We analyze the effect of IMF programs on economic agents' expectations about the economy in transitional countries using survey data from the Central and Eastern Eurobarometer poll, an annual general public survey monitoring the evolution of public opinion from 1990 to 1997. Previous studies, in contrast, have looked at indirect measures, such as capital flows or yield spreads, to assess the impact of IMF programs on economic expectations. Using a multinomial probit model, we find that IMF loans appear to have a strong effect on agent expectations in the early years, through the inflow of real money, and through the signaling effect. IMF programs during periods of collapsing growth appear to reinforce underlying expectations for the future; they are associated with positive expectations for those with an optimistic outlook and negative expectations for those with a negative outlook. Once recovery is underway, and economic uncertainty diminishes, it appears that IMF programs cease to have a statistically significant effect on the expectations of economic agents. This suggests that IMF programs have the biggest impact on expectations during periods of great uncertainty and less of an impact when countries are subject to minor shocks.


Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key players in maintaining protection against any invading pathogen. These molecules are microbial sensing proteins which detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns and induce the body's innate immune system to elicit a response against invading pathogens. In addition to their role in pathogen recognition and elimination, these proteins are highly important in cancer biology and also play a variety of roles in normal to cancerous transformation or its prevention. There is much published literature on the role of TLRs in pathogen recognition and elimination, but recently the number of articles relevant to the role of TLR in carcinogenesis has increased due to their importance in this area. On the one hand, they are involved in microbial elimination and, on the other hand, their modulation during cancer development has several implications. Accumulating a diverse thread of cancer-associated TLR modulation and infection susceptibility has several caveats. Some cancer-associated TLR modulation increases susceptibility to particular infections, while increased expression of certain TLR was found to help in the carcinogenic process through inducing inflammation. This article concludes that clinicians should consider TLR modulation during infection risk assessment in cancer patients. These modulations should also be considered while designing management strategies against cancer and its associated infections.


We investigate the feasibility of combining publicly available Web 2.0 data with off-the-shelf face recognition software for the purpose of large-scale, automated individual re-identification. Two experiments illustrate the ability of identifying strangers online (on a dating site where individuals protect their identities by using pseudonyms) and offline (in a public space), based on photos made publicly available on a social network site. A third proof-of-concept experiment illustrates the ability of inferring strangers' personal or sensitive information (their interests and Social Security numbers) from their faces, by combining face recognition, data mining algorithms, and statistical re-identification techniques. The results highlight the implications of the convergence of face recognition technology and increasing online self-disclosure, and the emergence of "personally predictable'' information, or PPI. They raise questions about the future of privacy in an "augmented'' reality world in which online and offline data will seamlessly blend.


An analytical analysis of noise figures in HEMT mixers is presented. Improved method was developed to evaluate the noise correlation. A simplified analytical expression for noise figure of HEMT mixer was also derived. The contribution of each noise source at various frequencies was represented in a phasor form to permit physical understanding of noise mechanism. The modeled noise figure was compared with the measured data, yielding a good agreement.


Food is one of the basic human needs that the fulfillment as a part of human rights that cannot be postponed and cannot be substituted with other materials. Food is also part of the culture as adaptation between humans and the environment, as a basic component to realize qualified human resources, even food cannot be denied is the main pillar for national development that plays a role in maintaining stabilities of economic, social, and politic. The objective of this study is to describe the pattern of household food consumption expenditure, and the performance of household food security base on differences characterize of rural and urban region.  Survey method was used in this study by determining respondents through the proportionate two-stage cluster random sampling technique with data analysis i.e.  description, verification. The results of this study  showed; 1) Proportion of food consumption to total household consumption, for rural area 43,2%, while for urban 40,7%, that indicate in both research area not found household which included condition with vulnerable or food insecure category ,with the largest proportion being expenditure household on staple food consumption (rice) with a tendency for rural rice consumption to be greater than urban areas of 88.2 kg per capita per year for rural areas and 83.53 kg per capita per year for urban areas. Overall, food security performance of urban households has relatively better compared to rural households, reflected by households with continuity of food availability in urban areas (53.3 percent) compared to rural household (46.7 percent).


Purpose: In this paper we present Geocraft, a Geo-ICT framework meant to provide the information needed to support the development of smart cities in an accessible and user-friendly way. We explored whether Geocraft could be an effective way to get the people of the place, especially youth, involved in geospatial issues. Methodology/Approach: Geocraft is a virtual environment in which we import real geospatial data into the gaming environment of the popular computer game Minecraft. In Geocraft, we can run real-time impact models to virtually simulate and visualise future developments and their implications, providing the user with relevant information during design processes. Geocraft is linked to Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs); data generated or added in Geocraft can upgrade existing databases and SDIs. In four use cases, Geocraft is used by children and high school students to address spatial planning challenges with the help of Geocraft. Findings: Geocraft has an appropriate level of abstraction to effectively represent the real world. The use of Geocraft enhances insight in geospatial relations and can raise awareness and insights in a number of geospatial issues. Geocraft can be used to collect the ideas of citizens, in this case children, and engage them in urban planning issues to raise solutions that can reckon on public support. Geocraft can engage thousands of children working on the same geospatial project in the same online Geocraft world. Spatial scenarios designed in Geocraft can be effectively translated into a feasible spatial design and be imported to the digital environment of professional designers. Moreover, Geocraft turned out to be a valuable educational tool to develop typical 21 th century skills: communicating, finding and evaluating information, creating and innovating, collaborating and problem solving. We conclude that as an easy to use smart visualisation tool, in which everybody can build future scenarios, Geocraft can be used to get the people of the place involved with geospatial issues. Research Limitation/implication: We present qualitative research results. In the next step, we will investigate how statistically significant the improvements in learning skills are. Originality/Value of paper: This paper presents a new digital environment facilitating citizen participation and educational processes. We use actual spatial data to transform physical reality into a parallel and playable virtual version of that reality. Herein we can simulate spatial processes and support collaboration. By doing so, we can provide unique visualizations of complex processes, raising insights across the borders of disciplines in an user-friendly way.


In the experiment performed on 107 dogs, after resection of 33-75% of the pulmonary volume, it has been stated that considerable disturbances take place in the myocardial microcirculatory bed. At early stage after the operation the amount of capillaries per 1 mm2 of the section increases, their lumens become wide. With elapse of time after the operation, as a result of myocardial hypertrophy, density in arrangement of the capillaries decreases, and the transversal section area of the cardiomyocyte per one capillary increases. In the capillary walls destructive changes are also noted; they result in myocardiodistrophy and in development of cardiac failure.


This paper presents an extension of the assumption-based truth maintenance system (ATMS), called "credibilistic ATMS," which has the capability to cope with uncertain justifications and assumptions. Such justifications and assumptions are represented and dealt with in the framework of credibility theory. Important concepts in ATMS such as environments, labels, logical consequences, and consistency are redefined by the use of credibility measure. Based on these concepts, the label-updating procedure of the classical ATMS is extended, allowing effective computation of the membership function of any node within the network and that of its supporting environment. In addition, the contradictory environments can be captured with respect to their inconsistency degrees. This paper is compared to the most relevant existing research (i.e., ATMS using necessity as the truth value and ATMS using possibility as the truth value), demonstrating the significant improvements made. This paper also presents an illustrative application of credibilistic ATMS in supporting automated construction of domain models.


PURPOSE
To present the case of a patient who developed bleb-related endophthalmitis after an intravitreal injection using the InVitria injection guide, alongside a review of the literature on bleb-related endophthalmitis.

METHODS
Our case is presented in context of the current literature on bleb-related endophthalmitis.

RESULTS
Bleb-related endophthalmitis occurs in up to 2% of eyes within 5 years of filtering glaucoma surgery. Risk factors include bleb leakage, use of anti-fibrinolytic agents, blepharitis, hypotony, and nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Our patient presented with a bleb leak and bleb-related endophthalmitis 2 weeks after an intravitreal injection using the InVitria injection guide.

CONCLUSION
Injection guides can cause bleb trauma and resulting bleb leakage. They should be avoided in patients with filtering glaucoma surgery.


DIC in Open Heart Surgery? To the Editor: In their recent article concerning hemorrhage after extracorporeal circulatipn, Marengo-Rowe et al' cite a n article by meas supporting the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation in open heart surgery. However, the conclusion of our article was exactly the opposite, namely that DIC rarely occurs in open heart surgery.-Joel Umlas. M. D., Medical Director of Blood Bank, Mounr Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA.


In this paper, powerful coding techniques for differential space-time modulation (DSTM) over Rayleigh flat fading channels and noncoherent detection without channel state information at the receiver are investigated. In particular, multilevel coding, bit-interleaved coded modulation, and so-called hybrid coded modulation (HCM) are devised and compared. For improved noncoherent reception multiple-symbol differential detection (MSDD) is adapted to DSTM. In order to reduce the computational effort required for MSDD, a low-complexity version of MSDD is applied. Evaluating the ergodic channel capacity for the different schemes as appropriate performance measure, HCM with simplified MSDD is shown to offer a favorable tradeoff between complexity and achievable power efficiency. Simulation results employing turbo codes in properly designed HCM schemes confirm the predictions from information theory.


