The interdependence between climatic variables should be taken into account when developing climate scenarios. For example, temperature‐precipitation interdependence in the Arctic is strong and impacts on other physical characteristics, such as the extent and duration of snow cover. However, this interdependence is often misrepresented in climate simulations. Here we use two two‐dimensional (2‐D) methods for statistically adjusting climate model simulations to develop plausible local daily temperature (Tmean) and precipitation (Pr) scenarios. The first 2‐D method is based on empirical quantile mapping (2Dqm) and the second on parametric copula models (2Dcopula). Both methods are improved here by forcing the preservation of the modeled long‐term warming trend and by using moving windows to obtain an adjustment specific to each day of the year. These methods were applied to a representative ensemble of 13 global climate model simulations at 26 Canadian Arctic coastal sites and tested using an innovative cross‐validation approach. Intervariable dependence was evaluated using correlation coefficients and empirical copula density plots. Results show that these 2‐D methods, especially 2Dqm, adjust individual distributions of climatic time series as adequately as one common one‐dimensional method (1Dqm) does. Furthermore, although 2Dqm outperforms the other methods in reproducing the observed temperature‐precipitation interdependence over the calibration period, both 2Dqm and 2Dcopula perform similarly over the validation periods. For cases where temperature‐precipitation interdependence is important (e.g., characterizing extreme events and the extent and duration of snow cover), both 2‐D methods are good options for producing plausible local climate scenarios in Canadian Arctic coastal zones.


In this contribution in situ emission filter generation for, e.g. fluorescence light detection by morphology tailoring of silver nanoparticles within a polymer layer, is presented for the first time. After depositing a pretreated film of polyethylenimine containing spherical silver nanoparticles the composite layer was irradiated with green LEDs (peak wavelength 530 nm). This leads to a morphology change of the silver nanoparticles and therefore to a change in absorption properties of the resulting polymer film with an absorption maximum at 550 nm. This tailoring of silver nanoparticles embedded in a transparent polymer matrix could address many novel applications such as adaptable light filters for future lab-on-a-chip applications. A LED for fluorescence light excitation was used to illuminate the silver nanoparticles, which led to an increasing absorption of that particular light spectrum, and therefore in situ produced a fluorescence emission filter. The effect of the treatment time, the silver ion concentration, and the temperature at which the "light-shaping" was done was studied. The silver nanoparticles were investigated using UV/Vis-spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The observed nanoparticle shapes give reasons for a novel hypothesis of nanoparticle evolution. The forced plasmon oscillation seems to cause excited regions at the silver nanoparticles where adsorbed silver ions are preferably photoreduced. This results in the possibility of tailoring the morphology and therefore the optical properties of the growing nanoparticles.


The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a world leader in urban 3D geological modelling. This reputation was largely developed through the Glasgow and London cross cutting projects and led to follow-up high profile international 3D modelling-focused pro-jects in Europe (Horizon 2020 COST SubUrban Action), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) [1] and Asia (Singapore) [2]. BGS has a collection of over a million UK borehole records held in its National Geoscience Data Centre, and thousands of new ground inves-tigation records are added each year. This data provides vital geological, geotechnical and geoenvironmental information that is essential for societal challenges such as climate change and sustainable energy production. BGS allows access to this data via web portals, allowing the public, academia and private-sector industry access to this vast wealth of subsurface information in a spatially-delivered platform.
However, in recent studies BGS estimates that 80% of borehole data is not shared centrally and openly, resulting in an esti-mated loss of data and knowledge to the UK economy valued in the region of £150-200 million per year. BGS are leading initia-tives to help address this problem such as the 'Dig to Share' and 'Big Borehole Dig' projects which work with the construction and engineering industries to change the culture around data sharing [10]. The BGS has also put in place data sharing agreements with regional and national organisations, like Network Rail, Environment Agency, Highways England and the Welsh Government, committing them and their contractors to provide their ground investigation records to the BGS. In the last two years, the BGS has been working with the UK government to develop standardised clauses around ground investigation data that can be used by all public sector organisations. These clauses are now in the latest version of the UK "Construction Playbook", which sets out key policies and guidance for how publicly funded projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered [11]. The Playbook should be adopted by central government and arm's length bodies on a 'Comply or Explain' basis. All these initiatives and policy augmentations are slowly changing the mindset of how subsurface data is stored, managed and made available for others to use in order to make dramatic savings in cost, time and reduction in risks.
Borehole data is pivotal for understanding geology in urbanised areas, particularly in the shallow subsurface (top 100 m), as anthropogenic deposits often mask and obscure geological outcrop. Borehole data is often interpreted into 3D geological models, and in turn this has led to improved knowledge of subsurface geology and processes in urban areas. 3D geological data and in-formation has been leveraged for use across many types of projects, such as tunnelling and construction, for example the Far-ringdon Tunnel in London 2012 [3], water resource management [4] and geohazards, particularly the shrink-swell clays that cause subsidence[5]. In 2022, the BGS published the London, Cardiff, and Glasgow 3D geological models onto the BGS GeoIn-dex web viewer portal where users can view synthetic boreholes, cross-section and horizontal slices through the 3D geological models to improve subsurface knowledge in these areas. These 3D geological models underpin three studies into the geothermal energy potential under these cities. Two of which belong to the UK Geoenergy Observatory programme in Cardiff and Glasgow, and the other a collaboration between the BGS and the university of Cambridge in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London.
The Cardiff Urban Geo-Observatory is a collaboration between British Geological Survey and City of Cardiff Council, and comprises several years of baseline temperature data, an operational shallow open-loop ground source heat pump, and a 3D geo
logical model of the superficial geology focused on the target unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifer [6]. The observatory is the largest of its kind in the UK, providing open access data though a bespoke web-portal (www.ukgeos.ac.uk/observatories/cardiff). The data from which has been utilised in further research showing how this geothermal energy resource could be optimised in ur-ban environments [7].
The Glasgow observatory is a research facility designed for investigating the shallow, low-temperature mine-water heat energy and potential heat storage resources. The observatory site is typical of towns and cities with a post-industrial urban and coalfield legacy. Towns and cities are where the greatest demand for decarbonising heat lies. The Glasgow Observatory is a result of a four-year period of borehole planning, drilling, logging and testing, including 3D geological modelling. A mine water reservoir classifica-tion established from the observatory boreholes highlights the resource potential in areas of total extraction, stowage, and stoop and room workings. Since their spatial extent is more extensive across the UK than shafts or roadways, increasing the mine water energy evidence base and reducing exploration risk in these types of legacy workings is important. Mine-water heat abstraction is a technology that is proven but not widely realised. The observatory enables research into the questions that remain about this heat source, from size and sustainability to environmental impacts [8].
The BGS collaborated with the University of Cambridge on the Translucent Cities project from 2018-2019, the objective of which was understand the impact of existing basement structures and potential new structures on the use of the geothermal prop-erties/energy use in closed loop heating and cooling systems. This study demonstrates that the amount of heat from basements rejected to the ground constitutes a significant percentage of the total heat loss from buildings, particularly in the presence of groundwater flow. Understanding the relationship and geometries in 3D of the geological strata,  and the thicknesses these, com-bining this with groundwater flow was fundamental in identifying factors to improves the sustainable utilisation of geothermal energy sources [9].


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the activity ofsingle-agent gemcitabine in previously treated patients with carcinoma ofunknown primary site. Between January 1997 and October 1998, 39 patients wereenrolled in this multicenter Phase II trial performed in the Minnie PearlCancer Research Network. Twenty-seven patients (69%) had adenocarcinoma orpoorly differentiated adenocarcinoma; 35 patients (90%) had previously receivedtreatment with chemotherapy regimens containing both a platinum agent anda taxane. Only 21% of patients had ever responded to previous therapy. Gemcitabine1000 mg/m2 was administered intravenously on days1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day course. Three of 36 evaluable patients (8%) hadpartial responses, and 9 patients (25%) had minor responses or stable diseasewith improved symptoms. The median time to progression for patients with partialresponses or stable disease/improved symptoms was 5 months. Treatment waswell tolerated, with uncommon grade 3 or 4 toxicity. Gemcitabine produceda low objective response rate in this refractory patient population, althoughapproximately one-third of patients experienced symptomatic improvement. Treatmentwith gemcitabine was well tolerated. Because gemcitabine has activity againsta variety of adenocarcinomas, further evaluation of this agent as part offirst-line therapy for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site isappropriate.


Background: Glycemic outcomes during real-world hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system use by individuals with type 1 diabetes, in the United States, were retrospectively analyzed. Methods: Hybrid closed-loop system data voluntarily uploaded to Carelink™ personal software from March 2017 to November 2020 by individuals (aged ≥7 years) using the MiniMed™ 670G system and having ≥10 days of continuous glucose monitoring data after initiating Auto Mode were assessed. Glycemic outcomes including the mean glucose management indicator (GMI), sensor glucose (SG), percentage of time spent in (TIR), below (TBR), and above (TAR) target range (70-180 mg/dL) were analyzed. Outcomes were also analyzed in a subgroup of users per baseline GMI of <7% versus >8%. Results: The overall cohort (N = 123 355 users, with a mean of 87.9% of time in Auto Mode) had a GMI of 7.0% ± 0.4%, TIR of 70.4% ± 11.2%, TBR <70 mg/dL of 2.2% ± 2.1% and TAR>180 mg/dL of 27.5% ± 11.6%, post-Auto Mode initiation. Compared with pre-Auto Mode initiation, users (N = 52 941, 88.6% of time in Auto Mode) had a GMI that decreased from 7.3% ± 0.6% to 7.1% ± 0.5% (P < .001), TIR that increased from 61.5% ± 15.1% to 68.1% ± 11.9% (P < .001), TAR>180 mg/dL that decreased from 36.3% ± 15.7% to 29.8% ± 12.2% (P < .001) and TBR<70 mg/dL that decreased from 2.11 ± 2.4 to 2.07% ± 2.25% (P = .002). While all metrics statistically improved for the baseline GMI >8.0% group, the baseline GMI <7.0% group had unchanged TIR (77.4% ± 7.4% to 77.5% ± 8.0%, P = .456) and TAR>180 mg/dL that increased (19.2 ± 6.7 to 19.6 ± 7.9%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Real-world HCL system use in the U.S. demonstrated overall glycemic control that trended similarly with the system pivotal trial outcomes and previous real-world system use analyses.


