Scleractinian corals are increasingly subjected to local stressors combined with global changes. In subtropical areas, corals exhibit metabolic plasticity and resilience in response to variability and extremes in local temperature, salinity, and light; however, the physiological mechanisms by which corals acclimate or adapt to these changing conditions remain disputed. We assessed the physiological status of the coral Platygyra carnosa during a two-year in situ monitoring survey. To obtain metabolic rates (respiration and photosynthesis), photochemical efficiency (Fv / Fm), and biocalcification measurements, non-invasive techniques such as underwater respirometry, Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometry, total alkalinity measurements, and digital photography were used. Our findings show clear seasonality in water quality parameters, which affected coral health. Elevated temperatures during the summer were below the maximum monthly mean < 31°C) but reduced the energetic productivity of corals (-44% relative to winter). Fluctuations in salinity (25–38 ppt) and pH (7.65–8.44) were linked to rainfall and reduced calcification rates. The conditions during the spring were favorable for coral metabolism and calcification (+20% relative to summer). Overall, our research demonstrates that the metabolic plasticity of P. carnosa in response to shifts in seawater quality allows this species to survive ongoing environmental change. Our in situ observations provide fundamental insights into coral response mechanisms under changing environmental conditions and contribute to projections of coral health under future scenarios of global change.


This study describes recent advancements in the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) automated gauge ingest and quality control (QC) processes. A data latency analysis for the combined multiple gauge collection platforms provided guidance for a multiple-pass generation and delivery of gauge-based precipitation products. Various advancements to the gauge QC logic were evaluated over a 21-month period, resulting in an average of 86% of hourly gauge observations per hour being classified as useful. The fully-automated QC logic was compared to manual human QC for a limited domain, which showed a > 95% agreement in their QC reasoning categories. This study also includes an extensive evaluation of various characteristics related to the gauge observations ingested into the MRMS system. Duplicate observations between gauge collection platforms highlighted differences in site coordinates; moreover, errors in Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) station site coordinates resulted in > 79% of sites being located in a different MRMS 1-km grid cell. The ASOS coordinate analysis combined with examinations of other limitations regarding gauge observations highlight the need for robust and accurate metadata to further enhance the quality control of gauge data.


Counterstimuli such as scratching, pinching, noxious heat and cold, and innocuous cooling and warming have been shown to inhibit itch in humans. In the present study, the effects of each of these counterstimuli were determined on baseline firing rates and on sustained pruriceptive responses of rat trigeminothalamic tract neurons. We found that scratching had little, if any, effect on baseline firing levels but greatly reduced mean pruriceptive firing following scratching for nearly 1 min. None of the other noxious or innocuous counterstimuli significantly inhibited pruriceptive responses. Our results indicate that scratching, but not other counterstimuli, significantly reduces itch-induced responses of trigeminothalamic tract neurons.


CRY1 and CRY2 are essential components of the circadian clock controlling daily physiological rhythms. Accumulating evidences indicate distinct roles of these highly homologous proteins, in addition to redundant functions. Therefore, the development of isoform-selective compounds represents an effective approach towards understanding the similarities and differences of CRY1 and CRY2 by controlling each isoform individually. We conducted phenotypic screenings of circadian clock modulators, and identified KL101 and TH301 that selectively stabilize CRY1 and CRY2, respectively. Crystal structures of CRY-compound complexes revealed conservation of compound-binding sites between CRY1 and CRY2. We further discovered a unique mechanism underlying compound selectivity in which the disordered C-terminal region outside the pocket was required for the differential effects of KL101 and TH301 against CRY isoforms. By using these compounds, we found a new role of CRY1 and CRY2 as enhancers of brown adipocyte differentiation, providing the basis of CRY-mediated regulation of energy expenditure.


Aspartame has a lower calorie rating than other sweeteners. for example, cyclamate, lactose, saccharin, fructose and maltosa. Although it has low calorie, aspartame have 60 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose). Induction of aspartame can cause elevated levels of blood glucose and damage to the pancreatic β cells of mice. The purpose of this study was to analyze the dosing of aspartame levels; 13 mg/Kg body weight, 39 mg/Kg and 78 mg/Kg and those effect to the levels of glucose, cholesterol and haemoglobin of female mice (Mus musculus). The methode of research laboratory experiments using a complete randomized design (RAL). This study was using 24 mice with 4 treatment groups. Mice were given aspartame during surgical treatment, mice were made to perform measurement of Hb levels, glucose levels and cholesterol levels of neonatal mice. Data analysis using the Kruskal Wallis because Gaussian data but not homogeneous. The results showed an increase in the levels of glucose and cholesterol levels, but statistically there is no difference in glucose levels (p = 0,087), Hb (p = 0,899) and cholesterol (p = 0,168) in mice (Mus musculus) who were given variations of the dose of aspartame.


We analyze a new model for growing networks, the constrained Leath invasion percolation model. Cluster dynamics are characterized by bursts in space and time. The model quantitatively reproduces the observed frequency-magnitude scaling of earthquakes in the limit that the occupation probability approaches the critical bond percolation probability in d=2. The model may have application to other systems characterized by burst dynamics.


The high antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) contents in livestock manure pose a potential risk to environment and human health. The heap composting with an ambient temperature and thermophilic composting are two methods for converting livestock manure into fertilizer. This study investigated the variations in ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and revealed potential mechanisms for ARGs removal using the two composting methods. The ARGs abundance were enriched by 44-fold in heap composting, among them, the macrolide-resistance genes increased significantly. On the contrary, the ARGs were removed by 92% in thermophilic composting, among them, tetracycline-resistance genes decreased by 97%. The bacterial hosts of ARGs were associated with the variations of ARGs and MGEs. The tetO was correlated with the most diverse bacteria in heap composting, and Bacteroidetes was the major host bacteria. While tetT was correlated with the most diverse bacteria in thermophilic composting, and Proteobacteria was the major host bacteria. Structural equation models showed that the enrichment of ARGs in heap composting was mainly correlated with bacterial communities, whereas, the removal of ARGs in thermophilic composting was directly affect by MGEs. Composting temperature directly affected the variations in ARGs. Higher and lower temperatures significantly decreased and increased, respectively, ARGs and MGEs abundance levels.


This chapter discusses patents, which are granted for new and inventive technological developments but not for developments in the creative or non-technological arts. Areas on the borderline between technical and other forms of creativity are the subject of difficulty and controversy. Patents last for 20 years from application, but may be revoked at any time on the grounds that the invention does not meet the requirements for patentability. Manufacturing or dealing in products, or carrying out processes, as described in the patent's claims, infringes the patent. Unlike copyright, where both economic and individual rights are important, the main reasons for the grant of patents are economic, to encourage technological development. Patents are considered essential to many industries such as the pharmaceutical industry, where there is also a strong public interest in the development and accessibility of technology. The law must strike a balance between the public and private interests.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate psychological status in consecutive survivors of ICU who needed mechanical ventilation (MV).

DESIGN
Prospective study.

SETTING
Twenty-four bed intensive care unit.

PATIENTS
Fifty-four mechanically ventilated patients were considered for the study; 43 patients were included, but 11 refused or were unable to fill in the form.

INTERVENTIONS
A 32-question form was filled out by the patients 48-96 hours after weaning from mechanical ventilation.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
The mean characteristics of the patients were: age 51.6 years, simplified acute physiologic score (SAPS) 14, organ system failure (OSF) 1.57, OMEGA score 277, length of stay 29 days, length of mechanical ventilation 14 days. Thirty-three required sedation, 30 analgesia, 20 paralysis. The results were as follows: Pain: 13 suffered intolerable pain with a mean intensity of pain during care of 3.5/10. Comfort: 25 felt an inability to communicate, 18 were bothered by noise and 15 by light, while nine feared to be abandoned by staff. Sleep disorders: 28 remember dreaming with a personal judgement about these dreams (0 = pleasant, 10 = nightmare) of 7.6/10; 17 noticed increasing sleep disorders during their stay. Anxiety: 22 felt diffuse anxiety disorder and 16 described intense fear of dying at least once. Mood: 38 felt physical depression and 18 intellectual depression. Delirium or confusion: 33 had delirium or a confused state at the time of weaning and nine suffered hallucinations. Nine correctly appreciated their length of stay and 18 knew the date when they were interviewed.

CONCLUSIONS
These results showed that psychological status is poor in ventilated ICU patients, which should be considered in their care.


The aim of the present study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of a new H2-antagonist, nizatidine (N), administered as a single bedtime dose of 300 mg, compared with ranitidine (R) at the same dosage, in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer. One hundred forty one patients were included in the study: 70 were treated with N and 71 with R. During the study, three patients were withdrawn for unwanted effects not related to the treatment, and therefore, 69 patients per group were studied. After 4 wk of treatment, 58 patients treated with N (84.1%) and 55 in the group treated with R (77.5%), showed complete endoscopic ulcer healing (p greater than 0.5). The corresponding figure after 8 wk of therapy was 64 (94.2%) and 65 (94.2%) (p greater than 0.5). A similar effect on pain relief was observed: 42% of patients in both groups became asymptomatic after 4 wk. After 8 wk, the percentage rose to 84.2% in the group treated with N and 87.0% in the R group (p greater than 0.5). In both groups, only minor side effects occurred, not requiring drug discontinuation. These data show that nizatidine in a single bedtime dose of 300 mg is as effective and safe as ranitidine at the same dosage, and represents therefore a valid alternative to the usual H2-antagonists.


