were determined as "high training demand" for ISHPEs based on judgments made by SHMs of the high-tech and traditional industry, respectively. Among them, 13 were consistently identified by SHMs of the both types should be considered the first priority subjects for conducting on-the-job trainings for ISHPEs.


Tetrapyrroles are synthesised through a single branched biosynthetic pathway. Heme and chlorophyll are synthesised from the common intermediate protoporphyrin IX at the heme-chlorophyll branch-point. Ferrochelatase catalyses the synthesis of heme by inserting Fe(II) into the protoporphyrin macro-cycle while magnesium chelatase, a three-subunit enzyme, catalyses the first unique step in chlorophyll biosynthesis by inserting Mg(II). The structure of ferrochelatase has been determined both in apo form (1.8 A) and in complex with the inhibitor N-methyl-mesoporphyrin (1.9 A). The structure is made up of two Rossmann type domains with an active-site cleft between them. The protein induces a distortion in the porphyrin macro-cycle on binding, exposing the pyrrolenine nitrogen atoms to the in-coming metal. Metal binding studies with substrate (Zn) and inhibitor (Cd) ions reveal the metal binding residues as being the His-Glu couple, H183 and E264. Substrate and inhibitor metal ions showed different coordination geometries at the His-Glu couple and the inhibitor was bound at an additional site. A fully hydrated Mg(II) ion is bound to a pi-helix close to the active-site cleft and interacts with the metal bound at the His-Glu couple. An improved pi-helix definition algorithm enabled detailed analysis of the occurrence, conformational features, amino acid propensities and functional relevance of the pi-helix in proteins structures. The pi-helix was found to be more abundant than previously believed, and possessed unique sequence and structural features that are functionally important, as exemplified by the Mg(II) binding site of ferrochelatase. The structure of the ATPase subunit of magnesium chelatase has been determined to 2.1 A resolution. It belongs to the AAA+ family but possesses a unique arrangement of domains. Electron micrographs of solutions of this subunit in the presence of ATP revealed ring-like structures akin to AAA hexamers. A model is proposed for the initial magnesium chelatase complex, which involves a two-tiered hexameric ring. (Less)


A discrepancy is reported between the karyotype of both direct and cultured chorionic villus cells (46,XX) and a fetal skin biopsy (47,XX,+18). The significance of this result is discussed and compared with similar discordant findings reported in the literature.


Hollow cone-shaped overdense plasma targets were used to investigate the generation and transport of fast particles in a high-intensity laser-matter interaction. Using 2d PIC simulations we examine cone, cone-wire and cone with an open tip target designs. Localization of electron jets and an angular spread are found in all cases of the laser-cone interaction. However, in the cone-wire geometry, at later times, the charge separation and radial electric fields around the wire collimate electron streams with an electron hot spot at the front end of the wire. The main mechanism of the electron transport in the targets is the reflection of electrons from the potential walls of the cone surface, and no significant surface electron transport is observed. Furthermore, the presence of harmonics in the reflected light suggests that the field intensity in the cone can be enhanced not only by simple multiple reflection but also by the field modulation due to harmonics generation. Moreover, it is found that the laser interaction with the open-tip cone can efficiently generate trains of short (


Illegal logging is a serious global issue. It is not only a great threat to rare forest species, but also contributes to the current biodiversity crisis and climate change. Despite international agreements, 10-30% of all imported wood has been illegally logged. Many of these trees, especially rosewood (Dalbergia) and ebony (Diospyros), are very important for the global market because of their high economic value. Ebony is a common name for the black heartwood (inner parts of the stem) of some Diospyros species. These woods are used in products such as acoustic musical instruments. The genus Diospyros includes over 700 species globally. More than 200 of them are endemic to Madagascar, which is a one of the richest regions in terms of biodiversity. This island is situated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Eastern Africa and is known for its unique biodiversity.
 Due to over-harvesting in recent decades, many Malagasy species of Diospyros are listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES; CITES checklist for Diospyros). Trade of these species requires CITES permits. All described Malagasy ebony species under Appendix II meaning that, while not currently threatened with extinction they may become so if trade is not controlled. Controlling the logging trade is often more difficult than it seems. Labels are easily switched, different species of wood can be mixed, permits can be falsified, and many more tricks are used to get illegally logged wood onto the global market.
 One of the most commonly used techniques to identify timber products is the assessment of species-specific cellular patterns (White et al. 1991). Wood anatomy has been practiced for more than 200 years, and automated tools have been developed to identify wood at the genus and species level over the past decade (Figueroa-Mata et al. 2018, Hafemann et al. 2014, Koch et al. 2011, Ravindran et al. 2018). However, the lack of sufficient resolution for species-level identification, especially for speciose genera such as Diospyros, is the main drawback of this method. Identification using molecular barcoding is an alternative but challenging method as timber is composed mainly of dead cells and the few living cells often have poor DNA quality. A third identification method is direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART TOF MS; Espinoza et al. 2015, Evans et al. 2017). This method analyses the chemical composition of a wood sample, resulting in a species-specific chemical fingerprint. DART TOF MS has already been successfully applied to several tree genera including Dalbergia (rosewood), Aquilaria (agarwood), and Quercus (oak). The main disadvantage of this method is that it can only be applied to heartwood samples from the inner part of the trunk.
 In order to develop a comprehensive and accurate identification tool to identify Malagasy ebony woods, we are working towards building an image recognition model based on wood anatomical microscopic images. As a case study, we successfully trained our classifier using a public dataset (Martins et al. 2012) such that our model was able to distinguish different tree genera of that dataset with 93% accuracy. We are currently extending this work to the subgeneric level of Diospyros. This will be used to establish the presence of ebony woods in acoustic musical instruments based on reference samples from wood specimens preserved in natural history musea. To achieve sufficient accuracy, we are focusing on the microscopic features of transverse and tangential orientation planes in ebony woods. Our database will include very high resolution images of Diospyros species, and can help wood anatomist at wood identification institute and customs officers at harbours to increase the accuracy of the identification of illegally logged ebony woods.


