From an encyclopaedic point of view, there is a vast array of production systems and diversification initiatives in the Dutch pork sector. However, from a market share and sectoral organisation point of view, there is a massive, homogeneous commodity system. Efforts for enhancing sustainability (including economic viability) through diversification are present, but effects on systems diversity are small. Quality assurance systems can facilitate diversification by allowing variants and alternatives to guarantee and communicate their competing claims, but can also standardise by increasing homogeneity and dominance. To date, quality assurance systems (including labelling towards the end consumer) have not proven to produce substantial diversification in the Dutch pork chain, but are successful in communicating presence of more sustainable alternatives. Their key role seems to be their effect on innovation of the commodity system towards (ecologic and social) sustainability. With the risk of, in the end, being eaten by the system due to lack of distance. Nowadays, collaborations of NGO's, farmers organisations and the government actively strive to enforce a second chain (so called Tussensegment, 'intermediary segment'). One with improvements on sustainability issues, but with limited cost increase. The initiative is valuable for the actors to address societal unease and demonstrate their search efforts. But expectations for a real second (improved) 'main stream' chain have to be modest. From an academic / reflective point of view, the inevitable increase in social sustainability of the Dutch pork system will have to be expected from improvement of the commodity system. Possibly with the 'Tussensegment' acting as the hunted fox leading the route. Key observation in this paper is that several initiatives did not alter the situation of a uniform commodity system dominating more than 95% of production volume. Despite the substantial support for alternatives and a multiply expressed sense of urgency due to societal unease and market position. Explanations for the inertness of the commodity system can be found in the lack of vertical integration and in the dominance of the existing system ('regime' in innovation theory), including selfenhancing processes such as the metaphoric Microsoft Mechanism.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate trends of overweight and obesity prevalence between 1996 and 2007 in Yi farmers and Yi migrants.

METHODS
An Yi migrant study was conducted in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China from 1996 to 2007. Data were collected with identical methods, including standardized questionnaire and body measurements.

RESULTS
Age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) significantly increased from 20.02 in 1996 to 22.36 in 2007, among Yi farmers, which was significantly different from those among Yi migrants (23.67 in 2007 and 20.90 in 1996) (P<0.05). Prevalence of obesity rose from 1.21 % in 1996 to 4.55 % in 2007 (OR=1.15, P<0.001) in Yi migrants, while that in Yi farmers from none in 1996 to 0.12 % in 2007 (P>0.05). Prevalence of overweight rose significantly to 26.24 % in 2007 from 17.24 % in 1996 (OR=1.06, P<0.001) in Yi migrants, while that in Yi farmers from 1.29 % in 1996 to 4.45 % in 2007 (OR=1.14, P>0.001). Yi migrants appeared to have a 5.52-fold higher risk on developing overweight and obesity than Yi farmers have.

CONCLUSION
The Yi migrants had a steeper increase of overweight with year and consequently caused more obesity. Change in lifestyle may contribute most likely to higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in Yi migrants.


For vegetation parameter inversion, the single baseline polarimetric SAR interferometry (POLinSAR) technique, such as the three-stage method and the ESPRIT algorithm, is limited by the observed data with the minimum ground to volume amplitude ration, which effects the estimation of the effective phase center for the vegetation canopy or the surface, and thus results in the underestimated vegetation height. In order to remove this effect of the single baseline inversion techniques in some extend, another baseline POLinSAR data is added on vegetation parameter estimation in this paper, and a dual baseline POLinSAR technique for the extraction of the vegetation parameter is investigated and improved to reduce the dynamic bias for the vegetation parameter estimation. Finally, the simulated data and real data are used to validate this dual baseline technique.


Doctors in Britain may not have a burning interest in contracting, but their future depends on it. Contracting is now impinging on doctors' training and employment and may lead to departments or even whole units closing. Doctors can either allow serendipity to determine mechanisms for contracting or act to improve the process for the benefit of patients.

In the everyday world of commerce customers buy products with clearly labelled prices and know exactly what they are getting for their money. But the health service is different. Until recently there has been no way of assigning costs to health care and prices have varied widely among hospitals. Purchasers hardly know what they want to buy and have no description of what they are buying. The block contract is …


A simple, direct synthesis method is used to grow core–shell Si–SiOx and amorphous SiO2 nanowires by heating a NiO-catalyzed silicon substrate. The morphology of the nanowires was controlled by carbothermal reduction of WO3, which provides a reductive environment to synthesize crystalline Si nanowires covered with a SiOx sheath at the growth temperature of 1000–1100 °C. Only amorphous SiO2 nanowires were produced when the substrate was annealed without using WO3/C. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the Si core is 20–50 nm in diameter and the SiOx shell layer is 40–60 nm thick. After hydrofluoric acid (HF) treatment of core–shell Si–SiOx, the single-crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were obtained in large quantities. The HF-treated SiNWs were 20–50 nm in diameter. The main crystal growth direction of the SiNWs was [111]. The nanowires grown were highly pure (no metal catalyst contamination) and very long (hundreds of micrometres). A solid–liquid–solid (SLS) mechanism is proposed for the growth of both core–shell Si–SiOx and amorphous SiO2 nanowires.


Qualitative studies give emphasis to the perspective of individuals and their experiences, meanings, situations and actions through the eyes of those who are familiar with these experiences. Qualitative research has been referred to as being an act of both art and science (Holloway & Todres, 2007), thus the purpose of qualitative research is not just a scientific concern with truth but also an aesthetic and ethical matter of meaning. Deegan (1996) has described the difference between pure cognitive knowledge as recognition of the already approved facts unlike wisdomwhich involves a deeper understanding of the essence of the already known content, through metaphors of the human heart. The human heart is described as; the heart that can break; the hardened heart; the cold heart; the heart that aches; the heart that stands still; the heart that leaps with joy; and the onewho has lost heart in contrast to the knowledge about the objectively described pump that beats in any person (Deegan, 1996). Similarly, health could be described from several different perspectives. Objectively, health has shown to be positively related to concepts such as self-esteem, empowerment and quality of life, but to a minor extent negatively associated to symptoms of illness, discrimination and rejection experiences (Jormfeldt, Arvidsson, Svensson, & Hansson, 2008). Accordingly, subjective goals and desires of the individual are vital to health and well-being and to the extended understanding of the subjective experiences of contents. The inherentmeaning of health and well-being is necessary to advance the competence needed by healthcare professionals (Jormfeldt et al., 2018). Profound understanding of individual experiences of health and well-being is a crucial prerequisite for health professionals to sufficiently be able to support human health and well-being in a numerous of care and support contexts in our society. Most European countries have adopted a traditional view of health mainly emphasizing objectively observed absence of symptoms of disease (Keogh et al., 2017), and the promotion of positive dimensions of health is a challenge among health care settings in our contemporary society (Jormfeldt, 2011). Accordingly, the fundamental objective of qualitative research regarding health and well-being is to contribute to an extended and deepened understanding of the contents as well as different aspects of meaning related to individual experiences of health and well-being. Qualitative methods are to be used as guidelines (Polkinghorne, 2006) to ensure transferability and replicability in studies involving individuals' expressions of experiences and interactions with oneself, others and the environment. There are descriptive and theorygenerating qualitative methods, and it is important that the specific research question guides the choice of qualitative research method (Hallberg, 2013). Irrespective of the method used, qualitative or quantitative, no research results can claim the right to be exclusively applicable in every situation to every single unique person at any time (Hallberg, 2008). Quality of research, irrespective of method, should meet high standards of quality, validity and trustworthiness to address issues of generalizability of findings and representativeness of subjects. The result of a qualitative study should be able to transfer, generalize and reproduce to other similar groups fulfilling the same selection criteria and other relevant circumstances. It is reasonable, as Hallberg (2013) argues, that if another researcher tries to replicate a qualitative study the results should be similar if based on the same theoretical perspective, principles for sampling, types of data and procedures for analyzing data. The advance of qualitative research is vital to the development of human knowledge and wisdom regarding health and well-being, not least considering competence among health care professionals in the numerous care and support contexts in our society. In discussions aiming to develop qualitative empirical research it is important to avoid being stuck in the description—interpretation dichotomy described by Dahlberg and Dahlberg (2019) in favour of dynamic discussions emphasizing the value of both content analyses as well as more complex analyses of meaning in qualitative studies. Academic and methodically based discussions are essential in order to advance credibility, applicability, transferability and suitability in qualitative studies and to counteract stagnation and lack of progress regarding qualitative approaches aiming to reach extended and deepened understanding of health and wellbeing.


Pan facial fractures are complex to treat and hence have to be systematically managed . Several authors have quoted several principles regarding the repair of pan facial fractures in a stepwise fashion . The most important goal is to restore the occlusal relationship at the beginning of the treatment , so that all the other structures get aligned . The folllowing is a case of a traumatic pan facial fracture and its surgical management.


Background: Hernia is a protrusion of an organ from the wall of the cavity bearing it. Omentum, adipose tissue, and intestinal loops are the most frequently involved organs. The present case report is a rare case of indirect inguinal hernia having omentum engaged in scrotum through hernial ring in a bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) and its surgical management. Case Description: A 19-year-old male bonnet macaque was presented with distension of the right inguinal and scrotal region. Physical examination revealed an inguinal hernia. Surgical intervention was deemed necessary considering the state of the animal. The herniation was surgically corrected by the removal of the protruded fatty mass. The monkey was kept in strict confinement till complete healing. The animal recovered uneventfully in 2 weeks without any post-operative complications. This case report details a successful surgical repair of an indirect inguinal hernia in a bonnet macaque. Conclusion: Based on the present case study, it is concluded that surgery can be an ideal and effective option for the treatment of inguinal hernias in primates.