A field experiment was conducted during 2019 to study the effect of tillage and nutrient management strategies on rice productivity, nutrient uptake and soil properties in Eastern Indo Gangetic Plains (EIGP) of India. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications. Nine treatment combinations comprising of three tillage methods in the main plots viz., Conventional tillage, Zero tillage and Zero tillage + Residue management and three nutrient management practices viz., recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), SSNM based on Nutrient expert and 60 % RDN + green seeker guided N application (GSGN) + 100% RDP + 100% RDK in the subplot. The results of the study revealed that residue management with zero tillage practice resulted in 14.03 % and 9.27 % higher grain and straw yield than conventional tillage respectively. Zero tillage with residue management increased nutrient uptake to the maximum of 86.71 kg N, 24.62 kg P and 99.99 kg K/ha as compared to conventional tillage. Among nutrient management, SSNM based on Nutrient expert exhibited the highest grain (4.5 t/ha ) and straw yields (6.4 t/ha ), while 60 % RDN+ GSGN + 100% RDP + 100% RDK showed at par of these values. Adoption of SSNM based on Nutrient expert resulted in maximum N, P and K uptake. Different tillage and nutrient management regimes did not affect the soil properties significantly. Thus, zero tillage and residue management with SSNM based on Nutrient expert is a viable management practice for improving productivity under DSR in EIGP of India.


This paper addresses the problem of distributed coding of light fields in camera networks. A novel distributed coding scheme with side information is presented, based on spherical image expansion over an over complete dictionary of geometric atoms. We propose to model the correlation between views with local geometrical transformations of corresponding features in the sparse representations of different views. We design a Wyner-Ziv encoder by partitioning the dictionary into cosets of dissimilar atoms, with respect to their shape and position on the image. The joint decoder finds pairwise correspondences between atoms in the reference image and atoms in cosets of the Wyner-Ziv image. It selects the most likely correspondence among pairs of atoms that satisfy epipolar geometry constraints. This permits to estimate local transformations between correlated images that eventually help to refine the side information provided by the reference image. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of estimating the geometric transformations between views, and hence to reconstruct the Wyner-Ziv image.


We give an asymptotic formula for the minimum number of edges contained in triangles in a graph having n vertices and e edges. Our main tool is a generalization of Zykov's symmetrization method that can be applied for several graphs simultaneously.


Background: No consensus was reached on the surgical procedure for patients with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) ≤ 2 cm. The aim of this study isto investigate the appropriate surgical procedure forstage I NSCLC≤ 2 cm.Methods: Patients with stage I NSCLC ≤ 2 cm received wedge resection, segmentectomy, lobectomy between January 2004 andDecember 2015 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results(SEER) database. Data were stratified by age, gender, race, side, location, grade,histology, extent of lymphadenectomy. Overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) were compared among patients received wedge resection, segmentectomy, lobectomy. Univariate analysis and multivariable Cox regression were performed to identify the prognostic factors ofOS and LCSS. Results:A total of 16511 patients with stage I NSCLC ≤ 2 cm were included in this study, of whom 2945 patients were classified as stage I NSCLC ≤ 1cm.Lobectomy had better OS and LCSS when compared with wedge resection in patients with NSCLC ≤ 2 cm. Only OS favored lobectomy compared with segmentectomy in stage I NSCLC>1 to 2 cm. Multivariable analysis showed thatsegmentectomy had similar OS and LCSScompared with lobectomy in patients with stage I NSCLC ≤ 2 cm. Lymph node dissection (LND) was associated with better OS in patients with NSCLC≤ 2 cm and better LCSS in patients with stage I NSCLC>1 to 2 cm.Conclusions:Segmentectomy showed comparable survival compared with lobectomy in patients with stage I NSCLC ≤ 2 cm.LND can provide more accurate pathological stage, may affect survival, and should be recommended for above patients.


Dietary change, an inconsistent nutrient intake and high levels of milk production make the early post-partum period (PP) a challenging time for the lactating dairy cow. This experiment investigates the effects of two early PP nutritional management strategies (NM): abrupt introduction to pasture (AP) or a total mixed ration (TMR) for 21 days followed by a gradual introduction to pasture over 7 days (GP), with (Y) or without (C) live yeast (YS) on milk production, energy balance (EB) and selected metabolic and reproductive variables. Forty multiparous dairy cows were assigned to one of four dietary treatments in a two (AP vs. GP) by two (Y vs. C) factorial, randomized block design. The experiment was conducted from days 1 to 70 PP. Blood samples were taken on day 1, day 5 and every 10 days until day 45 to determine metabolites, whilst intake (DMI), and EB were determined during week 6 PP. Milk was sampled weekly for fat, protein and lactose. Trans-rectal scanning for reproductive variables commenced on day 10 PP. Animals in the GP group had a higher DMI (p = 0.04), higher fat yield (p = 0.08) and fewer days to first ovulation (p = 0.09) vs. those in the AP group. EB (-3.5 ± 0.67 units of energy for milk production) and body condition score loss (0.70 ± 0.09) were not affected by NM. However, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) (p < 0.01) were higher, and glucose (p = 0.02) was lower in the AP vs. the GP group. Supplementary YS tended to improve EB (p = 0.09) and reduced NEFA (p < 0.01) vs. non-supplemented animals. These data suggest that offering animals a nutritionally balanced TMR during the first 3 weeks PP followed by a gradual introduction to pasture can improve DMI vs. pasture-based diets. Additionally, the blood metabolic profile suggests a more favourable energy status in the GP group or where YS was supplemented during the early PP period.


In a context of installations complying with current regulations, which means low emission values from industrial plants, this article presents a compilation of recent data (2006-2009) obtained from French MSW incinerator surveillance plans with respect to atmospheric dioxin/furan deposition. Two thresholds are provided that could be used in air quality surveillance as discussed above: 5 and 16 pg TEQ/m2/d. Finally one can insist on the interest of integrated monitoring method such as Owen gauges to measure atmospheric pollution over a long period and detect anomalous situations; not always detectable during spot analysis at the source.


There is an increasing interest in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing in the forensic field. SNPs are very useful for defining Y chromosome or mtDNA haplotypes and DNA phenotyping. We focus on comparative advantages of SNP typing over length variations and expected number of loci required to gain probabilities equal to STR loci in use. This review also offers to the reader a state of the art of SNP genotyping technologies with the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques and platforms for different forensic requirements.


BACKGROUND
Target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and loss of patency remain high following treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) of the femoropopliteal (FP) artery. Excimer laser atherectomy (ELA) is effective in reducing TLR and improves patency at 6-month and 1-year follow-up when compared with balloon angioplasty (PTA). The long-term sustainability of these early results is unknown. We present a retrospective analysis from our center on the 5-year outcomes of ELA in the treatment of ISR of the FP arteries.

METHODS
Patients who underwent ELA for FP-ISR from February 2005 to April 2010 at a single medical center were included. Demographics, angiographic and procedural variables were included. Major adverse events and 5-year TLR and target-vessel revascularization were obtained from medical records. Descriptive analysis was performed on all variables. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for TLR were plotted censored for death among patients who died before the occurrence of a TLR.

RESULTS
Forty consecutive patients (mean age, 67.2 ± 9.0 years; 57.5% males) were included. Angiographic variables included: lesion length, 210.4 ± 104.0 mm; lesion severity, 93.9 ± 8.9%; and number of vessel runoffs, 1.7 ± 1.0. All patients were treated with adjunctive PTA. Acute procedural success was achieved in 92.5% of vessels. Distal embolization requiring treatment was 2.5%. No unplanned amputation occurred. Total deaths occurred in 8/40 (20%). At 5-year follow-up, TLR occurred in 62.5% with the steepest decline in freedom from TLR occurred in the first year followed by a less decline in the subsequent 2 to 3 years.

CONCLUSION
ELA for FP-ISR continues to show progressive increase in TLR up to 5-year follow-up, but mostly occurs in the first 3 years after index procedure. These data suggest that a minimum follow-up of 3 years is needed to determine stability of treatment of FP-ISR with laser.


Phenothiazines are widely used in older patients, but little experimental work has been carried out in this age group. Two groups of healthy volunteers, a younger group (Y: six males and six females, aged 20-42 years) and an older group (0: six males and eight females, aged 65-77 years) took part in a randomized double-blind threeperiod crossover study in which they received by mouth single doses of thioridazine (Y: 50mg; 0: 25mg) remoxipride (Y: 100mg; 0: 50mg) or placebo. Measures of central nervous system (CNS) and haemodynamic function were carried out before drug administration and at 1.5-h intervals up to 9h post-dose, and blood samples were collected over a 24-h period. No significant differences in dose-corrected pharmacokinetic variables were found between the two groups. There was evidence of marked CNS depressant effects of thioridazine from both objective and subjective measures. The effects for remoxipride were similar, though generally less marked. After allowance was made for dose, there was little indication of any difference in degree of CNS depression between the two age groups. Haemodynamic measures showed orthostatic reductions in blood pressure with thioridazine which were particularly marked in the older group, who also showed lower compensatory increases in pulse rate. These results indicate potential problems with orthostatic hypotension with thioridazine in older patients. CNS depression may also be a problem, especially in patients with compromised cholinergic function.


BACKGROUND
Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) enzyme has an increasing importance in the pathophysiology and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. It is an indirect marker of microvascular endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and elevated oxidative stress. There are no adequate data on the relationship between GGT and cardiac syndrome X.

AIM
To compare serum GGT levels between patients with cardiac syndrome X and asymptomatic healthy individuals.

METHODS
Fifty consecutive patients (29 female, 21 male, aged 28-81 years) who underwent coronary angiography due to objective ischaemia and were eventually diagnosed with cardiac syndrome X between July 2009 and January 2010, and 50 healthy asymptomatic control individuals (28 female, 22 male, aged 30-78 years) were studied. Venous blood samples were collected for GGT measurements. A metabolic syndrome (MS) subgroup composed of 15 individuals was formed within the cardiac syndrome X group.