Abstract 1550 Background: We previously reported that mutations of CD20 gene were found in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma, and we proposed that C-terminal deletion mutations of CD20 might be involved in relapse/resistance after rituximab containing therapy. Most of the patients that had mutation in the C-terminal leagion were diagnosed as CD20 negative by immunohistochemistry using L26 monoclonal antibody. L26 recognizes the cytoplasmic region of CD20 molecules, but no more detailed information about its epitope had been reported. So at first we determined the binding site of L26 antibody on CD20 protein. Then we developed novel diagnostic antibodies that recognize wide variety of CD20 molecular subtypes including those having mutations. Methods: To determine the epitope of L26 antibody, we established six sub-lines expressing various length of C-terminal truncated CD20 using an originally CD20 negative myeloma cell line. Then we carried out epitope-mapping using these cell lines. To detect comprehensive CD20 molecules including that having mutation in C-terminal region, we developed antibodies that recognize near the amino terminus of CD20 molecules (CD20N antibody). CD20N antibody is the only monoclonal antibody that recognizes N-terminal region of CD20 so far. Using these antibodies, we screened the specimens of the cases diagnosed as CD20 negative determined by L26-based immunohistochemistry. Results: The epitope-mapping revealed that L26 recognizes near the C-terminus of CD20. This suggested that most of CD20 molecules with the C-terminal deletion mutation or frame-shift mutation could not be recognized by L26. Then we screened previously diagnosed specimens and found several cases that having the cells stained by our novel antibody but not by L26. Genetic analysis revealed that all these cells had a mutation in the C-terminal cytoplasmic region of CD20. One of these cases, we successfully analyzed the phenotype of lymphoma cells with mutated CD20 in detail using cryopreserves living specimens. In this case, a frame shift mutation occurred due to one base nucleotide deletion, resulting in the translation of peptide of another reading frame of 41 amino acids with premature stop at the amino acid position 250. Interestingly, mutant CD20 molecule expressed adjacent to the plasma membrane, but rituximab could not bind to these cells. DNA sequencing study about genome and mRNA of CD20 gene suggested that the lymphoma cells of this patient had one normal and one mutated CD20 allele. Discussions: The C-terminal region of CD20 may undertake a pivotal role in presentation of the large loop where the rituximab binding site locates. Thus, deletion or frame-shift mutation of CD20 in C-terminal cytoplasmic region impairs the antigenicity against rituximab and it may cause resistance to rituximab therapy. The resistance caused by gene mutation thought to be irreversible. And it should be discriminated from transient downregulation of antigen expression. We propose here that immunohistochemical screening using CD20N antibody is very rapid and effective screening stategy that find out irreversible rituximab resistant cases. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Background: 5-10% of primary care patients present a classification diagnosis of Major Depression, 5-10% of Dysthymia and 20% "depressive symptoms only". We tried to obtain the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a Spanish primary care area (11 667 adult inhabitants, Seville). Methods: a randomized sample of 221 people (SE = 0.0025, a = 0.05) was initially examined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The patients with a BDI > 16 were considered as "cases" and were extensively examined using the "Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry" (SCAN). Results and conclusions: Our prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher than that reported in international studies with similar BDI cutting-scores. Class-linked vulnerability could play an important aetiological role. Prevalences of Major Depression and Dysthymia were similar to other reports using structured diagnostic interviews. The cases were usually lower-class females, and they also presented medium or high psychosocial disability. Depressive symptoms and mood disorders in Primary Care represent an unsolved health care problem today.


Historical developments in analytical potentiometry are briefly introduced and compared with those in polarography and coulometry: in the discussion special emphasis is given to the selectivities of these methods. Next, recent advances are described in ion-selective electrodes of both the solid membrane and the liquid membrane types; an extremely small ion-selective reference electrode assembly made with a field effect transistor is described and the use of solid solvent as membrane material is discussed. The enhancement of the selectivity of anion electrodes by p-tert-octylphenol is introduced and the effect of the enhancement is explained after a discussion from a voltammetric standpoint of the mechanisms of potential generation at the electrode-solution interface. As an example of the applications of the ion-selective electrode, the use of the cationsensitive glass electrode for the measurement of the activities of metal ions in nonaqueous solvents is introduced.


Highly extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar was discovered by Milagro and verified by HAWC. Despite many observations with Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), detection of gamma-ray emission on angular scales exceeding the IACT field-of-view has proven challenging. Recent developments in analysis techniques have enabled the detection of significant emission around Geminga in archival data with H.E.S.S.. In 2019, further data on the Geminga region were obtained with an adapted observation strategy. Following the announcement of the detection of significant TeV emission around Geminga in archival data, in this contribution we present the detection in an independent dataset. New analysis results will be presented, and emphasis given to the technical challenges involved in observations of highly extended gamma-ray emission with IACTs.


The aim of this work was evaluating the agronomical and chemical characteristics of 20 different genotypes of maize used as silage. A complete randomized experimental design was used, with three replicates per treatment. Each hybrid was harvested when plants reached 1/3 of milk line stage, using two cut heights: immediately above the senescent leaves (whole-plant) and immediately below ear attachment (half-plant), and all hybrids were ensiled in PVC silos. After 50 days of ensiling, DM, CP, EE, ADF, NDF, ash and estimated TDN were determined. DM for all hybrids ranged from 26.56% to 32.19% for whole-plant silage, and from 29.53 to 36.08 for half-plant silage. CP values varied widely among hybrids, ranging from 5.80% to 8.00% in the whole-plant group and from 6.91% to 8.88 in half-plant group. On the basis of DM yield, CP and TDN, one should recommend hybrids GARRA e P30R07 to be used as whole-plant silage in the region under study


It is well known that cereblon is a key protein in autosomal recessive nonsyndromic mental retardation. Studies have reported that it has an intermediary role in helping immunomodulatory drugs perform their immunomodulatory and tumoricidal effects. In addition, cereblon also regulates the expression, assembly, and activities of other special proteins related to cell proliferation and metabolism, resulting in the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases. This review details the multiple functions of cereblon and the underlying mechanisms. We also put forward some unsolved problems, including the intrinsic mechanism of cereblon function and the possible regulatory mechanisms of its expression.


In the United States, agricultural runoff is the leading contributor of nutrient pollution in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, causing environmental impacts, including a large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico (Rabotyagov et al. 2014). In an attempt to decrease these impacts, government agencies and nonprofit organizations invest billions of dollars annually promoting and paying for conservation practices (e.g, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 [H.R. 2, 115th Congress, 2018]). Many of the programs through which these funds are administered may miss the mark because they are not tailored for an important and influential stakeholder for redressing the problem—the person who owns the farmland.


The ability of electronic drug identification databases to identify solid oral dosage forms by their imprint codes was studied. The following seven commercially available electronic drug identification databases were selected to identify 500 solid oral dosage forms by their imprint codes: Clinical Pharmacology (Gold Standard Media, Tampa, FL), eFacts (Facts and Comparison, St. Louis, MO), Ident-A-Drug (Therapeutic Research, Stockton, CA), Identidex (Micromedex, Greenwood Village, CO), Clinical Reference Library (Lexi-Comp, Hudson, OH), Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) Electronic Library (Medical Economics, Montvale, NJ), and RxList (RxList LLC, San Francisco, CA), Chi-square test was used to compare the percentages of medications identified by each of the seven electronic references. The ability of the databases to identify medication by specific characteristics, such as brand name versus generic, prescription versus nonprescription, commercially available for more than one year versus less than one year, colored versus white drug products, and controlled versus noncontrolled substances was evaluated. A logistic regression model was used to determine the probability of a drug product being identified by one of the electronic references based on these characteristics. All seven electronic databases combined identified 95.6% of the unknown medications by imprint code, color, shape, and scoring. Ident-A-Drug and Identidex identified the most drugs. The PDR Electronic Library and Facts and Comparisons Identified the least number of drugs. Solid oral dosage forms more likely to be identified were those that were on the market for more than a year, brand-name products, and prescription medications. Generic products on the market for less than a year and nonprescription products were particularly difficult to identify. A combination of electronic drug identification databases provides the best method of drug identification in an institutional setting.


