Two studies were presented at the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists that dealt with the regional and intertemporal differences in .consumption behaviour in Pakistan. The first study by Ahmad and Ludlow (1987) presented a sophisticated analysis using the modified LES method and household-level observations, based on the 1979 Household Income and Expenditure Survey. Based on the disaggregated estimates of the demand response for the rural and urban areas of Pakistan's four provinces the study concluded that there were significant differences in consumption patterns between rural and urban areas and across provinces for the 17 commodities studied. However, the analysis did not present any rigorous econometric testing of these differences. The second study by Malik et al. (1987) while studying the rural-urban differences and the stability of consumption behaviour for six aggregate commodity groups presented fairly rigorous tests to conclude that for the commodity groups studied, although there were statistically significant differences in consumption behaviour over time, there were no rural-urban differences in the two largest categories considered i.e. food and drinks and clothing and footwear in any of the years from 1963-64 to 1984-85 for which the aggregate Household Income and Expenditure Survey data were available in published form. This obvious difference in the results from the two studies could in fact have resulted from the aggregation of the commodities analysed in the second study. This apparent contradiction in the results needs to be evaluated further.


The periodicity of the mutual position of celestial bodies in the Earth‐Moon‐Sun system is crucial to the functioning of life on Earth. Biological rhythms affect most of the processes inside organisms, and some can be recorded in skeletal remains, allowing one to reconstruct the cycles that occur in nature deep in time. In the present study, we have used ultra‐high‐resolution elemental ratio scans of Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Mn/Ca from the fossil, ca. 70 Ma old inoceramid bivalve Inoceramus (Platyceramus) salisburgensis from deep aphotic water and identified a clear regularity of repetition of the geochemical signal every of ~0.006 mm. We estimate that the shell accretion rate is on average ~0.4 cm of shell thickness per lunar year. Visible light–dark lamination, interpreted as a seasonal signal corresponding to the semilunar‐related cycle, gives a rough shell age estimate and growth rate for this large bivalve species supported by a dual feeding strategy. We recognize a biological clock that follows either a semilunar (model A) or a tidal (model B) cycle. This cycle of tidal dominance seems to fit better considering the biological behaviour of I. (P.) salisburgensis, including the estimated age and growth rate of the studied specimens. We interpret that the major control in such deep‐sea environment, well below the photic zone and storm wave base, was due to barotropic tidal forces, thus changing the water pressure.


There is an ongoing search for solutions to many troublesome issues concerning surgical treatment of hypospadias such as what age is the most appropriate to apply surgery, or in how many stages surgery should be performed; what method, technique or modification to use in the surgical treatment of a specific type of hypospadias, whether there is an algorithm to use in choosing the most appropriate technique so that post-surgery complications could be reduced to minimum, or whether it is possible to follow up the early and late results of surgery. Knowing how treatment of hypospadias evolved from ancient times to present days can really help us find answers to some of these questions. Looking retrospectively into the past would enable us to follow the progress of the treatment of this anomaly by studying and analyzing the work of the famous surgeons from the past that left their mark in history. Beginning from the ancient times and passing through the Middle Ages and the revolutionary 19th century we come to the modern scientists who have described their clinical experience, methods and techniques and contributed considerably to the development of science. Many of the modern surgeons claim their ideas to be original but the investigation of historical documents and scientific works shows that all current techniques, theoretical and practical knowledge had been described ages before. It is quite apt here to quote Durham Smith on that: "There is nothing new in surgery not previously described".


The ability of chromium (Cr) salts to increase metallothionein (MT) levels in rat liver, kidney and pancreas, and its relationship with the presence of toxic effects are reported here. Rats were injected subcutaneously with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mg K2Cr2O7:kg and sacrificed 24 h later. Total Cr accumulation followed a dose-dependent pattern, levels in kidney being higher than those in liver or pancreas, suggesting different tissue bioavailabilities and accumulation patterns. Cr(IV) administration resulted in a tissue-specific MT induction: pancreas and liver showed five- and 3.5-fold MT increases, respectively; no increase was observed in the kidney. A positive correlation was observed between zinc and MT concentrations in liver, and between total Cr and MT concentrations in pancreas. Serum a-amylase activity showed a dose-dependent increase starting from 20 mg:kg, whereas serum glucose levels increased at doses higher than 30 mg:kg. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities were increased in a dose-dependent manner, from 20 and 30 mg:kg, respectively. Our results showed that treatment with Cr(VI) can induce MT synthesis in pancreas and suggests a subsequent binding of Cr to MT. Also, pancreas is a target organ for Cr toxicity, and the usefulness of a-amylase activity as a sensitive biomarker of Cr toxicity in human exposed populations merits further study. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.


Businesses are increasingly indicating a need for business graduates who have an integrated understanding of its operations, and an ability to address the multiple perspectives required in applying technology in a business setting. It is not always easy for undergraduates, with limited world experience, to gain such a holistic understanding. This paper discusses a 'scaffolding' approach to help them make the valuable links between one subject and another by deploying business, information/data and process modelling perspectives and their enabling technologies/tools. It proposes a detailed evaluation of this approach as the students progress from one subject to another.


Sargassum muticum is an important source of bioactive polysaccharides; hence, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was used to improve their extraction efficiency. Response surface methodology and a Box-Behnken full factorial design were employed to assess and optimize the effects of extraction conditions on the yield, total sugars, total sulfated sugars and antioxidant activity of S. muticum extracts. The extraction yield ranged between 32 and 40.4% independently of the extraction conditions or seaweed solid/liquid ratio resulting in average increases of 3.6 to 4.8-fold for total sugars and sulfated sugars, as compared to conventional extraction. Extracts displayed improved antioxidant activities, yet maximum values were achieved under different optimum conditions of HHP processing, for example, 5–5.5 min, 300 MPa and 1 g of dry seaweed for yield. In conclusion, the optimal HHP technology conditions described in this paper enables to obtain enriched bioactive polysaccharide S. muticum extracts.

Practical Applications

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a suitable method used to improve the extraction of natural ingredients with added value both in terms of nutritional value as in biological properties from different natural sources. In this study it was intended to evaluate the potential and the effectiveness of HHP to obtain extracts concentrated in bioactive polysaccharides from the brown seaweed Sargassum muticum. A new and possible strategy to valorize this invasive brown seaweed rich in sulfated polysaccharides with several health benefits associated. The main results have demonstrated that HHP increased extractability (higher extraction yields) and bioactivity from the seaweed S. muticum, providing extracts with higher content in polysaccharides which can be used as ingredients to develop novel functional foods.


Objective: To determine potential and water-limited yields in oil palm producing areas in the State of Tabasco, México.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The ERIC III v. 3.2 database (IMTA, 2009) was used to select climatological stations with daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature records, going back to more than 20 years. The methodology proposed by the FAO and improved by Fischer et al. (2012) was used to estimate the potential yield. The equation reported by Ruiz-Álvarez et al. (2012) was used to estimate the annual water deficit from the climatic water balance.
Results: The average potential yield of oil palm with a high level of inputs varies from 35.8 to 40.6 t ha-1 of fresh fruit bunches. The average water-limited yield can vary from 15.6 to 23.5 t ha-1 in plantations of at least 8 years of age, under rainfed conditions. The reduction in the maximum average attainable yield was the result of 19.2-49.5% soil moisture deficits.
Study limitations/Implications: In order to determine their impact on potential and water-limited yields, climate change horizons must be included in future studies; this would enable researchers to establish the future theoretical economic profitability of the crop.
Findings/Conclusions: The analysis between the yields indicates that —if the gap between the current yields and water-limited yields is closed— output and percentage would be 6.5-14.4 t ha-1 and 72.8-129% higher than the potential yield.


Efficient Indexing is a key us content-based video retrieval solutions. In this paper we represent video sequences as traces via scaling and linear transformation of the frame luminance field. Then an appropriate lower dimensional subspace is identified for video trace indexing. We also develop a trace geometry matching algorithm for retrieval based on average projection distance with a locally embedded distance metric. Simulation results demonstrated the high accuracy and very fast retrieval speed for the proposed solution


After World War II, American organizations launched efforts to improve the lives of foreign children, from war orphans in Europe and Japan to impoverished youth in the developing world. Providing material aid, education, and emotional support, these programs had a deep humanitarian underpinning. But they were also political projects. Sara Fieldston's comprehensive account Raising the World shows that the influence of child welfare agencies around the globe contributed to the United States' expanding hegemony. These organizations filtered American power through the prism of familial love and shaped perceptions of the United States as the benevolent parent in a family of nations.The American Friends Service Committee, Foster Parents' Plan, and Christian Children's Fund, among others, sent experts abroad to build nursery schools and orphanages and to instruct parents in modern theories of child rearing and personality development. Back home, thousands of others "sponsored" overseas children by sending money and exchanging often-intimate letters. Although driven by sincere impulses and sometimes fostering durable friendships, such efforts doubled as a form of social engineering. Americans believed that child rearing could prevent the rise of future dictators, curb the appeal of communism, and facilitate economic development around the world.By the 1970s, child welfare agencies had to adjust to a new world in which American power was increasingly suspect. But even as volunteers reconsidered the project of reshaping foreign societies, a perceived universality of children's needs continued to justify intervention by Americans into young lives across the globe.


This paper confronts a CGE model to observed evolutions in France, between 1970 and 1992, through a structural decomposition analysis. The choice of the model and the assumption of constant elasticities over time enable the structural change of the economy between two equilibria to be summarised through a set of four types of state variables, reflecting the effect of technical change, changes in factor supplies, shifts in consumption patterns, and international trade. Simulations then allow the contribution of each of these shocks to be assessed. We find that technical change had a strong positive impact on the relative wage of skilled to unskilled workers, while the impact of changes in factor supplies is strongly negative. The effect of international trade is far less important. However, if we take into account a trade-induced effect on productivity, then we find that trade substantially increased wage inequalities.


