This study seeks to analyse the philosophical ideas and objectives of legalization of environmental law in the form of spatial policy, which is legislated within the national scope, with its implementation in the local sphere. Using the study of qualitative research and socio legal approach techniques, this study attempts to describe the orientation change of the philosophical idea of environmental law and spatial regulation by the central government to its practical application at the local regulatory level, which often clashes directly with various industrial, business interests, housing, and settlements and other spatial usage. In addition, to analyse more concretely, this study took the case object of Semarang City in Central Java. The results of this study indicate that the initial and philosophical goals of spatial policy enactment may change locally through conflict of interests and structural, legal, economic and political issues. More specifically within the scope of Semarang City, this change in policy direction is heavily influenced by economic and business considerations. The findings are expected to provide a more meaningful discourse and policy direction for policymakers in realizing the implementation of laws related to the environment in a more synchronous, effective and balanced. The originality of this research lies in the attempt to provide concrete evidence of a shift in legal orientation, by taking environmental law cases.


Experimental data on the antioxidant activity of grape juice, grape concentrates and wine from grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Saperavi from Crimea and Krasnodar regions was presented. Flavonoids are presented in the form of glycosides of such anthocyanins as delphinidin, malvidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin and also by quercetin and its glycoside, (+)-D-catechin and (-)-epicatechin. Oligomeric procyanidins, which are condensed catechol units (2-6) soluble in water, are presented in significant amounts, and polymeric procyanidins with the amount catechin units greater than 7, insoluble in water, constituted the bulk of polyphenols od wine and concentrates from red grapes (no juice). Among non-flavonoid polyphenols hydroxybenzoic (gallic, syringic) and hydroxycinnamic (caftaric, cautaric) acids are identified, the relative content of which in the amount of polyphenols in the juice is maximum, and minimum is in concentrates. It was found that antioxidant activity for all products in standard Trolox method can be estimated by the equation: Y = 0.53627+0.1395X+0.080439X2-0.00064708X3, with a correlation coefficient r = 0.9952; where: Y--antioxidant activity, g/dm3 by Trolox method; X--mass concentration of phenolic substances on the Folin-Ciocalteu, g/dm3. The equation is valid for Y = 0.76-196.22; X = 1.0-82.67. The results of biological testing of wines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Saperavi and polyphenol concentrates from grape on the biological model of bioluminescent bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi Sh1 demonstrated the applicability of bioassay to assess the antioxidant activity, which correlates well with the polyphenols content and antioxidant activity by trolox method.


The discrete state space representation of the cascade of linear reservoirs model was used in this case study as the basis for a multilinear flood routing model. The time distribution scheme of model inputs was employed in the setup of the multilinear model and the travel-time parameter of the model was allowed to vary with discharge. The relationship between the flood wave-speed and the discharge for a reach of the Morava River between Moravský Svätý Ján and Záhorská Ves was studied. Five empirical models of that relation have been considered that would fit the data and would be consistent with the physical interpretation of the factors determining the relation. Empirical relations between the wave-speed and discharge were derived for the given river reach using engineering reasoning, linear and nonlinear regression and artificial neural networks. These relationships were used to model the variability of the time parameter in the discrete linear cascade flow routing model. The performance of the multilinear model was verified on ten flood waves. The modelling results showed that the inclusion of empirical information on the variability of the wave-speed with discharge enables satisfactory accuracy of the prediction of the flood propagation process without needing to calibrate the model on pairs of input-output hydrographs. The problem of choosing an appropriate wave-speed discharge relationship was briefly discussed.


In this second part of this two-part article, we present two examples of integrating heterogeneous processors and show the limitation of integrating processors without native support for cache coherence. Finally, we discuss the Verilog simulation results of applying our techniques to actual heterogeneous multiprocessor platforms. Experiments with actual heterogeneous multiprocessor platforms on a shared-bus measure the effectiveness of two cache coherence techniques. This integration approach, snoop-hit buffer, and the accompanying region-based cache coherence approach yield significant speedups compared to a pure software solution.


The spatial diversity of meiofauna from sea grass beds of Pujada Bay (the Philippines), was studied with special emphasis on harpacticoid copepods. Sediment cores were obtained from areas adjacent to the different species of sea grasses. Meiofauna was enumerated at higher taxon level and harpacticoid copepods were identified to genus level. Diversity indices were calculated corresponding to the hierarchical levels of spatial biodiversity, i.e. alpha, beta and gamma. Nematodes were the most abundant meiofaunal group in all sediment layers and along the entire tidal gradient (37–92%); harpacticoids were second in abundance (3.0–40.6%) but highly diverse (N0: 9.33–15.5) at the uppermost sediment layer (0–1 cm) near all beds of sea grass species. There was a sharp turnover of harpacticoid genera along the tidal gradient, thus suggesting a relatively low proportion of shared genera among benthic communities in different sea grass zones. The families of Tetragonicipitidae and Miraciidae were the dominant harpacticoid groups occurring in all sediment layers of all sea grass species. The presence of the epiphytic genera of Metis at the deepest sediment layers in some sea grass species was striking. Overall, the major contributor to gamma (total) diversity of harpacticoid copepods in Pujada Bay is the high local (alpha) diversity (N0: 80.6%, H′: 94.7% of total diversity); hence, the habitat heterogeneity among sediment layers in sea grass beds is most relevant for the total diversity and richness of harpacticoid copepod genera in the area.


Forces generated by cells play a vital role in many cellular processes such as cell spreading, motility, differentiation and apoptosis. Understanding the mechanics of single cells is essential to delineate the link between cellular force generation/sensing and function. MEMS sensors, because of their small size and fine force/displacement resolution, are ideal for force and displacement sensing at the single-cell level. In addition, the amenability of MEMS sensors to batch fabrication methods allows the study of large cell populations simultaneously, leading to robust statistical studies. In this paper, we discuss various microsystems used for studying cell mechanics and the insights on cell mechanical behavior that have resulted from their use. The advantages and limitations of these microsystems for biological studies are also outlined.


The study evaluated the ecology of soil invertebrate faunal communities in periodically flooded forest (CF) fragments and anthropic fields (AF) in the Atlantic Forest. The sampling occurred in the rainy and dry seasons using pitfall traps. We estimated the total activity, richness, diversity, and evenness as well as the activity of the taxonomic and functional groups. Total activity and richness varied as a function of seasonality. Entomobryomorpha, Poduromorpha, and Symphypleona were the most representative taxonomic groups. Enchytraeidae and Blattaria were exclusive to CF. Auchenorrhyncha, Chilopoda, Heteroptera, and Thysanoptera were exclusive to AF. The functional group of microphagous/saprophagous (M/S) showed the highest activity, independent of the environment and season. Greater dissimilarity was observed among the invertebrate fauna in AF when compared to CF. Periodically flooded areas favored groups from the saprophagous trophic guild, while AF areas favored predator and herbivore groups. Soil fauna present in forest environments presented less seasonal variability.


In the present study we analyzed the bat assemblage of the granitic cave Gruta do Riacho Subterrâneo and its surroundings (Itu, Sao Paulo state, Brazil) aiming to verify the influence of seasonality on its species composition and population abundances. Five samplings were carried out with three days of duration each, along the period from October 2013 to September 2014. Captures of bats were performed by setting mist nets in cave entrances, its interior and surroundings, making a total capture effort of 6,090 m2.h. Our results indicate that this cave is shelter for a rich bat assemblage with fifteen species captured. Carollia perspicillata, Desmodus rotundus and Myotis sp. were the most abundant species. A comparison of the assemblage composition with that of other caves of Sao Paulo state revealed that its composition is very similar and typical of the Atlantic Forest Atlantic cave chiropterofauna independently of cave lithology. A multiple regression analysis performed to check for the existence of correlation between the seasonal fluctuation of the climatic variables temperature, pluviosity and air humidity did not reveal significant relationships among these and the changes in the abundance of bats. However, the analysis of canonical correspondence including these variables and also moonlight luminosity indicated a significant relationship of the changes in bat abundance with the air relative humidity. Changes in bat abundances are probably related to the seasonality in food availability. The accumulation curve obtained from the relationship between the accumulated richness of species and the number of samples showed that more samplings are required to reach the asymptote of species richness. Considering that Gruta do Riacho Subterrâneo is the largest granitic cave in Brazil and that it shelters a high number of bat species, including common and rare species, we suggests the preservation of this cave for maintenance of bat diversity in Sao Paulo state.


On June 4, 1991, AGU Fellow Joseph Fairfield Poland died in a Sacramento, Calif., hospital at the age of 83 after a long fight with Parkinson's Disease. A recognized expert on land subsidence and a retiree from the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division, his death occurred only 2 weeks after the end of the 4th International Symposium on Land Subsidence, held in Houston, Tex. Frequently known as "Mr. Land Subsidence," it was appropriate that the proceedings of that symposium had been dedicated to him.

Born in Boston, Poland earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Harvard University in 1929. He was resident geologist for Tropical Oil Company in Colombia from 1929 to 1931. After returning to the United States, Poland earned his master's degree in geology from Stanford University in 1935, taught groundwater hydrology, and consulted on groundwater and geophysical problems in the West and Southwest.


Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and nephropathy—now the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and dialysis in Europe and the United States. Inflammation and oxidative stress play a pivotal role in the development of diabetic complications. Silymarin, an herbal drug with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may improve glycemic control and prevent the progression of the complications. In a systematic review and meta-analysis including five randomized controlled trials and 270 patients, routine silymarin administration determines a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels (−26.86 mg/dL; 95% CI −35.42–18.30) and HbA1c levels (−1.07; 95% CI −1.73–0.40) and has no effect on lipid profile. Benefits for silymarin on proteinuria and CKD progressions are reported in only one small study and are uncertain. However, being aware of the low quality of the available evidence and elevated heterogeneity of these studies, no recommendation can be made and further studies are needed.


