Abstract We describe a new piston-cylinder method for determining the fluid-absent solidus curves of geological materials. Samples are heated incrementally at pressures from 3 to 20 kbar for periods less than one hour. The effects of melting on the measured oil pressure are small but detectable and yield an accurate solidus by interpretation of pressure-time data. The technique successfully reproduces the solidus curve for LiCl. Results for the Ollo de Sapo pelitic gneiss are superior to those obtained previously using a more conventional technique.


This paper demonstrates that high-gain, high-frequency portable seismographs operated for short intervals can provide unique data on the details of the current tectonic activity in a very small area. Five high-frequency, high-gain seismographs were operated at 25 sites along the coast of northern California during the summer of 1968. Eighty per cent of 160 microearthquakes located in the Cape Mendocino area occurred at depths between 15 and 35 km in a well-defined, horizontal seismic layer. These depths are significantly greater than those reported for other areas along the San Andreas fault system in California. Many of the earthquakes of the Cape Mendocino area occurred in sequences that have approximately the same magnitude versus length of faulting characteristics as other California earthquakes.
 Consistent first-motion directions are recorded from microearthquakes located within suitably chosen subdivisions of the active area. Composite fault plane solutions indicate that right-lateral movement prevails on strike-slip faults that radiate from Cape Mendocino northwest toward the Gorda basin. This is evidence that the Gorda basin is undergoing internal deformation. Inland, east of Cape Mendocino, a significant component of thrust faulting prevails for all the composite fault plane solutions. Thrusting is predominant in the fault plane solution of the June 26 1968 earthquake located along the Gorda escarpement. In general, the pattern of slip is consistent with a north-south crustal shortening.
 The Gorda escarpment, the Mattole River Valley, and the 1906 fault break northwest of Shelter Cove define a sharp bend that forms a possible connection between the Mendocino escarpment and the San Andreas fault. The distribution of hypocenters, relative travel times of P waves, and focal mechanisms strongly indicate that the above three features are surface expressions of an important structural boundary. The sharp bend in this boundary, which is concave toward the southwest, would tend to lock the dextral slip along the San Andreas fault and thus cause the regional north-south compression observed at Cape Mendocino.
 The above conclusions support the hypothesis that dextral strike-slip motion along the San Andreas fault is currently being taken up by slip along the Mendocino escarpment as well as by slip along northwest trending faults in the Gorda basin.


Background Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) also termed as the anemia of inflammation has been found to be associated with inflammations, chronic infections, and cancers, particularly in old age. Recent studies revealed that interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, and hepcidin, an antimicrobial hepatic peptide, play a key role in ACD pathogenesis. Patients and Methods. The study included 40 subjects with chronic diseases and 40 normal subjects of the same age group. Red cell indices, levels of IL-6 and hepcidin, and iron profile were measured in all participants using Bayer ADVIA 120, VITROS 5600, Integrated System/2008, and ELISA assay, respectively. Results The level of hemoglobin was considerably less in patients of chronic diseases referred to as "cases" than the normal subjects or "controls" (8.7 ± 1.5 vs. 13.2 ± 0.9). Red blood corpuscle (RBC) count, hematocrit (HCT) level, serum iron, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and serum total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) were found to be significantly lower in the cases as compared to controls (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 and hepcidin levels were substantially higher in the cases than in the controls (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 and hepcidin levels were substantially higher in the cases than in the controls (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 and hepcidin levels were substantially higher in the cases than in the controls ( Conclusion This study detected a significant increase in serum IL-6 and hepcidin levels in patients with ACD than the controls. These findings offer an insight into the role played by both cytokine and peptide in the pathogenesis of ACD and thus provide a rationale for future use of novel drugs inhibiting their effects on iron metabolism.


The influence of atomic disorder and heterointerfaces with III–V semiconductors on the electronic and magnetic properties of zinc-blende (ZB) CrAs is studied by ab initio calculations based on density-functional theory. Antisite Cr spins are coupled antiferromagnetically with the Cr spins at the ordinary sites, while the ferromagnetic coupling between the Cr spins at the ordinary sites is robust against defect formation. The degree of spin polarization is not reduced significantly by the impurity bands formed in the minority spin energy gap. In the ZB CrAs/GaAs junction, relatively high spin polarization is retained even at the interface in contrast to usual half-metal/semiconductor heterojunctions. Complete spin polarization is also preserved throughout ZB CrAs/GaAs multilayers and it is insensitive to the substitutional disorder between Cr and Ga sites.


Ceramic-on-metal (CoM) hip implants were reported to experience lower wear rates in vitro as compared to metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings, thus hinting metal-ion release at lower levels in vivo. In this article, we show a spectroscopic study of two short-term retrieval cases of zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) femoral heads belonging to CoM hip prostheses, which instead showed poor wear performances in vivo. Metal contamination and abnormally high fractions of tetragonal-to-monoclinic (t→m) polymorphic transformation of the zirconia phase could be found on both ZTA heads, which contrasted with the optimistic predictions of in vitro experiments. At the molecular scale, incorporation of metal ions into the ceramic lattices could be recognized as due to frictionally assisted phenomena occurring at the ceramic surface. Driven by abnormal friction, diffusion of metal ions induced lattice shrinkage in the zirconia phases, while residual stress fields became stored at the surface of the femoral head. Diffusional alterations destabilized the chemistry of the ceramic surface and resulted in an abnormal increase in t→m phase transformation in vivo. Frictionally driven metal transfer to the ceramic lattice thus hinders the in vivo performance of CoM prostheses. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1469-1480, 2017.


In this work a neutron spectrum unfolding code, based on artificial intelligence technology is presented. The code called "Neutron Spectrometry and Dosimetry with Artificial Neural Networks and two Bonner spheres", (NSDann2BS), was designed in a graphical user interface under the LabVIEW programming environment. The main features of this code are to use an embedded artificial neural network architecture optimized with the "Robust design of artificial neural networks methodology" and to use two Bonner spheres as the only piece of information. In order to build the code here presented, once the net topology was optimized and properly trained, knowledge stored at synaptic weights was extracted and using a graphical framework build on the LabVIEW programming environment, the NSDann2BS code was designed. This code is friendly, intuitive and easy to use for the end user. The code is freely available upon request to authors. To demonstrate the use of the neural net embedded in the NSDann2BS code, the rate counts of Cf, AmBe and PuBe neutron sources measured with a Bonner spheres system.


Reducing mortality of working-age population is a potential reserve for preserving Russia's population and its labor force. In addition, the task of analyzing health of economically active citizens of our country is inextricably linked with the challenge of developing strategy of development of reproductive potential at the regional level. As reproductive or generative woman's age is defined precisely enough, and such unambiguous definition for men is lacking, the study used mortality rates, calculated for men and women of working age (16 - 59 years and 16 - 54 years respectively) and officially published by the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) as characteristics of reproductive health. The analysis of mortality rate for working age men and women in the Republic of Chuvashia as well as the structure of main causes of death are presented for 2002-2016 in comparison with average indicators for the Russian Federation. The mortality rate of the mentioned population category in Republic of Chuvashia since 2002 has decreased by 17.5% in all age groups except women aged 30-39 years. At this, the rate of mortality decreased in men during the analyzed period is higher than in women i.e. 20.5% and 19.3% respectively. As compared with 2002, the percentage of circulatory system diseases, neoplasms, digestive system diseases increased with a simultaneous decrease in the proportion of "external" causes in mortality structure of able-bodied population of the Republic of Chuvashia in 2016. Throughout the analyzed period relative mortality rates of able-bodied men are four times and higher than those of women. The analysis of dynamics characteristics in mortality level and structure among working age women and men as well as risk factors that contribute to its growth, can become the basis for developing an organizational improvement program of rendering medical care to economically active population as a component of regional strategy of increasing the level of reproductive potential.


