Quasi-Monte Carlo methods and stochastic collocation methods based on sparse grids have become popular with solving stochastic partial differential equations. These methods use deterministic points for multi-dimensional integration or interpolation without suffering from the curse of dimensionality. It is not evident which method is best, specially on random models of physical phenomena. We numerically study the error of quasi-Monte Carlo and sparse grid methods in the context of groundwater flow in heterogeneous media. In particular, we consider the dependence of the variance error on the stochastic dimension and the number of samples/collocation points for steady flow problems in which the hydraulic conductivity is a lognormal process. The suitability of each technique is identified in terms of computational cost and error tolerance. AMS subject classifications: 60H15, 65C05, 65C20, 65C20


ABSTRACT
This research was carried out to know the effectiveness of implementing KWL strategy to improve students' reading comprehension of report text and to know whether there is a significant achievement difference between students who were taught with KWL strategy and those who were not. The instrument used was a multiple choice reading comprehension test. Seventy two eleventh graders of SMA Negeri 1 Bae Kudus were selected as the sample. They were divided equally into experimental and control group. The data collection involved pre-test, treatments, and post-test. The result of the implementation of KWL strategy in the experimental group improved the students' participation, motivation, and interest during teaching and learning process. In addition, the results of pre-test and post-test showed that mean score of the experimental group had a higher increase from 74.58 to 90.97 than the control group (from 72.77 to 87.77). However, the Independent Sample Test showed there was no significant achievement difference between the students who were taught with KWL strategy and those who were not. (1.80) was higher than.
 Keywords: Quasi-experimental; KWL strategy; reading comprehension; report text


Conventional fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have a relatively linear stress–strain behavior up to the failure point. Therefore, they show brittle behavior until the failure point. Shape memory alloys, in addition to having high ductility and good energy dissipation capability, are highly resistant to corrosion and show good performance against fatigue. Therefore, using the SMA fibers in the production of FRPs can be a suitable solution to solve the problem of the brittle behavior of conventional FRPs. SMA fibers can be integrated with a polymeric matrix with or without conventional fibers and create a new material called SMA-FRP. This study investigates the effect of using different volume fractions of conventional fibers (carbon, glass, and aramid) and SMA fibers (NiTi) in the super-elastic phase and the effect of the initial strain of SMA fibers on the behavior of SMA-FRP composites under cyclic tensile loading. Specimens are designed to reach a target elastic modulus and are modeled using OpenSees (v. 3.5.0) finite element software. Analyzing the results shows that in the SMA-FRP composites that are designed to reach a target elastic modulus, with an increase in the volume fraction of SMA fibers, the maximum stress, residual strain, and strain hardening ratio are reduced, and the ability to energy dissipation capability and residual stress increases. It was also observed that increasing the percentage of the initial strain of SMA fibers increases the maximum stress and energy dissipation capability and reduces the residual strain and yield stress. In the investigation of the effect of the type of conventional fibers used in the construction of composites, it was found that the use of fibers that have a larger failure strain increases the maximum stress and energy dissipation capability of the composite and reduces the strain hardening ratio. In addition, increasing the elastic modulus of conventional fibers increases the residual strain and residual stress of the composites.


Topoisomerases are highly specialized nuclear enzymes that remove superhelical tension on chromosomal DNA that allows replication and transcription of DNA. Many cancer chemotherapeutic drugs used in the clinics inhibit tumor growth by targeting topoisomerase functions resulting in DNA damage and cancer cell death. Cryptolepine, a major alkaloid isolated from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta plant's roots, has shown anti-malarial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic effect of cryptolepine on non-melanoma skin cancer cells (NMSCC), SCC-13 and A431 as an in vitro model, and underlying mechanism of action with special emphasis on topoisomerases and DNA damage check points. Western blot analysis and enzyme activity evaluation assays demonstrated that SCC-13 and A431 cells express comparatively higher levels of topoisomerases and higher enzymatic activities compared with normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK). Topoisomerase expression and activity was greatly reduced after 24 h treatment with 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 µM cryptolepine. Inhibition of topoisomerases expression and function by cryptolepine resulted in significant DNA damage and enhanced expression of DNA-PK expressions. Cryptolepine induced DNA damage activated DNA damage response proteins as demonstrated by increased phosphorylation of ATM/ATR, BRCA1, Chk1/Chk2 and γH2AX. Consequences of cryptolepine induced DNA damage were also associated with activation of p53 signaling cascade. Cryptolepine induced post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and acetylation of p53, and inhibition of mdm2 protein expression resulted in activation and accumulation of p53 in SCC-13 and A431 cells. In turn, activated p53 enhanced protein expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p16 and p21. Activation of p16 and p21 proteins downregulated expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cyclin A, cyclin D1 and cyclin E and thus induced S-phase cell cycle arrest in NMSC cells with reduced expression of cell division proteins Cdc25a and Cdc25b. Cryptolepine treatment also enhanced release of cytochrome c from mitochondria due to increased disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Inhibition of topoisomerase activity and activation of DNA damage response signaling culminated in significantly reduced cell viability and enhanced cell death of SCC-13 and A431 cells. However, NHEK cells were least sensitive to cryptolepine induced cell death. Results of our study strongly suggest for detailed preclinical investigations in animal models to further assess its anti-skin cancer potential and its possible use in human patients. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Harish C. Pal, Santosh K. Katiyar. Cryptolepine a plant alkaloid, inhibits the growth of nonmelanoma skin cancer cells through inhibition of topoisomerase and induction of DNA damage [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5120. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5120


2D Ruddlesden-Popper Sn-based perovskite has excellent optoelectronic properties and weak halide ion migration characteristics, making it an ideal candidate for weak light detection, which has great potential in light communication, and medical applications. Although Sn-based perovskite photodetectors are developed, weak light detection is not demonstrated yet. Herein, a high-performance self-powered photodetector with the capability to detect ultra-weak light signals is designed based on vertical PEA2 SnI4 /Si nanowires heterojunction. Due to the low dark current and high light absorption efficiency, the devices present a remarkable responsivity of 42.4 mA W-1 , a high detectivity of 8 × 1011 Jones, and an ultralow noise current of 2.47 × 10-13 A Hz-1/2 . Especially, the device exhibits a high on-off current ratio of 18.6 at light signals as low as 4.60 nW cm-2 , revealing the capacity to detect ultra-weak light. The device is applied as a signal receiver and realized image transmission in light communication system. Moreover, high-resolution reflection imaging and multispectral imaging are obtained using the device as the sensor in the imaging system. These results reveal that 2D PEA2 SnI4 -based self-powered photodetectors with low-noise current possess enormous potential in future weak light detection.


Tendon‐to‐bone interface has a hierarchical structure and gradient component that are conducive to distributing the stresses to achieve movement. Conventional biomaterials lack the capacity to induce synchronous repair of multiple tissues, resulting in the failure of the interface repair. Biomimetic strategies have attracted enormous attention in the field of complex structure regeneration because they can meet the different physiological requirements of multiple tissues. Herein, a biomimetic ink mimicking tendon/bone tissues is developed by combining tendon/bone‐related cells and Mo‐containing silicate (MS) bioceramics. Subsequently, biomimetic multicellular scaffolds are fabricated to achieve the simulation of the hierarchical structure and cellular composition of tendon‐to‐bone interfaces by the spatial distribution of the biomimetic inks via 3D bioprinting, which is of great significance for inducing the regeneration of complex structures in the interface region. In addition, attributed to the desirable ionic microenvironment created by MS bioceramics, the biomimetic scaffolds possess the dual function of inducing tendon/bone‐related cells tenogenic and osteogenic differentiation in vitro, and promote the integrated regeneration of tendon‐to‐bone interfaces in vivo. The study offers a feasible strategy to construct biomimetic multicellular scaffolds with bifunction for inducing multi‐lineage tissue regeneration, especially for regenerating soft‐to‐hard tissue interfaces.


The fast and electronic gadgetic, lifestyle have led mankind to a complicated mesh leading to many diseases that passively spreads into the population producing an unhealthy society. Diabetes is one such disease that is gaining ground due to eating habits and sedentary lifesyte. Even though there are many pharmaceutical products available many patients prefer to revert back to the slow healthy approach integrated with natural therapeutics. In recent years, the demands on drug discovery process have increased dramatically, partly because of the necessity to recognize novel target that are both pertinent to disease and chemically tractable. The emergence of bioinformatics gives room to investigate diseases at the molecular level using computational techniques. In this study, some of the flavonoids present in the tamarind seed coat is used in the insilico docking analysis against phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK1). The phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of the tamarind seed coat was positive for Kaempherol and luteolin. These two flavonoids were selected for the insilico docking analysis against the target protein PEPCK1. The aim of the present study is to describe antidiabetic role of kaempherol and lately against PEPCK1.


The motive behind this research paper is to know the impact of a company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy on the buying behavior of customers. CSR is what a firm returns to the society for the services that it is receiving like land, resources, labor, etc., so it is a practice to contribute back to the society in the form of Social or Environmental concerns. CSR policies of different companies are usually distinguished between Good & Bad, and ranks are also given to the companies based on their CSR. The research is conducted in comparison of two brands of automobiles namely Maruti & TATA, considering their respective CSR ranks. For the research, a self-designed questionnaire was prepared which was further standardized. The study sample was of Management students. This research aims to study CSR along with its aspects and perspective of students towards it. The study resulted in different factors for Maruti and TATA for buying Behavior. Also, t-test resulted in the difference in buying behavior for these brands.


