In physical experiments the percolation threshold for conductivity of conductor-insulator mixtures can be achieved by addition of conductive inclusions to the insulating embedding matrix, keeping the volume of the cell constant, or by compression of a mixture containing an initially nonpercolating quantity of conducting inclusions. The latter case we define as a pressure-induced percolation transition (PIPT). Two limiting cases of PIPT may be envisioned, namely rigid conducting particles in a deformable insulator and deformable conducting particles in a less deformable insulator. In both cases the percolation state is achieved at some critical pressure (strain) which depends on the initial concentration of the conducting phase. The experimental results on conductivity of powder conductor-insulator mixtures show that pressure-driven percolation differs substantially from the usual percolation model: even in the simplest case of a rigid conductor in a deformable insulator the critical index of conductivity close to the critical strain is much less than the expected value . The value is achieved at larger strains. The low value of close to the percolation threshold can be explained by considering the competition of processes of destruction and creation of contacts between conductive inclusions and clusters under the applied stress. In the case of deformable conductive inclusions interpretation of the PIPT is rather complicated. The strain sensitivity of the conductivity is maximal close to the percolation threshold; we consider some practical implications of anomalous strain sensitivity.


: The article describes the main demand reasons for soft architecture of service-oriented systems. There are shown common analytical studies results of service-oriented systems. We consider a promising approach how to manage their quality. We see the detailed ideas about the purpose of the model-analytical intelligence of service-oriented systems. The paper shows us the extended formal procedures for constructing object-oriented models of service-oriented systems with the intelligent quality control. The author proposes a method for generating model-analytical intelligence of service-oriented systems with a controlled quality of their functioning.


Environmental policies and actions can be improved when environmental scientists engage in science-based advocacy, by calling attention to relevant scientific information and ensuring that policies and their implementation are consistent with the best available science. There are many models for scientist-advocates within and outside of advocacy organizations, and the roles they play may vary, depending on career stage. Here, we discuss the challenges and rewards for scientific staff in science-based advocacy organizations, as well as for an academic working with an advocacy organization, as a consultant, collaborator, or member of an advisory board. We identify some best practices for science-based advocacy and encourage the environmental science community to recognize the importance of the scientist-advocate's role in strengthening environmental policy.


We constructed an 18-megadalton plasmid (pBD221) carrying resistance determinants for kanamycin, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin, as well as the hisH determinant from the Bacillus licheniformis chromosome. This plasmid has a copy number of about one and can be stably maintained in Bacillus subtilis. Linear fragments of pBD221 DNA were used to transform competent cultures carrying mutant variants of the same plasmid. Rescue transformation did not proceed by recircularization and replication of the donor DNA. Rescue transformation exhibited first-order dependence on DNA concentration, and the concentration dependence curve was virtually identical to the curve obtained with chromosomal DNA. The donor DNA molecular weight dependence of plasmid marker rescue transformation obtained by using restriction fragments was not distinguishable from previously published data obtained by using fractionated sheared chromosomal DNA. Plasmid rescue transformation, like chromosomal transformation, was dependent on the recE, recA, recB, and recD gene products. Plasmid rescue transformation, like chromosomal transformation, proceeded with few exchanges. Linkage data obtained with the plasmid rescue system fit a quantitative model based on studies with chromosomal transformation. We conclude that plasmid marker rescue transformation probably proceeds by a mechanism similar to the mechanism used during the formation of chromosomal transformants and hence may be considered an appropriate general model for the study of transformational recombination.


Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) is a procedure in which a tube is placed in the stomach through abdominal wall with the help of flexible upper Gastrointestinal Endoscope. This procedure is done for nutrition in patients who are unable to swallow e.g., in neurodegenerative disorder, brain injury or stroke etc. Side effects include wound infection, peristomal leakage, transient gastroparesis and bleeding. Another complication is Buried Bumper Syndrome that develops when external cushion is kept in tight opposition with abdominal wall, the internal bumper erodes the gastric mucosa and buried in the wall. 1 It is confirmed with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Its treatment is removal of the tube. In our case, PEG tube was placed in a young man with persistent vegetative state for feeding. After a month tube blocked, on Upper Gastro endoscopy PEG tube head was found buried in stomach wall (Buried Bumper Syndrome). PEG Tube was removed and replaced with PEG replacement tube that re-established feeding.


The horizontal distributions of particle size spectrum and chlorophyll a concentration across the northern edge of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre along 21°W were studied as part of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study North Atlantic Bloom Experiment in March–April, 1989. An abrupt change in the particle size spectrum at 32°40′N was located within the broad thermohaline front between the central gyre water in the south and the Azores Current in the north. Whereas the small particulate fraction (1–10 μm) and chlorophyll a concentration were similar (within a factor of 2), the abundance of the "diatom" size fraction (28–72 μm ) showed a drastic increase by more than an order of magnitude in the Azores Current. The diatom fraction seemed to contribute little to the chlorophyll pool, indicating a postbloom condition. Different trophic pathways, i.e., grazing of the picoplankton in the gyre versus the diatom bloom with the following detrital loop in the Azores Current and northward, can be conjectured. The increased scattering versus absorption due to the different particle size spectrum and composition could bias the algorithms of pigment retrieval from remote sensing data.


The COVID-19 pandemic has added significant stress to international students in the United States who already face myriad challenges in adjusting to their host country. We used a mixed-method approach combining survey and interview research to analyze how international students' social media use and perceived social support/adjustment are associated with their sense of mental well-being when taking into account demographic and social psychological characteristics. Our findings show that international students spent an increased amount of time on social media during the pandemic for both networking and information seeking purposes. Those who use social media primarily for networking purposes reported better mental health, whereas social media use for information seeking was not significantly associated with their mental health. Social support was an important predictor of international students' social media use. This study provides scholarly and policy implications for supporting international students during a public health crisis.


What it means to fully compensate a plaintiff can depend on whether one approaches the question from an efficiency perspective, a corrective justice view, or some other normative stance. One formulation of "compensation" is prominent in theoretical work and in the day-to-day operation of the tort system: compensation is the payment of a sum of money that will restore the plaintiff to the status quo ante, to the extent money can do so. This paper argues that this view of compensation has several core failings that have been noticed too little by courts and scholars. In addition, a different concept of compensation – rehabilitation as compensation – should become a more dominant theme in tort practice and theory. This would help illuminate and address several key topics: (1) problems with tort law's current definition of "medical and rehabilitative expenses"; (2) the role of the plaintiff in the rehabilitative process; (3) the responsibilities of the plaintiff's lawyer with respect to rehabilitation, and (4) counter-rehabilitative features of tort not already emphasized in the tort literature.


Conjugal transfer of streptococcal plasmid pAM beta 1 to Lactobacillus plantarum by a filter mating method was examined under various conditions. The transfer frequency depended greatly on the type, pore size, and side (front or back) of the membrane filter. The passage of sterilized water through the membrane under reduced pressure after donor and recipient cells were trapped on it increased the transfer frequency about 10-fold.


We present an integral field spectroscopy study of two active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the galaxy cluster RXJ0152–137 at z = 0.84. We have combined integrated and 3D spectra with HST images to perform a complete morpho-kinematical analysis of each galaxy. For G557, we detect narrow and broad H α and [N ii] emission. The broad H α component is redshifted by v ∼ 939 km s−1 concerning the narrow component. The kinematics analysis and VLT/FORS2 data indicate that G557 presents evidence of radial outflows. For G300, it was possible to detect only the broad H α emission. The spectral properties of both galaxies are equivalent to those of local AGN. We also compare the results obtained for each AGN with their location within the cluster. We found a possible connection of the environment with the properties inferred for each of them, and the possible interaction of G557 with an unconfirmed neighboring galaxy, for which a bridge-like structure is observed in the HST images. This work shows evidence of how the same type of AGN can show differences in their spectroscopic properties depending on the region of the cluster in which they develop, which is important to understand how the environment affects AGN and, consequently, the evolution of galaxies.


The mature rat testis contains two forms of adenylate cyclase. One is membrane-bound and hormone-responsive; the other is water-soluble and not activated by hormones (Braun, T., and Dods, R. F. (1976) Pnoc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1097-1101). The water-soluble adenylate cyclase is a globular protein which is much smaller than the enzyme which is solubilized from membranes of mature rat testis by Triton X-100. Its physical properties are: sedimentation coefficient, 3.8 S; Stokes radius, 34 A; molecular weight, 56,000; frictional ratio, 1.2. Inclusion of protease inhibitors during enzyme extraction did not affect the fraction of total enzyme activity which was water-soluble, nor did autolysis for 1 h at 25 degrees C. The physical properties of the membrane-bound adenylate cyclase were determined after solubilization with Triton X-100. In detergent, the values are: sedimentation coefficient, 6.7 S; Stokes radius, 68 A; partial specific volume, 0.73 ml/g; molecular weight, 191,000; frictional ratio, 1.6. The fact that the partial specific volume of the enzyme in detergent is the same as that of a typical water-soluble protein shows that the Triton X-100-solubilized enzyme does not bind a large quantity of detergent. This indicates that it does not have extensive hydrophobic regions on its surface. The detergent-solubilized adenylate cyclase of the mature rat testis is similar in this respect to adenylate cyclase solubilized from the rat renal medulla (Neer, E. J. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 6527-6531).