Introduction Surviving a traumatic cervical Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) has an immense effect on an individual's physical function and independence. It also predisposes them to financial, social, psychological and several medical complications throughout their life. In high-income countries, improved multidisciplinary care has led to better long term outcomes, however in low-income countries, the burden of the condition and its associated mortality remain high. The aim of this study was to illustrate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of cervical level Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries (TSCIs) at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in northern Tanzania. Methods This was a retrospective hospital-based study of 105 cervical TSCI cases admitted to KCMC from January 2012 to December 2016. Results We included 105 patients in the study cohort, with a male preponderance of 86.7%, giving a male-to-female ratio of 6.5:1. The mean age at injury was 44.1 years. Overall, 65.7% were farmers and 69 patients were from within the Kilimanjaro region. Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) accounted for 47.6% of the injuries, 17.9% had associated injuries, 38.1% sustained complete TSCIs and 45.7% developed secondary complications during the ward stay. The mortality rate before discharge from hospital care was 35.2%. Conclusion The majority of patients were males from a low socioeconomic background and the most common cause of injury was RTCs. The secondary complication rates and mortality rates before discharge from hospital care are high.


Abstract Learning, particularly learning English is presented as a key part of integration for adult migrants in the UK. England and Scotland differ in how their policy approaches to integration include adult learning. This article aims to explore and uncover the ways in which adult education, particularly for refugees and asylum seekers is embedded and included in policy for integration of new migrants in England and Scotland. This is based on a discourse analysis of policy documents, through which themes were developed and explored. In these documents, adult education can be included in explicit ways, particularly when it comes to language learning, while informal learning is not always explicitly considered. In England, British values are highlighted as an important area for learning, while Scottish policy uses a different tone, referring to newcomers as 'New Scots'. The ways in which certain groups, particularly people seeking asylum are politically constructed, appear to impact greatly on how they are included in policy. This paper argues for the need for an explicit policy for adult learning for refugees and asylum seekers, the need to consider informal learning in policy, and identifies areas for future research in the field of adult learning relating to migration.


We deal with a set of autonomous robots moving on an infinite grid. Those robots are opaque, have limited visibility capabilities, and run using synchronous Look-Compute-Move cycles. They all agree on a common chirality, but have no global compass. Finally, they may use lights of different colors, but except from that, robots have neither persistent memories, nor communication mean. We consider the infinite grid exploration (IGE) problem. We first show that two robots are not sufficient in our settings to solve the problem, even when robots have a common coordinate system. We then show that if the robots' coordinate systems are not self-consistent, three or four robots are not sufficient to solve the problem neither. Finally, we present three algorithms that solve the IGE problem in various settings. The first algorithm uses six robots with constant colors and a visibility range of one. The second one uses the minimum number of robots, i.e., five, as well as five modifiable colors, still under visibility one. The last algorithm requires seven oblivious anonymous robots, yet assuming visibility two. Notice that the two last algorithms also achieve exclusiveness.


BACKGROUND
Recent data suggest that chemotherapy with the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) regimen is a highly effective treatment for localised primary gastric lymphoma of diffuse large B-cell histology (DLBCL). We have reported that the large majority of patients achieve complete remission (CR) following three cycles of treatment, and now provide an updated series with special emphasis on patients receiving only short-term chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
All patients with a histologically verified diagnosis of gastric DLBCL in stages EI and EII(1) undergoing chemotherapy with the CHOP regimen were evaluated. Data analysed included clinical stage, histology [presence of an additional mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) component], evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection, H. pylori eradication, time to CR, survival and regular restaging (i.e. after three and six cycles, respectively).

RESULTS
A total of 37 patients with DLBCL of the stomach with localised disease were identified, five of whom also had a MALT component. Twenty-two patients presented with stage EI and 15 with stage EII(1) disease. All patients were given chemotherapy as sole management of their lymphoma; 36 patients received CHOP, while one patient was given CHOP along with rituximab. Thirty-two (86%) achieved a CR after a maximum of three cycles, while only four patients had to be given six cycles for CR. In total, nine of 37 patients (24%) discontinued therapy earlier than scheduled: one patient received one cycle, two received two, six received three and one patient received four cycles. Two of these patients stopped treatment due to toxicity, i.e. protracted thrombocytopenia or chemotherapy extravasation. One additional patient died after one cycle of treatment; autopsy disclosed no signs of remaining lymphoma. Three patients have died after a median follow-up of 39 months (including the one patient who discontinued therapy after one cycle of treatment), while the remaining 34 patients are alive without evidence of disease. Twenty-four out of 37 patients (65%) had also undergone H. pylori eradication (including six of nine patients receiving only short-term treatment).

CONCLUSIONS
DLBCL of the stomach appears to be a highly chemosensitive disease. Our data question the need for full-term CHOP treatment in patients achieving CR upon first follow-up. However, recent data suggest that additional H. pylori eradication might have contributed to the excellent results achieved in our series.


We investigate the temperature dependence of photoluminescence from single and ensemble InAs/GaAs quantum dots systematically. As temperature increases, the exciton emission peak for single quantum dot shows broadening and redshift. For ensemble quantum dots, however, the exciton emission peak shows narrowing and fast redshift. We use a simple steady-state rate equation model to simulate the experimental data of photoluminescence spectra. It is confirmed that carrier-phonon scattering gives the broadening of the exciton emission peak in single quantum dots while the effects of carrier thermal escape and retrapping play an important role in the narrowing and fast redshift of the exciton emission peak in ensemble quantum dots.


This study tries to explore how the practice of untouchability developed in the ancient Indian Aryan society and over time entered Nepal and gradually took root in Nepali society. This study presents an argument based on historical facts that the practice of untouchability originated in the Indian Aryan society under the practice of some of the elites who had been in powerful positions. The practice was mainly instituted by the elites to continue exercising their power to subjugate the powerless. As the same, elite Aryans started migrating to Nepal during the ancient period, they brought with them the same practice to continue exercising self-acquired power within the Nepali society. But there was no strongly practiced untouchability in ancient Nepali society. The practice was slowly instituted with the adoption of associated rituals and traditions. The main objective of this study is to explore and analyze untouchability from a historical perspective. The custom of untouchability has existed in Nepal for centuries, there is limited historical evidence of any efforts to abolish it during the ancient and medieval periods. This study combines a qualitative research approach and a historical framework to explore the connection between a social norm and its history.


Introduction Ensuring that the health data infrastructure and governance permits an efficient secondary use of data for research is a policy priority for many countries. Switzerland is no exception and many initiatives have been launched to improve its health data landscape. The country now stands at an important crossroad, debating the right way forward. We aimed to explore which specific elements of data governance can facilitate – from ethico-legal and socio-cultural perspectives – the sharing and reuse of data for research purposes in Switzerland. Methods A modified Delphi methodology was used to collect and structure input from a panel of experts via successive rounds of mediated interaction on the topic of health data governance in Switzerland. Results First, we suggested techniques to facilitate data sharing practices, especially when data are shared between researchers or from healthcare institutions to researchers. Second, we identified ways to improve the interaction between data protection law and the reuse of data for research, and the ways of implementing informed consent in this context. Third, we put forth ideas on policy changes, such as the steps necessary to improve coordination between different actors of the data landscape and to win the defensive and risk-adverse attitudes widespread when it comes to health data. Conclusions After having engaged with these topics, we highlighted the importance of focusing on non-technical aspects to improve the data-readiness of a country (e.g., attitudes of stakeholders involved) and of having a pro-active debate between the different institutional actors, ethico-legal experts and society at large.


A short and efficient two-step total synthesis of marine-derived bis-indole alkaloid fascaplysin starting from commercially available tryptamine in 68% overall yield is reported. A key step involved in the present strategy is tandem dehydrative condensation between ortho-halo substituted glyoxal with tryptamine followed by dehydrogenation. Fascaplysin inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in non-competitive manner with IC50 and ki values of 1.49 and 2.28 μM respectively and with 60-fold selectivity for AChE versus butyrylcholinesterase. Molecular docking studies revealed that fascaplysin accommodates within a peripheral anionic site and inner linings of the AChE active site gorge.


This paper presents an efficient phase preserving processor for the focusing of data acquired in sliding spotlight and Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans (TOPS) imaging modes. They share in common a linear variation of the Doppler centroid along the azimuth dimension, which is due to a steering of the antenna (either mechanically or electronically) throughout the data take. Existing approaches for the azimuth processing can become inefficient due to the additional processing to overcome the folding in the focused domain. In this paper, a new azimuth scaling approach is presented to perform the azimuth processing, whose kernel is exactly the same for sliding spotlight and TOPS modes. The possibility to use the proposed approach to process data acquired in the ScanSAR mode, as well as a discussion concerning staring spotlight, is also included. Simulations with point targets and real data acquired by TerraSAR-X in sliding spotlight and TOPS modes are used to validate the developed algorithm.


Aim: Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It may cause undesirable neurological sequels. This study aims to determine the incidence of IS in the early postoperative period in patients operated for lumbar disc herniation. Material and Methods: The electronic medical records of patients who underwent elective lumbar disc herniation surgery between January 2017 and August 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with preoperative infection and neoplastic disease were excluded from the study. Patient demographics, pre and postoperative pain and disability levels, operated disc levels, duration of surgery and hospital stay, and complications were recorded. Results: Of the 179 patients who underwent lumbar microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation, a total patient of one (0.55%) patient developed IS in the right cerebellar region in the early postoperative period. The risk factors detected in the patient included hypertension, carotid artery stenosis and therefore irregular use of acetylsalicylic acid. Postoperative infection was detected in two patients (1.12%), peroperative cerebrospinal fluid leak in two patients (1.12%), and recurrent lumbar disc herniation in three patients (1.67%) in the late period. No mortality was observed. Conclusion: In recent years, there has been an increase in minimally invasive spine surgeries, especially in elderly patients at risk of ischemic stroke. It is important to identify and optimize these patients before surgery. While the incidence of ischemic stroke following lumbar microdiscectomy is low, it is necessary to be careful as a high risk of morbidity and mortality is in question.


