A study on the mixing of air and the secondary gas is conducted experimentally in order to develop the design of SCRAM-jet engine. Two methods of injection are compared. In the present study, sonic Helium gas is injected into supersonic air flow of A4, = 4.0. Flow visualization (Schlieren photographs and oil flow technique) and volume fraction measurements are conducted in the experiments. From the volume fraction measurements, it is turned out that the injection from the upper face of the ramp injector is superior in the supersonic mixing to the injection from the rear face of the ramp injector.


: Paddy is the staple crop of Andhra Pradesh due to which forecasting its future productions is one the most necessary application among the current issues. Ground water levels are one of the major water resources to the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh where most of the cultivation of the crops such as paddy, ground nuts and many more rely on the ground water. The ground water fluctuations also make the prediction of paddy production quite cumbersome. Thus to determine the paddy production and to analyze the fluctuations of the ground water level as it affects the paddy production, we make use of the classification algorithm i.e. linear regression. In the current scenario the huge amount of fluctuations in the ground water level is affecting the economy at a higher level. It affects the paddy productions, economy, and the low lying people. The future predictions of the ground water level will be of great use for advancement in the growth of the crops and increase in the paddy production. Finally the main motive of our model is to predict the future paddy productions based on the ground water level and the rainfall data.


The quantum theory of forward Stokes generation by means of stimulated Raman scattering is extended to the case of a colored (finite-bandwidth) chaotic pump, which has both amplitude and phase fluctuations. In both transient and steady-state limits the mean Stokes intensity is found to be enhanced over that resulting from a coherent pump. In the limit that the chaotic-pump bandwidth becomes large, the mean Stokes intensity becomes identical with that resulting from a coherent pump of the same total power.


BACKGROUND
The Project on Death in America's (PDIA) Faculty Scholars' Program (FSP) was created to develop a cadre of faculty and clinician leaders in palliative care. The purpose of this study was to document Scholars' progress since their participation in this program.

METHODS
Key outcome variables included grants awarded in palliative care, peer-reviewed publications, academic promotions, editorships held, honors, and certifications since their FSP grant award. Methods included a self-administered survey in 2003, and an update in 2007 through collection of Scholars' CVs and a review of literature and websites of national medical palliative care organizations.

RESULTS
Of 740 applicants who applied during the granting period 1995-2003, 87 were selected as Faculty Scholars (8 cohorts, 2-3 years each). All Scholars responded to the survey (100% response). Forty percent were female; 82.8% were physicians and 12.6% were nurses. Scholars reported receiving a total of more than $113 million dollars in grants. As of 2007, Scholars had published a total of 2171 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Sixty percent of physicians were certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Scholars have been represented in the leadership of all major medical organizations related to end-of-life care and national end-of-life initiatives.

CONCLUSION
Our results suggest the PDIA Faculty Scholars Program has been successful in accomplishing its objective of developing a core group of clinical and academic leaders to advance the field of palliative care.


Searches for Dark Matter (DM) particles with indirect detection techniques have reached important milestones with the precise measurements of the anti-proton () and gamma-ray spectra, notably by the PAMELA and FERMI-LAT experiments. While the γ-ray results have been used to test the thermal Dark Matter hypothesis and constrain the Dark Matter annihilation cross section into Standard Model (SM) particles, the anti-proton flux measured by the PAMELA experiment remains relatively unexploited. Here we show that the latter can be used to set a constraint on the neutralino-chargino mass difference. To illustrate our point we use a Supersymmetric model in which the gauginos are light, the sfermions are heavy and the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP) is the neutralino. In this framework the W+W− production is expected to be significant, thus leading to large and γ-ray fluxes. After determining a generic limit on the Dark Matter pair annihilation cross section into W+W− from the data only, we show that one can constrain scenarios in which the neutralino-chargino mass difference is as large as 20 GeV for a mixed neutralino (and intermediate choices of the propagation scheme). This result is consistent with the limit obtained by using the FERMI-LAT data. As a result, we can safely rule out the pure wino neutralino hypothesis if it is lighter than 450 GeV and constitutes all the Dark Matter.


Extracting coal seam gas (CSG) is becoming increasingly common in Australia and throughout the world. With the number of wells in Queensland alone increasing from 10 in 1995 to 4,484 by 2013 and 20,000-40,000 more expected to be drilled in the next 20 years, the production of methane from CSG is forecast to become one of Australia's largest export commodities within the next decade. There is,
however, growing disquiet about the potential for CSG to negatively impact the environment because it generates a number of gaseous, liquid and solid waste streams, the composition of which are largely unknown. CSG waste streams include fugitive emissions, drilling mud, chemical fracking fluids, produced chemical fracking fluids, and produced water and brines, some of which are settled water and
brines, some of which are settled into large evaporation dams to form sediments. Moreover, minimal data on the chemical and physical properties of these various waste streams resulting from rigorous environmental research have been published or made publicly available, adding to society's growing concern for CSG as an environmentally sustainable approach to extracting gas from coal. For this
reason, the present study examines the chemical properties of two types of CSG dam sediment from the Bowan Basin in Queensland, and investigates the role that conventional soil washing might have in converting these low-level contaminated sediments into a "clean soil" which can be applied in on-site, beneficial reuse projects; the chemical properties of the resultant flushing solutions are also examined.

The study found the majority of components in CSG dam sediments are benign, and soil washing removes or partially removes most inorganic contaminant species from CSG dam sediments; the study also found that these contaminants were mostly transferred to the flushing solution, which can be treated separately and potentially reused for livestock drinking water or irrigation water or recycled into
the operating circuit.


This paper compared two scenarios for managing real power loss of a distribution feeder connected with a Distributed Generator (DG). Under planning scenario, the objective is to obtain the optimal purchasing contract, which is a constant power injected from DG to minimize loss of a feeder. In real time operating scenario, the optimal scheduled power of DG to minimize loss for each hour is calculated. These two scenarios are formulated as optimization problems and solved with the proposed Least Square Quadratic Approximation (LSQA) technique. This technique is formulated based on a quadratic nature of a real power loss versus its real power output injected from DG. In term of the obtained results, it is reliable and has high accuracy. A 93-bus radial distribution system connected with a synchronous based DG sizes 7.5 MW under NorthEastern region 2 of Provincial Electricity of Thailand (PEA) is adopted as a tested system. The obtained results shown that managing loss under both scenarios bring benefits to a tested feeder. Moreover, the proposed LSQA technique is easy to understand, thereby can be used alternatively with others present optimization techniques.


The first successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was performed in a child in 1989 in Brisbane and in an adult in 1994 by the Shinshu group. Over the past few years, LDLT has increased worldwide and is now an established alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation. The surgical procedures for LDLT are more technically challenging than those for whole liver transplantation. LDLT requires a full understanding of the hepatobiliary anatomy and continuous technical refinement of the procedure. Some of the technical highlights include selective vascular occlusion techniques for donor hepatectomy, hepatic arterial reconstruction under the microscope and the introduction of intraoperative ultrasound, graft volume estimation and hepatic venous reconstruction, all of which have improved the success rate of LDLT over the past few years. This review focuses on recent trends and surgical techniques for LDLT.


The inclusiveness of women's lives is not enough if it only about social life, but it must also be involved in every process of formulating state legislation through the legislature. To fulfill this, women must be actively connected in the electoral process in parliamentary seats held and women's representation, The role of woman in national legislation is a form of effort to make legal products that are inclusive of woman's lives. The role of women in national legislation is very important considering that every year there are considerable amount of women who nominate themselves as legislators. There are two research questions provided in this study; the first is how woman's political rights portrayed in national legislation according to Act No.7 of 2017. It aims to find out how woman's political rights portrayed in national legislation according to Act No.7 of 2017. This is the basic foundation of women's political rights which have been regulated in the law which includes a 30 percent quota of women in legislation. The second research question is, how the concept of women's political rights in national legislation according to Yusuf Al-Qardhawi. It aims; (1) to explain the concept of this contemporary scholars, Yusuf Al-Qardhawi, regarding to his opinion, (2) to compare the law in Indonesia with the concept of Yusuf Al-Qardhawi on his partiality towards the role of women as legislators.  This research is a type of normative legal research or literature study. This research uses a combination of approaches, they are law approach and conceptual approach. The data source used is a secondary data source. The data analysis method used is by analyzing the application of hermeneutics or interpretation.  The results of this study show that; First, Act No. 7 of 2017 on general elections, what needs to be underlined in this case is that the biggest challenge of achieving the results of the 2014 legislative election, there are improvements in the administrative sector of the General Election Commission (KPU), not only with sanctions given to the party in fulfilling the 30 percent quota but also emphasizing understanding towards women before nominating themselves as legislators with political education and understanding them the importance of the 30 percent quota. Secondly, The concept offered by contemporary scholar Yusuf Qardhawi regarding the representation of women in the realm of national legislation in Parliament is very moderate and follow the times.

Keywords:  Women's Role , National Legislation , Act No.7 of 2017, Yusuf Al-Qardhawi's concept


We present magnetotransport and Bi-209 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data on a series of single crystals of Bi2Se3, Bi2Te2Se and Cu_xBi2Se3 with varying carrier concentrations. The Knight shift of the bulk nuclei is strongly correlated with the carrier concentration via a hyperfine coupling of 27 ueV, which may have important consequences for scattering of the protected surface states. Surprisingly we find that the NMR linewidths and the spin lattice relaxation rate appear to be dominated by the presence of localized spins, which may be related to the presence of Se vacancies.


Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb embeds in his Mukhtaṣar sīrat al-rasūl the biography of Muḥammad in an overarching vision of history that begins with Adam and ends in the Mongol period. In this cyclical concept the promulgation of Islam is followed by a relapse into shirk due to misdirected piety. But whereas until the time of Muḥammad God himself reinstalled Islam with the help of prophets and miracles, the true Muslims are obliged to fight aberrations. The paradigmatic example for this is the defeat of the ridda, the event which is dealt with most extensively. The author makes clear what he considers as the two main aberrations of his time: sufi practices which he equates with pagan practices by the choice of suggestive vocabulary and the – as he sees it – excessive veneration of Muḥammad. Therefore Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb plays down all aspects which could lead to an ascription of a different ontological status to him and following Ibn Taymiyya he even affirms the historicity of the story of the cranes, implying that ʿiṣma does not mean total infallibility. By stressing both the human character of Muḥammad and his military activities the author intends to demonstrate that all his actions which are not related to revelation, in particular the defeat of paganism, can and have to be repeated.


The penetration into the eye of fluorescein from a normal drop was found to increase with age and averaged twelve times more in the elderly than in the young. Examination of the literature suggests that this is a result of a greater contact time with the cornea rather than a rise in epithelial permeability.


From an initial set of 13 measurements taken to define previous land use and the cultural practices adopted by farmers on Yorke Peninsula, S.A., an alternative set of eight variables was derived. The reduced number of variables retained almost all of the information present in the original set and were close to being statistically independent. This simplification is desirable for the later study, when these variables will be considered for inclusion in regression models to predict the growth and yield of wheat. A weak association between these variables and the soil variables specified in Paer III indicated that farmers were not strongly influenced by soil type and properties when deciding which cultural practices to adopt.


The post-1980s have seen increasing struggles over rights to water. Water rights have involved intense protests and campaigns against privatization of water including bottling of water and advocacy for citizens control of water. We review scholarly work to focus on four main aspects: the complexities intertwining globalization processes, the state, and water rights; collective ownership of water resources; peoples' participating in managing and using water; and the campaigns against privatization which have emerged in both the developing and developed world in different ways. The conclusion calls for adopting a social movement lens to examine the struggles for water rights by providing some lead research questions around the macro and micro level theoretical approaches.


Silver phosphate nanoparticles were biologically synthesised, for the first time, using a dilute silver nitrate solution as the silver ion supplier, and without any source of phosphate ion. The applied bacterium was Sporosarcina pasteurii formerly known as Bacillus pasteurii which is capable of solubilising phosphate from soils. It was speculated that the microbe accumulated phosphate from the organic source during the growth period, and then released it to deionised water. According to the transmission electron microscopy images and X-ray diffraction results, the produced nanoparticles were around 20 nm in size and identified as silver phosphate nanocrystals. The outcomes were also approved by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analyses, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Finally, the antibacterial effect of the obtained nanoparticles was verified by testing them against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium. The activity of silver phosphate nanoparticles against gram-negative strains was better than the gram positives. It should be mentioned that the concentrations of 500 and 1000 mg/l were found to be strongly inhibitory for all of the strains.


The knowledge of the structure of the magnetic field inside a blazar jet, as deduced from polarization observations at radio to optical wavelengths, is closely related to the formation and propagation of relativistic jets that result from accretion onto supermassive black holes. However, a largely unexplored aspect of the theoretical understanding of radiation transfer physics in blazar jets has been the magnetic field geometry as revealed by the polarized emission and the connection between the variability in polarization and flux across the spectrum. Here, we explore the effects of various magnetic geometries that can exist inside a blazar jet: parallel, oblique, toroidal, and tangled. We investigate the effects of changing the orientation of the magnetic field, according to the above-mentioned geometries, on the resulting high-energy spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and spectral variability patterns (SVPs) of a typical blazar. We use the MUlti-ZOne Radiation Feedback (MUZORF) model of Joshi et al. (2014) to carry out this study and to relate the geometry of the field to the observed SEDs at X-ray and γ-ray energies. One of the goals of the study is to understand the relationship between synchrotron and inverse Compton peaks in blazar SEDs and the reason for the appearance of γ-ray "orphan flares" observed in some blazars. This can be associated with the directionality of the magnetic field, which creates a difference in the radiation field as seen by an observer versus that seen by the electrons in the emission region.


Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) is responsible for conversion of glucose tolerance (GLP-1), into inactive form. The inhibition of DPP-IV would be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to isolate and evaluate cystine, phenyl acetic acid, acrylamide, caprylone and oleic acid from Rhizophora mucronata inhibitory action on DPP IV inhibitors using in silico approach. In silico analysis of cystine, phenyl acetic acid, acrylamide, caprylone and oleic acid on human apo DPP IV protein was done by using AutoDock 4.0. Among the five compounds cysteine acts as an inhibitor with binding energy -5.9 kcal/mol, seven hydrogen bond interactions at residues VAL459, VAL 459, GLU408, GLU206, ARG358, GLU205 and SER209 to suppresses the action of DPP IV protein.


The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be operating at the time when several new large optical, X-ray and Gamma-ray facilities are expected to be working. To make SKA both competitive and complementary to these large facilities, thorough design studies are needed, focused in particular on imaging performance of the array. One of the crucial aspects of such studies is the choice of the array configuration, which affects substantially the resolution, rms noise, sidelobe level and dynamic range achievable with the SKA. We present here a quantitative assessment of the effect of the array configuration on imaging performance of the SKA, introducing the spatial dynamic range (SDR) and a measure of incompleteness of the Fourier domain coverage ($\Delta u/u$) as prime figures of merit.


We envision that next-generation spoken dialogue systems will be mixed-initiative. However, it is unclear how exactly a mixed-initiative strategy should be designed; under what circumstances should the system take the initiative, and under what circumstances should it let the user do so. The initiative strategies used in human-human conversation are a good starting point, because they are natural for the user to follow. Studying human-human conversation, however, only gives a descriptive account of human strategies. In this paper, we explore the use of computer simulation to better understand human conventions and give an explanatory account. We have two software agents solve a collaborative task using different initiative strategies, the first derived from analysis of human-human dialogues, and two alternatives based on proposals in the literature. Our simulation results show that the former is more efficient than the others. This helps support the explanation that people use an initiative strategy that minimizes collaborative effort.


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

The heterogeneous nature of cancer necessitates the identification of markers to enable selection of appropriate patients for treatment and maximal clinical benefit. Archival tumor specimens are often analyzed for biomarkers, but may not reflect a patient's current state of disease. Predictive biomarkers from matrices amenable to longitudinal analyses and available through minimally invasive approaches could greatly improve patient outcomes by ensuring that the right patient receives the right drug. Peripheral markers are accessible and attractive, however, their relationship to tumoral markers, tumor biology as well as to primary or secondary clinical outcomes are not well understood. We examined the correlations among potential predictive biomarkers in these compartments by performing proteomic profiling of ∼300 analytes in 100 matched plasma and tumor tissue samples derived from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenocarcinoma (ADC) histology. Using Luminex based assays, we identified markers which clearly distinguish each tumor type from another and may be useful for patient enrichment. VEGF has been implicated in processes essential to tumor growth and disease progression such as angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and hypoxia. Therefore, we examined the relationship between VEGF levels in plasma samples and tumor tissue within individual patients and explored the correlations among VEGF levels with those of other soluble proteins in the same matrices as well as with a marker of blood vessel formation in the tumors, microvessel density (MVD). We found the highest level of VEGF in the plasma of CRC patients but NSCLC patients displayed the highest level of VEGF in tumors. A poor correlation between tumoral or plasma VEGF levels was observed in all of the samples except for those from NSCLC SCC patients. MVD analysis of the tumors revealed that gastric and NSCLC ADC patients have a higher density of capillary vessels than other cancers. Surprisingly, no intra-patient correlation was detected between tumoral levels or plasma levels of VEGF and MVD. However, modest correlations between the MVD level in tumor tissues and select analytes in plasma have been observed for some tumor types. Further evaluation of these potential protein signatures in additional matched patient samples and animal disease models is warranted to generate clinically testable hypotheses for patient enrichment. The validity of these protein signatures as predictive markers for response to targeted therapies must be tested clinically. These novel and unexpected findings suggest that some peripheral markers may accurately represent the biology of the tumor and that matched sample analysis can provide an approach for biomarker discovery and hypothesis generation.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4792. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4792


Abstract : Nanoelectronic devices form the building blocks of the nanoscaled systems and require innovative technologies for their realization. Single Electron Transistors (SET) is a novel class of nano transistor which operates on the principle of Coulomb blockade. Coulomb blockade effects become dominant when the device dimensions approach few nano-meters. The SET devices are potential candidates for applications in nano sensing, and data storage. Because of the smaller dimensions of the SET devices coupled with their low power requirements for their operation, these devices render a significant advantage in terms of total power required for these sensors and could potentially cut down the weight, the land warrior carries. They enable potentially novel applications to the Future Force Warriors (FFW) and in particular provide revolutionary capabilities to the Land Warrior. The present paper described the application of the room temperature operating SET device towards nano-sensing and the effect of the passivating oxide layer on the sensitivity of the SET device. The sensitivity of the SET gas sensor could be controlled by the thickness of the passivating oxide. The speed of response of the SET sensor was 450 m sec. The applications of SET towards nano-sensing would allow for the realization of nano scaled devices for the Future Combat Systems (FCS).