Recently, open-domain question answering (QA) has been combined with machine comprehension models to find answers in a large knowledge source. As open-domain QA requires retrieving relevant documents from text corpora to answer questions, its performance largely depends on the performance of document retrievers. However, since traditional information retrieval systems are not effective in obtaining documents with a high probability of containing answers, they lower the performance of QA systems. Simply extracting more documents increases the number of irrelevant documents, which also degrades the performance of QA systems. In this paper, we introduce Paragraph Ranker which ranks paragraphs of retrieved documents for a higher answer recall with less noise. We show that ranking paragraphs and aggregating answers using Paragraph Ranker improves performance of open-domain QA pipeline on the four open-domain QA datasets by 7.8% on average.


The advent of satellite data came fortuitously at a time when the global sea ice cover has been changing rapidly and new techniques are needed to accurately assess the true state and characteristics of the global sea ice cover. The extent of the sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere has been declining by about -4% per decade for the period 1979 to 2011 but for the period from 1996 to 2010, the rate of decline became even more negative at -8% per decade, indicating an acceleration in the decline. More intriguing is the drastically declining perennial sea ice area, which is the ice that survives the summer melt and observed to be retreating at the rate of -14% per decade during the 1979 to 2012 period. Although a slight recovery occurred in the last three years from an abrupt decline in 2007, the perennial ice extent was almost as low as in 2007 in 2011. The multiyear ice, which is the thick component of the perennial ice and regarded as the mainstay of the Arctic sea ice cover is declining at an even higher rate of -19% per decade. The more rapid decline of the extent of this thicker ice type means that the volume of the ice is also declining making the survival of the Arctic ice in summer highly questionable. The slight recovery in 2008, 2009 and 2010 for the perennial ice in summer was likely associated with an apparent cycle in the time series with a period of about 8 years. Results of analysis of concurrent MODIS and AMSR-E data in summer also provide some evidence of more extensive summer melt and meltponding in 2007 and 2011 than in other years. Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea ice cover, as observed by the same set of satellite data, is showing an unexpected and counter intuitive increase of about 1 % per decade over the same period. Although a strong decline in ice extent is apparent in the Bellingshausen/ Amundsen Seas region, such decline is more than compensated by increases in the extent of the sea ice cover in the Ross Sea region. The results of analysis of MODIS, AMSR-E and SSM/I data reveal that the sea ice production rate at the coastal polynyas along the Ross Ice Shelf has been increasing since 1992. This also means that the salinization rate and the formation of bottom water in the region are going up as well. Simulation studies indicate that the stronger production rate is likely associated with the ozone hole that has caused a deepening of the lows in the West Antarctic region and therefore stronger winds off the Ross Ice Shelf. Stronger winds causes larger coastal polynyas near the shelf and hence an enhanced ice production in the region during the autumn and winter period. Results of analysis of temperature data from MODIS and AMSR-E shows that the area and concentration of the sea ice cover are highly correlated with surface temperature for both the Arctic and Antarctic, especially in the seasonal regions where the correlation coefficients are about 0.9. Abnormally high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and surface ice temperatures (SITs) were also observed in 2007 and 2011when drastic reductions in the summer ice cover occurred, This phenomenon is consistent with the expected warming of the upper layer of the Arctic Ocean on account of ice-albedo feedback. Changes in atmospheric circulation are also expected to have a strong influence on the sea ice cover but the results of direct correlation analyses of the sea ice cover with the Northern and the Southern Annular Mode indices show relatively weak correlations, This might be due in part to the complexity of the dynamics of the system that can be further altered by some phenomena like the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave and extra polar processes like the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (POD),


This guide is for students in Living for Change (GSWS 0863). Use the resources and information on this guide to help with research on radical women in Philadelphia, and to find sources for your final research paper.


Thiazacridine and imidazacridine derivatives have shown promising results as tumors suppressors in some cancer cell lines. For a better understanding of the mechanism of action of these compounds, binding studies of 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-3-amino-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one, 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one, 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-imidazolidin-4-one and 3-acridin-9-ylmethyl-thiazolidin-2,4-dione with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy were performed. The binding constants ranged from 1.46 × 104 to 6.01 × 104 M−1. UV-Vis, fluorescence and circular dichroism measurements indicated that the compounds interact effectively with ctDNA, both by intercalation or external binding. They demonstrated inhibitory activities to human topoisomerase I, except for 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one. These results provide insight into the DNA binding mechanism of imidazacridines and thiazacridines.


Magnetite supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes catalysts were synthesized by co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatment. The magnetic catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis and N2 physisorption. The catalysts were then tested for their ability to remove diclofenac (DCF) and naproxen (NAP) from an aqueous solution at different conditions (pH, temperature, and hydrogen peroxide) to determine the optimum conditions for chemical oxidation. The optimization of the process parameters was conducted using response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box–Behnken design (BBD). By RSM–BBD methodology, the optimal parameters (1.75 mM H2O2 dosage, 70 °C and pH 6.5) were determined, and the removal percentages of NAP and DCF were 19 and 54%, respectively. The NAP–DCF degradation by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) was caused by •OH radicals. In CWPO of mixed drug solutions, DCF and NAP showed competitive oxidation. Hydrophobic interactions played an important role during the CWPO process. On the other hand, the magnetic catalyst reduced its activity after the second cycle of reuse. In addition, proof of concept and disinfection tests performed at the operating conditions showed results following the complexity of the water matrices. In this sense, the magnetic catalyst in CWPO has adequate potential to treat water contaminated with NAP–DCF mixtures.


Ultrasound scanning is an indispensable skill in obstetrics and gynaecology. Trainees find experience in scanning difficult to access, and struggle to reach Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology required competencies. This is due to pressure on scanning lists, decreased doctors' hours and increased patient expectations. This study assesses the construct validity of the virtual reality simulation (VRS) ultrasound trainer, Ultrasim and its use for training. Results will inform a future RCT to evaluate transferability of skills learnt to scanning on 'real' patients. Ultimately, we aim to implement a VRS ultrasound training programme. Method 30 obstetricians were recruited and divided into novice (<10 ultrasound examinations performed), intermediate (20–50 ultrasound examinations performed) and expert (>100 ultrasound examinations performed) categories. Participants were orientated to Ultrasim with a basic skills task. They performed three repetitions of a VRS growth ultrasound scan measuring fetal biometry and liquor volume and assessing placental site and presentation. They performed five repetitions of a crown rump length (CRL) measurement. Time taken to complete each scan was recorded. Results Absolute deviation from the defined standards for all parameters was calculated. Preliminary data showed a significant difference between novice versus intermediate (p=0.004) and expert (p=0.012) in CRL1 measurements, demonstrating construct validity. With repetition accuracy of novice measurements and time taken approached expert levels demonstrating a learning curve. Growth scan preliminary data revealed greatest variability within the novice measurements and the expert group was significantly faster (p=0.002). Conclusion VRS ultrasound training has the potential to improve scanning skills of Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainees.


Drainage Group (DG). 63 patients (61.8%) formed the Medical Management Group (MMG). DG: Median (IQR) P:F ratio significantly increased from 185 (109) to 304 (123) and 260 (81) at 24 and 48 hours respectively (p<0.01). MMG: no change from baseline P:F ratio 269 (130) (Figure 1). No significant difference detected in adverse events between groups: DG 7/39 (17.9%), MMG 7/63 (11.1%), p=0.38, nor mortality (28.6% and 28.2%, p=0.89). Conclusion: Drainage of clinically significant pleural effusions safely improves oxygenation in critically ill patients. Further research to guide effusion management in ICU is required. Acknowledgement: EF and KH receive support from the WA Department of Health and YCGL from NHMRC.


Abstract BACKGROUND. Starting from the European and American guidelines regarding sedation during gastrointestinal investigations and continuing with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommendations, we have developed a software that helps the ENT specialist to decide whether the patient can undergo a moderate sedation in the operating room, or in the outpatient office, during the drug-induced sleep endoscopy. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The application is written in C#, using the. NET Framework, and is available for the Windows operating system. The application has a very simple and user-friendly interface, and a bare-bones implementation, focusing strictly on the decision-making process. RESULTS. The application involves the information obtained from patient history, clinical examination and polysomnography. After filling all the patient's data, it will show the result that can be one of the following: "treatment can be ambulatory", "treatment should be done in the hospital" or "treatment is not recommended". CONCLUSION. The decision-making software application may substitute the evaluation of the anaesthesiologist during drug-induced sleep endoscopy in certain conditions.


A series of ceramic samples La2(Mo1-xVx)2O9-α (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns show that all the ceramic samples have a single cubic structure. The conductive properties of the ceramic samples were investigated using gas concentration cells and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at 823-1123 K. All the samples have completely suppressed the phase transition, which occurs in La2Mo2O9 at around 853 K. The ceramic samples are almost pure oxide-ionic conductors and do not possess the protonic conduction in dry and wet oxygen atmospheres. The oxide-ionic conductivity (σ) is affected by the doping level, and increases as follows: σ(x=0.02)σ(x=0.08)σ(x = 0.06)σ(x=0.04). This order is consistent with that of the free volume of the crystal lattice. La2(Mo0.96V0.04)2O9-α has the highest oxide-ionic conductivity of 0.051 S·cm-1. The dependence of conductivity on oxygen partial pressure reveals that the samples are almost pure oxide-ionic conductors in the high oxygen partial pressure range whereas they exhibit mixed ionic and electronic conduction in the low oxygen partial pressure range.