The research set out to establish challenges which prevented women from advancing to higher positions in print media. The descriptive survey method was used to establish the challenges faced by women print journalists in career advancement. In-depth interviews and survey questionnaires were used as tools to gather data for the study. The data from the in-depth interviews was analyzed qualitatively while the data from survey questionnaires was analyzed quantitatively. The study found that despite being bound by social roles, traditional stereotypes and attitudes that hinder career progression in the past, women print journalists are cultivating a new perspective in regard to their potential and capabilities to work in print journalism field. Therefore, they are gradually advancing in their careers breaking into the senior positions where they get a chance to participate in decision making levels. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends that women print journalists should not accept the status quo but embrace the social changes and use those changes as opportunities to showcase their capabilities and abilities to impact the print journalism profession.


The LOFAR radio telescope is a wide area sensor network covering an area of 350 km diameter. Distributed over this a rea are 77 so called station fields where sensor arrays are installed. Each station field contains 100 radio antennas for astronomy observations along with tens of sensors for geophysical and high precision agriculture measurements. At the station fields, analogue and digital signal processing is applied on the data streams and the resulting, condensed, data streams are transported to a central computer for further coherent processing. The complete distributed sensor network contains of order hundred thousa nds elements that should be controlled accurately in order to achieve a coherent and result. The PVSS -II system delivers the basis infrastructure on which the LOFAR monitoring and control system is built. This monitoring and control system contains softwar e models of both the physical system, as well as a model of the logical operation of the telescope in terms of service providers and observations. These two models are mapped onto the real -time distributed database of PVSS -II. The LOFAR monitoring and cont rol system is integrated in all processing software and a real -time interface to the signal processing devices is made, together providing fully distributed real -time control over the LOFAR instrument. In this paper we will discuss shortly the special requ irements of the LOFAR system and show how these are translated in the monitoring and control architecture. In particular, we will explain the usage of software models to reflect the physical and logical views on the system and the connection of those with the PVSS-II database.


We propose a visual tracking system that identifies an object in front of the camera using an WID-tag, which is put onto each object. Identifying the object, the system downloads the CAD model of the object via the Internet, and uses the model for visual tracking. The visual tracking consists OF two procedures: (1)the estimation of the initial pose and position relative to the camera, and (2)the tracking of the motion between two consecutive images. In the former procedure, the system detects the shape component from the initial image, and estimates the pose and position with the shape of the component. In the latter procedure, the motion is estimated using both the CAD model and the difference of the two images. The proposed system shows the framework that enables a vision system to handle enormous number of objects.


An increasing number of patients waitlisted for kidney transplantation have a previously failed graft. Retransplantation provides a significant improvement in morbidity, mortality, and quality of life when compared to dialysis. However, HLA sensitization is a major barrier to kidney retransplantation and the majority of the highly sensitized patients are waiting for a subsequent kidney transplant. A multidisciplinary team that includes immunogeneticists, transplant nephrologists and surgeons, and adequate allocation policies is fundamental to increase access to a kidney retransplant. A review of Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library was performed on the challenges of kidney retransplantation after graft loss, focusing on the HLA barrier and new strategies to overcome sensitization. Conclusion: Technical advances in immunogenetics, new desensitization protocols, and complex allocation programs have emerged in recent years to provide a new hope to kidney recipients with a previously failed graft.


The climate security graduate certificate provides students with the education and expertise required to understand and better navigate the numerous concerns surrounding climate-related challenges in the realm of security and disaster management. With significant shifts in global climate, new concerns in human, national and international security are emerging, creating challenges for resilience and governance. Understanding how prior climate disaster knowledge can be combined with an understanding of future models, scenarios and planning tools will be needed to navigate the unforeseen consequences and the impacts on populations. A climate security graduate certificate represents an endorsement of advanced academic education and a more robust understanding of climate-related security and resilience concerns and planning considerations.


Several studies have shown that an abnormal vascular-immunity link could increase Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk; however, the mechanism is unclear. CD31, also named platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM), is a surface membrane protein of both endothelial and immune cells and plays important roles in the interaction between the vascular and immune systems. In this review, we focus on research regarding CD31 biological actions in the pathological process that may contribute to AD based on the following rationales. First, endothelial, leukocyte and soluble forms of CD31 play multi-roles in regulating transendothelial migration, increasing blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability and resulting in neuroinflammation. Second, CD31 expressed by endothelial and immune cells dynamically modulates numbers of signaling pathways, including Src family kinases, selected G proteins, and β-catenin which in turn affect cell-matrix and cell–cell attachment, activation, permeability, survival, and ultimately neuronal cell injury. In endothelia and immune cells, these diverse CD31-mediated pathways act as a critical regulator in the immunity-endothelia-brain axis, thereby mediating AD pathogenesis in ApoE4 carriers, which is the major genetic risk factor for AD. This evidence suggests a novel mechanism and potential drug target for CD31 in the background of genetic vulnerabilities and peripheral inflammation for AD development and progression.


Abstract Any description of Scottish Gaelic must make continual reference to interpersonal factors, since the occupancy of the first position in the clause (PI) is codetermined by the illocutionary status of the discourse act being carried out through the formulation of that clause. Gaelic is a language in which syntactic functions play no part, but which gives great prominence to pragmatic functions. Although topic has no role in Gaelic grammar, focus and contrast both impinge upon its morphology and syntax, with the cleft construction extending from being an indicator of contrast to a marker of focus, where no contrast is intended.


Background and aim: FAP is an autosomal dominantly inherited form of colorectal cancer caused by a germline mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. We search for new cancer gene in a subgroup of APC mutation-negative FAP variant patients with autosomal dominant inheritance, typical polyposis but accelerated disease progression. Methods: We performed Whole Genome Sampling Assay on both the lymphocyte and polyp DNA of two affected individuals of a FAP variant family and lymphocyte DNA of 2 other affected members, 4 unaffected members and 18 ethnicity-matched healthy controls using Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Array 5.0. Results: A 111 kb region consisting 44 copy number (CN) probes, showed copy number loss in all 8 polyp DNAs (mean CN = 0.68) compared to the matched lymphocyte DNAs of two affected individuals. Fragments chosen randomly from this critical region for PCR analysis confirmed the copy number loss. Data mining reveal no known gene but only one putative 2.2 kb transcript in melanoma tissue. Extensive RT-PCR analysis indicated that this transcript is probably non-existent in lymphocyte and colonic mucosa tissues. A 2-Mb scan encompassing the deleted region identified a candidate serine-threonine phosphatase. Real-time PCR analyses indicate that expression of the 3\#8217;UTR of this gene is down-regulated in the polyps and tumors of the affected member compared to the mucosa. Conclusion: A 111 kb CNV region regulates the expression of a serine-threonine phosphatase in the TGF- \#946; signalling pathway that may contribute to colorectal tumorigenesis in FAP variant patients. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 1411.


I. Gould T, Roberts RJ. Therapeutic problems arising from the use of the intravenous route for drug administration. J Pediatr 1979;95:465-71. 2. Nahata MC, Powell DA, Glazer JP, et al. Effect of intravenous flow rate and injection site on in vitro delivery of chloramphenicol succinate and in vivo kinetics. J Pediatr 1981;99:463-6. 3. Koren G, Rajchgot P, Tesoro AM, et al. Improved technique for intravenous drug delivery in children. Am J Intraven Ther CUn Nutr 1983;10:33-8. 4. Rajchgot P, Radde IC, MacLeod SM. Influence of specific gravity on intravenous drug delivery. J Pediatr 1981;99:658-61. 5. Benzing G, Loggie J. A new retrograde method for administering drugs intravenously. Pediatrics 1973;52:420-5. 6. Eling RF, Brissie EO. Intravenous infusion of drugs by a retrograde technique. Am J Hosp Pharm 1974;31:740-2.


Conventional flow-level simulators use timescales around the round-trip time when numerically solving fluid-flow models for network simulations. In large-scale and high-speed network simulations, understanding coarser behavior than that achieved with timescales around the round-trip time is sometimes sufficient for performance analysis. In this paper, we propose a novel method for accelerating flow-level simulations; it omits timescale finer than that required by the performance analysis. Through experiments, we investigate the effectiveness of the proposed method for accelerating flow-level simulations. Our findings show that the proposed method offers up to 60 times faster execution than the conventional flow-level simulator.