A multiscale stability study of foams stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and sodium polyoxyethylene alkylether sulfate (AES) was conducted, to investigate the relationship of surfactant molecular behavior and interfacial monolayer configuration of foam film to the foam film properties. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations using a full-atom model was utilized to explore the microscopic features of the air/liquid interface layer. Several parameters such as the distribution of surfactant head groups and the order degree of surfactant hydrophobic tails were used to describe the molecular adsorption behavior. The effect of molecular structure on the nature of the foam film and the impact on the dynamic stability of wet foam is discussed. In the experimental evaluation, the SDBS foam films manifest strong stiffness and low viscoelasticity as shown by the interfacial shear rheology determination as well as texture analyzer (TA) measurement results, which agree very well with the array behavior of SDBS molecules at the air/water interface as described by the simulation results and is identified to be the reason for the poor dynamic stability. Comparing the molecular structure of SDS, SDBS, and AES, the special contributions of the linking groups such as the O atom, the phenyl group, and the EO (oxyethyl) chain to the interfacial array behavior of surfactants were characterized. It is concluded that microhardness of the foam film enhanced by rigid linking groups favors static foam stability but decreases the dynamic foam stability, while viscoelasticity of the foam film enhanced by soft linking groups increases the dynamic foam stability.


The Al2-xCrxO3 powders with dopant contents ranging from x = 0.005 to 0.35 have been prepared by sol-gel method. The powders were prepared from aluminium nitrate Al(NO3)3·9H2O, chrome nitrate Cr(NO3)3·9H2O, and citric acid and heat-treated at 650-1300°C for 5 h. The effect of dopant concentration and heat-treating temperature on the structural and optical properties of the synthesized samples has been studied. The results showed that the structure, the size and optical properties of Al2-xCrxO3 crystallites strongly depended on the mole fraction x and heating temperature. At low heating temperatures, the samples with the low mole fraction x exhibit γ-Al2O3 phase and the emission spectra consist of a broad asymmetric peak with the maximum at 691 nm. With the high mole fraction x, the samples consist of α-Al2O3 and Cr2O3 phases. By increasing the mole fraction x, the emission bands are broadened and shifted towards the long-wavelength side. At high heating temperatures, all the synthesized samples are α-Al2O3 single phase and the emission spectra mainly consist of lines at 691.6 and 693.2 nm. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2011.531]


Abstract
Since 1985, Advances in Special Education has aspired to advance theories and best practices essential to understanding, treating, and instructing students with disabilities. At times, advancement involves vision and innovation. At other times, new technologies, cutting edge medical procedures, or innovate pedagogical practices capture the attention of special education professionals globally and substantial changes can result in the way students with special needs are instructed. This volume in Special Education International Perspectives invites a call for common ground and global commonalities in all schools. The main theme of this chapter is that teachers matter. The chapter reviews two decade of scientific evidence that supports this theme. The scientific evidence comes from neuroscience and social cognition findings related to the importance of the teacher–student interaction. Environmental influences are not only the physical world but the all-important social world. The chapter begins with an overview of the "social" brain relative to teaching. A practical guide for teacher use of evidence-based educational practices concludes the chapter.


Objective: The work aimed to obtain an optimum formula of diflunisal transethosome by varying the types and concentrations of edge activators and optimizing the method of preparations.
Methods: Sonication amplitude and sonication time were optimized based on vesicle size and polydispersity index (PDI). Transethosome formulation using different types and concentrations of edge activators would be characterized, including vesicle size, PDI, zeta potential, morphology, entrapment efficiency, and deformability index, which were carried out using the optimum sonication method to formulate the optimum formula.
Results: The result indicates that 30% sonication amplitude for 5 min resulted in the smallest vesicle size with the lowest PDI. Also, F4 containing span 80 as edge activators at a concentration of 0.75% achieved the most favorable outcome, with a spherical shape, vesicle size of 75.32 nm, a PDI of 0.247, a zeta potential of-32.93mV, entrapment efficiency of 75.66% and deformability index of 40.45.
Conclusion: Sonication time of 5 min with an amplitude of 30% is proven to produce optimum diflunisal transethosome, and in comparison to other vesicles, diflunisal transethosome using span 80 was able to have excellent vesicle characteristics, making it extremely promising to be developed as a transdermal delivery system.


Low elevation flank eruptions represent highly hazardous events due to their location near, or in, communities. Their potentially high effusion rates can feed fast moving lava flows that enter populated areas with little time for warning or evacuation, as was the case at Nyiragongo in 1977. The January–March 1974 eruption on the western flank of Mount Etna, Italy, was a low elevation effusive event, but with low effusion rates. It consisted of two eruptive phases, separated by 23 days of quiescence, and produced two lava flow fields. We describe the different properties of the two lava flow fields through structural and morphological analyses using UAV-based photogrammetry, plus textural and rheological analyses of samples. Phase I produced lower density (∼2,210 kg m−3) and crystallinity (∼37%) lavas at higher eruption temperatures (∼1,080°C), forming thinner (2–3 m) flow units with less-well-developed channels than Phase II. Although Phase II involved an identical source magma, it had higher densities (∼2,425 kg m−3) and crystallinities (∼40%), and lower eruption temperatures (∼1,030°C), forming thicker (5 m) flow units with well-formed channels. These contrasting properties were associated with distinct rheologies, Phase I lavas having lower viscosities (∼103 Pa s) than Phase II (∼105 Pa s). Effusion rates were higher during Phase I (≥5 m3/s), but the episodic, short-lived nature of each lava flow emplacement event meant that flows were volume-limited and short (≤1.5 km). Phase II effusion rates were lower (≤4 m3/s), but sustained effusion led to flow units that could still extend 1.3 km, although volume limits resulted from levee failure and flow avulsion to form new channels high in the lava flow system. We present a petrologically-based model whereby a similar magma fed both phases, but slower ascent during Phase II may have led to greater degrees of degassing resulting in higher cooling-induced densities and crystallinities, as well as lower temperatures. We thus define a low effusion rate end-member scenario for low elevation effusive events, revealing that such events are not necessarily of high effusion rate and velocity, as in the catastrophic event scenarios of Etna 1669 or Kilauea 2018.


The aim of this paper is twofold: (a) to briefly describe the damage caused to historical, residential and industrial buildings by the May 2012 seismic events in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy; and (b) to summarize novel repair and rehabilitation technologies that can be available to practitioners to fix damaged structures or to upgrade undamaged ones. Field inspections after the Emilia Romagna earthquakes showed that seismic vulnerability in that region was primarily due to the lack of seismic detailing in modern buildings, and the presence of heavy nonstructural masses in historical buildings. The novel retrofit technologies discussed in this paper are based on the use of non-conventional or relatively recent material systems where the reinforcement is in the form of continuous or chopped fibers.


In a recent study we used an interdisciplinary approach combining linguistics, archaeology and genetics to analyse the Transeurasian languages1. Our analysis concluded that the early dispersals of these languages were driven by agriculture. A preprint published on this server presents objections to the Transeurasian hypothesis and its association with farming dispersals2. However, close inspection of that text reveals numerous misinterpretations and inconsistencies. In the interest of furthering scientific debate over Transeurasian language and population history, we address the critiques, revising datasets and fine-tuning approaches. The linguistic critique questions the quantity and quality of our datasets. Here we show that the number of surviving cognate sets for Transeurasian is in line with that for well-established language families. In addition, we find that Tian et al.'s failure to reject a core of regularly corresponding cognates in the basic vocabulary creates ground for a consensus about the genealogical relatability of the Transeurasian languages. The archaeological critique attempts a re-analysis of one Bayesian test using re-scored data only for northern China. Over half of the suggested re-scorings contain inconsistencies and it is not explained why the re-analysis retains the original data for sites outside northern China, comprising almost 60% of the total. More importantly, the sweeping claim that there is no evidence supporting the prehistoric migrations analysed in our study is not backed by any discussion of the archaeological record. With respect to genetics, the preprint claims a re-analysis showing that the data 'do not conclusively support the farming-driven dispersal of Turkic, Mongolian, and Tungusic, nor the two-wave spread of farming to Korea.' In fact, the only genetic re-analysis presented is limited to samples from Korea and Japan and does not contradict our original conservative modelling of Neolithic individuals with Hongshan and our Bronze Age ones with Upper Xiajiadian. In sum, in bringing multiple lines of evidence together through triangulation, we gained a more balanced and richer understanding of Transeurasian dispersals than each discipline could provide individually. Our research doubtless leaves room for improvement but we remain confident that triangulation did not 'fail', but rather brought us a step closer to understanding the history of the Transeurasian languages.


An intradermal (ID) test (a delayed-type hypersensitivity test) was used for the diagnosis of BHV-1 infection in cattle. A threshold value for the test positive results was established based on the analysis of the agreement between the results of ID test and those of virus neutralization (VN24) assay. Linear regression analysis revealed no correlation between the intensity of the skin reaction (expressed as an increase in skin-fold thickness) and the VN24 antibody titre. The sensitivity and specificity of the ID test compared to VN24 one, were 86.6% and 98.3% respectively. Of the 487 cattle with an age of over 6 months, 25 (5.1%) reacted discordantly by ID and VN24 tests, i.e. 19 seropositive animals expressed little or no skin reaction, whereas 6 seronegative individuals were positive by ID. Neither of the calves, with passively acquired antibodies in contrast to experimentally infected ones, showed distinctive skin reaction.