Abstract The theoretical parameters such as optimized geometrical parameters (bond lengths, bond angles, and dihedral angles), vibrational assignments, non-linear optical property, natural population analysis, and global chemical descriptors were calculated using the density functional theory with Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr functional and Coulomb-attenuating method. Spectroscopic characterization of (E)-N′-((1H-Indol-3-yl)methylene)-4-bromobenzohydrazide was investigated by the Fourier transform infrared analysis with the potential energy distribution, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and ultraviolet-visible techniques. The intermolecular interactions of the title molecule in the crystal structure were visualized by the three-dimensional Hirshfeld surface and associated two-dimensional fingerprint plots. In order to understand molecular stability, global reactive properties calculated at the time-dependent density functional theory have been investigated by visualization of frontier molecular orbitals. In addition, the first-order hyperpolarizability has been investigated to understand the non-linear optical activity of the molecule. Molecular docking studies supporting the antibacterial activity of the title molecule give a high-binding energy value of −5.20 kcal/mol due to the interaction of the carbonyl group with the target protein. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Abstract Background The physiological functions of the testis and spleen can be affected through several cellular and molecular mechanisms such as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that causes oxidative stress. This study aimed at investigating the protective effect of catechin, quercetin, and taxifolin in rotenone-induced testicular and splenetic toxicity. Methods Male Wistar rats were administered with 1.5 mg/kg rotenone (s.c.) for 10 days followed by post-treatment with catechin (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg), quercetin (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg), and taxifolin (0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg) for 3 days (s.c.), followed by estimation of biochemical markers of oxidative stress, inflammatory activities, and tissue damage in testes and spleen. Results Exposure of rats to rotenone caused reduced body weight gain, increased organ weight, decreased glutathione level and activities of glutathione transferase and superoxide dismutase, enhanced lipid peroxidation, and increased activities of prooxidant/proinflammatory enzymes and lactate dehydrogenase, which were mitigated by post-treatment with flavonoids. In general, quercetin and taxifolin showed better activity than catechin. Conclusions Catechin, quercetin, and taxifolin ameliorated rotenone-induced weight disturbances and oxidative damage in rats, indicating their potential relevance in toxicant and pesticide-induced tissue injury.


Background and aim: Descriptive phenomenology is widely used in social science research as a method to explore and describe the lived experience of individuals. It is a philosophy and a scientific method and has undertaken many variations as it has moved from the original European movement to include the American movement. The aim of this paper is to describe descriptive phenomenology in the tradition of Edmund Husserl. Integrative literature discussing the nature of descriptive phenomenology was used within this paper to elucidate the core fundamental principles of Husserlian descriptive phenomenology. Methods: This is a methodology paper that provides both an overview of the historical context and the development of descriptive phenomenology in the tradition of Husserl. Results and discussion: Descriptive phenomenology is explained from its historical underpinnings. The principles of the natural attitude, intentionality and the phenomenological reduction are described and using practical examples illustrate how each of these principles is applied within a research context. Conclusions: Understanding the key philosophical foundations of Husserlian descriptive phenomenology as a research method can be daunting to the uninitiated. This paper adds to the discussion around descriptive phenomenology and will assist and inform readers in understanding its key features as a research method.


A brief review is provided on the role of experimental modulation of the visual system during its plastic period. The importance of several substances has been demonstrated. Potential clinical applications of available studies on the treatment of amblyopia are summarized. The role of the dopaminergic system and particularly of dopamine in amblyopia are also discussed. The results of the use of cytidine-5′-diphosphocholine (citicoline) in amblyopia are evaluated in detail. The advantages of and indications for an association of citicoline with part-time occlusion are also discussed. Finally, new administration modalities of citicoline, more detailed evaluation of its efficacy, and the use of new substances are briefly analyzed.


The design of reinforced concrete structures requires a few criteria to be fulfilled, especially in Limit States Theory adopted by many international standards in structural design. Two key criteria are ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state. Both of these limit states have one common aspect which governs the whole concept of design especially in reinforced concrete design, which is the ductility requirement. The purpose of satisfying the ductility requirement is to ensure safety of users and occupants of the designed structure. In this paper, the ductility requirement is explained in the adoption of the Eurocode EC2 in place of BS8110. In order to have a smooth transition from BS8110 to EC2, the author would also like to introduce a unified approach for the analysis and design of concrete members in flexure by utilizing a unifying parameter q (combined reinforcing index). This would allow a design engineer to analyze and to design for normally reinforced, partially prestressed, and even fully prestressed concrete and composite sections. Through this approach, it is hoped that the Malaysian practicing structural engineers can make a smooth switchover to the use of Eurocode EC2 for reinforced concrete design.


Flexible radio resource management schemes are nowadays used within a wide range of systems. However, the optimal selection for their adaptation rate is still an open research issue. This paper presents an analytical approach to such problem, which consists in a combined analysis of the dynamics of the session‐arrival process and the estimation of the mean traffic load from network measurements. From this study, it is concluded that both aspects pose an upper limit on the optimal system adaptation rate, being the most restrictive the one depending on the mean traffic load estimation. A specific procedure for deriving such limit on adaptation rate is provided. It is shown that the derived value directly depends on the mean service duration. The application of the whole analysis is illustrated with an example based on a set of measurements from a live network. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Objective: To identify parental needs with respect to the care for the development of infants and children with microcephaly caused by the Zika virus (ZIKV). Methods: Qualitative research conducted at a treatment and early stimulation center of the Federal University of Ceara, in Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2016. A total of 23 guardians, either parents or relatives, of children diagnosed with Zika-induced microcephaly took part in the study, having their data collected by means of focus groups and analyzed through content analysis. Results: The participants reported the need for greater attention, understanding and psychosocial support from the institution and professionals involved; for more knowledge of the general context of the child's condition; and health education interventions with continuous follow-up focused on the real needs of the children and their families. Conclusion: The results evidenced the absence of and the urgent need for the development and implementation of health-related strategies and actions that favor the active and humanized listening of families, reduce the negative impact caused by the children's situation within the families and enable a greater and better development of infants and children with Zika virus-induced microcephaly.


Why do we need a review specifically addressing arterial
hypertension in elderly patients? First, a rterial
hypertension prevalence increases with age and, therefore,
a large proportion of hypertensive patients are
elderly patients. Despite this fact, the specific issues of
arterial hypertension in elderly patients are only marginally
debated in current guidelines. Second, there are
physiological changes (e.g., i ncreasing arterial stiffness,
reduced body water content, decreased function of
several organ systems) and pathophysiological changes
(e.g. increasing prevalence of comorbidities) with increasing
age, making diagnosis and therapy of arterial
hypertension in elderly patients more demanding.
Third, f or some recommendations (e.g., a ppropriate
target blood pressure) levels of evidence are lower than
in younger hypertensive patients, leading to conflicting
recommendations between guidelines. This review intends
to discuss some of the specific issues in elderly
patients with arterial hypertension.
Key words: hypertension; elderly; guidelines; geriatric
assessment


The purpose of this study is to predict the broadband noise generated by the fan rotor of a high bypass ratio turbofan engine at take-off condition. A numerical investigation of the unsteady aerodynamics of a fan rotor was described, with emphasis on acoustics. Three case studies were examined; namely, design point, a choked point and a near surge point. It was found that the dominant broadband noise mechanisms are due to interaction of turbulence of the incoming flow with the engine casing and nose, interaction of the turbulent boundary layers on the rotor blades with their trailing edges, and interaction of the rotating blade with the turbulence in the incoming flow. The most important noise source was the interaction of the turbulent boundary layers on the rotor blades with their trailing edges. Choked case scored the highest noise level as it has the maximum turbulent kinetic energy levels, maximum mass flow rate and thus maximum relative Mach number. Near-surge case has the lowest noise level except at the lower part of the suction side of the rotor where the reverse flow and vortices caused higher levels of noise.


Ultrasonic beam parameters from nondestructive testing probes and respective measurement uncertainties were calculated according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (BIPM-JCGM-100:2008). The major conclusion of this work is that proper measurements of ultrasonic probes parameters are necessary because each probe has intrinsic construction particularities. Uncertainty evaluation was essential to properly assess the experimental results.


The European banking and sovereign debt crisis has revealed severe financial imbalances among countries and institutional sectors. In reaction, economic policy and theory has focused on the role of finance in mitigating economic imbalances and finding ways to deal with them. Policy makers launched data gap initiatives to enhance economic and financial statistics, an important pillar of these initiatives being the integrated framework of the System of National Accounts, unifying product, income, capital, and financial accounts. In this framework, there are elaborated Stock-Flow Consistent models that model any interconnections of institutional sectors, in both real and financial aspects, in a consistent way. This article aims to illustrate the principles and possibilities of Stock Flow Consistent models and their relation to the System of National Acounts. To accomplish this, we construct a simplified Stock Flow Consistent model applied to the sectoral (im)balances between the private, government, and foreign sectors, which were a notable feature of the recent European crisis.


Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the proportion of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 gene polymorphisms in Chinese renal transplant recipients, and to study the effect of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 gene polymorphisms on Concentration/Dose(C0/D) of tacrolimus, and to further develop a population pharmacokinetics model for tacrolimus in Chinese renal transplant recipients. Design and Method: 110 recipients with post renal transplant hypertension were genotyped for CYP3A4*1G and CYP3A5*3 using polymerase chain reaction-restrictive fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). 70 recipients received tacrolimus at least 1 week and tacrolimus trough levels(C0) were determined. The population pharmacokinetics model, based on tacrolimus plasma concentrations of 188 renal transplant patients, was established using the nonlinear mixed-effect modeling software. Results: We genotyped 110 recipients for CYP3A4 (47.27% CYP3A4*1/*1; 48.18% CYP3A4*1*1G and 4.55% CYP3A4*1G*1G) and CYP3A5 (5.45% CYP3A5*1/*1; 50.00% CYP3A5*1/*3 and 44.55% CYP3A5*3/*3). Among the 70 recipients with post renal transplant hypertension, patients with CYP3A4*1*1 showed a significantly higher C0/D compared with the CYP3A4*1*1G and CYP3A4*1G*1G group (p < 0.05); While the C0/D of CYP3A5*3*3 group was significantly higher than the CYP3A5*1*1 and CYP3A5*1*3 group (p < 0.05). A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination adequately described the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus. In the final model, clearance (CL/F), distribution volume (Vd/F) and Ka was 30.1L h-1, 3420L and 3.09h-1 respectively. And the CYP3A5*3, hemoglobin and direct bilirubin had significant effect on CL/F, and postoperative days (POD) showed significant influence on Vd/F. Conclusions: Most patients carried the wild allele CYP3A4*1 (G20230A) and the mutant allele CYP3A5*3 (A6986G). The C0/D of tacrolimus was well associated with the CYP3A4*1G and CYP3A5*3 polymorphism. The population pharmacokinetics findings suggest that CYP3A5*3 polymorphisms, hemoglobin and direct bilirubin are determinant factors in the apparent clearance of tacrolimus.


This work describes a molecular-level investigation of strong metal-support interactions (SMSI) in Pt/TiO(2) catalysts using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. This is the first time that SFG has been used to probe the highly selective oxide-metal interface during catalytic reaction, and the results demonstrate that charge transfer from TiO(2) on a Pt/TiO(2) catalyst controls the product distribution of furfuraldehyde hydrogenation by an acid-base mechanism. Pt nanoparticles supported on TiO(2) and SiO(2) are used as catalysts for furfuraldehyde hydrogenation. As synthesized, the Pt nanoparticles are encapsulated in a layer of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The presence of PVP prevents interaction of the Pt nanoparticles with their support, so identical turnover rates and reaction selectivity is observed regardless of the supporting oxide. However, removal of the PVP with UV light results in a 50-fold enhancement in the formation of furfuryl alcohol by Pt supported on TiO(2), while no change is observed for the kinetics of Pt supported on SiO(2). SFG vibrational spectroscopy reveals that a furfuryl-oxy intermediate forms on TiO(2) as a result of a charge transfer interaction. This furfuryl-oxy intermediate is a highly active and selective precursor to furfuryl alcohol, and spectral analysis shows that the Pt/TiO(2) interface is required primarily for H spillover. Density functional calculations predict that O-vacancies on the TiO(2) surface activate the formation of the furfuryl-oxy intermediate via an electron transfer to furfuraldehyde, drawing a strong analogy between SMSI and acid-base catalysis.


Xylanase from Streptomyces xylophagus nov. sp. has been purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose column. The purification of the enzyme was 276-fold with a yield of 18.6% on the basis of the activity per weight of total nitrogen. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on moving-boundary electrophoresis. Optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 6.2 and 55~60°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to 40°C and in the range of pH from 5.3 to 7.3, but inactivated at higher than 50°C and at extreme pH values of 2.4 and 9.4. Hydrolyzed products of xylan by the enzyme were xylose and xylobiose.


Abundance data on solar neighbourhood stars suggest the presence of chemically-distinct stellar components in the solar neighbourhood. When the abundances of Fe, α elements, and the r -process element Eu are considered together, stars separate neatly into two groups that delineate the thin and thick disk components of the Milky Way. The group akin to the thin disk is traced by stars of relatively high Fe content and low [α/Fe] ratios. The thick disk-like group overlaps the thin disk in [Fe/H] but has higher abundances of α elements and Eu. Fe-poor stars with low [α/Fe] ratios, however, seem to belong to a separate, dynamically-cold, non-rotating component likely associated with debris from past accretion events. The kinematically-hot stellar halo dominates the sample at the metal-poor end. These results suggest that it may be possible to define the main dynamical components of the solar neighbourhood using only their chemistry, an approach with a number of interesting consequences. For example, the average rotation speed and velocity dispersion of thin disk stars is roughly independent of metallicity, a result unexpected in most current theories of thin-disk formation. In this scenario, the familiar increase in the velocity dispersion of disk stars with decreasing metallicity is the result of the increasing prevalence of the thick disk at lower metallicities, rather than of the sustained operation of a dynamical heating mechanism. The substantial overlap in [Fe/H] and, likely, stellar age, of the various components might affect other reported trends in the properties of stars in the solar neighbourhood. A purely chemical characterization of these components allows the use of their kinematics to assess their origin, an powerful approach denied to traditional ways of apportioning stars to the various Galactic components.


Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) regulates critical aspects of the cellular response to DNA damage by activating cell cycle checkpoints and damage repair. Inhibition of Chk1 potentiates the cytotoxicity of nucleoside analogs. Previous studies have focused on abrogation of cell cycle arrest as a mechanism of chemosensitization by Chk1 inhibitor. Here, we demonstrate that the impact of Chk1 inhibition on stalled replication forks is also an important determinant. Disruption of Chk1 function with AZD7762, an ATP-competitive inhibitor, induced premature mitosis in gemcitabine (gem)-treated HCT116 colon cancer cells arrested in S-phase. However, the consequent aberrant mitosis could be dissociated from the increased apoptosis, indicating that premature mitosis is not required for subsequent cell death. AZD7762, as well as Chk1-specific siRNA, caused a marked increase in the formation of the DNA damage marker phospho-Ser 139 H2AX (\#947;H2AX) that was unrelated to apoptotic DNA fragmentation. DNA fiber combing analysis indicated that Chk1 inhibition allowed firing of replication origins previously suppressed by gem, thereby generating more stalled forks. While ATR is regarded as the primary kinase mediating the DNA damage response induced by stalled forks, it appeared to be dispensable for the induction of \#947;H2AX since an equally robust increase could be demonstrated in Seckel lymphoblasts and ATR-deficient HCT116 cells. Our data suggest that Chk1 inhibition converts stalled forks into highly lethal double strand breaks (DSB) as evidenced by a dramatic increase in activating Ser 1981 phosphorylation of ATM in cells treated with gem plus AZD7762. Consistent with this, Brca2- or XRCC3-deficient cells defective in homologous recombination (HR) were selectively more sensitive to the combination. Interestingly, ATM itself did not mediate the increase in \#947;H2AX as ATM deficient lymphoblasts showed increased \#947;H2AX comparable to normal lymphoblasts and chemical inhibition of ATM failed to abrogate the increase in \#947;H2AX in HCT116 cells treated with gem and AZD7762. In contrast, both chemical inhibition and siRNA knockdown of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) greatly diminished the increase in \#947;H2AX. These data indicate that inhibition of Chk1 function subsequent to replicative stress generates lesions, likely DSBs, in S-phase cells that engage both the HR and non-homologous end joining pathways with DNA-PK as the unexpected primary mediator of \#947;H2AX induction. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2488.