Background: Propolis contains quercetin, a substance from flavonoid group which is usually found as its glycoside form and its polarity changes to polar character. More polar of the solvent used, the greater flavonoid compound obtained. Consequently, it leads to different amount of quercetin gotten by different solvents on propolis extraction method. Method: This research used the post test only group design. Aluminium chloride colorimetric assay was applied to determine the amount of quercetin obtained from both ethanolic and propylene glycol extracting procedures. The data were statistically analyzed by independent t-test method. The propolis was collected from Kerjo, Karanganyar. Result: Total dissolved quercetin in ethanolic extract and propylene glycol extract were 63.38 ± 13.14 µg/mL and 45.69 ± 8.70 µg/mL, each, p < 0.05. Conclusion: This research significantly showed that the quercetin level of propolis extracted with ethanol higher than the one extracted with propylene glycol. Keywords : Aluminium Chloride, Propolis, Quercetin


Despite the fact that efforts to identify it empirically have largely been futile, the liquidity effect plays a central role in conventional monetary theory and policy. Recently, however, an increasing volume of empirical work [Christiano and Eichenbaum (1992a,b), Christiano, Eichenbaum and Evans (1994a,b) and Strongin (1995)] has supported the existence of a statistically significant and economically important liquidity effect when nonborrowed reserves is used as the indicator of monetary policy. This paper shows that there is an identification problem associated with using nonborrowed reserves. Specifically, the strong negative relationship between nonborrowed reserves and the funds rate can stem from the presence or absence of a liquidity effect. The paper points out how changes in the demand for borrowed reserves can be used to identify whether the relationship between nonborrowed reserves and the funds rate is due to liquidity effect. The evidence presented suggests that the "liquidity effect" that Christiano, Eichenbaum and Evans and others have identified is actually due to the interest sensitivity of the demand for borrowed reserves and the definition linking nonborrowed and borrowed reserves. Consequently, the evidence suggests that the liquidity effect is nil.


Lakes are natural water bodies, where flow from single or various rivers is impounded by a natural impediment. Lake water environmental problem has severe effect on human health and the socio-economic sustainable development. So, it's very important to find the more effective way of controlling the water pollution. Dynamics of lakes is the vast topic, which includes important concepts such as circulation of lakes, pollutant transport and interaction between lakes and hydrology. The hydrological dynamics of lake has been influenced by land cover modification, climate change, and increase in population and development activities within the catchment. Due to less velocity, lake impounds water for some time, and a significant characteristic of a lake is its retention time. Wind is the prevalent force in driving the circulation and in developing turbulent mixing in the lakes. Vertical mixing is caused by this turbulence. During circulation, summer and winter has different wind patterns. Strong wind would cause storm surge, which results in increased, mixing and transport in the surface water systems. Air temperature influence surface waters through heat flux and evaporation exchange between the air and the water. The Coriolis force is certain in large lakes due to earth rotation. Precipitation, tributaries inflow, runoffs, etc are lake water inputs. During numerical simulation of lakes, generally Boussinesq approximation and hydrostatic approximation are considered due to actual density distribution variations in water depth concepts respectively. It is essential to calibrate and verify the model before predictive applications anywhere. A simple numerical hydrodynamic model of a lake includes wind stress, bottom friction, Coriolis force, inflow, outflow, and the bottom topography of the lake. The hydrodynamic model has to be tested for stability, convergence, and sensitivity to parameters such as wind shear, wind direction, and vertical eddy viscosity effects. In this paper, the numerical simulation of lake dynamics has been discussed in detail


Advances on the modeling of nonlinear rotor-bearing models for prediction of the dynamic shaft response of automotive turbochargers (TCs) supported on floating ring bearings (FRBs) are presented. Comprehensive test data for a TC unit operating at a top speed of 65 krpm serves to validate the model predictions. The static forced performance of the support FRBs considers lubricant thermal effects, thermal expansion of the shaft and bearings, and entrance pressure losses due to centrifugal flow effects. The bearing analysis also yields linearized rotordynamic force coefficients for the inner and outer lubricant films. These coefficients are used with the rotor model to predict the synchronous response to imbalance and the system natural frequencies and stability. A method renders an accurate estimation of the test rotor imbalance by using the actual vibration measurements and influence coefficients derived from predictions using linearized bearing force coefficients. Predicted ring rotational speeds, operating radial clearances, and lubricant viscosities for the inner and outer films are the main input to the nonlinear time transient analysis. The nonlinear response model predicts the total shaft motion, with fast Fourier transforms showing the synchronous response, and amplitudes and whirl frequencies of subsynchronous motions. The predicted synchronous amplitudes are in good agreement with the measurements, in particular at high shaft speeds. The nonlinear analysis predicts multiple frequency subsynchronous motions for speeds ranging from 10 krpm to 55 krpm (maximum speed 70 krpm), with amplitudes and frequencies that correlate well with the test data. The comparisons validate the comprehensive rotor-bearings model whose ultimate aim is to save TC design time and accelerate product development.


In recent years, because of the limitations of fossil fuels and emissions resulting from the use of photovoltaic cells increase. Due to the changing state of the sun, solar cells must follow the sun's radiation to receive more energy. But, in this research, the modeling and analysis of the solar tracking system were carried out to obtain the optimal angle in photovoltaic systems for generating maximum power using genetic algorithm (GA). In this paper, the control system is proposed by the GA genetic algorithm that optimizes the output energy of the PV system by adjusting the spatial angles of the solar panel in both vertical and horizontal axes. In this method, without the need for additional hardware, the optimal panel position angles are calculated by using the Matlab software to capture the most sun and maximize output energy. The main advantage is that the system operates discretely during operation and losses are reduced, as well as in the clouds, solar radiation is received and the output energy rises. The important results of this study can be the system is optimized, the output power of the photovoltaic system in a fixed array mode increases by 15.85%.


Background: Very few studies have compared open Latarjet versus arthroscopic Latarjet procedures. Purpose: To compare the clinical and computed tomographic outcomes between open and arthroscopic Latarjet procedures. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A prospective, comparative study was performed. The open Latarjet group included 44 patients, and the arthroscopic Latarjet group included 46 patients. All patients had more than 2 years of clinical follow-up (range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES] score, Constant-Murley score, and Rowe score). The position of the transferred coracoid, the screw orientation, and graft resorption were evaluated on computed tomography (CT) scan. Results: The surgery time for the open group was significantly shorter than that for the arthroscopic group (P = .003). No recurrent dislocation occurred in either group. The apprehension test was negative in all patients in both groups. At the final follow-up, no significant difference was detected between the open group and the arthroscopic group regarding any of the clinical outcome measurements. The transferred coracoid graft was level with the glenoid in all patients in both groups. The open group had better position in the superior-inferior direction compared with the arthroscopic group (P < .001). No significant difference was found in screw orientation between the 2 groups (P = .102). At 1 year after surgery, patients in the arthroscopic group had significantly less resorption compared with patients in the open group (P = .044). Conclusion: Both procedures are effective for the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation with marked glenoid bone loss. The open group had better position in the superior-inferior direction compared with the arthroscopic group. At 1 year after surgery, patients in the arthroscopic Latarjet group showed notably less graft resorption compared with patients in the open Latarjet group.


— This study aims to determine the effect of the application of Government Accounting Standards, the application of Internal Control Systems and Completion of audit findings on the Quality of Financial Statements with Competence of Human Resources as a moderating variable. The research design method uses a survey method with data collection methods using a questionnaire. The population in this study were employees of 32 financial administration employees in the Regional Work Unit (SKPD) of Lahat Regency, using a purposive sampling technique, so that 90 employees were selected as the research sample. The analysis technique used is SmartPLS software version 220.127.116.11. The results of the analysis show that simultaneous and partial testing, the application of Government Accounting Standards, the application of the Internal Control System and the completion of audit findings have a significant effect on the quality of financial reports. Meanwhile, the competence of human resources is not able to moderate the influence between the application of Government Accounting Standards, Internal Control Systems and completion of audit findings on the Quality of Financial Statements. The coefficient of determination is 92.5 percent, while the remaining 7.5 percent is explained by other variables.


Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of sodium aluminosilicate (SAS) on performance of chicks and laying hens fed diets varying in nonphytate P (NPP), phytate, and fiber content. In two chick growth experiments a corn and soybean meal diet and a phytate and fiber-free casein-dextrose diet were used. These diets contained .1% NPP and 1.1% Ca and were fortified with 0, .05, or .10% P from KH2PO4 and 0 or .5% SAS. A 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Sodium aluminosilicate supplementation significantly (P less than .05) depressed growth of chicks fed the corn and soybean meal diets containing 0 or .05% supplemental AP. Sodium aluminosilicate addition decreased (P less than .05) tibia ash and total tibia P (tibia weight x P concentration) in both chick experiments, with the effect being greater for chicks fed the corn and soybean meal diet. In the laying hen experiment, birds were fed corn and soybean meal diets containing NPP levels of .1, .45, or 1.8% and SAS levels of 0 or 1.0%. Egg production and egg yield were depressed (P less than .05) by feeding diets containing .1 or 1.8% NPP, and egg specific gravity was decreased (P less than .05) by feeding 1.8% NPP. Addition of SAS to the .1% NPP diet caused a large reduction (P less than .05) in egg production, egg weight, and feed efficiency, whereas SAS supplementation of the 1.8% NPP diet had no significant effect. Sodium aluminosilicate supplementation increased (P less than .05) egg specific gravity for hens fed the .1 and 1.8% NPP diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Four experiments are reported on the identification of line drawings of common objects. In each experiment, performance on "unconventional" views of the objects, in which the major axis of the object was foreshortened, was compared to performance on more "conventional" views without appreciable foreshortening. In each experiment, except Experiment 2, where performance on the two views was experimentally equated, the foreshortened views were more difficult to identify than were the conventional views. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that if the foreshortened views were presented on a background with strong monocular depth cues, object identification was improved. This result suggests that part of the difficulty in identifying objects depicted from such a view stems from an improper depth interpretation of the object depictions. Experiments 3 and 4 examined visual field differences in the identification of the two types of object view. Results reported in the neuropsychological literature have shown that people with right-hemisphere damage have particular difficulty with the identification of unconventional views of objects that foreshorten major axes. Accordingly, it was expected that there would be a left visual field advantage for the foreshortened views. Neither experiment yielded any visual field effects consistent with this expectation. Possible reasons for the lack of a field effect are discussed.