The subcellular distribution of Gs alpha (the alpha-subunit of guanine nucleotide-binding stimulatory protein of adenylyl cyclase) was examined in interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) to determine (1) if Gs alpha is completely colocalized with adenylyl cyclase in the plasma membrane, and (2) whether cold exposure, which increases adenylyl cyclase activity, changes the subcellular distribution of Gs alpha. Subcellular fractions were prepared from IBAT by differential centrifugation and analyzed for Gs alpha by immunoblotting. Adenylyl cyclase activity and Gs alpha were detected in all the subcellular fractions except the cytosol. The plasma membrane fraction showed the greatest enrichment of adenylyl cyclase and Gs alpha. However, the enrichment of adenylyl cyclase in the plasma membrane fraction was greater than that for Gs alpha, which was also associated to a large degree with the mitochondrial fraction. Thus, compared with the mitochondrial fraction, both 5' nucleotidase and adenylyl cyclase were enriched by over 200% in the plasma membrane fraction, but Gs alpha was enriched by only 50%. Exposure of rats to 4 degrees C for 3 days increased fluoride-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity, but did not increase the amount of immunoreactive Gs alpha in any of the subcellular fractions examined. The above results demonstrate that not all Gs alpha in IBAT is colocalized with adenylyl cyclase in the plasma membrane. The finding that cold exposure did not change the subcellular distribution of Gs alpha indicates that the cold-induced increase in adenylyl cyclase activity is not due to translocation of Gs alpha from subcellular compartments to the plasma membrane.


Lethality after respiratory infection with influenza A virus (IAV) is associated with potent immune activation and lung tissue damage. In a well-controlled animal model of infection, we sought to determine if one could predict lethality using transcriptional information obtained from whole blood early after influenza virus exposure. We started with publicly available transcriptomic data from the lung, which is the primary site of the infection and pathology, to derive a multigene transcriptional signature of death reflective of innate inflammation associated with tissue damage. We refined this affected tissue signature with data from infected mouse and human blood to develop and validate a machine learning model that can robustly predict survival in mice after IAV challenge using data obtained from as little as 10 μl of blood from early time points post infection. Furthermore, in genetically identical, cohoused mice infected with the same viral bolus, the same model can predict the lethality of individual animals but, intriguingly, only within a specific time window that overlapped with the early effector phase of adaptive immunity. These findings raise the possibility of predicting disease outcome in respiratory virus infections with blood transcriptional data and pave the way for translating such approaches to humans.


Alcohol related crime and disorder within the night-time economy on a Friday and Saturday night is a major problem in towns and cities all over the country. It is estimated that it costs £7.3 billion each year with at least 90 per cent of assaults being alcohol related with the victim and/or offender having consumed alcohol in the 4 hours leading up to the incident. This study aims to evaluate 'what works' in reducing alcohol related crime and disorder within the night-time economy by reviewing the relationship between alcohol and crime and applying this to licensed premises in town and city centres. This is further compounded by a case study of various areas of Manchester city centre including interviews with licensees, the police and consumers themselves. The results highlight that government strategies in the past have been contradictory and confusing based not on evidence but on what will win them the most votes. Whilst this may change with the election of the Coalition Government in May 2010 it is clear from the research that crime reduction strategies are more successful when implemented on a local level. With regards to the future, targeting off-licenses which sell cheap alcohol in bulk must be a priority so as to tackle the issue of 'pre-loading' at home and the associated problems. Using a multi-agency approach to target problem premises on an individual basis through enforcement and prevention, particularly crime prevention through environmental design is also recommended as is working with universities to reduce the prevalence of student binge drinking and its implications.


Several recent studies explore how American politicians represent the policy views of subconstituencies within the electorate. We extend this perspective to 12 West European democracies over the period 1973–2002 to examine how mainstream parties responded to electoral subconstituencies. We find that parties were highly responsive to the views of opinion leaders, i.e., citizens who regularly engaged in political discussions and persuasion; by contrast we find no evidence that other types of voters substantively influenced parties' policy programmes. We also identify significant time lags in mainstream parties' responses to opinion leaders' policy beliefs. Our findings have interesting implications for subconstituency representation, for understanding parties' internal policymaking processes, and for spatial modeling.


Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy with almost one million people living with thyroid cancer in the United States. Although early-stage well-differentiated thyroid cancers account for the majority of thyroid cancers on diagnosis and have excellent survival rates, the incidence of advanced-stage disease has increased over the past few years and confers poorer prognosis. Until recently, patients with advanced thyroid cancer had limited therapeutic options. However, the landscape of thyroid cancer treatment has dramatically changed in the past decade with the current availability of several novel effective therapeutic options, leading to significant advances and improved patient outcomes in the management of advanced disease. In this review, we summarize the current status of advanced thyroid cancer treatment options and discuss recent advances made in targeted therapies that have proven promising to clinically benefit patients with advanced thyroid cancer.


Background Pulpitis is a common inflammatory disease that affects dental pulp. It is important to understand the molecular signals of inflammation and repair associated with this process. Increasing evidence has revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), via competitively sponging microRNAs (miRNAs), can act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to regulate inflammation and reparative responses. The aim of this study was to elucidate the potential roles of lncRNA, miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) ceRNA networks in pulpitis tissues compared to normal control tissues. Methods The oligo and limma packages were used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs (DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs, respectively) based on expression profiles in two datasets, GSE92681 and GSE77459, from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were further analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and modules were established to screen hub genes using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) and the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plugin for Cytoscape, respectively. Furthermore, an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-hub genes regulatory network was constructed to investigate mechanisms related to the progression and prognosis of pulpitis. Then, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to verify critical lncRNAs that may significantly affect the pathogenesis in inflamed and normal human dental pulp. Results A total of 644 upregulated and 264 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in pulpitis samples were identified from the GSE77459 dataset, while 8 up- and 19 downregulated probes associated with lncRNA were identified from the GSE92681 dataset. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) based on STRING analysis revealed a network of DEGs containing 4,929 edges and 623 nodes. Upon combined analysis of the constructed PPI network and the MCODE results, 10 hub genes, including IL6, IL8, PTPRC, IL1B, TLR2, ITGAM, CCL2, PIK3CG, ICAM1, and PIK3CD, were detected in the network. Next, a ceRNA regulatory relationship consisting of one lncRNA (PVT1), one miRNA (hsa-miR-455-5p) and two mRNAs (SOCS3 and PLXNC1) was established. Then, we constructed the network in which the regulatory relationship between ceRNA and hub genes was summarized. Finally, our qRT-PCR results confirmed significantly higher levels of PVT1 transcript in inflamed pulp than in normal pulp tissues (p = 0.03). Conclusion Our study identified a novel lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of pulpitis.


This paper addresses the challenge of tracking small unmanned aerial systems in urban terrain. Tracking is made up of two parts, state estimation and data association. For low, slow, small targets in the presence of other non-target movers with similar dynamics, data association is arguably the greatest challenge. In traditional trackers, measurements are associated with existing tracks based on hand-crafted dynamical models. In this paper, we present recurrent neural network (RNN) based tracker which uses both learned target dynamic models and classification scores to associate measurements with target tracks. Classification scores for each radar measurement are generated by a neural-network trained using in situ "pattern-of-life" radar data. These scores together with location estimates are then passed to RNN trackers with long-short-term-memory (LSTM) trained for each object class. In this paper, we present simulated and real data results indicating that classification scores significantly improves small UAS track holding times in urban environments.


This study examines the stock market's reaction to public announcements of corporate strategic investment decisions. It includes a wide variety of strategic decisions: formation of joint ventures, research and development projects, major capital expenditures, and diversification into new products and/or markets. Three alternative hypotheses concerning the stock market's reaction to announcements of these decisions are tested. The Shareholder Value Maximization hypothesis predicts a positive reaction to corporate investments because the stock market rewards managers for developing strategies that increase shareholder wealth. The Rational Expectations hypothesis predicts no stock price reaction because investors expect managers to undertake periodic investments in order to maintain their firms' competitive fitness. The Institutional Investors hypothesis predicts a negative reaction to announcements of corporate investments. The U.S. capital markets are dominated by institutional investors who, in pursuit of superior quarterly performance, may disdain longterm investments because they reduce short-term earnings. Analysis of 767 strategic investment decisions announced by 248 companies in 102 industries indicates that the stock market's reaction to strategic investments conforms most closely to the predictions of the Shareholder Value Maximization hypothesis. This overall finding holds for investments of varying size and duration. The implications of a positive reaction by the stock market to investment announcements are drawn for corporate strategy research and management practice.


De novo variation in SCN2A can give rise to severe childhood disorders. Biophysical gain of function in SCN2A is seen in some patients with early seizure onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). In these cases, targeted reduction in SCN2A expression could substantially improve clinical outcomes. We tested this theory by central administration of a gapmer antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting Scn2a mRNA in a mouse model of Scn2a early seizure onset DEE (Q/+ mice). Untreated Q/+ mice presented with spontaneous seizures at P1 and did not survive beyond P30. Administration of the ASO to Q/+ mice reduced spontaneous seizures and significantly extended life span. Across a range of behavioral tests, Scn2a ASO-treated Q/+ mice were largely indistinguishable from WT mice, suggesting treatment is well tolerated. A human SCN2A gapmer ASO could likewise impact the lives of patients with SCN2A gain-of-function DEE.