A nano-scale linear magnetoresistance sensor is demonstrated using magnetic tunnel junctions with an in-plane magnetized reference layer and a sensing layer with interfacial perpendicular anisotropy. We show that the sensor response depends critically on the thickness of the sensing layer since its perpendicular anisotropy is significantly associated with thickness. The optimized sensors exhibit a large field sensitivity of up to 0.02% MR/Oe and a high linear field range of up to 600 Oe. These findings imply that this sensing scheme is a promising method for developing nano-scale magnetic sensors with simple design, high sensitivity, and low power consumption.


Background: Genistein, a major isoflavonoid isolated from dietary soybean, has been shown to suppress the growth of several cancers through modulation of various pathways. However, the molecular mechanisms by which genistein elicit its effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-tumor activities of genistein on CRC and its potential mechanism. Methods: Effects of genistein on the cell proliferation were tested in HCT-116 cells by MTT assay, and apoptosis was measured by Flow cytometry. Real-time PCR was also used to evaluate the regulation of genistein on miR-95, Akt and SGK1 expression. The protein levels of total Akt (T-Akt), and phosphorylated Akt (P-Akt) were assessed by western blot. A nude mice xenograft model was employed to determine whether genistein could have an anti-tumor effect on CRC in vivo. Results: We found that treatment of HCT-116 cells with genistein caused an inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Meanwhile, genistein down-regulated the mRNA expression of Akt, SGK1 and miR-95, and inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt in HCT-116 cells. The experiment in vivo also showed that genistein significantly suppressed the growth of mouse xenograft tumor. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that genistein has an inhibitory effect on CRC involved in reducing miR-95, Akt and SGK1, offering novel insights into the mechanisms of genistein therapeutic actions.


Tolerance to effects of cocaine can be modulated by schedules of reinforcement. With multiple ratio schedules, research has shown an inverse relationship between ratio requirement and amount of tolerance that resulted from daily administration of the drug. In contrast, tolerance to the effects of cocaine on behavior under multiple interval schedules generally has developed regardless of interval value. Under interval schedules reinforcement depends on the animal making one response following a time interval. Thus, as time to respond increases, the time to reinforcement decreases. On the other hand, fixed ratio schedules require a specified number of responses to be made prior to reinforcement. Therefore, delaying the initiation of responding does not coincide with a significant decrease in the time to reinforcement. In the current experiment, 6 pigeons were trained to respond under a three-component multiple schedule, with a different tandem fixed-ratio 1 fixed-interval schedule in each component. The multiple schedule required one response, which was followed by one of three fixed-interval values (5, 15, or 60 s). Thus, the multiple schedule was interval-like because after the fixed-ratio 1, only one more response was required for reinforcement, but it was also ratio-like because the length of the pause at the beginning of each interreinforcer interval affected the time until the next reinforcer. Acute administration of cocaine generally resulted in dose-dependent decreases in responding. Chronic (i.e., daily) administration of a rate-decreasing dose resulted in tolerance patterns similar to those usually obtained with multiple ratio schedules. That is, the magnitude of tolerance was related inversely to schedule size. These results suggest that delay to reinforcement from the initial response may play a role in the development of schedule-parameter-related tolerance.


Emerging display usage scenarios require head tracking both at short (< 1m) and modest (<3m) ranges. Yet it is difficult to find low-cost, unobtrusive tracking solutions that remain accurate across this range. By combining multiple head tracking solutions, we can mitigate the weaknesses of one solution with the strengths of another and improve head tracking overall. We built such a combination of two widely available and low-cost trackers, a Tobii Eye Tracker and a Kinect. The resulting system is more effective than Kinect at short range, and than the Tobii at a more distant range. In this paper, we discuss how we accomplish this sensor fusion and compare our combined system to an existing mechanical tracker to evaluate its accuracy across its combined range.


A Monte Carlo simulation of the Abelian Higgs model for lambda =0.01 and 0.0001 is performed. The phase transition diagram for each value of lambda is studied and the determination of the order of the transitions is done with great care. The transition line separating the confinement and the Higgs phase is found to be of first order for both values of lambda , while the line separating the Higgs and Coulomb phases is found to be of second order for lambda -0.01 and to have a tricritical point separating the first-order line from the second-order one for lambda =0.0001. The confinement-Coulomb line has a first-order segment ending at a tricritical point, supporting the notion that in the pure U(1) case this transition is of second order.


AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to present the use of a graph theoretic model to link designs with CNC process plans. The approach to develop process plans from design dimension trees is discussed for rotational parts. The procedures to determine datum-hierarchy tree from designs are given for direct, indirect, and pre-forming machining. This procedure is illustrated with a simple example. The approach exploits the structure of datum-hierarchy trees underlying process plans to formulate design heuristics to achieve higher machinability. The designs resulting from applying the heuristics have the fewest number of constraints on process planning and allow parts to be produced with minimal tolerance stack-ups and production costs. By using the proposed framework, it is possible to generate process plans, which are optimal in terms of minimal tolerance stacks, directly from the design specification dimensions.


In this paper a continuous feedback control law with time-periodic terms is derived for the control of nonholonomic systems in power form. The control law is derived by Lyapunov design from a homogeneous Lyapunov function. Global asymptotic stability is shown by applying the principle of invariance for time-periodic systems. Exponential convergence follows since the vector fields are homogeneous of degree zero.


T Hope, J Savulescu, J Hendrick. Churchill Livingstone, 2003, £15.99, pp 222. ISBN 0443062552

This is a slim, user friendly volume designed to introduce medical students and practicing clinicians to some basic issues of medical law and ethics, as well as to the ways in which lawyers and philosophers characteristically think. The book is divided into two parts: the first adumbrates the main ethical theories, some central ethical concepts, the role of law in society, and the English legal system (with the first of many comparative glances at Scotland); the second part comprises chapters about key issues such as "consent", "reproductive medicine", and "mental health".

This integration of ethics and law into such an accessible and tidy package is the main strength of the book. More weighty tomes have aimed for the same integration (the recent new editions of Montgomery's and Brazier's books, for example), but their scholarly density makes them more appropriate for reference than overview. The integration is important because there will always be certain students and practitioners who do not see …


ABSTRACT Under- and overnutrition are co-existing health issues in several countries across Asia. Poor complementary feeding (CF) is a significant determinant of malnutrition in children and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the most recent evidence regarding the CF practices in 3 countries with a high prevalence of stunting and overweight, and currently undergoing rapid economic and nutritional transition: China, India, and Indonesia. We focused particularly on the adequacy of CF, based on the WHO feeding indicators (2021) regarding timing, frequency, diversity, as well as the consumption of specific food groups. According to the findings, the majority of infants in the 3 countries are introduced to CF at an inappropriate time: either too early (particularly in urban/rural areas of China and Indonesia) or too late (India) compared with the WHO recommendation. Furthermore, in all countries, diets are characterized by a low variety and frequency of CF and consist mainly of staple foods with poor nutritional quality, such as rice, cereals, or noodles. Nutrient-dense and protein-rich foods, such as foods of animal origin, are either inadequately consumed (rural areas of China and India) or introduced too late (urban areas of China and Indonesia) in the diets of children. In all countries, the consumption of fruit and vegetables, especially during the early CF period, is poor. In contrast, a significant proportion of both urban and rural children, particularly in Indonesia and India, are consuming energy-dense/nutrient‐poor snacks and sugary drinks during the CF period. The described practices may pose a significant risk for the development of energy and/or nutrient gaps, magnifying the double and triple burden of malnutrition present in these countries. Further research is warranted to understand the significance of the observed practices for stunting and/or overweight/obesity risk.


According to data from the most recent inter-census period, some sub-Saharan African countries are now urbanizing very slowly. Actual decreases in the level of urbanization are rare, but have been recorded for Zambia (where counter-urbanization began in the 1980s) and Côte d'Ivoire and Mali (where there is evidence of counter-urbanization during the 1990s). Countries where urbanization levels are stagnating or increasing very slowly, especially when considering large and medium-sized towns, include Benin, Mozambique, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger. The East African situation is more mixed, but growth rates in many large centres are around or below the national rate. For many urban centres there is evidence of increased circular migration, which has reduced the contribution of in-migration to urban growth. These trends are largely the result of declining economic opportunities in many urban areas, reflecting crises in urban poverty and livelihood insecurity.


Total hip arthroplasty may be followed by ectopic bone formation. An increased frequency has been suspected in patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). In 204 patients we found that, of the 38 subjects with pre-existing DISH, 29% developed postoperative ossification compared with only 10% in those without DISH (p less than 0.01). DISH is therefore a risk factor for postoperative ectopic bone formation. In a separate study of 1325 patients (not analysed for spinal DISH), we looked for correlations between the severity of postoperative ectopic bone and clinical measurements. Even for the more severe ossification grades (n = 112), only 10% reported serious pain and only 26% had reduced hip flexion (less than 70 degrees). Thus, periprosthetic ectopic bone is not sufficiently important to justify the routine use of preventative drugs such as bisphosphonates in patients with DISH undergoing total hip replacement.