In recent years, overlay networks have emerged as an approach to provide a general framework for new applications and services to be implemented without significant changes in the IP-layer network infrastructure. Overlay Service Network (OSN) is a unified framework which acts as a top layer over the IP-layer network and makes overlay routing feasible. This paper mainly focuses on designing a QoS-satisfied dynamic overlay routing protocol based on OSN framework. While satisfying the QoS requirements, being a dynamic routing protocol enhances the reliability and performance of the routing. So the proposed algorithm not only satisfies the application QoS requirements, but also improves the routing performance. The goals are: (1) to discover an overlay path which fulfills the QoS requirements, as well as (2) balancing the computational capacity of the resources and at the same time, (3) enhance the performance of the overlay network. To achieve these goals, we propose a path selection algorithm called Modified Least-Cost Path (MLCP) algorithm. Our simulation experiments have shown that the proposed algorithm performs well in achieving QoS-satisfied overlay routing while maintaining the performance.


Rapid and prolonged analgesia was obtained in all of 14 obstetric patients who received synthetic human beta-endorphin intrathecally at the time of delivery. Normal uterine contractions were maintained and all women were fully conscious and highly cooperative in the delivery process. No depression of respiration rate, cardiovascular or central nervous system was observed in any of the patients. Conditions of the infants evaluated by Apgar scoring were excellent. beta-endorphin must be administered intrathecally because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier; for the same reason, beta-endorphin cannot enter the central nervous system of the fetus as do opiates or other drugs commonly used as anesthetics or analgesics at the time of delivery.


Earlier studies have shown that the major porin species in Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane is protein F (OprF), which produces channels wider than those produced by Escherichia coli porins. In contrast, Yoshihara and Nakae ((1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6297-6301) reported that protein F has no pore-forming activity as measured by the flux of L-arabinose, and that the channels in P. aeruginosa outer membrane, being produced by proteins C, "D," and "E," are much narrower than E. coli porin channels. In this study, we followed the protein purification scheme of Yoshihara and Nakae as closely as possible, and found that protein F had a specific activity for pore formation similar to that of proteins D1, D2, and E2. Furthermore, proteoliposome reconstitution assays showed conclusively that the channels formed by protein F, as well as by unfractionated outer membranes, allowed the diffusion of a tetrasaccharide, stachyose, at a significant rate, indicating that these channels are much larger than E. coli porin channels. It appears likely that in the study of Yoshihara and Nakae protein F was inadvertently inactivated during purification. We further suggest a hypothesis that resolves the apparent conflict between the presence of large diameter channels and the low permeability of the outer membrane in P. aeruginosa.


Conventional farming (CONV) is the norm in European farming, causing adverse effects on some of the five major soil functions, viz. primary productivity, carbon sequestration and regulation, nutrient cycling and provision, water regulation and purification, and habitat for functional and intrinsic biodiversity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is an alternative to enhance soil functions. However, there is no analysis of CA benefits on the five soil functions as most studies addressed individual soil functions. The objective was to compare effects of CA and CONV practices on the five soil functions in four major environmental zones (Atlantic North, Pannonian, Continental and Mediterranean North) in Europe by applying expert scoring based on synthesis of existing literature. In each environmental zone, a team of experts scored the five soil functions due to CA and CONV treatments and median scores indicated the overall effects on five soil functions. Across the environmental zones, CONV had overall negative effects on soil functions with a median score of 0.50 whereas CA had overall positive effects with median score ranging from 0.80 to 0.83. The study proposes the need for field-based investigations, policies and subsidy support to benefit from CA adoption to enhance the five soil functions.


Abstract. The presence of marine microfossils (diatoms) in glacier
ice and ice cores has been documented from numerous sites in Antarctica,
Greenland, as well as from sites in the Andes and the Altai mountains, and
attributed to entrainment and transport by winds. However, their presence
and diversity in snow and ice, especially in polar regions, are not well
documented and still poorly understood. Here we present the first data to
resolve the regional and temporal distribution of diatoms in ice cores,
spanning a 20-year period across four sites in the Antarctic Peninsula and
Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. We assess the regional variability in diatom
composition and abundance at annual and sub-annual resolution across all
four sites. These data corroborate the prevalence of contemporary marine
diatoms in Antarctic Peninsula ice cores, reveal that the timing and amount
of diatoms deposited vary between low- and high-elevation sites, and support
existing evidence that marine diatoms have the potential to yield a novel
palaeoenvironmental proxy for ice cores in Antarctica.


A growing body of evidence suggests that multiple dynamo mechanisms can drive magnetic variability on different timescales, not only in the Sun but also in other stars. Many solar activity proxies exhibit a quasi-biennial (∼2 year) variation, which is superimposed upon the dominant 11 year cycle. A well-characterized stellar sample suggests at least two different relationships between rotation period and cycle period, with some stars exhibiting long and short cycles simultaneously. Within this sample, the solar cycle periods are typical of a more rapidly rotating star, implying that the Sun might be in a transitional state or that it has an unusual evolutionary history. In this work, we present new and archival observations of dual magnetic cycles in the young solar analog HD 30495, a ∼1 Gyr old G1.5 V star with a rotation period near 11 days. This star falls squarely on the relationships established by the broader stellar sample, with short-period variations at ∼1.7 years and a long cycle of ∼12 years. We measure three individual long-period cycles and find durations ranging from 9.6 to 15.5 years. We find the short-term variability to be intermittent, but present throughout the majority of the time series, though its occurrence and amplitude are uncorrelated with the longer cycle. These essentially solar-like variations occur in a Sun-like star with more rapid rotation, though surface differential rotation measurements leave open the possibility of a solar equivalence.


cytochrome b558 and the adhesion molecule CD11b/CD18. Blood 1993;81:3122 9. 6 Borregaard N, Sorensen OE, Theilgaard-Monch K. Neutrophil granules: a library of innate immunity proteins. Trends Immunol 2007;28:340 5. 7 Oiva J, Mustonen H, Kylanpaa ML et al. Patients with acute pancreatitis complicated by organ failure show highly aberrant monocyte signaling profiles assessed by phospho-specific flow cytometry. Crit Care Med 2010;38: 1702 8. 8 McGregor RJ, Mole DJ. Once bitten, twice shy: defective monocyte signaling in acute pancreatitis. Crit Care Med 2010;38:1751 2. 9 Oiva J, Mustonen H, Kylanpaa ML et al. Acute pancreatitis with organ dysfunction associates with abnormal blood lymphocyte signaling: controlled laboratory study. Crit Care 2010;14:R207. 10 Caldwell CC, Hotchkiss R. The first step in utilizing immune-modulating therapies: immune status determination. Crit Care 2011;15:108.


In this work we consider the problem of finding the simplest arrangement of resonant deep-water gravity waves in one-dimensional propagation, from three perspectives: Theoretical, numerical and experimental. Theoretically this requires using a normal-form Hamiltonian that focuses on 5-wave resonances. The simplest arrangement is based on a triad of wavevectors K1+K2=K3 (satisfying specific ratios) along with their negatives, corresponding to a scenario of encountering wavepackets, amenable to experiments and numerical simulations. The normal-form equations for these encountering waves in resonance are shown to be non-integrable, but they admit an integrable reduction in a symmetric configuration. Numerical simulations of the governing equations in natural variables using pseudospectral methods require the inclusion of up to 6-wave interactions, which imposes a strong dealiasing cut-off in order to properly resolve the evolving waves. We study the resonance numerically by looking at a target mode in the base triad and showing that the energy transfer to this mode is more efficient when the system is close to satisfying the resonant conditions. We first look at encountering plane waves with base frequencies in the range 1.32–2.35 Hz and steepnesses below 0.1, and show that the time evolution of the target mode's energy is dramatically changed at the resonance. We then look at a scenario that is closer to experiments: Encountering wavepackets in a 400-m long numerical tank, where the interaction time is reduced with respect to the plane-wave case but the resonance is still observed; by mimicking a probe measurement of surface elevation we obtain efficiencies of up to 10% in frequency space after including near-resonant contributions. Finally, we perform preliminary experiments of encountering wavepackets in a 35-m long tank, which seem to show that the resonance exists physically. The measured efficiencies via probe measurements of surface elevation are relatively small, indicating that a finer search is needed along with longer wave flumes with much larger amplitudes and lower frequency waves. A further analysis of phases generated from probe data via the analytic signal approach (using the Hilbert transform) shows a strong triad phase synchronisation at the resonance, thus providing independent experimental evidence of the resonance.