The use of green, inexpensive, and biodegradable deep eutectic solvents as nonaqueous solvents and electrolytes could be a useful way to potentially improve the enzyme biosensor performance as well as a profitable strategy to extend their use in the gas phase. However, enzyme activity in these media, although fundamental for their implementation in electrochemical analysis, is still almost unexplored. In this study, an electrochemical approach was employed to monitor tyrosinase enzyme activity in a deep eutectic solvent. This study was performed in a DES consisting of choline chloride (ChCl) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and glycerol as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD), while phenol was chosen as the prototype analyte. The tyrosinase enzyme was immobilized on a gold-nanoparticle-modified screen-printed carbon electrode, and its activity was monitored following the reduction current of orthoquinone produced by the tyrosinase biocatalysis of phenol. This work represents a first step toward the realization of green electrochemical biosensors capable of operating in both nonaqueous and gaseous media for the chemical analysis of phenols.


Background: Activating mutations of the K-ras oncogene in colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with resistance to EGFR antibodies and poor prognosis. We systematically analyzed clinical and pathological characteristics associated with K-ras mutations. Methods: Patients with CRC referred to the phase I program for targeted therapy were analyzed for K-ras mutations using PCR-based DNA sequencing. Patients with mutant K-ras were matched with wild-type (wt) K-ras controls. Multiple clinical and pathological characteristics were analyzed to determine, whether there is a phenotype associated with K-ras mutations. Results: A total of 151 patients with CRC were identified; 61 with K-ras mutations; 80 with wt K-ras and 10 with unknown K-ras status. Patients with K-ras mutations compared with wt K-ras had more frequently lung metastases (80% vs. 63%, p = 0.03). Patients whose tumors had K-ras mutations had higher number of metastatic sites of disease (3.18 vs. 2.65; p = 0.013). There were no associations between K-ras mutations and gender, age at diagnosis, liver metastases, peritoneal metastases, lymphatic involvement or Duke stage at diagnose. Patients with K-ras wt had a trend for longer median survival (283 vs. 222 weeks, p=0.09). There was no difference in the median survival from diagnosis in patients with different types of K-ras mutations (codon 12, codon 13, and codon 61). Dukes staging was the only statistically significant prognostic factor on multivariate analysis (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2264. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2264


【This paper presents a two-phase method for the vehicle routing problems with time windows(VRPTW). In a supply chain management(SCM) environment, timely distribution is very important problem faced by most industries. The VRPTW is associated with SCM for each customer to be constrained the time of service. In the VRPTW, the objective is to design the least total travel time routes for a fleet of identical capacitated vehicles to service geographically scattered customers with pre-specified service time windows. The proposed approach is based on ant colony optimization(ACO) and improvement heuristic. In the first phase, an insertion based ACO is introduced for the route construction and its solutions is improved by an iterative random local search in the second phase. Experimental results show that the proposed two-phase method obtains very good solutions with respect to total travel time minimization.】


Because of the need of introducing ecologically clean transport technologies, activities bound up with using electric propulsion in motor vehicles operating in public transport are undertaken. Technical and operational possibilities of introducing electric–powered buses to the communal public transport are shown in the article. The operation of that kind of fleet requires appropriate technical infrastructure involving charging electric-powered urban transport. Simultaneously, former experiences show strong mutual connection between technical sphere and organizational system of communal public transport in agglomerations. Hence, essential significance among other things is given to the layout of the functioning bus lines network and the organisation of bus operations on the lines (timetable). The models of the technical, organizational, economical and ecological links enabling optimal choice of type of bus propulsion were worked out, with the aim of solving this problem rationally.


This article reports on how the therapeutic relationship can be enhanced by utilizing a cognitive behavioural approach when dealing with hopelessness in suicidal people. A rationale is presented regarding why this topic is deemed important. Following a brief overview of the concept of hope, the theoretical and empirical literature relating to hopelessness are examined. This literature indicates that, given the inextricable link between suicide and a sense of pervasive hopelessness, it is necessary for the practitioner to understand the methods and theoretical underpinnings of hope inspiration. Two case studies, drawn from clinical practice, are described in order to elucidate the key elements/interventions (which include the therapeutic relationship and specific cognitive behavioural techniques that the nurse therapist may utilize when attempting to ameliorate the client's sense of hopelessness). These key elements/interventions are further elaborated upon. Whilst cognitive behavioural techniques are shown to be beneficial when dealing with hopelessness, it is advocated that the therapeutic relationship is a prerequisite for successful therapy.


Increasing levels of immigration in response to ageing and fertility decline is one of the most significant demographic trends in OECD countries. Most of this immigration has focused on major metropolitan centres, but in recent years the proportion settling outside of these centres has increased. This phenomenon has largely got under the radar of policy makers and researchers alike but is significant for at least three reasons. The impact of ageing and fertility decline has been exacerbated in rural areas by outmigration so that immigration can potentially play a major role in reversing population decline and maintaining economic and social sustainability. In fact while immigration is much smaller in these areas, its impact can be magnified because of smaller local populations. Secondly, immigration is a neglected dimension of the much studied counterurbanistion phenomenon. Thirdly, the settlement experiences and integration processes for migrants in rural areas may be different to those of their urban counterparts. The countryside in high income countries is undergoing a transformation and international migration will play an increasingly important role in this over the next two decades. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The bit error ratio (also BER) is the number of bit errors divided by the total number of transferred bits during a studied time interval. The proposed BER tester (BERT) integrates fundamental baseband signal processing modules of a typical wireless communication system along with a realistic fading channel simulator and an accurate Gaussian noise generator onto a single FPGA to provide an accelerated and repeatable test environment. Using a developed graphical user interface, the error rate performance of single- and multiple-antenna systems over a wide range of parameters can be rapidly evaluated. The FPGA-based BERT should reduce the need for time-consuming software based simulations, hence increasing the productivity. The BERT modules were developed using deviceindependent HDL, and no specific features of the FPGAs, such as built-in soft processors, were utilized. Therefore, the system is portable and can easily be synthesized onto larger and faster new FPGAs for the rapid prototyping of increasingly complex emerging wireless communication systems. FPGA solutions offer significant cost reduction compared to commercially available solutions.


Home and building automation system is proposed not only for improving user comfort and safety but also for energy management of a house and building. However, conventional home and building automation system may not know detailed information of appliances and appliance states in a house and building so that some advanced services might not be able to provide. In this study, we integrate nonintrusive load monitoring (NILM) meters with a gateway so that the gateway can understand the power consumptions of appliances in a house and building and provide detailed information of appliances and their states. We design and implement the proposed gateway based on Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi) framework with the integration of NILM smart meters, sensors and actuators. Based on this infrastructure, we then present a data mining and event association algorithm to establish the relationships between appliances, sensors and actuators. The association and relationship information can be used to identify appropriate smart home and building services to specific houses and buildings, to locate appliances in a particular room and area, and to help an NILM system to collect the signatures of unknown appliances. Our prototype system demonstrates that the functionalities of a gateway and its services for a smart home and building can be significantly improved by integrating NILM meters.


Design concept of High-intensity total diffractometer of J-PARC is wide-Q range measurements with the highest neutron intensity by the pulsed neutron source. The resolution of the diffractometer is reasonable for crystalline materials and the diffractometer will cover very wide research fields in terms of nano structure and/or non-crystalline materials. Hydrogen absorption mechanism will be intensively investigated with the diffractometer.


Capnocytophaga spp are Gram-negative bacteria commonly identified as oral saprophytes of humans, dogs and cats; they rarely cause invasive infections in immunocompetent subjects. This case report is about a rare case of cerebral abscess caused by Capnocytophaga spp in an immunocompetent subject who had no risk factors for Capnocytophaga invasive infections (oral alterations, traumatic or iatrogenic lesions of pharynx and/or oesophagus, recent dog bite). We also report Capnocytophaga spp naturally resistant to metronidazole, this being the cause of inefficacy of this drug usually included in empiric chemotherapy of cerebral abscess.


Despite a broad consensus that cycling can address a range of transportation issues, many countries have struggled to institute measures to increase cycling participation. Even for cities that have achieved marked progress, there remains a gap in making cycling a truly normative mode of transportation. The practical problem of translating research and converting policy vision into broad-based cycling participation has become an increasingly central focus of international cycling scholarship. To examine the challenges of practically planning for cycling, we focus on the role of local government and report on a survey of all urban and major regional local governments in Australia and New Zealand. By analyzing results across the two countries, we diagnose challenges faced by practitioners in implementing measures to support cycling. Key findings suggest there is support among local government officers and stakeholders for cycling to play an increased role in daily transportation, yet this support is much more mixed at the implementation stage of cycling plans, policies, and infrastructure projects. These findings indicate a pressing need to better equip local government practitioners with tools and knowledge to overcome barriers to providing for cycling, particularly in increasingly politicized and complex contexts.


The strengths of spin-echo sequences in clinical magnetic resonance imaging are its relative insensitivity to magnetic field inhomogeneities and its versatility; however, they require relatively long imaging times. Use of gradient-echo sequences largely circumvents the problem. A gradient echo is created by means of a gradient reversal following a single radio-frequency (RF) pulse, typically with a flip angle that is less than 90 degrees, compared with a spin-echo sequence, which requires at least two RF pulses, typically a 90 degree excitation pulse followed by a 180 degree refocusing pulse. The shortened repetition times (TRs) in gradient-echo sequences together with small flip angles enable maintaining adequate image signal-to-noise ratios while still achieving a short imaging time. Numerous gradient-echo sequences have been developed, with the most common being (a) fast low angle shot (FLASH), which uses small flip angles and short TRs; (b) gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state and fast imaging with steady-state precession (GRASS/FISP); (c) magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MP-RAGE); and (d) echo planar. The shorter imaging times made possible through gradient-echo sequences are used clinically to minimize patient motion artifacts and to allow isotropic three-dimensional imaging with acceptable imaging times.