We start by using various economic and pedagogical concepts to understand the specificities of MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) platforms. We then discuss how the private provision of MOOCs, seen as pure public goods, can be sustained. Based on the theory of multisided platforms, we analyse five ways to monetize the MOOC business. Our conclusion is that the most sustainable approach is what we call the 'subcontractor model', flavored by touches of the other four models. We then claim that MOOC platforms can play a key transformative role in the higher education sector by making teaching practices evolve, rather than by replacing incumbent institutions. Finally, we derive a number of directions for public policy: governments should act to foster the cooperation between MOOC platforms and other higher education institutions, so as to improve the benefits that can arise from these technological innovations; a particular focus should also be given to professors in order to encourage them to innovate in their teaching practices.


In the present study, we report the cloning of a gene that is differentially expressed in normal adult rat Leydig cells and whose expression is inhibited by hCG but is induced by interferon-gamma (IFNgamma). DNA sequence analysis identified this gene as rat IFNgamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), a member of the -C-X-C- chemokine superfamily of proinflammatory cytokines. High levels of IP-10 messenger RNA (mRNA) were constitutively expressed in freshly isolated and primary cultured Leydig cells. hCG inhibited this expression in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of 1 ng/ml hCG inhibited IP-10 mRNA levels more than 80%. Conversely, IP-10 mRNA levels were markedly increased in response to murine interleukin-1alpha, murine tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and murine IFNgamma by 3.3-, 10-, and 26-fold, respectively. Concomitant addition of murine interleukin-1alpha, murine tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and murine IFNgamma synergistically increased IP-10 mRNA levels by 58-fold. Furthermore, in addition to one previously described rat IP-10 mRNA transcript (1.5 kb), another larger transcript (2.7 kb) was identified by Northern blot in rat Leydig cells. After screening a rat testis complementary DNA library, we obtained a partial structural gene and an intron sequence, which possibly originated from the larger transcript of rat IP-10 mRNA. Histochemical and immunocytochemical staining revealed that purified cells were positive for 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and IP-10, confirming that IP-10 is indeed present in Leydig cells. IP-10 antisense oligonucleotides enhanced basal and hCG-induced testosterone formation. This suggests that endogenous IP-10 has an inhibitory effect on Leydig cell steroidogenesis. In conclusion, IP-10 is expressed in rat Leydig cells and may have paracrine and autocrine effects on testicular function.


Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2018. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 123(12), (2018): 8887-8901, doi:10.1029/2018JC013797.


The potential of the supramolecular host molecule cucurbit(7)uril to serve as a stabilizing ad- ditive and enhancement agent was investigated for the following dyes in aqueous solution: rhodamine 6G, rhodamine 123, tetramethylrhodamine, cresyl violet, fluorescein, coumarin 102, pyronin B, pyronin Y, two cyanine 5 and one cyanine 3 derivative, and IR140 as well as IR144. For most cationic dyes photostabi- lization was established, and a pronounced thermal stabilization due to deaggregation and solubilization was observed for the xanthene dyes. The advantageous effects are attributed to the formation of inclusion complexes with different photophysical and photochemical properties. The complexation is accompanied by spectral shifts characteristic for the inclusion in a less polar environment, while the fluorescence quantum yields as well as the brightness show an increase, with few exceptions. As a consequence of the low polar- izability inside the cucurbituril cavity, the fluorescence lifetimes of the included dyes increase substantially and systematically. Applications of the new photostabilizing additive for dye lasers, for prolonged storage of dye solutions, in scanning confocal microscopy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy are discussed.


A study was undertaken to determine the Food potential of "Potato yam," ( Discorea bulbifera ) an underexploited tuber by determining the proximate analysis of the fresh tuber, functional properties of the flour and sensory evaluation of it's "amala" product. These were compared with those of two other yam species - yellow ( D. cayenensis ) and white yams ( D. rotundata ). Proximate analysis of potato yam showed moisture 63.13%, carbohydrate 34.35%, protein 1.20%, fat 0.49% and ash 0.87%. Functional properties of its flour showed a water absorption 10.20ml/g, moisture 9.50%. Swelling index 5.09ml/g, reconstitution index 10.20ml/g, least gelation concentration 4.00%, while bulk and loose pack densities of 0.53 and 0.60g/ml respectively. All values compared favourably with those of yellow and white yams. "Amala" prepared from potato yam also compare favourably with yellow and white yam in respect to colour, texture, flavour and general acceptability. There was no significant difference at P ≤ 0.05 using ANOVA between the "amala" products of the three yam species. The study indicates that potato yam is a good energy food source and a good substitute for white yam, especially considering the high cost of white yam. Key words: Yam species, Discorea bulbifera, proximate composition, functional properties and sensory evaluation. Nigerian Food Journal Vol.22 2004: 209-215


Feature elimination method for computer-aided forging process planning is reported in this paper. The authors think that forming is the procedure adding features to a raw material and process planning is the procedure eliminating features from a product. This procedure is done only in planner, s mind. The authors attempt to implement this feature eliminating procedure for forging sequence design on computers. Eliminating order is determined by using characteristic vector of 'pair matrix.' Elements of 'pair matrix', called 'pair elements', are calculated from the possibility that one of features is formed earlier than the another. Each possibility is compiled from a forge expert's 'know-how' by comparing each two kinds of feature. Possibility is computed by fuzzy inference if it cannot be determined from only kind of a pair of features, but also dimensions. We call this case 'dimension problem'. The authors apply the above methodology on manufacturing sequence design of axis-symmetric forging products, and investigate data of pair matrix and reasoning rule for dimension problem by interview with forge experts.


Rotary and displacement tuners are described for multistub superconducting rf resonators. The effectiveness of these tuners is made possible because the resonators have low currents between their outer conductors and tuner elements. Computer simulations and experimental data show that the devices provide a tuning range up to 100 kHz with a frequency resolution of about 1 Hz. As well, only a small driving force is required allowing use of a low-backlash drive mechanism. The use of the rotary tuner is limited to the resonators with two loading elements such as the 2-stub quarter wave resonator, the conventional split loop resonator, and the 2-stub, half wave resonator. The displacement tuner is more versatile and can be used for any TEM-like quarter wave resonator or half wave resonator resonators with two or more loading elements.


ABSTRACT
 Phytophagous stink bugs are economically important pests of annual and perennial crops in the southeastern United States. Because of insecticide resistance and risk of secondary pest outbreaks, there is interest in identifying cultural practices that could lead to reduced insecticide applications. The objective of this project was to assess the importance of cotton planting date on stink bug damage to cotton. Unsprayed cotton plots with biweekly planting dates were established at three locations in southern Georgia in each of two crop years. During the bloom cycle, stink bug-induced boll injury was estimated weekly in each plot. Plots were subsequently defoliated, mechanically harvested, and ginned to assess differences in fiber yield and quality attributable to stink bug injury. Results show that the rate of boll damage generally increased more rapidly through the bloom cycle for planting dates in June compared with May. Similarly, estimates of boll damage from June-planted cotton more frequently exceeded the stink bug treatment threshold compared with May-planted cotton. In 2011, mean lint yield and economic returns from May planting dates were significantly greater than June planting dates. In 2012, lint yield and economic returns were greater in plots established in early May compared with later planting dates. Estimates of HVI color + b, a measure of fiber yellowness, were lower in early May-planted cotton compared with June planting. These data show that growers need to be aware of increased stink bug damage potential when planting late.


Research in several countries from different continents related to human resources in construction continues to be developed. However, one fact shows that human resources in Indonesia's construction field are still not ready to compete in terms of quality with the workforce of several countries in Asia. This research was conducted to determine the condition of Human Resource Management in the construction company in Indonesia. Data retrieval instruments use questionnaires and structured interviews at 50 randomly selected construction companies from different Indonesian regions. The data obtained is processed using quantitative data analysis using parametric statistics analysis. The results showed that Human Resource Management in Indonesia's construction company is in good or excellent condition provide 92%. This indicates that most of this industry has enforced and implemented policies related to human resource management. However, human resource planning patterns in Indonesia's construction company focus more heavily on Operational Planning, which means that this planning on construction companies in Indonesia is still project-oriented or short-term


Phosphogypsum is the primary by-product of the wet-acid process for producing phosphoric acid from phosphate rock for obtaining fertilizer. As it is largely a calcium sulfate it has been given the name phosphogypsum. For every ton of phosphoric acid, some four to five tons of phosphogypsum are also manufactured. So, phosphate production generates very large volumes of phosphogypsum, which is stored in huge piles called "stacks" outdoors. Many researches have been developed due to the possibility of the use of phosphogypsum as matter for several industrial uses. This paper is up to determine the constancy of the thermal conductivity (k) of the phosphogypsum in order to evaluate it as a thermo-isolating material to be used in large scale by industry as well to be used in building sectors. For this purpose, one experiments has been tested resulting in a comparison among the thermal conductivity coefficients (k) of the phosphogypsum to other commercial thermal-isolating materials. Key-Word Phosphogypsum, phosphoric acid, thermal isolator, thermal conductivity , m ethod of heat transfer by conduction in flat wall .


Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, CGTase is an enzyme used in food and pharmaceutical industries to catalyze the formation of cyclodextrin (CD) from starch. CDs are of great interest because of their ability to form inclusion complexes with a guest molecule such as drug which would result in the physiochemical modification of this guest molecule. Although Bacillus and Escherichia coli are known workhorses for expression of heterologous proteins, the production of CGTase in these hosts eventually reduces the
quality of the products with the presence of impurities such as proteases and endotoxins. Therefore, the production of CGTase using the food-grade lactic acid bacterium is an
attractive alternative and safer strategy to produce CGTase for industrial and pharmaceutical uses. This study was aimed to develop genetically modified Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 strains harboring plasmids that secrete the β-CGTase into the exterior environment. CGTase secretion with the presence of signal peptides namely, SPK1 from Paediococcus pentosaceus K1, USP45 from L. lactis MG1363 and NSP from Bacillus sp. G1 were analysed using SignaIP 4.0 software. From the prediction, SPK1 shows the highest protein grand average of hydropathy, GRAVY (the sum of hydropathy values of all amino acids divided by the protein length) of 1.552 followed by USP45 and NSP with 1.174 and 1.089, respectively. Vectors with different signal peptides fused with CGTase gene were constructed and transformed into L. lactis NZ9000. The formation of halo zones by the transformants on starch plate assay after 24 hr incubation indicated theM production and secretion of β-CGTase. The expression of this enzyme in the transformants was further confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) and zymogram analysis. A band size of ~75 kDa corresponding to β-CGTase was identified in the extracellular environments of the host after medium optimization. Interestingly, the replacement of glucose by starch in the medium was shown to induce β-CGTase production in L. lactis. The secreted β-CGTase was quantified by the CGTase assay. The use of different signal peptides shows difference in the secretion efficiency of β-CGTase. Although β-CGTase production was comparatively low in NZ:SPK1:CGT, the signal peptide SPK1 used for this strain was shown to have higher secretion efficiency of 49 % compared to the other two signal peptides used in this study which is in agreement with the computational analysis. In shake-flask fermentation, a maximum of 4.23 U/ml of CGTase was obtained at 8 hr of cultivation by NZ:SPK1:CGT. Nevertheless, at 7 hr a higher CGTase yield of 6.21 U/g of starch by NZ:USP:CGT was observed which was two times higher than that achieved by NZ:SPK1:CGT (3.45 U/g of starch) and three times higher than NZ:NSP:CGT (2.36
U/g of starch). Higher CGTase productivity was achieved at 0.53 U/ml.h for both strains NZ:USP:CGT and NZ:SPK1:CGT.


T he evolution of higher education from a privilege for the elite to an economic and social necessity for broad segments of the population has created financing challenges, along with new opportunities, for students and their families. Governments that were able to provide free or low-priced access to universities for the select few have found it necessary to charge rising levels of tuition, even as less-affluent citizens aspire to enroll. In a number of countries—including Canada, Chile, and England—students have taken to the streets to protest tuition policies. Students are less militant in the United States; but there, as elsewhere, rising college prices and stagnating incomes have led to the widespread perception that postsecondary education is "unaffordable" for more and more people. Yet, it is not obvious what "unaffordable" means. What price is relevant—the published price of postsecondary study, the price people actually pay, or the price people should be expected to pay? Efforts to increase educational opportunity can be hindered if policymakers do not have a clear idea of the meaning of an "affordable" or "unaffordable" education.


Lymphangioma is a benign lymphatic system tumor, often congenital, mainly affecting lymph nodes in various anatomic localizations. Postnatally mostly common lymphangioma manifestation occurs during the first year of life.
Today it can be readily diagnosed prenatally.
Diagnosis is based on non-invasive visualization, such as sonography and computed tomography.
The objective: is to present clinical case of manifest fetal lymphangioma diagnosed during pregnancy.
Fetal ultrasound (US) was performed at 28, 32, 34 weeks of gestation. As a result fetus was diagnosed with hypoechogenic mass in right axillary region, growing in dynamics gradually from 34×28 mm, 38×34 mm to 49×37 mm. Mass had clear even contours, hyperechogenic capsule with fine dispersed suspension content. Color doppler imaging showed avascular mass character.
After delivery at 37–38 weeks of gestation (planned Cesarean section) at newborn examination we visualized asymmetric soft elastic consistency protrusion along right midclavicular and anterior axillary region.
Described clinical case of fetal lymphangioma is a good illustration of dynamic prenatal and postnatal dynamic observation and its US interpretation.


This research was conducted because of the trend that has occurred in the last 5 years in Indonesia, namely the emergence of mobile-based games that are played by many people in Indonesia from small children to adults. With the emergence of mobile-based games in Indonesia, the appeal of PC and console-based games has become less attractive. This study aims to analyze the factors that influence PC and console-based gamers to switch to mobile-based games. The method used in this study is K-means Clustering and the supporting data from this study include the age factor of the game players and the duration of playing the game as a parameter. The technique of collecting data is through a google form questionnaire. The subject of the research is the Indonesian gamers forum contained in facebook forums.


The family of pediatric fibroblastic and myofibroblastic proliferations encompasses a wide spectrum of pathologic entities with overlapping morphologies and ill-defined genetic abnormalities. Among the superficial lesions, lipofibromatosis (LPF), composed of an admixture of adipose tissue and fibroblastic elements, in the past has been variously classified as infantile fibromatosis or fibrous hamartoma of infancy. In this regard, we have encountered a group of superficial soft tissue tumors occurring in children and young adults, with a notably infiltrative growth pattern reminiscent of LPF, variable cytologic atypia, and a distinct immunoprofile of S100 protein and CD34 reactivity, suggestive of neural differentiation. SOX10 and melanocytic markers were negative in all cases tested. In contrast, a control group of classic LPF displayed bland, monomorphic histology and lacked S100 protein immunoreactivity. To define the pathogenetic abnormalities in these seemingly distinctive groups, we performed RNA sequencing for fusion gene discovery in 2 cases each, followed by screening for any novel alterations identified in a larger cohort representing both entities. The 2 index LPF-like neural tumors (LPF-NT) showed TPR-NTRK1 and TPM3-NTRK1 gene fusions, which were further validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Subsequent FISH screening of 14 LPF-NT identified recurrent NTRK1 gene rearrangements in 10 (71%) cases. Of the NTRK1-negative LPF-NT cases, 1 case each showed ROS1 and ALK gene rearrangements. In contrast, none of the 25 classic LPFs showed NTRK1 gene rearrangements, although regional abnormalities were noted in the 1q21-22 region by FISH in a majority of cases. Furthermore, NTRK1 immunostaining was positive only in NTRK1-rearranged S100-positive LPF-NT but negative in classic LPF. These results suggest that NTRK1 oncogenic activation through gene fusion defines a novel and distinct subset of soft tissue tumors resembling LPF, but displaying cytologic atypia and a neural immunophenotype, provisionally named LPF-like neural tumors.


In the treatment of mandibular condylar fractures, arthrocentesis, lavage and selective intermaxillary fixation were performed after closed reduction. In this lavage group, the physiotherapy performed for 3-6 months after injury. in control group, continuous intermaxillary fixation was done for 1-3 weeks, and physiotherapy followed in the same method of the lavage group. In the comparative study of the both groups, the following results are shown.
1. Compared to control group, the lavage group had a slightly superior result at range of motion, joint pain and occlusal deviation, from I day after arthrocentesis to 6 months after injury.
2. The significant differences between both groups were seen at range of motion and joint pain in 1 month after injury.
3. At 6 months after injury, the differences between both groups were not significant at range of motion, joint pain and occlusal deviation. From this study, in the mandibular condylar fracture, the arthrosentesis, lavage and selective intermaxillary fixation after closed reduction can improve symptoms such as joint pain and occlusal deviation, also increase range of motion. in this therapeutic way, intracapsular hemarthrosis which can cause TMJ ankylosis or dysfunction can be removed effectively. in addition, patient's discomfort such as swallowing disturbance, speech disturbance and emotional stress can be reduced signuficantly.


An array of square metallic patches on a thin suspended dielectric layer is introduced as an effective terahertz absorber. The suspended structure is placed on a metalized substrate and the device exhibits metamaterial behavior at specific frequencies determined by the size of the patches. It is feasible to place patches with different sizes in an array formation for a broadband absorber. In array configuration, individual elements induce distinct resonances yielding narrow band absorption regions. Design of the absorber is described using electromagnetic simulations. The absorber structure was fabricated on a silicon wafer using standard microfabrication techniques. The characteristics of the absorber were measured using a terahertz time domain spectroscope. The measured data match well the simulations indicating strong absorption peaks in a band of 0.5-2 THz.


The stellar classification was an important research field for understanding the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. With large sky surveys and its massive data, the speed and accuracy of the celestial automatic classification was very important. The depth confidence neural network (DBN), support vector machines (SVM) and BP neural networks used in the star classification were compared in this paper. And the applicability of star classification with these three methods was analyzed. First, K, F stars are classified according to the depth of confidence neural network and BP neural network and support vector machine.Then the K1, K3, K5 sub-type and F2, F5, F9 sub-type were separately identified. Finally, the data which did not belong to the k sub-type were excluded by a secondary classification model based on SVM support vector machine . The results shows that: the depth of belief networks is better for K, F-type star classification, but it is poor for K, F sub-type classification results; The recognition rate of SVM is high for the K, F-type stars and the classification effects of this method is better for K, F-type stars than the corresponding sub-type stars by comparison; The recognition rate of BP neural network is ordinary general for K, F-type stars and their sub-types. The experiment showed that the accuracy of excluding non-k-sub-type data can be up to 100% which indicates that the unknown spectral data can be screened and classified with SVM.