This study examines the effect of morphological instruction and synthesizes instructional methods from 30 morphological interventions into four recommended morphological instructional strategies. Results suggest children receiving morphological instruction performed significantly better on measures of literacy achievement, especially in the areas of phonological and morphological awareness, decoding, spelling, and vocabulary skills. Analysis of instructional trends suggests five ways to increase morphological knowledge including 1) segment and build with morphemes, 2) teach affix and root meanings, 3) use morphemes to improve spelling, 4) segment and put together compound words, and 5) identify cognates to support ELLs. This study demonstrates why morphological knowledge is important, determines the overall effect of morphological instruction, and suggests ways teachers can incorporate morphological instruction within their teaching.


The lengths of the condylar pathways during protrusive and opening movements were investigated with computerized axiography in 100 individuals. Forty-two patients suffering from anterior disk displacement with reduction (ADD) in one or both temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and 28 patients with anterior overrotation clicking (AOC) of the TMJ were compared with 30 asymptomatic volunteers. Patients suffering from ADD showed significantly shorter tracings than did the two other groups. A significant difference of length of TMJ movement between men and women was found only in one group. The occlusal indices (OI) of the three groups were assessed and compared with each other. Here, a significant difference was found between volunteers and patients suffering ADD and between volunteers and patients with AOC. Between men and women a significant difference of the OI was found in the group with AOC, women presenting higher scores than men. Except for the group of patients with ADD, who showed shorter average lengths, volunteers as well as patients with AOC, were within the normal limits given in the literature for TMJ movement lengths recorded with axiography. The results of this examination therefore indicate that when considering movement length alone no discrimination between healthy and diseased TMJ can be made.


Background: In Uganda women with disabilities attend antenatal care (ANC) while pregnant, however, majority of these deliver from the hands of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) due to due to fear of being mistreated by skilled birth attendants. We explored the determinants of the maternal health seeking behavior of women with disability in Busiro health sub district (HSD), Wakiso district, Uganda.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study involving quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was conducted among 182 participants. Quantitative data were collected from disabled women, and qualitative data from six key informants (midwives and in-charges) at selected health facilities in Busiro HSD, Wakiso district. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors influencing the decision to seek maternal health care services (ANC and delivery at health facilities) among women with disability. Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis.Results: The findings revealed that 82.3% of women with disability attended ANC during pregnancy, and of these, 80.8% delivered their babies at health facilities. Attendance of ANC by the women with disability was influenced by parity (having 1-3 children) (AOR 7.7; 95% CI: 0.249-239.040), mode of delivery-normal delivery verses caesarian section (AOR 2.6, 95%CI: 0.296-22921), place visited during pregnancy TBA visa vie public health facilities (AOR 4.5, 95%CI: 0.922-22.576), and distance to the health facility being less than 5 Kilometres (AOR 2.3 95% CI: 0.695-7.661). Conclusion: There is need to intensify awareness of the use of skilled health workers during pregnancy and child birth to women with disability in the communities so as to improve uptake of maternal health care services.


Abstract A formalisation of the assessment of reflective learning logs together with a marking scheme is proposed. It is currently being used for a programme of professional training leading to an MSc in Water and Environmental Management. It has been analysed using student feedback and statistical analysis of the three forms of assessment for the programme: a technological assignment, a written examination and a reflective learning log for each module. The evidence supports the use of reflective learning logs to promote a significant enhancement of learning and understanding in a programme. Programme designers and directors need to decide whether the benefits of using this assessment method outweigh the costs of using a marking process that requires intellectual energy and insight and which may also be more time consuming.


Although tissue engineering offered new approaches to repair bone defects, it remains a great challenge to create a bone-friendly microenvironment and rebuild bone tissue rapidly by a scaffold with a bionic structure. In this study, a multifunctional structurally optimized hydrogel scaffold was designed by integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin (Gel), and sodium alginate (SA) with aspirin (ASA) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP). The fabrication procedure is through a dual-crosslinking process. The chemical constitution, crystal structure, microstructure, porosity, mechanical strength, swelling and degradation property, and drug-release behavior of the hydrogel scaffold were analyzed. Multi-hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and strong "egg-shell" structure contributed to the multi-network microstructure, bone tissue-matched properties, and desirable drug-release function of the hydrogel scaffold. The excellent performance in improving cell viability, promoting cell osteogenic differentiation, and regulating the inflammatory microenvironment of the prepared hydrogel scaffold was verified using mouse pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) cells. And the synergistic osteogenic and anti-inflammatory functions of aspirin and nano-hydroxyapatite were also verified. This study provided valuable insights into the design, fabrication, and biological potential of multifunctional bone tissue engineering materials with the premise of constructing a bone-friendly microenvironment.


Risk assessment of aggression among patients applicant to medical centers Aim was to identify factors potentially increasing the risk of patient aggression. The study was conducted in medical centers in Poland on 244 patients. It was performed using an observation method with the Brøset Violence Checklist for measuring the risk of violent behavior, and the Overt Aggression Scale used in the case of subjects who displayed aggressive behavior. The participants were divided into categories according to the level of risk of aggression. A higher risk was observed among younger individuals, brought to medical centers by the police, those who came later in the day and under the influence of intoxicants. The patients whose risk of aggression was estimated as ≥ 2 points constituted 18.85%, out of whom 87.78% displayed overt aggression. Nursing staff is exposed to patient aggression. The use of the Brøset Violence Checklist can be recognized as an appropriate method of predicting aggressive behavior in patients.


Similarity search is a fundamental operation for applications that deal with unstructured data sources. In this paper we propose a new pivot-based method for similarity search, called Sparse Spatial Selection (SSS). The main characteristic of this method is that it guarantees a good pivot selection with a lower computational cost than other methods previously proposed. In addition, SSS adapts itself to the dimensionality of the metric space we are working with, without being necessary to specify in advance the number of pivots to extract. Furthermore, SSS is dynamic, this is, it is capable to support object insertions in the database without getting its efficiency reduced, it can work with both continuous and discrete distance functions, and it is suitable for secondary memory storage. In this work we provide experimental results that confirm the advantages of the method with several vectorial and metric spaces. We also show that the efficiency of our proposal is similar to that of other existing ones over vectorial spaces, although it is better over general metric spaces.


This paper presents an analysis of junction leakage in heavily doped p+/n germanium junctions, targeted for short-channel transistor fabrication. There exists an optimal p+/n junction condition, with a doping concentration of 1 times 1017-5 times 1017 cm-3, where the area-leakage-current density is minimal. Use of a halo-implant condition optimized for our 125-nm gate-length pMOS devices shows less than one decade higher area leakage than the optimal p+/n junction. For even higher doping levels, the leakage density increases strongly. Therefore, careful optimization of p+/n junctions is needed for decananometer germanium transistors. The junction leakage shows good agreement with electrical simulations, although for some implant conditions, more adequate implant models are required. Finally, it is shown that the area-junction static-power consumption for the best junctions remains below the power-density specifications for high-performance applications.


Dietary sodium restriction alone is effective in lowering blood pressure in some, but not all, patients with essential hypertension. Homeostatic mechanisms, including activation of the renin-aldosterone system, may counteract the effects of sodium restriction. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are also effective as sole therapy in many patients with essential hypertension, but may be less effective in those with low-renin hypertension. The combination of dietary sodium restriction with blockade of the renin system by an ACE inhibitor is a particularly effective way to improve blood pressure control. Addition of a thiazide diuretic will reduce pressure further.