Exercise-induced asthma was studied in 8 asthmatics using various conditions of inspired air during exercise. The exercise consisted of walking on a treadmill for 10 min, with a speed and grade elevation adjusted to achieve the target heart rate of approximately 90% of predicted maximum. Pulmonary function tests were performed pre- and post-exercise to determine exercise-induced asthma. With inspired air at 23 degrees C and 15% relative humidity (RH), the post-exercise forced expiratory volume in a sec (FEV1), maximal mid-expiratory flow rate (MMEF), and specific airway conductance (SGaw) decreased to an average of 69, 59 and 38% of the pre-exercise baseline, respectively. In contrast, the exercise-induced asthma was clearly prevented in all subjects by using inspired air at 37 degrees C and 100% RH, when the post-exercise FEV1, MMEF, and SGaw were 99, 100 and 91% of the baseline, respectively. Inspiration of warm, dry air or humid, room air reduced but did not prevent exercise-induced asthma. The results indicate that the primary stimulus for exercise-induced asthma may be heat loss and/or water loss from the airways during exercise.


The ICONS project investigates the relationship between innovation and the international competitiveness of service industries. The various empirical studies produced within the project make use of a rich variety of data sources on the innovative activities and international performance of thousands enterprises in both manufacturing and service industries in the Nordic countries, and complement these with data at a more aggregate (industryand country-) level of analysis. In order to shed new light on this engaging, broad and complex field of research, the project aims at three more specific (and interrelated) objectives: (1) the investigation of differences across industries in terms of their technological activities and economic dynamics, in order to highlight the main drivers of the process of structural change and industrial transformation in the long run; (2) the analysis of the link between innovation and economic performance at the firm-level, and of the extent to which this relationship is affected by sector-specific characteristics related to technological and market conditions specific to each industry; (3) the study of the patterns and determinants of different internationalisation channels and strategies that are undertaken by Nordic enterprises in the service sectors. Topic/NICe Focus Area: Innovation studies and policy


Background: Capacity to exercise may not be fully restored in patients with heart failure even in the long term after ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation. The benefits of exercise training in patients with VAD are unknown. Design and methods: Fifteen patients, aged 38.3 ± 15.9 years, bridged to heart transplantation with left ventricular assist device or biventricular assist device were randomized at a ratio of 2 : 1 to a training group (TG, n = 10) or a control group (n = 5), 6.3 ± 4 months after implantation. Both the groups were advised to walk 30–45 min/day. TG also underwent moderate-intensity aerobic exercise using a bike or treadmill for 45 min, three to five times a week, combined with high-intensity inspiratory muscle training using a computer-designed software to respiratory exhaustion, two to three times a week for 10 weeks. The patients were tested using cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 6-min walk test, spirometry and electronic pressure manometer for inspiratory muscle strength (Pimax) and endurance (sustained Pimax) measurement. Quality of life was assessed with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire. Results: TG improved peak oxygen consumption (19.3 ± 4.5 vs. 16.8 ± 3.7 ml/kg per min, P = 0.008) and VO2 at ventilatory threshold (15.1 ± 4.2 vs. 12 ± 5.6 ml/kg per min, P = 0.01), whereas the ventilation/carbon dioxide slope decreased (35.9 ± 5.6 vs. 40 ± 6.5, P = 0.009). The 6-min walk test distance increased (527 ± 76 vs. 462 ± 88 m, P = 0.005) and quality of life was improved (38.2 ± 11.6 vs. 48.9 ± 12.8, P = 0.005), as well as Pimax (131.8 ± 33 vs. 95.5 ± 28cmH2O, P = 0.005), sustained Pimax (484 ± 195 vs. 340 ± 193cmH2O/s/10 3 , P = 0.005), and inspiratoty lung capacity (2.4 ± 0.9 vs. 1.7 ± 0.7 L, P = 0.008) were improved. No significant changes were noted in the control group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that exercise training may improve the functional status of VAD recipients even at a later period after implantation and thus, may have additional importance in cases of destination therapy.


Low-Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) has been successfully applied to the investigation of the local superconducting properties of thin films and Josephson junctions as well as to the study of more complex superconducting circuits. Since many superconducting devices and circuits can be operated successfully only in low ambient magnetic fields, we have built a liquid nitrogen cooled low temperature stage with improved magnetic shielding for the temperature range between 77 and 130 K. For effective magnetic shielding we use a superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// tube in addition to several Mumetall shields. We established further improvements such as an in-vacuum motorized x-y-slide, which allows us to shift the sample with a minimum step width of 1.5 /spl mu/m. We present first test measurements of the transport properties of a high T/sub c/ dc SQUID that demonstrate the functionality of the new stage.


The Northern Grazing Systems project aims to increase adoption of innovative best-practice grazing management by beef producers throughout northern Australia. Four key areas requiring research, development and extension have been identified: stocking rate management; pasture resting; use of fire; and infrastructure development. The three main project components are: synthesis of literature; bio-economic modelling at whole beef enterprise scale; and regional guideline development. Simulations with the GRASP model were used to identify the safe stocking rate for various land types and locations. Safe stocking rate was defined as the fixed stocking rate that produced a mean percentage of perennials in the pasture of 70%. The utilisation rate corresponding to these stocking rates for a fertile land type was 18% at Longreach to 35% at Calliope in simulations using the same parameters other than climate station. For an infertile land type, the differences in safe utilisation rate and the differences in mean pasture production led to a five-fold difference in the safe stocking rate from Longreach to Calliope.


SUMMARY: Clostridium bifermentans elaborates a lecithinase which induces turbidity and curding in crude lecithovitellin preparations, and hydrolyzes egg-yolk lecithin with the liberation of acid-soluble phosphate, both over a pH range of 5·0-6·3 with a maximum in the region of pH 6·0. It does not induce turbidity in human serum alone, but does so in the presence of agar gels, which activate the reaction over a pH range of 5·0-8·0. The activities are not dependent on the presence of Ca++ ions. The enzyme responsible appears to be a lecithinase C.
In the concentration available the lecithinase haemolysed rabbit and mouse, but not human, horse, sheep or guinea-pig red cells; and it was not lethal on intravenous injection into mice, but was slightly toxic in the skin of guinea-pigs.
The Cl. bifermentans lecithinase C is antigenically related to the lecithinase C (the α-toxin) of Cl. welchii, though differing from the α-toxin in its pH optima, haemolytic powers, independence of Ca++ ions and relative non-toxicity. It is neutralized by Cl. welchii α-antitoxin, and Cl. bifermentans antilecithinase behaves in a reciprocal manner, neutralizing the lecithinase, necrotizing and lethal action of Cl. welchii α-toxin. The antigenic relation of the two lecithinases appears to be remote.


Using a theoretical semiclassical approach, we study in detail the amplitude fluctuations and correlations of a two-orthogonal polarization-mode semiconductor laser as obtained from a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). We demonstrate that there exists the possibility of squeezing in the two-mode regime besides sub-shot-noise emission in the well-known ideal single-mode operation regime. These theoretical results confirm a recent experimental demonstration of the generation of amplitude-squeezed light with VCSEL's.


Wild populations of Atlantic salmon have declined worldwide. While the causes for this decline may be complex and numerous, increased mortality at sea is predicted to be one of the major contributing factors. Examining the potential changes occurring in the genome-wide composition of populations during this migration has the potential to tease apart some of the factors influencing marine mortality. Here, we genotyped 5568 SNPs in Atlantic salmon populations representing two distinct regional genetic groups and across two cohorts to test for differential allelic and genotypic frequencies between juveniles (smolts) migrating to sea and adults (grilses) returning to freshwater after 1 year at sea. Given the complexity of the traits potentially associated with sea mortality, we contrasted the outcomes of a single-locus F(ST) based genome scan method with a new multilocus framework to test for genetically based differential mortality at sea. While numerous outliers were identified by the single-locus analysis, no evidence for parallel, temporally repeated selection was found. In contrast, the multilocus approach detected repeated patterns of selection for a multilocus group of 34 covarying SNPs in one of the two populations. No significant pattern of selective mortality was detected in the other population, suggesting different causes of mortality among populations. These results first support the hypothesis that selection mainly causes small changes in allele frequencies among many covarying loci rather than a small number of changes in loci with large effects. They also point out that moving away from the a strict 'selective sweep paradigm' towards a multilocus genetics framework may be a more useful approach for studying the genomic signatures of natural selection on complex traits in wild populations.


ABSTRACT Successful implementation of formative assessment in classrooms relies on teachers' formative assessment literacy, which is typically supported by professional development programs. This study reports on the impact of a professional development program on a group of in-service primary teachers in Hong Kong. The authors investigated the effectiveness of the program in developing teachers' formative assessment literacy and how far the program assisted them in addressing the challenges they faced when implementing formative assessment in classrooms. With a mixed-method design, quantitative data were collected with a pre- and post-program survey (N = 27); qualitative data were collected with open-ended survey questions and a focus group with six participating teachers. The results provide evidence of the program's success in developing teachers' formative assessment literacy and equipping them with the necessary skills to address the challenges in implementation. The features of professional learning communities embedded in the program contributed to the positive impact of the program.