Biodegradability improvement of refractory pollutants by hydrothermal reaction was investigated based on their structural conversion. Di- and Trichloroacetic acid were used as test sample, representing linear hydrocarbon structured refractory pollutants. At 250 °C and 4 MPa, attached recalcitrant chlorine atoms were eliminated by hydrolysis at the beginning of hydrothermal reaction. Biodegradable organic acids were yielded from hydrolyzed intermediates by dehydration and thermal decomposition. The decomposition rates of chloroacetic acids increased with increasing the number of attached chlorine atoms. During the initial structural conversion by hydrothermal reaction, the reduction of carbon contents of dichloroacetic acid did not exceed 6 % under the tested conditions. The similar results, however, were not observed in case of trichloroacetic acid. Biodegradable products were reduced by thermal decomposition as reaction time increased. The biodegradability of reaction products was not fatally retarded despite the presence of chlorine ions under the tested conditions. Hydrothermal reaction was proved as suitable pretreatment method to obtain biodegradable products from the structural conversion of refractory pollutants such as chloroacetic acids for the following biological treatment methods.


One of the greatest problems in Coffea arabica breeding is identifying precisely any inbred line, based only on botanical and agronomical descriptors, because of the reduced genetic variability of the species, close pedigree origin, which results in small phenotypic variation. Recently, molecular markers have been used for plant germplasm characterization and identification in several commercial species. This work evaluates the reliability of three marker systems: RAPD, AFLP and SSR, to characterize the genetic variability of commercially-used Coffea inbred lines developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC), and their potential for cultivar identification. All methods identified polymorphisms among the cultivars. The genetic diversity recognized by the methods is very similar, although is very narrow. RAPD and SSR marker systems grouped more efficiently the evaluated cultivars according to parental origin. None of the methods allowed inbred line identification. Therefore for varietal protection, it would be necessary using a combination of botanical, agronomical and molecular markers descriptors for precise cultivar identification.


The effectiveness of different elicitation variants in combination with alarmone application was studied in shoot cultures of Polyscias filicifolia. The shoots were elicited with 200 µM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or 50 µM salicylic acid (SA) alone or in combination, and their activity was compared with those treated with the alarmone diadenosine 5′,5‴-P1P3-triphosphate (Ap3A), either alone or in combination with SA and/or MeJA. All treatments resulted in significant stimulation of phenolic acid production (chlorogenic and ferulic acids), as well as oleanolic acid (OA) compared to control, with their highest concentration noted under simultaneous elicitation with SA and MeJA. While the maximum content of caffeic acid was detected after treatment with alarmone alone. In each of the culture variants enhanced antioxidant activity was observed, however the level varied according to the treatment. In addition, the SA, Ap3A and Ap3A+SA variants demonstrated additional peroxidase isoforms, as indicated by Native-PAGE, as well as the highest α-tocopherol content. The highest antioxidant capacity of shoot extracts was correlated with the highest abundance of phenolic compounds and OA. The results indicate that ROS induction appears to participate in the signal transduction following Ap3A treatment.


A polymer micro- cavity based probe- type fiber Fabry- Perot interferometer is demonstrated by coating PDMS at the end tip of the single mode fiber, at the same time, the refractive index(RI) and temperature sensing characteristics of the sensor are also investigated. The refractive index and temperature sensing are based on extinction ratio measurement and wavelength shift measurement, respectively. Meanwhile, the theoretical analysis of the special refractive index sensing characteristics of the sensor is conducted, which can be used to design sensors. The sensor has a simultaneously high sensitivity to refractive index and temperature, the refractive index sensitivity is-180.359 dB/RIU(RI unit) in the refractive index range of 1.3625~1.4206, and the temperature sensitivity is 355.28 pm/℃ in the temperature range of 25 ℃~60 ℃. The sensor has the merits of compact size and good biocompatibility. It is advantageous in applications for biochemical activity detection when compared to the conventional fiber sensors, such as tissue culture.


A method for the synthesis of functional hybrid nanoparticles of uniform size is reported. 1,1'-bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]-4,4'-bipyridinium iodide and N,N'-bis[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine bridged polysilsesquioxane spherical, monodisperse nanoparticles are prepared utilizing inverse water-in-oil polymerization methods where nanoparticle size can be influenced by adjusting the interfacial tension and monomer concentration. The former are electrochemically active and can be utilized in display devices. Both are polycationic and can be used as carriers for polyanions such as DNA and construction of layer-by-layer architectures.


SUMMARY We applied the stochastic method of Gudmundsson, Davies & Clayton (1990) (which was applied to ISC P-wave data) to teleseismic ISC S-wave data to obtain an independent estimate of mantle structure. We inverted the variance of S-wave traveltime residuals of bundles of rays to obtain a description of the spectrum of lateral heterogeneity as a function of depth through the mantle. The technique yields robust estimates of the traveltime scattering power (the product of a characteristic scalelength of heterogeneity and the mean square of slowness perturbations). We can estimate the characteristic scalelength (half-width), from the autocovariance; which can be reconstructed from the spectra. Hence by division, we can estimate the root mean square slowness. By extrapolating the variance of bundles of rays to bundles of zero cross-sectional area we can also estimate the scale-incoherent signal (which is a plausible estimate of the noise in the data), which is removed from the data. We find that most of the structure generating shear wave traveltime residuals is located in the uppermost mantle. About half of the structure is short scale (harmonic degree 1 > 50). The large-scale structure (1 < 50) has a half-width of about 500 km in the upper half of the mantle. This S-wave half-width is consistent with the P-wave half-widths determined by Gudmundsson et al. (1990). The S-wave half-width in the lower half of the mantle is poorly constrained. It varies from 500 to 3000km, which spans the better constrained value of 1200 km found by Gudmundsson et al. (1990) for P-waves. The incoherent scatter suggests that the signal-to-noise ratio of the S-wave data set is around 1.5. Assuming that the compressional and shear wave velocity variations are correlated then the signal weighted value of the ratio d In (y.)ld In (y,) is =2, as also found in normal mode studies. This is much larger than the value of ~0.8-1.4 suggested by laboratory experiments undertaken at atmospheric pressure. There is no evidence of periodicity in the traveltime autocovariance; this suggests little or no periodicity in the underlying convection. The short half-width through most of the mantle suggests high Rayleigh number convection, with its attendant small-scale structures. The power decreases by an order of magnitude or more in going from the upper mantle to the lower mantle, the same as found by Gudmundsson et al. (1990) for P-waves. This large difference suggests either a change in convective regime and/or a difference in the temperature sensitivity of elastic constants in both layers. The increased short-scale structure at the top of the mantle suggests that a large part of the seismic signature at this boundary is compositional, since one would expect a red spectrum for a thermal boundary layer. The derived spectra between 1 = 10 and I = 50 are similar in shape to spectra from the mantle convection simulations of Glatzmaier (1988) with a Rayleigh number of 106-107, which would suggest layered convection, if the comparison is valid.