SEAT Department of SAIC Motor Vehicle Company starts innovatively applying the single motor and P2.5 configuration scheme from EDU G2(Electric Drive Unit Generation 2), which consists of six engine gears and four motor gears. EDU G2 is very compact and adaptable through the coupling design. Gear coupling make the engine and motor coordination limited, so as to the high efficiency zone of the engine and the high efficiency zone of the motor cannot match in some working conditions, which affect the performance of the vehicle. Therefore, SEAT developed the second generation of single-motor plug-in hybrid system EDU G2 Plus EDU G2(Electric Drive Unit Generation 2 Plus), which realized the decoupling design of 5 engine gears and 2 motor gears, so that the power output of engine and motor is freely. With excellent power and economic performance, the vehicle has been well received by customers. The article mainly describes the system design and development on the themes of motor performance improvement, system efficiency improvement and NVH optimization. SEAT takes the lead in adopting the hair-pin motor winding scheme, compared with the ordinary circular motor, the slot full rate of the Hairpin motor is increased by 20%~25%. The number of motor windings is increased from 2 layers to 5 layers, the maximum efficiency and comprehensive efficiency of the motor are significantly improved. Compared with the EDU G2, EDU G2 Plus has been optimized in some mechanical paths, including application of low roll resistance bearings, matching and selection of lubricating oil, optimization of cooling and lubrication system. In NVH performance , through motor body optimization and gear modification, the motor gear is reduced from 41 to 27 order, providing a more comfortable experience for the vehicle. The innovative scheme design of this paper provides a reference for the design and mass production of hybrid P2.5 configuration Plug-in Hybrid System.


The positive-feedback-based anti-islanding schemes invented by the authors are highly effective in preventing islanding without causing any degradation in power quality. This paper presents the basic principles of these schemes and their design guidelines. Moreover, their performance is investigated for inverter-based distributed generators (DGs). The parametric study reveals the factors significantly influencing the performance of these schemes. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of these schemes.


Andrew Torrance has recently argued that we can distinguish analytic theology from analytic philosophy of religion if we understand theology as, fundamentally, a scientific enterprise. However, this distinction holds only if philosophy of religion is not itself a science in the sense intended by Torrance. I argue that philosophy of religion is a science in this sense, and so, that Torrance cannot distinguish theology from philosophy of religion in the way suggested. Nevertheless, I offer two alternative routes to the distinction based on the nature of the respective objects of study in theology and philosophy of religion. Thus, I demonstrate that there is a coherent model available to Torrance which preserves the distinction he seeks.


The CPAR language consists of a set of extensions to the C language, designed to support parallel programming on distributed-memory multiprocessors, in particular, irregular and adaptive computations which are hard to do well in languages such as Fortran-90 or High Performance Fortran (HPF). CPAR provides data accesses over a global name space using concepts of communication functions and object streams. These constructs allow programmers to specify interprocessor data transfer between arrays or pointer-based data structures without getting involved with the split phases of "send" and "receive" of a communication. Our experience of using CPAR to program an N-body simulation problem is briefly described.<<ETX>>


The conventional manual power line corridor inspection processes that are used by most energy utilities are labor intensive, time consuming, and expensive. Remote sensing technologies represent an attractive and cost‐effective alternative approach to these monitoring activities. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into automated remote sensing–based power line corridor monitoring, focusing on recent innovations in the area of increased automation of fixed‐wing platforms for aerial data collection and automated data processing for object recognition using a feature fusion process. Airborne automation is achieved by using a novel approach that provides improved lateral control for tracking corridors and automatic real‐time dynamic turning for flying between corridor segments; we call this approach PTAGS (Power line Tracking Automatic Guidance System). Improved object recognition is achieved by fusing information from multisensor (LiDAR and imagery) data and multiple visual feature descriptors (color and texture). The results from our experiments and field survey illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed aircraft control and feature fusion approaches. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Microalgae are photosynthetic micro-organisms of great importance, since they are capable of synthesizing high value biocompounds. Fatty acids of microalgae can be produced both by autotrophic and heterotrophic pathways, and are synthesized in the chloroplast. The aim of this study is to perform a brief review of the polyunsaturated fatty acids produced by microalgae, emphasizing the influence of culture conditions, synthesis and metabolism for the production of fatty acids. This review discusses some of the work undertaken by the group LEB, and focuses on the following items: microalgae, lipid content of microalgae, fatty acid synthesis and metabolism, influence of culture conditions of microalgae for the production of lipids and fatty acid profile.


This article shows the influence of Anglo-Americanisms on the French sporting vocabulary. The first large influx of English sport terms dates from the advent of the Industrial Revolution which favored the development of team sports and athletic associations in England. Soccer was the first English team sport introduced into France. Other Engish, and then American sports, like rugby, basketball, volleyball, golf, boxing, and tennis followed in rapid succession. Each new sport brought with it a plethora of foreignisms. Most underwent varying degrees of change in French. Some retained their Anglo-American origins; others have been replaced. Still others, while keeping their orthographies, have undergone peculiar changes in meaning and function. The author concludes that because many sports have become increasingly popular in French society, the replacement of Anglicisms will be virtually assured. Other, more "elitist" sports like polo and golf will not encourage such replacement.


As surrogate functions of L0-norm, many nonconvex penalty functions have been proposed to enhance the sparse vector recovery. It is easy to extend these nonconvex penalty functions on singular values of a matrix to enhance low-rank matrix recovery. However, different from convex optimization, solving the nonconvex low-rank minimization problem is much more challenging than the nonconvex sparse minimization problem. We observe that all the existing nonconvex penalty functions are concave and monotonically increasing on [0, ∞). Thus their gradients are decreasing functions. Based on this property, we propose an Iteratively Reweighted Nuclear Norm (IRNN) algorithm to solve the nonconvex nonsmooth low-rank minimization problem. IRNN iteratively solves a Weighted Singular Value Thresholding (WSVT) problem. By setting the weight vector as the gradient of the concave penalty function, the WSVT problem has a closed form solution. In theory, we prove that IRNN decreases the objective function value monotonically, and any limit point is a stationary point. Extensive experiments on both synthetic data and real images demonstrate that IRNN enhances the low-rank matrix recovery compared with state-of-the-art convex algorithms.


Abstract The purpose of this study is to present a historical review of the Bible translation of Baptist missionaries in China before the publication of the Chinese Union Version (CUV) in early twentieth century, especially the significance of the Baptist translations in this period. This study will also discuss the differences in translation approaches and practices of the Baptists from other denominations. The history of Chinese Bible translation by the Baptists started when English Baptist missionary Joshua Marshman (1768–1837) and his Armenian helper Johannes Lassar (1781–1835?) published their translation of the whole Bible in 1822 in Serampore. In the 1840s, the Protestant missionaries from different countries and missions decided to translate the Bible into classical Chinese with standardised terminologies for the names and terms in the Bible. This version was known as the Delegates' Version and was the most important project of common Bible before the CUV. However, it uncovered heavy hiccup and disputes in translating, especially the difficulties in translating religious terms into Chinese. Their biggest point of contention was which, Shen or Shangdi, was the suitable translation of the word "God." Furthermore, the Baptists insisted Shen as well as Jin (which meant "immerse") for baptism, while the others recommended Xi (which meant "wash"). In the end, the Baptists withdrew from the translation committee and translated several versions in classical Chinese only by themselves between the 1840s and the 1870s. Until the early twentieth century, Baptist missionaries dedicated themselves to translating the Bible into various Chinese dialects. Although the Baptists had excellent achievements in the history of Bible translation, they had only played an insignificant role in the project of the CUV and shared the consequent of the CUV after its publication. This paper aims to investigate the work of the Baptists in several aspects, including their translation approaches and problems as well as their significance in the history of Chinese Bible translation.


Self-organization of and by the cytoskeleton is central to the biology of the cell. Since their introduction in the early 1980s, cytoplasmic extracts derived from the eggs of the African clawed-frog, Xenopus laevis, have flourished as a major experimental system to study the various facets of cytoskeleton-dependent self-organization. Over the years, the many investigations that have used these extracts uniquely benefited from their simplified cell cycle, large experimental volumes, biochemical tractability and cell-free nature. Here, we review the contributions of egg extracts to our understanding of the cytoplasmic aspects of self-organization by the microtubule and the actomyosin cytoskeletons as well as the importance of cytoskeletal filaments in organizing nuclear structure and function.


Previous research indicated high variability in availability and habitat use by female moose in the lowlands of Gros Morne National Park (GMNP), Newfoundland and Labrador, an area dominated by bogs and forest. Here, we extend the earlier analysis with an additional 7 female moose ( Alces alces americana ) occupying the Park highlands, a region dominated by heath and shrub vegetation with forest limited to sheltered valleys, typical of interior and highland parts of the province. Resource selection function (RSF) models with differences in habitat use between moose resident in the 2 regions and 2 moose that migrated from the lowlands in winter to the highlands in summer were rejected. In summer, more use of closed-canopy forest types occurred on the lowlands, while more use of non-forest habitat types occurred on the highlands. As before, we found that selection of disturbed forest is a winter phenomenon on the lowlands of GMNP; the same series of habitat types associated with disturbance were avoided in summer. Summer migration by about 20% of GMNP moose to the highlands suggests that foraging opportunities are better during that season than in winter, a motivation for migration perhaps augmented by an overabundance of moose on the lowlands and unfavourable temperatures in disturbed areas that might otherwise serve as lowland foraging areas. An observation of more clustered relocations of moose on the highlands than on the lowlands of GMNP is consistent with our conclusion that moose use habitats within the highlands and lowlands of Newfoundland and Labrador very differently. We recommend 2 approaches to moose management for these different landscapes, both within GMNP and elsewhere in Newfoundland and Labrador.