Alternating-aperture phase shift masking (AAPSM), a form of strong resolution enhancement technology, will be used to image critical features on the polysilicon layer at smaller technology nodes. This technology imposes additional constraints on the layouts beyond traditional design rules. Of particular note is the requirement that all critical features be flanked by opposite-phase shifters while the shifters obey minimum width and spacing requirements. A layout is called phase assignable if it satisfies this requirement. Phase conflicts have to be removed to enable the use of AAPSM for layouts that are not phase assignable. Previous work has sought to detect a suitable set of phase conflicts to be removed as well as correct them. This paper has two key contributions: 1) a new computationally efficient approach to detect a minimal set of phase conflicts, which when corrected will produce a phase-assignable layout, and 2) a novel layout modification scheme for correcting these phase conflicts with small layout area increase. Unlike previous formulations of this problem, the proposed solution for the conflict detection problem does not frame it as a graph bipartization problem. Instead, a simpler and more computationally efficient reduction is proposed. This simplification greatly improves the runtime while maintaining the same improvements in the quality of results obtained in Chiang (Proc. DATE, 2005, p. 908). An average runtime speedup of 5.9times is achieved using the new flow. A new layout modification scheme suited for correcting phase conflicts in large standard-cell blocks is also proposed. The experiments show that the percentage area increase for making standard-cell blocks phase assignable ranges from 1.7% to 9.1%


The eastern South Pacific humpback whale population winters primarily off Colombia and Ecuador, extending northward to the coasts of Panama and Costa Rica. It migrates south to the Fueguian Archipelago and Antarctic Peninsula waters for feeding during the austral summer. In recent years, however, humpback whales have also been observed feeding in the Corcovado Gulf, in the northern Chilean Patagonian channels, during the austral summer and fall. We examine photographically identified humpback whales in order to determine interchange or isolation of these aggregations. The apparent absence of movements of identified humpback whales among the 3 summering areas, and the differences in the proportion of white/black coloration on the fluke, suggest that each locality corresponds to a discrete feeding area for eastern South Pacific humpback whales.


This paper considers the problem of the field of an alternating magnetic dipole on the axis of cylindrical boundaries separating isotropic conductive formations. The study accounts for attenuation, phase shift, and reflection in the conducting formations. Numerical results are presented for the voltage induced in a separated coaxial receiver coil. The results are applicable directly to induction logging theory.


The Total Supply Capability (TSC) model is newly proposed to evaluate the maximum load a distribution system can supply under the N-1 security guideline. This TSC model and a linear programming algorithm can calculate the accurate TSC of a distribution system; but the results of transformer loading rates calculated by this model are usually unbalanced, which is unacceptable in the practical operation. In order to solve this problem, this paper discusses the solution properties of the TSC model first. It is found that the transformer loading rates vector is not unique under the same TSC level; and only one of the optimal solution can be obtained from the linear programming software such as lingo. Then, an improved TSC model is proposed, which takes variance of loading rates and heavy-load areas into account. This new model is divided into two parts, the first part is the TSC calculation process, and the second part is the most balanced loading rate calculation process. Finally, a practical case is given to illustrate the effect of the improved model. It has shown that the loading rates calculated through this method are more balanced than the original one under the same TSC. The method can be useful tools to help system planners to get the best configuration of transformers in distribution systems.


Acupuncture (Acup) and moxibustion (Moxi) are commonly used interventions in clinical practice. However, the difference between Acup and moxibustion mechanisms is unclear. In current study, blood perfusion responses resulted from Acup or Moxi at Weishu acupoint (BL21) and control points were explored, respectively. The time series of blood flux signals at BL21 and control points were transformed with Morlet wavelet, and the differences in each frequency interval were observed. The results suggested that acupoint response to different stimulation is a comprehensive process which related to all components of blood perfusion signals. Whereas the different response at control points was not observed, there has been significant difference coherence value between Acup and Moxi stimulation. The results suggested the influence of Acup and Moxi not only on the level of blood perfusion at local area; the intrinsic relevance after stimulation which can be evaluated by coherence analysis is also an appropriate index to distinguish different stimulations.


We provide evidence that CEO tenure exhibits an inverted U-shaped relation with firm value and M&A announcement returns, consistent with benefits (e.g., experience, learning, relations) and costs (e.g., CEO-firm mismatch, entrenchment, reluctance to change) arising over a CEO's time in office. Depending on the dynamics of a firm's economic environment which affect the cost-benefit relation of tenure, we find economically meaningful variation in the point in time at which costs start to outweigh benefits. The documented CEO life cycle is robust to a large set of robustness tests, including various alternative explanations, CEO-firm fixed effects, and nonparametric estimations, and is supported by an analysis of CEO sudden deaths. Economic recessions and regulatory changes in corporate governance as exogenous shocks to the cost-benefit relation of tenure further support our findings.


3 Ph.D. in Nursing Philosophy. Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, UFRGS. Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Email: mottinha@ enf.ufrgs.br ABSTRACT: This study was aimed at understanding the perceptions of families of children who live with chronic conditions concerning the components of their vulnerability situation and relating them with Socio-Ecological Theory. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, involving nine families of children living with chronic conditions, who were admitted to a teaching hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, using creativity and sensitivity dynamics and content analysis. Three categories emerged and the second of them, the vulnerability of programs and their insertion into the mesosystem of healthcare institutions, is explored herein. The institutional or programmatic component of vulnerability connects the individual and the social components, involving the monitoring of prevention and care programs. It can be noted that there is a link between the ecological environment systems and the components of vulnerability situations which, when identified, allows for the implementation of healthcare actions directed at children and their families. DESCRIPTORS: Vulnerability. Family. Pediatric nursing.


Objective International prognostic index (IPI) has been widely used for predicting outcome in diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Although the introduction of rituximab to chemotherapy has dramatically improved the outcome of DLBCL, it also changed the prognostic value of IPI. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network IPI (NCCN-IPI) and age-adjusted IPI (aaIPI) were used to evaluate the prognosis for DLBCL in the rituximab era. However which one of them is more powerful in predicting survival remains unknown in Chinese patients. Patients and Methods A total of 334 patients with de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed from 2003 to 2012 were included. All patients were treated with CHOP with or without rituximab. They were divided into CHOP and R-CHOP groups. IPI, NCCN-IPI and aaIPI score were recorded. Survival was performed according to the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves using the log-rank test. The predictive abilities of PI, NCCN-IPI and aaIPI were investigated by Harrell9s C-statistics. Result Compared with the IPI, the NCCN-IPI and the aaIPI had better discrimination in different scores in all patients treated with or without rituximab. Both the NCCN-IPI and aaIPI had power in discriminating low, low-intermediate and high-intermediate risk groups. In comparison, the NCCN-IPI discriminated low-intermediate and high-intermediate risk groups (5-year overall survival [OS]: 74% vs 50%) better than the aaIPI (5-year OS: 80% vs 62%) in all patients and in the R-CHOP group with the NCCN-IPI 5-year OS: 85% vs 67% while the aaIPI: 87% vs 77%. In the CHOP group, the aaIPI discriminated low-intermediate and high-intermediate risk groups better (5-year OS: 70% vs 25%) than the NCCN-IPI (5-year OS: 60% vs 24%). According to the Harrel C statistic, the NCCN-IPI showed higher discrimination of the different scores (C_index: 0.669 ) than the aaIPI (C_index: 0.663 ) in all the patients (C_index: 0.669 vs. 0.663), especially in the R-CHOP group (C_index: 0.681 vs. 0.636). In the CHOP group, the aaIPI had stronger power (C_index: 0.711 ) than the NCCN-IPI (C_index: 0.683 ) in discriminating different scores. Conclusion The NCCN-IPI is more powerful than the IPI for predicting survival in the rituximab era. In patients aged 60 or younger and treated with CHOP without rituximab, aaIPI is a preferable tool for evaluating prognosis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Abstract : This report describes the effect of scaffold protein secondary structure on the pressure response of protein-stabilized gold nanoclusters (P:NCs). These studies were conducted using an ethanol-driven pressure cell incorporated into a spectrofluorometer to measure the pressure sensitivity of P-NCs in real time. Results demonstrate that the pressure response of P:NCs is indeed dependent on the secondary structure of the protein. Proteins with high beta sheet content such as pepsin and DNase do not show a pressure response in the range studied (0400 MPa), whereas fully alpha helical proteins like bovine serum albumin show linear pressure response over the full range. Interestingly, proteins low in secondary structure and high in random coil (i.e., lysozyme, 60% coil) show linear pressure response at pressures ranging up to 200 MPa but no response at higher pressures.