In this essay I sketch a philosophical argument for classical liberalism based on the requirements of public reason. I argue that we can develop a philosophical liberalism that, unlike so much recent philosophy, takes existing social facts and mores seriously while, at the same time, retaining the critical edge characteristic of the liberal tradition. I argue that once we develop such an account, we are led toward a vindication of "old" (qua classical) liberal morality—what Benjamin Constant called the "liberties of the moderns." A core thesis of the paper is that a regime of individual rights is crucial to the project of public justification because it disperses moral authority to individuals thus mitigating what I call the "burdens of justification."


Background/Aims: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial role in the occurrence of several diseases, including autoimmune diseases. However, their role in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains unclear. Here, we aimed to determine the circRNA expression profile in plasma from PBC patients and further explore the value of circRNA in diagnosing PBC. Methods: CircRNA microarrays were used to determine circRNA expression profiles in plasma samples from 6 PBC patients and 6 healthy controls. Statistical analyses identified differentially expressed circRNAs, and these circRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR in 29 PBC patients and 30 healthy controls. MicroRNA (miRNA) target prediction software identified putative miRNA response elements (MREs), which were used to construct a map of circRNA-miRNA interactions for the differentially expressed circRNAs. Results: Our results indicated that there were 18 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated circular RNAs in the plasma from PBC patients compared with that from healthy individuals. Among the differentially expressed circRNAs, hsa_circ_402458 (P=0.0033), hsa_circ_087631 and hsa_circ_406329 (P=0.0185) were up-regulated, and hsa_circ_407176 (P=0.0066) and hsa_circ_082319 were down-regulated in the PBC group versus the healthy group as demonstrated by qRT-PCR. In particular, hsa_circ_402458 was significantly higher in PBC patients not receiving UDCA treatment than in PBC patients receiving UDCA treatment (P=0.0338). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for hsa_circ_402458 for diagnosing PBC was 0.710 (P=0.005). For hsa_circ_402458, two putative miRNA targets, hsa-miR-522-3p and hsa-miR-943, were predicted. Conclusions: circRNA dysregulation may play a role in PBC pathogenesis, and hsa_circ_402458 shows promise as a candidate biomarker for PBC.


In this paper we present a modified neural network architecture and an algorithm that enables neural networks to learn vectors in accordance to user designed sequences or graph structures. This enables us to use the modified network algorithm to identify, generate or complete specified patterns that are learned in the training phase. The algorithm is based on the idea that neural networks in the human neurocortex represent a distributed memory of sequences that are stored in invariant hierarchical form with associative access. The algorithm was tested on our custom built simulator that supports the usage of our ADT neural network with standard backpropagation and our custom built training algorithms, and it proved to be useful and successful in modelling graphs.


We have characterized the plasma produced by a picosecond laser pulse using x-ray spectroscopy. High-resolution high-sensitivity spectra of K -shell emission from a Ti plasma have been obtained, showing a strong contribution from multiply ionized ions. Hydrodynamic and collisional-radiative codes are used to extract the plasma temperature and density from these measurements. We show that our measurements can provide benchmarks for particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of preplasma conditions in ultraintense laser-matter interactions.


Among 18 Bacillus thuringiensis isolates with spherical parasporal inclusion from soils, B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis CAB199 was selected. It was showing over 90% mortality against Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens moletus. It was confirmed that this B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis CAB199 isolate also had a insecticidal activity against Culex inatomii that was occurred in the marsh. Because most of mosquito larva were primarily situated or shifted from under- to surface water, we need to select long floating formulations on surface water for controlling mosquito larva. It was tested the pesticidal and control effects in the laboratory and wetland with two formulation types of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, for example, wettable power (WP) and suspension concentrate type (SC). Laboratory test showed that SC formulation type was relatively faster and more effective against 3 tested mosquito species, C. pipiens, Aedes aegypti, and C. inatomii. Otherwise, the control efficacy of SC formulation type was more rapidly appeared against C. inatomii in the wetland.


Today when Russian economy is passing over to the market way of development, new objects are involved in trade and cash relations and the role of money is rising analysis of problems dealing with household economic security guarantee acquires extreme importance. It is defined as a situation, when conditions of living interest protection are secured, the system of social development and social protection of personality and family is guaranteed. The article provides the author's classification of key elements of household economic security, threats to its different types are identified and the level of economic protection of households in the Ivanovo region and a number of adjoining regions (Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl') is estimated on the basis of principle social indicators. Figures of human potential reproduction in Ivanovo, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl' regions were analyzed and compared with the average Russian and critical (threshold) values. The author underlined the active role of households in ensuring and strengthening their economic security. The key direction of their efforts today should become efficient management of their own economic security and investment into it. The article puts forward an idea to organize on mass media sites popularization of relevant economic behavior, where scientists and practical specialists in the field of economic security can take part.


Over the years, curriculum reforms have formed part of Lesotho's attempt to address the socio-economic development factor through education policies such as the Lesotho curriculum and assessment policy (CAP) framework, introduced in 2009. This framework is meant to guide curriculum development and design processes. Through content analysis, this article seeks to highlight the representation of the curricular spider-web model's concepts, which guide effective curriculum development, in the policy framework. Curriculum and assessment policy framework and the guide to continuous assessment document, which is a counteractive document that acts as an amendment of the 2009 policy, were analysed using the guided analysis method. Findings suggest that there are some concepts, which are neglected by the framework. This may have a negative bearing on the curriculum development process. This article draws from the curricular spider-web to recommend a review of the CAP framework towards inclusion and alignment of omitted concepts for the facilitation of an effective curriculum design process.


Gap junctions (GJs) allow direct communication between cells. In the heart, GJs mediate the electrical coupling of cardiomyocytes and as such dictate the speed and direction of cardiac conduction. A prominent feature of acquired structural heart disease is remodeling of GJ protein expression and localization concomitant with increased susceptibility to lethal arrhythmias, leading many to hypothesize that the two are causally linked. Detailed understanding of the cellular mechanisms that regulate GJ localization and function within cardiomyocytes may therefore uncover potential therapeutic strategies for a significant clinical problem. This review will outline our current understanding of GJ cell biology with the intent of highlighting cellular mechanisms responsible for GJ remodeling associated with cardiac disease.


We describe the preparation and characterization of gelatin-containing nylon-6 electrospun fibers and their potential use as a bioactive scaffold for tissue engineering. The physicochemical properties of gelatin/nylon-6 composite nanofibers were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, TGA and contact angle and tensile measurements. FE-SEM and TEM images revealed that the nanofibers were well oriented and showed a good incorporation of gelatin. FTIR spectroscopy and TGA also revealed that there was good interaction between the two polymers at the molecular level. The adhesion, viability and proliferation properties of osteoblast cells on the gelatin/nylon-6 composite nanofibers were analyzed by an in vitro cell compatibility test. Our results suggest that the incorporation of gelatin can increase the cell compatibility of nylon-6 and therefore the composite mat obtained has great potential in hard tissue engineering. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry


As with any valuable innovations, pharmaceutical formulations are deserving of intellectual property protection. Intellectual property rights are capable of providing a monopoly in the marketplace for a number of different aspects of such products. Foremost of these is the protection for the invention behind the formulation. This is the domain of patent law. In this chapter, the patent protection for pharmaceutical formulations will be examined with reference to some real-life examples. This chapter concludes with a brief overview of other intellectual property rights.


This study focuses on the use of new technologies by the sports-media complex, looking specifically at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals. Combining the world's single largest sports media event with one of the most current, complex forms of Web-based communication, this article explores extent to which football fans embedded in Germany used the Internet to blog their World Cup experiences. Various categories of blog sites were identified, including independent bloggers, bloggers using football-themed Web sites, and blogs hosted on corporate-sponsored platforms. The study shows that the anticipated "democratizing potential" of blogging was not evident during Germany 2006. Instead, blogging acted as a platform for corporations, which, employing professional journalists, told the fans' World Cup stories.


The effects of four average temperatures (7, 16, 23 and 33 degrees C) and daily oscillations with three amplitudes (0, +/-4, +/-7 degrees C) on the survival of the enteropathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella serovar Typhimurium were investigated in small microcosms. Manure was inoculated with a green fluorescent protein transformed strain of either pathogen at 10(7) cells g(-1) dry weight. Samples were collected immediately after inoculation, and 1 and 2 weeks after inoculation for E. coli O157:H7, and immediately and after 2 and 3 weeks for Salmonella serovar Typhimurium. Population densities were determined by dilution plating and direct counting. In addition, total bacterial CFUs were determined. Growth and survival data were fitted to a modified logistic model. Analysis of the estimated parameter values showed that E. coli O157:H7 survived for shorter periods of time and was more sensitive to competition by the native microbial community than Salmonella serovar Typhimurium. Survival of both pathogens significantly declined with increasing mean temperatures and with increasing amplitude in daily temperature oscillations. The results indicated that responses of enteropathogens to fluctuating temperatures cannot be deduced from temperature relationships determined under constant temperatures.


In this paper, we investigate the phase noise properties and the impacts caused by phase noise on an OFDM system, we derive the approximate expressions for BER performance in AWGN channel with various modulations techniques. The performance degradation is analyzed by graphs of BER against the number of sub-carriers. Thus the choice of the number of sub-carriers involves a tradeoff between mitigation of multi-path delay spread and reducing phase noise effects. Simulation results also show that phase noise effects performance for BPSK, QPSK & 16 PSK constellation which lead to the conclusion that a phase noise mitigation mechanism is needed to obtain acceptable performance.