RESULTS
Serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly higher in the cardiac syndrome X patients than in the control group (195.28 ± 33.71 mg/dL and 168.82 ± 31.45 mg/dL, p < 0.01, 121.62 ± 30.53 mg/dL and 98.44 ± 27.28 mg/dL, p < 0.01, 144.30 ± 68.54 mg/dL and 108.94 ± 43.59 mg/dL, p < 0.01, respectively). Serum GGT levels were also significantly higher in the cardiac syndrome X patients than in the control group (30.48 ± 16.36 and 17.88 ± 6. 89 U/L, p < 0.001). The MS patients (n = 15) had significantly higher TG and GGT levels (230.00 ± 41.37 mg/dL and 107.57 ± 37.90 mg/dL, p < 0.01, 38.47 ± 21.27 U/L and 27.06 ± 12.61 U/L, p < 0.001, respectively) and lower HDL levels (35.47 ± 6.91 mg/dL and 48.26 ± 9.97 mg/dL, p < 0.05) compared to patients without MS. The cardiac syndrome X group exhibited a significant positive correlation between GGT and body mass index, and GGT and TG (r = 0.321, p = 0.023, r = 0.293, p = 0.039, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
GGT activity in patients with cardiac syndrome X was higher than in healthy controls. Moreover, GGT activity was further increased in those patients with cardiac syndrome X who had also MS.


The Google DeepMind challenge match in March 2016 was a historic achievement for computer Go development. This article discusses the development of computational intelligence (CI) and its relative strength in comparison with human intelligence for the game of Go. We first summarize the milestones achieved for computer Go from 1998 to 2016. Then, the computer Go programs that have participated in previous IEEE CIS competitions as well as methods and techniques used in AlphaGo are briefly introduced. Commentaries from three high-level professional Go players on the five AlphaGo versus Lee Sedol games are also included. We conclude that AlphaGo beating Lee Sedol is a huge achievement in artificial intelligence (AI) based largely on CI methods. In the future, powerful computer Go programs such as AlphaGo are expected to be instrumental in promoting Go education and AI real-world applications.


Author(s): Murphy, Scott Patrick | Advisor(s): Brooks, Scott N | Abstract: This dissertation is an ethnography explaining how old White straight middle-classmen in quasi-suburbia work on a day-to-day basis to meet the demand of becomingvisible to themselves and others as "good men." While much of my nearly four yearsof fieldwork was conducted amongst a group of morning regulars at a corner donutshop, I also spent considerable hours with the morning regulars in other settings.We attended varied social events together - from birthday parties to garage sales tomemorial services. Within the constellation of privilege their social categorizationsaccord, I came to understand how these men grappled with the marginalizing forcesassociated with old age. In the absence of widespread, coercive cultural scripts outlining what constitutes "acceptable" manhood in old age, the morning regulars atthe donut shop have constructed their own conception of what constitutes "goodmanhood." As a moral identity for the morning regulars, to be known as a "goodman" means (1) to be seen by others as having overcome hardship in meritocraticways and hence having "earned" the right to the relative comfort their retirementaffords and (2) to be seen by others as engaging in everyday conduct that is morallyand ethically "right." For these men, a "good man" "keeps busy" and "helps out."


Health risk for infant and toddler is a serious threat in the presence of many key elements in baby foods and infant formulas. Manufactures are important part of the diet for babies. We have analyzed various essential Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn and non essential elements Al, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb and Sn in 56 samples, collected in different area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Essential elements were analyses and observed the result according to the guidelines proposed by European Union legislation (ECC regulation). Non essential elements were comparable with the set limit by international pediatric guideline of infant formulas. Mercury (Hg) was not detected in any samples whereas Pb and Cd were detected in almost all samples with mean range of 5 ug cd /l and 5 ppm. Sb and Sn were analyzed in 59 and 23% samples in the range of 0.04 and 0.054 ppm. Rusks and biscuits type of food showed a little higher concentration of some elements. Daily intake of elements was calculated on the basis of information specified by the manufacturers of different branded formula and baby food on the containers.

 Keywords: Infant formula, baby food, toxic elements, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe.


This research paper focuses on the analysis of the " Morgan's Images of Organizations", Morgan's eight metaphors of the " Images of Organizations were discussed where their limitations, the relevant and assistance of these images to managers understanding of modern organizations, the consequences of these images on stakeholder relations and the most compatible image with a stakeholder view of organizations in an environment of sustainability consciousness were critically analyzed. However, the utility of Morgan's work, its major advantages and pitfalls were discussed, then summary / conclusion drawn.


Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) has been considered as the key enabler for the fifth generation (5G) communications. The link budget and spectral efficiency of mmWave communications can be further enhanced by adopting the massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) exploiting beamforming. Nevertheless, it is essential to design and test mmWave 5G devices under various realistic scenarios, since the uncontrollable radio propagation channels pose intrinsic limitations on system performance. This requires emulating the realistic dynamic mmWave channels in a reproducible manner in laboratories, hence the goal of this paper. In this contribution, the beamforming effect is firstly investigated, showing that the non-dominant clusters existing in the mmWave channels are insignificant with beamforming operations applied in mmWave 5G devices. Thus, an over-the-air (OTA) emulation strategy for dynamic mmWave channels is then proposed based on a dominant-cluster concept using a sectored multiprobe anechoic chamber (SMPAC) setup. The key design parameters including the probe number and the angular spacing of probes are investigated through comprehensive simulations. A cost-effective switch circuit is also designed for this purpose and validated in the simulation. Furthermore, a dynamic mmWave channel measured in an indoor scenario at 28-30 GHz is presented, where the proposed emulation strategy is also validated by reproducing the measured reality.


There has been much discussion in recent years about the need for a new national science policy, on the premise that the current model, forged in a Cold War environment, cannot provide a blueprint for the 21st century. Vannevar Bush's 1945 report to President Harry S. Truman, "Science—The Endless Frontier," is sometimes dismissed in such discussions as an historical relic. Bush, who had an intuitive sense of the shifting social and political contexts of science policy, would be the first to acknowledge that words written during the final, exuberant months of World War II should not be regarded as holy writ on the threshold of a new century. He might also admonish his critics to study his text carefully, rather than relying on latter-day interpretations, before discarding his entire vision.

It is true that some of Bush's arguments are now questionable and that some of the issues he considered important are now of interest only to students of the period. What remains pertinent is the report's vision of the role of government in research, including his assertion that the federal government had both the authority and the obligation to support basic research. More boldly, by arguing for the primacy of basic research supported according to norms set by scientists themselves, "Science—The Endless Frontier" implicitly asserted that universities defined the U.S. research system. Before World War II, universities were regarded as peripheral to the U.S. research enterprise. Bush gave them pride of place at the center because, as he argued, they had the potential to energize the entire system.

He was unerringly right on that issue. Bush's vision of research universities as the vital center of the U.S. research enterprise has indeed come to pass, thanks in large measure to an extraordinarily successful partnership with the federal government. As a result, both the research enterprise itself and the U.S. economy have prospered. Along the way, the U.S. research system has shown its ability to adapt. During the 1970s, for example, the National Science Foundation initiated a number of programs to encourage industry-university research collaborations. Today, almost one-quarter of all papers by university-based authors published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature are co-authored with at least one scientist from an industrial or government laboratory.

A striking indicator of the wisdom of U.S. science policy is provided by its foreign imitators. Perhaps most tellingly, the Japanese government's July 1996 Basic Plan on Science and Technology, which commits the government to double its research and development (R&D) investments during the next 5 years, emphasizes the promotion of basic research and proposes specific steps, such as improving education and research in graduate schools, to integrate universities more effectively into Japan's research system. A decade ago, Japan's apparent technology-based commercial success was often cited as evidence that the U.S. emphasis on basic research at universities was no longer viable. Today, Japan looks to the U.S. system as a model to help it maintain its position as a leading scientific nation in the 21st century.

But federal investment in R&D is likely to decline as the government struggles to balance its budget. The implications are unsettling not only for universities but also for the U.S. economy. Almost 25 percent of current federal R&D expenditures are invested in universities, compared with less than 3 percent of industrial R&D expenditures.

Can industry take the place of universities as the vital center of the American research enterprise? The evidence suggests not. As recently as a decade ago, several large U.S. firms performed significant basic research in their own corporate laboratories; today, virtually all industrial research focuses on the solution of specific short-term problems, often by building on the results of long-term university research. And even if industry could take on a more central role, the consequences to the nation of a research system dominated by the short-term needs of private industry—similar to the Japanese model so widely admired a decade ago—have yet to be seriously addressed.

In its simplicity and flexibility, Bush's report remains a model for future blueprints of U.S. science policy. Any such blueprint should continue to place universities at the vital center of the U.S. research system. On this point, Vannevar Bush was prescient indeed. His 50-year-old vision remains remarkably current.


INTRODUCTION
The progress and determinants of sexual dysfunction in middle-aged and elderly men remain unclear.

AIM
To describe the incidence or remission and biopsychosocial predictors of erectile dysfunction (ED) and low sexual desire (SD).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Erectile function (International Index of Erectile Function) and sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory 2) were assessed at follow-up. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors were examined in multivariate models of ED and low SD.

METHODS
Data were collected from 810 randomly selected men residing in northern and western Adelaide, Australia, and aged 35-80 years at baseline, who made clinic visits 5 years apart.