This article explores the relevance of an ostensibly unpretentious gift exchange of squirrels and eggs in order to illuminate how asymmetric kin ties among the Khmu Yuan of Northern Laos are realized. Employing the concept of mutual recognition, it will be shown that this particular gift exchange amounts to an act of mutual recognition between asymmetric kin that makes the recognized relationship efficacious vis-à-vis observing others and spirits. The power of the spirits not only to observe but also to intervene in the aftermath of receiving the wrong gift points to the potential drawbacks that this efficacy might have.


By the method of artificial soil pollution, an exposure experiment with different concentrations of pyrene (0, 60, 120, 240, 480, 960 microg x kg(-1)) was conducted to determine the cytochrome P450 and MDA contents and the glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in earthworm gut after exposure for 1, 3, 7 and 14 days. The results indicated that within the range of test pyrene concentrations, all the biochemical indices tested differed in their sensitivity to pyrene toxicity, among which, P450 content and GST and SOD activities were most sensitive, followed by POD and CAT activities, while MDA content did not show any obvious response. Exposure duration had stronger effects than exposure dosage. In diagnosing the ecotoxicity of soil pollutant, it could be necessary to use a combined multi-time and multi-index diagnostic method to enhance the sensitivity and effectiveness of the indices adopted.


Numerical studies play an important role in understanding lithospheric and mantle dynamics. In this thesis, we first develop and use multiphysics geodynamic models to study the evolution of subduction. Our geodynamic models are constrained by different geological and geophysical observations, including topography. We then use 3D numerical simulations of dynamic rupture with off-fault inelastic deformation to study the scaling between damage zone thickness and fault width. Finally, we study the mechanical strength and anisotropy in the continental collision region with flexural models and gravity and topography data. Topography is valuable data for investigating lithosphere and mantle dynamics and constraining numerical studies. Topography prediction with forward models is well established at plate interiors, while it is still difficult to predict realistic topography at subduction zones. We use multiphysics geodynamic models to tackle this problem. Our models incorporate a true free surface, phase changes, and elasto-visco-plastic rheology. We also include surface processes, water migration and water weakening. We study the influences of different geophysical, petrological, and geochemical processes on topography and subduction zone evolution and show that surface geometry, surface processes, elasticity, and oceanic crust all strongly influence the stress state and deformation within plates, water weakening decouples the overriding plate and the subducting slab at the mantle wedge region and contributes to the initiation of overriding plate failure, and oceanic crust has a similar effect with sediments lubricating the subduction interface. Free slip surface topography and free surface topography have substantial differences, and free surface topography is influenced by different processes by adjusting the force balance. Application to the New Hebrides subduction zone suggests that deformation within a detached slab segment caused by the impact of the slab segment on the strong lower mantle explains the origin of the isolated deep earthquakes in the transition zone beneath the North Fiji Basin, and the difference in the seismic intensities between northern and southern deep earthquake clusters is caused by transition from strong deformation to weak deformation after the impact. We apply our multiphysics approach to investigate the influence of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity on subduction initiation at the Puysegur Incipient Subduction Zone (PISZ) south of New Zealand. Our predictions fit the morphology of the Puysegur Trench and Ridge and the deformation history on the overriding plate. We show how a new thrust fault forms and evolves into a smooth subduction interface, and how a preexisting weak zone can become a vertical fault inboard of the thrust fault during subduction initiation, consistent with two-fault system at PISZ. The model suggests that the PISZ may not yet be self-sustaining. We propose that the Snares Zone (or Snares Trough) is caused by plate coupling differences between shallower and deeper parts, that the tectonic sliver between two faults experiences strong rotation, and that low density material accumulates beneath the Snares Zone. We then turn to the scaling between damage zone thickness and fault width. Field observations indicate that damage zone thickness scales with accumulated fault displacement at short displacements but saturates at a few hundred meters for displacements larger than a few kilometers. To explain this transition of scaling behavior, we conduct 3D numerical simulations of dynamic rupture with off-fault inelastic deformation on long strike-slip faults. We find that the distribution of coseismic inelastic strain is controlled by the transition from crack-like to pulse-like rupture propagation associated with saturation of the seismogenic depth. The yielding zone reaches its maximum thickness when the rupture becomes a stable pulse-like rupture. Considering fracture mechanics theory, we show that seismogenic depth controls the upper bound of damage zone thickness on mature faults by limiting the efficiency of stress concentration near earthquake rupture fronts. We obtain a quantitative relation between limiting damage zone thickness, background stress, dynamic fault strength, off-fault yield strength, and seismogenic depth, which agrees with first-order field observations. Our results help link dynamic rupture processes with field observations and contribute to a fundamental understanding of damage zone properties. Finally, we investigate the interactions between mechanical strength and lithospheric deformations. Variation of lithospheric strength controls the distribution of stress and strain within plates and at plate boundaries. Simultaneously, deformation caused by localized stress and strain reduces the lithospheric strength. We calculate the effective elastic thickness, Te, which is a proxy of lithospheric strength, and its anisotropy at the Zagros-Himalaya belt and surrounding regions. Te varies from


Due to the unique advantages of two-photon technology and time-resolved imaging technology in the biomedical field, attention has been paid to them. Gold clusters possess excellent physicochemical properties and low biotoxicity, which make them greatly advantageous in biological imaging, especially for in vivo animal imaging. A gold nanocluster was coupled with dihydrolipoic acid to obtain a functionalized nanoprobe; the material displayed significant features, including a large two-photon absorption cross-section (up to 1.59 × 105 GM) and prolonged fluorescence lifetime (>300 ns). The two-photon and time-resolution techniques were used to perform cell imaging and in vivo imaging.


Many anaerobically functioning eukaryotes have an anaerobic energy metabolism in which fumarate is reduced to succinate. This reduction of fumarate is the opposite reaction to succinate oxidation catalyzed by succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, complex II of the aerobic respiratory chain. Prokaryotes are known to contain two distinct enzyme complexes and distinct quinones, menaquinone and ubiquinone (Q), for the reduction of fumarate and the oxidation of succinate, respectively. Parasitic helminths are also known to contain two different quinones, Q and rhodoquinone (RQ). This report demonstrates that RQ was present in all examined eukaryotes that reduce fumarate during anoxia, not only in parasitic helminths, but also in freshwater snails, mussels, lugworms, and oysters. It was shown that the measured RQ/Q ratio correlated with the importance of fumarate reduction in vivo. This is the first demonstration of the role of RQ in eukaryotes, other than parasitic helminths. Furthermore, throughout the development of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, a strong correlation was found between the quinone composition and the type of metabolism: the amount of Q was correlated with the use of the aerobic respiratory chain, and the amount of RQ with the use of fumarate reduction. It can be concluded that RQ is an essential component for fumarate reduction in eukaryotes, in contrast to prokaryotes, which use menaquinone in this process. Analyses of enzyme kinetics, as well as the known differences in primary structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic complexes that reduce fumarate, support the idea that fumarate-reducing eukaryotes possess an enzyme complex for the reduction of fumarate, structurally related to the succinate dehydrogenase-type complex II, but with the functional characteristics of the prokaryotic fumarate reductases.


Subject to publication being data from the site of Kuchimino 40.1, located in West Siberia in Surgut Low Ob basin. Despite a laconic character of the complex and quite a detailed archaeological study of the region, it turned out impossible to introduce it accurately into a modern periodization scheme with regard to antiquities of West Siberian North. The complex could be equally attributed to the Neolithic Age and to the early Bronze Age, while a set of stone artifacts to the Mesolithic as well. The paper aimed at involving a broad circle of experts into a discussion of the presented materials and into a search of new facts in an effort of its accurate interpretation.


Empirical earthquake ground motions were developed for an engineering site at Tooele Army Depot near Tooele, Utah. Nearby fault sources were judged capable of generating earthquakes, as was the Wasatch fault. Comparisons were made between peak horizontal motions obtained from charts giving motions for Modified Mercalli intensity and charts giving motions for earthquake magnitude and distance. The latter motions were compared for charts by various authors. The motions that were generated include the effects of a major earthquake on the Wasatch fault at 50 km from the site, with M = 7.5, and a local earthquake at 21 km from the site, also of M = 7.5. The Wasatch earthquake for a soft site involves peak horizontal motions with acceleration = 380 cm/sec 2 , velocity =58 cm/sec and duration (≥0.05 g ) = 56 sec. The local earthquake has an acceleration = 1,100 cm/sec 2 , velocity = 180 cm/sec and duration (≥0.05 g ) = 54 sec. Appropriate time histories are recommended. Operating basis motions are also provided.


Mean platelet volume (MPV), a marker of platelet activation, is a surrogate marker of platelet function and a potential mediator of the association between inflammation and thrombosis. The present retrospective study sought to investigate the association between MPV and the presence of thrombotic events (TEs) in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of 114 consecutive patients with chronic AF were enrolled from a Chinese hospital. Individuals were divided into three groups: The AF+TE group (n=57, 33.1%), which comprised patients in AF with concomitant TEs; the AF group (n=57, 33.1%), which comprised patients in AF with no identifiable TEs, as confirmed by brain computed tomography, transesophageal echocardiography, or a combination of the two; and a control group (n=58, 33.7%), which consisted of patients who were in sinus rhythm. MPV, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), D-dimer and the left atrial diameter (LAD) were analyzed in the 172 participants. The MPV level of patients in the AF+TE group was significantly higher than that of patients in the AF and control groups (P<0.05). In the correlation analysis, MPV levels were found to be positively correlated with LAD, D-dimer concentrations and hsCRP levels in patients with AF (r=0.960, P<0.05; r=0.896, P<0.05; and r=0.924, P<0.01, respectively). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the value for MPV levels required to detect TEs with a sensitivity of 77.5% and specificity of 78% was 10.5 femtoliter (fl). A high MPV level (>10.5 fl) was significantly associated with the occurrence of TEs (odds ratio, 3:1; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-5.1; P=0.000). The results of the present study suggest that an additional biomarker, MPV, has a predictive value for the presence of TEs in patients with AF. MPV may be a potential mediator between inflammation and thrombosis.