Modification of recursive least squares algorithm is presented for identification of linear time-varying systems. The basic idea is to divide the weighting vector into two part. One represents the main variation tendency of the time-varying parameters, while the other is a slowly varying vector. First the former is determined by a procedure based on the dependency of data, and then the remaining part is identified using recursive least squares algorithm with forgetting factor. The modified algorithm avoids the problems appeared in rapidly varying situations, with good tracking ability.


The aim of this study was to apply the(13)C-octanoic acid breath test for detection of alterations in the rate of solid-phase gastric emptying, induced by changes in test meal composition, in ponies. After a 14 hour fast the ponies (n = 4) ingested a test meal with 0, 35 or 70 ml soya oil, and labelled with 250 mg(13)C-octanoic acid. Each pony was given each of the three test meals on three separate occasions, in a randomised order. Exhaled breath samples were collected for 12 hours after ingestion of the test meal. Breath samples were analysed by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Three indices of breath(13)C-enrichment were computed, half-dose recovery time (t 1/2), gastric emptying coefficient (GEC) and time to peak breath(13)C-excretion t(max). The(13)C-octanoic acid breath test was a reliable means of assessing the significantly decreased rate of gastric emptying in the pony, associated with addition of soya oil to the test meal.


In the respiratory tract, recognition of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysacharide, LPS) is a critical step of the innate host defense system directed against invading pathogens. Secretions of the airways contain proteins that have direct antimicrobial activity (lysozyme, lactoferrin, defensins, and cathelicidins) as well as complement factors and surfactant proteins that contribute to host defense. The hydrophobic surfactant protein C (SP-C) recognizes LPS (Augusto, L., Le Blay, K., Auger, G., Blanot, D., and Chaby, R. (2001) Am. J. Physiol. 281, L776–L785). In the present study, using synthetic analogs of SP-C, we demonstrate that the palmitoyl residues of SP-C are not required for the interaction with LPS and that both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions of SP-C are required for specific binding of a radiolabeled rough-type LPS. In addition, using LPS submitted to different chemical treatments as well as synthetic analogs of the lipid A moiety of LPS, we established that the terminal phosphate group at the reducing end of the lipid A disaccharide in α configuration is of crucial importance for recognition by SP-C. The N-linked fatty acyl chain on the reducing glucosamine of lipid A also takes part in the interaction. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine is not specifically required for the LPS-binding activity of SP-C, although a lipid environment significantly increases the binding. These results provide a basis for experiments on the role of SP-C in presentation of LPS to alveolar cells and for the design of drugs for the management of endotoxin-induced lung injury.


The lengthening of the duration of copyright protection and the elimination of copyright registration formalities have contributed to the rise of so-called orphan works: works that remain subject to copyright law but whose owners cannot be identified and located by someone who wishes to make use of the work in a manner that requires permission of the copyright owner. In this Article I examine one of the root causes of the inability to address the orphan work problem: the metaphor of the "orphan" itself. I propose that these works should not be viewed as orphans, but rather as "hostages" — constrained in their movement by the restricting combination of the set of rules established by copyright law and the absence of the owner who could release the works from what binds them in their confinement.The hostage metaphor leads to a clearer recognition that what is needed is not a stand in for the "parent" of these orphans, rather what is called for is an incentive for responsible parties to operate as "special forces" to free the hostages. I propose a limited immunity for entities that act as "special forces" in freeing the hostages. The immunity should be available when an entity non-negligently identifies a work as a hostage work and provides an open access copy of that work with the hostage-freeing information attached in human and machine readable form. I also suggest that courts should employ equitable doctrines to limit the infringement remedies available against derivative work creators that would discourage copyright owners from delaying in making their presence and availability known. Adopting this approach would provide an appropriate level of protection for copyright owners and significantly reduce a form of waste created by the hostage work problem.


The purpose of this paper to discuss Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and Test Program Set (TPS) management strategy efforts to improve support and reduce logistics costs within the Air Force. The emphasis of this paper will be on two subtopics; efforts to reduce proliferation of unique Automatic Test Systems (ATS) and the impact of technology and software advances as they relate to how the Air Force (AF) works to standardize the TPS process. Both subtopics have a focus on standardization and reduction in life cycle costs for the Air Force.


Obesity represents an independent risk factor for the development of cerebrovascular disease and cognitive impairment. The systemic effects, such as increased fat mass, hypertension, insulin resistance and general metabolic dysfunction, have been identified as factors that may lead to impaired cognitive function. To clarify the possible relationships between obesity and nervous system changes, high-caloric Diet-Induced Obesity (DIO) rats 7 weeks-old, were studied after 17 weeks of hypercaloric diet compared to control rats with not fat diet (Chow) or to rats not developing obesity (DIO-resistant DR). Food consumption, fat mass content, blood pressure and blood parameters were assessed. Different behavioural tests were used to estimate cognitive performance. RT-qPCR, immunochemical and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to evaluate neuronal, glial and vascular markers. The obese phenotype developd after 5 weeks of high fat diet exposure and body weight values remained higher in DIO rats compared to the control group and DR rats during the treatment. Systolic blood pressure, glycaemia and insulin were higher in DIO rats only after 17 weeks. No differences in values of total cholesterol and triglycerides were observed. Furthermore increase of thiobarbituric reactive substances and increase of oxidated proteins, was observed in the serum of DIO rats compared to Chow rats. The open-field test revealed, in the older DIO rats, a decrease of cumulative distance travelled and in the number of rearings and an increase of total immobility time. Older DIO rats only, showed a reduction of retention latency time in the passive avoidance test. RT-qPCR, immunochemical and immunohistochemical analysis showed an increased expression of the glial-fibrillary acid protein in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of older DIO rats compared to age-matched Chow and DR rats. A decrease of neurofilament expression was found in the hippocampus of older DIO rats without changes in the number of neurons. A modulation in the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels and synaptic components was highlighted in cerebral areas. These results indicate that obesity in rats, in addition to the development of correlate cerebrovascular risk factors, causes brain injury characterized by astrogliosis, neurodegeneration and impaired learning and memory tasks. The identification of neurodegenerative changes in DIO rats may represent the first step to better characterize the neuronal modifications occurring in the obesity and propose pharmacological treatments or food strategies to counter them.


The purpose of this study was to measure the rate at which information is transmitted by periodontal mechanosensitive neurons. In addition, an attempt was made to develop a quantitative means for expressing their responsiveness, or sensitivity. The experiments were carried out on cats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. The canine teeth were stimulated with computer-controlled forces, and the response of single first-order axons supplying the periodontal mechanoreceptors were recorded following microdissection of the inferior dental nerve. Thirty mechanosensitive units, selected from twelve animals, were used in the study. For fifteen of these units a stimulus uncertainty of 5 bits, a stimulus duration of 500 msec, and an inter-stimulus interval of 500 msec was employed. Under these conditions, the mean channel capacity was found to be 3.2 bits/ stimulus + S.E. = 0.09. The channel capacity for the other fifteen mechanosensitive units was measured using a 7 bit/stimulus uncertainty. This increased the channel capacity to a mean of 3.77 bits/stimulus, S.E. =+ .14. It was found that this calculated rate of information transmission could be further significantly increased (P.> 0.0001) to 4.33 bits/stimulus, S.E. = + 0.11, by treating the data so as to prevent aver-sampling of parts of the response..When the outputs of seven neurons innervating a single tooth were pooled, the maximum rate of information transmission for the group as a whole was found to be 6.84 bits/ stimulus. Comparison of the pooled data with the results of psychophysical experiments suggests that the rates of encoding of information in primary afferents far exceeded the ability of the CNS to receive such data. A computational method for the measurement of the sensitivity of the neurons was also developed. It is proposed that the sensitivity, or responsiveness, of neurons can be measured properly only by the use of information theory, and that it depends upon the particular method of coding chosen by the experimenter.


Transverse momentum spectra for neutral pions have been measured by the WA98 experiment in sqrt{s_{nn}}=17.3 GeV Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS and by the PHENIX experiment in sqrt{s_{nn}}=130 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The neutral pion yields in central collisions for both reaction systems are compared to scaled transverse momentum spectra for nucleon-nucleon reactions at the respective energy. At SPS energies neutral pion production at high $p_T$ is enhanced compared to the n+n reference while at RHIC a significant suppression of high-pT neutral pions is observed.


Using (20-300K) Hall coefficient measurement and (6-300K) IR optical absorption, thermal donor generated in P-CZ Si single crystal after heat treatment at 450℃ over a wide range of time has been studied. It is shown from Hall coefficient measurements that two donor levels in the specimen after 100 hrs. annealing are observed: E 1 = 56 meV, E 2 = 110 meV. Low temperature IR optical absorption of specimens after annealing of different duration shows complex structure arising from thermal donor. The intensity and number of the absorption peaks increase with increasing duration of annealing. The results obtained can be phenomenologically explained fairly well by the hydrogen-like effective mass approximation theroy assuming the occurence of different species of doubly charged donor. The oxygen-related thermal donor can also be possibly understood as doubly charged donor. The number of species of thermal donor is closely correlated to the duration of annealing.