Universal bounds for the cardinality of codes in the Hamming space F/sub r//sup n/ with a given minimum distance d and/or dual distance d' are stated. A self-contained proof of optimality of these bounds in the framework of the linear programming method is given. The necessary and sufficient conditions for attainability of the bounds are found. The parameters of codes satisfying these conditions are presented in a table. A new upper bound for the minimum distance of self-dual codes and a new lower bound for the crosscorrelation of half-linear codes are obtained. >


In Mutual Fund Returns and their Characteristics: A Simple Approach to Selecting Better-Performing Actively Managed Funds, from the April 2020 edition of The Journal of Investing, Burton G. Malkiel of Princeton University and Atanu Saha of Econ One Research discuss which mutual-fund attributes best predict future fund returns. The authors find that fund selection guided by a combination of characteristics—low turnover rates, low expense ratios, and high Sharpe ratios—can lead to portfolios that considerably outperform the average actively managed fund. The authors use a robust dataset comprising prices on US and international equity funds from 2000 to 2018. They investigate the persistence of fund attributes—fund age, size, net asset flows, prior-year returns, turnover rates, Sharpe ratios and expense ratios—in auguring future returns, both year-over-year and longer term. While verifying that expense ratios are significant predictors of a fund's future returns, they stress that Sharpe ratios and turnover rates are even more predictive. Investors are encouraged to apply all three traits together to build better-performing fund portfolios. Moreover, these cost and risk-control characteristics persist enough to enable investors to dependably detect funds with extended, and statistically significant, above-average returns. TOPICS: Portfolio theory, portfolio construction, style investing


The accurate interpretation of gastrointestinal transit studies often requires quantification of the data. Particles radiolabelled with indium-111 have been monitored using a gamma camera, during transit through the stomach and the small and large intestines of normal subjects. The count rates measured from either anterior or posterior images alone showed considerable variations, and depended on the site of the tracer within the gut. The geometric mean values of corresponding anterior and posterior count rates remained almost constant throughout each study.


Six experimentally infected calves were slaughtered at 15 days post infection (dpi) (Group A), 20 dpi (Group B), 25 dpi (Group C) and the intestinal mucosa was examined for pathological changes. The affected part of the intestine was removed, opened and examined for macroscopic findings. The animals studied showed lesions of varying severity. The gross pathology revealed no remarkable abnormal findings in calves of group A. Redness of the mucosa of the caecum and colon in six calves of group B and C was noted. There were no first generation schizonts evident grossly. The main characteristic under the light of microscope of the intestinal sections taken from the calves examined during the late prepatent period were mild inflammatory infilteration of the mucosa and increased cellular debris, parasitic structures were identified from small and large intestine. The caecum and colon showed particularly high levels of infection.


This paper develops a new approach to the control of interconnected system using fuzzy system theory. The approach is based on incoroporating a group of local estimators on the system level to generate the input-output database. An array of feedback fuzzy controllers is then designed to ensure the asymptotic stability of the closed loop system. The developed technique is applied to unstable large-scale system and extensive simulation studies are carried out to illustrate the potential of the new approach.


Easily accessible arylglycine derivatives were cyclized to azetidines by using commercially available (2-bromoethyl)sulfo- nium triflate in a simple and mild procedure. The high-yielding re- action has a relatively broad scope and was extended to the synthesis of an oxetane.


Photograph of exterior front of Texas Governor's Mansion. The columns are dark, and the grounds are a bit unkempt and the windows shuttered.

The mansion was built by Abner Cook in 1855 and was continuously occupied since 1856. The occupant here in 1886 was Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross. The mansion was declared a Texas historical landmark in 1962 and a national historic landmark in 1970.


The third-party inspection process is part of the commercial mechanism and as commerce changes so must independent inspection. Additionally, technological development also plays a major role. A third element is the impact of regulatory compliance ; both its direct impact on commerce and its indirect impact on operations. In recent years both commerce and technology have brought about change and response. To be commercially viable, the third party inspector must be able to demonstrate strict conformance to recognized standards. How to assure this conformance has been a predominant issue with inspectors and their clients for many years. Accreditation of one kind or another, whether global in nature such as ISO 9000 or local, such as a single facility audit or a combination of both, has been the most recent vehicle for trying to reach this goal. The result of this is a tapestry of commerce and technology, interwoven with threads of compliance and conformance, both mandatory and voluntary.


We previously demonstrated that resveratrol (Res) regulates the expression of PKC α and δ, to eventually inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells. In the present study, the effect of Res on the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells was investigated, to further unveil the underlying mechanism. The human pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2 was treated with three different concentrations of Res. Cell proliferation was assessed by the MTT assay, and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis were used to measure the mRNA and protein levels of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling proteins Ihh, Ptch and Smo. Our results revealed that Res can inhibit the cell proliferative ability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The number of formed colonies in the Res- and 5-Fu (positive control)-treated groups was decreased as compared to the negative control group. Res further induced apoptosis of MIA PaCa-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the levels of Ihh, Ptch and Smo were decreased by Res treatment. Our findings suggest that Res inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, which may be related to its inhibitory effect on the Hh signaling pathway.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of land use changes on the aggregate size distribution, soil structural stability, and soil erodibility in Luvisols on Central Serbia's rainfed farms at a depth of 0.00-0.30 m. Six sites, selected for the study, contained adjacent land uses of natural grassland and arable land that have undergone conversion from grassland for more than 10 years. The inherent problems of Luvisols include weak structured surface horizons susceptible to structure deterioration, where tilled when wet or when heavy machinery is used. Aggregate size distribution and soil structural stability in the topsoil was tested by soil dry and wet sieving. Soil erodibility was assessed with the USLE-K factor. The natural grassland served as a control against which to assess changes in soil properties resulting from the removal of natural vegetation or cultivation of soil. The results showed that conversion of natural grassland to dry land farming led to a significant degradation of the soil structure. Aggregate separation by dry-sieving indicated that the natural grassland had significantly fewer unfavorable cloddy aggregates (>10 mm) and more agronomically most valuable aggregates (0.25-10 mm) than the arable soils. The mean weight diameter of dry aggregates (MWDdry) was greater in the grassland ( 7.0 mm) compared to the arable soils (9.7 mm). The arable soil had significantly lower (1.03) structure coefficient (Ks) than grassland soils (2.77). Higher percentages of water stable aggregates (WSA) >0.25 mm were found under natural grassland ( 50 %) than in arable fields ( 41 %). In addition, grassland soil had significantly higher mean weight diameter (0.92 mm) of wet stable aggregates (MWDwet) than arable soils (0.81 mm). Tillage of the unaltered grassland significantly increased the soil erodibility measured by the USLE-K factor. The USLE-K factor was approximately by 17% greater in the arable soil than in the grassland, indicating the vulnerability of the arable soil to water erosion. In summary, the results showed that the tillage of the grassland degraded the soil structure, leaving soils more susceptible to the erosion in the temperate climate zone. This suggests that land disturbances should be avoided in the grasslands in the study region of the Central Serbia.


This descriptive study used a computerized charge capture system (CCCS) to explore the differences of cost and length of stay (LOS) between cardiac inpatients with a diagnosis of depression (n = 144) and cardiac inpatients without depression (n = 9,099). Level of severity, gender, and mood state (depression vs. nondepression) were also compared. A matched sample of 352 nondepressed patients was compared with a sample of 94 depressed patients. There were no significant differences between the depressed and nondepressed groups. However, the study did indicate interesting findings regarding mood state, gender, and cardiac outcomes. Depression was significantly overrepresented among females (chi 2 = 24.0, df = 1, P < 0.05). When gender and mood state were considered together, women with cardiac disease who were depressed had significantly longer lengths of stay (LOSs) and increased costs than men with depression (F = 6.6, df = 1, P = 0.01). A major unanticipated finding was the extremely low incidence of depression detected in these patients (1.6%) when compared with patients in other studies. One possible reason for the low incidence of depression was related to the use of a financial, rather than a clinical, data set.


The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) book on the LOPA (layer of protection analysis) methodology gives little credit for procedural controls. In batch operations, startups or process shutdowns, the procedural controls are often the only available means of controlling the potential hazards. This article presents a methodology for the evaluation of procedural‐based controls as potential independent layers of protection during a LOPA study. A checklist for the evaluation of procedural controls is presented as well as a few examples to demonstrate the methodology. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2008


The motivation for the development of the system produced in this work was based on the fact that rural communities in the Eastern Cape have individuals with skills to produce hand-work and crafts but not much possibility of marketing what they produce. The impoverished nature of the developing communities targeted by the thesis spurred the development of a cost-effective system. The aim of this research was to explain the design, implementation and deployment of the rewarding and negotiation system for small entrepreneurs in rural communities.The project explained in this book aims to improve the services available from the existing buy at Dwesa online portal. This e-Commerce portal sells different items online. However, we aim to attract more customers and keep existing ones. Therefore, the customer loyalty application we have explained in this work is an e-marketing strategy to assist the rural community to sell more items. Improving sales for the rural entrepreneurs means more labour is required thus, creating employment for the majority of people who are jobless. These factors combined improve the economic and social living standards of the community members.