This paper explores differences between traditions in relation to teaching and learning. Taking the Anglo/American curriculum tradition as my starting point, I seek to highlight the ways in which the Central and Northern European tradition of Didaktik has offered a new dimension and fresh insights to the notion of reflective practice. In particular the paper highlights the way in which the tradition of Didaktik offers tools for recognising and holding the complexity associated with teaching-studying learning processes. Furthermore it explores the potential of these tools for the analysis and evaluation of the teaching-studying-learning of mathematics by seeking to make connections with other frameworks for analysis in the field.


Building on Martin Luther's (1483–1546) view that the whole world could be filled with the service to God, this article is an investigation of John Calvin's (1509–1564) assertion that every person's occupation is a post and a station assigned to him by God. Although some people, as others did to Calvin and other reformers, may argue that the article demonstrates insensitivity to the unemployed, I have argued that restricting the word "calling" to ecclesiastical function always distorts the biblical meaning of the term. The central question in this article is simply: What can the today's society learn from Calvin's doctrine of occupational calling? Said differently, if Calvin and other Reformers were still alive what could they say to today's politicians, legislators, businessmen, bankers, traders, scientists, judges and other public servants? Noting that the medieval society completely distorted the biblical truth of calling, this paper calls for a simple return to Calvin's doctrine of vocation calling. The discussion walks from Biblical texts through the key developments in theology particularly related to how vocation was understood in the early and medieval churches that culminated in the Reformers' view. The article concludes by offering various suppositions of what Calvin could have commended to us today.


Prevention of public violence is a primary task of an ordered state. If rioting occurs, it is usually a serious setback for the government in power, a sign of weakness or even forthcoming collapse, an injury to the citizens' commitment. During a riot, governmental leaders are often taxed to the ultimate because they may lose control of the society in the uncharted waters of the mob; their policy-decisions can sink while awaiting enforcement. The rioters who participate in collective public violence lose their restraint, their individuality that previously caused them to respect authority, and turn to irresponsible acts they would not normally commit. For these reasons established political leaders place a high priority on preventing violence. Should it break out, their automatic inclination is to contain it. Some revolutionaries, on the other hand, see creativity in violence, are even willing to stimulate it, hoping that it will sweep traditional institutions away.


This paper deals with the integer frequency offset (IFO) estimation issue for reliable transmission in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) systems. To estimate the IFO the conventional scheme uses only partial information of combinations that pilots provide. However, since the conventional scheme exploits a small number of correlations, it does not use sufficient signal energy for the IFO estimation. Thus, in this paper, we propose novel IFO estimation schemes efficiently using the additional correlations between pilots. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes are highly accurate in terms of the IFO detection probability.


. We show by example that the associative law does not hold for tensor products in the category of general (not necessarily locally convex) topological vector spaces. The same pathology occurs for tensor products of Hausdorff abelian topological groups.


The aqueous extract of the leaf of Bambusa vulgaris is used in ethnomedicine as an antifertility agent in man. This study aimed at validating or disproving this folkloric use by evaluating the effect of 50 % methanolic extract on sperm concentration and some male reproductive hormones in rats after 14 and 28- day administration. Male wistar rats were administered with 250 and 500 mg/kg of the extract for 14 and 28 days and were sacrificed at the end of these days separately. They were evaluated for sperm concentration, motility, testosterone (T), leutinizing (LH) and follicle stimulating hormones (FSH), and histology of the testes was also carried out. Two groups of six rats each administered with 250 mg/kg for 28 days were left for the next 14 and 28 days, respectively and sperm concentration and motility were evaluated for probable reversal of activity. The same was repeated for those two groups administered with 500 mg/kg extract. There were 42 and 31 % reduction in sperm count at 14 and 28 days respectively, in rats administered with 250 mg/kg while at 500 mg/kg dose, the percentage reduction in sperm count was 60 % at both 14 and 28 days. There was almost a complete reversal of activity 14 days after cessation of treatment. The result justified the ethnomedicinal claim of the use of B. vulgaris leaf as an antifertility agent. Keywords: Bamboo, sperm, contraception, fertility, hormone


Improved understanding of Greenland ice sheet hydrology is critically important for assessing its impact on current and future ice sheet dynamics and global sea level rise. This has motivated the collection and integration of in situ observations, model development, and remote sensing efforts to quantify meltwater production, as well as its phase changes, transport, and export. Particularly urgent is a better understanding of albedo feedbacks leading to enhanced surface melt, potential positive feedbacks between ice sheet hydrology and dynamics, and meltwater retention in firn. These processes are not isolated, but must be understood as part of a continuum of processes within an integrated system. This letter describes a systems approach to the study of Greenland ice sheet hydrology, emphasizing component interconnections and feedbacks, and highlighting research and observational needs.


Abstract Energy efficiency measures and the enhancement of investments in renewable energy play important role in sustainable development and lead to advancement of competitiveness of national economies. The increase of renewable energy consumption and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are significant stages of the process to achieve the main purposes of sustainable development at global and national levels. In this paper the change in the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption and in the greenhouse gas emissions intensity in Hungary between 2004 and 2011 is investigated. It is demonstrated that the share of the renewable energy in gross inland energy consumption increased during the examined period. The measure and the tendency of the change in Hungary show similarity to the EU 27 average. The greenhouse gas emissions intensity of energy consumption decreased in Hungary between 2004 and 2011. According to the data, the decrease is the second largest among the European Member ...


There is a growing number of web services available on the Internet, providing a wide range of functionalities. This diversity introduces a variety of new challenges in the field of software engineering — service discovery, integration, and composition, all of which require, to some extent, "service matching". Web-service matching (or alignment) is the task of mapping the functionalities of two web services, assuming that these functionalities overlap somewhat. In this paper we propose a novel graph-theoretic approach, called Semantic Flow Matching (SFM), for matching REST web services, specified in WADL (Web Application Description Language). The method builds a heterogeneous network of WADL elements and semantically related terms, and uses this network to match similar functionalities of different web services. The method is implemented in a prototype tool that consists of two modules: a converter and a mapper; where the converter wraps the REST web services in WADL format and the mapper module matches web services based on their semantics extracted from the WADL interface build by the converter. We demonstrate the potential of the approach with a small case study.


In the study of acquisition and learnability in Optimality Theory (OT; Prince and Smolensky 1993/2004) learning is characterized in terms of changes in constraint ranking. Learners begin with a ranking of Markedness constraints above Faithfulness constraints, and rerank them on the basis of evidence from the target language. A theory of learnability that accounts for the human acquisition process should both converge on the correct final grammar, and model the path that learners take to get there. The Gradual Learning Algorithm (GLA; Boersma 1998, Boersma and Hayes 2001) can model some, but not all aspects of the learning path, and as we will show, is non-convergent. The Constraint Demotion Algorithm (Tesar and Smolensky 1998) is convergent, but non-gradual. In this paper we argue that the search for a gradual convergent learner may be aided by replacing Optimality Theory's constraint ranking with numerical weighting, returning in this respect to OT's predecessor Harmonic Grammar (HG; Legendre et al. 1990, Smolensky and Legendre 2006). We demonstrate the advantages of weighting by using a minimally modified version of the GLA implemented by Boersma and Weenink (2006) that learns Harmonic Grammars, rather than OT grammars. In the next section, we provide examples of two types of gradualness in the first language acquisition of phonology, before moving on to the question of how this gradualness can be modeled in learnability theory.


Some cellular mechanisms governing the secretion of adrenaline by epinephrocytes of guinea pigs sacrificed because of acute anaphylaxis produced by inhalatory administration of ovoalbumin following sensitization with this antigen have been studied. In acute anaphylaxis the adrenaline secretion from epinephrocytes occurs mainly by massive and facilitated exocytosis mechanism that differs from the classical exocytosis one. Increase in the concentration of ionized calcium, increase in the number of microtubules, and decrease in the number of microfilaments in the epinephrocytes have the essential significance in the mechanism of this secretion.


We show the existence of involuntary unemployment without assuming wage rigidity. We derive involuntary unemployment by considering utility maximization of consumers and profit maximization of firms in an overlapping generations model under perfect competition with decreasing or constant returns to scale technology. Indivisibility of labor supply may be a ground for the existence of involuntary unemployment. However, we show that under some conditions there exists involuntary unemployment even when labor supply is divisible.


This article mainly addresses Navier's slip boundary condition impact on two-dimensional, unsteady magneto hydrodynamic flow of electrically conducting viscous nanofluids adjacent to stagnation region due to a stretchable wall along to viscous dissipation and Joule heating. Nanofluids are taken namely silver-water, copper-water, titanium dioxidewater and alumina-water. Transformation procedure applied reduces the set of nonlinear partial differential equations into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Resulting governing boundary layer equations are numerically solved by establishing a Keller-box method. Effects of different nanofluids, stretching parameter, slip parameter; solid volume fraction, unsteadiness parameter, magnetic parameter and Eckert number on velocity and temperature distributions are illustrated via graphs and explained in details. Computational values of local skin friction and local Nusselt number for influences of specified parameters are found out and indicated in tabular mode. Moreover, dual solutions exist by cause of negative values of unsteadiness parameter in fluid flow, fluid temperature, wall shear stress and wall heat flux.