Objective This article estimates the incidence and fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identifies potential risk factors for fatality in patients with active epilepsy. Methods This is a cross-sectional observational study of patients with active epilepsy and COVID-19. A control group was used to compare the cumulative incidence and case-fatality rate (CFR). The main outcomes of the study were cumulative incidence, defined as number of patients with active epilepsy and COVID-19 admitted to an emergency department divided by the total number of patients with epilepsy at risk, and CFR based on the number of deaths during the enrollment period. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate risk factors for fatality in patients with active epilepsy. Results Of the 1,537 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 21 (1.3%) had active epilepsy. The cumulative incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of COVID-19 in patients with epilepsy was higher (1.2% [0.6–2.4]) compared to the population without epilepsy (0.5% [0.5–0.5]). In reverse transcription PCR–positive patients, there were no significant differences in CFR in patients with active epilepsy compared to patients without epilepsy (33.3% vs 8.3%; p = 0.266). Of the 21 patients with active epilepsy, 5 (23%) died. In multivariate analysis, the factor associated with fatality in patients with active epilepsy was hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 2.8 [95% CI 1.3–21.6]). In another model, age (OR 1.0 [95% CI 1.0–1.1]) and epilepsy (OR 5.1 [95% CI 1.3–24.0]) were associated with fatality during hospitalization. Conclusion COVID-19 cumulative incidence was higher in patients with active epilepsy. Epilepsy was associated with fatality during hospitalization. Hypertension was associated with fatality in patients with epilepsy.


The work is devoted to a comparative analysis complexity of traditional stock market indices and social responsible indices in the example Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and Dow Jones Industrial Average. As measures of complexity, the entropies of various recurrence indicators are chosen – the entropy of the diagonal lines of the recurrence diagram, recurrence probability density entropy and recurrence entropy. It is shown that these measures make it possible to establish that the socially responsive Dow Jones index is more complex. A comprehensive assessment of complexity reveals the nature of the effectiveness of social responsible indices and opens up new opportunities for investor risk management.


We present an improved eavesdropping scheme on the quantum dialogue protocol in lossy channel, which is based on the strategies of Wójcik [Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 157901 (2003)] and ZML [Phys. Lett. A 333 46 (2004)] attack schemes. We show that our attack scheme doubles the domain of Eve's eavesdropping and Eve can gain more information of the communication with less risk of being detected. Finally, a possible improvement for the dialogue protocol security is proposed.


As part of the Securities and Exchange Commission's revision of Regulation S–K, which lays out reporting requirements for publicly-listed companies, many investors proposed the mandatory disclosure of sustainability information in the form of environmental, social and governance data. However, progress is contingent on collecting evidence regarding which sustainability disclosures are financially material. To inform this issue, we examine materiality standards developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Firms voluntarily disclosing more SASB-identified sustainability information exhibit greater price informativeness, while the disclosure of non-SASB information does not relate to informativeness. The results are robust to a changes analysis and a difference-in-differences analysis that exploits the staggered release of SASB standards across different industries over time. We also document stronger results for firms with higher exposure to sustainability issues, poorer sustainability ratings, greater institutional and socially responsible investment fund ownership, and coverage from analysts with lower portfolio complexity.


Ocean upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep waters to the surface, where phytoplankton can use the nutrients. Some coastal regions of the ocean have regular upwelling, but other regions, like the western Australian coast, have only sporadic upwelling events, which are ecologically important given a backdrop of low regional productivity. To study the factors influencing the seasonal variability of upwelling in the region, Rossi et al. analyzed satellite data covering 15 years, calibrating their approach using well-documented events.


The nitrostyrene derivatives 1a-m, prepared by the reaction of nitromethane with the appropriate substituted benzaldehyde, were reacted with ascorbic acid in a Michael type reaction to the new compounds 2a-h. The structural assignment of the resulting mixture of diastereomers could be performed by means of two dimensional homo- and heterocorrelated NMR spectroscopy and comparison to known Michael adducts of ascorbic acid. Catalytic hydrogenolysis of 2a yielded the rearranged compound 7, formed by intramolecular aminolysis in analogy to the rearrangement of the Michael adduct of ascorbic acid and methylvinylketone 3 given in the literature. On testing, the C-nucleoside 7 did not reveal virostatic or cytostatic effects.


Normal human esophageal autopsy tissue was explanted in serum-free medium. The epithelial outgrowths were subcultured and then transfected by strontium phosphate coprecipitation with plasmid pRSV-T consisting of the RSV-LTR promoter and the sequence encoding the simian virus 40 large T-antigen. The transfected cells, but not the sham-transfected controls, formed multilayered colonies within 3-4 weeks, after which the colonies were transferred and cell strains (HE-451 and HE-457) developed. Both cell strains grew exponentially for 8-10 weeks and then senesced. After a "crisis" of 6-8 months, growth resumed in isolated colonies. One line, HET-1A from HE-457, was developed and has now undergone more than 250 population doublings. This line has retained epithelial morphology, stains positively for cytokeratins and the simian virus 40 T-antigen gene by immunofluorescence, and has remained nontumorigenic in athymic, nude mice for more than 12 months. Karyotypic analysis by Giemsa banding has shown that HET-1A is hypodiploid (34-40 chromosomes). Growth factor studies have shown that HET-1A is stimulated by Ca2+, and inhibited by fetal bovine serum, transforming growth factor-beta 1, and transforming growth factor-beta 2. This serum-free immortalized esophageal cell system will be useful for investigating the action of putative esophageal carcinogens.


Cryptographic test methods such as avalanche, strict avalanche and bit independence criteria, which measure the degree of security of the s-boxes of substitution-permutation networks, are applied to randomly generated ensembles of ( n \times n \) s-boxes. Statistical analysis of experimental data directs the work towards defining ``relative errors'' and examining the avalanche and strict avalanche criteria within ``relative error ranges''. Histograms of relative errors in each ensemble are evaluated, and combining the results of different ensembles corresponding to different values of the s-box size, variations of maximum relative errors versus the size of the s-box are depicted. Some predictions follow that the larger the s-box size, the more probable that these criteria are satisfied; thus it is possible to form more secure substitution-permutation networks. Correlations among the test criteria are also evaluated in random ensembles to find out to what extent those criteria measure different cryptographic aspects of s-boxes.


Unlike corpora of written language where segmentation can mainly be derived from orthographic punctuation marks, the basis for segmenting spoken language corpora is not predetermined by the primary data, but rather has to be established by the corpus compilers. This impedes consistent querying and visualization of such data. Several ways of segmenting have been proposed, some of which are based on syntax. In this study, we developed and evaluated annotation and segmentation guidelines in reference to the topological field model for German. We can show that these guidelines are used consistently across annotators. We also investigated the influence of various interactional settings with a rather simple measure, the word-count per segment and unit-type. We observed that the word count and the distribution of each unit type differ in varying interactional settings and that our developed segmentation and annotation guidelines are used consistently across annotators. In conclusion, our syntax-based segmentations reflect interactional properties that are intrinsic to the social interactions that participants are involved in. This can be used for further analysis of social interaction and opens the possibility for automatic segmentation of transcripts.


Sim2 is a member of the basic helix‐loop‐helix PAS transcription factor gene family and is evolutionarily related to the Drosophila single‐minded gene, a key regulator of central nervous system midline development. In an effort to determine the biological roles of Sim2 in mammalian development, we disrupted the murine Sim2 gene through gene targeting. Mice homozygous for the disrupted allele (Sim2 ‐/‐) exhibit a cleft of the secondary palate and malformations of the tongue and pterygoid processes of the sphenoid bone. These craniofacial malformations are the most probable cause of aerophagia (air swallowing with subsequent accumulation of air in the gastrointestinal tract) and postnatal death exhibited by Sim2 ‐/‐ mice. The developing palates of the Sim2 ‐/‐ mice are hypocellular, and at embryonic day 14.5 contain excess extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) compared with heterozygotes and homozygous wild‐type littermates. HA plays an important role in the regulation and mechanics of palate development. Its premature accumulation in Sim2 ‐/‐ animal palates suggests a regulatory role for Sim2 in HA synthesis and in the establishment of craniofacial architecture. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


he concept of the Smart City has recently been introduced to help make urban planning in Chiang Mai more effective. In particular, the Smart City idea is being integrated with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to support better decision- making. This paper employs GIS-based ICTs as a means for updating the land use database of the Public Work and Town & Country Planning within the Chiang Mai Comprehensive Plan Boundary between 2000 and 2015. Results show that built-up areas of all urban land use categories have increased. The biggest change was found in the low density residential class with 33% and 37.5 % increase in number of buildings and in total area, respectively. The smallest change was found in Government Institutions and Public Utilities zone with 1.4% increase in the number of buildings.


The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest distance education provider and has a large and growing disabled student population. Disabled user support presents particular challenges for an online library service in the distance learning environment. The OU introduced guidelines for working with non-OU–authored content (external content) in 2011 which fundamentally altered the focus of library support from on-demand conversions to preemptive identification – and where necessary, conversion – of essential content. This case study describes Library Services' learning journey through its support for one particular module with lots of external content, the resultant benefits to its support services and considers areas for future development.


Ericson's formula describes the partial level density (PLD) of pre-equilibrium reactions and corrections. PLD with pairing correction can be calculated using four methods, namely, pairing, improved pairing, exact Pauli and back shift energy corrections. The variations in the PLD values of each of the four formulas of strontium (88Sr), Yttrium (89Y) and Zirconium (90Zr) isotones have been examined. Results shows that the PLD values that use pairing and improved pairing corrections do not vary for different isotones. However, a small change in PLD values is observed when exact Pauli correction and back shift energy were utilised. The change in the PLD values using back shift energy correction is bigger than the values obtained by using exact Pauli correction. Therefore, the use of back shift formula is recommended because it results in noticeable changes with any small increase in mass number.