Points of communality in the development of ecumenism worldwide with reformed churches in South Africa (1990–2020)This historic-critical study analyses the development of ecumenism from 1990 to 2020 within the traditional Afrikaans speaking reformed churches in South Africa. The study attempts to determine whether the so-called change or shift in ecumenism within reformed churches and ecumenical bodies worldwide, influenced the theology and practice of ecumenism in Afrikaans-speaking churches in South Africa (1990 to 2020). Afrikaans-speaking reformed churches not only face political and social challenges in South Africa, but also face other major challenges brought about by a postmodern society and theological developments from 1990 to 2020. The development of ecumenism in reformed churches in the world, as described by Plaatjies-Van Huffel (2011:1–11) consists of a shift from conciliar ecumenism to transformative receptive ecumenism. In the past 30 years conciliar ecumenism took its stance in absolute certainties derived from a specific viewpoint on Scripture. Conciliar ecumenism partially failed because some reformed churches excluded other reformed churches from church unity, based on a particular interpretation of Scripture. These exclusions were claimed to be based upon the "authority" derived from Scripture. This ecumenical practice did not lead to significant church unity. The transformative receptive ecumenism, on the other hand, tends to reach out to the marginalised people of God, and not only try to transform the unrighteousness in the lives of people, but also tends to learn from and accommodate the needy in the understanding of ecumenism. If the developments in worldwide ecumenism influenced ecumenical thought among reformed Afrikaans-speaking churches, the question arises: to what extent was transformative receptive ecumenism able to contribute to a better understanding of ecumenism and church unity – especially in the development of an African transformative receptive ecumenism. Also, if a shift in ecumenical practise took place, does that mean that the conciliar ecumenism of the past was of minimal importance? Is a new understanding of ecumenism (as in transformative receptive ecumenism) the alpha and omega of ecumenism in theory and practice? Shouldn't transformative receptive ecumenism be further discussed by all churches in South Africa and the world to bring forth an ecumenical model that suits the South African situation as part of worldwide ecumenism?This chapter attempts to understand recent developments and issues within the reformed ecumenical societies and agencies in the world, after which the Afrikaans-speaking historic-reformed churches will be viewed in terms of the understanding of their calling to ecumenism. The developments and issues in the reformed world will be compared with the latest developments and issues within the Afrikaans-speaking reformed churches. A conclusion based on a comparison between ecumenism in the world and in South Africa will be drawn before some remarks on the future of ecumenical understanding concludes this study.


Sea level changes play an important role as an indicator of climate change. However, without climate change, sea level itself shows strong regional patterns, both in space and time, that could deviate significantly from global averages. The spatial variability of sea level changes in Indonesia can be divided based on the drivers, i.e., climatic and seasonal weather-driven and non-climatic and geological-driven. Seasonally, sea level in Indonesia is generally high in northwest monsoon and low in southeast monsoon. Nevertheless, there is a possibility of extreme natural phenomenon influences that generate anomalies and thermosteric process that also affects the sea level. On the non-climatic and geological theory, the uniqueness of the tectonic setting in Indonesia will create spatial variation in regional sea levels both as static and dynamic changes in a long period of time. Land subsidence is also often regarded as a significant contributor to the rise of relative sea level in coastal environments. Combined with the rise of sea level, land subsidence will escalate the coastal flooding risk, contribute to shoreline retreat, and further aggravated by anthropogenic forces such as groundwater extraction and land development. This scientific review will summarize the spatial variation of sea level rise in Indonesia, examines the underlying drivers that control it, and provides an overview of combined sea level rise and land subsidence as a significant threat in Indonesia.


Abstract The influence of both sulphate ions and aspartic acid on directing the growth of baryte has been explored using computer simulation. Both species are found to significantly reduce the activation free-energy to growth under appropriate conditions, with the influence of sulphate being surface specific. This offers the potential for a new approach to morphology control without inhibition that may have implications for biomineralization.


Evaluating on adversarial examples has become a standard procedure to measure robustness of deep learning models. Due to the difficulty of creating white-box adversarial examples for discrete text input, most analyses of the robustness of NLP models have been done through black-box adversarial examples. We investigate adversarial examples for character-level neural machine translation (NMT), and contrast black-box adversaries with a novel white-box adversary, which employs differentiable string-edit operations to rank adversarial changes. We propose two novel types of attacks which aim to remove or change a word in a translation, rather than simply break the NMT. We demonstrate that white-box adversarial examples are significantly stronger than their black-box counterparts in different attack scenarios, which show more serious vulnerabilities than previously known. In addition, after performing adversarial training, which takes only 3 times longer than regular training, we can improve the model's robustness significantly.


Gamification has been suggested to make teaching and learning more motivating and more enjoyable to students. Notwithstanding numerous studies on gamification impact on learning, little empirical studies have sought to apply the concept in the teaching and learning of FrenchLanguage. This study explores effectiveness of gamification in the study of French Language in educational curriculum by using the "Appiahene Gamification Model" (AGM). This study investigated the potential impacts of integrating gamification into the study of a language using 40tertiary students. The students were randomly grouped into Experimental Group (20) and Control Group (20). The results show that, the use of gamification in improving the writing and speaking of French Language was impactful on the students. It was also revealed that, on average theperformance of students who used the Gamification to support their learning in French was higher than those who did not use them. The proposed Gamification application would have implications for a wide range of teaching and learning; and identifies areas for further research. The model and the findings of the study can be used to formulate recommendations towards the design of gameful instruction in other study areas.


Background: Meniscal extrusion, referred to as an external displacement of the meniscus, is a commonly encountered but often overlooked magnetic resonance imaging finding in the knee joint. Meniscal extrusion alters the biomechanical properties of the meniscus, leading to accelerated cartilage degeneration and early osteoarthritic changes. The literature contains discrepancies about meniscal extrusion on topics ranging from definition to diagnosis. This narrative review outlines the pathogenesis, natural history, diagnosis, and treatment of meniscal extrusion. Purpose: To review the current literature on meniscal extrusion, from pathogenesis to treatment, and to provide recommendations for future research. Study Design: Narrative review. Methods: A computer-based search of the PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane Library databases was used to perform a comprehensive literature review on meniscal extrusion. A total of 81 studies was ultimately included in the review. Results: The literature review highlighted the current ambiguity in definition, difficulty in clinical diagnosis, and low level of awareness of this condition. This review covers all aspects related to meniscal extrusion and identifies many of its lesser known aspects. Conclusion: In the current literature, meniscal extrusion remains a lesser known albeit common condition because of its relatively silent nature along with lack of knowledge among orthopaedic surgeons. Further studies are warranted to provide better understanding and management of this condition.


Earthen levee damage from storm surge overtopping in the New Orleans area was observed and documented after Hurricane Katrina. Some levee reaches were undamaged and some were slightly eroded, while other portions were completely breached. The in situ jet index test method was applied along selected post-storm reconstructed levee reaches to assess levee fill erodibility. Jet index testing was also conducted at three undamaged (un-eroded) levee surface locations. Pre-storm levee profiles (elevations) were compared to post-storm modeled stormwater elevations to estimate overtopping depths at the test sites. Also, pre-storm levee profiles were compared to post-storm profiles to estimate erosion depths at the test sites. The jet index test results were integrated with pre-storm soil boring data (i.e., stratigraphy and soil classification), post-storm erosion depths, and overtopping depths to investigate soil surface erodibility relationships. The results showed the validity of using the jet index test method for levee soil erodibility assessments.


Abstract: A CAES (Compressed Air Energy System) plant can be considered as a storage system. The purpose is to store air under pressure and then use it, when required, to generate energy. The system is composed of a series of compressors and heat exchangers and the architecture of the plant aims to reduce compression work and improve storage efficiency. The storage tank can be different depending on the case and the final use, so a cave, a combustion chamber or an expander. Currently the plants that have been built are in Germany (plant built in 1978 with a rated power of 290 MW) and in the USA (built in 1991 with a rated power of 110 MW). In both configurations, the plants use saline caves as reservoirs. Lately, different types of plant are being studied, but they are still in the design phase.
The objective of the present work is, through a steady-state and then a dynamic simulation, to analyze the positive aspects of this technology and its criticalities, trying to optimize its layout. In addition, through a comparison with the few data available on existing plants, create a database of great interest for researchers and experts in the field. Finally, evaluate, based on the data obtained, the possible developments of technology in the context of the "low carbon transition" through the possible use of renewable sources, such as solar photovoltaic, wind and so on.