Field experiments were conducted at Akure in the rainforest zone of Southwest Nigeria to study the effect of tillage and mulching in production of pepper (Capsicum amnum) and sorghum (sorghum bicolor). The soil physical properties, plant nutrient content, growth and yields of pepper and sorghum were evaluated. Zero tillage (herbicide based), manual clearing (MC), ridge (R) and heap (H) without and with weed residue mulch (M) were studied, Ridge or heap without mulch reduced soil bulk density and temperature compared with MC or MC + M. Tillage (H, R) increased leaf N, P and Ca in pepper, mulch increased leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg and highest values of P, K, Ca and Mg were recorded for H + M and R+M. Tillage and mulch significantly increased pepper height, number of leaves, branches, fruits and fruit weight hence H+M and R+M had higher values of the parameters. Relative to MC, the H, R, MC+M, H+M and R+M increased fruits weight by 497, 448, 540, 876 and 903% respectively. The values for fruits weight were 457, 432, 500, 896 and 968%. Tillage increased dry matter yield of sorghum significantly, while dry matter yield, plant height, leaf area and grain yield were significantly increased by mulching. Highest grain yields were given by R + M and H+M. Relative MC, the MC+M, R+M and H+M increased grain yield by 23, 51 and 49% respectively. Tillage plus mulching significantly enhanced performance of pepper and sorghum.


ALTHOUGH mention has been made that death may occur suddenly and unexpectedly after apparent clinical recovery from drowning there have been no reports documenting this catastrophic event. The purpose of this paper is to report such a case and to review our present knowledge on the pathophysiology and treatment of drowning and to emphasize the need for continued medical care in survivors of near-drowning. Report of a Case A 53-year-old white male was brought to the emergency room of St. Vincent's Hospital on Sept 20, 1963 after being rescued from the Hudson River (salt water) where he was found floating with his head underwater. On shore, the patient was given artificial respiration and oxygen with recovery of spontaneous respirations. When seen in the hospital he was breathing regularly and coughing up copious quantities of water. Tracheal suction was vigorously and meticulously carried out. Oxygen was given by mask and was


ABSTRACT: Redfern-Waterloo, on the edge of Sydney's CBD, has long been an important center for the city's Aboriginal population, as a place to live, socialize, work, and/or access services provided by the area's numerous Aboriginal organizations. State plans to regenerate Redfern-Waterloo, to realize its latent potential, far from seeking to displace the socially disadvantaged Aboriginal community and erase its cultural legacy, stress the importance of a continuing indigenous presence. Planning and policy documents generally suggest that Aboriginal people can contribute to, and reap the benefits of, the area's renaissance. This article will explore construction of minority cultures in planning discourse in Sydney and in particular the way indigenous culture and citizenship is delineated in the discourses of urban renewal. The vision of Aboriginal culture (and residual communal presence) is narrow and circumscribed by conventional "touristic" representations (fine art, dance, and other performance) around national heritage and consumption. This excludes many of the area's youth who, like their counterparts throughout the world, identify more with street culture—hip-hop, graffiti art, skateboarding, etc.—than with traditional arts/high culture. These activities have little place in the vision for urban renewal. This article will argue that civic booster strategies that fail to recognize the complex and ambiguous character of public spaces and their importance as sites of resistant/underground/avant-garde/youth subcultures will inevitably generate sterile landscapes; their vision of local communal heritage is little more than tokenistic.


The cipher systems based on Cellular Automata proposed by Nandi et al are a ne and are insecure Index Terms Cryptography block ciphers stream ciphers cellular automata


Probiotics are used in a great number of both paediatric and adult diseases, mainly in gastrointestinal disorders, like diarrhoea. Nevertheless, their beneficial effect on immune alterations, such as atopic dermatitis and, more recently, in women related diseases such as vulvovaginitis and mastitis have also been observed. However, the use of probiotics is not completely implemented into the routine clinical practice for primary care physicians. There is still a great controversy with scarce scientific evidence, due to the diversity in the designs thereof which justifies the variability in the efficacy results. This outcome leads to difficulties in developing definitive treatment guidelines although there are exceptions, for example, WGO. The aim of this workshop, held at the VI Congress of the Spanish Society of Probiotics and Prebiotics is the training of primary care physicians, both paediatricians and general practitioners in the clinical applications of these nutritional preparations in different diseases: acute diarrhoea; antibiotic associated diarrhoea, necrotizing enterocolitis, employment in infant milk formulas, infant colic, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as vulvovaginitis and mastitis.


Results are presented of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) experiments performed in a combustor which produces a bluff-body-sta bilized flame having recirculating flow characteristics similar to those in many practical combustion systems. These results were obtained from the following CARS measurements with gaseous propane used as the fuel: determination of temperature profiles in the flame based upon analysis of the scanned N2 spectra (time-averaged spectra), and the mapping of the concentration of N 2 and O2 based upon the broadband integration of all Q-branch lines using a single laser pulse. Presented also are: 1) comparison of CARS temperature data and those from a thermocouple taken at the same locations in the combustor, 2) comparison of CARS concentration data for O2 and those obtained with a gas-sampling probe, and 3) comparison of temperature data obtained by single-pulse CARS and by the sodium line-reversal method. In addition, preliminary results obtained in experiments using the liquid fuels JP-4 and shale-oil-derived JP-8 are also reported. The results obtained to date indicate that with the CARS technique spatially and temporally resolved measurements of species concentration and temperature can be made in the reacting zone of large-scale combustors using gaseous or liquid fuel.


In this work, in order to develop the ceramics with an excellent electrocaloric effect, [Bi0.5(Na0.84K0.16)0.5]TiO3 ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid state reaction method. The ceramics was observed as rhombohedral phase by X-ray diffraction patterns. To investigate the electrocaloric effect of the ceramics, P-E hysteresis loops were measured at various temperature. The temperature change ΔT of these ceramics was calculated using the Maxwell``s relations. The maximum value of temperature change ΔT was obtained as 0.3 1℃ at 165℃ under applied electric fields 45 kV/cm.


Self excited induction generator has become very popular for generating power from renewable energy sources, Their main disadvantage is poor voltage regulation under varying load and speed. This paper presents a comparison between a fuzzy logic controller and a conventional PI controller used for DC voltage control of self excited induction generator in wind energy conversion System. The robustness between these two regulators was tested and validated under simulations with the presence of variations rotor speed and DC load. The simulation results obtained showed that the fuzzy controller improves the system performances compared to the PI controller.


ABSTRACT National prevalence data indicate that college students are at a high risk for sexual assault, but most institutions of higher education do not provide postassault medical forensic examinations as part of student-facing healthcare services. College sexual assault patients might have access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in local hospitals, if they are available where they are attending school, but unfortunately, many student victims do not have options for postassault health services. Creating campus-based SANE programs could address this gap in services and increase access to healthcare. In this article, we describe how we created a free-standing, campus-based SANE program at Michigan State University. We worked with a multidisciplinary community advisory board to identify core guiding principles to inform stakeholder engagement, program location decisions, program policies, training protocols, staffing plans, and collaborative partnerships with other disciplines (e.g., advocacy, law enforcement, prosecution, forensic sciences). We discuss how we navigated opening the program in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic and share lessons learned for creating campus-based SANE programs.


Will the Columbia catastrophe prove to have been an "accident" in the strict sense of the word? The author discusses the causes of the Challenger disaster and possible causes of the Columbia disaster. The steps that led to the Columbia disaster-paved, like the road to hell, with good intentions and judgments that each in isolation look acceptable-are still being worked out. Only then will we be able to determine whether this event deserves to be called an accident of unforeseeable and unpreventable surprises-or is the grim consequence of incompetent engineering management.


Information functions are used to find the optimum ability levels and maximum contributions to information for estimating item parameters in three commonly used logistic item response models. For the three and two parameter logistic models, examinees who contribute maximally to the estimation of item difficulty contribute little to the estimation of item discrimination. This suggests that in applications that depend heavily upon the veracity of individual item parameter estimates (e.g. adaptive testing or text construction), better item calibration results may be obtained (for fixed sample sizes) from examinee calibration samples in which ability is widely dispersed.


Instrumental variable (IV) analysis has been widely used in economics, epidemiology, and other fields to estimate the causal effects of covariates on outcomes, in the presence of unobserved confounders and/or measurement errors in covariates. However, IV methods for time‐to‐event outcome with censored data remain underdeveloped. This paper proposes a Bayesian approach for IV analysis with censored time‐to‐event outcome by using a two‐stage linear model. A Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling method is developed for parameter estimation for both normal and non‐normal linear models with elliptically contoured error distributions. The performance of our method is examined by simulation studies. Our method largely reduces bias and greatly improves coverage probability of the estimated causal effect, compared with the method that ignores the unobserved confounders and measurement errors. We illustrate our method on the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Incarceration in the United States is associated with high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and elevated CVD risk continues into the immediate period following release from prison. One reason may be that people who are released from incarceration experience difficulties accessing healthcare and navigating the healthcare system. We use empowerment theory to describe the experiences of people after release from incarceration who have been diagnosed with or affected by risk factors for CVD, specifically focusing on ways in which they overcome barriers within the United States' medical system. We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected in Baltimore, MD in 2019. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and interactive discussion forums with 98 people who were previously incarcerated and 19 key informants. Data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis guided by the theoretical constructs of powerlessness and empowerment. Individuals who were formerly incarcerated described feeling empowered primarily through personal motivation, maintaining a positive mindset and receiving support from within the system. They also listed a number of structural barriers they faced and repeatedly suggested a desire for improved access to healthcare and a greater understanding of the healthcare system. Efforts to develop a straightforward and easily accessible support system can promote empowerment and encourage a successful return to society and should be prioritised.