There is an increased demand for canned chickpeas worldwide, which has also resulted in increased chickpea cultivation in Italy. The availability of Italian chickpea varieties, suitable for industrial transformation, is limited. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the field production of new Kabuli chickpea accessions and their suitability for industrial transformation. Thirteen accessions, provided by the International Centre for Agricultural Research of Turkey, together with 'Blanco Sinaloa', a commercial Mexican variety, were cultivated in Cesa, Tuscany, in 2016 and 2017. The average seed yield was 2.8 and 3.4 t ha-¹, respectively, in 2016 and 2017. Increased yield in 2017 was attributable to a more balanced rainfall pattern, compared to that in 2016 which induced increased vegetative growth. Based on production stability over the two-year trial, the varieties FLIP08-69C, FLIP-160C and FLIP05-157C turned out particularly suitable for cultivation. The climatic conditions in 2017 favored an increased presence of a Grade B seed classification [220-250 seeds per 100 g (caliber 8)] which is preferred by industry. Most varieties showed potential regarding seed dimension classification, however, of the varieties with a good production, FLIP05-157C was also characterized by seed gradation stability.


Clinical pharmacologists enjoy an active professional life in the academic, government and pharmaceutical industry arenas but they also belong in the community to provide consultations for the complexities of patient care in hospitals and professional clinics. The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) landmark report, To err is human: building a safer health system , brought the significance of medical errors and need for healthcare safety to the forefront. As many as 44 000–98 000 people each year were estimated to die in hospitals as a result of medical errors at that time. Medical error, defined as the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim, included adverse drug events, improper transfusions, surgical injuries, wrong site surgery, suicides, restraint related injuries or death, falls, burns, pressure ulcers and mistaken patient identities.1 Medication errors pose a major threat to patient safety and occurred with significant frequency in 5.22% of patients admitted annually to hospitals in one study.2 The cost in human lives from preventable medical errors is staggering enough but there is the additional financial cost due to prolonged hospitalisations, lost household income, productivity and disability, estimated at between $17 billion and $29 billion annually by …


A new, to our knowledge, algorithm for the phase unwrapping (PU) problem that is based on stochastic relaxation is proposed and analyzed. Unlike regularization schemes previously proposed to handle this problem, our approach dispells the following two assumptions about the solution: a Gaussian model for noise and the magnitude of the true phase-field gradient's being less than pi everywhere. We formulate PU as a constrained optimization problem for the field of integer multiples of 2pi, which must be added to the wrapped phase gradient to recover the true phase gradient. By solving the optimization problem using simulated annealing with constraints, one can obtain a consistent solution under difficult conditions resulting from noise and undersampling. Results from synthetic test images are reported.


Electronic Health Record Summarization over Heterogeneous and Irregularly Sampled Clinical Data Rimma Pivovarov The increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to an unprecedented amount of patient health information stored in an electronic format. The ability to comb through this information is imperative, both for patient care and computational modeling. Creating a system to minimize unnecessary EHR data, automatically distill longitudinal patient information, and highlight salient parts of a patient's record is currently an unmet need. However, summarization of EHR data is not a trivial task, as there exist many challenges with reasoning over this data. EHR data elements are most often obtained at irregular intervals as patients are more likely to receive medical care when they are ill, than when they are healthy. The presence of narrative documentation adds another layer of complexity as the notes are riddled with over-sampled text, often caused by the frequent copy-and-pasting during the documentation process. This dissertation synthesizes a set of challenges for automated EHR summarization identified in the literature and presents an array of methods for dealing with some of these challenges. We used hybrid data-driven and knowledge-based approaches to examine abundant redundancy in clinical narrative text, a data-driven approach to identify and mitigate biases in laboratory testing patterns with implications for using clinical data for research, and a probabilistic modeling approach to automatically summarize patient records and learn computational models of disease with heterogeneous data types. The dissertation also demonstrates two applications of the developed methods to important clinical questions: the questions of laboratory test overutilization and cohort selection from EHR data.


A new piston-cylinder-type pressurizable dilatometer controlled by a stepper motor has been developed to measure the time-dependent bulk modulus and pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) behavior of polymeric materials. The dilatometer can be operated from 35 to 230 degrees C and at pressures of up to 250 MPa. The sample cell, which contains the sample and a fluorinated oil as the confining fluid, is totally submerged into a high precision oil bath to achieve a temperature stability of better than 0.01 degrees C. The instrument is calibrated with mercury and quartz. The total instrument volume is 4.0 cm(3), of which 2.3 cm(3) is the sample cell; the total volume can be measured with an average absolute error of better than 5.0x10(-4) cm(3). To demonstrate the instrument's capabilities, the time-dependent bulk modulus and the PVT behavior of a polystyrene are obtained and compared to the literature.


Sarcopenia is a gradual and generalized skeletal muscle (SKM) syndrome, characterized by the impairment of muscle components and functionality. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), endogenously formed within the body from the activity of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), cystathionine- β-synthase (CBS), and mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase, is involved in SKM function. Here, in an in vitro model of sarcopenia based on damage induced by dexamethasone (DEX, 1 μM, 48 h treatment) in C2C12-derived myotubes, we investigated the protective potential of exogenous and endogenous sources of H2S, i.e., glucoraphanin (30 μM), L-cysteine (150 μM), and 3-mercaptopyruvate (150 μM). DEX impaired the H2S signalling in terms of a reduction in CBS and CSE expression and H2S biosynthesis. Glucoraphanin and 3-mercaptopyruvate but not L-cysteine prevented the apoptotic process induced by DEX. In parallel, the H2S-releasing molecules reduced the oxidative unbalance evoked by DEX, reducing catalase activity, O2− levels, and protein carbonylation. Glucoraphanin, 3-mercaptopyruvate, and L-cysteine avoided the changes in myotubes morphology and morphometrics after DEX treatment. In conclusion, in an in vitro model of sarcopenia, an impairment in CBS/CSE/H2S signalling occurs, whereas glucoraphanin, a natural H2S-releasing molecule, appears more effective for preventing the SKM damage. Therefore, glucoraphanin supplementation could be an innovative therapeutic approach in the management of sarcopenia.


The present study investigated the urinary tract toxicity of melamine alone or in combination with cyanuric acid in rats. Male rats were orally administered melamine alone (800 mg/kg) or melamine plus cyanuric acid (50 mg/kg each) for 3 consecutive days. Although melamine treatment did not show any significant difference in body weight, kidney or urinary bladder weight, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or creatinine levels, it caused a decrease in urinary pH and mild histopathological alterations in the kidney and urinary bladder. In contrast, co-administration of melamine and cyanuric acid induced a decrease in body weight, an increase in kidneys and urinary bladder weights, and an elevation in serum BUN and creatinine levels, which were not observed in animals treated with melamine alone. Histopathological examination showed that the incidence and severity of histopathological lesions in the kidney and urinary bladder were much higher than those in the melamine group. Urinalysis revealed an increase in urine occult blood, leukocytes and protein and a decrease in urinary pH. These results indicate that concomitant administration of cyanuric acid synergistically potentiated the urinary tract toxicity induced by melamine in rats. In this study, we first demonstrated the synergistic toxic effects of melamine in combination with cyanuric acid on urinary bladder and urinalysis in rats.


A multicomponent plasma, where particle interactions and quiver motion due to an oscillating electric field take place at the same time, has been studied. The model may simulate collisional effects of an electromagnetic wave penetrating a plasma. Sets of BBGKY-equations are solved, and an equation describing particle-particle and particle-particle-wave interactions has been derived. The effects of quiver motion on collisional transfer processes between particles and the plasma-wave interaction process are discussed. Under certain circumstances the effects may be substantial.


This descriptive study was conducted to obtain baseline data on the rice production practices in the identified barangays of Cawayan, Masbate for the government to offer real-time intervention. A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather information on the socio-demographic characteristics and rice production practices of the farmers. Aging farmers in the three barangays of Cawayan were observed with an age ranging from 50–60 years old. About 61% of them are classified as small-scale farmers and been tilling the land for more than 31 years. Despite the years they have been in farming, they still belong to the poorest sector with a monthly family income of PHP 800.00. About 96% of the farms in the identified barangays are rain-dependent. Majority of the farmers find difficulty in identifying the variety they are using, and 73% of them used seeds from their previous harvest as planting materials. Land preparation is done through the use of animal-drawn plows and employs direct seeding to minimize expenses. The manual method of controlling weeds, insect pests, and harvesting was practiced by the farmers. The application of fertilizer employed by the farmers is not based on the recommended rate. In totality, farmers obtained breakeven or negative income from their production. The gaps in the farming practices of the farmers can be filled through a holistic and sustainable extension program like Mag-Uma Kaupod ang Pamilya (Farming Together with the Family) in which family members are involved in agricultural production to achieve sufficient and sustainable food for all.


SUMMARY Any single approach tostudents' heterosexism and homophobia, however well conceived and executed, is most successful when supported by an integrated campus approach to the problem. Taking as a model the multifaceted efforts at California State University, Fresno-a large public institution located in what can be considered the state's Bible Belt-this essay discusses the strengths and logistics of a campus-wide program to address homophobia and alleviate LGBTQ students' feelings of alienation from the institution and their oppression in society. The efforts of CSUF take place at a number of different levels-classroom, academic department, student services, faculty networking-and can be considered a successful work in progress.