Objective: In this study we aim to demonstrate the occurrence of adult forms of TK2 mutations causing progressive mitochondrial myopathy with significant muscle mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. Methods: Patients' investigations included serum creatine kinase, blood lactate, electromyographic, echocardiographic, and functional respiratory analyses as well as TK2 gene sequencing and TK2 activity measurement. Mitochondrial activities and mtDNA were analyzed in the patients' muscle biopsy. Results: The 3 adult patients with TK2 mutations presented with slowly progressive myopathy compatible with a fairly normal life during decades. Apart from its much slower progression, these patients' phenotype closely resembled that of pediatric cases including early onset, absence of CNS symptoms, generalized muscle weakness predominating on axial and proximal muscles but affecting facial, ocular, and respiratory muscles, typical mitochondrial myopathy with a mosaic pattern of COX-negative and ragged-red fibers, combined mtDNA-dependent respiratory complexes deficiency and mtDNA depletion. In accordance with the disease's relatively slow progression, the residual mtDNA content was higher than that observed in pediatric cases. That difference was not explained by the type of the TK2 mutations or by the residual TK2 activity. Conclusion: TK2 mutations can cause mitochondrial myopathy with a slow progression. Comparison of patients with similar mutations but different disease progression might address potential mechanisms of mtDNA maintenance modulation.


The review notes the intellectual richness of the national science of constitutional law, the creators of which, on the eve of the anniversary of the Constitution of Russia, entered into a dialogue: a dialogue of generations; a dialogue of scientific schools; a dialogue of worldviews; a dialogue of individuals gifted with talent, an inquisitive mind, the ability to set nontrivial scientific problems and brilliantly solve them, involving statesmen, public leaders, politicians, practicing lawyers in the co-creation of the legal space of Russia. The constitutional dialogue initiated by the Saratov School of Constitutional Law has become an evidence that Russian state scholars are ready for the challenges of our time. They understand the full measure of responsibility that is assigned to the rulers of scientific minds in the era of large-scale changes, the era of choosing the path of further development of civilization. Reflecting the identity of representatives of various scientific schools, the continuity in the assessment of science as a path of service to the high truth, the novelty of ways to find answers to the burning questions of the modern constitutional construction of Russia, the reviewer draws attention to the fact that it brings together different positions, makes us look for a common denominator. This is the philosophy of the constitutional worldview, constitutional ethics, which has become the basis for the existence of public.


In this work, we propose a method to compute the poles of the linear approximation to a nonlinear system, locally around a stable equilibrium point. The method uses periodic inputs, just like hermonic identification of linear systems. We show in passing that the class of Wiener-Hammerstein systems is but a small subset of the collection of all nonlinear control systems, locally around a hyperbolic equilibrium. For this we dwell on the exact local topological linearization of linear systems as developed in [6].


ABSTRACT This study uses Uruguay's historical fluctuation in real wages to set up a natural experiment to measure the relation between women's labor supply and wages. Using data from the Continuous Household Surveys of the Uruguayan National Statistics Institute, for 1986–2010, it aims to identify and explain heterogeneity in the labor supply behavior of women with different educational backgrounds. It finds that all women groups seek to optimize their remunerated work allocation throughout their life cycle, although women's labor behaviors vary depending on educational levels. The rising trend of women's labor force participation is expected to continue; its implications at the intensive margin are ambiguous and depend on how women conciliate paid work with household responsibilities – especially women with less education. These results could inform present debates about designing public policies to facilitate women's entry into the labor market and cater to their different wage profiles and household care demands.


Introduction: Blood transfusion (hemotherapy) is a therapeutic intervention used in treatment strategies of multiple diseases, thus, proper education is of utmost importance. Since currently there are no specified educational programs, undergraduate students were evaluated for the knowledge gained during university courses. Purpose: To evaluate and compare the level of knowledge of students of the faculty of Health Science, Department of Medicine (DM), and Department of Molecular Biology-Genetics (DMB&Gs) on issues related to the transfusion of blood products. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out with 123 students from the aforementioned departments of the Democritus University of Thrace, from the third year to the last year of study. A questionnaire was used, weighted, and was based on the European Commission's Guide to the Preparation, Use and Quality Assurance for Blood Components. Statistical tests such as chi-square (χ2), t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression were used to investigate the factors that affect the overall score. Results: The mean score of the students was 42.55 while the standard deviation (SD) was 12.27. The difference in the scores between the students of the DM (M = 44.63, SD = 13.2) and those of the DMB&Gs (mean = 38.25, SD = 9.05) was statistically significant in the univariable analysis (t= 3.1, p = 0.0), but in the multivariable analysis, it was not statistically significant (β = -4.1, p = 0.1.). The results of the multiple regression model indicated that the year of study, the professional status of the father, and the grade in the hematology course were associated with the total score. Conclusions: The level of knowledge regarding blood product transfusion among students of the faculty of Health Science is insufficient.


Historical and recent examples of the application of in situ measurements to provide knowledge for specific operations and general criticality safety guidance are reviewed. The importance of the American National Standard, Safety in Conducting Subcritical Neutron-Multiplication Measurements In Situ, ANSI/ANS-8.6, 1988 is discussed. Examples of possible future applications of in-situ measurements are provided. 4 refs., 4 figs.


Social norms are known to establish social order and cohesion if actors commonly agree on them. In heterogeneous populations, however, normative conflict may result and social order may collapse. In this article, we show by means of a computational simulation model that homogeneous social norms may even come about in heterogeneous societies consisting of groups with competing interests. We demonstrate that punishment oriented at conformity can set off enforcement cascades leading to one generally accepted norm. In our model, agents put pressure on others to perform the same public behavior as they show themselves, even if they privately disapprove it. Interestingly, this type of punishment is more effective to form norms than pressuring others to meet their own private preferences. We conclude that group pressure and punishment may be interrelated phenomena, which can lead to homogeneous behaviors even in well diversified societies.


An easy and popular method for measuring the size of the underground economy is to use macro-data such as money demand or electricity demand to infer what the legitimate economy needs, and then to attribute the remaining consumption to the underground economy. Such inferences rely on the stability of parameters of the money demand and electricity demand equations, or at the very least on knowledge of how these parameters are changing. We argue that the pace of change of these parameters (such as velocity) is too variable in transition economies for the above methods of estimating the size of the underground economy to be applicable. We make our point by using the Czech Republic and other transition country data from the financial and electricity sectors.


Background: Cyclic mastalgia (breast pain) is one of the most common reasons for referral of women of childbearing age to physicians. Due to the increasing popularity of herbal medicines among women, this study investigates the effect of cinnamon on cyclical breast pain. Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of cinnamon on cyclical breast pain. Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial in which 74 women with cyclical breast pain and who met the eligibility criteria were randomly divided into intervention and control groups, based on the four and six random block sampling method. Cinnamon was given to the intervention group and a placebo was given to the control group. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS (statistical package for social science) statistical software (version 14). Chi-square, repeated measures ANOVA (analysis of variance), and independent and paired-t tests were performed. Results: The mean (SD) values of the patients in the intervention group and the control group were 9.08 (3.56) and 9.45 (2.55), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the mean scores of pain at the end of the first and second months (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02), meaning the pain intensity at the end of the first and second months were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The end result of this study showed improvement in both the intervention and control groups: 54.1% and 2.7%, respectively. Also, an intra-group comparison with ANOVA with repeated measures, the pain mean at the three time periods showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02). Conclusions: Cinnamon can be effective in reducing the intensity of cyclical breast pain in women.


Summary: This paper analyses critical, policy, service and research literature on responses to Aboriginal women experiencing family and domestic violence in Australia; focusing on non-legal and non-clinical services and women's specialist services in regional and remote settings. It considers: critical writing, analysis and representation by Aboriginal women on family and domestic violence; literature on the evolution of responses to Aboriginal women experiencing family and domestic violence; and participatory research methods and how they can further open the ground for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women to debate ways of challenging violence and enable Aboriginal women to live violence-free. As a critical review, the paper highlights problems in using ideas of "effectiveness" and "success" to drive objectives in service delivery; and seeks to re-centre aspirations for empowerment alongside those for safety.  This work is part of the ANROWS Landscapes series. ANROWS Landscapes (State of knowledge papers) are medium length papers that scope current knowledge on an issue related to violence against women and their children. Papers will draw on empirical research, including research produced under ANROWS's research program, and/or practice knowledge.


Abstract Parasassafras confertiflorum (Meisn.) D.G. Long is the single tree species of the genus Parasassafras D.G. Long in the family Lauraceae. To better determine its phylogenetic location with respect to the related Lauraceae species, the complete chloroplast genome of P. confertiflorum was sequenced. The whole plastome is 152,555 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 20,079 bp, one large single copy (LSC) region of 93,604 bp, and one small single copy (SSC) region of 18,793 bp. The genome contains 127 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 36 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole plastome is 39.1%. Further, maximum likelihoodphylogenetic analyses were conducted using 34 complete plastomes of the Lauraceae, which support close relationships between P. confertiflorum and Actinodaphne trichocarpa, Lindera benzoin, L. latifolia, L. metcalfiana, L. robusta, and Neolitsea sericea rather than Laurus nobilis or Sinosassafras flavinervium.