RESULTS
At baseline, 23.2% (n = 123) of men had ED. ED incidence and remission were observed in 31.7% (n = 179) and 29.0% (n = 71) of eligible men, respectively. At baseline, 19.2% (n = 165) had low solitary sexual desire, and 6.0% (n = 50) had low dyadic sexual desire; incidence of low sexual desire occurred in 17.6% (n = 83) (solitary) and 8.3% (n = 51) (dyadic), while remission occurred in 15.4% (n = 68) (solitary) and 22.6% (n = 40) (dyadic) of men. In the final regression models, predictors of incident ED were higher age, lower income, higher abdominal fat mass, low alcohol intake, higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk, voiding lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), depression, and diabetes. Predictors of ED remission were lower age, current employment, and absence of voiding LUTS, angina, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Predictors of low dyadic SD incidence included higher age, never having been married, widowhood, being unemployed, being retired, insufficient physical activity, and low alcohol intake. Predictors of low dyadic SD remission were being married, not being widowed, higher income, lower abdominal fat mass, lower OSA risk, and higher plasma testosterone. Predictors of low solitary SD included never having been married, being unemployed, low alcohol intake, lower testosterone, storage LUTS, and hypertension. Predictors of low solitary SD remission were being married, being employed, higher income, higher physical activity, moderate alcohol intake, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS
Sexual dysfunction in aging men is a dynamic disorder whose incidence and remission are predicted by a range of modifiable risk factors.


A phonetic representation of a language is used to describe the corresponding pronunciation and synthesize the acoustic model of any vocabulary. In order to obtain better phonetic representation, context-dependent units are used to model co-articulation effects between phones and have been broadly in speech recognition. However, this representation generally increases the number of recognition units. A phonetic representation with smaller phonetic units such as SAMPA-C for Mandarin Chinese can be applied to reduce the number of recognition units. Nevertheless, smaller phonetic units such as SAMPA-C will contain confusion characters and generally degrade the recognition performance. In this paper, a statistical method based on chi-square testing is used to investigate the confusion characteristics among phonetic units and develop a more reliable phonetic set, named modified SAMPA-C. Finally, experiments on continuous Mandarin telephone speech recognition were conducted. Experimental results show an encouraging improvement on recognition performance can be obtained. In addition, the proposed approaches represent a good compromise between the demands of accurate acoustic modeling.


Plant viruses are among the important pathogens that cause severe crop losses. The most efficient method to control viral diseases is currently to use virus resistant crops. In order to develop the virus resistant crops, a detailed understanding of the molecular interactions between viral and host proteins is necessary. Recessive resistance to a pathogen can be conferred when plant genes essential in the life cycle of a pathogens are deficient, while dominant resistance is mediated by host resistance (R) genes specifically interacting with effector proteins of pathogens. Thus, recessive resistance usually works more stably and broadly than dominant resistance. While most of the recessive resistance genes have so far been identified by forward genetic approaches, recent advances in genome editing technologies including CRISPR/Cas9 have increased interest in using these technologies as reverse genetic tools to engineer plant genes to confer recessive resistance. This review summarizes currently identified recessive resistance genes and introduces reverse genetic approaches to identify host interacting partner proteins of viral proteins and to evaluate the identified genes as genetic resources of recessive resistance. We further discuss recent advances in various precise genome editing technologies and how to apply these technologies to engineer plant immunity.


Plants respond to phosphate (Pi) starvation by exhibiting a suite of developmental, biochemical, and physiological changes to cope with this nutritional stress. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying these responses, we isolated an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant, hypersensitive to phosphate starvation1 (hps1), which has enhanced sensitivity in almost all aspects of plant responses to Pi starvation. Molecular and genetic analyses indicated that the mutant phenotype is caused by overexpression of the SUCROSE TRANSPORTER2 (SUC2) gene. As a consequence, hps1 has a high level of sucrose (Suc) in both its shoot and root tissues. Overexpression of SUC2 or its closely related family members SUC1 and SUC5 in wild-type plants recapitulates the phenotype of hps1. In contrast, the disruption of SUC2 functions greatly inhibits plant responses to Pi starvation. Microarray analysis further indicated that 73% of the genes that are induced by Pi starvation in wild-type plants can be induced by elevated levels of Suc in hps1 mutants, even when they are grown under Pi-sufficient conditions. These genes include several important Pi signaling components and those that are directly involved in Pi transport, mobilization, and distribution between shoot and root. Interestingly, Suc and low-Pi signals appear to interact with each other both synergistically and antagonistically in regulating gene expression. Our genetic and genomic studies provide compelling evidence that Suc is a global regulator of plant responses to Pi starvation. This finding will help to further elucidate the signaling mechanism that controls plant responses to this particular nutritional stress.


In this paper we assume the Higgs is an elementary scalar, and study how new physics could affect its couplings to electroweak gauge bosons. Adding LHC data to LEP data provides new, more stringent limits, particularly when the Higgs to two photon decay signal strength is taken into account. We then study the effect of anomalous angular correlations in the decay to WW*. We obtain a new limit on the rare decay to photon-Z, and use it to constrain Supersymmetry, to find that staus with large mixing would be most sensitive to this channel. We also use these limits to constrain radion exchange in Warped ExtraDimensions, finding a limit on the radion mass and interaction scale of the order of TeV. Finally, we have extrapolated the current data to obtain prospects for the full 2012 dataset.


Presented in this thesis is a case study of two study watersheds located in south central Virginia. For each, a HEC-HMS event-based hydrologic model was constructed to simulate the rainfall-runoff response from the Probable Maximum Storm (PMS), the theoretical worst-case meteorological event that is capable of occurring over a particular region. The primary goal of these simulations was to obtain discharge hydrographs associated with the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) at key locations in each of the watersheds. These hydrographs were subsequently used to develop flood inundation maps of the study areas and to characterize sediment transport phenomena in the study reaches under severe flooding conditions. To build the hydrologic basin models, ArcHydro, HEC-GeoHMS and ArcGIS were employed to assimilate the substantial amount of input data and to extract the pertinent modeling parameters required for the selected simulation methods. In this, the SCS Loss and Transform Methods, along with the Muskingum Routing Method, were adopted for the HEC-HMS simulations. Once completed, the basin models were calibrated through a comparison of simulated design storm flows to frequency discharge estimates obtained with regional regression techniques and a flood frequency analysis. The models were then used to simulate their respective PMS events, which were developed following recommendations from the Hydrometeorological Branch of the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Descriptions of each of the study sites, explanations of the modeling theory and development methodologies, and discussions of the modeling results are all detailed within.


Green's theorem derived methods for separating the reference and scattered wavefields in the (x-ω) domain using flat cable have been successfully applied to synthetic and field data. Based on Green's theorem wavefield separation concepts, this paper derives a 2D acoustic P0/Ps separation formula for a depth-variable cable assuming the shape of cable is known. In numerical tests, the air-water boundary is assumed to be horizontal. We use the Cagniard-de Hoop method to generate synthetic data on a parabolic cable and on a periodically semicircular cable, respectively. The normal derivative of the total field on the cable is assumed to be known and is estimated by finite difference. Numerical results show that current Green's theorem P0/Ps separation formula for a constant depth cable remains useful for a mildly depth-variable cable. When the actual cable deviates significantly from horizontal, the horizontal cable formula produces serious errors and artifacts whereas the new formula produces an effective and satisfactory result. While the analysis and tests in this paper are based on nonhorizontal towed streamers, the motivation (and future work) is for on-shore and ocean bottom acquisition. Under these circumstances, the deviation from horizontal acquisition can be significant and the ability to accommodate a variable topography can have a considerably positive impact on subsequence processing and interpretation objectives.


Spatiotemporal variations of pressure, temperature, water vapour content in the atmosphere lead to significant delays in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements of deformations in the ground. One of the key challenges in increasing the accuracy of ground deformation measurements using InSAR is to produce robust estimates of the tropospheric delay. Tropospheric models like ERA-Interim can be used to estimate the total tropospheric delay in interferograms in remote areas. The problem with using ERA-Interim model for interferogram correction is that after the tropospheric correction, there are still some residuals left in the interferograms, which can be mainly attributed to turbulent troposphere. In this study, we propose a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based approach to mitigate the phase delay caused by troposphere. In this method, we implement a noise to noise model, where the network is trained only with the interferograms corrupted by tropospheric noise. We applied the technique over 116 large scale 800 km long interfergrams formed from Sentinel-1 acquisitions covering a period from 25th October, 2014 to 2nd November, 2017 from descending track numbered 108 over Iran. Our approach reduces the root mean square of the phase values of the interferogram 64% compared to those of the original interferogram and by 55% in comparison to the corresponding ERA-Interim corrected version.


At lines 136-142 of Theocritus' Idyll XV Adonis is distinguished from other demigods because he is the only one to revisit alternately Earth and Hades; no other hero (not even the most celebrated) has been granted this. However, this catalogue has presented some textual and interpretative problems to the critics, who have insisted in describing it as clumsy and perfunctory. In this paper the author attempts to demonstrate that these lines, as composed and performed by the Argive woman's daughter, must be read in the light of heroic genealogy. She ascents from the Homeric age to the remotest antiquity in order to glorify Adonis as a new and prominent figure of the Ptolemaic pantheon.


Neuroblastoma is a childhood malignancy that has not yet benefitted from the rapid progress in the development of small-molecule therapeutics for cancer. An opportunity to take advantage of pharmaceutical innovation in this area arose when the identification of ALK fusion proteins in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occurred in parallel to the discovery of point mutations of ALK in neuroblastomas. ALK is now known to be a marker of poor outcome in neuroblastoma, and therefore, urgent development of specific ALK inhibitors to treat this devastating disease is a necessity. However, the translation of small molecules from adult directly into pediatric practice has thus far been challenging, due to mutation-specific structural variances in the ALK kinase domain. We discuss how the most recent structural and biological characterizations of ALK are directing preclinical and clinical studies of ALK inhibitors for both NSCLC and neuroblastoma.