Inflammation, a self-defensive reaction agains t various pathogenic s timuli, may become harmful self-damaging process. Increasing evidence has linked chronic inflammation to a number of neurodegenerative disorders including alzheimer's disease (AD), parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). In the central nervous sys tem, microglia, the resident innate immune cells play major role in the inflammatory process. Although they form the firs t line of defense for the neural parenchyma, uncontrolled activation of microglia may directly toxic to neurons by releasing various subs tances such as inflammatory cytokines (HMGB1, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6), NO, PGE and superoxide. Our recent s tudy demons trated that activated microglia, example BV2 cell, phagocytose not only damaged cell debris but also neighboring intact cells. These cells originated from yolk sac and fetal live in embryonic s tage and after birth from bone marrow. Microglia bears some kinds of pattern recognition receptors (PRR) including TLR4 that can recognize pathogen associated molecular pattern(PAMP) and damage associated molecular pattern (DAMP). One of the mos t important items for PAMP is LPS which included in cell wall of bacteria especially gram negative bacteria. Moreover, LPS can be used by researchers in order to induction of inflammatory situation. It further supports their active participation in self-perpetuating neuronal damaging cycles. Besides, these interes ting cells bear mannose and scavenger receptor for phagocytosis.


A nonresonant perturbation (NRP) theory is developed from first principles for the measurement of dispersion and interaction impedance characteristics of a helical slow-wave structure (SWS). The phase of the reflected signal from a test helical structure varies when a perturber, also in the form of a helix, is moved along the axis of the test structure. The variation of phase with perturber position is interpreted to find the phase velocity of the structure under test. The interaction impedance of the structure is found by measuring the change in the axial phase-propagation constant of the structure as a dielectric rod is placed along the axis of the structure. Measurements are carried out with the help of an automated setup using an HP 8510 vector network analyzer (VNA) and a PC to collect the phase informations for the various precisely controlled positions of the perturber using a stepper motor, which is also interfaced with the PC. The experimental and theoretical values of the phase velocity and the interaction impedance of a typical "cold" experimental helical structure for a wide-band TWT are found to be close within 0.5% and 5%, respectively, in an octave band of 8-16 GHz.


Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the records of patients diagnosed with essential hypertension using association rule mining (ARM). Methods Patients with essential hypertension (ICD code, I10) were extracted from a hospital's data warehouse and a data mart constructed for analysis. Apriori modeling of the ARM method and web node in the Clementine 12.0 program were used to analyze patient data. Results Patients diagnosed with essential hypertension totaled 5,022 and the diagnostic data extracted from those patients numbered 53,994. As a result of the web node, essential hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and cerebral infarction were shown to be associated. Based on the results of ARM, NIDDM (support, 35.15%; confidence, 100%) and cerebral infarction (support, 21.21%; confidence, 100%) were determined to be important diseases associated with essential hypertension. Conclusions Essential hypertension was strongly associated with NIDDM and cerebral infarction. This study demonstrated the practicality of ARM in co-morbidity studies using a large clinic database.


A pair of primers was designed according to the sequence of ISKNV mcp gene, and a DNA fragment about 1400bp was amplified by PCR using the designed primers. The amplified product was cloned into the pGEM-T Easy Vector. Amino acid hydrophilic analysis indicated that the amino acids residue between 150 and 250 contained a high hydrophilic region, which is possiblely a trans-membrane region and the main epitope of MCP. In order to construct the MCP recombinant expression bacteria, the mcp gene was modified by introducing EcoRⅠ restriction endonuclease sites at both 5' and 3' ends and cloned into E.coli expression vector pBV220. After temperature induction and SDS-PAGE analysis, a protein of about 50 kDa in molecular weight was detected. The proportion of expressed MCP in total bacterial protein was about 23%. Two New Zealand rabbits were immunized by purified recombinant MCP to produce anti-serum. Westernblotting showed the recombinant Mcp had some epitopes of the native ISKNV MCP.


The purpose of the paper is to segment and profile the Indian shoppers in the context of organic foods in India. It proposes to use a healthy lifestyle (HL) as a segmenting variable and to use a factor-cluster analysis approach to achieve the same. The current study is expected to add a substantial base to the segmentation literature in marketing.,Food stores in Indian metropolitan city Chennai are sampled, and data is collected in the form of a mall intercept survey method. In total, 441 usable structured questionnaires are filled by the respondents which are subjected to suitable statistical analysis.,Three significantly different consumer segments emerged from the given sample of respondents, which shows uniqueness concerning consumer's, HL features, demographics and the variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB).,Clustering method used to segment the potential shoppers of organic foods is an exploratory technique only. It cannot be treated or generalized to the population like those of inferential techniques. The researcher suggested testing the same with a larger sample size and in a different context. It is limited to urban and suburban facets of the metropolitan city in India.,The study will be helpful to marketers and decision makers to target the potential organic foods consumers.


In order to link the fundamental research field of polymer crystallization with the technical important field of composite materials polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites from polyethylene (PE) are prepared and their morphology and properties are investigated. The effect of an external confinement introduced by highly anisotropic silicate layers of organically modified clay minerals on crystal growth and nanocomposite properties has been studied. The prepared nanocomposites of organically modified clay minerals and PE exhibit not only a homogeneous distribution of individual silicate layers but also of tactoids. The isothermal crystallization rate of PE in the corresponding nanocomposite at 120 °C is increased in the composite material due to the action of the silicate layers. A significant effect on crystal phase has not been observed so far but from X-ray experiments, however the crystal size seems to be influenced. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites is significantly enhanced and the decomposition mechanism has been changed due to the presence of the layered silicates within the host polymer acting as a barrier for the diffusion of small molecules like oxygen. Due to the none permanent attachment of the polymer chains to the silicate surface the thermal-mechanical properties are only moderately enhanced at low temperature while the glass transition temperature remains unaffected.


Are the forms of radical culture possible in the artworld and academia the ones needed today, or do planetary meltdown and neo-fascism require a different organization of solidarities? What are the bases and conditions for doing and locating transnational, transethnic and translinguistic cultures of struggle and solidarity. Are past models of any help?


Every plant available in the universe is not produced to be the part of biodiversity, but is also produced to obtain medicinal purposes. The medicinal value of the plant is due to the availability of various chemical compounds [1]. Since prehistoric time, the crude extract of plant is used to cure various diseases, although the biologically active components of the plant were unidentified [2].
In the present study the antibacterial activity is performed for various extracts of cerastium glomeratum. The plant cerastium glomeratum was collected from near kalpani river Mardan, Pakistan and was identified by lecturer Israr department of botany GPGC Mardan, Pakistan. The plant was dried under shade and grinded into powder form. The extraction process was done by using soxhlet apparatus, reflux condenser and maceration process using ethanol as a solvent. The extract was divided into different fractions of n-hexane, DCM, ethyl acetate and water. These four extracts were tested against gram positive (staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (E.coli) bacteria using well diffusion technique. The water extract show a wide range inhibition zone against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria while n-hexane, DCM and ethyl acetate fractions show no zone of inhibition against bacteria. In effort to find new antibacterial compounds cerastium glomeratum seems to be a good plant for additional phytochemical studies.


The incommensurate modulation structure and electronic structure of the system were investigated by means of Raman scattering, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoemission. Analyses of Raman spectra and electron diffraction reveal that, even though the extra oxygen behaviours in layers for the three samples are very different, they possess a similar monoclinic modulation characteristic with modulation wavelength , which supports the crystal misfit model. Analysis of XPS results indicates that extra oxygen intercalation has a strong influence on the electronic structure; a possible Bi 6s contribution to the valence band is suggested.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with prominent dopamine (DA) neuron degeneration. PD affects millions of people worldwide, but currently available therapies are limited to temporary relief of symptoms. As an effort to discover disease-modifying therapeutics, we have conducted a screen of 1,403 bioactive small molecule compounds using an in vivo whole organism screening assay in transgenic larval zebrafish. The transgenic model expresses the bacterial enzyme nitroreductase (NTR) driven by the tyrosine hydroxylase (th) promotor. NTR converts the commonly used antibiotic pro-drug metronidazole (MTZ) to the toxic nitroso radical form to induce DA neuronal loss. 57 compounds were identified with a brain health score (BHS) that was significantly improved compared to the MTZ treatment alone after FDR adjustment (padj<0.05). Independently, we curated the high throughput screening (HTS) data by annotating each compound with pharmaceutical classification, known mechanism of action, indication, IC50, and target. Using the Reactome database, we performed pathway analysis, which uncovered previously unknown pathways in addition to validating previously known pathways associated with PD. Non-topology-based pathway analysis of the screening data further identified apoptosis, estrogen hormone, dipeptidyl-peptidase 4, and opioid receptor Mu1 to be potentially significant pathways and targets involved in neuroprotection. A total of 12 compounds were examined with a secondary assay that imaged DA neurons before and after compound treatment. The z'-factor of this secondary assay was determined to be 0.58, suggesting it is an excellent assay for screening. Etodolac, nepafenac, aloperine, protionamide, and olmesartan showed significant neuroprotection and was also validated by blinded manual DA neuronal counting. To determine whether these compounds are broadly relevant for neuroprotection, we tested them on a conduritol-b-epoxide (CBE)-induced Gaucher disease (GD) model, in which the activity of glucocerebrosidase (GBA), a commonly known genetic risk factor for PD, was inhibited. Aloperine, olmesartan, and nepafenac showed significant protection of DA neurons in this assay. Together, this work, which combines high content whole organism in vivo imaging-based screen and bioinformatic pathway analysis of the screening dataset, delineates a previously uncharted approach for identifying hit-to-lead candidates and for implicating previously unknown pathways and targets involved in DA neuron protection.