ABS TRACT Objective: To investigate the effects of boric acid, EDTA and citric acid on rootdentin mineral content and on shear-bond strength of AH Plus. Material and Methods: Eighteen extracted mandibular premolars were used. The crowns were removed. The roots were then longitudinally sectioned under water cooling to obtain two root halves from each tooth. Element levels were examined by SEM-EDX and build-ups were created using AH Plus. The element levels and shear-bond strength data (MPa) were recorded. After shear-test, the root surfaces were re-grounded, and subjected to 5,25% NaOCl followed by 10% Boric acid, 17% EDTA and 10% Citric acid. The root surfaces were re-examined by SEM-EDX. Shear-test was repeated. The element levels and shear-bond strength data (MPa) were recorded and analyzed by using paired samples t test. Results: Boric acid increased O, Na, K and Ca/P ratio (p<0.001), did not change Ca, C, Mg contents of root-dentin (p>0.05). EDTA increased O, Na, C, Ca/P ratio (p<0.001), decreased the Ca, P, S (p<0.001). Citric acid increased C, Na, Ca/P ratio (p<0.001), decreased Ca, P, S contents (p<0.05). Citric acid did not change shear-bond strength of AH Plus (p=0.218). Both Boric acid and EDTA treatment decreased shear bond strength of the sealer (p=0.000). Conclusion: All the tested materials changed the mineral contents of root dentin. Boric acid and EDTA treatment decreased shear bond strength of AH Plus. Boric acid might be considered as an alternative chelating agent however further experimental and clinical evaluations are needed to use the material safely.


The purpose of this paper is to examine the unit root properties of eleven Pakistani macroeconomic series using annual data. Along with traditional unit root tests, we use the procedure developed by Zivot and Andrews to test the null of unit root against the break-stationary alternative. Conventional unit root tests indicate that all variable are non-stationary at the levels. Results from Zivot and Andrews test suggest that we can reject the null of unit root for CPI and WPI at 5 percent significance level while we fail to reject the unit root hypothesis for the remaining 9 series. At the same time, the Zivot and Andrews test identifies endogenously the point of the single most significant structural break in every time series examined. The results show that ten of the eleven series studied bear witness to the presence of a structural break during the period 1972 to 1976.


The twin Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit (Gusev crater) and Opportunity (Meridiani Planum) used MIMOS II Moessbauer spectrometers to analyze martian surface materials in the first application of extraterrestrial Moessbauer spectroscopy. The instruments acquired spectra that identified the speciation of Fe according to oxidation state, coordination state, and mineralogical composition and provided quantitative information about the distribution of Fe among oxidation states, coordination states, and Fe-bearing phases. A total of 12 unique Fe-bearing phases were identified: Fe(2+) in olivine, pyroxene, and ilmenite; Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) in magnetite and chromite; Fe(3+) in nanophase ferric oxide (npOx), hematite, goethite, jarosite, an unassigned Fe3+ sulfate, and an unassigned Fe(3+) phase associated with jarosite; and Fe(0) in kamacite. Weakly altered basalts at Gusev crater (SO3 = 2.5 +/- 1.4 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.24 +/- 0.11) are widespread on the Gusev plains and occur in less abundance on West Spur and Husband Hill in the Columbia Hills. Altered low-S rocks (SO3 = 5.2 +/- 2.0 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.63 +/- 0.18) are the most common type of rock in the Columbia Hills. Ilm-bearing, weakly altered basalts were detected only in the Columbia Hills, as was the only occurrence of chromite in an altered low-S rock named Assemblee. Altered high-S rocks (SO3 > 14.2 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.83 +/- 0.05) are the outcrop rocks of the ubiquitous Burns formation at Meridiani Planum. Two Fe(0)-bearing rocks at Meridiani Planum (Barberton and Heat Shield Rock) are meteorites. Laguna Class soil is weakly altered (SO3 = 6 +/- 2 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.29 +/- 0.08) and widely distributed at both Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, implying efficient global mixing processes or a global distribution of precursor rocks with comparable Fe mineralogical compositions. Paso Robles Class soil is heavily altered (SO3 approx. 31 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.83 +/- 0.05), is relatively uncommon, and occurs as subsurface deposits in the Columbia Hills. Berry Class soil is also heavily altered (SO3 = 5 +/- 1 wt.% and Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) = 0.60 +/- 0.13) and occurs at Meridiani Planum as lag deposits, at the crests of aeolian bedforms, and as isolated pockets on outcrop surfaces. Magnetite is identified as the strongly magnetic component in martian soil. Jarosite (in the Burns outcrop at Meridiani Planum) and goethite (in Clovis Class rocks at Gusev crater) are mineralogical markers for aqueous processes because they contain the hydroxide anion (OH(-)) as an essential part of their structure. Each yields approx.10 wt.% H2O upon dehydroxylation. The presence of Fe sulfates on opposite sides of Mars is evidence that aqueous processes under acid sulfate conditions are or were common. Except for Independence Class rocks in the Columbia Hills, the overall Fe mineralogical compositions and similar basaltic bulk chemical compositions (calculated with respect to S = Cl = 0) of the population of altered rocks analyzed by MER imply isochemical alteration of basaltic precursors at low water-to-rock ratios.


In this paper, the minimal visual coverage shortest path in raster terrain is studied with the proposal of a hypervolume contribution based multiobjective evolutionary approach. The main feature of the presented method is that all individuals in the population are periodically replaced by the selected non-dominated candidates in the archive based on hypervolume contribution, besides the well designed evolutionary operators and some popular techniques such as dominated relation and archive. Our algorithm may obtain well distributed Pareto set approximation efficiently, which is superior to the implementations based on the framework of NSGA-II and SMS-EMOA with respect to the hypervolume.


. The aim of the research is to determine the reasons, form, content and consequences of such a social phenomenon as agronomic meetings (the practice of which was quite common in the southwestern regions of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century, in particular in Poltava region) for the socio-economic development of the country. The research methodology is based on the principles of scientificity, historicism, authors' objectivity, regionalism, as well as the use of general scientific methods such as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction and specific historical ones, namely, historical-genetic, historical-comparative and historical-systemic methods. The scientific novelty of the research is characterized by the fact that on the basis of the analysis of little-known historical sources, the authors for the first time in national historiography have analyzed the publications of Poltava provincial zemstvo, as well as publications of local agricultural societies, including magazines "Khutorianyn" and "Bulletin of South Russian Animal Husbandry" in terms of the content and consequences of agronomic meetings set up by local public activists aimed at the modernization of agricultural production, which was particularly topical during the implementation of Stolypin's agrarian reform. The importance of the mentioned meetings was: to involve a wide range of people relating to the agrarian sector in the discussion, among them were not only practitioners, but also well-known theorists from university professors; to disseminate the ideas formulated during the relevant meetings in media, in the process of consultations provided by local agronomists, lectures and conversations with the illiterate population. Along with the analysis of the content of agronomic meetings, the authors paid attention to their socio-economic reasons and consequences, which, above all, enables to understand this process in a holistic way, taking into account all the circumstances that directly or indirectly affected the meetings held by the local agricultural society and Poltava provincial zemstvo. Conclusions. As a result of the research, it concluded that such a method of the modernization of crop production and animal husbandry as agronomic meetings with participation of not only public figures from among local agricultural societies and zemstvo figures, but also representatives of central authorities of Poltava province.


The historical, zooarchaeological and isotopic data concerning cattle breeding and management in the medieval Middle Nile Valley are considered in this paper in the first such comprehensive research for the region. The main source of data are the nearly 10,300 animal remains. The archaeozoological analyses focused primarily on cattle morphology. Strontium isotope analyses were used to indicate the local/non-local origin of animals encompassing the whole period studied. The empirical data indicate a developed central system of cattle management in medieval Makuria. Textual and iconographic sources additionally reflect an extensive set of values that have been experienced since prehistory in the Middle Nile and correspond to the anthropological definition of the "cattle centred behavior". Comprehensive analysis of animal remains and the analysis of textual information enabled the formulation of a hypothesis about Makuria's economic and cultural foundations rooted in the local tradition, constituting an important element of the Nubian identity.


Casuarina equisetifolia L. is a widespread tree that has been known for its allelopathic potential causing biological inhibition on plant seed germination. Leaf extract of Casuarina equisetifolia L. was evaluated for its allelopathic influence on various plant crops. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to study its allelopathic effects on seed germination and seedling growth. Various concentrations of leaf extract (0, 1.25%, 2.5 and 5%) were prepared and used while in the greenhouse experiment, leaf powder was mixed with soil at concentrations of (0, 15, 30 and 45 g/kg soil). Results revealed that leaf aqueous extract of Casuarina equisetifolia L affected significantly seed germination of all selected plant crops under laboratory condition. Highest inhibition was observed with 5% concentration compared to control that was treated with distilled water. In addition, it was that leaf extract of Casuarina had maximum inhibitory effect on roots growth compared to shoots of the studied seedling. Greenhouse experiment demonstrated that C. equisetifolia exhibited significant allelopathic activity on wheat germination but did not affect plant growth characteristics based on all treatments. However, Casuarina leaf extracts showed positive effect on Mustard germination and plant growth. The inhibitory substances present in Casuarina equisetifolia L leaves could be used as a potential environmental friendly herbicide. However, allelopathy is a complex process where further studies should be done in order to understand types of chemical molecules, mode of action of the Allelochemicals on physiology and biochemical process of weeds and crop plants. Attention and effort should be made more in allelopathy now a days because of environmental protection issues as well as the need of organic food so allelopathy will have great value in sustainable agriculture in future.


We propose a novel deep learning architecture for regressing disparity from a rectified pair of stereo images. We leverage knowledge of the problem's geometry to form a cost volume using deep feature representations. We learn to incorporate contextual information using 3-D convolutions over this volume. Disparity values are regressed from the cost volume using a proposed differentiable soft argmin operation, which allows us to train our method end-to-end to sub-pixel accuracy without any additional post-processing or regularization. We evaluate our method on the Scene Flow and KITTI datasets and on KITTI we set a new stateof-the-art benchmark, while being significantly faster than competing approaches.