A preservation method that could extend the shelflife of fresh, freshwater fish would be of nutritional and economic importance to a nation like Kenya, where 90% of all the fish landed comes from the freshwater environment, and where fresh fish is highly valued.
In this study, modified atmosphere packaging of freshwater fish (Rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri) was investigated for its potential in extending the shelflife, in comparison to the traditional method, (ice storage) currently being used in Kenya.
[Continues.]


AbstractOur twenty-first century world deteriorates socially, biologically, and physically while we in the Academy blindly pursue our "disciplinary truths." As responsible members of the Academy and as interdisciplinary global studies specialists, we have an obligation to educate our students and colleagues by providing fundamental knowledge, tools, training, and hopefully passion to become interculturally competent and authentic global citizens. As a Coordinator of a Global Studies Program at a Land-Grant University, I would like to discuss specific strategies on how to motivate students, faculty members, and administrators alike in order to confront and resolve widespread problems in global social injustice and the ominously declining biological and physical states of our Earth. Most critically, we in the Academy, our honored and treasured professoriate, are obliged to provide the knowledge, tools, and leadership to engage the world and work toward resolution of our twenty-first century global imperatives.


The microstructural evolution of atomised U-7wt%Mo alloy fuel under irradiation was investigated with transmission electron microscopy on material from the experimental fuel plates used in the FUTURE irradiation. The unsatisfactory irradiation behaviour of this atomised U(Mo) alloy dispersion fuel during this experiment was derived to be related to the properties of the interaction layer formed between the U(Mo) particles and the Al matrix. It is assumed to become amorphous under irradiation and as such cannot retain the fission gas in stable bubbles. As a consequence, gas filled voids are generated between the interaction layer and the matrix, causing the fuel plate to swell, resulting in failure. The present analysis confirms the assumption that the U(Mo)-Al interaction layer is completely amorphous after the irradiation. The Al matrix and the individual U(Mo) particles, with their cellular substructure, have retained their crystallinity, although evidence for the amorphisation of the low Mo content phase on the cell boundaries is also found. It was furthermore observed that the fission gas generated in the U(Mo) particles has formed a bubble superlattice which is coherent with the U(Mo) lattice. Bubbles of roughly 1-2 nm size formed a 3-dimensional lattice with a lattice spacing of 6-7 nm..


Ho:YLF is easily and rapidly grown using a reactive atmosphere crystal growth process. A 6-hr growth cycle Czochralski  ingot yields several laser rods of glass-like optical quality. Because of easy growth, systematic variation of ion concentrations x-y-z has been possible and allowed study of effects on laser performance. Horizontal Bridgman crystal growth method can be used for large scale, inexpensive rod production when x-y-z values are fixed. Thermal and elastic properties of birefringent Ho:YLF are satisfactory. Maximum power dissipation of fracture stress limit is 60% of the Nd:YAG value. New laser design options result from significant changes in laser performance occurring with variation of Er-Tm sensitizer concentrations x-y and Ho activator  concentration z. Trade-offs can be made for pump-band optical densities, laser threshold, slope efficiency, and output pulse power. Design options therefore occur for choice of pump lamp and lamp parameters, resonator configuration, rod dimensions, and cooling system. The options are generally interdependent. Optimum Er-Tm-Ho concentrations exist for particular laser applications of Ho :YLF. Rod colling requirements have more flexibility for 2.06 pm laser design than for similar performance Nd :YAG systems. The Ho :YLF laser transition terminal level is 300 cmabove ground and is thermally populated at 300°K. For ambient temperature operation the minimum possible metastable level excitation necessary for laser gain requires 2.4 J per unit rod volume (cm3) per atomic percent Ho concentration. For light weight, portable sources where minimum laser threshold is an important system requirement, a small diameter laser rod will also minimize rod thermal gradients. With simple lamprod imaging optics, rod and lamp dimensions are 1-to-1 and reliable lamp performance requires about a 1 mm bore lamp, implying a minimum 1 mm rod diameter. Selective variation of rod diameter depends on efficiency of rod pump light absorption. Consequently, pump level optical densities and efficient pump-tometastable level energy transfer requirements provide additional design constraints. The Ho:YLF pump band spectral distribution covers 90% of a pulsed xenon lamp spectral output. RespectiveEr3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ levels account for 45, 13, and 42 % of the spectral distribution of pump levels. Threshold consideration  requires  modest Ho concentration, indicating  variation of Er  concentration for control of pump band optical density. Although Tm3+ levels weakly contribute to pump light absorption, Tm concentration is necessary for fast pump-to-metastable energy transfer rate. Extensive recorded data on Ho:YLF concentration effects indicate an Er-Tm-Ho energy transfer interaction  contrasting with results reported for other ion interaction systems. However, the data  do provide  empirical  criteria satisfactory for laser design for specific application requirements. For a heavy system with low duty-cycle requirements, such as high output energy rangefinders, a design option different from threshold minimization occurs. The Ho:YLF x-y-z constored per unit surface area with pump energy per unit surface area. These data show that a maximum pumping efficiency of 2% is possible. This represents a nearly ten-fold increase compared with standard disk designs. Such a system is very promising for large beam amplification since it is scalable. Several problems  related to mirror  deformation, induced birefringence, cooling and pump light filtering have been solved, and will be discussed during the presentation of this paper.


Bioactive lipids serve as intracellular and extracellular mediators in cell signaling in normal and pathological conditions. Here we describe that an important regulator of some of these lipids, the lipid phosphate phosphatase‐3 (LPP3), is abundantly expressed in specific plasma membrane domains of Bergmann glia (BG), a specialized type of astrocyte with key roles in cerebellum development and physiology. Mice selectively lacking expression of LPP3/Ppap2b in the nervous system are viable and fertile but exhibit defects in postnatal cerebellum development and modifications in the cytoarchitecture and arrangement of BG with a mild non‐progressive motor coordination defect. Lipid and gene profiling studies in combination with pharmacological treatments suggest that most of these effects are associated with alterations in sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) metabolism and signaling. Altogether our data indicate that LPP3 participates in several aspects of neuron‐glia communication required for proper cerebellum development. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


For deployment of Wireless Sensor Network in precision farming to be successful, a study of the performance of wireless systems from a network coverage and link quality perspectives must be conducted to ensure a reliable, optimized and cost effective deployment of the network. This paper reports on sets of measurements conducted in a potential precision farming site where there are mixed types of crops which would affect signal strength and link quality of WSNs. We observed insignificant differences in signal strength between antenna heights of 0.5 m and 1m for a flat open grass field. However a significant reduction in signal strength was observed in the presence of thick vegetation on the farmland which limited coverage to only 10 m range. In addition the range of WSN coverage is also reduced to about 16 m for measurements in a greenhouse with grape trellis canopy. This is contrary to enhancements of received signal strength by lateral waves propagating along the canopy reported by other researchers [8]. The paper also provides a comparison in network coverage for the same type of vegetation in greenhouse and outdoor environment.


Background Dysfunctional dopamine neurotransmission and defective D1A receptor–G protein coupling exist in renal proximal tubules (RPT) of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Objective To determine whether the G proteins in SHR are abnormal, preventing formation of agonist high affinity sites in SHR. Methods We examined the expression levels of the α-subunits of G proteins, as well as D1A receptor receptor coupling to exogenously added normal G proteins, in RPT of SHR and the normotensive Wister–Kyoto (WKY) rat. Results In the presence of 110 mmol/l NaCl, the D1A dopamine receptor-selective agonist SKF R-38393 binds both to high- and to low-affinity sites on solubilized and reconstituted D1A receptors extracted from renal proximal tubules of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), SKF R-38393 bound to a single site on the reconstituted receptor with affinity values corresponding to the low-affinity state of the receptor. Western blot analyses indicated that the α-subunit of the guanine nucleotide binding protein (G-protein), Gs, was expressed at similar levels, whereas Goα was not expressed in proximal tubule membranes from WKY rats and SHR. Pretreatment of proximal tubule membranes with the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimidein the presence of SKF R-38393 inactivated α-subunitsof endogenous G-proteins, but not D1A receptors, resulting in loss of high-affinity binding sites in WKY rats. These N-ethylmaleimide-treated D1A receptors from WKY rats, when reconstituted with exogenous sources of G-proteins, were able to couple to these exogenous G-proteins, with complete restoration of high-affinity sites. Moreover, the affinity values and the proportion of these hybrid sites were similar to those of untreated receptors, and these affinity sites were regulated by guanine nucleotide analogs. Reconstitution of D1A receptors from SHR with the same exogenous G-proteins failed to similarly induce formation of the high-affinity binding sites in the hybrid reconstituted systems, and SKF R-38393 continued to bind in a single low-affinity state of the receptor. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the absence of G-protein coupling in SHR is due to intrinsic defects within the receptor protein, rather than to any abnormalities of the endogenous G-proteins themselves.


PURPOSE
For image guidance tasks full image quality is not required throughout the entire image. With dynamic filtration of the kV imaging beam the noise properties of the CT image can be locally controlled, providing a high quality image around the target volume with a lower quality surrounding region while providing substantial dose sparing to the patient as well as reduced scatter fluence on the detector.

METHODS
A dynamic collimation device with 3mm copper blades has been designed to mount in place of the bowtie filter on the On-Board Imager (Varian Medical Systems). The beam intensity is reduced by 95% behind the copper filters and the aperture is controlled dynamically to conformally illuminate a given ROI during a standard cone-beam CT scan. A data correction framework to account for the physical effects of the collimator prior to reconstruction was developed. Furthermore, to determine the dose savings and scatter reduction a monte carlo model was built in BEAMnrc with specifics from the Varian Monte Carlo Data Package. The MC model was validated with Gafchromic film.