Stem/progenitor cells hold a great promise for application in several therapies due to their unique biological characteristics. With the purpose of harnessing these cells full potential in cell-or gene-based therapies it might be advantageous to enhance some of their features through gene delivery strategies. Accordingly, we are interested in developing efficient and safe methodologies to genetically engineer stem cells, boosting their therapeutic efficacy in Regenerative Medicine. In our work, delivery of plasmid DNA to human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSC) was optimized by lipofection and by a recently available microporation technique and no effect was observed in their immunophenotypic characteristics or differentiative potential. After lipofection similar number of plasmid copies was determined at different cell passages. Importantly, cell proliferation kinetics slowed down due to the presence of plasmid. Overall, we believe our findings are extremely useful towards the maximization of gene delivery to human MSC, without compromising cell function and viability.


Recent studies have used the value spread to predict aggregate stock returns to construct cash-flow betas that appear to explain the size and value anomalies. We show that two related variables, the book-to-market spread (the book-to-market of value stocks minus that of growth stocks) and the market-to-book spread (the market-to-book of growth stocks minus that of value stocks) predict returns in different directions and exhibit opposite cyclical variations. Most important, the value spread mixes information on the book-to-market and market-to-book spreads, and appears much less useful in predicting returns.


Cognitive impairment is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The mini mental status examination is a simple screening test for dementia. The objectives of this study were to (1) study and compare the predialysis and postdialysis mini mental status examination score and 2 subscores and compare them with those of a control group and (2) determine the factors affecting these scores. This was a prospective study of 54 HD patients, which involved calculation of their predialysis (PrHDSc) and (2–4 weeks later) postdialysis (PoHDSc) scores and comparison of these with the control scores (CoSc). The mean scores for PreHDSc and PoHDSc were 26.5±2.7 and 26.4±3.3, respectively. Both were significantly lower than CoSc, 28.4±1.6 (95% CI for score difference 0.99–2.97, P<0.001). The subscores for orientation, registration, and recall (ORR) and attention (ATT) before and after HD were 14.2±1.3, 14.3±1.8, and 3.5±1.7, 3.2±1.8, respectively. Both were significantly lower than the CoSc, 15.2±1.2 and 4.2±1.1 (P=0.001 and 0.004, respectively). There were no significant differences between the PrHDSc and PoHDSc (P values of 0.87, 0.63, and 0.45, respectively). Patients' PrHDSc correlated positively with PoHDSc and dialysis efficiency measured by the urea reduction ratio and Kt/V (r=0.58, 0.4, and 0.34, respectively). Education level correlated positively with PrHDSc r=0.41 but not PoHDSc. Hemodialysis duration correlated negatively with PrHDSc r=−0.3. There was no correlation among age, chronic renal failure duration, HD frequency, weight loss, systolic or diastolic blood pressure drop, and PrHDSc or PoHDSc. Hemodialysis patients scored significantly less than the control patients. Their score was not affected by HD. This may reflect the stable cognitive function/dysfunction or the mild sensitivity of the test.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate binding chimeric lectin, which interacts with intracellular glycoproteins, cell surface molecules and extracellular matrix proteins based on its intra and extracellular distribution. Galectin-3 is one of the most studied galectins in the family and affects various biological phenomena such as cell growth, adhesion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, motility and metastasis. This protein is widely expressed in various tumor cells and its expression is correlated with tumorigenesis, tumor progression and metastasis. The functions of galectin-3 are dependent on its binding partners, its localization and can change as a result of post-translational modifications such as cleavage and phosphorylation. Recently, we demonstrated that gal-3 can be phosphorylated by c-Abl at Tyr 79, 107 and 118; Tyr107 is the major phosphorylation site. It was also shown that galectin-3 can be cleaved by prostate specific antigen, chymotrypsin-like serine protease, after Tyr 107 and this cleavage destroys galectin-3 multivalency while preserving its carbohydrate-binding activity. In solution, galectin-3 largely occurs as a monomer. It can also form homodimer by self-association through its CRDs in the absence of its binding ligands. However, in the presence of its carbohydrate binding ligands, galectin-3 can polymerize up to pentamers through its N-terminal domain. Oligomerization is a unique feature of secreted galectin-3, which allows its function by forming ordered galectin-glycan structures, also called lattices, on the cell surface or through direct engagement of specific cell surface glycoconjugates by traditional ligand-receptor interactions. We suggest that phosphorylation on Tyr 107 may block the cleavage of galectin-3 by PSA. Our experiments confirm this hypothesis and we suggest a model describing the role of galectin-3 in prostate cells with increased activity of c-Abl and Arg kinase. We demonstrate that PSA resistant intact galectin-3 may exert biological activities through ligand cross-linking to boost the tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer, while the protein cleaved after Tyr 107 cannot. The effect of cleaved galectin-3 on angiogenesis, chemotaxis and cell motility was significantly lower compare to full-length galectin-3. We posit that post-translational modifications of galectin-3 in the cells are but one component of a constellation of factors contributing to cancer disease prevalence and severity. In conclusion, the data show that galectin-3 phosphorylated on Tyr 107 can be associated with metastasis, cell growth, and tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cells and thus might used as a marker for prognosis of prostate cancer and a therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 322. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-322


Industrial fish and aquaculture processing leads to the generation of a huge quantity of by-products, whose accumulation and mismanagement involve serious environmental consequences as well as high economic losses. Taking advantage of these residues as a source of added-value compounds must be a priority in a circular economy. This work is a preliminary study to analyze the possibility of using the eutectic mixture of urea and sodium acetate trihydrate as a solvent for collagen extraction. To that end, the solid–liquid equilibrium of the system was determined in order to define the exact composition and temperature of the eutectic. The solubility in this solvent of the main amino acids that constitute fish collagen was studied at several temperatures and atmospheric pressure. At 308.15 K, solubilities of the major constituents of the target protein, namely L-proline, trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, and glycine, were 0.19, 0.16, and 0.12 (mass fraction), respectively. These values increased with temperature. Dilution with water (50 wt%) allowed operation at lower temperature and led to an increase in the solubilities. The van 't Hoff model was satisfactorily used to correlate the experimental data and to calculate apparent properties of dissolution. All the dissolution processes studied herein are endothermic, non-spontaneous, and enthalpy-driven. Both the eutectic and its mixture with water are promising solvents for the design of an environmentally benign process for collagen extraction.


Objective This study was performed to evaluate the effect of sex on bronchial parameters and the predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s expressed as a percentage of the forced vital capacity (FEV1% pred) on pulmonary function testing. Methods The data of 359 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with available FEV1% pred and computed tomography (CT) images were retrospectively reviewed. FACT-Digital lung TM software (DeXin, Xi'an, China) was used to perform fully automated three-dimensional CT quantitative measurements of the bronchi. Generation 5 to 7 bronchi were measured, and the parameters analyzed were the lumen diameter (LD), wall thickness (WT), lumen area (LA), and WA% [WA / (WA + LA) × 100%]. Results In the smoking, smoking cessation, and nonsmoking groups, women had a significantly larger WA% and smaller LD, WT, and LA than men. The FEV1% pred was significantly lower in women than men in the smoking and smoking cessation groups. The FEV1% pred was significantly higher in women than men in the nonsmoking group. Conclusion Sex-related differences may partially explain why smoking women experience more severe pulmonary function impairment than men among patients with COPD.


Algorithms that rely on a pseudorandom number generator often lose their performance guarantees when adversaries can predict the behavior of the generator. To protect non-cryptographic applications against such attacks, we propose 'strong' pseudorandom generators characterized by two properties: computationally indistinguishable from random and backtracking-resistant. Some existing cryptographically secure generators also meet these criteria, but they are too slow to be accepted for general-purpose use. We introduce a new open-sourced generator called 'Randen' and show that it is 'strong' in addition to outperforming Mersenne Twister, PCG, ChaCha8, ISAAC and Philox in real-world benchmarks. This is made possible by hardware acceleration. Randen is an instantiation of Reverie, a recently published robust sponge-like random generator, with a new permutation built from an improved generalized Feistel structure with 16 branches. We provide new bounds on active s-boxes for up to 24 rounds of this construction, made possible by a memory-efficient search algorithm. Replacing existing generators with Randen can protect randomized algorithms such as reservoir sampling from attack. The permutation may also be useful for wide-block ciphers and hashing functions.


The theory of vertex algebras constitutes a mathematically rigorous axiomatic formulation of the algebraic origins of conformal field theory. In this context Borcherds algebras arise as certain ``physical'' subspaces of vertex algebras. The aim of this review is to give a pedagogical introduction into this rapidly-developing area of mathemat% ics. Based on the machinery of formal calculus we present the axiomatic definition of vertex algebras. We discuss the connection with conformal field theory by deriving important implications of these axioms. In particular, many explicit calculations are presented to stress the eminent role of the Jacobi identity axiom for vertex algebras. As a class of concrete examples the vertex algebras associated with even lattices are constructed and it is shown in detail how affine Lie algebras and the fake Monster Lie algebra naturally appear. This leads us to the abstract definition of Borcherds algebras as generalized Kac-Moody algebras and their basic properties. Finally, the results about the simplest generic Borcherds algebras are analysed from the point of view of symmetry in quantum theory and the construction of the Monster Lie algebra is sketched.


Youth of Color, especially those in households with low income, experience multiple stressors and trauma that affect their well-being. Few studies examine the impact of youth engagement in leadership and organizing to address systemic inequity on their mental health and well-being. In a community-based participatory action research design, three organizations which train youth of Color in organizing in Brooklyn, New York, held four focus groups (n = 43, ages 14-24 years) to examine the impact of organizing on youth mental health and well-being. Key emergent themes of youth organizing include (a) storytelling as therapeutic; (b) group leadership as strengthening personal and collective power, hopefulness, and a sense of protection; and (c) the strain of navigating their hopes and current reality. This study has important implications for actions programs can take who seek to engage youth of Color in organizing in communities and institutions impacted by historical trauma and current day systemic inequity.