Today's automated vehicles lack the ability to cooperate implicitly with others. This work presents a Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) based approach for decentralized cooperative planning using macro-actions for automated vehicles in heterogeneous environments. Based on cooperative modeling of other agents and Decoupled-UCT (a variant of MCTS), the algorithm evaluates the state-action-values of each agent in a cooperative and decentralized manner, explicitly modeling the interdependence of actions between traffic participants. Macro-actions allow for temporal extension over multiple time steps and increase the effective search depth requiring fewer iterations to plan over longer horizons. Without predefined policies for macro-actions, the algorithm simultaneously learns policies over and within macro-actions. The proposed method is evaluated under several conflict scenarios, showing that the algorithm can achieve effective cooperative planning with learned macro-actions in heterogeneous environments.


Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by interfering translation or stability of target transcripts. This interplay between miRNA and their mRNA might constitute an important mechanism in the regulation of the proatherothrombotic status of SLE patients. Objectives To investigate the contribution of deregulated miRNAs to the altered gene profile associated to cardiovascular disease in SLE. Methods Thirty three SLE patients and 27 healthy donors were included in the study. Gene Expression Microarray (44K, Agilent, one colour) and nCounter microRNA Expression Array (NanoString Technologies) were performed, respectively, to analyze mRNA and miRNA expression profiles on isolated monocytes. Target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were identified by using the Igenuity Pathway Analysis Software (IPA). To recognize the putative microRNA-mRNA target pairs and interaction networks, the subsets of miRNAs and mRNAs were characterized by the microRNA Target Filter tool of IPA. The resulting identified interactions were revalidated by RT-PCR on the whole cohort of SLE patients. The predicted microRNA-mRNA interactions were also tested by functional analyses using microRNA over expression experiments in monocytes purified from SLE patients Results Comparative analysis of the mRNA profiles showed significantly different expressions of 1222 genes in SLE monocytes in relation to healthy monocytes (658 up-regulated and 564 down-regulated). Functional analysis by using IPA showed that about 30% of altered genes were involved in inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Comparative analysis of the microRNA profiles showed significantly different expressions of 37 microRNAs in SLE monocytes (8 up-regulated and 29 down-regulated). Functional IPA analysis showed that microRNAs altered were mainly related to connective tissue disorders, inflammatory response and reproductive system disease. A total of 63 genes were inversely correlated, and predicted as CVD-related target genes of 23 differentially expressed microRNAs. Interaction networks of those genes and some microRNAs differentially expressed in SLE monocytes were also identified. Among them, we verified the overexpression of STAT3 and PPARg (which promote monocyte/macrophage differentiation and uptake of oxLDL) associated to inhibition of miR-130a-3p. Similarly, we demonstrated in our patients cohort the overexpression of CMKLR1 (chemokine receptor regulating the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes to sites of inflammation) associated with inhibition of miR-149–5p. The relationship between these identified target genes and specific miRNAs was further delineated in ex vivo studies. Conclusions We have identified novel microRNA-mRNA regulatory networks related to CVD in SLE, thus delineating a novel genetic control of the diverse biological processes and factors related to the cardiovascular pathology present in this autoimmune condition. Acknowledgement Supported by FIS (PI01333/2015) and CTS-7940. Disclosure of Interest None declared


We explore the role of human capital aspects in explaining whether nascents succeed in the start-up of a new venture. The data used are based on a survey among nascent entrepreneurs in Germany and the Netherlands supplemented by follow-up interviews one year after the first contact. Applying multinomial probit estimations we find that several human capital aspects are related to the probability of getting the business started. For example, a high general degree of human capital (i.e. holding a university degree) lowers the likelihood to succeed in the start-up of the venture, whereas recent employment experience (as opposed to being unemployed or out of the labor force) increases start-up success. Furthermore, we find that specialists are more likely to succeed in getting their business started than generalists.


The maize (Zea mays L.) ZmCNR13 gene, encoding a protein of fw2.2-like (FWL) family, has been demonstrated to be involved in cell division, expansion, and differentiation. In the present study, the genomic sequences of the ZmCNR13 locus were re-sequenced in 224 inbred lines, 56 landraces and 30 teosintes, and the nucleotide polymorphism and selection signature were estimated. A total of 501 variants, including 415 SNPs and 86 Indels, were detected. Among them, 51 SNPs and 4 Indels were located in the coding regions. Although neutrality tests revealed that this locus had escaped from artificial selection during the process of maize domestication, the population of inbred lines possesses lower nucleotide diversity and decay of linkage disequilibrium. To estimate the association between sequence variants of ZmCNR13 and maize ear characteristics, a total of ten ear-related traits were obtained from the selected inbred lines. Four variants were found to be significantly associated with six ear-related traits. Among them, SNP2305, a non-synonymous mutation in exon 2, was found to be associated with ear weight, ear grain weight, ear diameter and ear row number, and explained 4.59, 4.61, 4.31, and 8.42% of the phenotypic variations, respectively. These results revealed that natural variations of ZmCNR13 might be involved in ear development and can be used in genetic improvement of maize ear-related traits.


We have developed an automated purification method for terminator sequencing products based on a magnetic bead technology. This 384well protocol generates labeled DNA fragments that are essentially free of contaminates for less than $0.005 per reaction. In comparison to laborious ethanol precipitation protocols, this method increases the phred20 read length by forty bases with various DNA templates such as PCR fragments, Plasmids, Cosmids and RCA products. Our method eliminates centrifugation and is compatible with both the MegaBACE 1000 and ABI Prism 3700 capillary instruments. As of September 2001, this method has produced over 1.6 million samples with 93% averaging 620 phred20 bases as part of Joint Genome Institutes Production Process.


The nominal group-technique is an excellent manner to gather, analyse and prioritise data. However, due to power hierarchies, time and size constraints, it often happens that separate nominal groups need to be done to obtain data from different participants. Collating these different sets of data has to be done in a scientific way to ensure validity of the priority list. This manuscript contains illustrated step-by-step guidelines for other researchers in the process of collating and prioritising data from multiple nominal groups to ensure that the voice of all participants have equal standing, notwithstanding their status.


This paper is concerned with investigating, experiencing, and validating some non classic techniques for compound moving objects analysis in successive video frames. This composite-tasks problem has so far been very'rarely' dealt with as a 'single' multidirectional problem, it has always been handled as several separate unidirectional, or seldom bidirectional problems. The paper exhibits an HCI system for effective movement detection and velocity computation using triple typed model for background updating: automatic static threshold, changeable static threshold, and modified dynamic model for thresholding. The motivation behind this work is to introduce a compound method compositely involving the tasks of: motion detection, object segmentation, features extraction, besides two different schemes for velocity computation under an empirical approach. The first scheme for velocity computation is of centroid-shift basis, whereas in the second scheme this has been interpreted through identifying the image as time varying functions applicable for processing through the 2Ddiscrete Fourier transform (DFT). In the first scheme for velocity computation, the kernel philosophy is based on the concept that the spatio temporal pixel variation between two successive video frames involves sufficient information to compute possible registered motion. In the second scheme which is of DFT basis, the underlying philosophy is based on marrying the two independent segmentation approaches of background subtraction and temporal frames differencing through a single correlation exhibiting the behavioral–mathematical model of the examined indoor/outdoor image sequences. The justification of applying this method on the presented HCI system has been manifested through output data, human visual perceptual inspection, plus histogramming showing appreciable accuracy, lower level of noise, and shorter segmentation time in comparison with some available standard techniques. The output of this HCI system is moreover viable to provide other possible electro-mechanical interfaced subsystems with high level data to help making decisions more accurately within shorter time. The anticipated wide spectrum of application for this system includes: computer-controlled manufacturing, process control civil and military applications, robotics and machine vision, surveillance and security control, traffic control, athletic and dancing performance evaluation.


Spontaneous and mannozyme-induced whole blood chemiluminescence was studied in 14 patients with chronic periapical granuloma. Investigations were performed before surgery and 7 days as well as 3 months after apicectomy. Spontaneous chemiluminescence was significantly higher in patients versus normal controls. The elevated spontaneous chemiluminescence decreased significantly after surgery. Results indicate that, in these patients, granulocytes are in a metabolically and functionally activated state in vivo.


Background: To evaluate the preventive effect and enhance immunity functions of Bu-zhong-yi-qi wan in vivo.
Materials and Methods: S180 tumor mice model was established by subcutaneous injection a dose of 0.2 ml (1×107/ml) at the right
oxter. The inhibitory rates, spleen indexes and thymus indexes were calculated. Splenic lymphocyte proliferative activity assay and
phagocytosis activity of peritoneal macrophages were done. Interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL-2) and tumor necrotic factor (TNF-α) in
serum were detected.
Results: In the S180 tumor-bearing mice, Bu-zhong-yi-qi wan with medium-dose (975 mg/kg, 100 mg/l) had potent preventive effect and
anti-tumor effect, macrophage phagocytosis and Con A-stimulated splenocyte proliferation were increased as compared with model
control treatment. Bu-zhong-yi-qi wan could take part in the immune response by promoting the proliferation and differentiation of Tcells,
increasing the activity of the macrophages, inducing the generation of cell factor IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ.
Conclusion: It proved that Bu-zhong-yi-qi wan of medium-dose had great preventive effect and could enhance immunity function.