Translator and interpreter (T&I) training, using virtual learning environments, was largely uninterrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the Global North. This might not have been the case in the Global South, especially in African countries. Building on earlier studies which focused on a comparative analysis of a number of T&I programmes in Africa, the objective of this paper is to further investigate the T&I training situation in a number of African countries between the pre-COVID-19 (before March 2020) and the initial lockdown (March - September 2020) period. Online questionnaires were administered to T&I students and trainers in five countries: Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. The data collected were analysed qualitatively. Our preliminary findings, although not surprisingly, reveal that T&I training was interrupted by the lockdown and the attempted transition to online teaching and learning has not been smooth, due to economic challenges, insufficient technological infrastructure and skilled human resources. We find that the provision of reliable technological facilities and the implementation of blended learning are essential for strategic development in African T&I training. Trainers also require continuous professional development to enable them to acquire technological and pedagogical skills necessary to provide training that meets current T&I market demands. © 2021 University of Roehampton. All rights reserved.


The accuracy and frequency response limitations in the present square-law responding laboratory wattmeters have promoted the search for alternate methods of ac power measurement using electronic instrumentation. The three-voltmeter method is based on an old principle of operation implemented by new analog circuitry. Results of the tests reported here show a precision of power calculation with 0.01 percent error at frequencies below 5 kHz. A unique test procedure is described for the comparison of the three-voltmeter device and a time-division multiplier wattmeter operating at zero power factor.


Three data communication methods can be provided in a MANET: data broadcast, data query, and peer-to-peer messaging. The formation of heterogeneous distributed mobile databases within a MANET that allows people to submit queries or transactions is becoming a reality. Previously, the DD3M data communication protocol (Distributed Database with 3 communication Modes) has been proposed for providing all three data communication modes in the network region and integrating heterogeneous distributed mobile databases in MANETs that allowed mobile application to view this separate non identical databases as one integrated database and adjusted node disconnection and reconnection through periodic synchronization. However, database transaction services were not supported. For managing real-time database transactions in MANET some issues must be addressed (host mobility, power limitations, real-time constraints imposed on transactions and frequent disconnection and network partitioning ...). This paper extends the previous work on DD3M by using a transaction management technique in the HDD3M ( Heterogeneous Distributed Database with 3 communication Modes) protocol that allows managing real-time database transactions in MANET and reduces the number of transactions missing deadlines while balancing the power consumption by the mobile hosts in the system. In this heterogeneous distributed database framework mobile servers comprise Data Directories (DDs) that gather and store the schemas of mobile databases running on detected mobile devices in the service cycle. DDs inform the requesting node whether a submitted transaction is answerable from participating mobile database nodes or not. Also this protocol allows mobile nodes of the architecture to exchange messages for the purpose of executing the submitted transaction against the heterogeneous distributed mobile database and then returning the results.


In Commission v. Poland (C-562/19) and Commission v. Hungary (C-596/19) the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that progressive tax systems based on turnover do not by definition provide selective advantages to undertakings with lower turnovers in violation of EU state aid law. The European Commission had declared a Polish tax on retailers and a Hungarian tax on advertisement incompatible with Article 107(1) TFEU because the progressive, turnover-based taxes favoured undertakings with smaller turnovers over those with larger turnovers. The General Court annulled both Commission decisions because such advantages were inherent to the content and objectives of the general tax system, which was for Poland and Hungary to define. The Court of Justice dismissed the appeals by the Commission, affirming that Member States are free, in line with their fiscal autonomy, to opt for a progressive and/or turnover-based tax system. While turnover-based corporate taxation may have market-distortive effects, the Court was right to dismiss the Commission's appeals. The principles of fiscal autonomy and legal certainty require an assessment of selectivity in light of Member States' own definition of the content and objectives of their tax systems.


This study evaluated sensory texture profile analysis (STPA) as an objective method for characterizing the texture attributes of "pounded yam," a popular dish in West Africa made by peeling yam, boiling, pounding and kneading it into a glutinous dough. Panelists were carefully selected and trained to assess the texture attributes of pounded yam. Standard rating scales were developed from local foods that are common in Nigeria, and the foods were used as descriptors to exemplify the texture attributes being assessed. Reproducible and consistent results were obtained. It is thus concluded that STPA can be used as an objective method for evaluating the texture attributes of pounded yam.


Background Oral carcinoma and precancers are major public health challenges in India and other developing countries. Objectives Aim of the study was to assess the associations of demographic characteristics, addictions, chief complaints of mouth/oral and clinical diagnosis by cytology smear and punch biopsy in early detection of oral premalignant and malignant lesions. Methods Study was designed on retrospective data of case files of CDC, CNCI, Kolkata, from patients attended from January 1996 to September 2016. History was taken, histopathology and Pap smear were performed. Descriptive statistical analysis, cross-tabulation and Pearson's Chi-square test were done. Results Total participants (n = 692); 110 (15.9%) having history of swallowing betel leaf, nut lime, dokta, jarda, catecheu with an average of 11 years. Three hundred twenty-five (46.9%) had multiple addiction (cigarette/bidi/tobacco/all). Ninety-eight (12.1%), 99 (12.2%) and 68 (8.4%) were addicted to cigarette, bidi and chewing tobacco, respectively. Twenty-nine participants were addicted to alcohol; 18 (2.6%) and 11 (1.5%) took country and foreign alcohol correspondingly. Clinicians thoroughly examined lips (4.1%), buccal mucosa (27.3%), gingival (2.8%), tongue (23.1%), hard and soft palate (4.9%), mouth loor (5.2%) and other parts (32.3%); diagnosed participants as normal (22.8%)/benign (23.1%)/premalignant (39.1%)/malignant (14.8%). Smears confirmed 60, 131, 42, 9 and 8 cases as carcinoma, mild, moderate, severe dysplasia and inflammation, respectively. The punch biopsy identified 11 carcinomas, two severe, two moderate and seveeen mild dysplasia's. Chi-square test showed significant association between smear and examination (P = 0.022), diagnosis and examinations of the oral cancer patients (P = 0.0001). Conclusion The study provided strong evidence that betel leaf, chewing tobacco, smoking and alcohol are independent risk factors for oral cancer. Cytological smear and biopsy are cost-effective approaches for early detection.


Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is a public health and bioterrorism concern as well as an important and widely used pharmaceutical, yet the regulation of its synthesis by BoNT-producing clostridia is not well understood. This paper highlights the role of environmentally controlled posttranslational regulatory mechanisms influencing processing and stability of biologically active BoNTs produced by C. botulinum. ABSTRACT Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most toxic substances known to humankind and are the causative agents of the neuroparalytic disease botulism. Despite the overall importance of BoNTs in public health and safety, as a bioterrorism concern, and in pharmaceutical development, little is known about the molecular mechanisms mediating BoNT stability and degradation in various environments. Previous studies using Clostridium botulinum strain ATCC 3502 revealed that high levels of arginine (20 g/liter) repressed BoNT production approximately 1,000-fold. In the present study, the mechanisms of toxin reduction in arginine-enriched cultures of C. botulinum strain Hall A-hyper, which we have previously genetically manipulated using ClosTron technology, were explored. Cultures were grown in toxin production medium (TPM) and TPM enriched with arginine. Cultures were analyzed for growth (optical density at 600 nm [OD600]), changes in pH, and BoNT formation and stability. Our data indicate that arginine enrichment of C. botulinum strain Hall A-hyper cultures results in a pH shift that induces pH-dependent posttranslational control mechanisms. We further show that independent of arginine, maintenance of an acidic culture pH during growth of C. botulinum strain Hall A-hyper plays a central role in toxin stability and that an extracellular metalloprotease produced by the culture results in BoNT degradation at pH levels between ⁓6.5 and 8.0. IMPORTANCE Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is a public health and bioterrorism concern as well as an important and widely used pharmaceutical, yet the regulation of its synthesis by BoNT-producing clostridia is not well understood. This paper highlights the role of environmentally controlled posttranslational regulatory mechanisms influencing processing and stability of biologically active BoNTs produced by C. botulinum. The results of this work will help enhance public health and safety measures and our ability to evaluate safety risks of novel BoNTs and improve production and quality of BoNTs for pharmaceutical use.


In Ghana, despite the growing number of studies, induced abortion remains a relatively unknown aspect of the national demographics. Interest in abortion research is, however, reemerging, partly as a result of political changes and partly due to evidence of the contribution of induced abortion to the high level of maternal mortality. A recent prospective study in Southern Ghana indicates that abortion rates in Ghana could range between 22 and 28 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Most of the abortion patients studied were young, some married and others unmarried. Results of logistic regression models suggest that those who work outside their homes, the self-employed, urban dwellers, single persons, women who have had a previous abortion, women with levels of education beyond Middle/JSS and Christians rather than Muslims are the ones likely to have an abortion. Because official statistics on illegal abortion do not exist and the numbers of such procedures must be estimated, the data presented here are the best available estimate; but they are not definitive.
(Inst. of African Studies Research Review: 2002 18 (1): 33-42)


The Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) is the major allelic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). APOE4 associates with a pro-inflammatory phenotype increasingly considered as critical in AD initiation and progression. Yet, the mechanisms driving an APOE4-dependent neuroinflammation remain unelucidated. Leveraging patient specific human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) we demonstrate inflammatory chronicity and hyperactivated responses upon cytokines in human APOE4 astrocytes via a novel mechanism. We uncovered that APOE4 represses Transgelin 3 (TAGLN3), a new interacting partner of IκBα, thus increasing the NF-kB activity. The transcriptional repression of TAGLN3 was shown to result from an APOE4-dependent histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. The functional relevance of TAGLN3 was demonstrated by the attenuation of APOE4-driven neuroinflammation after TAGLN3 supplementation. Importantly, TAGLN3 downregulation was confirmed in the brain of AD patients. Our findings highlight the APOE4-TAGLN3 axis as a new pathogenic pathway that paves the way for the development of therapeutics to prevent maladaptive inflammatory responses in APOE4 carriers, while placing TAGLN3 downregulation as a potential biomarker of AD. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Transparent ceramics are finding applications is demanding optical applications were traditional mineral salts and amorphous materials are limited and single crystals are not practical. Polycrystalline ceramics offer a unique combination of mechanical, electrical and optical properties that allow window and dome applications and possibilities that were previously not possible. Transparent ceramics are being developed for use in a number of applications with each material possessing a distinctive set of properties that address a particular application. The current status of CeraNova's fine grain transparent ceramic programs for dome and window applications will be presented with emphasis on their exceptional properties for specific applications.