Pressure variation in drainage stack is one of the key design parameters for a healthy drainage system in high-rise residential buildings as it might deplete the water seals of any connected appliances that prevent the ingress of foul gases into a habitable space. In this study, diurnal pressure variations in a drainage stack of a typical in-use high-rise residential building in Hong Kong were investigated. With the survey data of occupant load variations and diurnal WC flushing patterns collected from a number of similar local buildings, a significant association between the expected hourly WC flushes in the building and the air pressure variations in the stack was reported. Mathematical expressions were proposed to correlate the occurrence of maximum air pressure at certain locations in a stack with the expected hourly WC flushes in high-rise residential buildings. The results would be a useful source of reference to the development of control strategies against probable appliance seal loss in high-rise residential buildings.


Background: The severe shortage of qualified healthcare staff in Hungary cannot be quickly or easily overcome. There is not only a lack of human resources for health, but significant inequalities are widespread, including in geographical distribution. This disparity results in severe problems regarding access to and performance of health care services. In this context, this report, based on research carried out in 2008, deals with a particularly relevant matter: the willingness of young doctors to work outside Budapest (the capital of Hungary). Methods: We conducted a survey with voluntary questionnaires and focus group interviews at each of the four Hungarian medical schools, concerning career plans and related incentives among young medical doctors. In all, 524 residents responded to the question concerning their willingness to work in rural areas, and there were seven focus group interviews, with 3-7 participants in each group. The number of residents' places in Hungary were 832, 682, and 785 in 2006/2007, 2007/2008, and 2008/2009, respectively. Results: The majority of those surveyed would like to work in Budapest or a large town. Fewer than 7% were willing to work in a town with less than 50 000 inhabitants. Most young doctors would like to work in a teaching hospital (i.e. an accredited training site for medical students and postgraduate trainees) or a major regional hospital. Conclusions: The current system of medical training in Hungary tends to produce doctors who want to live in big cities and work in central hospitals. Rural regions and non-in-patient service alternatives seem either not to be targeted or seen as unattractive work places.


N(omega)-Propyl-L-arginine (NPA) is reported to be a highly selective inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). This in vivo study observed its role in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat skeletal muscle. Our results showed that NPA infusion significantly increased vessel diameters and blood flow in reperfused cremaster muscle, and slightly increased contractile function in reperfused extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle. In addition, NPA treatment slightly increased I/R-mediated downregulation of nNOS and eNOS mRNA and protein levels. Although NPA showed a beneficial role in I/R injury, our in vivo data do not support NPA as a selective nNOS inhibitor. Also, our data do not provide any insight into the mechanism of NPA. Thus, the in vivo mechanism of action of NPA needs to be further identified, and the role of nNOS in skeletal muscle I/R still remains to be determined.


This study examined the effects of tattooing on perception of a male's and a female's credibility and attractiveness. 74 undergraduates viewed a photograph of a tattooed or nontattooed male or female model and then rated dimensions of the models' credibility and attractiveness. Analysis indicated that, although the models' attractiveness ratings were not affected by having a tattoo, their credibility ratings were generally lower when wearing a tattoo than when not wearing one.


Ten years after the uprising in Syria, millions of its citizens remain displaced and uncertain about their fate. Throughout that period, media coverage about the ensuing civil war played a major role in informing Syrians and contributed to altering their levels of fear and anxiety about their country's future and their survival prospects. This study examined the role of legacy media, online media, and interpersonal communication in increasing or reducing uncertainty among displaced and non-displaced Syrians. Through a revised construct of uncertainty reduction theory within the context of a civil war, we assessed the relationship between exposure to these media sources and feeling anxious, uncertain, angry, and in danger, and whether these feelings influenced information consumption trends. We also probed the connection between their anxiety levels and sharing information, both interpersonally and on social media. The study surveyed 2,192 Syrian adults (95% CI, ±2.5) living in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, both inside and outside refugee camps, using a random multistage cluster sampling technique. The findings revealed a strong relationship between positive emotions and time spent on legacy and online media. The more secure, proud, and hopeful people felt, the more likely they were to spend time on media sources. This relationship, however, was moderated by the perceived importance of these sources. Feelings of pride, security, and hopefulness generated by television and online media correlated with the time people spent on these media sources, and the perceived importance of such media further strengthened this relationship. A different picture appeared in the relationship between positive emotions and interpersonal communication, where the perceived importance of talking to people not only significantly moderated the relationship but also canceled out the main effect of positive emotions on the time people spend communicating with others. The findings also indicated that feelings of uncertainty about these sources may stand in the way of sharing information about the war on social media.


With the development of power electronic technology, the range of applications for VSC-HVDC systems has been widely broadened in renewable energy, microgrid and power transmission. This article proposes an optimal control strategy for VSC-HVDC transmission system by embedding an automatic power transfer controller. The proposed approach is depicted theoretically, and a completed simulation for the system has been described. Simulation results comparisons between the proposed method and the conventional d-q vector control of VSC-HVDC haven been performed. The results confirm the superior of the designated approach under different dynamic performance tests.


The rule is well established by many cases that school authorities may govern the conduct of pupils while off the school grounds and out of school hours. A board of education may discipline a pupil for any act, no matter where or when committed, provided the act tends immediately and directly to destroy the discipline and to impair the efficiency of the school.' In an early Vermont case" a pupil, upon his return home from school, was sent to drive home a cow. While passing the teacher's house, in the presence of another pupil, he contemptuously called the teacher "old Jack Seaver." The next morning after school opened, the teacher gave the offending pupil a sound whipping with a rawhide. In upholding the teacher in an action brought against him for assault and battery, the court rendered an opinion which has frequently been cited and quoted with approval. The court said: Where the offense has a direct and immediate tendency to injure the school and bring the master's authority into contempt, as in this case, when done in the presence of other scholars and of the master, and with a design to insult him, we


The morphological characters of 21 cases of single ventricle which constituted 1.63% of cases of congenital heart disease were studied. The single ventricular chamber with left ventricular characters was seen in 11 cases. In 8 of these, the great vessels were transposed with aorta arising from outlet chamber (SLL-7:SDD-1). Except in one case where there was common A-V valve, two A-V valve, two A-V valves entered the main chamber with some abnormality of A-V valves in all the cases. Bulbo-ventricular foramen was obstructive in 6 cases with resultant hypoplasia of aorta. Aortic arch anomalies were present in 5 of these. Valvular pulmonary stenosis was present in two. In 3 cases with normally related great vessels (SDS), bulbo-ventricular foramen was obstructive in two with hypoplastic pulmonary artery. Abnormalities of A-V valves were similar to the previous group. The incidence of single right ventricle was high in this series (47%). In half the cases, there was associated asplenia syndrome. This group in general showed common atrium with exception of one case, common A-V canal, both great vessels arising from same outflow with atrophic conal septum. Anomalies of pulmonary veins were common. The subsets observed were ADD-3, ADL-1, AL single trunk-1. In the remaining cases without asplenia, both A-V valves were present though some abnormalities were present in all. Systemic and pulmonary venous anomalies were rare. The subsets observed were SLL-3, SDL-1, SDD-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Introduction: Carbohydrates are key participants in many biological processes including reproduction, inflammation, signal transmission and infection. Their biocompatibility and ability to be recognized by cell-surface receptors illustrate their potential therapeutic applications. αYet, they are not ideal candidates because they are complex and tedious to synthesize. However, recent advances in the field of polymer science and nanotechnology have led to the design of biologically relevant carbohydrate mimics for therapeutic uses. This review focuses mainly on the therapeutic potential of glycopolymers and glyconanoparticles (GNPs). Areas covered: The significance of engineered glycopolymers and GNPs as nanomedicine is highlighted in areas such as targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, signal transduction, vaccine development, protein stabilization and anti-adhesion therapy. Expert opinion: Major effort should be focused towards the design and synthesis of more complex and biologically relevant carbohydrate mimics in order to have a better understanding of the carbohydrate–carbohydrate and carbohydrate–protein interactions. The full therapeutic potential of these carbohydrate-based polymeric and nanoparticles systems can be achieved once the pivotal participation of the carbohydrates in biological systems is clarified.