Abstract The compositional evolution of tourmaline from diagenetic to lower amphibolite-facies conditions was investigated in two metasedimentary units (redbed and black shale formations) along a traverse across the Central Alps. With increasing metamorphism, three distinct rim zones grew around detrital tourmaline cores, simultaneously with the development of prismatic neoblasts. Detrital cores and all successive rim zones are preserved in the amphibolite-facies rocks. As indicated by whole-rock data, the B required for tourmaline growth was released from illite and muscovite and was not introduced from external sources. The studied samples of tourmaline exhibit compositional polarity, i.e., their compositions are different at the opposite ends of the c axis. The compositional difference between the two poles can be expressed by the substitutions Na + Mg ⇌ ⃞ + Al and 2Al ⇌ Ti + Mg, with the positive pole always richer in Al and having more X-site vacancies. Both chemical and optical polar effects are most pronounced in the internal rim zones and become less prominent toward the external zones. The systematic prograde compositional trends are depicted in a vector space for Li-poor tourmaline. At low-grade conditions, the tourmaline composition is clearly controlled by the host-rock composition, but with increasing metamorphic grade the compositions of tourmaline from a variety of rocks converge. The data show that in the Central Alps, increasing metamorphic grade is reflected by increases in Ca/(Ca + Na) and Mg/(Mg + Fe2+), a decrease in Fe3+, and an increase in the occupancy of the X site of tourmaline.


This article concerns the analysis of completing the universality principle of property ownership transfer taxation. It has been stated that many transfer of property ownership agreements are not subject of taxation under the acts of tax on civil law transactions, VAT and inheritance and gift tax, which is the result of the legislator's will. A wide range of exemptions is included in each of the abovementioned three acts and it is the legislator's intention that they are the subject of taxation according to these acts. The legislator narrowly defined the objective range of property transfer of ownership agreements. It has been stated that accomplishment of the universality principle of property ownership transfer taxation does not require a reform of taxation rules and, in particular, the introduction of a new tax. Adjustment changes such as updating the taxation rules of property ownership transfer by widening the range of objectives in agreements to be taxed according to tax on civil law transactions, VAT, inheritance and gift tax by eliminating some exemptions and simultaneously by reducing tax rates on property ownership transfer tax in tax on civil law transactions and inheritance and gift tax are sufficient.


Kelvin-Helmholtz instability along the flanks of the magnetosphere exhibits a semiannual variation, instability maximums occurring at the equinoxes and instability minimums at the solstices. It is suggested that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, generated at the magnetopause, initiate the modulation of geomagnetic disturbance detected as the semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity. The Kelvin-Helmholtz explanation predicts a universal time variation of geomagnetic disturbance. This prediction is confirmed by several analyses of the geomagnetic activity indices. Since the physical mechanism suggested for the semiannual variatioh of geomagnetic activity depends on the tilt of the dipole axis, the 'equinoctial' hypothesis is supported.


An attempt is made to treat company shares in the stock market as a dynamical eco-system using a modified three-dimensional form of the Lotka-Volterra model. Stability analysis is performed and numerical simulations of parameter values are used to investigate the dynamics of the system. This study shows that varying parameter values can affect whether the system remains stable or experiences bifurcations.


Chronic stress is strongly associated with the occurrence and development of depression and cardiovascular disease. Stress can induce altered mitochondrial function and activation of apoptosis in the cardio-cerebral system. However, it is unknown whether the protein kinase C ε (PKCε)-aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) pathway is altered under chronic stress, and this study sought to address this question. A rat model of depression was established using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) protocol. After experiencing CUMS for 4 weeks, the sucrose preference test and the forced swim test verified depressive-like behaviors. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays showed that ALDH2 activity was decreased in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, but was not altered in the myocardium. Western blot assays demonstrated reduced levels of ALDH2 and PKCε, but increased levels of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) adducts. Caspase-3 expression did not obviously alter, but active forms of caspase-3 were increased in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In the myocardium, expression of ALDH2, PKCε and 4HNE adducts did not remarkably alter; while caspase-3 expression was reduced and the active forms of caspase-3 were upregulated. Pearson's correlation test demonstrated that expression of 4HNE adducts was positively correlated with levels of the active forms of caspase-3 in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, but not in the myocardium. In conclusion, chronic stress can damage the PKCε-ALDH2 signaling pathway in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, but not in the myocardium. Moreover, 4HNE is associated with active forms of caspase-3 in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.


The purpose of this study is to identify the urbanization–related determinants of two key political outcomes in Turkey, namely the election turnout rate and the vote share of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which has been in power since 2002. We estimate regressions that include the outcomes as dependent variables and several socio-demographic indicators as explanatory variables. Making use of data available at both the province and district levels, we are able to observe nationwide patterns as well as those that apply in the province of Istanbul. The findings from the province level analysis reveal that the available indicators are reasonably good predictors of the dependent variables. It turns out that the urbanization rate was positively related with both of the outcomes. The findings in the vote share equation are in line with the hypothesis that the AKP has benefited from the existing living conditions of the urban population, especially in the metropolitan areas. The party has been particularly successful in identifying the worldviews and addressing the needs of conservative and generally-underprivileged masses of voters many of whom are first or second generation migrants. The district level analysis also yields results that are in line with our expectations regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors behind the AKP's success. The high level of support for the party in parts of the province where lower-class native and migrant populations are concentrated is among the key findings of the econometric work. As previously argued in the literature, we attribute this success in part to the party's prioritization of the provision of public services to the lower-class neighborhoods.


Due to limited systemic treatment options, peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastric origin is still associated with a dismal outcome and is claimed a terminal disease. In the past, surgery had not been considered as a potential treatment option. However, there is emerging evidence that in selected patients, locoregional treatment modalities including cytoreductive surgery of peritoneal carcinomatosis can improve survival in patients with gastric cancer. These operative procedures are complex and challenging, and a high surgical expertise of the treating physician is necessary to prevent major postoperative morbidity and mortality with a delay of further systemic therapy. This review summarizes our current knowledge and personal experience regarding the techniques of cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal metastasis of gastric origin.


Palm Springs area, with San Jacinto Mountains west (left); Interstate 10 runs through the desert area north; Views taken from an airplane over Palm Springs, a desert resort town, and its environs, March 2013. It is located approximately 107 miles (172 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. The population was 44,552 at the 2010 census. The city spans over 94 square miles, making it the largest city in the county by size (Riverside County). Tourism is a major factor in the city's economy with 1.6 million visitors in 2011. Located in the Coachella Valley of the Sonoran Desert region, Palm Springs is sheltered by the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east. Source: Archivision, Inc. (accessed 8/10/2013)


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) possessed the ability of vascular invasiveness toward hepatic portal vein on the process of progression. This biological character of HCC can influence the patients survival on clinically. In this paper, we tried to establish the in vitro portal invasion model with human materials. The hepatic portal vein endothelial cell (HPVEC) derived from intrahepatic portal veins by surgically, have been propagated, as outgrowth cultures in RPMI-1640 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum, on permeable collagen membranes (KOKEN, Tokyo) containing mainly type I collagen, covered with a solubilized tissue basement membrane (MATRIGEL, Collaborate Res., Inc., Bedford MA) involving type IV collagen, laminin and proteoglycan. The primary cultured HPVEC with polygonal shaped cells forming a pavement stone sheet, were positively stained with Factor VIII related antigen and synthesized both prostacyclin and collagenase inhibitor. Co-culture of primary human HPVEC and HuH-7 (human HCC cell line obtained from Prof. Satoh, Okayama Univ.,) cells were inoculated onto reverse side between collagen membrane and gell formed basement membrane. Morphological alterations on the side of HPVEC can be obtained such as polylayered cells and different cytoplasmic cells among HPVEC. These results indicate that this experimental model can provide an useful in vitro model for the study of HCC portal invasion.


Small business owners (SBOs) face several challenges when asking for microcredit loans from financial institutions. Usual difficulties include having low credit scores, unbanking situations, outstanding debts, informal employment situations, inability to showcase their payment capability, and lack of financial guarantor. Moreover, SBOs often find it hard to apply for microcredit loans due to bureaucracy, proof documents, and lack of information on how to proceed. For those reasons, banks and non-profit organizations have credit agents and advisors to give SBOs directions, and help them. Moreover, there are plenty of NGOs focused on financial education to teach the basics of business management and planning. The task of asking for a loan is a complex practice, and asymmetric power relationships might emerge from it, what does not benefit micro-entrepreneurs. In this provocation paper, we aim to investigate credibility as a value, and describe how a conversational system based on artificial intelligence might be employed to mitigate perceptions of mistrust, and occasionally, in trying to achieve that, inadvertently amplify those perceptions.