This is a translation of Guillermo A. Baralt's Esclavos rebeldes: conspiraciones y sublevaciones de esclavos en Puerto Rico (1795–1873), originally published in 1982. Esclavos rebeldes, a classic of Puerto Rico's ''new history'', followed on the heels of José Luis González' El paı́s de cuatro pisos, which grounded Puerto Rican cultural history in a fundamental African identity, and Isabelo Zenón's earlier path-breaking work on racism in Puerto Rico, Narciso descubre su trasero. Esclavos rebeldes was Baralt's first book, as well as the first book in Puerto Rico on the subject of slave rebellion. For a generation of Puerto Rican historians and for a surprisingly large public – the book is now in its eighth edition in Spanish – Esclavos rebeldes was essential reading. Until the 1970s, prevailing interpretations of Puerto Rican slavery held that slavery in Puerto Rico was benign, that the island's slaves were ''docile'', and that there were never any slave uprisings to speak of. The book opens with an alleged incident in Aguadilla linked to the Santo Domingo Revolution (1795) and ends with slave emancipation in Puerto Rico (1873). Baralt registers twenty-two episodes of collective slave resistance between 1795 and 1848 and highlights the 1820s and 1840s as the principal periods of slave insubordination. Later episodes include homicides by slaves, and the Grito de Lares uprising in 1868. In a notoriously difficult topic to document, Baralt sifted through myriad government sources and makes sense of often vague and confusing reports on conspiracies and uprisings. In doing so, he raises important questions about the relationship between slave resistance and conditions in the slave trade, the local sugar industry, and the Atlantic sugar market. Besides its contribution to the study of slave resistance, Slave Revolts in Puerto Rico is an excellent, accessible introduction to the history of Puerto Rican slavery, combining general overviews with local descriptions of several plantation areas. Reread a quarter-century later in this excellent translation by Christine Ayorinde, the book's subtitle (''Conspiracies and Uprisings'') becomes all the more salient, as the book is mostly about conspiracies, or rumors about conspiracies, and about ''uprisings'' that were apparently little more than melées. The gravity of these ''conspiracies'' and ''uprisings'' often appears overblown in the only sources available: the reports, circulars, and correspondence of Spanish colonial officials on the island. The public executions of the slaves by hanging or garroting described in the book are more compelling than many of its conspiracies or uprisings. Certain patterns emerge in the conspiracies (or at least in the officials' allegations). Bozales, or African-born slaves, were often the leaders (they had more rebellion ''in their blood'', p. 143); the conspiracy spread between haciendas through permitted activities such as bomba dances; a fire was set in the cane fields and/or in town; the local garrison and arms depot (the Casa del Rey) would be seized; and ''all the white people would be killed'' and/or the slaves would flee to Hispaniola.


IN RECENT YEARS, numerous drugs have been introduced for the reduction of blood pressure in severe hypertension. The most potent of these, the ganglionic blocking agents, have been limited in usefulness because of the side-effects associated with parasympathetic blockade. 1 This report is a clinical evaluation of guanethidine (Ismelin), a new antihypertensive agent. Synthesized by Mull and associates, guanethidine, 2 (octohydro 1 azocinyl) ethyl guanidine sulfate, has an 8-member ring which differs radically from the structure of the ganglionic blocking drugs. The evidence from animal work 2 indicates that guanethidine is a potent hypotensive agent which does not interfere with ganglionic transmission and produces sympathetic blockade at a lower level by preventing release or inactivating the pressor substance at the sympathetic end-plate. Methods and Materials To evaluate the drug's action in man, we selected a group of 16 severe hypertensive patients, with a history of 3 to 20 years' duration.


1. The innervation of 18 uropod and telson muscles in the crayfish has been studied in varying detail. Some muscles display purely phasic properties (short sarcomeres, electrically excitable membrane responses); others are strictly tonic (long sarcomeres, junctional potentials only, spontaneously active motor neurones); a few are mixed, but with anatomical segregation of fibre types. At least 55 efferent neurones are employed to operate these muscles.

2. The tonic muscles all receive peripheral inhibition, and a given inhibitory axon serves only a single tonic muscle. Inhibitory and excitatory axons serving a given muscle discharge reciprocally and often respond to different reflex inputs. The average number of excitatory axons innervating tonic muscles is 2-3.

3. The phasic muscles differ in the richness of excitatory innervation. Some receive as many as five axons per muscle, and as many as four per fibre; others are innervated by only a single motor axon. Many lack inhibitory innervation; where present, peripheral inhibitors may be shared between different phasic muscles. In no case were excitatory axons found to innervate anatomically separate muscles.

4. In 'mixed' muscles there is predominantly separate innervation of phasic and tonic fibres; but in at least one case axons were found to serve fibres of both types. The shared axon was phasic in character.

5. Some of the uropod and telson muscles are clearly homologous with axial muscles in more anterior abdominal segments. In a few of the former it was possible to make direct comparisons with the efferent neurones innervating their serial homologues. Differences were found in the size ratios of homologous axons, in their central location, and in their presence or absence.


This chapter raises two questions about the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics: What practices it may inspire and what might be its contributions to the national goals of education. The first questions is about the internal cohesiveness, or the synergy between the curriculum's stated aims and rationale, on the one hand, and the content and its articulation on the other, and what vision of mathematics education they may inspire across the different jurisdictions which would adopt it. The second question is about its external cohesiveness, or the synergy between the curriculum itself and the national expectations of education and what contribution it may make to the public good in the Australian society. The chapter questions whether only lip service in the elaborations is given to the General Capabilities, Cross-curricular Priorities, and the high order Proficiencies. Similarly, the lack of focus on conceptualisation and articulation of the purposes of learning mathematics opens up the possibilities of designing school-based curricula that are far from achieving the national goals of active and informed citizens.


Rural China is piloting an integrated payment system, which prepays a budget to a medical alliance rather than a single hospital. This study aims to evaluate the effect of this reform on the direct economic burden and readmission rates of cerebral infarction inpatients. The settlement records of 78,494 cerebral infarction inpatients were obtained from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) database in Dingyuan and Funan Counties in the Anhui Province. The direct economic burden was estimated by total costs, out-of-pocket expenditures, the out-of-pocket ratio, and the compensation ratio of the NRCMS. Generalized additive models and multivariable linear/logistic regression were applied to measure the changes of the dependent variables along with the year. Within the county, the total costs positively correlated to the year (β = 313.10 in 2015; 163.06 in 2016). The out-of-pocket expenditures, out-of-pocket ratios, and the length-of-stay positively correlated to the year in 2015 (β = 105.10, 0.01, and 0.18 respectively), and negatively correlated to the year in 2016 (β = −58.40, −0.03, and −0.30, respectively). The odds ratios of the readmission rates were less than one within the county (0.70 in 2015; 0.53 in 2016). The integrated payment system in the Anhui Province has considerably reduced the direct economic burden for the rural cerebral infarction inpatients, and the readmission rate has decreased within the county. Inpatients' health outcomes should be given further attention, and the long-term effect of this reform model awaits further evaluation.


Equity participation in joint ventures as envisaged in shari'ah comprises a business relationship based on mutual sharing of gains and liability. Such partnerships established among individuals as well as commercial enterprises generally seek to realise the possibility of unlimited gains for each partner, without the encumbrance of ensuring a preset capital return to a single partner. Islamic banks need to adopt an approach similar to these and desist from furthering their identity as lending institutions, a pioneer step towards which goal would be upholding a proper profit and loss sharing mechanism. For realising the benefits of equity financing, its operation should not be hindered through measures that strip it of its characteristics. A central pillar of the equity structure is the unbridled operation of the profit sharing ratio. Restriction of its application to a stipulated level of profits, thereby enabling a partner to claim unlimited profits while the profit share of the other is restricted to a maximum ceiling cannot be regarded to be consistent with the theory of equity participation. Any measure that curtails the free operation the profit sharing mechanism could result in defeating the objectives of equity financing. Similarly, a provision that envisages the possibility of adjusting the profit sharing ratio prior to liquidation does not seem appropriate in the prevalent environment of interest based banking, and could be easily misused. While these measures could realise some temporary benefit to Islamic banks, they may become deep-rooted in the concept of equity financing itself, thus making it operate subservient to debt financing norms.


Monoclonal antibodies have been isolated against conserved epitopes on the HIV trimer and are being investigated for passive immunization. Some of the challenges associated with full-sized antibody proteins may be overcome by using single-chain variable fragments (scFv). These smaller forms of antibodies can be produced more efficiently, may show fewer off-target effects with increased tissue penetration, and are more adaptable to vectored-mediated expression than IgG. Here, we demonstrate that scFv of four HIV-directed bNAbs (CAP256-VRC26.25, PGT121, 3BNC117, and 10E8v4) had significant neutralizing activity against diverse global strains of HIV. Loss of potency and/or breadth was shown to be due to increased dependence of the scFv on key residues within the epitope. These smaller antibody molecules with functional activity in the therapeutic range may be suitable for further development as passive immunity for HIV prevention. ABSTRACT Passive administration of HIV-directed broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) can prevent infection in animal models, and human efficacy trials are under way. Single-chain variable fragments (scFv), comprised of only the variable regions of antibody heavy and light chains, are smaller molecules that may offer advantages over full-length IgG. We designed and expressed scFv of HIV bNAbs prioritized for clinical testing that target the V2-apex (CAP256-VRC26.25), V3-glycan supersite (PGT121), CD4 binding site (3BNC117), and MPER (10E8v4). The use of either a 15- or 18-amino-acid glycine-serine linker between the heavy- and light-chain fragments provided adequate levels of scFv expression. When tested against a 45-multisubtype virus panel, all four scFv retained good neutralizing activity, although there was variable loss of function compared to the parental IgG antibodies. For CAP256-VRC26.25, there was a significant 138-fold loss of potency that was in part related to differential interaction with charged amino acids at positions 169 and 170 in the V2 epitope. Potency was reduced for the 3BNC117 (13-fold) and PGT121 (4-fold) scFv among viruses lacking the N276 and N332 glycans, respectively, and in viruses with a longer V1 loop for PGT121. This suggested that scFv interacted with their epitopes in subtly different ways, with variation at key residues affecting scFv neutralization more than the matched IgGs. Remarkably, the scFv of 10E8v4 maintained breadth of 100% with only a minor reduction in potency. Overall, scFv of clinically relevant bNAbs had significant neutralizing activity, indicating that they are suitable for passive immunization to prevent HIV-1 infection. IMPORTANCE Monoclonal antibodies have been isolated against conserved epitopes on the HIV trimer and are being investigated for passive immunization. Some of the challenges associated with full-sized antibody proteins may be overcome by using single-chain variable fragments (scFv). These smaller forms of antibodies can be produced more efficiently, may show fewer off-target effects with increased tissue penetration, and are more adaptable to vectored-mediated expression than IgG. Here, we demonstrate that scFv of four HIV-directed bNAbs (CAP256-VRC26.25, PGT121, 3BNC117, and 10E8v4) had significant neutralizing activity against diverse global strains of HIV. Loss of potency and/or breadth was shown to be due to increased dependence of the scFv on key residues within the epitope. These smaller antibody molecules with functional activity in the therapeutic range may be suitable for further development as passive immunity for HIV prevention.