The authors review current understanding of generalized anxiety disorder, with particular regard to the clinical description made by the DSM-III-R. Discussion is focused on the validity of the diagnostic criteria of the disorder and on the debate on the nosological position of the illness. The review cites evidence regarding prevalence of the disorder and data on its comorbidity with the other anxiety disorders and with mood disorders. Evidence on intra-episodic, longitudinal and familial co-morbidities are assessed. Aspects of psychopathology of generalized anxiety disorders are also discussed.


Crabs are thought to play a vital role in structuring gastropod populations. Studies quantifying the frequencies with which crabs attack gastropods in natural settings are, however, scarce. Although a wide variety of techniques exist with which predator–prey interactions can be investigated (e.g. laboratory experiments, exclusion caging, tethering and population surveys), there is a need for methods that can provide large amounts of quantitative data, particularly documenting the frequency with which crabs attack gastropods. This study examines the utility of using wax replicas of gastropods to determine crab attack frequencies. Replicas of Chlorostoma funebralis, Nucella ostrina and Nucella lamellosa were bolted to mesh screens and deployed in the rocky intertidal. Crabs attacked wax replicas of gastropods, leaving characteristic marks in the wax. In most cases, the appendage used in the attack could be identified from the marks (i.e. chelae vs walking legs). The effectiveness of this technique was verified using surveys of repair scar frequencies of the gastropod populations; patterns in attack frequency, determined from the number of marked wax replicas, were consistent with those of repair frequency, in that both were greater at the wave protected, quiet water locality. This study confirms the value of wax replicas in investigations of crab predation to determine the frequency and type of attack, and illustrates the potential of this method for quantifying predation intensity. The development of techniques that quantify the magnitude and exact nature of the effects of crab predation on intertidal communities is pivotal, given the intensity of commercial fishing of some species of crabs.


Human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) are blood-transmitted retroviruses associated with leukemia, myelopathy, and uveitis. From 51,135 eligible blood donors at the Fundacao Hemominas tested in 1993, 689 (1.35%) were repeatedly reactive to HTLV-I/II antibodies by enzyme immunoassay and were notified accordingly. Routes of transmission and preventive measures were emphasized in the orientation. Supplementary laboratory tests should be available and free of cost. Health services should recommend the use of latex condoms and make them available. Avoiding shared use of needles or syringes is important for both the seropositive donor and public health in general. In a country with such widespread malnutrition, the benefits of breast-feeding usually outweigh the risks of virus transmission. Based on our experience, we recommend that: 1) identical orientation be given to donors by all health professionals involved in counseling; 2) level of schooling be considered and information provided accordingly; 3) donors be assisted in understanding and assessing available information; 4) psychological assistance be provided to anxious or depressed donors; and 5) joint counseling be offered to donors with stable partners.


A fundamental study on the adsorption of metal elements on Shirasu, a pyroclastic flow deposit distributed in southern Kyushu, Japan, has been conducted. The adsorption experiment was carried out by a batch method, and by using Zn(II) and Cu(II) under several conditions; the effects of the initial concentration of metal ions, grain size, and pH were investigated. At smaller grain sizes, the amount of Zn(II) and Cu(II) adsorbed increased. At higher pH values, the amount of Zn(II) and Cu(II) adsorbed increased. Plots of the adsorption isotherm indicated that the adsorption of Zn(II) and Cu(II) on Shirasu followed the Langmuir isotherm model, and the Langmuir isotherm constants, W_0 and b , were obtained. W_0 at pH 5.0 was approximately two-times larger than that at pH 3. O. This may reflect an increase in the number of anionic binding sites on the surface of Shirasu with an increase in the pH. The b value for Zn hardly changed with an increase in the pH, and for Cu the value decreased with an increase in the pH. These observations suggest that anionic binding sites have a low stability constant, since the apparent stability constant, b , is obtained as the average of stability constanst of all sites on the Shirasu surface.


Poboya River has provided many benefits for local as to suffice their needs of clean water, agriculture/ plantation, husbandry, household and also used for people's gold mining. Gold mining is dominated by amalgamation techniques which are potentially contaminated by mercury. This study aims to derive a mercury pollution control strategy from a sustainable people's gold mining. This study includes interviewing the key stakeholders that have been chosen purposively using questionnaire. The data obtained were then analyzed by AHP. The results of this study found that potential factors on mercury pollution control were government policies which related to the implementation of gold mining management, supporting facilities and infrastructure, and the adequate level of community education. The main stakeholders who had the control should be hold by the government (local government), law enforcers and the community. Preferred objectives should be to reduce the pollution and to restore the ecosystem. The ideal strategy for mercury pollution control from the gold mining process become successful and sustainable are super minor technology that uses the density without adding hazardous and toxic materials


A novel control method of a three-phase single-switch boost power factor corrector is presented. Using this method, the system is operated under variable switching frequency without any current measurement. The input current is operated in quasi-critical discontinuous mode, which has low harmonic content. Simulation and experimental results verifying the theoretical predictions are also presented.


The development of high-performance and cost-effective catalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions is key to efficient electrocatalysis of water, which offers a promising solution to convert and store those green but unsteady energies. Herein, we report a hierarchical nickel–carbon composite, fabricated by directly growing sheet-like Ni–MOFs on commercial nickel foam prior to high-temperature annealing, as a highly efficient bifunctional catalyst. This composite shows remarkable catalytic activities for both the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in an alkaline electrolyte, affording a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 37 mV for the HER and 265 mV for the OER. Furthermore, an electrolyzer employing the composite as a bifunctional catalyst in both the cathode and the anode delivers a current density of 35.9 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 1.60 V with extended stability, which is even superior to the integrated Pt/C and RuO2 counterparts. This excellent performance is believed to be a result of a concerted synergy due to its hierarchical structure, enabling excellent reaction kinetics. Further ex situ XRD and XPS analyses reveal that while metallic nickel is responsible for the HER, Ni nanoparticles with an oxide shell encapsulated in graphitic carbon are the OER catalytically-active sites formed in situ.


All-trans and 9-cis retinoic acids are natural derivatives of vitamin A that modulate gene expression as a consequence of binding to nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs). RXRs form heterodimers with RARs in vitro, and such complexes display enhanced binding affinities for cognate DNA response elements. As yeast is devoid of endogenous RARs and RXRs, we used this organism to investigate whether transactivation in vivo requires RAR/RXR heterodimers. Using a domain-swapping approach, we demonstrate that chimeric RAR alpha 1 and RXR alpha containing the DNA-binding domain of the estrogen receptor activate transcription of a cognate reporter gene in yeast, independently of each other. These activities result from an inducible transcription activation function located in the ligand-binding domains of RAR alpha 1 and RXR alpha and a constitutive activation function located in the A/B region of RAR alpha 1. The inducible activation function of RXR alpha is induced exclusively by 9-cis-retinoic acid in this system. Transactivation of a reporter gene containing a retinoic acid response element by RAR alpha was considerably increased by RXR alpha, even in the absence of ligand. Optimal induction was achieved with 9-cis-retinoic acid, which stimulates the activity of both receptors. This study illustrates the utility of yeast to investigate signal transduction by retinoids in the absence of endogenous RARs, RXRs, and detectable retinoic acid isomerization.


We have studied the interactions between morphine and a dopamine-blocking agent (haloperidol) and a dopamine precursor, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa). We found that haloperidol potentiated morphine-induced analgesia and enhanced morphine tolerance. Morphine-tolerant mice exhibited enhanced sensitivity to the locomotor excitatory actions of L-dopa. We propose that morphine exerts some of its central nervous actions by first interfering with dopamine-mediated synaptic transmission and then initiating compensatory changes that superficially resemble denervation supersensitivity. These compensatory changes may underlie the excitatory actions of morphine.


At postharvest, the main factor for the fruit and vegetable quality protection is to apply low storage temperature. Also, by the developing technology, alterative protection techniques start to come into prominence in addition cold storage. In a summary, the purpose of these technologies is to preserve food quality for longer time and to provide increasing of shelf-life of foods. One of the alternatives preserving technologies that has taken importance at recent years is ozone technology. In this study, different dozes of ozone gas effect on the broccoli quality were investigated. 0.05 ppm and 0.3 ppm ozone treatments were applied to samples that were kept in the vegetable compartment at refrigerator. Broccoli samples were evaluated with regards to vitamin C, chlorophyll, weight loss, total viable and mold-yeast count and visual quality parameters. As a result, it was indicated that ozone treatment has positive effects on vitamin C, chlorophyll, weight loss and visual quality during cold storage whereas hardness, total viable and mold-yeast count values do not be affected by ozone application.


In this paper, a novel switching controller is proposed for a networked visual servo control system with varying feedback delay due to image processing and data transmission. The varying image processing delay caused by the varying number of extracted features for pose estimation due to different view angles, illumination conditions and noise, is modeled by its occurrence probability. The time delay due to transmission over the communication network is also modeled as random process. By using a sampled-data system approach and an input-delay approach, the linearized visual servo control system is reformulated into a stochastic continuous-time system with time-varying delay. A novel stability condition and associated switching controller are derived based on the occurrence probabilities of delays. Experiments on a 1-DoF linear module equipped with a camera are conducted to validate the proposed approach. A non-switching controller approach is implemented for comparison. The experimental results demonstrate significant performance improvement of the proposed control approach.


Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) decides the sex fate of an individual based on incubation temperature. However, other environmental factors, such as pollutants, could derail TSD sexual development. Cadmium is one such contaminant of soils and water bodies known to affect DNA methylation, an epigenetic DNA modification with a key role in sexual development of TSD vertebrate embryos. Yet, whether cadmium alters DNA methylation of genes underlying gonadal formation in turtles remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of cadmium on the expression of two gene regulators of TSD in the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, incubated at male-producing and female-producing temperatures using qPCR. Results revealed that cadmium alters transcription of Dmrt1 and aromatase, overriding the normal thermal effects during embryogenesis, which could potentially disrupt the sexual development of TSD turtles. Results from a preliminary DNA methylation-sensitive PCR assay implicate changes in DNA methylation of Dmrt1 as a potential cause that requires further testing (aromatase methylation assays were precluded).


In a traditional streaming system, the field of view (FOV) of an image is limited based on the FOV of the camera. One solution is the use of a pan/tilt camera, yet this is difficult for multiple clients to handle, plus there is a delay between the client and the server due to camera motion. Therefore, to solve these problems, a new streaming system is proposed that uses panorama image. However, the server does not compress the whole panorama image, which would involve sending huge amounts of data through the Internet. Instead, only parts of the panorama image are compressed and transmitted based on the navigation requests of the client, thereby reducing the compression burden on the server


Background: An increasing shortage of vascular neurologists forced an academic provider to find a city-wide solution to offer 24x7 access to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) across independent and competing health care systems in the area. We sought to prospectively evaluate the annual IVT treatment delivery in our population and compare it to leading stroke centers worldwide. Methods: The largest single ER system and 3 other independent hospital providers in the area agreed to work with a single practice plan vascular neurology team (catchment area of 1,344,127 individuals). All acute ischemic stroke patients that were treated with IVT across all primary or tertiary care centers in our area were prospectively documented over a 12-month period (January-December 2015). A literature search was performed using narrative review methodology to document similar population-based treatment rates across leading stroke centers in North America, Europe and Australasia. Results: A total of 552 patients received IVT with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in 2015. Single ER system delivered 433 IV tPA treatments and 119 more patients were treated in the remaining hospitals. The annual tPA treatment rate was 41 per 100.000 individuals (95%CI: 38-44) favorably comparable to published annual treatment rates from leading international stroke centers (Table, 1998 thru 2015). Conclusions: A city-wide vascular neurology team can attend to patient populations across competing health care systems in the U.S. and deliver IVT at volumes and rates above those reported by leading treatment centers worldwide. Communities with competing systems can improve tPA delivery by sharing vascular neurology resources.


Resistance to quinolones and fluoroquinolones is being increasingly reported among human but also veterinary isolates during the last two to three decades, very likely as a consequence of the large clinical usage of those antibiotics. Even if the principle mechanisms of resistance to quinolones are chromosome-encoded, due to modifications of molecular targets (DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV), decreased outer-membrane permeability (porin defect), and overexpression of naturally occurring efflux, the emergence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) has been reported since 1998. Although these PMQR determinants confer low-level resistance to quinolones and/or fluoroquinolones, they are a favorable background for selection of additional chromosome-encoded quinolone resistance mechanisms. Different transferable mechanisms have been identified, corresponding to the production of Qnr proteins, of the aminoglycoside acetyltransferase AAC(6′)-Ib-cr, or of the QepA-type or OqxAB-type efflux pumps. Qnr proteins protect target enzymes (DNA gyrase and type IV topoisomerase) from quinolone inhibition. The AAC(6′)-Ib-cr determinant acetylates several fluoroquinolones, such as norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Finally, the QepA and OqxAB efflux pumps extrude fluoroquinolones from the bacterial cell. A series of studies have identified the environment to be a reservoir of PMQR genes, with farm animals and aquatic habitats being significantly involved. In addition, the origin of the qnr genes has been identified, corresponding to the waterborne species Shewanella sp. Altogether, the recent observations suggest that the aquatic environment might constitute the original source of PMQR genes, that would secondly spread among animal or human isolates.


The representativeness heuristic suggests that similarity judgments provide a basis for judgments of likelihood. We use Tversky's (1977) contrast model of similarity to design tests of this underlying mechanism. If similarity is used to judge likelihood, factors that are known to affect similarity should also affect judgments of likelihood. In two experiments, we manipulated two such factors described in the contrast model of similarity: the nature of the task and context effects. In a between-subject design, respondents assessed either similarity of fictive citizens of 15th century Florence, or the likelihood that they belonged to the same family. The factors that affected similarity also affected the likelihood judgments. These results support the assumption that similarity is an important contributor to judgments of likelihood.


Due to the coming of the digital age as a result of the increasing convenience of the Internet and wireless data transmission networks, local area measurement systems are gradually being extended to wide area measurement systems. In this paper, we propose a design and implementation of a wireless remote measurement system, which is an integration of a client-server remote Windows-based signal generator, a digital storage oscilloscope, and a transmission channel of an Internet and wireless network. The experimental results show that the transmission rate of the remote measurement system can reach 1.2 K samples per second that can cause some dine delay in the whole system operation. However, due to the batching scanning mechanism in the waveform reconstruction, the overall bandwidth limitation of the measurement system is limited by the characteristics of the interface circuits. The primary results from the test circuit measured by a local oscilloscope and our experimental system agree with each other.


In this paper, a Particle Swarm optimization (PSO) based PID controller is implemented For BLDC motor with Luo Converter. A PSO is designed for PID controller. This study is concerned with employing permanent magnet BLDC motor drive powered from a solar photovoltaic array in which a Luoconverter is used for maximum power point tracking. Amidst the various DC-DC converters, Luoconverters are best suited for solar applications. It has high power density, high efficiency and a simple structure rendering high output voltage with small ripples. Constant Voltage (CV) Algorithm is used as the MPP tracking. The whole system is simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment and the results are presented.The result shows that the PSO based PID controller designed is able to control the speed of BLDC motor properly with the desired response speed. The simulation will be done for Brushless DC motor with PSO using MATLAB/Simulink software the effectiveness of the proposed PSO controller is compared with ANFIS Controller.


Meningiomas located inside the bone of the calvaria belong to the group of rare types of tumours. The microcystic variant is the least common in this area. Due to their similarity to other tumours in this area, the imaging test of those tumours may constitute the source of an improper preoperative diagnosis. According to the records of the Department of Neurosurgery in Bielsko-Biała, 133 patients diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma confirmed by a histopathological test were operated in the last 10 years (2004–2014). In the histopathological test, three patients were diagnosed with the microcystic variant, which constitutes 2.25% of the cases. Only one variant of microcystic meningioma was located inside the bone, which constitutes 0.75% of all the meningiomas operated.


The paper analyzes consumption decisions of retired workers, using Danish register data. A major puzzle, which motivates much of the analysis below, is that that wealth actually increases for a large fraction (roughly half) of the people in our data. One would expect that wealth accumulated before retirement would be used to augment consumption in later life, with the implication that wealth should decline over time. The risk of large out-of-pocket medical expenditures is negligible in Denmark, so although explanations associated with such expenditures might explain similar patterns in U.S. data, these explanations are not plausible for Denmark (and therefore also questionable for the U.S.) Our analysis instead attempts to explain wealth paths using a model that emphasizes health-related fluctuations in the marginal utility of consumption.


Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation involves the homing of stem cells to the marrow, an active process of engraftment, and the self-renewal of the blood stem cells. We have been using the zebrafish as a model to study the molecular biology of this process. Blood stem cells are born in the dorsal aorta of the developing embryo. By imaging RUNX1 GFP+ cells arriving in the next site of hematopoiesis (the caudal hematopoietic territory), engraftment can be visualized. The endothelial cells of the niche cuddle the hematopoietic stem cells, and the stem cells divide in the niche. We have used RNA tomography to find transcripts that are restricted in expression to the niche endothelial cells. After sorting these endothelial cells, we used ATAC seq to reveal regions of chromatin that are open. The regions function in enhancer assays to drive expression of GFP in the niche. By computing the binding sites in these regions, and examining RNA seq, we found transcription factors that may participate in niche endothelial development. Overexpression of three of these transcription factors is sufficient to reprogram embryonic cells to express the markers of the niche. New niches form in ectopic locations and HSPCs arrive in the new niche, akin to extramedullary hematopoiesis, are cuddled by endothelial cells and divide. Using a brainbow color barcoding system, we previously demonstrated that zebrafish produce 20-30 HSCs from the developing aorta. HSCs traffic to the embryonic niche where they exit circulation and divide. To evaluate a possible role of macrophages in attenuating HSC clone number, we depleted macrophages in our brainbow barcoding system. Unique color barcodes were induced in individual HSCs at 24 hpf, just prior to stem cell emergence, and clodronate loaded liposomes injected into circulation. On average, animals injected with clodronate liposomes had only 14 HSC color clones, compared to 24.6 HSC clones in sibling controls (p = 0.0002). Our studies show that there is a transcriptional code for niche endothelial cells and that macrophages are required for establishing clonality. Citation Format: Leonard I. Zon. Stem cell clonality and the niche [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr SY42-02.