Influences of environment (indicated by plant associations) and forest management practices on the distribution of Armillaria spp. and genets (vegetative clones) were investigated. A total of 142 isolates of Armillaria was collected from various host trees on pristine and managed sites (thinned and/or fertilized) growing in relatively wet and dry environments in eastern Washington, U.S.A. The incidence of Armillaria spp. was significantly higher in the relatively wetter sites than the relatively drier sites, as indicated by plant associations. However, no differences in Armillaria occurrence were found among different forest management practices (control vs. thinned vs. thinned and fertilized) within both wetter and drier sites. Incidence of Armillaria was significantly different among conifer and shrub species. The highest proportion with Armillaria was found on grand fir (Abies grandis). Based on pairing tests and rDNA sequencing, the 142 isolates were comprised in a total of 20 genets representing three Armillaria species. More diverse Armillaria spp. were found in both relatively wetter and relatively drier sites within the undisturbed control plots, compared to plots disturbed by forest management practices. The results from this study provide baseline information toward understanding how environment and forest management practices influence incidence and diversity of Armillaria species and genets.


Transradial catheterization is associated with lower complication rates; however limited information is available regarding techniques to overcome unusual complications. We present a case of a 58‐year‐old male with suspected non‐ST‐elevated myocardial infarction who underwent transradial coronary angiography complicated by guidewire embolization into the radial artery and subsequent access loss. Successful retrieval of the embolized guidewire was achieved by re‐accessing the same radial artery and the use of a 2 mm gooseneck microsnare. This technique was safe and prevented the need for surgical intervention or femoral access for retrieval, which are commonly described in the literature and can result in additional complications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


To prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI), the use of maximal sterile barrier precautions (MSBP) during central venous catheter insertion, using a cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and a large sterile sheet, was recommended in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines. However, this recommendation is based on the evidence obtained by only one randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which the subject patients were outpatients for chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the recommendation is applied to any kind of clinical settings. Therefore, we undertook a multi-institutional RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of the MSBP in surgical patients admitted to general wards. Our study could not demonstrate better prevention of CRBSI by MSBP compared with standard sterile barrier precautions (SSBP) where only sterile gloves and a small sterile drape were used. There were 5 out of 211 cases (2.4%) of CRBSI in the MSBP group and 6 out of 213 cases (2.8%) in the SSBP group (P = 0.77). These results suggest that further RCTs should be necessary in many clinical settings to reach a conclusion on this issue. We also address other evidences regarding prevention of CRBSI in this review.


The problems considered in this paper are described in polyhedral multi-valued mappings for higher order(s-th) discrete (PDSIs) and differential inclusions (PDFIs). The present paper focuses on the necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality for optimization of these problems. By converting the PDSIs problem into a geometric constraint problem, we formulate the necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality for a convex minimization problem with linear inequality constraints. Then, in terms of the Euler-Lagrange type PDSIs and the specially formulated transversality conditions, we are able to obtain conditions of optimality for the PDSIs. In order to obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality for the discrete-approximation problem PDSIs, we reduce this problem to the form of a problem with higher order discrete inclusions. Finally, by formally passing to the limit, we establish the sufficient conditions of optimality for the problem with higher order PDFIs. Numerical approach is developed to solve a polyhedral problem with second order polyhedral discrete inclusions.


Introduction: Dentists use high-energy equipment, such as drills and scalers in the presence of bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, and dental plaque. This combined effect generates aerosols of oral micro-organisms, and blood. Objective: To determine the prevalence of respiratory morbidities and practices for protection against aerosols exposure at work place among dental health care professionals in District Lucknow. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved private dental practitioners registered with Indian Dental Association chosen by Simple Random Sampling. Dentists who gave consent and who were practicing for at least 1 year were included. Aerosol exposure and respiratory morbidity was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. SPSS software version 16.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Total number of study participants were 0. Mean age in years of study subjects were 33.5 ±11.6. Their average years of involvement in clinical practice were 10.0 ±12.75. Majority of dental practitioners used hand scalers (70%) and power scalers (80%) on patients. A higher proportion changed their masks by the day (60%).  Majority used protective eye goggles (70%). Only 30% used high efficiency particulate room filters while 20% used humidifiers and air purification systems. One fifth of respondents usually had cough. Conclusion: Respiratory morbidity is associated with workplace generated aerosol among dental health professionals. Awareness regarding occupational exposure and implementation of preventive strategies is required to provide a safe working environment.


The Abercrombie & Fitch corporation is a specialty clothing retailer that caters to a college age demographic. The popularity of the clothing brand has exploded exponentially since its separation from its one-time corporate parent, the Limited Brands in 1998. The clothing's theme leans towards the style of Ivy League college students. The Abercrombie & Fitch corporate headquarters is located on the outskirts of New Albany, Ohio, which is a northeastern suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The architecture of the Adirondack-inspired corporate campus meshes well with the style of clothing the company produces. A&F's corporate campus is sited on 580 acres of native woodland, constructed prairie grassland, and wetland surroundings. There are two objectives behind introducing this multi-billion dollar corporation's headquarters into a native Midwestern landscape. Pulling the new A&F headquarters into this natural atmosphere gives employees and visitors the seclusion and off the beaten path feelings common to a summer camp experience. The A&F campus is designed as an extension of the company's brand. It is a place for associates to work, play, and live the Abercrombie & Fitch lifestyle. A way of life associated with casual luxury. The intentionally isolated Abercrombie & Fitch corporate headquarters was completed in 1999. Many campus design problems and needs have become apparent over the past six years. Employees have voiced a desire for more recreational opportunities onsite. The average age of A&F employees is 29. Staying physically fit and active is an overall important issue to this group of people. However, there is currently no recreational trail system in place. Another request, among many other requirements to be discussed later, is the need for employees to gain access to the 580 acres of native woodland, constructed prairie grassland, and wetland surroundings the site has to offer. Twenty five percent of A&F employees are not from the United States. Another fifty percent of A&F employees are not from the Midwest. Only one-fourth of A&F's nearly 1,000 corporate headquarters employees have ever had the opportunity to experience and learned from the native Midwestern landscape so prevalent to this location. This diverse, educational Midwestern landscape is underutilized because of current inaccessibility and lack of didactic programming.