RESULTS
The reconstructed image shows image quality comparable to a standard scan in the specified ROI, with higher noise and streaks in the outer region but still sufficient information for alignment to high contrast structures. The monte carlo modeling showed that the scatter-to-primary ratio was reduced from 1.26 for an unfiltered scan to 0.45 for an intensity weighted scan, suggesting that image quality may be improved in the inner ROI. Dose in the inner region was reduced 10-15% due to reduced scatter and by as much as 75% in the outer region.

CONCLUSION
Dynamic intensity-weighted ROI imaging allows reduction of imaging dose to sensitive organs away from the target region while providing images that retain their utility for patient setup and procedure guidance. Funding was provided in part by Varian Medical Systems and NIH Grants 1RO1CA120540, T32EB002103, S10 RR021039 and P30 CA14599. The contents of this work are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of any of the supporting organizations.


ABSTRACT
The order Polyangiaceae is redefined to include only those myxobacters with cylindrical cells, It includes all organisms formerly included in the Sorangiaceae and the genera Chondromyces and Synangium. A new family, the Cystobacteraceae, type species Cystobacter fuscus (Polyangium fuscum), is erected for sporangial myxobacters with tapered vegetative cells. It includes the genera Stigmatella and Podangium in addition to Cystobacter.


To determine whether DNA methylation (DNA-M) of the leptin receptor genotype (LEPR/LEPROT) links gestational smoking and leptin serum levels and BMI later in life, we focused on female offspring, 18 years of age, from the Isle of Wight Birth Cohort (IOWBC). Leptin binds to the leptin receptor encoded by the LEPR/LEPROT genotype. Using general linear models, we tested a two-stage model. First, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) acting as methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTLs) depending on gestational smoking were related to differentially methylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites. In stage 2, we tested whether the selected CpG sites, in interaction with other SNPs (modifiable genetic variants, modGV), are associated with serum leptin and BMI (stage 2). Children from the IOWBC were followed from birth to age 18. Information on gestational smoking was gathered upon delivery. SNPs tagging LEPR and LEPROT genes were genotyped. Data on LEPR/LEPROTDNA-M and leptin were obtained from blood samples drawn at age 18; to determine BMI, height and weight were ascertained. Blood samples were provided by 238 girls. Of the 21 CpG sites, interactions between gestational smoking and SNPs were detected for 16 CpGs. Methylation of seven of the 16 CpGs were, in interaction with modGVs, associated with leptin levels at age 18 years. Two CpGs survived a multiple testing penalty and were also associated with BMI. This two-stage model may explain why maternal smoking has a long-term effect on leptin levels and BMI in girls at age 18 years.


Different from the previous researches on the synchronization and synchronization transition of neuronal networks constructed by integer-order neuronal models, the synchronization and synchronization transition of fractional-order neuronal network are investigated in this paper. The fractional-order ring neuronal network constructed by fractional-order HindmarshRose (HR) neuronal models without electromagnetic radiation are proposed, and it's synchronization behaviors are investigated numerically. The synchronization behaviors of two coupled fractional-order neuronal models and ring neuronal network under electromagnetic radiation are studied numerically. By research results, several novel phenomena and conclusions can be drawn. First, for the fractional-order HR model's ring neuronal network without electromagnetic radiation, if the fractional-order q is changed, the threshold of the coupling strength when the network is in perfect synchronization will change. Furthermore, the change of fractional-order can induce the transition of periodic synchronization and chaotic synchronization. Second, for the two coupled neurons under electromagnetic radiation, the synchronization degree is influenced by fractional-order and the feedback gain parameter k1 . In addition, the fractional-order and parameter k1 can induce the synchronization transition of bursting synchronization, perfect synchronization and phase synchronization. For the perfect synchronization, the synchronization transition of chaotic synchronization and periodic synchronization induced by q and parameter k1 is also observed. Especially, When the fractionalorder is small, like 0.6, the synchronization behavior will be more complex. Third, for the ring neuronal network under electromagnetic radiation, with the change of memory-conductance parameter β, parameter k1 and fractional-order q of electromagnetic radiation, the synchronization behaviors are different. When β > 0.02 , the synchronization will be strengthened with the decreasing of fractional-order. The parameter k1 can induce the synchronization transition of perfect periodic10 synchronization, perfect periodic-7 synchronization, perfect periodic-5 synchronization and perfect periodic4 synchronization. It is hard for the system to synchronize and q has little effect on the synchronization when −0.06 < β < 0.02 . When β < −0.06 , the network moves directly from asynchronization to perfect synchronization, and the synchronization factor goes from 0.1 to 1 with the small change of fractional-order. Larger the factional-order is, larger the range of synchronization is. The synchronization degree increases with the increasing of k1.


ABSTRACT Herbert Brown came to Arizona in 1873 from the eastern U. S. at age 25 to seek his fortune. He would remain here until his death in 1913. During this period, southern Arizona was widely known for its newly discovered, exceptional bird life, many species occurring nowhere else in the U.S. This attracted leading ornithologists, such as Charles Bendire and Elliott Coues, who came to Tucson, the lower Colorado River Valley, and elsewhere in southern Arizona to conduct their studies. By the 1880s Brown was corresponding with these visiting ornithologists and collecting birds, nests, and eggs, advancing the science of ornithology in this new territory. These out-of-state ornithologists conducted their studies, taking their records and specimens back to their own institutions. By contrast, Brown's unequaled collections were deposited at the University of Arizona where he was the first Curator of Ornithology. Part 2 of his following field notes document, in Brown's own words, the previously untold story of a life-long passion for ornithology by Arizona's first resident ornithologist.


We identify in this paper that stress relaxation in metals is a "strain-free" process. The corresponding self-consistent relations between the strain, and stress variations of a grain and of its aggregate are derived from Eshelby's solution of an ellipsoidal inclusion. It is shown that, under such a process, the strain in a more favorably oriented grain continues to rise and that its stress decreases more drastically than that of the aggregate; converse ly, for a less favorably oriented grain, its strain decreases and its stress relaxes less. The self-consistent relations are supplemented with a temperature-de pendent, physically consistent constitutive equation for the slip system. Such an equation enables us to deter mine the single crystal constants at one temperature from the polycrystal data at another temperature; it also makes the self-consistent scheme applicable to the varying-temperature environment. The established theory was finally applied to predict the relaxation behavior of an RR-59 aluminum alloy under combined stress; the results showed reason ably good agreement with the experimental data.


n recent years the endocannabinoid system (ES) has been recognized to play an important role in the regulation of several physiological processes, including pain perception, appetite control, and motor function development. This system has recently been recognized to be present in bone and joint tissues, playing a role in the regulation of bone and joint physiology. The ES seems to play its role mainly by acting on its receptors and thanks to the demonstrated ability of bone cells to synthesize the principal endocannabinoids (i.e., anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol), which can act on bone remodeling and metabolism. Cannabinoids have also been shown to be produced within synovial tissues, and recent studies have shown that cannabinoid receptor ligands are effective in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis. In recent years synthetic endocannabinoid-like compounds and phytocannabinoids, which are the principal components of Cannabis sativa, have also started to be studied as molecules that could play a role not only in bone physiology, but also in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, the most common bone disease, and in the inflammatory processes underlying osteoarthritis. Accumulating evidence that cannabinoids and their receptors play an important role in bone metabolism and in the regulation of the immune response is now starting to show us the true future therapeutic potential of cannabinoids, and of the phytocannabinoids contained in Cannabis sativa, in the treatment of bone loss and joint diseases. Here we summarize the role of the cannabinoids and their receptors in bone metabolism, osteoporosis, and joint disease.


Purpose The recruitment of undergraduate students within English universities is of vital importance to both the academic success and the financial stability of the organisation. Despite the primacy of the task, there has been a dearth of research looking at related performance and how to ensure that the process is optimised. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of variation both within a university and between different universities. The reliance that individual programmes and/or universities place on the Clearing process is key; given its uncertainty, resource demands and timing shortly before students take up their places.Design/methodology/approach The Nomogramma di Gandy diagrammatical approach utilises readily available data to analyse universities' performance in recruiting students to different programmes, and the degree to which they each rely of the Clearing process. Inter-university performance was investigated on a whole-student intake basis for a sample of English universities, representative of type and region.Findings The study found that there were disparate patterns for the many programmes within the pilot university and also disparate patterns between different types of universities across England. Accordingly, universities should internally benchmark their programmes to inform both strategic and tactical decision-making. Similarly, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service benchmarking inter-university patterns could inform the overall sector.Originality/value The approach and findings provide lessons for analysing student recruitment which could be critical to universities' academic and financial health, in an increasingly competitive environment.


Compared with a bufferless crossbar switch, a combined input-crosspoint-queued (CICQ) switch has better scalability owing to its distributed scheduling. Although the previously proposed round-robin algorithms achieve 100% throughput asymptotically under uniform traffic, these algorithms do not provide a satisfactory performance under nonuniform traffic. In this paper, we propose an efficient round-robin algorithm for a CICQ switch with one-cell cross point buffers. With our algorithm, each input arbiter is associated with dual round-robin pointers. Unlike the existing round-robin algorithms, our algorithm has distinctive round-robin pointer updating rules which are powerful to cope with nonuniform traffic patterns. Extensive simulation results show that our algorithm achieves a satisfactory performance under both uniform and a broad class of nonuniform traffic patterns.