The struggle for psychic wholeness is a continuous one in Toni Morrison's Beloved, a novel situated in slavery and its aftermath. It is a process which requires access to painful memories; the characters in the novel reintegrate, achieve "the join" so desperately wished for in Beloved's soliloquy chapter, re-fuse, when they no longer refuse the deepest knowledge of the meanings of their individual and historical pasts. But much of the novel explores the extraordinarily anguishing interlude of time during which virtually all the protagonists, not just Sethe, exist almost as dreamwalkers in a state of dissociation and denial as they remain determined to expend their psychic resources keeping the past at bay. No longer able to endure the endless succession of losses, faced with the death or disappearance of all eight of her children (including Sethe's husband Halle), retaining as her sole and astonishingly poignant memory of her first-born child, Ardelia, the solitary knowledge of how much she loved the burned bottom of bread, Sethe's mother-in-law, the great unchurched preacher, Baby Suggs has a "sadness ... at her center, the desolated center where the self that was no self made its home" (140). Eventually, she gives up preaching and dies of grief, while Sethe's daughter Denver lives psychically paralyzed inside her own mind. After Sethe acknowledges to Denver the veracity of Nelson Lord's grisly re-telling of the story of Sethe's murder of Denver's sister, Beloved, to keep her from being returned to slavery, Denver takes on a synesthesiac version of hysterical blindness: she becomes deaf, musing in her soliloquy chapter: "Made me have to read faces and learn how to figure out what people were thinking, so I didn't need to hear what they said" (206). While maternal love is certainly one focus of the novel, the male protagonists in this novel also struggle towards a definition of appropriate loving within which they can survive. In the absence of that stipulation, namely, survivability, Halle loves too much, and ends up with his face in the butter; Sethe's companion and lover Paul D, haunted by the consequences of what he sees as Halle's, and later, Sethe's, "too thick love," is determined to love small and suffers enormously for the consequences of his decision. Sethe's consciousness, and the consciousness of Denver, Paul D, and the twenty-year-old Beloved (the spectral and apparently embodied adult presence of her murdered two-year-old daughter) are suffused with a truncated, relentless, disrupted chronology common to persons so severely abused that they suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or disassociative states. Despite the fact that she was not captured in Africa but rather born in America and therefore could have no rational explanation for remembering in vivid detail her own ordeal on a slave ship during Middle Passage, Beloved repeatedly returns to memories of Middle Passage, the primal scene for sixty million Africans, the slave ships on which captives suffered and died. (1) Throughout the novel, Denver and Paul D frequently do not know if they are dreaming or awake. Sleep and the comfort of Baby Suggs' nearness protects Denver at night in 124, but during her waking hours, during consciousness, she is almost unsure if she is alive, breathing, in her own body. In Denver's soliloquy chapter, she muses, "I was safe at night in there with [Baby Suggs]. All I could hear was me breathing but sometimes in the day I couldn't tell whether it was me breathing or somebody next to me" (207). And in an understated echo of the normal response to profound deprivation, Paul D doesn't know if it is mud or his own tears that are the moisture on his face: "Paul D thought he was screaming; his mouth was open and there was this loud throat-splitting sound--but it may have been somebody else" (110). All four of these characters, and, to some extent, every black character in the novel who believes he or she has seen Beloved (as well as Bodwin, the one white character who also sees Beloved), experiences Beloved either as a fractured aspect of Sethe's psyche or as a kind of doppleganger for his or her own feelings of loss, grief, confusion, and rage, and, in the case of Bodwin, feelings of accountability, culpability, and guilt. …


This study aims to investigate how the phenomenon of intertextuality manifests itself in the review genre, from the theoretical perspective of Textual Linguistics. To do so, we delimited data from recent empirical research texts of reviews published in the academic and journalistic spheres, in which we sought to identify the brands of various categories of intertextuality. Assuming that the review is a dialogic text that purports to present and evaluate another text, the results obtained from the analysis lead us to confirm our hypothesis that intertextuality in this genre is mainly woven through the explicitness of the dialogue with texts and authors.


This paper describes the design and operation of the Polaris time-of-flight powder neutron diffractometer at the ISIS pulsed spallation neutron source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK. Following a major upgrade to the diffractometer in 2010-2011, its detector provision now comprises five large ZnS scintillator-based banks, covering an angular range of 6° ≤ 2θ ≤ 168°, with only minimal gaps between each bank. These detectors have a substantially increased solid angle coverage (Ω ∼ 5.67 sr) compared to the previous instrument (Ω ∼ 0.82 sr), resulting in increases in count rate of between 2× and 10×, depending on 2θ angle. The benefits arising from the high count rates achieved are illustrated using selected examples of experiments studying small sample volumes and performing rapid, time-resolved investigations. In addition, the enhanced capabilities of the diffractometer in the areas of in situ studies (which are facilitated by the installation of a novel design of radial collimator around the sample position and by a complementary programme of advanced sample environment developments) and in total scattering studies (to probe the nature of short-range atomic correlations within disordered crystalline solids) are demonstrated.


A mandibular first and second molar found to contain five root canals are described. Recent literature pertaining to unusual root canal morphological structure is reviewed and a recommendation is made for a complete and thorough examination of the chamber floor for even seemingly straightforward and simple nonsurgical endodontic cases.


Tumor cells are cells that have acquired damage to genes that directly regulate their cell cycles. In the multistep process leading to colorectal carcinoma, the adenoma-carcinoma sequence is characterized by progressive accumulation of genetic abnormalities (K-ras oncogene mutation, allelic deletion on chromosome 5q, 18q, 17p). In a hereditary non-polyposis syndrome (Lynch syndrome II) and in about a quarter of the cases of sporadic colorectal cancer there is a DNA micro-instability which contributes to the acquisition of mutations that cause loss of tumor-suppressor function. The p53 tumor-suppressor gene is the most frequently mutant gene in human cancer. In colorectal cancer cells missense p53 mutations and allelic deletion on chromosomal locus 17p13.1 are found with very high frequency. One of biological roles of p53 gene is to ensure that, in response to genotoxic damage, cells arrest in G1 and attempt to repair their DNA before it is replicated. In addition, p53 is required for apoptosis in response to severe DNA damage, included the damage induced by chemotherapeutics drugs and ionizing radiation. The loss of p53 function results in genomic instability and has been implicated in the evolution of normal cells into cancer cells.


Norberto Patrignani is a Lecturer in Computer Ethics at the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, and has a longstanding interest in Information and Communication Technologies having seen its development over the last 45 years. Laura Colucci-Gray is a Lecturer in Science Education at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom and member of the Editorial board of Visions for Sustainability . For a long time, she has been interested in controversies arising at the interface between scientific and technological developments, the environment and society. While Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has been around for some time, citizens' interest and awareness of its applications, consequences and impacts on all sectors of civic society is relatively recent, and even more so in education. In the following dialogue, Laura and Norberto exchange their thoughts on the immense challenge of seeking to understand digital technologies which continue to influence and shape our ways of thinking and making decisions in our everyday lives


Abstract Addition of either 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) or 1,2-dihydro-6-ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline (ethoxyquin) to the diet greatly decreases the levels of mutagenic metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene in CD-1 mice. (R. P. Batzinger, S-Y. L. Ou, and E. Bueding, Cancer Res., 38:000, 1978). The mutagenic activity of the urinary metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene is markedly reduced in the presence of glutathione together with the liver cytosols of rats or mice fed on a diet containing BHA. The liver cytosols of mice and rats maintained on control diets are much less effective in this respect. Dietary BHA causes increases in mouse and rat hepatic glutathione S-transferase (EC 22.214.171.124) specific activities with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, p-nitrobenzylchloride, and Δ5-androstene-3,17-dione. In the mouse the increases are larger (5- to 10-fold) and are dependent on the dose and duration of administration of BHA. Increases in these glutathione S-transferase specific activities were also observed in mouse hepatic cytosols after feeding of ethoxyquin. Direct addition of reduced glutathione and purified glutathione S-transferases A and B obtained from rat liver to the mutagenicity assay system mimicked the effect of the rodent cytosols. Since BHA and ethoxyquin are known to reduce the neoplastic effects of a variety of potent carcinogens, we suggest that the protective effects of these antioxidants may be accounted for, at least in part, by their ability to elevate the glutathione S-transferases. These enzymes inactivate arene oxides and other hydrophobic electrophiles by catalyzing their conjugation with glutathione.


Depletion of glutathione (GSH) from CYP2E1-expressing cells by treatment with l-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) causes decreased cell viability. The possible role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in this toxicity was evaluated. SB203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H-imidazole], an inhibitor of p38 MAPK decreased the BSO-dependent toxicity in HepG2 E47 cells, which express CYP2E1 and in hepatocytes from pyrazole-treated rats. Inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and c-Jun amino-terminal kinase were not protective. SB203580 did not prevent the loss of GSH nor lower the increase in reactive oxygen production; hence, protection by SB203580 was downstream of the elevated oxidative stress. Treatment with BSO caused activation of p38 MAPK whereas activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was decreased; these effects were prevented by SB203580. We speculated that the decrease in NF-κB activation prevented production of hepatoprotective factors. One such factor could be nitric oxide (NO); indeed a NO donor decreased the BSO plus CYP2E1-dependent toxicity, whereas inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) potentiated toxicity. BSO treatment down-regulated iNOS and lowered NO levels, reactions blocked by SB203580; however, protection by SB203580 was the same in the absence or presence of an iNOS inhibitor, indicating that recovery of iNOS and NO production was not the mechanism by which SB203580 afforded protection against the BSO plus CYP2E1-dependent toxicity. Presumably other protective factors besides nitric oxide may be produced from activated NF-κB when p38 MAPK is inhibited by SB203580. These results suggest that the activation of p38 MAPK by BSO treatment in CYP2E1-expressing liver cells cause a loss in NF-κB-dependent production of hepatoprotective factors. This loss, coupled to CYP2E1-generated oxidant stress, synergize to promote cell injury.


A full-length cDNA of a putative flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) gene encoding a key enzyme in the production of cyanidin was cloned from a lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) petal. Lisianthus F3'H (EgF3'H) shares 75.1, 73.8, and 68.2% amino acid identity with Arabidopsis thaliana, Ipomoea nil, and Petunia hybrida, respectively. RT-PCR revealed that wild-type lisianthus flowers accumulated higher levels of F3'H mRNA during the early stages of development than in the late stages. The accumulated F3'H transcript levels in leaves were similar to those in flowers in the early stages of development. Overexpression of lisianthus F3'H cDNA altered flower color from red to blue in the I. nil cultivar 'Violet', which lacks a functional F3'H gene. In addition, the transgenic 'Violet' plants accumulated cyanidin and peonidin at similar levels to wild-type I. nil. Taking these findings together, this study demonstrates that EgF3'H functions as a flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase with a role in the synthesis of cyanidin and peonidin pigments.