This volume is a collection of the early letters of Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937), the Italian Marxist political thinker and leader of the Italian Communist Party. Gramsci's prison diaries, written during his long incarceration under the Fascist regime in Italy, appeared in English translation in 1994 and have since then become a reference point for theorists and historians alike. However, his earlier correspondence, dating from 1908–1926, has not yet been translated. The new collection offers, therefore, a much needed addition to the English bookshelf of Gramsci's works. During the two decades covered in this volume, Gramsci left his native rural Sardinia, discovered Marxism as a student at the University of Turin, and emerged on the national and international political scene as one of the key political leaders in Italy. As this volume reminds us, it is not sufficient to read the prison diaries to understand Gramsci's thought. His social and political ideas were shaped while engaging actively in politics in Sardinia, as a student in Turin, as a founding member of the Italian Communist Party and as its representative in Moscow, and finally in Rome. The collection includes twothirds of the known correspondence of Antonio Gramsci from his high-school days up to his arrest, revealing his complex relations with his family, with his wife Julija Schucht, with other revolutionary activists like Palmiro Togliatti and Amedeo Bordiga, and with members of the Comintern in Moscow including Leon Trotsky. As the editor and translator Derek Boothman suggests in his insightful introduction, the selection of letters sheds light on the evolution and continuities in Gramsci's thought, tracing the early emergence through dialogue of key Gramscian themes like the nature of the superstructures of society, centralism and party politics, popular culture, passive revolution, hegemony and social alliances (pp.49–50). Boothman's introduction helps situate the letters in historical context, provides biographical details about Gramsci and his main interlocutors, and explains the conceptual meaning of the letters in the wider framework of his thought. The wide-ranging thematic scope of the letters – personal meditations, political commentary, policy plans for the Communist Party and theoretical reflections – offers a wealth of insights for scholars acquainted with Gramsci's later writings as well as for first-time readers of his work. The English translation from the original Italian is accurately and meticulously executed, paying attention to the different linguistic registers deployed by Gramsci in different periods in his life. Thus, this selection of letters represents a welcome addition to the English-language sources by Gramsci and about his work.


An agent operating in an unpredictable world must be able to take advantage of opportunities but cannot afford to perform a detailed analysis of the effects of every nuance of the current situation on its goals if it is to respond in a timely manner. This paper describes a filtering mechanism that enables the effective recognition of opportunities. The mechanism is based on a characterization of the world in terms of reference features, features that are both cheap and functional and that appear to be prevalent in everyday life. Its use enables the plan execution system PARETO to recognize types of opportunities that other systems cannot. Reference features can also play a role in the detection of threats, and may be involved in the development of expertise.


Seasonal variations and spectrophotometric determination of anthraquinones in cultivated Cassia podocarpa are presented. The study shows that combined anthraquinones are concentrated in the leaves at peak flowering (2.43%) and lowest in the bark (0.21%). Anthraquinone glycosides reached peak levels during the months of October to March (dry season), the maximum being recorded during January to March. There was significant drop in glycosidic content during the period April to September (rainy season). There was slight increase in concentration of aglycones during the rainy season which may be due to inter-conversion of some glycosides to the aglycones. However, the free aglycone content is much lower than the glycosides. This is desirable for optimum laxative activity and reduced toxicity. This study is significant because it provides useful information on the seasonal distribution of anthraquinones and the best period for harvesting leaves of C. podocarpa for drug development. The inclusion of C. podocarpa in the African Pharmacopoeia will, no doubt, enhance its commercialization as laxative and for its antimicrobial effect.


Genetic microarray expression data often contains multiple missing values that can significantly affect the performance of statistical and machine learning algorithms. This paper presents an innovative missing value estimation technique, called collateral missing value estimation (CMVE) which has demonstrated superior estimation performance compared with the K-nearest neighbour (KNN) imputation algorithm, the least square impute (LSImpute) and Bayesian principal component analysis (BPCA) techniques. Experimental results confirm that CMVE provides an improvement of 89%, 12% and 10% for the BRCA1, BRCA2 and sporadic ovarian cancer mutations, respectively, compared to the average error rate of KNN, LSImpute and BPCA imputation methods, over a range of randomly selected missing values. The underlying theory behind CMVE also means that it is not restricted to bioinformatics data, but can be successfully applied to any correlated data set.


Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is an antiapoptotic protein amplified in melanoma cell lines, and its overexpression is correlated with a decreased survival in patients with malignant melanoma. A bioinformatics-based approach predicts micro-RNA-137 as a regulator of MITF. Micro-RNA (miRNA) is a recently discovered class of noncoding RNA that negatively regulates gene expression. Mutations in miRNA or in their target binding site have been implicated in tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that alterations in the function of miRNA-137 may be responsible for MITF overexpression in melanoma. We directly sequenced the DNA region encoding miRNA-137 in samples obtained from patients with melanoma and controls. We identified a 15-nucleotide variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) within the primary miRNA-137 sequence near the critical Drosha-DGCR8 binding site. We found that patients with melanoma had a greater number of repeats compared with controls. To investigate if the presumed wild-type miRNA-137 with the fewer number of VNTRs regulates MITF, we transfected the wild-type primary miRNA-137 gene into human melanoma cell lines and measured MITF expression by Western blot. Our preliminary data suggest that cells transfected with wild-type miRNA-137 have decreased MITF expression compared with vector control. These data suggest that wild-type miRNA-137 is capable of regulating MITF. Future experiments are being performed to determine if the miRNA-137 with the greater number of VNTRs leads to overexpression of MITF and contributes to the development and progression of melanoma.


Supervisor; Professor Robert Barrie
The question to what extent the poles of the temperature dependent Green's functions have physical significance as temperature dependent energy levels Is considered. Our contention is that such levels should not be thought of in terms of internal energy or free energy. They have no physical significance other than perhaps to say how the statistical mechanical averaging was divided into its two steps.
It is shown that the knowledge of the energy and life time of quasi particles is not very helpful in studying the Hall Constant. To study the Hall Constant one would have to use the appropriate two particle Green's Function and a number of approximations have to be made before one has a simple relation "between the Hall Constant and the average occupation numbers for the quasi-particles. (We have discussed the Hall Constant since this is usually the technique discussed in the literature.)
In the literature on the energy gap in semiconductors, the single particle excitation energies (mechanical quantities) were found. They were made temperature dependent by replacing phonon occupation numbers by their thermal averages, and it was assumed then that the gap could be simply written down as a difference of two of these energies. It was not clear whether this should be interpreted as the optical or the thermal gap.
We have shown that the question, many times raised in the literature, whether the two gaps are the same or not, is not the relevant question at all. Due to the completely different physical nature of the Hall and absorption phenomena, the
definitions of the gaps in both cases are entirely different.
We have shown that certain approximations involved in our calculation of the Hall constant and optical absorption coefficient lead to the thermal and optical gaps being the same. The optical gap is the same as the thermal one because our calculation of optical absorption involved only the zero-phonon process, neglect of the vertex part of the corresponding two particle Green's Function, neglect of the damping and neglect of the frequency dependence of the level shift.
In summary, it appears that the picture in which one thinks of temperature-dependent energy levels and transitions between these is often too misleading and that it is safer to carry out the calculation of macroscopic behaviour in the correct fashion. One may by the latter method, obtain the result one would have obtained using one's physical Intuition, but the approximations for this are now spelled out.


[Excerpt] Dan Swinney's response to my article is flawed in three respects. First, Dan doesn't adequately address the theoretical arguments and empirical data I presented to support my position. Second, he misrepresents my views at several points in his article. Third, his notion of worker ownership as a tactic begs the question of what sort of strategy or general direction the labor movement needs.


This paper presents a performance model for dynamic resource allocation in interference-limited OFDMA-based cellular networks. Specifically, we derive an analytical framework by which it is possible to estimate the VoIP capacity of the cell per downlink frame, purely based on the average SINR per terminal. Hence, this framework can be used for admission control. The major difficulty to overcome is to predict the impact of dynamic resource allocations on the system performance in the presence of multiple interfering cells. We show that dynamic resource allocations transform the distribution of subcarrier SINR and derive an approximate, closed-form representation of these transformed distributions. Based on these derivations, we obtain rate probability mass functions per terminal which predict system performance up to a gap of about 26 % compared to optimal system performance.