In this paper, we implement a time-frequency domain reflectometry (TFDR) system through the instruments of PCI extensions for instrumentation (PXI). Moreover, an improved TDR methodology is suggested to reduce the blind spot which is caused by comparatively low performance of PXI instruments. The TFDR system is composed of the following three PXI instruments: an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) module for generating the input signal, a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) module for acquiring the input and reflected signals, and a PXI controller module for performing the control of all the PXI modules and the execution of the main algorithm. This TFDR algorithm can measure a more accurate fault location than the traditional methodologies by adopting the time-frequency analysis techniques. For the problem of the blind spot, the classical correlation junction is used between the input and reflected signals. The usefulness of the proposed system and methodology is verified by real experiments.


: - We have developed a highly flexible module to evaluate and access the reusability of software components. The purpose of this model is to do pattern recognition by discovering supervised features which can help us to measure the intangible aspects of software components in terms of reusability. There were several function based applications which were given due diligence for identifying their various degrees of reusability of their components. Once these projects were analyzed their software components were measured in terms of software metrics including (Volume, Coupling, Complexity, Reuse frequency, Regularity and Reusability). These measured metrics were carefully allocated a particular set of label which was based on the principals of software engineering and objectives to be achieved for doing the due research. Therefore, in this research work we are studying the degree of reusability by using six classes with proposed method which was able to give high precision value as compare to previous methods.


While a meta-analysis is necessary to test the claim that the logic dominates the majority of studies, most studies by academic scholars on thinking and actions by executives appear to rely on cross-sectional surveys that use self-reports by executives via scaled (e.g. strongly disagree to strongly agree) instruments whereby one executive per firm completes the instrument and data are collected for 50 to 500 firms. Useable response rates in these studies are almost always below 30 percent of the distributions of the surveys. While these studies are sometimes worthwhile for learning how respondents assess concepts and relationships among concepts, perspectives on the severe limits to the value of such studies rings true: such surveys reveal more about executives' sensemaking processes than the actual processes. The limitations of using one-shot, one-person-per-firm, self-reports as valid indicators of causal relationships of actual processes are so severe that academics should do more than think twice before using such surveys as the main method for collecting data— if scholars seek to understand and describe actual processes additional methods are necessary for data collection. The relevant literature includes several gems of exceptionally high quality, validity, and usefulness in the study of actual processes; identifying these studies is a useful step toward reducing the reliance on oneshot self-report surveys.


This study is aimed to analyze the steady of stagnation point flow and radiative heat transfer of a non-Newtonian fluid which is Casson fluid passing over an exponentially permeable slippery Riga plate in presence of thermal radiation, magnetic field, velocity slip, thermal slip, and viscous dissipation effects. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformation then solved numerically by boundary value problem solver (BVP4C) in MATLAB software package. The numerical results are evaluated with previous researches to reach an agreement with the parameters of the current study. This study is discussing the behavior of the velocity and temperature profiles as well as skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number for various physical parameters such as magnetic field, radiation, suction, thermal slip, velocity slip, Prandtl number, Eckert number and modified Hartmann number. Numerical results are shown graphically for each parameter with different values. It is found that the momentum boundary layer thickness increases with increasing the values of Casson parameter. The temperature decreases when the velocity slip parameter and thermal slip parameter are increased.


Among the many unique flight behaviours of Common Swifts Apus apus, the most puzzling may be their ascents to high altitudes during both dusk and dawn. Twilight ascents have been hypothesized to be functionally related to information acquisition, including integration of celestial orientation cues, high-altitude visual landmarks and sampling of weather conditions. However, their exact purpose remains unknown. We tracked Common Swifts with tracking radar at their breeding grounds in southern Sweden, and present evidence that during the dusk ascent and dawn descent they often occur in flocks, whereas during the dusk descent and dawn ascent phase they do not. This flocking behaviour suggests that swifts may benefit from conspecific interactions during twilight ascents and descents, possibly through more robust cue acquisition and information exchange in groups, or extending social behaviour also seen in screaming parties before dusk. (Less)


An emaciated wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) exhibiting neurologic signs was found on Ossabaw Island, Chatham County, Georgia (USA) on 11 April 1989. The neurologic abnormalities observed included ataxia, drooping wings, head tremors, torticollis, and circling. At necropsy, discrete yellowish-white nodules, varying in size from 2 to 5 mm, were present in the spleen. White nodular lesions approximately 2 mm in diameter were observed beneath the mucosal surface of the distal esophagus. Histopathologic examination of the splenic nodules disclosed large numbers of primitive lymphoreticular cells with leptochromatic nuclei and abundant, slightly basophilic cytoplasms. The mitotic index in these cells was moderate to high. Similar neoplastic cells composed the masses observed in the esophagus. Multifocal, mild perivascular cuffing with mononuclear cells was found in the lumbar spinal cord, brain, and brain stem. Reticuloendotheliosis virus, subtype 3, was isolated from samples of the spleen and liver.


Multiple transmit and receive antennas can be used to form multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels to increase the capacity by a factor of the minimum number of transmit and receive antennas. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for MIMO channels (MIMO-OFDM) can improve the performance by mitigating intersymbol interference and enhancing system capacity. The paper investigates pilot-symbol aided channel estimation (PSACE) for MIMO-OFDM systems. Two approaches are investigated: first, zero pilot patterns use all available pilot symbols simultaneously; second, a nonzero pilot pattern is allocated for each transmit antenna exclusively. The Wiener filters are derived for both approaches.


This paper describes the effect of oral metrifonate, an organophosphorus cholinesterase inhibitor, on Schistosoma haematobium infections.The methodology of initial studies in hospital patients and 3 field trials in schoolchildren, using spaced doses ranging from 5 mg to 15 mg per kg of body-weight is detailed.The expected fall in plasma cholinesterase was confirmed. No major side-effects were encountered and minor symptoms were associated with high doses only.The optimum dose was 7.5 mg per kg, given once every 14 days or once monthly to a maximum of 3 doses if necessary. About two-thirds of patients were cured after 1 or 2 doses, but some 10% of these relapsed within 6 months of treatment. In 2 trials of this dose, cure rates of 71% and 79% were obtained.The authors conclude that metrifonate is a useful addition to oral schistosomicides for the treatment of S. haematobium infections in children, but suggest that more trials with spaced dose regimes are indicated and that further experimental studies are needed to define its mode of action.


To determine if the parameters relating lung tissue displacement to a breathing surrogate signal in a previously published respiratory motion model vary with the rate of breathing during image acquisition. An anesthetized pig was imaged using multiple fast helical scans to sample the breathing cycle with simultaneous surrogate monitoring. Three datasets were collected while the animal was mechanically ventilated with different respiratory rates: 12 bpm (breaths per minute), 17 bpm, and 24 bpm. Three sets of motion model parameters describing the correspondences between surrogate signals and tissue displacements were determined. The model error was calculated individually for each dataset, as well asfor pairs of parameters and surrogate signals from different experiments. The values of one model parameter, a vector field denoted α→ which related tissue displacement to surrogate amplitude, determined for each experiment were compared. The mean model error of the three datasets was 1.00  ±  0.36 mm with a 95th percentile value of 1.69 mm. The mean error computed from all combinations of parameters and surrogate signals from different datasets was 1.14  ±  0.42 mm with a 95th percentile of 1.95 mm. The mean difference in α→ over all pairs of experiments was 4.7%  ±  5.4%, and the 95th percentile was 16.8%. The mean angle between pairs of α→ was 5.0  ±  4.0 degrees, with a 95th percentile of 13.2 mm. The motion model parameters were largely unaffected by changes in the breathing rate during image acquisition. The mean error associated with mismatched sets of parameters and surrogate signals was 0.14 mm greater than the error achieved when using parameters and surrogate signals acquired with the same breathing rate, while maximum respiratory motion was 23.23 mm on average.


Reduction of carbon dioxide emission in to environment has become major challenge to the present scientists. One ton of cement consumption produces one ton of carbon dioxide which damage the climate. Replacement of cement with the industrial and natural bi-products (pozzolanic materials) such as Fly Ash (FA), Micro Silica(MS), Ground Granulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS), Metakaolin (MK), Rice Husk Ash (RHA) etc., is the only substitute in reducing the consumption of cement and for producing High Strength Concrete (HSC) in the concrete construction industry. Due to the exposure of civil engineering structures to elevated temperatures as in the case of buildings, bridges, tunnels, off shore and nuclear reactors which causes lot of damage to the structures, human and economic losses and these situations necessitate the use of appropriate fire resistant materials and development of designs for construction industry. The investigations were made on the mechanical properties of concrete viz., residual compressive strength of Ternary Blended Concrete (TBC) prepared by replacing the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with10%, 20%, 30% of fly ash and 10% of micro silica at different temperatures from 100 C to 800C in addition to ambient temperatures and to arrive at the optimum proportions of various constituents which give higher compressive strength.