We compare 4 cases of postoperative endophthalmitis due to trypan blue contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia and review the literature of gram-negative endophthalmitis. Two cases were due to P. aeruginosa with rapid onset, fulminate course, and loss of vision despite systemic and intravitreal antibiotics. Two cases due to B. cepacia had delayed presentations and were diagnosed on days 23 and 27. Burkholderia cepacia was difficult to treat, requiring multiple courses of antibiotics and ophthalmologic procedures. Outcomes were poor for all 4 patients: 2 required enucleation, 3 had permanent loss of vision, and 1 was left with visual acuity to hand movements. The contrasting clinical presentations and difficulties with diagnosis and treatment of gram-negative endophthalmitis caused by these 2 organisms are compared with other cases in a review of the literature. These cases highlight the serious nature of gram-negative endophthalmitis and the need for better treatment strategies.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of non-coding RNAs that play an important role in human diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of miRNAs in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of OA patients. PBMCs were isolated from 36 patients with OA, 6 RA patients, and 36 healthy controls. The expression patterns of miR-146a, 155, 181a, and 223 in PBMCs were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We investigated the expression patterns of the miRNAs in OA progression, and their relationships with the parameters of age, body mass index (BMI), the femorotibial angle (FTA), and serum keratan sulfate (KS). The relative expression levels of miR-146a, 155, 181a, and 223 in the OA patients were significantly higher than those found in healthy controls. In the early stages of OA, miR-146a and 223 expressions were significantly higher than they were at later stages. There was a significant correlation between the expression of miR-223 and KS. This study demonstrated that high expression levels of miR-146a, 155, 181a, and 223 in the PBMCs of OA patients might be related to the pathogenesis of OA. This evidence could lead to the elucidation of the mechanism underlying OA pathogenesis and hence to a novel therapeutic strategy for OA.


The article deals with the forms of epistemic injustice associated with the scentization of expertise, its locking in a separate scientific discipline. Counter-expertise is directed against deprivation of the right to speak out about one's own interests which is the most common form of epistemic injustice. But the most radical form is related to the comprehension of other's phenomenal experience as a derivative of the parameters measured by expert. In this regard, the concept of embodiment can play a crucial role both in preventing epistemic injustice and in overcoming the crisis of expertise.


This paper deals with how family businesses (small and medium-sized) could gain a strong competitive advantage and be able to excel over other family businesses, which are basically competing. The aim is therefore to identify innovative practices for these companies in order to gain this advantage. Therefore, effective ways must be studied and found for small and medium-sized enterprises, so that they can survive and excel over the rest.

As an initial part of the work, it would be useful to clarify some concepts, such as what management is, what strategy is and what it consists of. Later, before capturing the concepts of family, family business, what they consist of, but also the contribution of innovation to gaining a competitive advantage, an analysis of the business environment (internal and external) will be performed first. It will also mention the current economic situation and whether small and medium enterprises are, even today, an integral part of the Greek economy.

Closing the work, it will be noted the reason why it is necessary for companies, especially today, to constantly create value in the consumer, in order to gain and maintain a competitive advantage, but also how this must be applied in order to be able to retain customers but also to acquire more and more in order to survive in space.

The object of study will be a family business, a confectionery workshop, which operates in this branch of sweets for more than 20 years and is based in Attica. The purpose is to first analyze the current situation of the company, in order to identify those practices that will make it gain a sustainable competitive advantage and excel over its competitors.


This thesis focused on the synthesis and characterization of different kinds of reversible thermosets and thermoset nanocomposite materials by using alternating aliphatic polyketone (PK) as raw material. Fundamental knowledge was generated regarding the molecular design of new polymers via chemical modification of PK with aliphatic and aromatic amine compounds. The resulting thermally reversible thermoset systems were investigated to outline the benefits for the synergistic cooperation between reversible covalent and supramolecular interactions. Moreover, improvements regarding the mechanical performance, reversibility, recyclability, self-healing and electrical conductivity of the thermosets were investigated by incorporating rubber particles and nanofillers into the thermoset matrices. In first instance we investigated the chemical modification of alternating aliphatic polyketones with aliphatic and aromatic amine compounds using the Paal-Knorr reaction to obtain thermally reversible polymers with relatively high glass transition temperatures. These materials display the desired mechanical properties with the exception of toughness. This could be achieved by preparing a reversible and toughened thermoset system based on the covalent incorporation of furan-functionalized ethylene-propylene rubber into a thermoset furan-functionalized polyketone. In order to confer also electrical properties to these materials, conductive nanocomposites containing well-distributed, exfoliated and undamaged MWCNTs were prepared. These new materials, designed by mixing furan-functionalized polyketone cross-linked with aromatic bis-maleimide and MWCNTs via Diels-Alder (DA) reversible cycloaddition, display electrically-induced self-healing properties.


A variety of arylethynylsilanes (Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)(n)SiMe(4-n) were prepared successfully by reaction of the corresponding chlorosilanes Me(4-n)SiCl(n) with Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CM (M = Li, MgBr), which was prepared by treatment of ethynyl(diarylethyne)s Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CH with BuLi or MeMgBr. The ethynyl(diarylethyne)s were readily prepared in good yields by the double-elimination method: addition of lithium hexamethyldisilazide to a mixture of ArCH2SO2Ph, TMS-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-CHO, and ClP(O)(OEt)2, followed by desilylation. In the tetrakis(arylethynyl)silanes (Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)4Si thus prepared, through-space conjugation of four triple bonds on the silicon atom emerges as a result of participation of the silicon orbitals in the acetylenic pi orbitals. This participation enhances the emissive quantum yields of arylethynylsilanes with an increase in the number of arylethynyl moieties on silicon: quantum yields of emission (phiF) of 0.72 for (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)4Si, 0.53 for (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)2SiMe2, and 0.47 for MeO-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CSiMe3 were obtained. Although this enhancement effect was also observed in the phenylethynylarylsilane (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4)2SiMe2, the bis(arylethynyl)disilane (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-SiMe2)2 exhibited non-enhanced emission.


Clinical and pathologic studies have confirmed that disruption or superficial erosion of atherosclerotic plaque is the major cause of coronary thrombosis, which is the primary mechanism responsible for acute coronary syndromes of unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. Serial angiographic studies have shown that nearly 60–70% of acute coronary syndromes evolve from mildly to moderately obstructive atherosclerotic plaques. The risk of plaque disruption appears to be a function of both plaque vulnerability (intrinsic factors) and extrinsic triggers, and is determined largely by the size of the lipid‐rich atheromatous core, the thickness of the fibrous cap covering the core, and the presence of ongoing inflammation within and underneath the cap. Hemodynamic or mechanical stresses may precipitate plaque disruption, particularly in places where the fibrous cap is weakest, such as the shoulders. The degree of thrombosis following plaque disruption depends on the thrombogenicity of the disrupted plaque, the disturbed local rheology, and the systemic thrombotic‐thrombolytic milieu. Surges in sympathetic activity (such as those provoked by sudden vigorous exercise, emotional stress, or cold weather) may also trigger plaque disruption. These observations have led to the concept of plaque stabilization as a new strategy for the prevention of acute coronary syndromes. Plaque stabilization can be achieved through pharmacologic and lifestyle‐modifying interventions that alter plaque composition and/or inflammatory activity within the plaque and thus reduce its vulnerability to disruption.


Migration has become an increasingly important phenomenon for societies, especially given its highly controversial political dimension. The complexity of the migrant integration process and its many varieties present challenges to policymakers who need high-quality information on which to base decisions. Nowhere is this necessity more pressing than in the development of relevant tax rules that meet the basic requirements of efficiency and equity. Moreover, the ascent of the so-called emerging economies coupled with the stagnation of the richest economies of the world implies reform of the current competition-based international tax regime and the adoption of a more cooperative paradigm. This important and timely book, for the first time in such depth, explores such aspects of the problem as the following:
1) migration for tax reasons, especially corporate "inversions" (change in corporate residence for tax purposes);
2) tax consequences related to individuals who receive free or subsidized education in one country and profit from it in another;
3) taxing cross-border retirement income; and
4) migration-related aspects of tax preferential treatment of the elderly.
With particular emphasis on the effects and opportunities created by the changing international tax regime – and with attention to the role of tax treaties and recent court cases – chapters by well known tax experts present evidence on the consequences of migration in all its facets and simulate the effects of several recently enacted and proposed changes in tax law in European countries, the United States, and other jurisdictions. The grounded propositions and recommendations offered in this deeply informed book will allow policymakers to draft tax-residence rules that minimize distortion and promote fairness. The book will also be of interest to tax law practitioners and other tax specialists, migration experts, and academics investigating one of the crucial political issues of our time.


A robust algorithm and computer program have been developed for the parameterization of elastic and absorptive electron atomic scattering factors. The algorithm is based on a combined modified simulated-annealing and least-squares method, and the computer program works well for fitting both elastic and absorptive atomic scattering factors with five Gaussians. As an application of this program, the elastic electron atomic scattering factors have been parameterized for all neutral atoms and for s up to 6 A−1. Error analysis shows that the present results are considerably more accurate than the previous analytical fits in terms of the mean square value of the deviation between the numerical and fitted scattering factors. Parameterization for absorptive atomic scattering factors has been made for 17 important materials with the zinc blende structure over the temperature range 1 to 1000 K, where appropriate, and for temperature ranges for which accurate Debye–Waller factors are available. For other materials, the parameterization of the absorptive electron atomic scattering factors can be made using the program by supplying the atomic number of the element, the Debye–Waller factor and the acceleration voltage. For ions or when more accurate numerical results for neutral atoms are available, the program can read in the numerical values of the elastic scattering factors and return the parameters for both the elastic and absorptive scattering factors. The computer routines developed have been tested both on computer workstations and desktop PC computers, and will be made freely available via electronic mail or on floppy disk upon request.


This paper proposes a novel approach for integrating estimations from multiple agents. The approach is based on the fuzzy set theory. However, compared to existing fuzzy logical methods that use fuzzy if-then rules, this method is based on solving an over-determined fuzzy equation system. The result is either a global inconsistency message or the consistent core of the equation system. We demonstrate the approach with data from an actual case study undertaken by a German automotive manufacturer.