The anti-morphine peptide PPC from dog brain has an inhibitory effect on morphine analgesia. It is highly homologous to DBI. The analgesic effect of bovine DBI was measured, showing the potentiation effect on morphine analgesia. In order to study the relationship between PPC and DBI, cDNA library derived from dog liver had been screened using partial gene of rat DBI as a probe. A positive clone was obtained. The entire sequence of the insert of this positive clone provided complete sequence of a peptide which was identified as the DBI peptide. It shows 88.5% homology with pig DBI, 87.4% with bovine, 83.9% with human, 46.5% with yeast, respectively. The sequence of N-terminal 50 amino acid residues except 55th, 58th site and C-terminal 17 amino acids is the same to DBI from dog. PPC has 23 amino acids more than DBI inside.


The authors examine a distributed reservation TDMA (time division multiple access) algorithm for dynamic handling of bursty traffic in an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) multiservice user-oriented satellite network. Major aspects associated with the achievement of efficiency, robustness, and fairness are high-lighted. A performance evaluation carried out by means of an accurate simulation model is prsented: a key issue is the adoption of a two-state Markov representation for bursty sources. Simulation results show the advantages (in terms of bandwidth usage) of this access technique with respect to a possible static peak bit-rate bandwidth assignment.<<ETX>>


The determination of the temperature in and above the slab in subduction zones, using models where the top of the slab is precisely known, is important to test hypotheses regarding the causes of arc volcanism and intermediate-depth seismicity. While 2D and 3D models can predict the thermal structure with high precision for fixed slab geometries, a number of regions are characterized by relatively large geometrical changes. Examples include the flat slab segments in South America that evolved from more steeply dipping geometries to the present day flat slab geometry. We devise, implement, and test a numerical approach to model the thermal evolution of a subduction zone with prescribed changes in slab geometry over time. Our numerical model approximates the subduction zone geometry by employing time dependent deformation of a B\'ezier spline which is used as the slab interface in a finite element discretization of the Stokes and heat equations. We implement the numerical model using the FEniCS open source finite element suite and describe the means by which we compute approximations of the subduction zone velocity, temperature, and pressure fields. We compute and compare the 3D time evolving numerical model with its 2D analogy at cross-sections for slabs that evolve to the present-day structure of a flat segment of the subducting Nazca plate.


In negative ion electrostatic accelerators a considerable fraction of extracted ions is lost by collision processes causing efficiency loss and heat deposition over the components. Stripping is proportional to the local density of gas, which is steadily injected in the plasma source; its pumping from the extraction and acceleration stages is a key functionality for the prototype of the ITER Neutral Beam Injector, and it can be simulated with the 3D code AVOCADO. Different geometric solutions were tested aiming at the reduction of the gas density. The parameter space considered is limited by constraints given by optics, aiming, voltage holding, beam uniformity, and mechanical feasibility. The guidelines of the optimization process are presented together with the proposed solutions and the results of numerical simulations.


Reproductive traits have a major influence on the economic effectiveness of horse breeding. However, there is little information available. We evaluated the use of reproductive traits as selection criteria in official breeding programs to increase the reproductive efficiency of breeding studs, analysing 696 690 records from the pedigree data of eight Spanish horse populations, with different breeding purposes. The reproductive parameters studied in both sexes were age at first foaling (AFF), age at last foaling, average reproductive life and generational interval. In the females, the average interval between foaling (AIF) and interval between first and second foaling were also studied. There were clear differences between sexes and breeds, which may be due to management practices, breeding purposes and the status of the populations, rather than to differences in actual physiological conditions. Riding mares were the most precocious (AFF, 1937.64 to 2255.69 days) and had a more intensive reproductive use (AIF, 625.83 to 760.07 days), whereas sires used for meat production were the most precocious males (AFF, 1789.93 to 1999.75 days), although they had a shorter reproductive life (1564.34 to 1797.32 days). Heritabilities (0.02 to 0.42 in females and 0.04 to 0.28 in males) evidenced the genetic component of the reproductive traits, with Sport Horses having the higher average values. These results support the selection by AFF to improve reproductive aspects because of its medium-high heritability and its positive correlations with other important reproductive traits. The inclusion of the AIF is also recommended in sport populations, because this determines the length of the breaks between foaling and conditions the reproductive performance of the dams, as well as their selective intensity, genetic gain and genetic improvement. It is therefore an important economic parameter in breeding studs.


Introduction: The relevance of work is dictated by the fact that arterial hypertension is often associated with other diseases and every physician and senior student should be aware of the contraindications to antihypertensive therapy (AT) in the most common nosologies – aV-block 2nd and 3rd degree, WPW-syndrome, gout, COPD and pregnancy.
Aim: To analyze physicians' and medical undergraduates' knowledge of main contraindications to AH treatment.
Material and Methods: During the multicenter study devoted to the assessment of physicians' knowledge in treatment of AH ("PHYSTARH" study), 296 people from 5 Russian and Ukrainian cities were surveyed in 2017-2018: 44,9% – 6th grade students, 55,1% – physicians.
Results and Discussion. The study revealed an insufficient level of students' and doctors' knowledge of main contraindications to AH treatment. Less than half of the respondents correctly identified drugs contraindicated in pregnancy, gout, aV-block 2nd and 3rd degree, WPW-syndrome and COPD.
Conclusion. Despite the availability of antihypertensive treatment related clinical guidelines and sufficient number of information sources, the level of incorrect answers reaches a significant level in certain nosologies.


This paper begins with a brief exploration of the rapid changes in the practice of engineering during the twentieth century, and particularly over its last few decades. Engineers now routinely work across national and cultural boundaries and in multi-disciplinary teams. While engineering practice draws on a range of technical knowledge and skills, it is also a social activity that continues to shape our modern world. Engineering practice underpins the increasingly global character of commerce and industry. Engineers need to understand and appreciate the nature and impact of their work in order to make an effective professional contribution to meeting the key challenge of the twenty-first century, global sustainability. The paper discusses accreditation requirements for engineering programs in the USA and Australia in the light of these changing expectations for the engineering profession. In particular it looks at the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Computer Science Accreditation Board (CSAB) Engineering Criteria 2000 in the USA and compares them with the new course accreditation requirements that came out of a recent review of engineering education in Australia.