NEURONAL destruction in the amygdala, hypothalamus and cerebellum provokes a diminution in anxiety and neophobia. In transgenic mice that express the human bcl-2 gene under the control of neuron specific enolase promotor (Hu-bcl-2), BCL-2 overexpression reduces the naturally occurring neuronal death, producing an increase of the number of neurons and brain size. Since BCL-2 over-expression has been observed in different parts of the brain and especially in the amygdaloid nuclei, the hypothalamus and the cerebellum, we studied the fear-related behavior of these transgenic mice. Hu-bcl-2 transgenic mice showed a decrease in anxiety and neophobia, indicating that, for this particular behavior, supernumerary neurons elicit the same modification as that observed after neuronal destruction.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the image quality and imaging dose of the Varian TrueBeam OBIv.1.5 CBCT system in a clinical adaptive radiation therapy environment, simulated by changing phantom thickness.

METHODS
Various OBI CBCT protocols(Head, Pelvis, Thorax, Spotlight) were used to acquire images of Catphan504 phantom(nominal phantom thickness and 10 cm additional phantom thickness). The images were analyzed for low contrast detectability(CNR), uniformity(UI), and HU sensitivity. These results were compared to the same image sets for planning CT(pCT)(GE LightSpeed 16- slice). Imaging dose measurements were performed with Gafchromic XRQA2 film for various OBI protocols (Pelvis, Thorax, Spotlight) in a pelvic-sized phantom(nominal thickness and 4cm additional thickness). Dose measurements were acquired in the interior and at the surface of the phantom.

RESULTS
The nominal CNR[additional thickness CNR] for OBI was-Pelvis:1.45[0.81],Thorax:0.86[0.48], Spotlight:0.67[0.39],Head:0.28 [0.10]. The nominal CNR[additional thickness CNR] for pCT was- Pelvis:0.87[0.41],Head:0.60[0.22]. The nominal UI[additional thickness UI] for OBI was-Pelvis:11.5[24.1],Thorax:17.0[20.6], Spotlight:23.2[23.2], Head:15.6[59.9]. The nominal UI[additional thickness UI] for pCT was- Pelvis:9.2[8.6],Head:2.1[2.9]. The HU difference(averaged over all material inserts) between nominal and additional thickness scans for OBI: 8.26HU(Pelvis), 33.39HU(Thorax), 178.98HU(Head), 108.20HU (Spotlight); for pCT: 16.00HU(Pelvis), 19.85HU(Head). Uncertainties in electron density were calculated based on HU values with varying phantom thickness. Average electron-density deviations (ρ(water)=1)for GE-Pelvis, GE-Head, OBI-Pelvis, OBI-Thorax, OBI-Spotlight, and OBI-Head were: 0.0182, 0.0180, 0.0058, 0.0478, 0.2750, and 0.3115, respectively. The average phantom interior dose was(OBI-nominal):2.35cGy(Pelvis), 0.60cGy(Thorax), 1.87cGy(Spotlight); OBI-increased thickness: 1.77cGy(Pelvis), 0.43cGy(Thorax), 1.53cGy (Spotlight). Average surface dose(OBI-nominal): 2.29cGy(Pelvis), 0.56cGy(Thorax), 1.79cGy (Spotlight); OBI-increased thickness: 1.94cGy(Pelvis), 0.48cGy(Thorax), 1.47cGy (Spotlight).

CONCLUSION
The OBI-Pelvis protocol offered comparable CNR and HU constancy to pCT for each geometry; other protocols, particularly Spotlight and Head, exhibited lower HU constancy and CNR. The uniformity of pCT was superior to OBI for all protocols. CNR and UI were degraded for both systems/scan types with increased thickness. The OBI interior dose decreased by approximately 30% with additional thickness. This work was funded, in part, under a grant with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health specifically declaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations, or conclusions.


Stress fields and strut-and-tie models are widely used for design and assessment of structural concrete members. Although they are often used in the same manner for both purposes, developing suitable stress fields and strut-and-tie models for the design of a new structure or for assessment of the strength of an existing one should not necessarily be performed following the same approach. For design, simple load-carrying models in equilibrium with the external actions can be considered. From the various possibilities, those leading to better behavior at serviceability limit state and to simple reinforcement layouts should be selected (or a combination of them). For the assessment of existing structures, however, avoiding unnecessary strengthening (or minimizing it) should be the objective. Thus, simple stress fields or strut-and-tie models are to be iteratively refined whenever the calculated strength of the member is insufficient with respect to the design actions. This can be done by accounting for kinematic considerations to calculate the higher possible strength of the member accounting for its actual geometry and available reinforcement (allowing to calculate the exact solution according to limit analysis). In this paper, the differences between the two approaches for design and assessment are clarified and explained on the basis of some examples. A number of strategies are comprehensibly presented to obtain suitable stress fields and strut-and-tie models in both cases. The results of exact solutions according to limit analysis (developed using elastic-plastic stress fields) are finally compared to 150 tests of the literature showing the consistency and generality of the presented approaches.


Abstract Mounting evidence suggests that partial disequilibrium-meaning disequilibrium for some elements, but not for others-may be a common but rarely detected phenomenon during metamorphic mineral growth, even in ordinary prograde reactions that progress to completion. Detailed examination of compositional variations in garnet crystals over a range of metamorphic grade suggests distinctly different scales of equilibration for common elements, with strong temperature dependence. Under lower greenschist-facies conditions, Fe and Mg may equilibrate at hand-sample scale, whereas Mn and Ca may not equilibrate even at millimeter-scale. Although Mn may achieve hand-samplescale equilibration under upper greenschist-facies conditions, Ca and many trivalent cations (e.g., REEs) may not do so until temperatures exceed those of the middle amphibolite facies. Even in the lower granulite facies, some elements (e.g., Y, Yb) show indications of disequilibrium at sub-centimeter- scales during garnet growth. Analysis and numerical modeling of undisputed disequilibrium textures demonstrate that the most common impediment to equilibration during metamorphism is the sluggishness of intergranular diffusion, the same mechanism known to govern porphyroblast crystallization in many metamorphic environments. Despite this importance to petrology, few quantitative determinations exist of intergranular diffusion rates under metamorphic conditions. Using numerical simulations of coupled intergranular and intracrystalline diffusion processes in coronal textures around partially resorbed garnet crystals from the Llano Uplift, U.S.A., a very precise and relatively accurate estimate is obtained for the rate of intergranular diffusion of Al in fluid-undersaturated systems. This result and an earlier estimate for fluid-saturated systems provide bracketing values for Al diffusivity during metamorphism.


Eye torsion was examined in 13 astronaut subjects, tested during repeated episodes of 0 G and 1.8 G in parabolic flight aboard NASA's KC-135. Four findings are included. 1) A strong relationship between previous history of SMS and ocular torsional disconjugacy in novel gravitational states. 2) Responses were unchanged in 4 subjects retested a year later. 3) Ocular torsional disconjugacy scores increased as exposure to 0 and 1.8 G increased. This was particularly evident in subjects who had had SMS. 4) Torsional studies during 10 to 20 parabolas are required to accurately predict SMS. The hypothesis of otolith asymmetry, compensated in 1 G but becoming unmasked in novel gravitational states, is proposed to explain the torsional disconjugacy and ensuing SMS.


Previous studies of the influences of land use/land cover changes (LULCC) on the climate of continental areas have provided a basis for our current understanding of LULCC impacts. However, continental climates may not provide complete explanations or answer specific scientific questions for other regions, such as small tropical‐maritime dominated islands. Here we present a detailed analysis of temperature change over the past century for the tropical island of Puerto Rico, using an approach that accounts for internal climate variability and spatial resolution issues and assesses the degree to which some of this change might be related to urban development. Long‐term weather data, digital maps, geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical analysis were used to detect and assess differences between urban and non‐urban temperature records. Strong evidence of a relationship linking temperature magnitudes to local urban development was detected, and the analysis suggests that urbanization has increased minimum, maximum and average temperatures by 0.5 °C in the warmest regions to 2 °C in the coolest regions. The results also show that the magnitude of temperature impacts depends on the contextual ecology or environment where the development has occurred. Temperature differences between urban and non‐urban areas are higher in colder and wetter microclimates than in dryer warmer ones, and were less pronounced for minimum temperature than for maximum temperature. However, because the levels of impacts are based on data that had some prior adjustment intended to control for urban signals, they represent minimum estimates of the impacts of land use on temperature in Puerto Rico.


ABSTRACT Educational researchers have concluded that there are threshold concepts in a large number of disciplines. Yet, these researchers have not paid enough attention to the objection to the theory. It is beset with severe definitional and empirical problems. I will portray definitions of 'threshold concepts' provided by Land and Meyer, the founding fathers of the threshold concept theory. I argue, in the first place, that the definitions fail and, in the second place, that even if the definitional problems were solved and we were able to identify some threshold concepts, their scientific importance would be limited if not nil.


S.C. Wilks et al. (1988) showed that when an infinite expanse of gas, carrying a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave, is instantly ionized, the initial wave is frequency upshifted. This phenomenon of frequency upconversion through flash ionization gives rise to steady-state transmitted and reflected electromagnetic waves and to a time-independent magnetic field. The case in which the final state of ionization is achieved not instantly but in a finite turn-on time, 0 >


In conclusion, the use of nystatin for fungal prophylaxis in hematology/oncology/bone marrow transplantation patients appears to convey little or no benefit over no therapy. Nystatin treatment significantly reduced the frequency of multiple-site colonization and of persistently positive oropharyngeal cultures, but was not able to prevent the occurrence of disseminated fungal infections. Other antifungal agents (e.g., ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, oral or intravenous amphotericin B) may be of benefit. Studies comparing nystatin with other agents are available in the literature but are beyond the scope of this review.