The Middle East is an inherently dry zone. It has experienced severe drought for the last seven years, and climate change has made the situation worse. The Dohuk governorate has been suffering from an appalling water crisis. One possible way of relieving this water crisis is by properly harvesting the rainwater. Rainwater harvesting is a widely used method of storing rainwater in the countries presenting with drought characteristics. Several pieces of research have derived and developed different criteria and techniques to select suitable sites for harvesting rainwater. The main aim of this research was to identify and select suitable sites for the potential erection of dams, as well as to derive a model builder in ArcMap 10.4.1. The model combined several parameters, such as slope, runoff potential, land cover/use, stream order, soil quality, and hydrology to determine the suitability of the site for harvesting rainwater. To compute the land use/cover categories, the study depended on Landsat image data from 2018. Supervised classification was applied using the ENVI 5 software, while the slope mapping and drainage order were extracted using a digital elevation model. Inverse distance weighting (IDW) was used for the spatial interpolation of the rain data. The results demonstrated that suitable areas for water harvesting, are located in the middle and northern part of the research area, and in intensively cultivated zones. The main soil texture in these suitable sites was loam, while the rainfall rate amounted to 750 to 900 mm. This research shows that 15% and 13% of the area studied can be categorized as having excellent and good suitability for water harvesting, respectively. Furthermore, 21% and 27% of the area studied were of moderate and poor suitability, while the remaining 24% were not suitable at all.


Background: Childhood obesity has become increasingly prevalent not only worldwide but also in South Korea. It is known that the lifestyle habits and parents' education were found to be effective. The aim of this research is to explore the experiences of obese children and their mothers regarding obesity and identifying barriers and facilitators to optimize their weight control practices.Methods: A qualitative method of focus group interview was used for the data collection. Overweight or obese children aged between 12 and 14 and their mothers participated in the interview.Results: Five pairs of participants (a mother and a child) were interviewed. Mothers tended to be aware of their children's weight issue and tried to manage it themselves by supporting them more actively. They made considerable efforts to change their children's lifestyles with regard to diet and exercise. Additionally, children expected to let their mothers guide them in order to control body weight. However, barriers to achieving their desired body weight were associated with their social contexts that prevented them from continuing their healthy lifestyles. Social context was influential for addressing childhood obesity. The busy and competitive environments in which they live forced the children into busy lifestyles that hindered them from performing their healthy habit promptly.Conclusions: The results suggest that interventions should be focused on setting a realistic goal and engaging in simple behaviors that could be performed in daily routine. Moreover, ensuring access to a communication channel with other parents or healthcare providers is important.


The impact of phosphorus implants into polysilicon emitters on boron diffusion in the underlying single-crystal base region of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors has been investigated. Anomalously enhanced boron diffusion, which is believed to be induced by implant-induced excess interstitials diffusing into the single-crystal region through the polysilicon emitter, is observed after annealing. In situ phosphorus-doped polysilicon is shown to be very effective in suppressing the diffusion enhancement and in realizing a very sharp boron profile.


Facts and ideas presented in this short review concern some recent developments at the interface between sequence analysis, gene expression prediction and genome comparison carried on in our group. The guiding line to all results presented here is to derive biological information from genome sequences by means of a purely statistical analysis and an appropriate design of algorithms. 1 Some background and motivation Proteins are formed out of 20 amino-acids which are coded in triplets of nucleotides, called codons. The four nucleotides (A, T, C, G) define 64 codons used in the cell. Codons are not uniformly employed in the cell, but at the contrary, certain codons are preferred and we speak about codon bias. There are several kinds of codon biases and some of them are linked to specific biological functions. Statistical analysis of DNA sequences and in particular of codon bias were performed from the moment that long chunks of DNA sequences were publicly available in the early eighties (Grantham et al. 1980; Wada et al. 1990), and the roots for these studies can be traced back to the sixties (Sueoka 1962; Zuckerkandl and Pauling 1965). However with the increasing number of bacterial genome sequences from a broad diversity of species, this field of research has been revivified in the last few years (Koonin and Galperin 1997; Lin and Gerstein 2000; Radomski and Slonimski 2001; Knight et al. 2001; Sicheritz-Ponten and Andersson 2001; Daubin et al. 2002; Lin et al. 2002; Lobry and Chessel 2003; Sandberg et al. 2003; Jansen et al. 2003). Biased codon usage may result from a diversity of factors: GC-content, preference for codons with G or C at the third nucleotide position (Lafay et al. 1999), a leading strand richer in G+T than a lagging strand (Lafay et al. 1999), horizontal gene transfer which induces chromosome segments of unusual base composition (Moszer et al. 1999), and in particular, translational bias which has been frequently noticed in fast growing prokaryotes and eukaryotes (Sharp and Li 1987; Sharp et al. 1986; Medigue et al. 1991; Shields and Sharp 1987; Sharp et al. 1988;


SUMMARY Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transdermal fentanyl (TDF) for the treatment of pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis of the knee or hip (OA), which was not adequately controlled by non-opioid analgesics and/or weak opioids. Methods: The study design incorporated a 1-week run-in period when current analgesic medications were optimised, a 28-day treatment period and a 1-week taper-off period. Patients with RA (n = 104) and OA (n = 159) started treatment with TDF 25 µg/h. Patches were replaced every 72 h, with the option to up-titrate until adequate pain control was achieved. Metoclopramide was taken during the first treatment week and as needed thereafter. Results: 203 patients completed the treatment phase, 90 entered the taper-off phase. 25 µg/h was the most frequently used maximum dose (51%). Pain control was increased from 4% to 29% of patients during run-in. The number of patients reaching adequate pain control in the first treatment week was increased to 75%, and increased further to 88% on day 28 and to 80% at endpoint. From baseline (screening) to endpoint, there were significant reductions in pain ( p < 0.001) on the Wisconsin Brief Pain Inventory, and significant improvements in quality of life (Short-Form-36: physical p < 0.001; mental health p < 0.05). Eighty per cent of the patients (n = 134) assessed the treatment favourably; nausea and vomiting were the most common adverse events, mainly occurring at treatment initiation. Efficacy of metoclopramide appeared limited. TDF could be initiated in patients pre-treated with non-opioid analgesics or weak opioids and tapered off without major complications. Conclusions: TDF significantly improved pain control and quality of life, and was well tolerated in patients with RA or knee/hip OA who continued to experience pain on their current analgesic treatment. Treatment could be discontinued without issues. Nausea and vomiting was usually mild during treatment initiation. Patients' well being could be further accommodated by optimising prophylactic treatment.


Studies of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet function, and clotting factors were performed on banked baboon blood. It was found to be a suitable model for the study of micro-aggregate formation and other coagulation abnormalities encountered in storage of human blood.


INTRODUCTION
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) promotes renal inflammation, thereby contributing to acute and chronic nephropathies. Its production is stimulated by oxidative stress. Thus, this study tested whether pro-oxidant iron/carbohydrate complexes, used to treat iron deficiency, induce MCP-1 in renal/extrarenal tissues, in plasma, and in the setting of experimental nephropathy.

METHODS
CD-1 mice received 2 mg of intravenous iron [complexed with dextran (iron dextran), sucrose (iron sucrose), or gluconate (iron gluconate)]. Renal MCP-1 and/or its mRNA were measured 3 hours to 7 days post-iron injection. Iron effects on liver, lung, spleen, and heart MCP-1 mRNA, and on peritoneal lavage fluid MCP-1 concentrations were assessed. Iron pretreatment effects on MCP-1 levels in unilaterally obstructed kidneys vs. contralateral kidneys were determined. Finally, iron gluconate's influence on proximal tubule [human kidney-2 (HK-2)] cell MCP-1 levels was assessed.

RESULTS
Iron sucrose (the primary test agent) markedly increased plasma and renal MCP-1 levels. It also induced multiorgan MCP-1 mRNA increments (liver > spleen > kidney > lung > heart). Iron gluconate was more potent than iron sucrose; conversely, iron dextran had no discernible effect. The iron dextran and iron sucrose-induced renal MCP-1 mRNA increments ( approximately 4x) were persistent, lasting for at least 3 to 7 days. Iron gluconate raised MCP-1 levels in peritoneal lavage fluid. It also doubled MCP-1 in unilaterally obstructed kidneys (ureteral ligation) without altering contralateral (control kidney) MCP-1 content. Iron gluconate raised HK-2 cell MCP-1, implying a direct proximal tubule effect.

CONCLUSION
Iron sucrose and iron gluconate (but not iron dextran) can induce MCP-1 generation in renal and extrarenal tissues, possibly via transcriptional events. This may dramatically impact renal disease-induced MCP-1 increments. Finally, iron can increase peritoneal lavage fluid MCP-1 levels. Whether the above changes have implications for renal disease progression, and/or for peritoneal inflammation/peritoneal dialysis efficiency, are issues which may need to be addressed.


Abstract Southwest Bulgaria forms the northern margin of the Aegean extensional province. Since the Early Pliocene (c. 4 Ma), this region has accommodated southward or SSE extension at several millimetres per year, superimposed on c. 400 m of post-Early Pliocene regional uplift. This sense of deformation superseded earlier extension, oriented ENE-WSW, which is estimated to have begun in the early Late Miocene (c. 10–9 Ma) and lasted until c. 4 Ma. The regional topography is dominated by NNW-SSE-striking grabens and normal fault escarpments, relics from this time. Normal faults that are now active cut across these older structures, although in some localities normal faults that were oriented obliquely to the earlier extension have remained active, also oblique to the modern extension sense. It is suggested that this present phase of extension relates to the modern sense of deformation throughout the Aegean region and to the modern geometry of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), which is independently inferred to have existed since c. 4 Ma. The earlier ENE-WSW extension is inferred to have involved two phases, the first predating the NAFZ and the second synkinematic with its initial phase of slip during c. 7–4 Ma, when its geometry and the overall sense of deformation in the Aegean region were different from at present. Some previous studies have inferred that SW Bulgaria experienced large-scale extension on low-angle normal faults in the Mid-Miocene or earlier. However, the limited evidence in support of this view is open to other interpretations, and after due consideration can be discounted.