The paper introduces the RGB color space and the main features of color recognition with TCS230.TCS230 measures color components in the RGB color space and transfers the signal to PIC16F877 for processing.Then,the results of measurements and the RGB values are shown on the LCD.The problem is solved that the color of the experimental objects are different in different light through the white balance algorithm.Finally,the experimental results and analysis are given about the color detection of transparent and non-transparent objects,and some improved solutions are put forward in view of the impact of environment.


Humanoids; a most intriguing subject to behold by both the engineers and the world at large. With the introduction of humanoid robot NAO by Aldebaran-Robotics in 2008, a performant biped robot is now available and affordable for research laboratories and the mass market. In this paper, an exploration of current trends in control methods of biped walks, behavior interface tools for motion control for NAO and imminent findings in both research areas are discussed. Future directions are for researchers to devise a unique controller with low power consumption without compromising the robot's speed and robustness.


The northward migration of the Mendocino triple junction has resulted in a fundamental modification of the crust of coastal California. As a consequence of viscous coupling between the southern edge of the Gorda slab and the base of the North American crust beneath the Coast Ranges of central and northern California, the crust of coastal California was first thickened and then thinned. This viscous coupling and ephemeral crustal thickening has produced a distinctive pattern of uplift that allows us to map the three-dimensional extent of crustal modification. This pattern of crustal deformation has combined with the strain field of the developing San Andreas fault system to produce the observed pattern of near-surface deformation. The rapid rise in heat flow south of the triple junction observed in the northern Coast Ranges is a direct consequence of development and removal of the crustal welt that migrated with the triple junction.


Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused by muscle fatigue have been a major problem for industry which needs to be resolved to save costs related to human resource development (extra training and compensation). Detailed fatigue monitoring researches aimed at finding the best fatigue indices is not new although studies on the causes of fatigue can be explored further. Identification analysis is required to monitor the factors that influence muscle performance characteristic of surface electromyography (sEMG) signal. Periodogram monitoring technique applies a frequency domain signal and represents the distribution of the signal power over the frequency. It is a technique that allows the tracing of small changes in the behaviour of sEMG signal when external parameters are varied. This technique is used in this paper to monitor the sEMG signal changes in muscle performance when the lifting height and load mass are varied. The periodogram amplitude, which represents the power, increases with the rise in lifting height and load mass. From the frequency representation of the periodogram, the root mean square voltage (Vrms) is calculated where the muscle performance characteristic could be further identified. The Vrms also shows a similar trend when the lifting height and load mass are varied proving the periodogram technique is useful to monitor changes in the muscle performance during manual lifting.


ABSTRACT Twenty years ago the publication of Toward a Social Report by the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare was hailed as a major forward step in developing indicators of conditions in society into a national system of social accounting of relevance to public policy. The resulting social indicators movement quickly mobilized able social scientists to produce a variety of indicators monitoring trends in their society, and internationally. National governments too began to sponsor new types of social reports. The years since have seen an apparent decline in the momentum of the social indicators movement. Hence, to evaluate developments, the Journal of Public Policy invited a number of distinguished pioneers in the movement in Europe and America to give their individual assessment of what has happened to social indicators.


Intrastrand cross-links represent the majority of modifications in DNA resulting from interaction with the cancer chemotherapeutic drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP). These adducts were recently characterized although several discrepancies remained to be resolved. In these studies, [3H]-cis-dichloro(ethylenediamine)platinum(II) (cis-DEP) was used because of the convenience of the radiolabel; this analogue produces adducts at identical sites in DNA as cis-DDP. Both drugs platinate the following sequences in DNA: GG, 65%; AG, 25%; GNG, 6%. The adduct at AG sequences invariably has adenine on the 5'-terminus of the dimer. The present enzyme digestion protocol included P1 nuclease, which produced complete digestion rather than as previously reported. The frequency of platination at GG was too high to be explained by an initial monofunctional platination at any guanine. However, direct bifunctional attack preferentially at GG was obviated because monofunctional adducts could be trapped with thiourea at short time periods. After short incubations, with cis-DEP and removal of unreacted drug, the monofunctional adducts slowly rearranged to bifunctional adducts. It is suggested that this evolution of adducts may result from the drug "walking" along the double helix, a phenomenon that does not appear to occur in single-stranded DNA.


The upper part of the Krka River estuary and Prokljan Lake are a specific example of a well-stratified estuarine environment in a submerged river canyon. Here, we reconstructed the geomorphological evolution of the area and classified the data gathered in the study, integrating multibeam echosounder data, backscatter echosounder data, side-scan sonar morpho-bathymetric surveys, and acoustic sub-bottom profiling, with the addition of ground-truthing and sediment analyses. This led to the successful classification of the bottom sediments using the object-based image analysis method. Additional inputs to the multibeam echosounder data improved the segmentation of the seafloor classification, geology, and morphology of the surveyed area. This study uncovered and precisely defined distinct geomorphological features, specifically submerged tufa barriers and carbonate mounds active during the Holocene warm periods, analogous to recent tufa barriers that still exist and grow in the upstream part of the Krka River. Fine-grained sediments, classified as estuarine sediments, hold more organic carbon than coarse-grained sediments sampled on barriers. A good correlation of organic carbon with silt sediments allowed the construction of a prediction map for marine sedimentary carbon in this estuarine/lake environment using multibeam echosounder data. Our findings highlight the importance of additional inputs to multibeam echosounder data to achieve the most accurate results.


Starting in the 1960, electron microscopy (EM) became widely applied also in viral diagnosis. During the 1970th and 80th, many new agents were characterized from diagnostic cell cultures and clinical specimens. The wide introduction of ELISA- and PCR-techniques as well as cost-arguments recently reduced the role of EM in routine viral diagnosis. Compared to other diagnostic techniques, however, EM excells by speed and "open view", i.e. by the ability to detect also the "un-expected" without the need for specific reagents. As shown in 2003 by the elucidation of the SARS pandemia and the human monkeypox outbreak in US, EM is well suited as a safe, front-line diagnostic method in infectious diseases emergencies and/or in possible bioterrorist attacks.


Megawatt gyrotrons are found to suffer from various parasitic oscillations, in particular, RF oscillations in the beam tunnel prior to the desired interaction zone (the cavity). This paper describes the experimental results from a gyrotron experiment which was dedicated to investigate parasitic oscillations in the beam tunnel and to verify improved beam-tunnel structures. A system for improved spectral measurements and a new analysis method are presented. The results verify theoretical predictions on the parasitic oscillations, and in effect validate the corresponding improved beam-tunnel structure. In addition, other types of parasitic oscillations were observed and explained.


Since the early 1980s many studies showed a gap between available evidence and medical practice. They were designed to assess the real impact of randomized clinical trials on the practice of medicine. Their results substantiated a knowledge translation problem. However, they were qualitative findings, i.e. a gap exists or not, although the problem is quantitative (how large is the gap?) and has several components that should be documented according to the objective of the study. In this article, we explored the components and the various contexts in which the measure of the distance between practice and knowledge is considered. All these features should be taken into account for a more accurate and relevant assessment of the distance.


A protocol combining chemoprophylaxis and antibioprophylaxis has been used since January 1st, 1990 for all patients (2,337 cases) undergoing planned open eyeball surgery (except emergencies). The chemoprophylaxis is local, by eyedrops (picloxidin) during the days before surgery, and by eyewash of the conjunctival cul-de-sac with iodized polyvidone immediately before surgery. The systemic antibioprophylaxis associates two bactericidal antibiotics with a wide spectrum and good intraocular penetration, active on 89 to 90% of the bacteria incriminated in postoperative endophthalmitis: a ureidopenicillin, piperacillin, and a fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin; the adverse effects are minimal. Although the sample size does not allow statistical, analysis the results of this study (the absence of any endophthalmitis) are very encouraging in comparison with those of the literature, those of the same department during the years before the protocol, and those of the other departments in the same hospital which carry out the same surgery under the same conditions.


Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood that called hyperglycemia. The high level of blood glucose in diabetic patients is result from defects in insulin action. Diabetes mellitus that uncontrolled can cause acute and chronic complication such as heart diseases, hyperglycemia coma, and hypoglycemia coma. Diabetes mellitus patient must do four things in diabetes management for controlling this disease: monitoring blood level, diet, exercise, and medication. Diabetes mellitus patient has more difficulties to follow dietary advice than other diabetes mellitus management. One of the reason for diabetes mellitus patient doesn't comply to their dietary advice is their emotional state. Changing in his/her life style if they follow dietary advice can cause negative emotion and conflict on their selves. This research was qualitative research. The researcher used indepth interview as the main instrument.. The subjects were one woman and two men, age over 45 years old, and had been diagnosed diabetes mellitus for more than six months. Indepth interview with subject's significant others, who guided subjects to do diabetes mellitus management became a way in triangulation. The results of this research showed that three subjects had negative emotion when they followed diet for the first time. They tried to regulate their emotion in order to get homeostatic emotion, so they could follow dietary advice successfully. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, compliance, diet, emotion


Abstract In the past few decades, the field of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has experienced significant advances in clinical practice. A core driver of this success has been the utilization of acute stroke imaging with an increasing focus on advanced methods including multimodal imaging. Such imaging techniques not only provide a richer understanding of AIS in vivo, but also, in doing so, provide better informed clinical assessments in management and treatment toward achieving best outcomes. As a result, advanced stroke imaging methods are now a mainstay of routine AIS practice that reflect best practice delivery of care. Furthermore, these imaging methods hold great potential to continue to advance the understanding of AIS and its care in the future.