: Recuperation of pulmonary function after surgical repair of Bochdaleck's hernia is considered. Gasometric and radiologic features as well as scintigraphy are related in order of prognosis. Of 16 cases, seven had sudden fatal outcome. Survivals achieved total pulmonary recuperation, but some in two to three years.


Faced with the trend of more and more diversified risks of consumer products under the new situation, the traditional risk assessment platform based on single architecture can no longer cope with the growing and rapidly changing new demands. This paper proposes a public service platform for risk assessment of consumer products based on microservice architecture and studies its key issues. Combined with the idea of flexibility and extensibility, this paper analyses the operation defects of traditional architecture and proposes the construction of the public service platform based on the microservice architecture for risk assessment of consumer products. The granularity and partitioning principles of microservices are also studied. Finally, the construction of the actual service architecture is presented.


ABSTRACT
 For successful application of the sterile insect technique (SIT), wild female insects should not be more receptive to remating after mating with a mass-reared sterile male than after to mating with a wild fertile male. The remating frequencies of melon fly Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae) females were assessed in field cages with male melon flies from: (1) a male-only genetic sexing strain (GSS) originating from Hawaii, (2) a bisexual (male and female) laboratory strain originating from Mauritius, and (3) a wild colony (less than 5 generations in culture) also from Mauritius. One objective of this study was to assess the ability of GSS males to suppress the remating of females of different strains as compared to the ability of males of bisexual strains to do so. A second objective was to assess the effect of mass-rearing and irradiation on the ability of GSS males to suppress female remating. The males of the GSS achieved significantly fewer matings with female flies from the laboratory adapted and wild strains during the first mating than males of these bisexual strains. However, GSS males were equally able to diminish the females' remating frequency as laboratory and wild males. Remating frequencies of GSS females were significantly higher than those of females of the bisexual strains. Our results, however, indicate that laboratory rearing had no effect on the remating frequency of melon fly females. Thus the higher remating frequency of GSS females seemed to be a strain specific characteristic. Furthermore, irradiation of male melon fly pupae with 70 Gy had no effect on female remating frequencies, and the abilities of irradiated GSS and wild males to suppress wild female remating were similar. These results are discussed in the context of the feasibility of incorporating the use of irradiated GSS males as the SIT component of area-wide pest management programs against B. cucurbitae.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the contributions made to the social and environmental accounting literature by papers that comprised a 2002 Special Issue of Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal (AAAJ) entitled social and environmental reporting and its role in maintaining or creating organisational legitimacy. This paper will also provide insights into the origins of legitimacy theory as used in the social and environmental accounting literature as well as providing reflections about the strengths, and shortcomings, of the theory. Suggestions are made with respect to the ongoing application, and development, of legitimacy theory.

Design/methodology/approach
As a commentary, this paper utilises a review of the social and environmental accounting and institutional literature across a number of decades to reveal insights about the development and use of legitimacy theory as a basis to explain social and environmental reporting practices. Citation data are also used to indicate the potential impact that the papers in the 2002 Special Issue had upon subsequent research.

Findings
This commentary shows that the 2002 Special Issue is the most highly cited issue in the history of AAAJ. It also shows that individually, some of the papers in the Special Issue represent some of the most highly cited papers in the social and environmental accounting literature. The commentary provides arguments to suggest that the development of legitimacy theory is in need of further refinement, and suggests a way in which this refinement might take place.

Research limitations/implications
This paper is largely based on the opinions of one researcher, and the evidence presented in the paper is selected on the basis that it is deemed sufficient to support the opinions being projected. The paper also relies on citation data as an indicator of "impact". The implication of the research is that it identifies a "way forward" for the development of theory applicable to the understanding of organisational social and environmental reporting practices.

Originality/value
The study provides evidence to show that the 2002 Special Issue was significant within the context of AAAJ, and also within the context of the evolution of the social and environmental accounting literature. The description of the history of the development of legitimacy theory, and of the theory's subsequent application, provides a solid impetus for future refinements to the theory.


Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators typically exhibit large parasitic feedthrough where the input drive signal is directly coupled to the output ports, presenting a challenge to full electrical characterization of resonators where the output is heavily embedded in feedthrough. We here present an on-chip solution that significantly mitigates the undesirable effects of parasitic feedthrough but using only a single device. We have demonstrated its use in a symmetrical mode of vibration (the extensional mode of a square-plate MEMS resonator) to show its applicability to most generic resonator mode shapes. In our measurements, we show that the proposed method for feedthrough cancellation provides a 40-dB common-mode rejection compared to when no feedthrough cancellation is implemented. The necessary matching of drive circuit capacitances is achieved by properly sizing and placing a dummy pad in the vicinity of each drive pad. The studies reported herein demonstrate that the integrity of the output signal from a MEMS resonator is not only determined by device dimensions but also strongly influenced by the interaction between fringing fields radiating from electrodes in proximity. These results could open up a new avenue in the design of hybrid MEMS resonant devices where the issue of feedthrough can be both effectively and cheaply addressed.


We are two teachers engaged with English language teaching (elt) from a critical perspective. As many other instructors who share this same line of thought, we have felt discomfort throughout our careers when evaluating students. Students, in turn, have also experienced the triggering of emotions, such as insecurity and imposterism when facing a test. This happens because there is still a predominance of structuralist, modern and positivist assumptions in teaching, and more evidently, in assessment. With this background, we turned our attention to assessment in a more critical way, trying to develop a project that challenged the traditional, hegemonic, and normative paradigms in elt and proposed an alternative otherwise. This is how, at a language center from a Federal University in Brazil, we decided to explore a different way of doing assessment by asking students to collaboratively create booklets during one semester. In this article, we present and reflect on the approach we took. We conclude by arguing that assessment can be seen as a movement of avaliar se avaliando , a practice characterized by the reflexivity of teachers and students throughout the process.


Four million blacks left the South from 1940 to 1970, doubling the northern black workforce. I exploit variation in migrant flows within skill groups over time to estimate the elasticity of substitution by race. I then use this estimate to calculate counterfactual rates of wage growth. I find that black wages in the North would have been around 7 percent higher in 1970 if not for the migrant influx, while white wages would have remained unchanged. On net, migration was an avenue for black economic advancement, but the migration created both winners and losers. Leah Platt Boustan Department of Economics 8283 Bunche Hall UCLA Los Angeles, CA 90095-1477 and NBER firstname.lastname@example.com


Two patients had diffuse, reversible pulmonary injury possibly owing to gold sodium thiomalate treatment: a 32-year-old woman with chronic inflammatory arthritis compatible with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis and a 32-year-old man with shoulder arthralgia. The patients had received 420 mg and 325 mg of gold sodium thiomalate, respectively. Cough and dyspnea began in the seventh and fifth weeks of therapy, respectively. In both patients x-ray study showed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, with no evidence of pleural disease. The woman had no other manifestations of hypersensitivity to gold. The man had exfoliative dermatitis fever and anemia. Lung biopsies from both patients revealed lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltrating the alveolar septa and interstitial fibrosis. The woman improved slowly during four months after discontinuation of therapy. Pulmonary symptoms recurred after additional gold therapy, and again resolved when gold was discontinued. The man, treated with prednisone, showed prompt remission and remains will without medication.