Transport costs arise from carrying inventory in-transit, from numerous operations connected with frequent and small deliveries resulted from just in time deliveries. Low costs, short time of transport and accepted level of risk are crucial for logistics managers. Focus on customer needs' satisfaction, order fulfillment, short transit time, on-time delivery; gives transport costs a new dimension. The research was carried out within manufacturing companies in south western Nigeria. The population of the study consists of top management staff, this includes logistics, procurement and marketing managers. The sample of this study consisted 10 Manufacturing companies from the list of fifty (50) quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange modified by Manufacturing Association of Nigeria in 2005. The data collected was analyzed using of regression analysis. The analysis shows that logistics outsourcing helps manufacturing companies to reduce transport cost. Transport is needed throughout the whole supply chain being the link between supply chain members. Consequently quality of transport service affects the competitiveness of the entire supply chain. The findings revealed efficient transport cost among outbound logistics activities indicating their significant effect on reducing transport cost. The paper recommended that outsourcing be encouraged. This is in order to promote economies of scale which reduces cost, enhances fleet management, as well as customers' satisfaction. KEYWORD: Outsourcing, Transport, Logistics Services, Logistic Management, Transport Cost, Fleet Management, Customer Satisfaction


is commonly assumed; and Freudianism, at least in distorted forms, has been associated with the 1920s especially. If claims for Freud's importance in the 1920s are justified, they should be validated by contemporary writing about child-rearing practices.1 Child-rearing processes, dependent as they are on the total social system, can be taken as sensitive indicators of large-scale change in thought and behavior.2 Since Freud's ideas emphasized the importance of childhood experience in forming adult personality, one would expect his ideas to have influenced the thinking of opinion leaders on child-rearing. Testimony to the general influence of Freud is not hard to find. For example, Alfred Kazin, well-known student of America, says that "no other system of thought in modern times, except the great religions, has been adopted by so many people as a systematic interpretation of individual behavior. Consequently, to those who have no other belief, Freudianism sometimes serves as a philosophy of life." And Kazin further states that "the greatest and most beautiful effect of Freudianism is the


The study of microbiomes across organisms and environments has become a prominent focus in molecular ecology. This perspective article explores methodological advancements, common challenges and future directions in the field. Key research areas include understanding the drivers of microbiome community assembly, linking microbiome composition to host genetics, exploring microbial functions, transience, and spatial partitioning, and disentangling non-bacterial components of the micro-biome. Methodological advancements, such as quantifying absolute abundances, sequencing complete genomes, and utilizing novel statistical approaches, are also useful tools for understanding complex microbial diversity patterns. Our aims are to encourage robust practices in microbiome studies and inspire researchers to explore the next frontier of this rapidly changing field.


The popularity of delay-sensitive applications has been rapidly evolving in recent years. However, the current Internet is not well designed to support the delivery of such traffic. The SRD (Stochastic Rate-Delay) services proposed in this paper empower a user to choose either a higher transmission rate or a low queuing delay at a congested network link. While average low delay remains guaranteed, the delay constraint is allowed to violate occasionally. The implementation enforces the intended service differentiation via link scheduling and sizing of the buffer. We build a model using stochastic network calculus to analyze the SRD services proposal and shed light on its fundamental characteristics quantitatively.


The purpose of this research is to know whether or not the influence of product promotion interest to buy and the quality of products to buy. Interest methods used in the sample collection on this research is non-probability sampling with purposive. sampling proceduresAs for the result of this research is variable product promotion influential significantly on variables interest buy.Variable product quality had an impact significantly on variables interest buy.


In females, a small evagination of parietal peritoneum accompanies the round ligament through the inguinal ring into the inguinal canal and is called the canal of Nuck; it is homologous to the process vaginalis in males. If it fails to undergo complete obliteration, an indirect inguinal hernia or a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck can occur. We report three cases of this rare developmental disorder, discuss the CT findings and its use in the diagnosis of a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.


The members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family are over expressed in a variety of malignancies and are frequently linked to aggressive disease and a poor prognosis. Although clinically effective monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been developed to target HER2 and EGFR, the remaining two family members, HER3 and HER4, have not been the subject of significant efforts. In this paper, we have taken the initial steps required to generate antibodies with potential clinically utility that target the members of the EGFR family. The genes for the extracellular domains (ECDs) of all four members of the EGFR family were cloned and used to stably transfect 293 (HEK) cells. Milligram quantities of each ECD were produced and characterized. The HER3, HER4, and EGFR ECDs were then employed as targets for the selection of antibodies from naïve human scFv (single-chain Fv) phage display libraries. Six unique scFv clones were isolated that bound specifically to HER3, 13 unique clones were isolated with specificity for HER4 and 52 unique anti-EGFR clones were isolated. These scFvs provide a valuable and potentially clinically relevant panel of agents to target the members of the EGFR family.


A key advantage of autonomic database management systems will be their ability to manage according to business policies. Translating high-level business policies into low-level tuning actions and parameters is, however, a non-trivial problem as there is little similarity in the metrics used for measuring database performance and business performance. These translations can be simplified, however, by having a model that reflects the business policies. In this paper, we utilise an economic model to implement importance policy as a parameter for the allocation of system resources. The relative importance of the workloads can therefore be utilised in allocating system resources, such as main memory for buffer space and shares of the CPU. We simulate the model in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. We present experiments to show the impact of the relative importance of workloads on the allocation of resources, specifically buffer area and CPU.


Using data compiled from concentrated residential urban revitalization programs implemented in Richmond, Virginia, between 1999 and 2004, we study residential externalities. We estimate that housing externalities decrease by half approximately every 1,000 feet. On average, land prices in neighborhoods targeted for revitalization rose by 2–5 percent at an annual rate above those in a control neighborhood. These increases translate into land value gains of between $2 and $6 per dollar invested in the program over a 6‐year period. We provide a simple theory that helps us estimate and interpret these effects in terms of the parameters of the model.


In this article, the chemical and structural changes inside soda-lime glasses induced by femtosecond (fs) laser pulsing have been reported, based on transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy studies. Under fs-laser interaction, Na-rich phases are formed, and Na nanoparticles are also precipitated around the Na-rich phases. These findings demonstrate how powerful and efficient the fs-laser pulsing and interaction can be in making novel microstructures in soda-lime silicate glass, and they bridge the gap between the macroscale property changes and nanometer-scale structures.


The experiment of rock-like material plays an important role in the simulation of engineering fractured rock mass. To further understand the influence of raw materials on rock-like materials, this paper carried out the indoor mechanical properties test and the micro-pore structure detection combining NMR and SEM. The effects of micron-silica fume (SF) on microporous structure parameters and macroscopic mechanical properties under different conditions of water–cement ratio (WCR) and sand–cement ratio (SCR) were discussed. The intrinsic relationship between parameters of different scales was analyzed. The experimental results showed that the porosity parameters of different radii gradually decreased with the increase in SF. The reduction rate of macroporous porosity was the greatest, and the decreasing rate of microporous porosity was the smallest. With the increase in SF, the microscopic characteristics of the internal surface changed from more pores, complex morphological distribution, rough surface to fewer pores, regular morphological distribution and flat and uniform surface. The box fractal dimension also showed a decreasing trend. Micro-pore structure makes a valuable contribution to the influence of SF on mechanical properties. The compressive strength and tensile strength increased with the increase in SF. The box fractal dimension and porosity of different radii were negatively correlated with mechanical strength. Different porosity parameters conformed to a good exponential relationship with mechanical properties. The research results can provide reference value and research space for subsequent rock-like material research.


Within the whole range of geological science there is perhaps not a point on which a greater amount of misapprehension prevails than in regard to the evidence which we ought to expect of former glacial periods. The imperfection of geological records is far greater than is generally believed—so great, indeed, that the mere absence of direct geological evidence can hardly be regarded as sufficient proof that the conclusions derived from astronomical and physical considerations regarding former ice-periods are improbable. Nor is this all. Not only are the geological records of ancient glacial conditions imperfect, but this imperfection follows as a natural consequence from the principles of geology itself. There are not merely so many blanks or gaps in the records, but a reason exists in the very nature of geological evidence why such breaks in the record might naturally be expected to occur. The evidence of Glaciation is to be found chiefly on Land-surfaces.—It is on a land-surface that the principal traces of the action of ice during a glacial epoch are left, for it is there that the stones are chiefly striated, the rocks ground down, and the Boulder-clay formed. But where are all our ancient land-surfaces? They are not to be found. The total thickness of the stratified rocks of Great Britain is, according to Professor Ramsay, nearly fourteen miles. But from the top to the bottom of this enormous pile of deposits there is hardly a single land-surface to be detected. Patches of real old land-surfaces of


Recently, KCNK3 has been identified as a new predisposing gene for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by whole-exome sequencing. Mutation in KCNK3 gene is responsible for the first channelopathy identified in PAH. PAH due to KCNK3 mutations is an autosomal dominant disease with an incomplete penetrance as previously described in PAH due to BMPR2 mutations. This discovery represents an important advance for genetic counselling, allowing identification of high risk relatives for PAH and possible screening for PAH in KCNK3 mutation carriers.


An annealed AZ31-Mg specimen (AZ31-O) was given a FSP (friction stir process) to obtain a AZ31-FSP specimen, whose tensile and vibration fracture mechanisms are examined in this study. As a result of FSP, the structure of the stirred zone (SZ) separated into two zones: (1) the SZ-top had a finer structure and (2) the grain size of the SZ-bottom was like the AZ31-O specimen. Because the basal plane (0002) had pressed close to the trace surface of the onion structure in the SZ, the recrystallization of FSP increased the elongation of the specimens at room temperature, but the refined grains had no contribution to tensile strength and had an unusual Hall-Petch effect. Notably, the vibration deformed resistance of the AZ31-FSP specimen was higher than that of the AZ31-O specimen. The FSP specimen not only possessed finer structures but also had a preferred orientation in the stirred zone. This led to an increase in the crack tortuosity, which in turn increased the crack propagation resistance and the vibration life.