This study investigated the effects of meditation/relaxation on physiological responses during the performance of a fine motor and a gross motor task. A pretest-posttest control group, randomized-blocks design was used to study a group of 16 meditators and a group of 16 nonmeditators, subgroups of each who relaxed prior to performing on a pursuit-rotor tracking device as a fine motor task and to performing the Luft cycle ergometer protocol to a heart rate of 70% of age-adjusted maximum heart rate as a gross motor task. During each of these tasks heart rate, systolic blood pressure, rate-pressure-product, and EMG activity of the frontalis muscle were monitored. No significant difference in the performance of either the fine motor or the gross motor task was noted for persons practicing meditation and persons who were nonmeditators but were given the opportunity to relax prior to a motor task. Likewise, no significant difference was noted in the pattern of response to the imposed fine motor or gross motor task by meditators or relaxed nonmeditators.


Abstract Two sets of 15-day numerical forecasts are performed with a general circulation model to examine aspects of the mutual interaction between high-frequency, baroclinic-wave variability and the low-frequency components of the atmospheric flow. A control run based on an initial field, arbitrarily chosen from the history tapes of a previous model integration and a forecast based on a time-filtered version of the same initial state are compared. The results indicate that the high-frequency variability of the flow in the latter forecast returns to normal amplitudes about one week after the initialization time, at which state it is only weakly correlated in space with the high-frequency component of the flow in the control run. The low-frequency components of the flow seems to behave differently depending on their zonal scale: Ultralong waves (wavenumber 1–3) are only weakly affected by the removal of the baroclinic activity from the initial conditions, while long waves (wavenumber 4–6) react to the remo...


PURPOSE OF STUDY
In vitro contact of human leukocytes with cellulose-based dialysis membranes under complement-independent conditions results in activation of various leukocyte functions. To analyse signals involved in the mechanism of cell activation, we measured changes in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in individual human blood neutrophils (PMN) upon contact with flat sheet haemodialysis membranes.

RESULTS
By confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM), changes in [Ca2+]i were monitored in Fluo-3-labelled cells up to 10 min after contact with a regenerated cellulose (RC) membrane. Multiple [Ca2+]i transients were observed for cells in contact with RC; biostochastic analysis showed that up to 67% of the PMN responded with a high increase in [Ca2+]i, the rest were low- or non-responding cells. After contact with the new synthetic polycarbonate-polyether (PC-PE) membrane only non-responding cells were seen, indicating reduced cellular contact activation. The increase in [Ca2+]i of cells on RC could be inhibited by 5mM L-fucose. This monosaccharide was recently found to be present in cellulose-based polymers in picomolar concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS
The data supports the hypothesis that dialysis-membrane-associated L-fucose residues participate in complement-independent leukocyte activation during haemodialysis therapy.


Several recent advances in AI systems (e.g., Tree-of-Thoughts and Program-Aided Language Models) solve problems by providing a"scaffolding"program that structures multiple calls to language models to generate better outputs. A scaffolding program is written in a programming language such as Python. In this work, we use a language-model-infused scaffolding program to improve itself. We start with a seed"improver"that improves an input program according to a given utility function by querying a language model several times and returning the best solution. We then run this seed improver to improve itself. Across a small set of downstream tasks, the resulting improved improver generates programs with significantly better performance than its seed improver. Afterward, we analyze the variety of self-improvement strategies proposed by the language model, including beam search, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing. Since the language models themselves are not altered, this is not full recursive self-improvement. Nonetheless, it demonstrates that a modern language model, GPT-4 in our proof-of-concept experiments, is capable of writing code that can call itself to improve itself. We critically consider concerns around the development of self-improving technologies and evaluate the frequency with which the generated code bypasses a sandbox.


SUMMARY The objective of this research was to evaluate the correlations between chemical assay and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for the nutrient content of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) samples. The samples were analyzed by NIRS or wet chemical procedures. Color [CIE lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*)] characteristics of the samples were measured in triplicates with a chroma meter. Highest CV were observed for fiber fragments in wheat DDGS and for fat in corn DDGS among the nutrients tested. Correlation coefficients showed good agreement between NIRS and wet methods for the determination of selected nutrients except DM. Strong negative correlations were found between ash and ADF (−0.811), ash and NDF (−0.649), and ash and CF (−0.757) when determined by wet analyses. Phosphorus and gross energy had negative correlations with fiber fragments. The values for a* were found to be inversely correlated to the CF, ADF, and NDF contents found in both methods. On the contrary, there was a positive correlation between a* values and ash content in both methods. Positive correlations also were found between fat content and L* and b* values of the ingredients. Negative correlations were found between b* value and CP, Arg, Ile, Gly, and Pro levels. Based on these results, NIRS is a reliable method depending on the calibration quality, and the correlations found among nutrients and between color and nutrients must be taken into consideration to predict nutrient content of DDGS. No antibiotic residue was found in the samples.


Solid state reactions can be used to introduce one or more multivalent transition metal cations into high-silica zeolites. Most such cations cannot be introduced into these matrices by other methods. The influence of various factors on the processes of stabilisation of the cationic species in the zeolite channels is analysed. Pentasil-based systems with distinct, isolated centres form unique subjects for studying the relationship between the catalytic properties of the transition metal cation and the local structure of the centre. Highly active and stable catalysts for the complete oxidation of alkanes and for the decomposition of nitrogen oxides can be obtained by solid-state modification of the pentasils. The bibliography includes 65 references.


This study develops an inventory model to determine ordering policy for deteriorating items with constant demand rate under inflationary condition over a fixed planning horizon. Shortages are allowed and are partially backlogged. In today's wobbling economy, especially for long term investment, the effects of inflation cannot be disregarded as uncertainty about future inflation may influence the ordering policy. Therefore, in this paper a fuzzy model is developed with fuzzifying the inflation rate, discount rate, deterioration rate and backlogging parameter using triangular fuzzy numbers to represent the uncertainty. Now for Defuzzification, the well known signed distance method has been employed to find the total profit over the planning horizon. The objective of the study is to derive the optimal number of cycles and cycle length that maximizes the net present value of the total profit over a fixed planning horizon. The necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal solution are characterized. An algorithm is proposed to find the optimal solution. Finally, the proposed model has been validated with the help of numerical example. Sensitivity analysis has also been performed to study the impact of various parameters on the optimal solution and some important managerial implications are presented.


Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarct and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) caused by mutations of the 33-exon NOTCH3 gene is the most common single gene disorder of stroke.1 To date, more than 200 different NOTCH3 mutations have been reported worldwide, while R544C in exon 11 was the most prevalent hot spot mutation in East Asia and accounted for more than 70% of the patients in their CADASIL cohorts.2 3 Patients with CADASIL may suffer from ischaemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), especially among Asians. Therefore, we aimed to compare the clinical features of acute ICH vs IS events in patients with CADASIL and focused on the effects of ICH on stroke recurrence and long-term outcome.

The patients enrolled in this study were prospectively recruited from a multicentre stroke registry established since 2006 with at least 12 hospitals in Taiwan. We screened R544C mutation from participants who provided their blood sample and those whose harbouring R544C mutation were then included in the present study. Preadmission, inpatient and discharge data were collected by trained personnel. The responsible neurologist on each study site will examine the medical record or interview the patients to acquire follow-up information. All patients received at least one neuroimaging examination to document the locations of acute stroke. Abnormal white matter hyperintensity (WMH) lesion was scored by the Fazekas scale. The number and …


In this letter, we consider the problem of joint user scheduling and dynamic pilot allocation in a Time-Division Duplex (TDD) based Massive MIMO network under varying traffic condition. One of the main problems with Massive MIMO systems is that the number of available orthogonal pilot signals is limited, and the dynamic allocation of these signals to different users is crucially needed to utilize the full benefit of these systems. In addition, pilot signals are radio resource control (RRC) configured in practice, and hence the frequent reconfiguration causes high signaling overhead and is costly. Using Lyapunov optimization framework, we develop an optimal algorithm that first assigns pilots dynamically based on queue sizes and the channel conditions of users as well as the reconfiguration cost at large time-scale. Then, it schedules users on a small-time scale. Numerical results show the efficacy of our algorithm and demonstrate that pilots do not need to be configured frequently at the expense of increased queue delay.


I read with interest the paper by Clearie et al. [1] because the development of inhaled corticosteroid products is currently hindered by the lack of valid methodology to investigate therapeutic equivalence. Importantly, this paper illustrates that both methacholine provocative concentration of methacholine needed to produce a 20% fall in FEV1 (PD20) and exhaled nitric oxide (NOe exhibit a significant dose–response curve, which is the first step towards calculating the relative potency (RP) between products. This can be anticipated from the plots in the paper by Kelly et al. [2]. In addition, if the placebo response is not taken into account in these plots, sputum eosinophilia dose–response is non-existent.