Moiré effects which may arise in aperture-mask tricolor kinescopes are spurious intensity variations in the picture in the nature of beat patterns between the scanning lines and the aperture array in the shadow mask. The visibility of these effects depends on the relative mapitudes of the scanning-line width, mask-aperture size, aperture spacing, and line separation, on the orientation of the scanning pattern relative to the mask, and, finally, on the picture content. For the narrow aperture spacing normally employed (e.g., 215,000 apertures in a rectangular picture area of 104 square inches or 195,000 apertures in the somewhat smaller area defined by the framing mask) and for the preferred orientation of the scanning pattern, however, the moiré effects are negligible. They may become noticeable, in the form of dot or bar patterns, if the aperture spacing is increased or the orientation of the scanning pattern relative to the mask is changed. The variation in the line transmission of the mask indicates directly the degree to which the mask may distort transmitted intensity values. It increases with a reduction in the ratios of line width and aperture diameter to aperture spacing and with a departure from the preferred orientation of the scanning pattern relative to the mask. Again, for the preferred orientation and within the range of spot sizes required for optimum resolution, the variation in line transmission is negligible-1 per cent or less.


About four years ago, a paper by M. Georges Denizot, of the University of Aix-Marseille, came to my knowledge. Not only did it contain interesting and important additions to the published descriptions of the geology, but it seemed to give also a clue to certain geographical and historical paradoxes, which have perplexed writers concerned with the delta of the Rhône. Since then I have made extensive research among the historical records, and have paid some visits to the region. So far as the observations recorded by M. Denizot are concerned, I can fully confirm the accuracy of all that have come under personal notice, but have not concerned myself greatly with this aspect of the question, as he is engaged in a detailed examination of the whole area, from which important results may be confidently expected. My own studies have been principally concentrated on historical records, from which certain facts come out that seem worthy of consideration, as bearing on principles of great interest and importance from a purely geological point of view; and for this reason I submit the paper which follows, although the actual amount of fresh field-work is very small. As the deposits and the changes of level, which will be dealt with, all belong to the latter part of the geologically Recent period, it will be unnecessary to mention any formations earlier than the commencement of the Pleistocene, and even these will come in merely as the base and framework on which the Delta was built


Aim: The objective of the study was to evaluate the benefits of robotic-surgery for hysterectomy compared to conventional laparoscopy for benign indications. A specially prepared telephone-based questionnaire was used postoperatively. Method: All women (n = 155) undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indications either by the robotic-assisted procedure (RALH) or conventional laparoscopy (CL) between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2017 at the Department of the Gynecology, University Hospitals, Campus Kiel, Germany, were eligible for analysis. Intra-operative and postoperative parameters affecting the patients' quality of life were assessed by a telephone-based questionnaire. The latter addressed postoperative pain, limitations of basic hygiene, daily activity, active pursuit of hobbies, sexual intercourse, and days of sick leave. All patients received the questionnaire by post at least three weeks prior to being contacted on the phone. Results: 78% of the contacted patients responded to the questionnaire; 96% (n = 115) of the patients said they would recommend the operation to other patients. Both groups needed 42 days to resume their regular hobbies. In whole 90.8% (n = 108) were total satisfied with the cosmetic result of the abdominal incision; the numbers in the respective groups were 80% (80% n = 36) in RALH and 97.3% (n = 72) in CL. The difference was significant on the Chi-square test (p = 0.002). 5% (n = 7) were dissatisfied with the scar (13.3%; n = 6) in the RALH group, and 1.4% (n = 1) in CL. In all 1.7 % of patients were dissatisfied with the position of the incisions; the respective numbers were 4.4 % (n = 2) in the RALH group and no patient in the CL group. 33% of patients experienced no limitations in regard of sexual intercourse after the operation. The median number of days taken to resume sexual intercourse after the operation was 56 days in the CL group, and 49 days in the RALH group. Nearly 30% (n = 25) were hesitant to resume intercourse. The median operating time was 145 min in the RALH group, which was significantly longer than the 117 min taken in the CL group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The RALH procedure was associated with some minor advantages for the patients according to the results, however it does not have major significant advantages, especially in regard of early restoration of sexual function, while the CL shows shorter operating times and similar limitation. Postoperative counseling of patients should be aligned to their fears and expectations in regard of sexual function.


This paper presents a phonetic analysis of pitch range as perceived and measured on utterance and syllable level. A previous analysis of read speech showed that German speakers produced a larger pitch-range on utterance level, whereas Swiss German speakers produced a larger pitch-range on syllable level. This analysis was based on the production of broadcasters reading news messages and a fairytale, both stylistically very restricted and largely standardized. Therefore, in the present study semi- and spontaneous utterances are analyzed to provide evidence that these findings are crosslinguistic rather than discourse-specific. The evidence was provided by auditory annotation and acoustic measurements.


This paper makes a study of the finite-resistivity effects on the Kelvin-Helmoholtz instability of a plasma in a uniform magnetic field acting parallel to the direction of streaming. It is found that the presence of a finite resistivity makes possible new modes in the plasma. In particular, an otherwise stable mode is found to become overstable and grow exponentially in the presence of a finite resistivity.


With a tremendous growth of online auction researches over the last several years, more and more scholars want to know what factors make individual bidders pay more or less for the same item in online auctions. Following the idea of e-commerce which considers traditional market and e-market as two separate markets, most of the researches focus on the factors of e-market. However, a customer exists in both traditional market and e-market, and his offline experience of a product may probably affect his utility to buy a product in e-market, especially for those experience products. So in this paper we theoretically emphasize the role that offline experiences of a product play and divide the offline experiences of an item into four types based on the interview with online bidders through QQ. By adding the offline experience construct to Kauffman's Online Consumer Transaction Valuation Model, we connect e-market and traditional market together and propose a conceptual model to study the factors that affect a buyer's utility in online auctions more comprehensively.


Despite the extensive resources expended on providing medical care to inmates, inmates' health perception is an understudied topic. The current study investigates inmates' perception of health status while incarcerated using a sample of 136 soon-to-be released prisoners. Prisoners with poor health perception prior to their current incarceration were most likely to perceive health improvement. Sociodemographic characteristics were generally not associated with the perceived health improvement during incarceration. Analysis results suggest correctional institutions may play a vital role in delivering much-needed medical care to a segment of the prisoner population, including determining how they feel about their health. It is important to explore the policies and practices to increase continuity of health care following release to maintain perceived health improvement.


This article presents an academic-public health partnership needs assessment. Given the many health systems changes, the Delaware Division of Public Health and the University of Delaware joined forces to study partnership options and public health staff's education needs. This assessment was the first phase of a four-stage, multiyear research-service partnership. The top three education needs identified by the sample (n = 36) of public health staff were (1) community assessment, (2) partnership building, and (3) core functions. Distance education formats were selected as the most popular choice for education updates. Findings support the need for continued education and the use of academic-government partnerships as an education-service delivery resource. Perceived benefits of academic-public health partnerships include staff training, student learning opportunities, improved community services, and increased collaborative research.


Frequent tonic-clonic seizures could probably lead to psychic disorders. In various studies a decrease in at least single functions of mental capability was found depending on the frequency of the seizures and/or the duration and/or the age of onset of the disease. The development of neuropsychological deficits depends on the type of seizures. Particularly BNS-seizures and the Lennox-Gastaut-syndrome have generally a poor prognosis concerning the intellectual development. Not only clinically manifest seizures but also subclinical discharges could disturb the psychic condition of epileptic patients. Epileptic seizures are probably a reason for neuronal damage in the hippocampus area. Psychogenic reactions and undesired effects of antiepileptic drugs have to be considered aside from functional disturbances due to epileptic seizures.


Background and Introduction: Among the various health problems like Population explosion, Infections, Malnutrition, Environmental sanitation, LBW, etc. Population explosion is one of the most serious problems encountered by a developing country like India. About three fourths of the world's population lives in the developing countries. Although, in terms of population USA ranks third in the world after India, there is yawning gap of 978 million between the populations of these two countries. The United Nations has estimated that world's population grew at an annual rate of 1.23 percent during 2000-2010. China registered a much lower annual growth rate of population (0.6 percent) during 2002-2012, as compared to India (1.4 percent). Three countries of SEAR, i.e., India (17.5 percent), Indonesia (3.49 percent) and Bangladesh (2.19 percent) are among the most populous ten countries of the world. At present India's population is second to that of China. According to UN projections India's population will reach 1.53 billion by the year 2050, and will be the highest population in the world. Aims and Objectives: To study the socio-economic profile of acceptors of Laparoscopic sterilization in rural area. Method and Material: Present study is retrospective cross sectional study. It was conducted on health record of 283 Laparoscopic sterilized women, operated from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, in PHC Achrol, District Jaipur, Rajasthan. Results: In the present study most of the females who undergone laparoscopic sterilization were from 24-30 years(90.10%) of age group. 93.63% females belonged to Hindu religion and only 5.65% to Muslim community, and only 0.70% were from Sikhs. In the present study 43.47% belonged to Gen and OBC, 28.97% belonged to SC and remaining 27.56% were from ST caste. 80.91% got themselves operated when the youngest child was less than 3 yrs of age. Ladies from socio-economic class I represented 3.89%, II represented 6.71%, III represented 14.49%, IV represented 32.15% and V represented 42.76%. Only 15.19% Husbands of laparoscopic acceptors were uneducated and among the acceptor ladies 17.66% were uneducated. With one male child survived 49.11%, two male child survived 40.28% and with three male child survived 10.60%, got themselves operated. Conclusion: Three major deterrents to development are illiteracy, poverty and social inequality and injustice. Out of these, illiteracy is probably most important from the point of view of family planning. Two major strategies to contain population growth are family planning and education. About onethird of Indian women use female sterilization as a method for regulating fertility, analysis reveals that people from different socio-economic, religious and demographic strata do not generally opt for sterilization in equal proportion. In this respect existing agencies like VHGs, SHGs groups, AWWs, Sahali, and other paid grass root level workers, requires more motivation and dedication to work, which is normally not seen. Some NGOs can also make a change in situation if they are properly guided and monitored.