Shoot tips from actively growing, greenhouse maintained plants of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana were cultured in vitro for shoot proliferation and root initiation on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with NAA and BA, both in concentrations of 0.00, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 mg l. Results showed that the maximum plantlets height (7.012 cm), node number (4.516), root number (8.860) and root length (10.160 cm) were obtained in MS medium containing 1 mg l BA + 1 mg l NAA. Maximum shoot number (5.886), leaf number (8.980) and proliferation index (1.791) were calculated in medium supplemented with 1 mg l BA + 0.5 mg l NAA. Minimum plantlets height (1.988 cm), node number (1.283), root number (2.720), root length (3.016 cm), shoot number (1.221), leaf number (2.015) and proliferation index (0.405) were obtained in medium without BA and NAA (control). Fresh and dry weights of plantlets were calculated, too. About 85% of the micropropagated plantlets were established successfully in acclimatization medium containing peat, perlite and sand (1:1:1). Regenerated plantlets were morphologically identical with mother plants.


Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Unfortunately, lung adenocarcinoma has a poor prognosis and the pathogenesis remains unclear. Mitochondria are important mediators of tumorigenesis. However, the proteomics profile of lung adenocarcinoma mitochondrial proteins has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated differences in the mitochondrial protein profiles between lung adenocarcinomas and normal tissue. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to isolate the target cells from lung adenocarcinomas and normal tissue. The differential expression of mitochondrial proteins was determined using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) combined with two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS/MS). Bioinformatics analysis was performed using Gene Ontology and KEGG databases. As a result, 510 differentially expressed proteins were identified, 315 of which were upregulated and 195 that were downregulated. Of these proteins, 35.5% were mitochondrial or mitochondrial-related and were involved in binding, catalysis, molecular transduction, transport, and molecular structure. Based on the differentially expressed proteins, 63 pathways were significantly enriched through KEGG. The overexpression and cellular distribution of the mitochondrial protein C1QBP in the lung cancer samples was confirmed and verified by Western blotting. The relationship between C1QBP expression and clinicopathological features in lung cancer patients was likewise evaluated using immunohistochemistry, which revealed that the upregulation of C1QBP was associated with lymph node metastasis, pathological grade and clinical stage of TNM. The results indicate that the iTRAQ 2D-LC-MS/MS technique is a potential method for comparing mitochondrial protein profiles between tumor and normal tissue and could aid in identifying novel biomarkers and the mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis.


The article considers the problems and prospects of economic development of Turkmenistan in the context of economic diversification. Also in the paper were discussed institutional priorities in the implementation of economic reforms that ensure macroeconomic and social stability. The paper analyzes the macroeconomic indicators of Turkmenistan, foreign trade and investment policy of the country, еhe economic outlook for Turkmenistan. Ensuring priority of national interests in the development and implementation of long-term development of Turkmenistan and in current economic activity means that the leading role in the implementation of innovative development of Turkmenistan assigned to the state. It is the state acts as a strategic investor in the key sectors of the economy. Diversification of the new economy can be a real alternative to the resource-based specialization of the country. Trends in the development of the national economy in the coming years are determined by demand for energy resources on the world market in the post-crisis development. Increasing economic dependence on exports of fuel and raw materials from foreign direct investment require the transition from the inertia of (raw) economic development to innovative development that meets the challenges of the XXI century.


Reduced density matrices are a powerful tool in the analysis of entanglement structure, approximate or coarse-grained dynamics, decoherence, and the emergence of classicality. It is straightforward to produce a reduced density matrix with the partial-trace map by ``tracing out'' part of the quantum state, but in many natural situations this reduction may not be achievable. We investigate the general problem of identifying how the quantum state reduces given a restriction on the observables. For example, in an experimental setting, the set of observables that can actually be measured is usually modest (compared to the set of all possible observables) and their resolution is limited. In such situations, the appropriate state-reduction map can be defined via a generalized bipartition, which is associated with the structure of irreducible representations of the algebra generated by the restricted set of observables. One of our main technical results is a general, not inherently numeric, algorithm for finding irreducible representations of matrix algebras. We demonstrate the viability of this approach with two examples of limited--resolution observables. The definition of quantum state reductions can also be extended beyond algebras of observables. To accomplish this task we introduce a more flexible notion of bipartition, the partial bipartition, which describes coarse-grainings preserving information about a limited set (not necessarily algebra) of observables. We describe a variational method to choose the coarse-grainings most compatible with a specified Hamiltonian, which exhibit emergent classicality in the reduced state space. We apply this construction to the concrete example of the 1-D Ising model. Our results have relevance for quantum information, bulk reconstruction in holography, and quantum gravity.


The spatial and temporal distributions of the oak wilt fungus, Ceratocystis fagacearum, in the roots of symptomatic and adjacent asymptomatic northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) were investigated. Root systems of 12 pairs of such trees were exposed to 1 m (3.3 ft) depth using an air excavation tool. In only one case was the fungus found in more than two cardinal directions of symptomatic trees based on isolation attempts from 192 root segments excised from 1.2 m (3.5 ft) lengths of primary roots extending in four cardinal directions from the root collar. Many (162) self grafts occurred in all oaks. Few (13) inter-tree grafts were found in less than one-third of the tree pairs. The fungus was isolated from the roots involved in two of thirteen inter-tree grafts and 14 of 62 self grafts assayed. The sporadic and unpredictable distribution of the fungus in roots of wilting red oaks supports current control approaches that assume the fungus is present in roots extending out in all directions once crown symptoms are evident. Additionally, self grafts may serve as a conduit for circumferential movement of the fungus around the main stem, but outside the root collar, through the interconnected roots.


The purpose of this note is to bring to the attention of the computer graphics community a powerful, efficient, general two- and three-dimensional line-clipping algorithm originated by Cyrus and Beck.1 This algorithm appears to be virtually unknown to the computer graphics community. For example, the algorithm is neither referenced nor discussed by Newman and Sproull2 of Foley and van Dam.3 Further, it is not referenced in the current literature in the field. For example, the algorithm was unknown to Liang and Barsky at the time they developed their recent line-and polygon-clipping algorithms.


Two patients with pneumatosis cystoides coli associated with chronic pulmonary disease are described. In both patients, cysts and symptoms recurred after successful treatment with O2. Both patients had exceptionally high expiratory H2 fasting values. On the basis of these and other observations a new hypothesis is proposed for the pathogenesis of the cysts and for their frequent association with chronic pulmonary disease. It is suggested that the cysts result from excessive colonic gas production in a patient unable to excrete this excess gas via the lungs.


ABSTRACT: Evidence suggests that intestinal transport of water and electrolytes may be altered in zinc deficiency. We examined the structural features of intestinal epithelial cells of zinc-deficient rats using electron microscopy and assessed the integrity of the junctional complexes using a heavy metal tracer, lanthanum hydroxide. The absorptive cells, as well as Paneth cells and chromaffin cells, were not found to have ultrastructural changes of a consistent nature in zinc deficiency. Moreover, the integrity of the junctional complexes was found to be preserved. These findings suggest that the abnormalities in intestinal transport previously reported are not secondary to increased tight junction permeability in zinc deficiency.


This issue of Play and Folklore has a special focus on children's outdoor play. We hear many stories about the constraints placed on children's play by adults – the growing number of 'bannings' include handstands, cartwheels, throwing things, playing with sticks, digging holes and rough-and-tumble play. Even simply touching each other is forbidden in some schools. In this issue we bring a more positive perspective on play by highlighting some of the ways in which children are being encouraged and assisted to explore, experiment, be adventurous and make their own fun.


In this work, we recorded the spike train data from a rhesus monkey's motor cortex while it was trained to perform reach-to-grasp task at different directions and orientations. The neurons were divided into several classes according to their neuronal activities, and each class of neuron encoded a kind of functional parameter, such as direction-related, orientation- related and so on. Then we applied the generalized partial directed coherence (PDC) to evaluate the neural interaction. This method is a frequency domain measure established on the multivariate vector autoregressive model (MVAR). Since MVAR works primarily for continuous data, the spike trains were converted into the time series of the instantaneous firing rate prior to the MVAR estimation. The results indicated that the neural interactions commonly existed among neurons, and there were different network topology and coupling strength of the neural interaction corresponding to different targets. And also, our study still provided the more evidence for the hypothesis that there probably existed a common pathway in motor cortex that controlled both direction and orientation during the reach-to- grasp task.


Subacute arteriosclerotic encephalopathy, also known as Binswanger's disease, is a rare subtype of vascular dementia. A case of probable Binswanger's disease in a patient with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea is presented. Following the case presentation is a discussion of vascular dementia, with emphasis on Binswanger's disease, specifically the historical aspects, clinical features, neuroimaging and pathological features. Also covered is the correlation between hypertension, one of the most important risk factors for Binswanger's disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.


Car-to-pedestrian collision (CPC) accidents occur frequently, and pedestrians often suffer serious head/brain injuries. One major cause is the primary impact with the windshield. Here, we use a numerical simulation method to study the influence of the windshield inclination angle of a passenger car on pedestrian head/brain injury due to CPC accidents. The range of the windshield inclination angle was set to 24°–50°, with an interval of 2°. The results show that the windshield angle significantly affects the pedestrian kinematics and exerts different effects on the head injury when evaluating with various head injury criteria. Regarding the head peak linear/rotational acceleration and acceleration-based criteria head injury criterion (HIC)/rotational injury criterion (RIC), the predictions at the secondary impact stage have no clear relationship with the windshield angle (R2 = 0.04, 0.07, 0.03 and 0.26, respectively), and their distributions are scattered. In the primary impact, the peak linear acceleration and HIC show a weak trend of first decreasing and then increasing with the increasing of the windshield angle, and the rotational acceleration and RIC tend to remain relatively constant. Regarding the cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM) criterion, the predictions at the primary impact are slightly lower than those at the secondary impact, and the trend of first decreasing and then increasing with the increase in the windshield angle is observed at both impact stages. When the windshield inclination angle is approximately 32°–40°, the head injury severity in both impact phases is generally lower than that predicted at other windshield angles.