Aplastic Anemia (AA) is a rare but fatal hematologic disease that may occur at any age and especially higher in Asia. We investigated whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is beneficial to AA patients as a complementary therapy using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan between 2000–2016. Patient survival was estimated by Kaplan‒Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional-hazard model. CHM-users presented lower risks of overall and anemia-related mortalities when compared to non-users. The risk of overall mortality for CHM-users in AA patients was 0.70-fold [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.74, p < 0.001). The risk of anemia-related mortality was lower in CHM-users when compared to non-users (aHR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.67, p < 0.001). The association rule analysis revealed that CHM pairs were Ban-Zhi-Lian (BZL; Scutellaria barbata D. Don)→Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao (BHSSC; Oldenlandia diffusa (Willd.) Roxb.), followed by Dang-Gui (DG; Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels)→Huang-Qi (HQi; Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge), and Xian-He-Cao (XHC; Agrimonia pilosa f. borealis (Kitag.) Chu)→Gui-Pi-Tang (GPT). Network analysis showed that BZL, BHSSC, DG, HQi, XHC, GPT, and Dan-Shen (DanS; Salvia miltiorrhiza var. charbonnelii (H.Lév.) C.Y.Wu) were commonly used CHMs for AA patients. Therefore, further studies for these commonly prescribed herbs are needed in functional investigations in hematopoiesis-stimulating effect and large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCT) in bone marrow failure related diseases.


Methods for determining and confirming age for Sebastes rufus from otoliths were examined. The periodicity of growth zone formation and of calcium deposition in otoliths was studied to verify ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones; results were inconclusive. Pb-210/Ra-226 activity ratios were measured in otoliths to confirm ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones. Radiometric ages agreed well with growth zone counts, giving substantial validity to them and suggesting longevity of 50 years or more Sebastes rufus. Otolith length, width, area, perimeter and weight were evaluated as criteria for determining age. All parameters were highly correlated with growth zone counts, with otolith weight showing the most promise as an age predictor. Von Bertalanfy growth parameters were L =488, K=0.048, t0=-8.372 for 81 males and L00 =594, K=0.039, t0=-6.96 for 86 females. Sebastes rufus are long-lived, slow growing and reach reproductive maturity at 10-15 years of age.


The authors are presenting our experience of managing an interesting case of a 28-year-old woman who presented to our clinic with a midline neck swelling of 1-month duration. There was a rapid increase in the degree of swelling associated with erythema, pain and fever 7 days before seeking medical help. Plain and contrast-enhanced CT scans of the neck were done. Diagnosis of acute suppurative abscess was made and the patient underwent emergency incision and drainage. Histopathological examination of the abscess wall showed epitheloid and Langhans' giant cells. The findings were suggestive of tuberculosis. Subsequently, a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained on Lowenstein-Jenson medium. The patient was started on antituberculous chemotherapy for 6 months. On a 6-month clinical follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and euthyroid. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of this case as well as a review of the literature.


Abstract: It is critical to detect latent tuberculosis infection through screening and testing individuals at high risk of progression to active tuberculosis, including patients who are immunocompromised. NPs should be familiar with available testing for accurate diagnosis in order to expedite treatment. It is critical to detect latent tuberculosis infection through screening and testing individuals at high risk of progression to active tuberculosis, including patients who are immunocompromised. NPs should be familiar with available testing for accurate diagnosis in order to expedite treatment.


There's been a strong link in design between Switzerland and Italy (particularly Milan) going back to the 1940s. Max Huber, Carlo Vivarelli, Walter Ballmer were just a few of the legendary Swiss designers who crossed the Alps to help create the International Typographic School for which Italian (and Swiss) design became renowned. This book aims to celebrate the past by inviting 22 leading Swiss and Italian designers to contribute with new arworks as well as showing some of their most relevant past production. The result will be a compendium of some of the most exciting design in Switzerland and Italy.


This paper reports the observational results of aerosol optical characteristics, modification processes and discrimination of key aerosol types over Skukuza (24.9°S, 31.5°E, and 150 m), a subtropical rural site in South Africa (SA), using CIMEL Sunphotometer data, part of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET), from December 2005 to November 2006. The results show that a pronounced spectral and temporal variability in the optical properties of aerosols is mainly due to anthropogenic emissions. The discrimination of different aerosol types over Skukuza is also made using the daily mean values of aerosol optical depth at 500 nm (AOD500) and Angstrom exponent (α440-870) by applying the threshold values. The results of the analysis indentified three individual components (biomass burning/urban (BU), desert dust (DD) and clean maritime (CM) aerosol types) of differing origin, composition and optical characteristics, and revealed that the percentage contribution of each of type of aerosol changed significantly from season to season. We also derived the curvature of a2 in an attempt to obtain information on aerosol-particle size and type, although the results revealed that the curvature alone is not enough to achieve this. In addition,, we analyzed the seasonal changes in aerosol characteristics using the classification scheme introduced in Gobbi et al. (2007) based on the measured scattering properties (α, dα) derived from the Sunphotometer data. The results show that during spring an extremely large fraction of fine-mode aerosols (η > 70%, Rf ~0.1 µm) in the turbid atmosphere was mainly caused by local anthropogenic pollution or biomass aerosol transported from forest fires. Whereas in summer, the low AOD (< 0.2) and smaller α (< 1.0) and η < 50% suggest the influence of transported mineral dust (coarse) over the region.


A 12-year-old male experienced left-sided hearing impairment, tinnitus, and vertigo after being hit by a volleyball. Pure tone audiometry showed severe, mixed left hearing loss and nystagmus to the right side. We diagnosed perilymphatic fistula and treated it conservatively. After ten days, his vertigo had disappeared and hearing on his left side showed improvement except at 2,000 and 8,000 Hz. However, he experienced slight dizziness after discharge from our hospital. About eleven months later, because of severe vertigo, he again came to our hospital. We diagnosed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) based on his symptoms and the characteristic nystagmus. We performed the Epley maneuver, and his vertigo and nystagmus disappeared the next day. Exploratory tympanotomy was carried out, but no sign of a perilymphatic fistula was detected. He experienced BPPV again, and so we tried the Epley and Lempert maneuver. We believed his prolonged dizziness was due to a partial collapse of the utricular wall, a condition called floating labyrinth. This phenomenon may occur with migration of otoliths from the utricle, leading to BPPV.


Eccentricity measurement of annular parts with millimeter scale and micrometer precision requirements is widely used in mechanical engineering applications. To realize accurate eccentricity measurement for large-scaled annular parts, a vision-based and sub-pixel dimensional measurement method is proposed. First, to facilitate the eccentricity measurement, an improved auto focus algorithm is introduced to provide better focused images of the measured parts. Then the traditional Canny operator is modified in gradient direction calculation and a double threshold process to locate the pixel edge more accurately. Next, a model-based sub-pixel edge detection method is studied to extract the sub-pixel edge coordinates. Finally, the eccentricity is calculated according to these sub-pixel edge coordinates. To guarantee measurement accuracy, the pixel equivalent and manual installation error of three degree of freedom (DOF) stages are calibrated, and the verification experiments indicate that the measurement error of the proposed method is better than 1.0 µm.


The survey was carried out over two years in the Taung and Kudumane districts of the North West Province of South Africa. Data were collected on the breed of goat, reasons for keeping goats as well as production data such as kidding rate, fecundity, herd health care, herd management, live weight and withers height, coat color, skin condition and presence or absence of: beards, horns and wattles.
(South African Journal of Animal Science, 2000, 30(1): 34-35)


Background: Contrast media (CM) are nephrotoxic and might further worsen renal function in patients with chronic renal failure. L-Arginine, the substrate of nitric oxide, protects kidney function and may improve endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. Hypothesis: Acute administration of L-arginine in a subset of patients with combined coronary artery disease and impaired kidney function during coronary angiography might prevent superimposed acute renal failure. Methods: A double-blind study of patients with mild/moderate chronic renal failure (Cr >1.7 mg/dl) undergoing coronary angiography (meglumine ioxaglate) was conducted. Patients received either L-arginine (300 mg/kg) or placebo and were followed for 48 h. Cardiac hemodynamic parameters, renal function and nitric oxide production were sequentially recorded. Results – Primary and Secondary: Both groups experienced a decrease of creatinine clearance 48 h following the procedure (p < 0.05). Creatinine levels slightly increased following the administration of L-arginine (p < 0.05) but not in the placebo treated group. No changes of systemic and cardiac pressures, total peripheral resistance or cardiac output were recorded within and between the treatment and placebo groups. Conclusion: CM injection causes an impairment of renal function. Addition of intravenous L-arginine during cardiac catheterizations in patients with chronic renal failure does not prevent CM-induced nephrotoxicity and does not affect endothelial dysfunction in the particular population studied by the authors, i.e. patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) of various degrees, or suspicion of CAD and chronic mild renal failure.