The performance assessment of multi-objective heuristic algorithms is one of the most significant contributions from the evolutionary optimization algorithms community. By contrast, performance assessment in the context of many-objective optimization is still a challenging, open research field. Recent advances have demonstrated disagreements between Pareto-compliant performance metrics, and indicated that reference fronts produced by benchmark generators of Pareto-optimal fronts could be further improved. In this work, we investigate these reference fronts with the help of multi-dimensional visualization techniques and Pareto-monotonic archivers. Interestingly, reference fronts produced by benchmark generators for DTLZ and WFG continuous optimization problems show significant issues, even when only three objectives are considered. Furthermore, given that input solution sets for five-objective problems are not high-quality, archivers are unable to output reasonable approximation fronts. We conclude that the performance assessment of EMO algorithms needs to urgently address reference front generation.


Stunting remains a public health concern in developing countries. Factors related to stunting have been categorized using various frameworks. Family plays an important role in providing nutrients for children; however, no review specifies this aspect for identifying family characteristics related to stunting. This study aimed to identify family household characteristics related to stunting among children aged less than 5 years. A scoping review was undertaken with sources from PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus, using the keywords "family characteristics" AND "growth". Inclusion criteria were (1) correlational study; (2) published between 2018 and 31 July 2022; (3) families with children under the age of 5 years; and (4) independent variable any measure of stunting factors from family and household factors. Of 376 articles, only 20 met the inclusion criteria of the study. The family household characteristics included individual factors (sex age, history of diarrhea, and birthplace), family factors (family headship, primary caregiver/mother, social-cultural orientation, and family system factors), and environmental factors. Various child variables, family factors, and environmental factors (the type of home, floor type, water access, source of drinking water, and household electricity) were identified as being associated with stunting. Therefore, these factors should be evaluated to prevent and control stunting, and they should be incorporated into health programs targeting stunting.


Introduction: Prophylactic replacement of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) is the standard of care in hemophilia A, given its natural mechanism of action, strict homeostatic regulation, and consistent safety profile. Recombinant FVIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) is an extended half-life therapy that demonstrated safety and efficacy in previously treated pediatric, adolescent, and adult subjects with severe hemophilia A in the Phase 3 A-LONG and Kids A-LONG trials (NCT01181128 and NCT01458106, respectively) (Young et al, J Thromb Haemostas, 2015; Mahlangu et al, Blood, 2014). Herein, the final results are reported from ASPIRE (NCT01454739), the long-term extension trial of those 2 studies.
 Methods: This was an open-label, multicenter, long-term trial of previously treated subjects of all ages with severe hemophilia A. Subjects received 1 of the 4 following regimens: individualized prophylaxis (IP; rFVIIIFc 25‒60 IU/kg every 3-5 days, or twice weekly), weekly prophylaxis (WP; rFVIIIFc 65 IU/kg every 7 days), modified prophylaxis (MP; personalized dosing), or episodic treatment (ET; on-demand dosing based on bleeding episodes). Subjects <12 years of age were eligible for only IP or MP. Investigators could switch a subject's treatment group at any time; therefore, each subject may appear in >1 treatment group. The primary endpoint was development of inhibitors. Secondary endpoints included annualized bleeding rates (ABRs), joint ABRs, spontaneous joint ABRs, exposure days (ED), and factor consumption. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Analyses were performed separately based on parent study.
 Results: A total of 211 subjects (150 were from A-LONG and 61 were from Kids A-LONG) enrolled in ASPIRE, and 186 subjects (132 from A-LONG and 54 from Kids A-LONG) completed the study. Subjects from Kids A-LONG had a median (range) age of 6.0 (2-12) years. Of the subjects from the A-LONG study enrolled to ASPIRE, the median (range) age was 31.0 (13-66) years. Most subjects received IP regardless of parent study (Kids A-LONG: IP [n=59], MP [n=3]; A-LONG: IP [n=110], WP [n=27], MP [n=21], ET [n=13]).
 No inhibitors were observed throughout the study, and the overall safety profile of rFVIIIFc was consistent with the parent studies and prior interim analyses. ABRs remained low throughout the entirety of ASPIRE in subjects prescribed IP (Table 1). For subjects from the Kids A-LONG study, the median (range) number of ED during ASPIRE was 332.0 (18.0-467.0) days. Total median (range) treatment duration was 166.6 (14.4-203.0) weeks. The median (range) number of ED for A-LONG subjects was 267.5 (8.0-660.0) days. Total median treatment duration was 201.4 (5.1-274.6) weeks. Overall, the median (range) duration of treatment with rFVIIIFc was 4.1 (0.4, 5.9) years.
 From the end of the parent study to the end of ASPIRE, the rFVIIIFc dosing interval increased for 6.6% and 21.1% of subjects from Kids A-LONG and A-LONG, respectively (Table 2). There was no change in median weekly factor consumption from the end of either parent study to the end of ASPIRE. For subjects from Kids A-LONG, the median (IQR) was 0.0 (0.0‒3.2), while the median (IQR) for those from A-LONG was 0.0 (0.0‒0.0).
 Conclusions: Throughout up to 4 years of treatment with rFVIIIFc in the ASPIRE extension study, no inhibitors were reported, and low ABRs and extended dosing intervals were sustained. These data are consistent with the well-characterized safety profile and durable efficacy of rFVIIIFc prophylaxis in previously treated subjects of all ages with hemophilia A.

 Nolan: Bayer: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Sobi: Research Funding. Mahlangu:Sanofi: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Alnylam: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Research Funding; Biogen: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Chugai: Consultancy; Catalyst Biosciences: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy; Biomarin: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; NovoNordisk: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; LFB: Consultancy; Shire: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sobi: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Spark: Consultancy, Research Funding. Young:Bayer: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kedrion: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy, Honoraria; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria. Konkle:Sangamo: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy; Spark: Consultancy, Research Funding; BioMarin: Consultancy; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Shire: Research Funding. Pasi:Shire: Speakers Bureau; Alnylam: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Speakers Bureau; Octapharma: Honoraria; Pfizer: Speakers Bureau; Biomarin: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sobi: Honoraria; Bioverativ: Honoraria, Research Funding; NovoNordisk: Speakers Bureau; Catalyst Bio: Honoraria; Apcintex: Honoraria. Oldenburg:Novo Nordisk: Honoraria, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Biotest: Honoraria, Research Funding; Biogen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Shire: Honoraria, Research Funding; Grifols: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Octapharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum: Honoraria, Research Funding. Nogami:Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties: Anti-FIXa/X bispecific antibodies , Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Tripkovic:Sobi: Employment. Rudin:Bioverativ: Employment, Equity Ownership.


The reduction in the expression of glucose-responsive insulin gene transcription factor MafA accompanies the development of β-cell dysfunction under oxidative stress/diabetic milieu. Humans with type 2 diabetes have reduced MafA expression, and thus preventing this reduction could overcome β-cell dysfunction and diabetes. We previously showed that p38 MAPK, but not glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), is a major regulator of MafA degradation under oxidative stress. Here, we examined the mechanisms of this degradation and whether preventing MafA degradation under oxidative stress will overcome β-cell dysfunction. We show that under oxidative and nonoxidative conditions p38 MAPK directly binds to MafA and triggers MafA degradation via ubiquitin proteasomal pathway. However, unlike nonoxidative conditions, MafA degradation under oxidative stress depended on p38 MAPK-mediated phosphorylation at threonine (T) 134, and not T57. Furthermore the expression of alanine (A) 134-MafA, but not A57-MafA, reduced the oxidative stress-mediated loss of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which was independent of p38 MAPK action on protein kinase D, a regulator of insulin secretion. Interestingly, the expression of proteasomal activator PA28γ that degrades GSK3-phosphorylated (including T57) MafA was reduced under oxidative stress, explaining the dominance of p38 MAPK over the GSK3 pathway in regulating MafA stability under oxidative stress. These results identify two distinct pathways mediating p38 MAPK-dependent MafA degradation under oxidative and nonoxidative conditions and show that inhibiting MafA degradation under oxidative stress ameliorates β-cell dysfunction and could lead to novel therapies for diabetes.


We present a solution to the Sussex-Huawei Locomotion-Transportation (SHL) recognition challenge (team "S304"). Our experiments reveal two potential pitfalls in the evaluation of activity recognition algorithms: 1) unnoticed overfitting due to autocorrelation (i.e. dependencies between temporally close samples), and 2) the accuracy/generality trade-off due to idealized conditions and lack of variation in the data. We show that evaluation with a random training/test split suggests highly accurate recognition of eight different travel activities with an average F1 score of 96% for single-participant/fixed-position data, whereas with proper backtesting the F1 score drops to 84%, for data of different participants in the SHL Dataset to 61%, and for different carrying positions to 54%. Our experiments demonstrate that results achieved 'in-the-lab' can easily become subject to an upward bias and cannot always serve as reliable indicators for the future performance 'in-the-field', where generality and robustness are essential.


Paramagnetic species (radicals) related pigments in Thai purple rice were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-band (9 GHz) EPR imaging (EPRI), and HPLC. The location and distribution of the paramagnetic species in purple and white rice were determined by EPR and EPRI. EPR primarily detected three paramagnetic species in purple rice, which were identified as organic radicals, Mn2+, and Fe3+ based on the g-values and hyperfine components of the EPR signals. Noninvasive two-dimensional (2D) EPRI revealed that these stable radicals are primarily located in the pigmented region of purple rice, while very few radicals were observed in the interior of the rice. HPLC revealed that the major compounds were cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside. EPR, EPR imaging, and HPLC results indicate that the stable radicals contain the radical state of anthocyanins and are mostly found within the pigmented embryo region of purple rice. They could be either associated with antioxidant activities or could be one of the products of their oxidative decomposition.