We derive conditions under which the increments of a vector process are associated — i.e. under which all pairs of increasing functions of the increments are positively correlated. The process itself is associated if it is generated by a family of associated and monotone kernels. We show that the increments are associated if the kernels are associated and, in a suitable sense, convex. In the Markov case, we note a connection between associated increments and temporal stochastic convexity. Our analysis is motivated by a question in variance reduction: assuming that a normalized process and its normalized compensator converge to the same value, which is the better estimator of that limit? Under some additional hypotheses we show that, for processes with conditionally associated increments, the compensator has smaller asymptotic variance.


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)1 refers to the set of complex neurological disorders characterized by repetitive behaviour. The reported occurrence of abnormal gut bacteria, along with prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in ASD indicate its strong correlation with the gut microflora. Our study aims to understand the role of diet and gut bacteria in ASD via an integrated constraint-based and PBPK model. Genome scale models of five major gut bacteria, which were reported to be associated with ASD, were integrated with the human host, i.e., the combined small intestinal enterocyte and neuronal brain model. Simultaneously, a permeability-limited two sub compartment PBPK model was developed to determine the distribution of bacteria-derived toxins in the body. The important results include, (i) inclusion of probiotics into the diet of autistic case restores gut balance, majorly seen as a result of reduced oxidative stress in the brain and the gut, (ii) microbiome and diet together mediate host metabolism in autism, majorly via the nucleotide, central carbon, amino acid, and reactive oxygen species metabolisms, and (iii) gut bacterial-specific secretions contribute to autistic metabotype. Thus, the presented integrated model is the first ever quantitative model, providing a mechanistic basis for autism pathogenesis, capturing known biomarkers, as well as, highlighting the potential of novel dietary modifications in alleviating the symptoms of autism.


One of the best ways of transmitting data using a limited amount of available bandwidth is by means of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The main advantages of OFDM versus other types of modulation are better use of the available bandwidth and better performance in multipath environments compared to simple digital systems. A study of the performance of a basic OFDM system in a frequency selective propagation environment using different types of Reed-Solomon coding schemes is presented. The two kinds of propagation channels developed are for urban and suburban multipath fading. The performance of a range of coding schemes is studied for both types of propagation channels. The aim of the research is to find a coding scheme which gives reliable performance in a very disrupted environment. In this paper, the basic OFDM system, on which the system simulation is based, is presented with an overview of the theory of OFDM transmission. A summary of the propagation channel developed is also presented with the basic characteristics of the two different types of channels and the graphical results. The rest of the paper deals with the results of the simulation with the Reed-Solomon coding schemes applied to both channel types.


Image and video documentation during arthroscopic surgery has become routine. Most imaging systems are set up to provide high quality color printouts and CD or DVD documentation facilitating postoperative patient education as well as chart documentation. With more involved procedures such as arthroscopic treatment of osteochondritis dissecans, articular cartilage procedures combined with osteotomies, hip arthroscopies, revision knee ligament reconstructive procedures, and arthroscopic fracture management, the need to document fl uoroscopic images as well as arthroscopic images has become imminent. Fluoroscopic as well as arthroscopic towers usually allow for separate image printout and storage. However, it is more convenient and effi cient to integrate both devices into one imaging system, allowing for the simultaneous documentation of arthroscopic and fl uoroscopic images on one printout sheet or CD/DVD. The purpose of this brief description of a low-budget technique is to integrate fl uoroscopic images and arthroscopic images into the same image management system. This procedure is easy to perform and aids in streamlining the management of patient imaging records.


This paper argues that ethno-nationalist models of state organization encourage and strengthen sectarianism by accentuating differences between respective majority populations and those with non-majority characteristics as problematic, and identifies and explains the impacts of this for intra-state security in the West and for building partnerships with non-Western populations, citing negative implications on how we understand political behavior and for influence in military operations. The paper uses nineteenth-century Russian identity as a case study, considers the conflation between modernization and Westernization occuring at the time and uses Russian Art of the period as an analytical tool to uncover nuances that are relevant to debates concerning security, identity, and political behavior.


We measured anisotropic seismic properties of schists of the Homestake Formation located at a depth of 1478 m in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. We deployed a 24-element linear array of three-component geophones in an area in the Homestake Mine called 19-ledge. An airless jackhammer source was used to shoot two profiles: (1) a walkaway survey to appraise any distance dependence and (2) a fan shot profile to measure variations with azimuth. Slowness estimates from the fan shot profile show a statistically significant deviation with azimuth with the expected 180° variation with azimuth. We measured P-wave particle motion deviations from data rotated to ray coordinates using three methods: (1) a conventional principal component method, (2) a novel grid search method that maximized longitudinal motion over a range of search angles and (3) the multiwavelet method. The multiwavelet results were computed in two frequency bands of 200–600 and 100–300 Hz. Results were binned by azimuth and averaged with a robust estimation method with error bars estimated by a bootstrap method. The particle motion results show large, statistically significant variations with azimuth with a 180° cyclicity. We modelled the azimuthal variations in compressional wave speed and angular deviation from purely longitudinal particle motion of P-waves using an elastic tensor method to appraise the relative importance of crystalline fabric relative to fracturing parallel to foliation. The model used bulk averages of crystal fabric measured for an analogous schist sample from southeast Vermont rotated to the Homestake Formation foliation directions supplied by SURF from old mine records. We found with average crustal crack densities crack induced anisotropy had only a small effect on the observables. We found strong agreement in the traveltime data. The observed amplitudes of deviations of P particle motion showed significantly larger variation than the model predictions and a 20° phase shift in azimuth. We attribute the inadequacies of the model fit to the particle motion data to inadequacies in the analogue rock and/or near receiver distortions from smaller scale heterogeneity. We discuss the surprising variability of signals recorded in this experimental data. We show clear examples of unexplained resonances and unexpected variations on a scale much smaller than a wavelength that has broad implications for wave propagation in real rocks.


In order to investigate the seed vigor of corn hybrid 704 after maternal plant foliar application with methanol and some micro-macronutrients an experiment was conducted in factorial form based on RCBD with three replications during growing seasons of 2010-2011. Treatments were four growth stages (the 8-10 leaves, the tasseling, the seed-filling, all the stages), seven levels of foliar application (Methanol, Zn, B, Mg, N, Mn, a mixture of all combinations) and control. The analysis of the data showed a significant effect of the combination type of foliar application in different stages on the germination percent, mean daily germination, germination speed, seedling vigor index, radical length, plumule length and seedling dry weight. The detailed results of the study showed that foliar application with N, Mg, Zn, Mn and B in grain-filling stage, foliar application with N, Mg and Mn in tasseling and foliar application with N, Mg and B in all stages had the highest germination percent (100%) and mean daily germination (14.29%). Also, Mg-foliar application in grain-filling and all stages, B-foliar application in grain-filling stage had the highest germination seed (12.33). In addition, Mg-foliar application in grain-filling stage had the vigor index, radical length, plumule length and seedling dry weight.


Head‐starting is a conservation strategy in which young animals are protected in captivity temporarily before their release into the wild at a larger size, when their survival is presumably increased. The Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is in decline, and head‐starting has been identified as one of several conservation measures to assist in recovery. To evaluate the efficacy of indoor head‐starting, we released and radio‐tracked 68 juvenile tortoises from a 2015 cohort in the Mojave National Preserve, California, USA. We released 20 tortoises at hatching (control) in September 2015, and reared 28 indoors and 20 outdoors in predator‐proof enclosures for 7 months before releasing them in April 2016. We monitored tortoises at least weekly after release until 27 October 2016, and documented survivorship, movement, and surface activity. We estimated survivorship by treatment and evaluated effects of treatment, proximity to a raven (Corvus corax) nest (predator) coincidentally established after release, distance moved between monitoring events, surface activity, and release size on individual fate in a generalized linear model. Although indoor head‐start tortoises reached the size of 5–6‐year‐old wild tortoises by release at 7 months of age, survival did not differ significantly among the 3 treatment groups. Combined annual survival was 0.44 (95% CI= 0.34–0.58). Tortoises that were closer to an active raven nest were significantly more likely to die, as were those seen more often outside their burrows and active aboveground. Predicted estimates for short‐term probability of survival approached 1.0 as distance from a raven nest exceeded approximately 1.6 km. Rearing treatment, movement distance, and body size were not significant predictors of fate over the 1‐year monitoring period. Head‐started tortoises released ≥1.6 km from areas of raven activity will likely have higher short‐term survival. Population recovery through head‐starting alone is unlikely to be successful if systemic ecosystem‐level issues, such as habitat degradation and conditions that promote human‐subsidized predators, are not ameliorated. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.