Values of ammonia concentration in rumen liquid have been used as an index of nitrogen requirements of rumen microflora even though ammonia requirements seem to depend on the type of diet. Cellulollitic flora mainly use ammonia as N source, while bacteria that ferment non-structural carbohydrates use either ammonia or protein nitrogen. The aim of this experiment was to establish the minimum concentration of ammonia to optimise microbial synthesis in the rumen of steers fed concentrate-based diets.


Chemical sprout inhibitors are applied to over 50% of the potato harvest to extend storage time. In the U.S.A., CIPC (1-methylethyl-3-chlorophenylcarbamate) is the only synthetic chemical registered for postharvest sprout control of stored potatoes, and it is the most widely used sprout inhibitor world-wide. Due to environmental and health safety concerns, the use of CIPC has become more restricted, and alternative sprout control methods are sought. Six bacteria strains, exhibiting superior dry rot suppressiveness in previous research, were grown in two different liquid culture media and sprayed on Russet Burbank potatoes. In growth chamber and pilot experiments repeated at two storage sites in two successive years, all six isolates demonstrated significant sprout control capabilities when applied after growth on at least one of the culture media supplied. Of the six strains tested, Pseudomonas fluorescens bv.V S11:P:12 and two strains of Enterobacter sp., S11:T:07 and S11:P:08, exhibited highest relative performance levels with sprout control being statistically similar to that of 16.6 ppm CIPC thermal fog after 4-5 months storage.


One hundred and thirty symbiotic and non-symbiotic strains of Bradyrhizobium were directly isolated from inoculated soybean and uninoculated legume-free virgin field soils in Thailand using a direct selection medium. About 47% and 58% of the isolates obtained from inoculated and uninoculated fields, respectively, were characterized as being non-symbiotic bradyrhizobia. Partial and nearly full-length sequence analyses of regions encoding 16S rRNA indicated that the non-symbionts were closely related to Bradyrhizobium elkanii (79-99% identity) and Bradyrhizobium japonicum (96-100% identity). Southern hybridization analyses showed that DNA from the non-symbiotic bradyrhizobia failed to hybridize to n if and nod gene probes. rep-PCR DNA fingerprint analyses, done using the BOXA1R primer, indicated the symbionts and non-symbionts could be separated into two distinct clusters. There was no relationship between the geographical origin of isolates and groups made based on serological reaction or their ability to nodulate soybean, cowpea, mungbean, or siratro. These results indicate that a relatively large percentage of non-nodulating bradyrhizobia are present in Thai soils.


It is demonstrated that the temperature of a thermal radiator can be determined without prior knowledge of the emissivity of the source by curve-fit-ting techniques using multiple spectral radiance measurements. This new passive measurement technique assumes only that a smooth function exists between spectral emissivity and wavelength. The spectral radiance values are fitted to a Planck radiation law relation to yield the temperature of the source. Error analysis shows that relative errors in the temperature measurements are generally an order of magnitude less than in the spectral radiance measure-ments and in the simultaneously calculated spectral emissivity values. Computer simulations are included that show the effects of varying different parameters, such as the number of data pairs, the wavelength range, the spectral emissivity behavior, the source temperature, and the measurement noise, on the accuracy of the temperature determination. Experimental confirmation of this technique is presented, showing temperature measurements within 1% of the actual temperatures on a platinum surface within a temperature range of 1273 to 1724 K.


The end goal of prosthetic replacement of teeth following tooth loss is to provide a functional restoration that is harmonious with the remaining natural dentition. To achieve this goal, hard and soft tissues need to be present in adequate volume and quality. An increasingly common strategy to preserve bone and reduce treatment times includes the placement of dental implant into a fresh extraction site. Resorption of the alveolar bone is common after the extraction and presents a clinical challenge to ideal implant placement, especially in the esthetic zone. In order to preserve the extraction socket dimension, immediate implant placement at the time of extraction has been proposed. The technique involves atraumatic extraction of the tooth followed by implant placement. Voids between the implant and the socket walls are filled with a particulate bone graft material. This article describes one such case of immediate implant placement and prosthodontic rehabilitation of a young patient following traumatic loss of natural teeth.


ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Bertille Bance and Shailaja Seetharaman are co-first authors on 'Microtubule acetylation but not detyrosination promotes focal adhesion dynamics and astrocyte migration', published in JCS. Bertille is a post-doc in the lab of Marc Sanson, at The Brain and Spine Institute (ICM), Paris, France, where she is interested in mechanisms controlling cell proliferation, polarity and migration in normal and tumor cells. Shailaja is a PhD student in the lab of Sandrine Etienne-Manneville at Institut Pasteur, Paris, France investigating the role of the cytoskeleton in cell migration and mechanotransduction.


Abstract Enhancer RNA (eRNA) is a type of long non-coding RNA transcribed from DNA enhancer regions. Despite critical roles of eRNA in gene regulation, the expression landscape of eRNAs in normal human tissue remains unexplored. Using numerous samples from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, we characterized 45 411 detectable eRNAs and identified tens of thousands of associations between eRNAs and traits, including gender, race, and age. We constructed a co-expression network to identify millions of putative eRNA regulators and target genes across different tissues. We further constructed a user-friendly data portal, Human enhancer RNA Atlas (HeRA, https://hanlab.uth.edu/HeRA/). In HeRA, users can search, browse, and download the eRNA expression profile, trait-related eRNAs, and eRNA co-expression network by searching the eRNA ID, gene symbol, and genomic region in one or multiple tissues. HeRA is the first data portal to characterize eRNAs from 9577 samples across 54 human tissues and facilitates functional and mechanistic investigations of eRNAs.


: Spark plasma sintering (SPS) investigations were carried out on three sets of Co specimens: untreated, high energy mechanically (HEMT) pre-treated, and nanomodified powders. The microstructure, density, and mechanical properties of sintered pellets were investigated as a function of various pre-treatments and sintering temperatures (700–1000 ◦ C). Fine-grained sinters were obtained for pre-treated Co powders; nano-additives tended to inhibit grain growth by reinforcing particles at grain boundaries and limiting grain-boundary movement. High degree of compaction was also achieved with relative densities of sintered Co pellets ranging between 95.2% and 99.6%. A direct co-relation was observed between the mechanical properties and densities of sintered Co pellets. For a comparable sinter quality, sintering temperatures for pre-treated powders were lower by 100 ◦ C as compared to untreated powders. Highest values of bending strength (1997 MPa), microhardness (305 MPa), and relative density (99.6%) were observed for nanomodified HEMT and SPS processed Co pellets, sintered at 700 ◦ C. Conceptualization, V.M.N., Y.K., G.K.; Methodology, V.M.N., T.H.N., Y.K.; Investigation, V.M.N., I.B., V.L., R.K., Writing and Editing,


: beta-Ionone is found to stimulate considerably carotinoids synthesis in Blakeslea trispora. The stabilization of carotene-synthesizing ability of B. trispora in the presence of beta-ionine under prolonged incubation time is observed. Stabilization of polyribosomes in the presence of beta-ionine is observed when studying polyribosome content in B. trispora. A hypothesis is expressed on the existence of biochemical "receptors" as a linkage between synthesized protein and destroying mRNA.


ABSTRACT Background Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) represent a form-group of ascomycetous fungi that inhabit the roots of a wide range of plant species, but our knowledge on their interaction with the host plants is still limited. Aims This study was conducted to examine the effect of DSEs on the nutrition and growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in order to assess their potential application in horticultural plant production. Methods The capacity of two model DSE species, Periconia macrospinosa and Cadophora sp. to mobilise different forms of N and P (organic and inorganic) was analysed, and an in vitro bio assay with tomato plantlets was applied to screen the compatibility of these fungi with the plant. Pot-culture experiments with and without compartments were conducted to study the effects of these DSEs on the growth and nutrient uptake of tomato plants grown with organic and inorganic N and P sources. Results Periconia macrospinosa, but not Cadophora sp., increased the root and shoot biomass of tomato plants when organic nutrient resources were present, and both DSEs promoted shoot growth when cultivated with inorganic fertilisers. Analysis of N and P concentrations indicated that the growth response of tomato with inorganic fertilisation was not based on DSE-improved plant nutrition. However, P. macrospinosa improved N uptake from organic sources. Conclusion The positive effects of DSEs seem to be due to nutrient mobilisation rather than to hyphal transport to the plant.


Received Mar 30, 2021 Revised Nov 20, 2021 Accepted Dec 1, 2021 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not only being a public physical health emergency, but also affecting global mental health, as evidenced by worldwide panic purchases, independent quarantine, and social distancing. Therefore, it is important to concern how a pandemic might affect one's mental state. The aim of this review was to determine mental health status in the community during COVID-19 pandemic using the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) self-assessment. A comprehensive and systematic literature search published from January-May 2020 through electronic databases Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted based on guidelines from Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). This study used a self-report tool DASS to assess depression, anxiety, and stress. Seven studies with a total of 15.020 participants that were published in 2020 were included in the analysis. The characteristics that were chosen to determine the mental health status (depression, anxiety, and stress) were age, sex, level of education, and marital status. Findings from this review showed that sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, education level) contributed to mental health status (depression, anxiety, and stress).