In a total-internal-reflection-fluorescence-microscopy method, there is anisotropy in the polarized evanescent wave. Since the evanescent wave is used as an excitation field, the mentioned anisotropy is a disadvantage in using the total-internal-reflection-fluorescence-microscopy technique. Therefore, by theoretical and analytical approaches, and based on the Fresnel coefficients, the effect of three dielectrics media on the anisotropy of the evanescent wave is investigated. Following that, a proper combination of the cover glass, oil immersion, and prism for both living and non-living samples is suggested that not only enhances the intensity of the evanescent wave, but also and importantly, decreases the essential anisotropy of the evanescent wave.


This paper describes a thorough and detailed investigation into the ability of FAMOUS to predict forest fraction. The paper starts from the pretext of being given an ensemble of pre-run simulator evaluations and observation data corresponding to some of the outputs, and being asked to estimate some of the parameters. The work applies the latest statistical thinking/methodology in a largely clear and careful manner. To my nonclimate trained eye, the authors seem to learn things about FAMOUS that were possibly unknown before, and likely to be of interest to the community of climate modellers. In my opinion the work deserves to be published subject to a few minor changes.


Software systems contain many implicit application-specific business and programming rules. These rules represent high-level logical structures and processes for application-specific business and programming concerns. They are crucial for program understanding, consistent evolution, and systematic reuse. However, existing pattern mining and analysis approaches cannot effectively mine such application-specific rules. In this paper, we present an approach for mining logical clones in software that reveal high-level business and programming rules. Our approach extracts a program model from source code, and enriches the program model with code clone information, functional clusters (i.e., a set of methods dealing with similar topics or concerns), and abstract entity classes (representing sibling entity classes). It then analyzes the enriched program model for mining recurring logical structures as logical clones. We have implemented our approach in a tool called MiLoCo (Mining Logical Clone) and conducted a case study with an open-source ERP and CRM software. Our results show that MiLoCo can identify meaningful and useful logical clones for program understanding, evolution and reuse.


Slow childhood growth is associated with poorer intellectual ability. The critical periods of growth remain uncertain. Among 2,786 Finnish male military conscripts (1952-1972) born in 1934-1944, the authors tested how specific growth periods from birth to age 20 years predicted verbal, visuospatial, and arithmetic abilities at age 20. Small head circumference at birth predicted poorer verbal, visuospatial, and arithmetic abilities. The latter 2 measures were also associated with lower weight and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) at birth (for a 1-standard-deviation (SD) decrease in test score per SD decrease in body size > or = 0.05, P's < 0.04). Slow linear growth and weight gain between birth and age 6 months, between ages 6 months and 2 years, or both predicted poorer performance on all 3 tests (for a 1-SD decrease in test score per SD decrease in growth > or = 0.05, P's < 0.03). Reduced linear growth between ages 2 and 7 years predicted worse verbal ability, and between age 11 years and conscription it predicted worse performance on all 3 tests. Prenatal brain growth and linear growth up to 2 years after birth form a first critical period for intellectual development. There is a second critical period, specific for verbal development, between ages 2 and 7 years and a third critical period for all 3 tested outcomes during adolescence.


The forthcoming scenario of the wireless sensor network and the so called Pervasive Computing would greatly boost if all electronic systems involved in their deployment could feature some sort of energy self-sufficiency. In this application an aggressive power management solution is required in order to collect a sufficient amount of energy in storage elements in general from different power sources. This paper is focused on the development of the power supply systems, in particular on switching converters for energy harvesting applications. Its main goal is the development of high efficiency conversion systems, featuring the minimum number of conversion stages and of magnetic components, and the optimization of the power management. In particular the paper is focused on multi-input/multi-output dc-dc converters, enabling the connection of one or more sources of energy (solar, vibrational, RF, etc.), of some energy accumulation devices (micro-batteries, capacitors, supercapacitors), and several loads (microcontroller, transmitter, sensors, etc.). The modulation techniques and the power management are also discussed, to comply with multi-source/multi-load conditions.


Three-dimensional (3D) electrodes of Cu@Fe3O4 nanowire arrays for Li-ion batteries are prepared by an electrochemical route. XRD, SEM, TEM and HRTEM are used to characterize the micromorphology. The structures are improved, which is beneficial for the electrochemical performances. The obtained electrodes show a higher initial capacity than the traditional Cu@Fe3O4 planar electrodes. Moreover, the 3D electrodes exhibit better long-term cycling stability and an appealing rate capability.


We consider conventional transition-state theory, and show how quantum dynamical correction factors can be incorporated in a simple fashion, as a natural extension of the fundamental formulation. Corrections due to tunneling and non-adiabatic dynamics are discussed, with emphasis on the latter. The correction factor due to non-adiabatic dynamics is considered in relation to the non-activated dissociative sticking of N2 on Fe(111). For this process, conventional transition-state theory gives a sticking probability which is about 10 times too large (at T=300 K). We estimate that the sticking probability is reduced by a factor of 2 due to non-adiabatic dynamics.


Transient stability preventive control has received considerable attention in recent years and much progress around this topic has been reported in the literature. The goal of this paper is two folds: first, to provide a critical review on the main solution algorithms of the problem; Secondly, to present a study on the analytical properties of the transient stability optimization problem via stability region analysis


The nutritional compositions of different parts (roots, leaves, and seeds) of two lotus species (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner), Muan's white-flowered and Naju's pink-flowered, are as follows; crude protein content in the seed was four times higher and the carbohydrate content was three times higher than those in the root and leaf. Comparing between the species, the crude protein content of the white lotus was the higher than that of the pink lotus, but the carbohydrate content was comparatively lower. The potassium content of the minerals in all samples was much higher than those in others. Additionally, the iron content of the root was much higher than those in the leaf and seed. In both species, the major tree sugar in the root was sucrose; the main sugars in the leaf were fructose and glucose, and those in the seed were stachyose, raffinose, and sucrose. Among amino acids, glutamic acid showed the highest level in the leaf and seed, while aspartic acid was the highest in the root.