Cotransformation frequencies of 16, 39, 51, and 60% were observed when donor alleles were separated by distances of 9.2, 7.4, 6.3, and 5.1 kb, respectively, in donor Acinetobacter calcoaceticus DNA. A different and unexpected pattern was observed when the distance between recipient alleles was reduced from 9.2 to 5.1 kb. Ligation of unlinked chromosomal DNA fragments allowed them to be linked genetically through natural transformation.


Globemallow species are grazed opportunistically by pronghorn antelope, deer, elk, and bighorn sheep (Beale and Smith, 1970; Rumbaugh and others, 1993). The leaves, fruits and seeds are eaten by rodents, rabbits and birds (Pendery and Rumbaugh, 1986). Palatability of globemallow species has been rated desirable to preferred in spring and summer for sheep and antelope and desirable in spring, summer and fall for cattle, horses, deer and elk (Ogle and Brazee, 2009). Globemallow is preferred over grass but not alfalfa during the spring, but is less desirable than grass and alfalfa during the fall (Rumbaugh and others 1993).


Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP) is an engineering tool utilized in the process industries to prevent the occurrence of industrial hazards and plan mitigation strategies. Heart failure is a cardiovascular hazard that can be avoided and averted given proper prior preventive protocols. It is a common cardiovascular disease whose prevention is a subject of high interest. The aim of this research is to predict the risk of heart failure employing, in novelty, HAZOP study coupled with conventional qualitative risk analysis. In recent times, a lot of attention has been given to HAZOP study in identifying risks and hazards in engineering systems; hence, the exploratory use of this initiative in a cross-disciplinary terrain in physiology is considered to be unique. In this work, HAZOP analysis was carried out on the heart qualitatively using guidewords such as less flow, no flow, reverse flow, more pressure, less pressure and the conditions that could cause these were considered at different nodes or parts of the heart such as the vena cava, the right and left atria, the ventricles and the tricuspid valve. In the course of the analysis, the consequences were identified and the severity of each cause were also obtained with the probability sourced from literature and employed for qualitative risk assessment using a risk matrix. Safety functions and safeguards were also proposed based on the consequences that were identified. The risks involved with different causes of heart failure were estimated with the probability and severity being known. The results from this research reveal that with the use of HAZOP it is possible to identify different scenarios that cause heart failure, quantify how severe the effects of the causes can be and how probable they are and assign numerical risk scores to the causes and effects. The method shows promise for predictive and prognostic purposes for the prevention and care of heart failures.


The adsorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on metallic substrates has been of interest in the field of optoelectronics due to the possibility of designing complex materials with tunable properties through surface functionalization with organic molecules. Much of the modelling research in this field has focused on perfectly symmetrical (idealized) substrates. Limited research has investigated the effect of substrate irregularities, such as adatoms, on the binding of PAHs onto substrates. Here, we examine how the presence of substrate-bound adatoms affects the binding of coronene and hexahelicene monomers and dimers onto Au(111) and Cu(111) substrates using a density functional theory approach. We found that helicene monomers were more effectively able to adapt to the presence of the adatoms than coronene by coiling around the adatoms. Whereas upon adsorption on an ideal (111) surface, coronene can establish significantly stronger dispersive interactions than helicenes, adatom defects reverse the trend. For helicenes, the degree of flattening near the surface and molecular coiling were strongly influenced by the extent of the adatom defect, as a result of the interplay between the molecule's drive to maximize overlap with the underlying surface and the enhanced reactivity of lower-coordinated adatoms.


Purpose: To measure the effectiveness of using percutaneous intramedullary
screw fixation of the lateral malleolus fracture on the healing and functional
outcome of ankle fracture. Materials and
methods: Forty-six patients with Weber A and low Weber B displaced lateral
malleolus fractures who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous internal
fixation with an intramedullary, fully threaded, screw were retrospectively
reviewed. A 3.5-mm, fully threaded, selftapping bone screw
(stainless steel from Pelvic Set Synthes). The length of the
screw varies between 100 mm and 120 mm, depending on the fracture
location and pattern. Results: All fractures united within an average time to union of 8.2 weeks.
In all patients the average time to full weight bearing was 6.8 weeks, whereas
that in patients with isolated lateral malleolus fractures was 4.5 weeks. There
were no deep wound infections or complaints of painful hardware. At latest
follow-up, functional results were excellent in, 25 patients (54.3%) good in 20
(43.5%), fair in (2.2%). Conclusion: If reduction
of the lateral malleolus fracture can be obtained in a closed fashion (with the
aid of an image x-ray intensifier), we believe that fixation may be performed
with an axial screw percutaneously. This technique is quick, safe and easy to
do with less complication.


Studies conducted in real clinical practice on drug prescription, drug use and           consequences on patients and on the organizational scheme of treatments establish the           basis of the evaluation of commercialized drugs when seeking renewal of their insurance           coverage, anticipated reevaluation or safety issues. Time has come now for pharmaceutical           companies to write a critical report on the operating procedures identifying the issues of           the various operation phases (i.e.: conception, study conduct, use and interpretation of           results). The report put forth various optimization axes through 17 concrete measures.           Those measures concern several domains including the communication with Health           Authorities, the necessity of specific methodological recommendations, a better           involvement of partners, the improvement of the access to health databases, a better           understanding of budget constraints, and more transparency in the evaluation process as           well as in the interpretation of results.


According to the principle of duty of care, adults in the lives of children with disabilities such as autistic children are expected to promote their development. The Nutbeam's health literacy model was adopted to explore the efforts of special education teachers and parents toward promoting better eating habits among autistic children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Twenty-one participants, comprising fifteen special education teachers and six parents with autistic children, were examined in this study. The results indicated that some special education teachers' and parents' limited understanding of unhealthy food might impact the development of autistic children. Furthermore, the findings also highlight the lack of collaboration and communication between teachers regarding the nutrition and healthy living of autistic children. The findings have practical consequences, such as urging UAE health policymakers to provide professional development for special education instructors and parents of autistic children.


Selective permeability in voltage-gated Ca2+ channels is dependent upon a quartet of pore-localized glutamate residues (EEEE locus). The EEEE locus is widely believed to comprise the sole high-affinity Ca2+ binding site in the pore, which represents an overturning of earlier models that had postulated two high-affinity Ca2+ binding sites. The current view is based on site-directed mutagenesis work in which Ca2+ binding affinity was attenuated by single and double substitutions in the EEEE locus, and eliminated by quadruple alanine (AAAA), glutamine (QQQQ), or aspartate (DDDD) substitutions. However, interpretation of the mutagenesis work can be criticized on the grounds that EEEE locus mutations may have additionally disrupted the integrity of a second, non-EEEE locus high-affinity site, and that such a second site may have remained undetected because the mutated pore was probed only from the extracellular pore entrance. Here, we describe the results of experiments designed to test the strength of these criticisms of the single high-affinity locus model of selective permeability in Ca2+ channels. First, substituted-cysteine accessibility experiments indicate that pore structure in the vicinity of the EEEE locus is not extensively disrupted as a consequence of the quadruple AAAA mutations, suggesting in turn that the quadruple mutations do not distort pore structure to such an extent that a second high affinity site would likely be destroyed. Second, the postulated second high-affinity site was not detected by probing from the intracellularly oriented pore entrance of AAAA and QQQQ mutants. Using inside-out patches, we found that, whereas micromolar Ca2+ produced substantial block of outward Li+ current in wild-type channels, internal Ca2+ concentrations up to 1 mM did not produce detectable block of outward Li+ current in the AAAA or QQQQ mutants. These results indicate that the EEEE locus is indeed the sole high-affinity Ca2+ binding locus in the pore of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.


Through-plane thermal conductivity of 14 SIGRACET gas diffusion layers (GDLs), including series 24 & 34, as well as 25 & 35, are measured under different compressive pressures, ranging from 2 to 14 bar, at the temperature of around 60 C. The effect of compression, PTFE loadings, and micro porous layer (MPL) on thermal conductivity of the GDLs and their contact resistance with an iron clamping surface is experimentally investigated. The contact resistance of MPL coated on GDL with the substrate of that GDL is measured for the first time in this paper. A new robust mechanistic model is presented for predicting the through-plane thermal conductivity of GDLs treated with PTFE and is successfully verified with the present experimental data. The model can predict the experimentally-observed reduction in thermal conductivity as a result of PTFE treatment and provides detailed insights on performance modeling of PEMFCs.