In the USA, RP estimation is essential for the comparison of inhalation products owing to their flat dose–response curve. In contrast, in Europe, the traditional and insensitive comparison of the response (at two different dose levels now) is better understood by regulatory clinicians. Fortunately, both analyses are required at present in the European Union [3].

This type of evidence is necessary to develop guidelines on how to compare inhalation products pharmacodynamically. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued any guidance on this topic because of this limitation. Interestingly, this paper confirms that NOe, the pharmacodynamic end-point suggested by the FDA, shows a significant dose–response curve. It would be valuable if the authors could compare both end-points to identify the most sensitive and less variable one, and discuss whether they provide the same information or if each provides information on a different aspect of the therapeutic effect, in which case both should be equivalent.

Unfortunately, in the presented study, the selection of patients was not limited to those able to respond differently to the two doses of budesonide. This inclusion criterion would have hampered the recruitment of subjects but would have increased the slope of the dose–response curve and perhaps even reduced the intrasubject variability, which in turn would have allowed the conclusion of equivalence within the 0.5–2.0 or even 0.67–1.5 acceptance range with a reasonable sample size (n = 50–100). A response from the authors on the sample size required would be welcome.

Despite some concerns related to the absence of washout between the two dose levels of each treatment, it would be beneficial, although others may prefer simpler studies without RP estimation, if this study was taken as a model in future inhaled corticosteroid comparisons. If this were the case, it is necessary to clarify some misconceptions that can be found in the paper, as follows

The ±33% (0.67–1.50) acceptance range of the Committee for Human Medicinal Products guideline refers only to RP, because it is a comparison in the dose axis (x-axis), and RP confidence interval can be calculated at a 90% confidence level as in pharmacokinetic bioequivalence studies. The comparison of the responses at each dose level has to be based on a predefined and clinically justified acceptance range.

In vitro data comparison is essential before any in vivo study and should be compared based on the whole distribution, not simply on the fine particle dose. The acceptance range of ±15% (0.85–1.18) is used for each individual stage of the impactor, and it is a requirement only if a biowaiver is applied, which is not possible in this case due to the differences in formulation composition.

Pharmacokinetic comparisons should be performed in a single-dose study because they are considered most sensitive to detect differences between products, and the sampling times should be taken as early as 2 and 5 min after inhalation to characterize properly time of maximum concentration (tmax) and maximum concentration (Cmax), because it is not adequate to detect the Cmax in the first sampling time.

Moreover, this study shows that the CHMP guideline [3], which was an important advance, requiring assay sensitivity and the investigation of two doses to avoid approval based on insensitive studies and describes biowaivers based on in vitro data or pharmacokinetic safety and lung deposition studies, needs to be updated. The study design should be cross-over in order to reduce variability and sample size, and this study shows that spirometric variables are less sensitive than PD20 or NOe. Fortunately, the cross-over design and alternative end-points, such as PD20 or NOe, are considered in the CHMP guideline if justified, which is now evident.

Finally, I would like to highlight that as Cmax is not influenced by the later absorption from the gut, it is indicative of the extent and pattern of distribution within the lung, because the deeper the deposition within the lungs the higher Cmax. Then, the point estimate of Cmax (0.89) in the pharmacokinetic study suggests a more central deposition of the new hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) formulation and a slightly lower efficacy, which is in complete agreement with an RP estimation for PD20 of 1.10. This means that 10% more of the new HFA formulation is required to obtain the same effect as a given dose of the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) formulation. Therefore, it is confirmed that pharmacokinetic information is a surrogate for efficacy and safety.


4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) has been listed as a priority pollutant and has also been reported as a human urinary metabolite used as a marker to evaluate exposure to certain pesticides. In the work herein, a solvothermal approach is applied to the one-pot synthesis of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs), utilizing the halophilic microalgae Dunaliella salina as a biomass precursor. Both kinds of the produced CNDs showed appreciable optical properties and quantum yields, good photostability and they were capable of probing 4-NP by quenching their fluorescence through the inner filter effect. Interestingly, a prominent 4-NP concentration-dependent redshift of the corresponding emission band of the hydrophilic CNDs was noticed, which was further exploited, for the first time, as an analytical platform. Capitalizing on these properties, analytical methods were developed and applied to a variety of matrixes, such as tap water, treated municipal wastewater and human urine. The method based on the hydrophilic CNDs (λex/λem: 330/420 nm) was linear in the range of 0.80–45.0 μM and showed acceptable recoveries (from 102.2 to 113.7%) with relative standard deviations of 2.1% (intra-day) and 2.8% (inter-day) for the quenching-based detection mode and 2.9% (intra-day) and 3.5% (inter-day) for the redshift one. The method based on the hydrophobic CNDs (λex/λem: 380/465 nm) was linear in the range of 1.4–23.0 μM, with recoveries laying within the range of 98.2–104.5% and relative standard deviations of 3.3% and 4.0% for intra-day and inter-day assays, respectively.


This paper presents a sizing methodology and optimal operating strategy for a battery energy storage system (BESS) to provide a peak load shaving. The sizing methodology is used to maximize a customer's economic benefit by reducing the power demand payment with a BESS of a minimum capacity, i.e. a system with a lowest cost. The BESS optimal operating strategy is based on dynamic programming and is aimed to minimize the energy cost while satisfying battery physical constraints.


A 79-year-old female visited a hospital because of high fever and computed tomography(CT)showed a cystic lesion with fluid accumulation in her left lung. She had hemoptysis and left chest pain 3 days after antibiotic therapy was started. Chest CT demonstrated the cystic lesion rupturing and causing hemopneumothorax. Then she was referred to our department and thoracic drainage was performed. However, a week after the drainage, she had hemoptysis and chest pain again, and the left lower lobectomy was performed. Histopathological findings showed the cystic lesion was intrapulmonary bronchogenic cyst. We describe a rare case of the hemopneumothorax due to the hemorrhage in the bronchogenic cyst.


Writing Across Distances and Disciplines addresses questions that cross borders between onsite, hybrid, and distributed learning environments, between higher education and the workplace, and between distance education and composition pedagogy. This groundbreaking volume raises critical issues, clarifies key terms, reviews history and theory, analyzes current research, reconsiders pedagogy, explores specific applications of WAC and WID in distributed environments, and considers what business and education might teach one another about writing and learning. Exploring the intersection of writing across the curriculum, composition studies, and distance learning , it provides an in-depth look at issues of importance to students, faculty, and administrators regarding the technological future of writing and learning in higher education.


Since breasts are the symbol of femininity, deformation or lack of the breasts greatly impairs the mental quality of life for the female patients. Psycho-sociological importance of this issue, has caused many studies to work on breast implants (1,2,3,4). Amastia is a rare condition where the breast or nipple is absent. Amastia can be due to: congenital, teratogen exposure, injuries sustained during thoracotomy, Chest tube placement, and inappropriate biopsy of the breast and radiotherapy of severe burns. Unilateral amastia is often associated with absence of the pectoral muscles. Bilateral amastia is associated in 40%of cases with multiple congenital anomalies involving other parts of the body as well .We had a rare case of a patient with unilateral amastia, where, in spite of the rightside of the breast being intact, the left-side of the breast was absent. The present article presents the case with reference to past reports of amastia. A three-years-old girl with unilateral of breast tissue,areolea and nipples . No other anomalies were noted. Investigation done during the hospital stay including ultrasonography of the chest wall, abdomen and pelvic were all normal.


Recent studies have reported unusual behaviors of geomagnetic diurnal variation (GDV) in the vertical component prior to the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0). To make a better understanding of this phenomenon, time-spatial analysis of GDV has been applied in this study. Geomagnetic data of long term observations at 17 stations in Japan have been analyzed using the same method in Han et al. 2015. Ratios of diurnal variation range between the target station and the reference station KAK have been computed. After removing seasonal variations revealed by wavelet transform analysis, the 15-day mean values of the ratios in the vertical component shows a clear anomaly exceeding the statistical threshold about 2 months before the mega event in both ESA and MIZ stations in the Tohoku Region. Similar results could not be found in other regions of Japan. Spatial distributions of the ratios show a good agreement between the location of the anomalies and the epicenter of Mw 9.0 earthquake. These time-spatial results seem to be consistent with independent results obtained from other observations such as radon density, seismicity, and GPS displacements, which suggest the geomagnetic data might be useful in earthquake monitoring and disaster mitigation.


As the use of carbon fullerene increases in the chemical industry, the concern over its biological and toxicological effects is also increasing. In this study, the suspension of carbon fullerene (C60) in phosphate buffered saline was prepared and toxicity was investigated using cultured RAW 264.7 and in intraperitoneally injected mice, respectively. The average size of carbon fullerene in the suspension was 53.7 ≙ 26.5 nm when determined by particle size analyzer. Cell viability was significantly decreased by the exposure of carbon fullerene (0.25g~2.00 μg/m l ) for 96 hrs in the cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) level was also decreased compared to the level of the non-treated control group during the exposure period, while the level of nitric oxide was increased. When mice were intraperitoneally injected with carbon fullerene, serum cytokine levels of IL-1 and IL-6 were increased with the increased expression of inflammatory genes in peritoneal macrophage and T cell distribution in blood lymphocytes. The results suggested inflammatory responses were induced by carbon fullerene.