Neural activity in the auditory system decreases with repeated stimulation, matching stimulus probability in multiple timescales. This phenomenon, known as stimulus-specific adaptation, is interpreted as a neural mechanism of regularity encoding aiding auditory object formation. However, despite the overwhelming literature covering recordings from single-cell to scalp auditory-evoked potential (AEP), stimulation timing has received little interest. Here we investigated whether timing predictability enhances the experience-dependent modulation of neural activity associated with stimulus probability encoding. We used human electrophysiological recordings in healthy participants who were exposed to passive listening of sound sequences. Pure tones of different frequencies were delivered in successive trains of a variable number of repetitions, enabling the study of sequential repetition effects in the AEP. In the predictable timing condition, tones were delivered with isochronous interstimulus intervals; in the unpredictable timing condition, interstimulus intervals varied randomly. Our results show that unpredictable stimulus timing abolishes the early part of the repetition positivity, an AEP indexing auditory sensory memory trace formation, while leaving the later part (∼>200 ms) unaffected. This suggests that timing predictability aids the propagation of repetition effects upstream the auditory pathway, most likely from association auditory cortex (including the planum temporale) toward primary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus) and beyond, as judged by the timing of AEP latencies. This outcome calls for attention to stimulation timing in future experiments regarding sensory memory trace formation in AEP measures and stimulus probability encoding in animal models.


This paper draws on experiences of designing, developing, using and evaluating a semantic web-based Virtual Field Guide (VFG), VirtualAlps 2.0, for teaching geosciences. The paper briefly reviews the previous use of VFGs to support students' learning by fieldwork, highlighting some benefits. VFGs are considered to supplement real fieldwork, but not to become a substitute for it. We then outline the design considerations, development and staff and student evaluation of the Virtual Alps 2.0 VFG developed for level 6 undergraduates. The design and development of Virtual Alps 2.0 was undertaken by experts who were part of the Ensemble Project at Liverpool John Moores University. This paper describes the development of a pilot VFG which employs 'linked data' and 'semantic web' approaches to allow students to access diverse web-based resources, to explore the relations between them, and to then draw on these in the course of more authentic assessment activities than has hitherto been the case. The new assessment for which the VFG was developed, required students to assess the social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of a proposed hydro-electric reservoir in a Swiss Alpine Valley. The VFG provided students with real environmental data, maps, photographs, video and links to relevant research papers which students used to make interpretations and draw their conclusions about the feasibility of such a scheme. Their answers were then subjected to analysis and students' work from the assessment task based on VirtualAlps 2.0 demonstrated a wider range of skills (performing calculations, drawing graphs & diagrams themselves, creating more tabulations and making more opinions/decisions) than in a traditional essay which had been the assessment task set in previous years. This study shows the potential to use specifically designed interactive 'Web 2.0' innovations to enhance students' decision making skills in an assessment which we argue prepares them better for employment. Geoscience and the world of employment for geoscientists is in a state of flux at present, and the ability to work using linked data and semantic web approaches is now an important skill for graduates to be able to offer.


Equal rights of parental property is defined that the sons and daughters have equal rights over the ancestral property. The property right is a national issue and it is also related to economy, which is one of the important factors for the development of the country. Main purpose of this article is to critically analyze the Laws and Acts on access of equal property rights in SAARC countries. Author has not collected and analyzed other information rather than Laws and Act related to Parental property rights of SAARC countries. Author has collected Secondary information from different sources and analyzed them critically with his own way. Furthermore, the collected information are based on SAARC regions (developing' countries). Therefore, the Laws and Acts related to Parental property rights of developed and under' developed countries cannot be generalized on the basis of these information. Author Has prepared this article maintaining the academic ethics and value. This article is based on qualitative information with cross sectional methods. The information are interpreted with inductive approach. However, information/ data are obtained by author from the different authentic and reliable sources and those are re-arranged and critically analyzed and make sensible as far as meaningful so readers could understand related issues. However, besides Maldives, other nation of SAARC regions have addressed the equal property rights through different ways, (e.g. customary laws, constitutions, women's rights acts and laws and separate particular laws and Acts.


The vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) as one of the most known combinatorial operations (CO) problem is considered to be a tough issue in practice and the main challenge of that is to find the approximate solutions within a reasonable time. In recent years, reinforcement learning (RL) based methods have gained increasing attention in many CO problems, such as the vehicle routing problems (VRP), due to their enormous potential to efficiently generate high-quality solutions. However, neglecting the information between the constraints and the solutions makes previous approaches performance unideal in some strongly constrained problems, like VRPTW. We present the constraint-aware policy optimization (CPO) for VRPTWthat can let the agent learn the constraints as a representation of the whole environment to improve the generalization of RL methods. Extensive experiments on both the Solomon benchmark and the generated datasets demonstrate that our approach significantly outperforms other competition methods.


A genetic-based algorithm is used to solve a power system economic dispatch (ED) problem. The algorithm utilizes payoff information of perspective solutions to evaluate optimality. Thus, the constraints of classical LaGrangian techniques on unit curves are eliminated. Using an economic dispatch problem as a basis for comparison, several different techniques which enhance program efficiency and accuracy, such as mutation prediction, elitism, interval approximation and penalty factors, are explored. Two unique genetic algorithms are also compared. The results are verified for a sample problem using a classical technique. >


Phosphorus-containing dendrimers 1-[G'(1)]-1-[G'(4)] (generation 1 to generation 4) possessing terminal aldehyde groups reacted with a variety of hydrazino compounds. Addition of hydrazine itself to 1-[G'(1)]-1-[G'(4)] afforded the corresponding dendrimers 2-[G(1)]-2-[G(4)] with hydrazono groups at the periphery. Addition of methylhydrazine to 1-[G'(1)], 1-[G'(4)] gave the dendrimers 3-[G(1)], 3-[G(4)]. A Schiff reaction between 1-[G'(1)]-1-[G'(4)] and 1-amino-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine led to dendrimers 5-[G(1)]-5-[G(4)] possessing up to 48 alcohol chain ends. Treatment of 1-[G'(1)], 1-[G'(3)] with fluorenone hydrazone gave rise to macromolecules 7-[G(1)], 7-[G(3)] while the reaction of 1-[G'(1)], 1-[G'(2)], 1-[G'(4)] with 4-aminobenzo-15-crown-5 afforded the macromolecules 9-[G(1)], 9-[G(2)], 9-[G(4)] in which up to 48 crown ether units are anchored on the surface. Wittig reactions between 1-[G'(1)]-1-[G'(4)] with (acetylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane (10) or (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane (12) allowed the formation of dendrimers 11-[G(1)]-11-[G(4)] or 13-[G(1)], 13-[G(4)] with alpha,beta unsaturated ketones or cinnamonitrile units, respectively, on the surface. Disubstitution of terminal P(S)Cl(2) groups of dendrimers 1-[G(1)]-1-[G(7)] with allylamine, propargylamine, or N-(trimethylsilyl)imidazole easily occurred to give macromolecules 14-[G(1)]-14-[G(7)], 15-[G(1)], 15-[G(4)], 16-[G(1)], 16-[G(4)].