Signal recognition particle (SRP) in Escherichia coli comprises protein Ffh and SRP RNA. Its essential functionality—co-translational protein-targeting/delivery to cellular membranes— hinges on the RNA attaining a native long-hairpin fold that facilitates protein conformational rearrangements within the SRP complex. Since RNA folds co-transcriptionally on RNA polymerase, we use high-resolution optical tweezers to first characterize the mechanical unfolding/refolding of incrementally lengthened RNAs from stalled transcription complexes until reaching the full-length transcript. This analysis allows identification of folding intermediates adopted during the real-time co-transcriptional folding of SRP RNA. The co-transcriptional folding trajectories are surprisingly invariant to transcription rates, and involve formation of an obligatory non-native hairpin intermediate that eventually resolves into the native fold. SRP RNA variants designed to stabilize this non-native intermediate—likely sequestering the SRP ribonucleoprotein complex in an inactive form—greatly reduce cell viability, indicating that the same co-transcriptional folding mechanism operates in vivo and possible alternative antibiotic strategies. Highlights Folding pathway of an essential functional RNA has been resolved co-transcriptionally. The co-transcriptional folding pathway of SRP RNA is invariant to transcription rates. Nascent SRP RNA obligatorily forms a non-native intermediate before adopting the native fold. Modulating transitions from the non-native to native SRP RNA hairpin fold alters cell viability.


The thesis describes an agent-based model aimed to simulate those processes in which a digital object faces the risk of obsolescence, a migration process has to be performed and the most appropriate file format has to be adopted. Agents have been designed in order to monitor and control the local system where they reside and its environment. They are able to become aware of obsolescent formats based on global parameters such as their diffusion. They communicate as well with each other to find out the most suitable preservation action to be performed. Agents request suggestions that are evaluated and propagated according to a weighting based on the level of trust assigned to both the agents who identified the problem and proposed the solution. In the current research, the definition of the trust level has been chosen based on the cultural and geographical distances, the expertise of the involved agents and the file format numerosity. The level of trust between two agents is automatically updated after every interaction by the mean of a feedback mechanism profiting of an inter agent communication based on stigmergy. Summing up, the thesis demonstrates how a multi-agent system can either perform an autonomous preservation action or suggest a list of best candidate solutions to the user. It benefits the management of several kinds of digital archive, especially those with limited resources specifically dedicated to digital preservation, such as small personal collections and many public institutions.


The purpose of this study was to investigate effectiveness of the different pattern of the digital story in the development linguistic intelligence skills and Mindfulness in Jordanian primary students during the Corona pandemic. Quasi experimental factorial design was adopted in this research. The researcher designed two patterns of the digital story in the Arabic language course. The study sample consisted of 43 students and were randomly (simple random sample) selected. The study sample was divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 23 students who studied through a written digital story, as for the second group, it consisted of 20 students who studied through the digital audiovisual story. The dependent variables were the linguistic intelligence skills and Mindfulness. The researcher used two scales. The first is to measure linguistic intelligence skills, and the second is to measure mindfulness. Data were collected and appropriate statistical analysis performed.  ANCOVA was used to determine the significant differences among the two groups.  Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to examine the main effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables.  The findings of this study showed that students using the digital audiovisual story mode performed significantly better than those students using the written digital story in the linguistic intelligence skills, and mindfulness.


BackgroundDevelopment of the visual system begins prenatally and continues after birth. Visual impairment in early childhood can significantly impair development of visual, motor, and cognitive functions and lead to adverse psychosocial consequences. This research objective is to study the epidemiological patterns of ocular morbidity among children aged less than five years old aiming to reveal information for prevention and control.MethodsThe study is a retrospective patient's records study carried out in three tertiary eye care hospitals in Khartoum State- Sudan. Records of all children attended in 2019 amounting 10886were reviewed. The data had been summarized and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The prevalence of under-five children was estimated in contrast to the overall population and as a proportion from the total children number. The patterns of ocular morbidity were identified according to type, age groups and gender. ResultsThe prevalence of under- five children with ocular morbidity was 5% and they represented 45% of the total children below 16 years. The predominant age group affected with ocular morbidity was (3-5 years old with 53%). Eye infections affected (19%), allergic eye diseases (16.8%), orbital diseases (12.4%), refractive errors (10.8%), squint (9.3%), corneal diseases (6.6%), cataract (6%), glaucoma (2.3%), neurogenic eye (2%) and tumors (0.23%).There were some variations in morbidities according to age groups and gender among the study participants.ConclusionsThe proportion of under-five children is high. The predominant ocular morbidity affecting children of this age is eye infections, followed by allergic eye diseases and refractive errors while other serious blinding eye diseases mounted a considerable percentage. Although of small percentage but worth mentioning that malignant eye tumors were one of the patterns of ocular morbidities affecting under-five children. Patterns of ocular morbidity showed some gender variations.


There is an ongoing trend to increasingly offload inference tasks, such as CNNs, to edge devices in many IoT scenarios. As energy harvesting is an attractive IoT power source, recent ReRAM-based CNN accelerators have been designed for operation on harvested energy. When addressing the instability problems of harvested energy, prior optimization techniques often assume that the load is fixed, overlooking the close interactions among input power, computational load, and circuit efficiency, or adapt the dynamic load to match the just-in-time incoming power under a simple harvesting architecture with no intermediate energy storage. Targeting a more efficient harvesting architecture equipped with both energy storage and energy delivery modules, this paper is the first effort to target whole system, end-to-end efficiency for an energy harvesting ReRAM-based accelerator. First, we model the relationships among ReRAM load power, DC-DC converter efficiency, and power failure overhead. Then, a maximum computation progress tracking scheme (MaxTracker) is proposed to achieve a joint optimization of the whole system by tuning the load power of the ReRAM-based accelerator. Specifically, MaxTracker accommodates both continuous and intermittent computing schemes and provides dynamic ReRAM load according to harvesting scenarios. We evaluate MaxTracker over four input power scenarios, and the experimental results show average speedups of 38.4%/40.3% (up to 51.3%/84.4%), over a full activation scheme (with energy storage) and order-of-magnitude speedups over the recently proposed (energy storage-less) ResiRCA technique. Furthermore, we also explore MaxTracker in combination with the Capybara reconfigurable capacitor approach to offer more flexible tuners and thus further boost the system performance.


Summary
Chronic bee-paralysis virus associate (CPVA) and cloudy wing particle (CWP) are about 17 nm in diam. contain RNA, have single polypeptide species and have indistinguishable buoyant densities in CsCl of about 1.38 g/ml; but they are serologically unrelated, have proteins of different mol. wt. and have significantly different sedimentation coefficients of 41S and 49S respectively. CPVA is significantly and possibly specifically associated with chronic paralysis virus but multiplies, relative to the paralysis virus, by different amounts in different tissues. CWP multiplies apparently independently.


Abstract Fluids of many compositions, concentrations and pressures, are ubiquitous throughout the continental lithosphere, exerting strong control on the deformation properties and processes of rocks both by mechanical means and by complex chemical rock-fluid interactions. Fluids of meteoric and juvenile origin, released by compaction, dehydration reactions, melting, and degassing, commonly during large-scale tectonic events, flow by means of thermal convection, advection (infiltration), and surface and intracrystalline diffusion. These fluids transport mass for distances ranging from the grain scale to hundreds of kilometres; fracture zones provide favourable conduits for flow. Abnormal pore pressures, recorded at all metamorphic grades, develop intermittently during syntectonic deformation, enhancing fluid infiltration by promoting increased porosity and permeability, hydraulic fracturing and severe grain size reductions. The infiltrating fluids enhance hydrolytic weakening, several grain boundary mechanisms, and reaction kinetics in a feedback manner so that strain is commonly localized into semibrittle and ductile shear zones. Large-scale detachments may take place along these shear zones at virtually any depth below the uppermost few kilometres, which, when combined with softening resulting from depth-dependent petrological and geochemical segregations, form a rheological stratigraphy. The rheology of the lithosphere through time has been governed by a combination of bulk rock flow and localized deformation is shear zones, both of which have been aided or controlled by pervasive dynamic rock-fluid interactions.