Euonymus hamiltonianus and its relatives (Celastraceae family) are used for ornamental and medicinal purposes. However, species identification in Euonymus is difficult due to their morphological diversity. Using plastid genome (plastome) data, we attempt to reveal phylogenetic relationship among Euonymus species and develop useful markers for molecular identification. We assembled the plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences from five Euonymus lines collected from South Korea: three Euonymus hamiltonianus accessions, E. europaeus, and E. japonicus. We conducted an in-depth comparative analysis using ten plastomes, including other publicly available plastome data for this genus. The genome structures, gene contents, and gene orders were similar in all Euonymus plastomes in this study. Analysis of nucleotide diversity revealed six divergence hotspots in their plastomes. We identified 339 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 293 insertion or deletions among the four E. hamiltonianus plastomes, pointing to abundant diversity even within the same species. Among 77 commonly shared genes, 9 and 33 were identified as conserved genes in the genus Euonymus and E. hamiltonianus, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on plastome and nrDNA sequences revealed the overall consensus and relationships between plastomes and nrDNAs. Finally, we developed six barcoding markers and successfully applied them to 31 E. hamiltonianus lines collected from South Korea. Our findings provide the molecular basis for the classification and molecular taxonomic criteria for the genus Euonymus (at least in Korea), which should aid in more objective classification within this genus. Moreover, the newly developed markers will be useful for understanding the species delimitation of E. hamiltonianus and closely related species.


Abstract

Modern art owes a debt to Constructivism. In particular, Minimal art owes a debt to Russian Constructivism. In something akin to the suspension of Lenin's embalmed body, Constructivism has been suspended since its demise. In this thesis I propose that the short-lived phenomenon of Russian Constructivism was revisited and further explored with the Minimal art moment in the West. Minimal artists in the United States were influenced by the works of the Constructivists, but due to the cold war this influence was suppressed. Constructivism in its original form ceased before the ideas and ideological urges of the Russian Constructivists were fulfilled. This form of art, that had a strong connection with a utopian social ideal, by 1932 was replaced by the officially decreed art of the Stalin era; Socialist Realism. The Constructivist moment did not lead into an artistic cul-de-sac because of the death of Lenin in 1924. The Constructivists have had an influence far beyond the years in which they first flourished and I intend to show that Constructivism has been unfairly misrepresented. From my research there is no question that Minimal art in the United States used Constructivist ideas. But the correlation between Minimal art and Constructivism was obscured by cold war politics, by many of the texts which have discussed Constructivism since, as well as by unconvincing curatorial decisions. This situation has led to an unacceptable degree of misrepresentation of the influence that Constructivism has had on Minimal art. Russian and Soviet Constructivism, rather than being seen as a cultural dead-end, should be viewed as a means by which the freedom to follow a non-representational path for abstract art was secured. Constructivism's influence on Minimal art has been undervalued. This thesis aims to settle the debt.


doi.org/10.11336/jjcrs.11.9 Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci Vol 11, 2020 ©Kaifukuki Rehabilitation Ward Association 2020 ABSTRACT Senju Y, Mukaino M, Ozeki M, Watanabe M, Okochi Y, Mizutani K, Saito E, Sonoda S. Interrater agreement between clinician ratings and patient self-assessments for body function categories of ICF Rehabilitation Set. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2020; 11: 9‐16. Objective: This study investigates interrater agreement between clinician ratings using the Rating reference guide developed in Japan for the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Rehabilitation Set and patient self-assessments for body function categories of the ICF Rehabilitation Set. Methods: Eighty-eight inpatients and/or outpatients who received rehabilitation participated in this study. For the assessment of the nine body function categories of the ICF Rehabilitation Set, the patients were asked to complete the self-assessment questionnaires, and the clinicians rated the patients using the Rating reference guide. Interrater agreement between clinicians and patients was investigated using weighted kappa statistics and an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC (2,1)) to determine interrater agreement of each category and the total score, respectively. Results: The weighted kappa statistics ranged from 0.58 to 0.87. Eight out of nine categories presented with weighted kappa statistics greater than 0.61. The total score of all categories showed no significant difference between clinicians and patients and presented with an ICC (2,1) of 0.85. Conclusion: No significant difference was observed between clinician ratings with the Rating reference guide for body function categories and patient selfassessments, showing feasibility of the Rating reference guide as a means of describing the status of patients' functioning.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 expressions on the peripheral blood T lymphocytes in HIV/AIDS patients, with an analysis of their clinical value.

METHODS
Thirty HIV/AIDS patients and 16 normal controls were selected and flow-cytometry was used to detect the coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 expressions in whole blood samples taken from the patients and controls. An analysis was made of the correlation of the coreceptor expression with CD4 T cell counts and the activation of CD4+/ CD8+ T cells (HLA-DR+/CD38+).

RESULTS
The CCR5 expression on CD8+ lymphocytes and the CXCR4 expression on the CD4+/ CD8+ T lymphocytes of the HIV/AIDS group were higher than those of the normal controls (P < 0.01). The CCR5 and CXCR4 expressions on the CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes of the HIV/AIDS patients was significantly correlated with the activation of CD4+/CD8+ T cells (HLA-DR+/CD38+) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The expressions of CCR5 and CXCR4 are significantly correlated with the immune system reaction to HIV and the disease progression in HIV infected patients.


The University of Southern California Consortium is a participating center in the National Cancer Institute's Collaborative Family Registry for Colorectal Cancer Studies (CFRCCS). Because data collection takes time, money, and effort, all of which are in short supply, we first defined our research objectives and then attempted to design our registry to enable us to address these objectives in an efficient manner. We decided on a family-based design, and our objectives are to characterize cloned genes that are generally accepted causes of colorectal cancer, to assess putative candidate genes, to map new genes, and to conduct prevention trials in high-risk subjects. For the gene characterization objectives, our primary aim is to estimate gene frequency and penetrance, with a secondary aim to investigate factors that may affect penetrance (allele-specific effects plus gene-gene and gene-environment interactions). We describe a multiple-stage design to select families into the registry. After a family is selected into the registry, we collect questionnaire data and blood samples on selected subjects only, and we tailor data collection decisions to each family (given who is affected and who is available) to optimize power per unit effort and cost. We also discuss practical decisions faced by our registry, including 1) defining a reference period for use in questionnaires; 2) deciding whether or not to establish cell lines and, if so, on whom; and 3) determining which cases should be tested for microsatellite instability. Finally, we address the appropriate use of data derived from high-risk clinics, within more broadly defined, population-based research.


Forward osmosis technology was evaluated for treating evaporator brine stream from a petrochemical industry at bench scale using ammonium bicarbonate as a draw solution. Calcium carbonate scaling that forms from the interaction between the calcium ions in the feed solution and carbonate ions from the draw solution (reverse salt diffusion) leads to the reduction in water flux and water recoveries achievable (feed TDS concentration of ~60 000 mg‧L−1, calcium ~545 mg‧L−1 and draw solution (ammonium bicarbonate) concentration of ~240 000 mg‧L−1). Fouling can be prevented by softening the feedwater before it is treated in forward osmosis. Without calcium and magnesium, permeate fluxes and water recoveries of up to 6 L‧m−2‧h−1 and 60%, respectively, could be achieved. It was also observed in this study that the concentration of the calcium ions in the feed does have an impact on the formation of the calcium carbonate scale, implying that some hardness can be tolerated in the feed to the forward osmosis process. It can, therefore, be concluded that without some hardness removal, ammonium bicarbonate draw solution is not suitable for treating concentrated brine streams (e.g., evaporator brine) that contain a high concentration of calcium ions. FO technology using ammonium bicarbonate as a draw solution can be considered an alternative technology to treat concentrated brine streams from inland industries, provided some pre-treatment to remove scaling precursors such as calcium is incorporated in the flow scheme.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate urine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and IL-8 as biomarkers of SLE flare. Urine was collected every 2 mo from patients who were followed prospectively in the Ohio SLE Study. Renal and nonrenal flares were identified and MCP-1 and IL-8 were measured by specific ELISA in samples that were collected at flare. When available, MCP-1 and IL-8 were also measured in urine samples before and after flare. For comparison, MCP-1 and IL-8 were measured in the urine of healthy individuals and in renal and nonrenal SLE patients with stable disease activity (disease controls). Most patients were receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy before flare. At renal flare, mean urine MCP-1 (uMCP-1) was significantly greater than uMCP-1 at nonrenal flare and from healthy volunteers and renal disease controls. The level of uMCP-1 correlated with the increase in proteinuria at flare and was higher in patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis and in patients with impaired renal function. Urine MCP-1 was increased beginning 2 to 4 mo before flare. Patients who responded to therapy showed a slow decline in uMCP-1 over several months, whereas nonresponders had persistently high uMCP-1. In contrast, uIL-8 did not change with disease activity and was not elevated at renal or nonrenal flare compared with disease controls. In conclusion, uMCP-1 but not uIL-8 is a sensitive and specific biomarker of renal SLE flare and its severity, even in patients who receive significant immunosuppressive therapy. Persistently elevated uMCP-1 after treatment may indicate ongoing kidney injury that may adversely affect renal prognosis.


Enterococcus faecalis is a bacterial species present at a sub-dominant level in the human gut microbiota. This commensal turns into an opportunistic pathogen under specific conditions involving dysbiosis and host immune deficiency. E. faecalis is also the only intestinal pathobiont identified to date as contributing to liver damage in alcoholic liver disease. We have previously observed that E. faecalis is internalized in hepatocytes. Here, the survival and fate of E. faecalis was examined in hepatocytes, the main epithelial cell type in the liver. Although referred to as an extracellular pathogen, we demonstrate that E. faecalis is able to survive and divide in hepatocytes, and form intracellular clusters in two distinct hepatocyte cell lines, in primary mouse hepatocytes, as well as in vivo. This novel process extends to kidney cells. Unravelling the intracellular lifestyle of E. faecalis, our findings contribute to the understanding of pathobiont-driven diseases.