This thesis addresses the question of how the chemistry and reaction kinetics of torrefaction are influenced by reaction conditions and the effects occuring during the reaction. This research question can be specified by questions such as, what controls their kinetics during torrefaction and what does this mean, which products are formed, what are the mass - and energy balances, and what is the endothermal and/or exothermal behaviour. In future energy scenarios an important role in the (renewable) energy supply is given to biomass. The unique position of biomass as the only renewable source for sustainable carbon carrier makes biomass an attractive energy source. Biomass as energy source has some typical characteristics making it a specific, but complicated fuel for the future. Some biomass properties are inconvenient, particularly its high oxygen content, a low calorific value, the hydrophilic nature and there with connected high moisture content. Other disadvantages of biomass are its tenacious and fibrous structure and its inhomogeneous composition. This makes process design and process control complicated. Torrefaction is a technology that can improve biomass properties and therefore offers solutions to the above problems. Torrefaction is a thermal pre-treatment technology to upgrade ligno-cellulosic biomass to a higher quality and more attractive biofuel. The main principle of torrefaction, from a chemical point of view, is the removal of oxygen leading to a final solid product: the torrefied biomass having a lower O/C ratio compared to the original biomass. The heart of the torrefaction technology is the reactor concept. In the development of the torrefaction system knowledge it is important to obtain a good insight into the mechanisms of torrefaction at fundamental level. Torrefaction is a complex process which involves many physical and chemical processes such as heat transfer, moisture evaporation, decomposition kinetics, heat of torrefaction, pressure build up in the solid, changes in material properties all in relation with torrefaction temperature. Further the material is inherently anisotropic. Research at this level can give better information about the quality of the torrefaction. The thesis can be divided into three parts. In the first part a broad literature review about pyrolysis and torrefaction is carried out. The second part gives the experimental section in which the chemistry and reaction kinetics have been studied extensively with the help of different experimental methods. The final part gives an overview on the-state-of-the-art of different commercial torrefaction initiatives to further assist reactor technology. Although pyrolysis and torrefaction operate in a different temperature regime, pyrolysis type research is applied for exploring torrefaction of biowaste resources. The chemical principles and different reaction mechanisms are to get insight into the torrefaction characteristics. Due to the different reaction temperatures differences between pyrolysis and torrefaction are observed in the final product composition and reaction rates. The weight loss kinetics of different biowaste resources and its constituents are determined by thermogravimetric analysis at a milligram scale. The reaction kinetics are modeled based on existing pyrolysis reaction models. On the basis of the mathematical results only, it cannot be stated how the biomass decomposes during torrefaction. Different assumptions on the kinetics lead to identical mathematical formulations. Hence, it is found that biomass torrefaction follows the classical methods of reaction kinetics. During biomass torrefaction two different phases on these categories react independently of each other. The slow reacting phase has high availability and the fast reacting phase has an apparent temperature dependence of the (low) availability. The products formed during torrefaction of different biowaste streams have been determined in a small scale fixed bed reactor (0 – 10 g) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy and Fourier Transformed Infrared. In the fixed bed reactor the torrefied wood, the condensable and non-condensable gases are quantified offline with elemental analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy and micro gas chromatography. The fast reacting phase with low availability produces small molecular products even as the slow reacting phase with high availability, but this phase also produces higher molecular weight products and aromatic compounds. Finally, the energy balance of the torrefaction of beech wood is determined. The heat of reaction that is found is between 0.7 MJ/kg biomass endothermic and -0.8 MJ/kg biomass exothermic for reaction temperatures between 230 and 280°C. Finally, the influence of torrefaction on large cylindrical wood particles with diameters between 10 and 28 mm for beech and willow wood has been investigated. Fixed bed experiments are carried out at temperatures between 200 - 300°C to determine the product composition and the intra particle temperature profile depending on location, time and temperature. The condensable products are characterized and the exothermal effect is quantified. It is shown that the maximum temperature increase due to this exothermal effect is between 40°C inside a large particle. Also an analytical mathematical model has been developed based on the reaction mechanism found with thermogravimetric analysis and for the kinetic modelling to describe this internal temperature profile. Some modifications are applied to the model found to describe the weight loss kinetics. The model describes the temperature profile in the particle as a function of time, temperature, location and the progress of the reaction. The high number of required numerical parameters limits the numerical validation of the torrefaction model and makes biomass modeling complicated.


Based on data from an empirical study of TV comedy audiences in Britain and Norway, this article examines the ways in which focus group participants constructed gendered distinctions in relation to comedy. Analysing talk about two sketch shows dominated by female performers, it argues that both male and female participants represented such 'women's comedy' as having limited appeal for male viewers. The article explores the assumptions underlying this perspective, and highlights a perceived conflict between femininity and comedic performance. Focusing in on the minority of participants who explicitly devalued female comedy performers, it examines how these viewers employed discursive strategies to promote this view while negotiating the focus group setting. The article draws on feminist work on humour and comedy, as well as studies of taste and television audiences.


The arrival of James Bond in Modern Classics at last acknowledges Fleming's remarkable place in British fiction. The creator of an entire genre and the inventor of the most widely recognised figure in British literature since Sherlock Holmes, Fleming has a presence and flair now denied to most other writers of the 1950s. These three novels show Fleming at his peak - it would be hard to argue whether "Rosa Klebb", "Dr No" or "Goldfinger" have greater grandeur or repulsiveness - with three plots ofderanged implausibility and many of the dazzling set-pieces that made the early films so memorable.


Background: With 1,8M new cases and 1,6M deaths in 2012 worldwide, lung carcinoma is themost frequent cancer in men and the most fatal one in both males and females. Platinum-derivatives chemotherapy currently remains one of the most potent treatments available to physicians. Its main and first representative, cisplatin, is currently administered slowly by I.V. infusion and high hydration with mannitol 5% solution before and after treatment in order to reduce its cumulative dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. The pulmonary administration of chemotherapy is a promising route as it could increase drug concentration close to the tumor while decreasing its systemic concentration and the related adverse effects.Materials & Methods: Cisplatin solution was administered once to CD-1 female mice at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg, either intravenously through the caudal vein or under anesthesia by endotracheal instillation to the lungs with a Microsprayer IA-1C (Penn-Century Inc., Philadelphia, USA). Blood, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen and mediastinum were removed at different times postadministration (n=5), weighted and digested in nitric acid at 60°C under ultrasonication. Samples were then analyzed for platinum concentration with a SpectrAA 300 absorption spectrometer equipped with a graphite furnace GTA-96 (Varian, Mulgrave, Australia) under specific electrothermic programs depending on the type of matrix.Results: The ETAAS appeared to be a reliable, fast and accurate method to quantify the platinum content in blood and different organs. The pharmacokinetic of cisplatin in mice lungs obtained after local delivery versus systemic delivery exhibits a 3-fold increase in total platinum concentration in the lungs associated with a 10-, 4- and 5-fold decrease in blood, kidneys and liver expositions, respectively. It also exhibits a 22-, 5- and 5-fold decrease of peak concentrations in blood, kidneys and liver, respectively.Conclusion and perspectives: The pulmonary route seems a promising approach to increase the therapeutic index of cisplatin in lung cancer as it increases its lung concentration and decreases its blood and kidney concentrations. The development of cisplatin-based dry powders for inhalation is now ongoing to assess their tolerance, toxicity, efficacy and convenience.


The transient pool boiling heat transfer during rapid cooling was investigated under the saturated water condition. The quenching method was applied, and the vertical rodlet was used as the test specimen. The effects of material property, test specimen size, groove structure, and chromium coating were studied. The small heat capacity and small volume-to-area ratio (VAR) made the quenching duration shorter. In the groove-structured test specimen, the vapor film on the structured portion collapsed earlier than on the plain portion, which could be due to the small local VAR of the structured portion. It caused the groove-structured test specimen to exhibit a shorter quenching duration than the plain test specimen, though both test specimens had almost the same averaged VAR. This implies that the quenching duration and position of the vapor film rupture can be actively controlled by the surface structure. The influence of chromium coating on the quenching duration was preliminarily tested using niobium for accident tolerant fuel (ATF) application in a nuclear light water reactor. The chromium-coated niobium test specimen exhibited a somewhat longer quenching duration than the non-coated one.


The Polish adept Michael Sendivogius had a definite influence in Queen Christina's Sweden through the botanist Johannes Franck's alchemical allegory "Colloquium with Mountain Gods" (1651). It describes the genealogy of generations of a royal family that finally bring forth the daughter Aurelia aurea - the perfect gold. Sendivogius' work with boiling heavenly dew is implied and described as working "de rore coeli". Franck also sees Sendivogius' prophecy of a new metallic monarchy in the North as the coming of Elias Artista. In 1639, the "Fratres roris cocti" were said to have used a play on the word LVX from the sixteenth theorem in John Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica (1564) as constructed out of X – St. Andrew's cross. The Dane Olaus Borrichius noted the wordplay and explained that F.R.C. would thus be the mark of the "brothers of boiled dew" and a sign for the Rose Cross.


Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of natalizumab and fingolimod in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients in real-world clinical setting.
Methods: We enrolled 391 patients starting either natalizumab or fingolimod for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, referred to four multiple sclerosis centers between March 2007 and July 2013. Cumulative proportion of patients free from any disease activity, as defined by freedom from relapse, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) progression, new or newly enlarging T2 lesions, and gadolinium enhancing lesions at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was assessed at 12-month follow-up.
Results: Out of 391 patients, 197 were treated with natalizumab and 194 with fingolimod. The cumulative proportion of patients free from any disease activity was 72.0% in the natalizumab and 59.1% in the fingolimod group (P=0.014). This proportion was lower in fingolimod patients with prior natalizumab exposure compared to those without (51.7% vs. 61.8%; P=0.008). Moreover, the cumulative proportion of patients free from new MRI lesions was 87.5% in the natalizumab vs. 70.0% in the fingolimod group (P<0.001); the cumulative proportion of patients free from clinical relapse was 82.5% in the natalizumab vs. 81.3% in the fingolimod group (P=0.739); 93.5% of patients on natalizumab were free from EDSS progression compared to 89.6% of patients on fingolimod (P=0.186).
Conclusions: Results from 1-year follow-up of treatment suggest higher efficacy of natalizumab compared to fingolimod in terms of proportion of patients free from any disease activity.