Since the late 1980s, international skill mobility has become a topic of academic enquiry, examined from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Economic theorisation has centred on the elite professional migrant moving within corporate spheres of influence concentrated on 'world cities' such as London, New York and Paris. Whilst accepting the value of this work—particularly in terms of its contribution to the broader re-theorisation of migration studies—this paper is critical of the focus on a privileged economic form of career-based mobility. I argue that skilled international migration, although still practised by a relatively small number of people, has nonetheless become a 'normal' middle-class activity rather than something exclusively confined to an economic elite. This implies complexity with regard to the skilled migrant communities that form within the contemporary world city, complexity that has hitherto been overlooked. This omission is addressed through a six-faceted lifestyle typology derived from 36 interviews with skilled British residents in Paris. The typology underpins the main argument of the paper: namely that skilled migration has developed an increasingly diverse 'human face' since studies of the phenomenon began in the late 1980s, and that traditional notions of the economic 'expatriate' need to be placed within a much broader contextual and conceptual framework. In the final part of the paper, reasons for the development of this complexity are briefly explored.


Petroleum is non-renewable and contributes to environmental pollution, thus bio-oil can be substituted as a potential alternative. However, bio-oil in its crude form cannot be used directly as fuel since it contains a high proportion of oxygenated, acidic and reactive compounds such as carboxylic acids. These are known to cause corrosion of vessels and pipework, instability and phase separation. The oxygen content of bio-oil can be reduced through hydrodeoxygenation of oxygenated compounds. In this study, the hydrogenation of short chain (C2-C4) carboxylic acids typical of model compounds present in bio-oil was investigated using commercial Pt supported on Al2O3, SiO2, carbon and graphite, and prepared Pt and Pt-Re on TiO2 catalysts. This study reports the preparation of 4% Pt/TiO2 and 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 catalysts for alcohol production, which were screened against their commercial counterparts, the reaction space explored in the following ranges temperature 80-200 °C, pressure 10-40 bar, time 1-4 h, catalyst 0.1-0.4 g and stirring speed 400-1000 min-1 using 4%Pt/TiO2, and kinetic modelling of acetic acid hydrogenation.

The catalysts were characterized using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), H2-Temperature Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR) and NH3-Temperature Programmed Desorption (NH3-TPD) techniques. BET analysis showed features of Type IV isotherm with Type 3 hysteresis for 4% Pt/TiO2, 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2, 4% Pt/SiO2 and 5% Pt/graphite; in contrast, 5% Pt/C and 5% Pt/Al2O3 exhibited Type 2 hysteresis. Further, both commercial and synthesized catalysts are mesoporous. The XRD peaks present in 4% Pt/TiO2 and 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 were found to be rutile and anatase phases of TiO2 only. The incorporation of Pt and Re into TiO2 occupied more rutile than anatase phases. Catalyst morphology of spent 4% Pt/TiO2 and 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 showed the formation of compact mass and agglomerates after three reuse cycles. NH3-TPD analysis showed that 4%Pt/TiO2 had the highest acidity (0.48 mmol g-1) which favoured esterification reaction. Catalyst screening showed that 4% Pt/TiO2 and 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 outperformed the commercial catalysts, and favoured the production of ethyl acetate and ethanol respectively. Consequently, the production of alcohol over 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 increased with increasing Re loading from 1 to 4%. The achieved optimum conditions were 200 °C, 40 bar, 4 h, 0.4 g and 1000 min-1 for acetic acid conversion, and 160 c, 40 bar, 4 h, 0.4 g and 1000 min-1 for ethanol production. The hydrogenation of C2-C4 acids over 4% Pt/TiO2 and 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 as single acid feed showed that an increase in the molecular weight of the carboxylic acid from acetic to butanoic acid enhanced the selectivity towards the respective alcohol which can be summarized: butanol > propanol > ethanol. Conversely, ester selectivity is as follows: ethyl acetate > propyl propionate > butyl butyrate. The selectivity to alcohol decreased as the reaction temperature increases from 145 to 200 °C. Higher alcohol selectivities were achieved over 4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2 in all cases. The investigation of acids in a mixed acid feed system over 4% Pt/TiO2 showed that higher alcohol selectivity was attained compared to the single feed system. On the other hand, the conversion of propanoic and butanoic acids in the mixture containing acetic acid dropped from 94 to 77% and 88.2 to 70% respectively. The presence of acetic acid in the mixed feed inhibited the other acids due to competitive effect but favoured higher alcohol selectivity.

Reaction kinetics of acetic acid hydrogenation was investigated using catalyst particle sizes < 65 μm and a stirring speed of 1000 min-1 at which negligible internal and external mass transfer resistances were experienced. The reaction order with respect to acetic acid and hydrogen were found to be 0.78 and 0.35 respectively, which indicated fractional order kinetics. Hence, the experimental data was fitted with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood model for dissociative H2 adsorption. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were found to be 80.6 kJ mol-1 and 4.6 ×10-7 kmol.kgcat-1.min-1 respectively.

Finally, 4% Pt/TiO2 catalyst favours the production of esters and alcohols from the hydrogenation of short chain carboxylic acids (C2-C4) in single and multiple feed systems. However, the addition of Re to form bimetallic catalyst (4% Pt-4%Re/TiO2) further increased the selectivity towards alcohols while maintaining a high acid conversion. Furthermore, the reaction kinetics of acetic acid using 4% Pt/TiO2 catalyst was adequately described using a model that assumes a dissociative adsorption of hydrogen.


Fully-Depleted (FD) Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) has become very attractive for deep submicron CMOS applications because of its quasi-ideal properties. Scaling FD SOI involves, amongst many other technology parameters, reducing the thickness of the silicon film. However, thinning the SOI film down to 50 nm or below may result in high series resistance or even full consumption of the silicon during the salicidation process. Therefore, a dedicated device architecture is needed like for example the raised gate/source/drain (G/S/D) device architecture. The authors have fabricated FD SOI transistors on top of an ultra-thin silicon film of 30 nm with gate lengths down to 0.1 /spl mu/m. After a short description of the device fabrication, the electrical results on DC and HF performance are presented and discussed.


The new generation of advanced interferometer needs fused silica mirrors having better optical and mechanical properties. This Letter describes the way to reduce the ion beam sputtering coating absorption at 1064 nm and to improve the layer thickness uniformity in order to coat two large mirrors (diameter 35 cm) at the same time.


Moral intelligence is the capacity to apply moral principles to one's own values, goals and actions (or the ability to see what is right and integrate it into one's life and actions) It is considered as the individual capacity to understand right from wrong, to have strong ethical convictions and to act on them to behave in the right and honourable. This study examined the level of moral intelligence among senior secondary school students in Osun State. It also investigated whether there is a relationship between moral intelligence and students' perception of examination malpractice as well as examined the influence of variables such as students' gender and family structure on their moral intelligence. The study adopted survey method. The sample size was 240 Senior Secondary School class two students (Mean Age =15.62, SD =1.26)in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun state, Nigeria . Two instruments were used to collect data for the study. They were: Students' Moral Intelligence questionnaire adapted from Moral Competency Inventory (MCI) by Martin and Austin (2008) and Students Perceptions of Examination Malpractice in the Society (SPEM) which was adapted from Ejide (2005). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Test, t-test and ANOVA. The results showed that 2.6% of the students had low level of moral intelligence, 12.6% of them had moderate level, 38.7% of them had high level while 46.1% of the students had very high level of moral intelligence. Result also showed that moral intelligence significantly correlated with students' perception of examination malpractices (N = 230, r = -.371 p < 0.05). Also, significant difference were found in male (M=86.27, SD=14.144) and female students (M= 80.87, SD= 16.61; t (228) = 2.637, p =.009) moral intelligence while there was also a statistically significant difference at the p < .05 level in moral intelligence scores for students under the five different living arrangement: F (4, 221) = 3.90, p =.004. The result of Post-hoc comparisons using the Turkey HSD test indicated that the mean score for students living with mother only (M=77.18, SD=19.81) was significantly different from those living with father and mother together (M=85.89, SD=14.39). Mean score for students living with father only (M=73.69, SD=18.79) was significantly different from those living with father and mother together (M=85.89, SD=14.39). It therefore concludes that moral intelligence enhancement training could have positive and an enduring impact on their decision making process regarding involvement in examination malpractices.


This study aimed to assess the effect of using forage cactus silage in the diet of sheep under intermittent water supply on its ingestive behavior and thermoregulation. We used in the experiment thirty-six intact male sheep of undefined genotype with an initial average weight of 19.8 ± 2.1 kg and age of approximately six months. The experimental design was a randomized block design in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme composed of three levels of forage cactus silage in the diet (0, 21, and 42%), three water supply periods (0, 24, and 48 hours), and four replications. For the ingestive behavior, observations were carried out every 5 minutes for 2 periods of 24 hours. Thermoregulatory responses were taken at 7:00 and 15:00 h on days other than those intended for ingestive behavior tests. Intermittent water supply did not affect any of the studied variables (P > 0.05). The use of forage cactus silage significantly influenced the ingestive behavior of animals (P < 0.05). Sheep fed forage cactus silage in the diet presented an average feeding efficiency of 255.77 g DM h?1 and an average rumination efficiency of 102.16 g DM h?1, while animals fed control diet showed values of 198.63 and 78.45 g DM h?1, respectively. Urinary frequency increased according to the levels of forage cactus silage in the diet, with 23.60 urination per day in animals fed diets with 42% of forage cactus silage and 10.83 urination per day in animals fed control diet. However, the search for water reduced, with averages of 2.73 and 0.54 per day for animals fed 0 and 42% forage cactus silage, respectively. The use of forage cactus silage also increased thermoregulatory responses of sheep, with an average respiratory rate of 103.35 mov. min?1 and heart rate of 140.08 mov. min?1 in the warmest period of the day (in the afternoon). Thus, sheep fed forage cactus silage increases its feeding and rumination efficiencies, decreases its search for water, and increases its thermoregulatory responses. The intermittent water supply within 48 hours does not influence the ingestive behavior and thermoregulation of confined sheep.