Celerina is the software core of a realtime system for dynamic music generation. Several one-dimensional binary cellular automata generate melodic patterns that are subsequently reduced and processed to form musical motifs and gestures. The music generated by Celerina is set to conform with such musical styles as jazz, classical or


Towards hardware implementation of real-time visual image processing, we propose a region-
based coupled Markov Random Field (MRF) model with phases as hidden variables for coarse image region
 segmentation tasks. In general, two types of coupled MRF models, boundary-based and region-based, are
 known according to their hidden variables that play a crucial role for detecting discontinuities in intensity,
 color, depth and motion in image scenes. A region-based coupled MRF model with phases as hidden
 variables has been proposed for image restoration task. For coarse region image segmentation tasks, we
 customize the previous model in view of efficient hardware implementation. Our model has an advantage
 over the resistive-fuse network, which is a boundary-based coupled MRF model, in dealing with the hidden
 variables explicitly. Consequently, our model can extract closed regions from given images by phases as
 labels at different timing and act as a spatial-temporal nonlinear filter.


The Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) of Uganda's Ministry of Health (MOH) has promoted quality of care in Uganda for a number of years. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has also had a major role in promoting quality of care in family planning, the case management of sexually transmitted diseases, and maternal care, working mainly through reproductive health projects implemented by the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Pathfinder, AMREF, and Care. These projects have all emphasized training as the main way to build worker competence and have promoted supervision as a means for quality control and improvement. As part of an overall review of reproductive health project activities, USAID asked the Quality Assurance Project (QAP) to help review supervisory effectiveness and data quality. QAP therefore collaborated with the MOH QAU to design and conduct a quality assessment of reproductive health supervision, examining the use of supervision tools, the frequency and quality of supervisory encounters, and the use of supervision data and sustainability. The assessment found that each of the three NGO projects has made significant achievements in developing a strategy for the quality-focused supervision of reproductive health services. However, several areas were also found in which supervision could be enhanced, especially those related to supervision tools and the use of the data they generate, and the integration of NGO project and district health team supervision.


Polymorphism of forty-seven sequential clinical isolates from 3 patients with an aspergilloma was analyzed. DNA from each isolate was digested with EcoRI and hybridized in Southern blots with a 32P-labeled nonribosomal DNA repetitive sequence. Most isolates from each patient displayed the same hybridization pattern. Southern blot patterns obtained with DNA repetitive sequences can be used to type clinical isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus and have shown that aspergilloma patients are most probably infected by a single strain.


This qualitative research paper examines the processes that Filipino immigrants' daughters (Pinays) use to negotiate their realities at home and in college. A Peminist framework was used in constructing the interview questions and in analyzing the study's findings. Peminism is a framework that considers the uniqueness of Pinays' immigration background as it relates to their experiences in the United States. The interview data from twelve undergraduate Pinays revealed two issues regarding their majors and career aspirations: (a) parents' nonverbal expression of expectations, and (b) the children's unconscious desire to compromise. University personnel ought to pay attention to these students as a group that has realities that may not be shared by other Asian American communities.


Agent-based modeling is one of the popular tools for analyzing complex socio-technical systems. Because of the complex nature of such systems a systematic methodology is required to guide the modeling process. By studying the existing methodologies in MAS we distinguished four major differences between MAS and ABM regarding goals, system scale and diversity, level of system understanding and verification and validation concerns. In this paper we take these differences into account and based on more than 25 case studies, we present a methodological framework for developing agent-based models that consists of five general iterative phases. These phases namely: system analysis, model design, detailed design, implementation and evaluation further consists of smaller step that are also addressed in this paper. This methodology provides a tool independent template while respecting the specific requirements for ABM.


The evolution of urban morphology is the changing pattern of urban land use.It is the external morphological outcome of the internal impetus of minimum cost on urban land use model.This paper argues that the process of morphology evolution is the result of alternant pattern of external expansion and internal infilling of land use in urban areas,which is the aufheben conducted by the interweaving behavior between concentration and dissimilation,as well as by the process of embedment and re-embedment of socio-economic action. Based on the above hypothesis,we select the(remote sensing) images of Kunming in temporal serial from 1909 to 2006,using morphological perspective to analyze the changes of urban spatial pattern and explore the evolution of urban morphology.The results are revealed that:(1) from the view of the rational micro-process and macro-process,in general,the evolution of urban morphology follows the pattern of the minimum cost-cyclic expansion in the statistics;(2) based on the minimum cost-cyclic expansion model,the core mechanism that drives the morphology of periodic changes is based on the impact between alternant pro-growth infrastructure investment and pro-consumption public investment infrastructure changes,as well as factor substitution effects in each spatial phase.


Summary The maghemitization process, by which magnetic minerals with spinel structure become progressively oxidized but remain single phase spinels, seems to be an important feature of submarine weathering. Whether the process takes place by the minerals acquiring oxygen from the sea-water or by the sea-water leaching out iron, the controlling process is the diffusion of Fe2+ in the spinel structure. Magnetic studies have suggested that during maghemitization the availability for oxidation of Fe2+ in the tetrahedral (A) sites of the spinel structure is much less than that in octahedral (B) sites. In this study the Fe2+-containing spinels FeAl2O4, FeCr2O4, FeGa2O4, and Fe2GeO4, in which Fe2+ is predominantly in either A or B sites were prepared, and the diffusion of Fe2+ was studied by (1) interdiffusion experiments with the Mg2+ counterparts and (2) oxidation experiments in air. Fe2GeO4 (Fe2+ in B sites) was found to be associated with a higher interdiffusion coefficient and lower activation energy than FeAl2O4 (75% Fe2+ in A sites). Oxidation/diffusion activation energies of 0.27 and 0.71 eV were assigned to Fe2+ in B and A sites respectively. The experiments thus provide support for the maghemitization model in which Fe2+ in B sites is preferentially oxidized.


Most of the commercial transport in India is being carried out by the railway network and therefore, any problems in the same have the capacity to induce major damage to the economy. In terms of the reliability and safety parameters, Indian railway has not yet reached the international standards. The main problem about railway analysis is detection of cracks in the structure. If these deficiencies are not controlled at early stages they might lead to a number of derailments resulting in a heavy loss of life and property. This work proposes a cost effective solution to the problem of railway track crack detection utilizing IR transmitter and receiver which tracks the location of faulty track which then mended immediately so that many lives will be saved.
There are many advantages with this system when compared with the traditional detection techniques. It includes less cost, low power consumption and less analyze is time.


Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing rich transition metal ions and functional ligands have attracted interest for the non-noble metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the realization of MOF-based thin films for optimizing and improving electrocatalysis remains a significant challenge. In this work, we report a homodispersed CeO2 encapsulated cobalt–porphyrin network derived thin film by epitaxial encapsulation approach for optimizing and improving OER performance. The OER activity can be optimized effectively via tuning the thicknesses and calcination temperatures of the cobalt–porphyrin network PIZA-1 thin film. After loading a Ce(III) coordination compound into PIZA-1 by the epitaxial encapsulation method and calcination at 400 °C, a thin film of PIZA-1 derivative with homo-dispersed CeO2 was obtained successfully for greatly improved electrocatalytic OER performance (an overpotential of 370 mV at 10.0 mA cm−2). The work presented here will be extended to the fabrication of other composite thin film electrode materials for high electrocatalytic performance.


Background: The gametophyte s are essential for the productive process in angiosperms. During sexual reproduction in flowering plants, haploid spores are formed from meioses of spore mother cells. The spores then undergo mitosis and develop into female and male gametes and give rise to seeds after fertilization. Results: We identified a female sterile mutant from EMS mutagenesis, and a BC1F2 population was generated for map based cloning of the causal gene. Genome re-sequencing of mutant and non-mutant pools revealed a candidate gene, AP1G2 . Analyses of two insertions mutants, ap1g2-1 +/- in exon 7 and ap1g2-3 -/- in 3' UTR, revealed partial female sterility. Complementation test using native promoter of AP1G2 restored the function in ap1g2-1 +/- and ap1g2-3 -/- . AP1G2 is a paralog of AP1G1 , encoding the large subunit (γ) of adaptor protein-1 (AP-1). ap1g2 mutation led to defective female and male gametophyte development was determined. In the ap1g2 mutants, the mitotic cycles and synchronic development of female gametophytes were impaired, which led to the arrest of female gametophytes at one nucleus stage FG1. Pollen development in ap1g2 was also arrested at one nucleus stage before PMI (pollen mitosis I). AP1G2 was expressed at high levels in different stages of ovule and pollens and actively dividing tissues, including shoot apical meristems, leaf primordial and root tips. Conclusions: AP1G2 was identified to have a role in the processes of female and male gametogenesis by regulating the first mitosis at one nucleus stage, and the expression pattern suggested AP1G2 is crucial for plant growth and development. Keywords: Arabidopsis, AP1G2 , megagametogenesis, microgametogenesis, development.


The phenomenology of impulse-regime propagation along metamaterial composite right/left-handed transmission lines (CRLH TL) is examined. For this purpose, a closed-form time-domain Green's function approach, based on the inverse Fourier transform of the 1D transmission line model, is applied. Since the CRLH TLs are electrically thin, this model is adequate to describe transient phenomena. The method is validated experimentally for the case of matched and mismatched CRLH impulse delay lines. Excellent agreement between theory and experiments is obtained. Various complex dispersive phenomena are investigated, including pulse delay as a function of the modulation frequency, pulse compression, and temporal Talbot pulse rate multiplication.


ABSTRACT We compared 2 chromogenic media (Oxoid Brilliance MRSA 2 agar [Thermo Fisher Scientific] and MRSA-ID [bioMérieux]) for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in 1,368 hospital samples. For both media, broth enrichment was essential to obtain satisfactory diagnostic performance. Although with direct cultures only, the diagnostic performance (particularly sensitivity) of Brilliance MRSA 2 agar appears better than that of MRSA-ID, no difference in sensitivity or specificity between the media was detected after inclusion of an enrichment step.