Preface Part I. Introduction: 1. Process tracing: from philosophical roots to best practices Andrew Bennett and Jeffrey T. Checkel Part II. Process Tracing in Action: 2. Process tracing the effects of ideas Alan M. Jacobs 3. Mechanisms, process, and the study of international institutions Jeffrey T. Checkel 4. Efficient process tracing: analyzing the causal mechanisms of European integration Frank Schimmelfennig 5. What makes process tracing good? Causal mechanisms, causal inference, and the completeness standard in comparative politics David Waldner 6. Explaining the Cold War's end: process tracing all the way down? Matthew Evangelista 7. Process tracing, causal inference, and civil war Jason Lyall Part III. Extensions, Controversies, and Conclusions: 8. Improving process tracing: the case of multi-method research Thad Dunning 9. Practice tracing Vincent Pouliot 10. Beyond metaphors: standards, theory, and the 'where next' for process tracing Jeffrey T. Checkel and Andrew Bennett Appendix. Disciplining our conjectures: systematizing process tracing with Bayesian analysis.


Interannual variation of Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) is linked to El Niño-Southern oscillation (ENSO) as well as the Equatorial Indian Ocean oscillation (EQUINOO) with the link with the seasonal value of the ENSO index being stronger than that with the EQUINOO index. We show that the variation of a composite index determined through bivariate analysis, explains 54% of ISMR variance, suggesting a strong dependence of the skill of monsoon prediction on the skill of prediction of ENSO and EQUINOO. We explored the possibility of prediction of the Indian rainfall during the summer monsoon season on the basis of prior values of the indices. We find that such predictions are possible for July–September rainfall on the basis of June indices and for August–September rainfall based on the July indices. This will be a useful input for second and later stage forecasts made after the commencement of the monsoon season.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how private pension supervisors in selected jurisdictions monitor and address lost pension accounts and unclaimed pension assets or benefits and draw supervisory implications.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on the survey on private pension schemes of selected International Organisation of Pension Supervisors member jurisdictions.FindingsThis paper finds that there are differences in severity of the issue of lost pension accounts and unclaimed pension benefits among jurisdictions, and that pension supervisors/regulators differ with regard to awareness of and approaches taken to handle this issue. Some jurisdictions show a well-established systematic approach to deal effectively with the problem of lost pension accounts or unclaimed benefits, while other jurisdictions are yet to recognise and tackle the issue.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first larger cross-country study on lost pension accounts and unclaimed benefits in private pension schemes. The paper presents international comparison of this issue in 32 different jurisdictions and provides examples of good supervisory or regulatory practices.


The importance of analysing the effects of changes in liquidity spreads for long maturities on both costs and wealth increases with the increasing importance of capital market-based refinancing by banks. The present study proposes a present value based approach for middle-sized banks. It enables to measure the impact of the extreme change in the institution's own liquidity and spreads on the current liquidity situation by investigating the entire maturity horizon to a dangerous extent. Different scenarios for refinancing alternatives due to the different developments of the liquidity spreads can be analysed straightforwardly. This enables a rapid assessment of the risk situation over the modelled time. In the dynamized version, which covers the planning horizon, the interest rate effects arising over time are also made visible. The result of the model approach is suitable for strategic decisions in planning the refinancing structure under alternative conditions.


This article focuses on the epistemological and normative crisis of the critique of power, which was initiated by the ontological generalization of the concept follow-ing Hannah Arendt's and Michel Foucault's theories of power. The challenge for a contemporary critique of power lies in conceptualizing power both as a relation of inequality (power over) and as collective agency (power to), and in articulating this combination in a normative perspective. The article argues that this task can be fulfilled if, in a first step, power is differentiated from violence; and if, in a sec-ond step, their historical intersections in the forms of «power to violence» and of «power of violence» can be worked out. These forms of power are accompanied by the effects of social rupture and reification, which offer criteria for a normative critique of power.


171 Abstract—Fly ash is a waste produced mostly from the burning of coal in thermal power stations, which contributes to environmental pollution. Also, a number of studies have been conducted to investigate the influence of randomly oriented fibers on the engineering behavior of coarse grained and fine grained soils. The influence of randomly oriented polypropylene fibers on the engineering behavior of soil fly ash mixtures has not been reported so as much detail as in the case of the soils. The purpose of this investigation was to identify and quantify the influence of fiber variables (content and length) on performance of fiber reinforced soilfly ash specimens. A series of laboratory unconfined compression strength tests and California bearing ratio tests were carried. Polypropylene fibers with different fiber length (6mm, 12mm and 24 mm) were used as reinforcement. Soil -fly ash specimens were compacted at maximum dry density with low percentage of reinforcement (0 to 1.50 % of weight).Four primary conclusions were obtained from this investigation. First, inclusion of randomly distributed fibers significantly improved the unconfined compressive strength of soil fly ash mixtures. Second, increase in fiber length reduced the contribution to peak compressive strength while increased the contribution to strain energy absorption capacity in all soil fly ash mixtures. Third, an optimum dosage rate of fibers was identified as 1.00 % by dry weight of soilfly ash, for all soil fly ash mixtures. Fourth, a maximum performance was achieved with fiber length of 12mm as reinforcement of soil fly ash specimens


Grazer-induced colony formation in the common green alga Scenedesmus acutus may be interpreted as an anti-grazer defense. Costs are to be expected because otherwise the protected colonial morph would be the norm. Analysis of growth rates, light harvesting in terms of photosystem II (PSII) efficiency using Xe-PAM fluorescence measurements and sedimentation rates were compared among unicellular and induced colonial populations. No differences in growth rates and PSII efficiency were detected between unicellular and colonial populations. However, colonial populations had higher settling velocities than unicellular populations. Hence, costs may be attributed to enhanced sinking out of the euphotic zone resulting in reduced growth due to lower light and temperature in deeper water layers.


Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is an inflammatory epidermal disorder associated with physical or immunological provocation that results in impaired skin barrier. The prevalence of ICD is found to be 17-30% in healthcare workers compared to general population. The first-line management strategies of ICD is based on prevention. Intensive hand cleansing is one of the causes of ICD. Hand hygiene is general term that refers to any action of hand cleansing. Hand hygiene practices include hand washing and hand rubbing with antiseptics. Hand hygiene is the most effective preventive measure in preventing infection control, especially in the era of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019. This disease is transmitted through inhalation or contact with infected droplets. Prevention and mitigation actions are key in controlling infection.


Using global case data for the period from 25 November 2003 to 10 March 2007, we construct a network of plausible transmission pathways for the spread of avian influenza among domestic and wild birds. The network structure we obtain is complex and exhibits scale-free (although not necessarily small-world) properties. Communities within this network are connected with a distribution of links with infinite variance. Hence, the disease transmission model does not exhibit a threshold and so the infection will continue to propagate even with very low transmissibility. Consequentially, eradication with methods applicable to locally homogeneous populations is not possible. Any control measure needs to focus explicitly on the hubs within this network structure.


This article builds on discussions about the potential benefits and difficulties with developing a universal definition of indigenous peoples. It explores the spaces made available for theorizing indigeneity by the lack of a definition in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007. Specifically, this article addresses the challenge presented by the diversity of groups claiming indigenous status in Brazil. To what extent do distinct cosmologies and languages that mark Amazonian Indians as unquestionably indigenous affect newly recognized tribes in the rest of Brazil who share none of the indicia of authenticity? This article theorizes how to situate these newly recognized tribes within the context of the Declaration and addresses what the Brazilian experience has to offer in providing openings for claims that might have been made through alternative means, such as land reform and international cultural heritage rights.


Developing software in a stipulated time frame and within a budget is not good enough if the product developed is full of bugs and today end users are demanding higher quality software than ever before. Project lifecycle starts with pre- Project work all the way through to post-Project. Projects need to be set up correctly from the beginning to ensure success. As the software market matures, users want to be assured of quality. In order to check such unpleasant incidents or potential problems lurking around the corner for software development teams, we need a quality framework, that not only to assess the common challenges that are likely to come in the way while executing the projects but also to focus on winning the deal during proposal stage. Our research paper is an honest appraisal of the reasons behind the failure of projects and an attempt to address valuable pointers for the successes of future projects. "Coalesced Quality Management Framework (CQMF)" is a theoretical model to bring the best of Quality to the work products developed and to gain the firsthand knowledge of all the projects, defects, and quality metrics and report to the Management so that missed deadlines and enhancement of budget are avoided providing an opportunity to deliver the end product to the satisfaction of the customer. With this framework the project stakeholders and the management constantly validate what is built and verify how it is being built.


We investigated the effects of the neuropeptide met-enkephalin on histamine-induced bronhoconstriction in an experimental model of asthma. Classic Konzett and Rössler's method of whole body plethysmography modified by Gjuris, was applied in the study. This method represents a standard experimental model of bronchoconstriction, suitable for the evaluation of peptide effects on the histamine-induced bronchoconstriction. The results of the measurements implicate a dose-related modulatory effect of met-enkephalin on the bronchoconstrictor action of histamine. Met-enkephalin doses of 1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, respectively, caused statistically significant reduction of the histamine-induced bronchoconstriction. Estimated ED50 dose was 0.235 mg/kg. Further studies are needed to define practical and therapeutical use of the presented observations in respiratory pharmacology.


We present a deterministic method to compute the Gaussian average of neural networks used in regression and classification. Our method is based on an equivalence between training with a particular regularized loss, and the expected values of Gaussian averages. We use this equivalence to certify models which perform well on clean data but are not robust to adversarial perturbations. In terms of certified accuracy and adversarial robustness, our method is comparable to known stochastic methods such as randomized smoothing, but requires only a single model evaluation during inference.