Abstract Results from one-dimensional cirrus cloud model simulations in the absence of upward velocities are used to show that the growth/sublimation of the ice particles in the cloud, and the fact that they are falling, can be important factors in determining the net heating rate in the air through which these clouds settle. The vertical profiles of the heating rate inside the cloud are stretched as a result of the settling of the cloud. Results for clouds at various altitudes in both midlatitude and tropical atmospheres are compared.


Whilst a reasonable amount of research has been conducted into women comedians in the 1930s, particularly in relation to star personalities such as Gracie Fields, Jessie Matthews and Cicely Courtneidge,  very little has been written specifically about women's contribution to British silent comedy.  This presentation will offer work in progress, looking at the role of women in British silent cinema; as performers, writers and as creative personnel behind the camera. It will explore the ways in which British silent comedy took cues from Music Hall and other popular forms of entertainment and examine the overlap between these two forms, particularly in relation to comic female performance.  It will also question why women comedians become increasingly marginalised in the 1920s despite their success in the pre World War I period with women like Chrissie White and Alma Taylor playing the anarchic Tilly Girls in the films of Cecil Hepworth.


The availability of many real-world driving datasets is a key reason behind the recent progress of object detection algorithms in autonomous driving. However, there exist ambiguity or even failures in object labels due to error-prone annotation process or sensor observation noise. Current public object detection datasets only provide deterministic object labels without considering their inherent uncertainty, as does the common training process or evaluation metrics for object detectors. As a result, an in-depth evaluation among different object detection methods remains challenging, and the training process of object detectors is sub-optimal, especially in probabilistic object detection. In this work, we infer the uncertainty in bounding box labels from LiDAR point clouds based on a generative model, and define a new representation of the probabilistic bounding box through a spatial uncertainty distribution. Comprehensive experiments show that the proposed model reflects complex environmental noises in LiDAR perception and the label quality. Furthermore, we propose Jaccard IoU (JIoU) as a new evaluation metric that extends IoU by incorporating label uncertainty. We conduct an in-depth comparison among several LiDAR-based object detectors using the JIoU metric. Finally, we incorporate the proposed label uncertainty in a loss function to train a probabilistic object detector and to improve its detection accuracy. We verify our proposed methods on two public datasets (KITTI, Waymo), as well as on simulation data. Code is released at https://github.com/ ZiningWang/Inferring-Spatial-Uncertainty-in-Object-Detection.


The modification or degradation of RNAs including miRNAs may play vital roles in regulating RNA functions. The polyadenylation- and exosome-mediated RNA decay is involved in the degradation of plant RNAs including the primary miRNA processing intermediates. However, plant miRNA levels are not affected by exosome depletion. Here, we report the cloning of a large number of 5′ and/or 3′ truncated versions of the known miRNAs from various tissues of Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood). It suggests that plant miRNAs may be degraded through either 5′ to 3′ or 3′ to 5′ exonucleolytic digestion. We also show that a significant portion of the isolated miRNAs contains, at the 3′-end, one or a few post-transcriptionally added adenylic acid residues, which are distinct in length from the polyadenylate tail added to other plant RNAs for exosome-mediated degradation. Using an in vitro miRNA degradation system, where synthesized miRNA oligos were degraded in extracts of P. trichocarpa cells, we revealed that the adenylated miRNAs were degraded slower than others without adenylation. It indicates that addition of adenylic acid residues on the 3′-end plays a negative role in miRNA degradation. Our results provide new information for understanding the mechanism of miRNA degradation.


We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the gene that codes for an HI histone associated with euchromatin in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotuspurpuratus. The gene codes for a protein of 205 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence of this gene is homologous to the sequence of H1 mRNA that is expressed during early embryonic development. We have compared the nucleotide and protein coding sequences of this H1 gene to those of the early H1 histone gene of the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris. There is considerable drift by nucleotide substitution between the two genes randomly distributed across the mRNA coding region, Despite this divergence of nucleotide sequence, there are local constraints on amino acid substitutions throughout the molecule and especially in its central region. We have also compared the amino acid sequence in this central hydrophobic region of the euchromatic S. purpuratus H1 histone to the same region in HZ and H5 histones associated with heterochromatin. We show that certain amino acids are conserved and aligned in frameworks in all the sequenced H1 proteins.


: The present note studies the existence of unramified quaternion extensions over quadratic fields, and give an alternative proof of Lemmermeyer's result. Our method is based on the theory of embedding problems with restricted ramification.


Houston Geological Society Bulletin 11 HGS General Dinner Meeting Monday, March 10, 2008 Westchase Hilton • 9999 Westheimer Social Hour 5:30–6:30 p.m. Dinner 6:30–7:30 p.m. Cost: $30 Preregistered members; $35 non-members & walk-ups The HGS prefers that you make your reservations on-line through the HGS website at www.hgs.org. If you have no Internet access, you can e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com, or call the office at 713-463-9476 (include your name, e-mail address, meeting you are attending, phone number and membership ID#).


In earlier work (Gelfand and Smith, 1990 and Gelfand et al, 1989) a sampling based approach using the Gibbs sampler was offered as a means for developing marginal posterior densities for a wide range of Bayesian problems several of which were previously inaccessible. Our purpose here is two-fold. First we flesh out the implementation of this approach for calculation of arbitrary expectations of interest. Secondly we offer comparison with perhaps the most prominent approach for calculating posterior expectations, analytic approximation involving application of the LaPlace method. Several illustrative examples are discussed as well. Clear advantages for the sampling based approach emerge.


The predictive utility of Hare, Hart, and Cox's Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version (PCL:SV) was assessed utilizing a sample of forensic psychiatric patients from Vernon State Hospital in Vernon, Texas. A sample of 55 patients were interviewed and rated on the PCL:SV. During a six month follow up, occurrences of self-harm (suicide attempts and self mutilation), aggression (verbal abuse and threats, irritability, belligerence, and fighting) escape potential (threats and attempts), and treatment refusal (medication, tests, and physician's appointments) were rated. Separate stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed utilizing patient's age, type of charges, documented history of alcohol/drug abuse and the PCL:SV as predictor variables. Results indicate that the PCL:SV is predictive of aggression and treatment noncompliance.


Dynamic changes in somatosensory perception occur as a result of multiple signaling events. In many instances, over-activation of sensory receptors results in the desensitization and subsequent increased threshold for activation of receptors. In other cases, receptor sensitization can occur following tissue injury and/or inflammation. In both cases, signaling mechanisms that control alterations in receptor activities can significantly affect organism response to sensory stimuli, including thermal, mechanical, and chemical. Due to the homeostatic nature of somatosensory recognition, dynamic changes in receptor response can negatively affect an individual's way of life, as well as alert individuals to tissue damage. Here, we will focus on scaffolding structures that regulate somatosensory neuronal excitability.


A recently generalized theory of perceptual guidance (general τ theory) was used to analyse coordination in skilled movement. The theory posits that (i) guiding movement entails controlling closure of spatial and/or force gaps between effectors and goals, by sensing and regulating the τs of the gaps (the time–to–closure at current closure rate), (ii) a principal way of coordinating movements is keeping the τs of different gaps in constant ratio (known as τ–coupling), and (iii) intrinsically paced movements are guided and coordinated by τ–coupling onto a τ–guide, τg, generated in the nervous system and described by the equation τg = 0.5(t minus T2/t) where T is the duration of the body movement and t is the time from the start of the movement. Kinematic analysis of hand to mouth movements by human adults, with eyes open or closed, indicated that hand guidance was achieved by maintaining, during 80 to 85% of the movement, the τ–couplings τα–τr and τr–τg, where τr is τ of the hand–mouth gap, τα is τ of the angular gap to be closed by steering the hand and τg is an intrinsic τ–guide.


Magnetic nanoparticles have attracted much interest due to their broad applications in biomedicine and pollutant remediation. In this work, the optical, magnetic, and structural characteristics of colloids produced by ultrashort pulsed laser ablation of a solid Fe target were studied in four different media: HPLC water, an aqueous solution of trisodium citrate, acetone, and ethanol. Optical extinction spectroscopy revealed an absorption band in the UV region for all, in contrast to the results obtained with nanosecond lasers. Micro-Raman spectroscopy showed that the samples are heterogeneous in their composition, with hematite, maghemite, and magnetite nanoparticles in all four solvents. Similar results were obtained by electron diffraction, which also found α-Fe. Magnetic properties were studied by vibrating-sample magnetometry, and showed nanoparticles in the superparamagnetic state. Under certain experimental conditions, submicrometer-sized iron oxide nanoparticles agglomerate into fractal patterns that show self-similar properties. Self-assembled annular structures on the nanometer scale were also observed and are reported for the first time.


Twenty previously untreated patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma were entered on a Phase II trial of 3-day continuous infusion cisplatin (25 mg/m2/day) and 5-flu-orouracil (800 mg/M2/day) with oral calcium leucovorin (30 mg/dose) every 6 hours. There were four partial responses (20%) and two complete responses (10%) for a total response rate of 30% (95% confidence limits ±20%). Patients received a median of 4.5 cycles of therapy (range 2–9 cycles). Three patients experienced neutropenia; one had a life-threatening infection. One developed neuropathy at 375 mg/M2 cumulative dose. Four patients developed mucositis. Treatment was stopped for one patient with stable disease after 5 cycles because of anorexia and nausea and vomiting; treatment was stopped for four patients because of excessive fatigue. The median duration of responses was 4 months (range 3–6 months). Although this regimen is active, the response rate, cumulative nature of the toxicity, and the requirement for hospitalization led us to conclude that this regimen does not warrant Phase III testing but might be a basis for further Phase II therapeutic trials.