Abstract Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disorder causing irreversible central vision loss. Complement Factor H (CFH) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) are now widely accepted as important AMD susceptibility genes. In particular, two specific variants, CFH p.Y402H and ARMS2 p.A69S, have been reported as strongly AMD associated. In order to perform the genetic screening of these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we describe a high resolution melting analysis (HRM) as a rapid closed tube mutation scanning assay. Methods: To validate HRM genotyping, 94 DNA samples from AMD patients (previously genotyped by sequence analysis) were analyzed. PCR amplification and melting curve analysis were performed in the LightCycler 480 Real-Time PCR System. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the HRM assay, we performed a blinded study of 20 unknown independent samples. Results: We correctly genotyped all samples. In fact, all samples corresponded to the previous genotype assignments. Conclusions: Early identification of individuals with genetic risk variants CFH p.Y402H and ARMS2 p.A69S is clinically important for the definition of AMD status. High-resolution DNA melting is homogenous, accurate and rapid method for CFH and ARMS2 genotyping.


Mobile agents provide a new abstraction for deploying functionality over the existing Internet infrastructure. In the MA (mobile agents) framework there are no agent platforms. Instead applications become agent-enabled by using simple JavaBeans components. In this paper we present an architecture that allows currently available Web servers to become capable of sending and receiving agents in an easy way. By using this approach, existing Web infrastructure can be maintained, while gaining a whole new potential by being able to make use of agent technology. Our approach involves wrapping the components inside a Java Servlet that can be included in any Web server supporting the Servlet specification. This Servlet enables the servers to receive and send agents that can query local information, and also enables the agents to behave as Servlets themselves. We currently have used the framework with several existing commercial Web servers, inclusively having the security mechanisms of the framework correctly running and integrated with the security architecture of the server.


ABSTRACT The pteridophytes present a great but poorly explored potential as ecological indicators (EIs), shown only in some sparse studies. Therefore, to analyze this potential, we reviewed published articles, websites, or books with pteridophytes as EIs, searching on five scholar databases and also on Google. We selected 134 studies, conducted in all continents (118 in mainland areas and 16 in islands). Brazil is the country with the highest number of studies (N = 33). In general, several species were considered as EIs in a given study, not only a single. The use of Pteridophytes in these works was classified in seven different types: a) classification of vegetation, soils, environments, and ecosystems (N = 65), b) environmental integrity (or quality) (N = 21), c) disturbance (N = 17), d) regeneration/restoration of habitats and/or ecosystems (N = 10), e) climate changes (N = 10), f) contamination of air, soil, or water (N = 14), and g) association with other groups of organisms (N = 12). The vast majority of these studies merely hypothesized the potential use of the Pteridophytes as EIs, with few presenting helpful criteria for the selection of EIs. Although there is an increasing recognition of the potential use of Pteridophytes as EIs, a more in-depth discussion about the criteria for selecting Pteridophytes as indicators and the real uses of such plants is needed.


Exposure to asbestos fibers leads to a variety of mesothelial reactions: pleural effusions, fibrotic pleural plaques, and malignant mesotheliomas. An animal model was developed to reproduce these lesions in C57B1/6 mice using weekly intraperitoneal injections of asbestos fibers. After exposure to asbestos fibers, monocytes were recruited into the abdominal cavity and acquired the characteristics of inflammatory or nonspecifically activated macrophages. Nontoxic titanium dioxide or toxic silica particles did not produce activation of the free peritoneal macrophage population. Aggregates of asbestos fibers were found on the diaphragm and other peritoneal surfaces within only 24 h after a single injection. Macrophage recruitment to these sites peaked between 3 and 5 days, while activated macrophages persisted up to 14 days. Recruitment and activation of macrophages by repeated exposures to asbestos fibers may contribute to chronic damage of the mesothelial lining caused by these mineral fibers.


In a SQUID magnetometer we have simultaneously measured the a.c. susceptibility (6 Hz, 10 nT (0.1 mG) rms) and the d.c. magnetization at applied d.c. fields up to 0.5 mT (5 G) of the amorphous materials (Fe0.20Ni0.80)75P16B6Al3 and (Fe0.68Mn0.32)75P16B6Al3. Both samples have an iron content slightly higher than the concentration at the multicritical point for the respective alloy system. When the temperature is increased, the samples are characterized by spin-glass (SG), ferromagnetic (FM) and paramagnetic (PM) behaviour. In both samples the FM-PM transition is well defined (Fe, Ni): 87 K; (Fe, Mn): 98 K, while the SG-FM transition is ambiguous. In the (Fe, Ni) sample a rather broad SG-FM transition appears at approx. 20 K in both a.c. and d.c. measurements. The d.c. thermoremanent curve (TRM) shows a minimum at the same temperature. The (Fe, Mn) sample shows a sharp decrease for decreasing temperature at 57 K in a.c. as well as d.c. measurements, suggesting the position of the SG-FM transition. The TRM curve shows a pronounced dip at the same temperature and typical viscosity effects are observed below this temperature.


Aim. To assess the dynamics of wound healing process based on the biochemical parameters of blood serum in patients with phlegmons of the lower extremities treated with various methods of ozone therapy. Methods. Conducted was dynamic monitoring of the biochemical parameters in patients with pyo-inflammatory diseases of the lower extremities. Depending on the method of treatment the patients were divided into three study groups and a control group, 29 people in each. The first group consisted of patients in whon in combination with traditional treatment local ozone therapy was performed. The second group consisted of patients who received intravenous and local ozone therapy in combination with traditional treatment. The third group consisted of patients who received traditional treatment with intraarterial and local ozone therapy. The control group consisted of patients who received traditional treatment. Results. The results showed that during treatment with ozone therapy a relief of endogenous intoxication and a significant improvement in albumin concentration takes place compared with the control group. Conclusion. A more rapid decrease in endogenous intoxication, relief of inflammation at the local and systemic levels occurs secondary to ozone therapy; most effective are intraarterial and local applications of ozone.


Despite the introduction of several soil conservation policies, degradation of agricultural land remains one of the major environmental problems in German agriculture. Degradation processes, farming practices, and soil conservation policies have all previously been analysed. However, the interrelationship between these three fields has not yet attracted much attention. The aim of this paper is to contribute new knowledge about this interrelationship by analysing the impact of current soil conservation policies on farming practices and on the mitigation of soil degradation. The paper uses the case study of the Uckermark region (Germany) to assess existing soil conservation policies, describe the soil conservation measures, and point out limits to policy effectiveness. The region is an area of high potential risk for soil erosion and compaction, due to the prevailing soil types, topography and climate. The actual risk of soil degradation has been reduced over the last decade through the increased use of soil conserving farming practices. The Institutions of Sustainability (IoS) framework by Hagedorn provided the analytical framework for the study. A literature review was complemented by expert interviews with 4 soil scientists and 26 in‐depth interviews conducted with stakeholders. The results emphasised the potential of incentive based policies – such as agri‐environmental schemes – to promote uptake of well‐tailored conservation measures that reduce soil degradation. However, entry to soil‐specific agri‐environmental schemes has now been closed in Brandenburg. Therefore, soil degradation is currently addressed only by regulatory policy instruments such as the Federal Soil Protection Act and EU‐based national regulations. The definition of precise technical measures or input limits coupled with enforcement mechanisms increases policy effectiveness. We recommend that the best approach for tackling soil degradation is a policy mix, with regulatory instruments enforcing a minimum standard, complemented with locally adapted agri‐environmental schemes and enhanced by advisory measures. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


E-learning usage and implementation is seen as use of a magic stick to many educators and trainers especially in the developing countries, bringing positive or great values to them and their organization. According to some researches e-learning means the use of various electronic items including information and communication technology (ICT) as a part of their training program. Learning Management System is software that supports the development, delivery, assessment and management of courses in online learning environments. While implementing the LMS in our university we were faced with the challenge of incorporating the most appropriate algorithm for searching data's, such as strings, in text documents added by instructors as course content. Considering that algorithms can be analyzed in relation to time and the space efficiency, we analyzed several searching algorithms. In this paper we will introduce the results of different searching algorithms in complex structures, by searching strings in files which are as resources for specific courses with different length designed to accomplish the same task. Our aim through comparison was to decide which one is more appropriate to use in the new platform that we are building.


The opportunity of technological and modified lignosulphonate wastes, process water, oxygenized brown coal with high content huminic acid (to 60 %) with alkali usage as plasticizer agent in the coal-water slurry (CWS) production technological process was checked. The CWS stability scheme in alkali additives interaction was suggested. The bituminous and brown coal mixture (10 : 90) CWS was investigated. The anthracite and brown coal relation is from 5 to 95. The discovered regularities demonstrated the slurry properties optimization opportunity in industrial conditions by combined changing of additive quantity and coal physical-chemical composition. The suggested CWS production technology allows solving some questions of ecological safety and resource-saving at the expense of the sources of raw materials assortment expansion. The CWS production industrial scheme on production run equipment without its modernization is developed.