This paper considers data exchange between two terminals in a nonregenerative two-way relay network. We first propose two efficient channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting schemes based on XOR and superposition coding for single-relay networks. These schemes allow two terminals to simultaneously estimate the CQI of the distant link without incurring additional overhead. In addition, the transmission time for CQI feedback is reduced by half while the loss of performance is negligible. Upper and lower bounds of the mean square error (MSE) of the estimated CQI are derived to analyze various effects on the performance of the proposed schemes. We then extend our MSE analysis to multi-relay networks where a low-complexity relay selection scheme is proposed based on the derived bounds. Simulation results show that, in comparison with conventional methods, this suboptimal bound-based scheme achieves satisfactory performance while reducing the complexity at least three times in case of large number of relays.


In this paper we consider an inverse problem on the reconstruction of a Riemannian metric in an open bounded domain 3 by a set of boundary measurements. Under some restrictions on the Riemannian metrics, we are able to derive a stability estimate for this inverse problem.


We have performed quantum-mechanical and classical simulations of ballistic electron transport in three-dimensional waveguide structures. The considered geometries are cross junctions of two out-of-plane waveguides, in which the coupling between the waveguides takes place in the third direction, perpendicular to the orthogonal waveguide axes. We find that the transmission coefficients in the single-mode regime are strongly affected by quantum-mechanical interferences of scattering due to directional conversions during the transmission. A large modulation of straight-through transmission is achieved by varying the aspect ratio of the cross section of the waveguides. The transmission into the side leads is found to disappear over a wide range of sample parameters. The magnetic-field dependence of the transport is also examined within the classical limit.


In this volume the author by no means attempted to give a comprehensive view of the myriad of recent developments in immunology. The author has attempted, after introducing sufficient background in chapter 1, to highlight certain areas of lymphoid cell biology which are given less attention in current thinking but which seem to the author to offer exciting prospects for research. In other cases, the important topics of transplantation and tolerance are looked at from points of view which are somewhat less conventional in the hope that these aspects may stimulate others to look at the yet unsolved problems in these areas. In making the selection of topics and indeed in the selection of references within each chapter, the contributors and the author have attempted to select those which offered what seemed to be the best sources of information. They do not wish to minimize the important contributions of others but are guided by constraints of brevity and cogent expression.


Our job as intellectuals, this article argues, is to struggle to understand the crisis presented by terrorism in all its forms. This can center on a theoretical account of militarization and its relationship to broader social changes, from the emergence of nationstates to the course of racialization and other inequalities to the convergence of interests in military spending. The article gives a terse historical account of the 20th-century history of the militarization process and of the distinct modes of warfare that have developed over that time. To account for the growth of militarization over the last half of the century requires a focus on the growth of U.S. hegemony and the naming of the empire that dominated the global scene as the most recent crisis opened on September 11, 2001. This account suggests how we can connect these global and national histories with specific ethnographically understood places and people, giving some examples from ethnographic and historical research in a military city, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Finally, this review of militarization suggests that the attacks on the United States, and the war that followed, represent a continuation and acceleration of ongoing developments, rather than sharp openings in history. These new developments include reasons for hope that the legitimacy of violence and empire may also be under challenge. [Keywords: militarization, modes of warfare, United States, ethnography of empire]


Two classes of medullospinal units with inhibitory baroreceptor inputs [nucleus paragigantocellularis lateralis (PGCL) units] were recorded in PGCL (conduction velocity 3.1 and 0.67 m/s, respectively). Single-pulse stimulation of PGCL produced two peaks of activation of the lumbar sympathetic chain [sympathetic nerve discharge (SND)] with latencies of 98 and 206 ms. After substracting the delay due to impulse propagation between cord and sympathetic chain (64 ms), a conduction velocity of 2.8 and 0.67 m/s could be estimated for the medullospinal portion of the two sympathoexcitatory pathways stimulated in the PGCL. R wave-triggered activity histograms of PGCL unit discharge and lumbar SND exhibited a similar pattern with one major trough, occurring 108 ms later at the level of the sympathetic chain. It is concluded that PGCL contains two classes of medullospinal neurons with sympathoexcitatory function, the fast-conducting type being predominantly responsible for the cardiac-related rhythm of lumbar SND. Finally, averaging techniques revealed a large respiratory rhythm of lumbar SND in spontaneously breathing rats, but little or no such rhythm could be detected at the level of most PGCL sympathoexcitatory cells.


BACKGROUND
In studies in men, risk estimates on occupation and bladder cancer are distorted by about 10% when not adjusting for smoking. We examined the degree to which occupational risk estimates for bladder cancer in women are confounded by smoking, and the degree of residual confounding by inadequate control of this effect.

METHODS
Primary data of 11 case-control studies on occupation and bladder cancer from Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain were pooled. Information for smoking and lifetime occupational history for 700 female cases and 2,425 female controls ages 30-79 was abstracted and recoded. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) by occupation, applying five models which differed in their degree of adjustment for smoking.

RESULTS
In major occupational groups, risk estimates were distorted by less than 10% when not adjusting for smoking. A statistically significant excess risk for bladder cancer was found in 13 specific occupations and industries. In most occupations, adjustment for smoking led the ORs towards the null value, but all statistically significant associations were maintained after adjustment. In three occupations (lathe operators, field crop workers, and wood manufacturers), a statistically significant excess risk was masked when not adjusting for smoking. In six occupations, estimates were distorted by more than 10% (-22% up to +40%). In occupations where smoking acted as a positive confounder, the proportion of confounding removed using a dichotomous smoking variable (ever/never) was around 60%. In one occupation (buyers), controlling for smoking status (ever, never) led to over-adjustment, because the percentage of smokers was high but the quantity smoked was low.


Background. Few studies have described medical and lifestyle factors associated with various menstrual cycle characteristics. Methods. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 3941 premenopausal women from Iowa or North Carolina participating in the Agricultural Health Study between 1994 and 1996. Eligible women were age 21–40, not taking oral contraceptives, and not currently pregnant or breast feeding. We examined four menstrual cycle patterns: short cycles (24 days or less), long cycles (36 days or more), irregular cycles, and intermenstrual bleeding. Results. Long and irregular cycles were less common with advancing age and more common with menarche after age 14, with depression, and with increasing body mass index. The adjusted odds of long cycles increased with increasing body mass index, reaching 5.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1–13.7) among women with body mass indexes of 35 or higher compared with the reference category (body mass index of 22–23). Smoking was associated with short cycles. Long cycles, irregular cycles, and intermenstrual bleeding were associated with a history of infertility. Having long cycles was associated with a doubling in the adjusted odds of having a fetal loss among women who had been pregnant within the last 5 years (odds ratio = 2.3; 95% CI = 0.9–5.7). Conclusions. Menstrual patterns are influenced by a number of host and environmental characteristics. Factors that perturb menstruation may increase a woman's risk of other reproductive disorders.


Execution of a manipulation task of a single object by two robots or welding operation realization when one robot moves an object whereas the other executes welding require continuous coordination of robots' movements. In the paper basis of generation coordinated trajectories for Cartesian robots are presented. The proposed method relies on complicity introduction, to position controlled system, in the form of a corrective movement. Then static accuracy analysis was carried out for two cases: with force interaction between robots – like in the manipulation task, and without force interaction – a situation which corresponds to welding operations. For the defined form of correctors simulation model was built and the results were confirmed in simulation experiments.


A relation between geometric phases and criticality of spin chains is established. As a result, we show how geometric phases can be exploited as a tool to detect regions of criticality without having to undergo a quantum phase transition. We analytically evaluate the geometric phase that corresponds to the ground and excited states of the anisotropic XY model in the presence of a transverse magnetic field when the direction of the anisotropy is adiabatically rotated. It is demonstrated that the resulting phase is resilient against the main sources of errors. A physical realization with ultracold atoms in optical lattices is presented.


The speed at which technologies evolve means that society needs to increase the adaptability of its production processes, increasing their agility and effectiveness. Japan, as a pioneer of this proposal, launched Society 5.0, focused on the use of technologies to solve social and economic problems. One of the largest sectors with influence on the economy and that stands out for its constant changes, is the software development industry. This article presents a didactic guide that allows the adoption of good development practices, strengthening soft and technical skills through a process of continuous evaluation in students within systems engineering programs. The guide consists of the definition of an architectural model for the construction of a REST API, the definition of a preventive quality model based on DevOps, the configuration of the model and evaluation of application of the model in a course. The implementation of this guide improves the competitiveness of students in relation to their professional profile, providing the industry with better trained people with the potential to improve current software development processes.


Static analysis techniques for consistency checking of workflows allow to avoid runtime errors. This is in particular crucial for long running workflows where errors, detected late, can cause high costs. In many classes of workflows, the data perspective is rather simple, and the control flow perspective is the focus of consistency checking. In our setting, however, workflows are used to collect and integrate complex data based on a given domain ontology. In such scenarios, the data perspective becomes central and data consistency checking crucial. In this paper, we focus on detecting unsatisfiable conditions, a data inconsistency which can lead to non-reachable tasks in workflows. We describe an algorithm to detect such inconsistencies in workflows with an ontology-based data perspective. The algorithm utilizes semantic web reasoning. We discuss soundness and completeness of the technique.


This paper presents the analysis of the Russian resource-oriented export strategy. Focusing on the consequences on the population of Russia the relationship between the export strategy of Russia and the social sector is examined. Based on data between 1990 and 2012 the causal relationship between the Russian production and export of oil, price of oil at the world market, and dynamics of the social sector, including the GINI index, average wage, savings of the households, and the development of fuel and energy complex is analyzed. The results show that the export of raw materials can significantly improve the development of the Russian social sector under the condition of growing demand for the energy resources. The results suggest that the country with vast oil and gas reserves should target the policy of restricting the exports and stimulating its consumption within the economy. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s2p473