Introduction Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) and Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) are used as formative assessments worldwide. Since an up-to-date comprehensive synthesis of the educational impact of Mini-CEX and DOPS is lacking, we performed a systematic review. Moreover, as the educational impact might be influenced by characteristics of the setting in which Mini-CEX and DOPS take place or their implementation status, we additionally investigated these potential influences. Methods We searched Scopus, Web of Science, and Ovid, including All Ovid Journals, Embase, ERIC, Ovid MEDLINE(R), and PsycINFO, for original research articles investigating the educational impact of Mini-CEX and DOPS on undergraduate and postgraduate trainees from all health professions, published in English or German from 1995 to 2016. Educational impact was operationalized and classified using Barr's adaptation of Kirkpatrick's four-level model. Where applicable, outcomes were pooled in meta-analyses, separately for Mini-CEX and DOPS. To examine potential influences, we used Fisher's exact test for count data. Results We identified 26 articles demonstrating heterogeneous effects of Mini-CEX and DOPS on learners' reactions (Kirkpatrick Level 1) and positive effects of Mini-CEX and DOPS on trainees' performance (Kirkpatrick Level 2b; Mini-CEX: standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.26, p = 0.014; DOPS: SMD = 3.33, p<0.001). No studies were found on higher Kirkpatrick levels. Regarding potential influences, we found two implementation characteristics, "quality" and "participant responsiveness", to be associated with the educational impact. Conclusions Despite the limited evidence, the meta-analyses demonstrated positive effects of Mini-CEX and DOPS on trainee performance. Additionally, we revealed implementation characteristics to be associated with the educational impact. Hence, we assume that considering implementation characteristics could increase the educational impact of Mini-CEX and DOPS.


This study aims to present a new reconstruction method which enables reconstruction of 3D configuration of an object using single camera images. A secondary planar target which is a white circle with two internal black spots, one is located at the center, is used. The proposed reconstruction method is monocular and non-iterative. The elliptical contour and spot center locations of the target in an image is used to determine the 6-DOF configuration parameters of an object, on which the secondary target is rigidly attached. These six parameters represent the three basic translations and three basic rotations of the object with respect to camera coordinate system. The reconstruction algorithm is implemented and tested using an experimental setup composed of a digital imaging system and 6-DOF positioning unit. 512x512 pixels grayscale images are used to determine position and orientation of the secondary target with respect to the camera, which are controlled through the positioning unit. Theoretical accuracy limits of the reconstruction algorithm are evaluated and presented.


To possess more sensor nodes and maximize the capacity of future networks, anti-interference technology becomes one of the important research subjects in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The previous studies indicate that the dynamic timeslot allocation and channel hopping can solve the interference problem, while a pure channel hopping technology may lose other network performances. Combined with the dynamic resource allocation (DRA) and the theory of the channel hopping technology, this paper proposes a hybrid channel hopping scheme for WSNs based on IEEE 802.15.4. In this scheme, it introduces two channel modes (channel hopping mode and channel adaption mode). Nodes select the channel mode, dynamically apply for a channel or timeslots by DRA request, and automatically switch the channel mode according to the channel condition. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme can effectively improve the anti-interference capability and enhance the network capacity.


Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of the radical resection with a proximal incisal edge length of 20-25 mm and 30-35 mm in Siewert type Ⅱ advanced esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma, to shorten the minimum safe distance of the proximal incisal edge to 20-25 mm. Methods: A retrospective cohort study method was used. The clinical data of 166 patients with Siewert type Ⅱ advanced esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma who underwent total gastrectomy from January 2017 to August 2020 in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College were retrospectively collected. According to the proximal incisal edge length, the patients were divided into two groups: the proximal incisal edge length of 20-25 mm group (69 cases) and 30-35 mm group (97 cases). The perioperative conditions and the 6-month follow-up after the operation were compared between the two groups. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in baseline information between the patients in the two groups (P>0.05). The operations of both groups were completed. The intraoperative operation time of the proximal incisal edge length of 20-25 mm group was shorter than that in the proximal incisal edge length of 30-35 mm group ((172±24)and(206±27)min, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the amount of intraoperative blood loss, the treatment of the diaphragm during the operation and the positive rate of intraoperative freezing of the upper incisal edge between the patients in the two groups (all P>0.05). And there was no significant differences in the first exhaust time, gastric tube removal time, first feeding time and hospital stay after the operation of the two groups (all P>0.05). There was no significant differences in the incidence of anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stenosis, reflux esophagitis and intestinal obstruction after the operation between the patients in the two groups (all P>0.05). And there was no anastomotic leakage case among the 69 cases in the proximal incisal edge length of 20-25 mm group. Postoperative pathological treatment showed no significant differences in the vascular tumor thrombus and nerve infiltration between the two groups (both P>0.05). During the 6-month follow-up, there was no death or tumor recurrence in the two groups, and there was no significant difference in body weight loss at 6 months after the operation between the two groups (P=0.178). Conclusion: When radical resection of Siewert type Ⅱ advanced esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma is performed, it is feasible to shorten the minimum safe distance of the proximal incisal edge to 20-25 mm under the premise of ensuring R0 resection. The operation time is shortened. Due to the shortening the incisal edge distance, the anastomotic tension is decreased, and the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage is also reduced.


The central purpose of this study is to describe the Perceived Emotional Distress Inventory (PEDI) and point out its usefulness in the field of health psychology. The conceptual framework that guided the development of the PEDI, factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity are reported. Item responses were examined by Factor Analyses of Principal Components with promax rotations. The PEDI presents three subscales that assesses Anxiety/Depression, Hopelessness, and Anger Expression as components of perceived emotional distress in cancer patients. We also discuss the important implications of replicating these results in the different regions of Latin America.


The objective of this paper was to analyze the relation between dry and fresh weight and the nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca e Mg) in leafs of Ilex paraguariensis tree, considering canopy position (lower, medium and upper) and geographical orientation (north, south, east and west). The experiment was accomplished in Guarapuava-PR, in a stand with 15 years of age. The analyses showed that: the medium relationship among the dry and fresh weight of leaves in the canopy position was in 0,4463; except for the calcium, the Ilex Paraguariensis trees do not export different amounts of the nutrient in relation to the canopy position and geographical orientation; 35,45% of the leaves are in the lower canopy position, 36,84% in the medium and 27,71% in the upper; the concentrations of the nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) found in the leaves were smaller than values verified in native Ilex paraguariensis trees. Key-words: chemical analysis; contents; macronutrients.


Although many ecocritical works written by Romanticists and others have neglected the importance of 18th-century English literature in the development of environmental concern, more recent ecocritical work has begun to pay closer and more sympathetic attention to writers from the end of the 17th century through the 1780s. New approaches to 18th-century poetry have emphasized an appreciation of natural beauty and fragility as well as utility, and a critical recognition of the distinction between georgic and pastoral views has begun to highlight nature as a working world (georgic) rather than an archaic refuge. Appropriately, studies of working-class poetry have now entered the field, and ecofeminism has begun to play a significant role in some recent revaluations. Postcolonial ecocriticism promises fuller development. A richer range of ecocritical readings of 18th-century texts should begin to lead not only to reassessments of individual works or authors but of the history of environmental consciousness.


The high flux density of synchrotron white beam offers several advantages in X-ray imaging such as higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio in 3D/4D micro-tomography, higher frame rate in real-time imaging of transient phenomena, and higher penetration in thick and dense materials especially at higher energies. However, these advantages come with additional challenges to beamline optics, camera and sample due to increased heat load and radiation damage, and to personal safety due to higher radiation dose and ozone gas hazards. In this work, a white beam imaging facility at imaging beamline BL-4, Indus-2, has been developed, while taking care of various instrumental and personal safety challenges. The facility has been tested to achieve 1.5 µm spatial resolution, increased penetration depth up to 900 µm in steel, and high temporal resolutions of ∼10 ms (region of interest 2048 × 2048 pixels) and 70 µs (256 × 2048 pixels). The facility is being used successfully for X-ray imaging, non-destructive testing and dosimetry experiments.


The time domain finite difference method is used to model an eight-element annular phased array system. Both a homogeneous block and section of a real human torso are considered. It is shown that variation in phase or amplitude from the array elements can lead to significant variations in the electric field or SAR patterns and that phase is the most important parameter.


The application of a number of mesoporous sulfonic acids including MCM-41–PrSO3H (1a), MCM-41–Ph–PrSO3H (1b), SBA-15–PrSO3H (2a), SBA-15–Ph–PrSO3H (2b), SBA-15–EtPhSO3H (3a), and SBA-15–Ph–EtPhSO3H (3b) with different surface hydrophobicity in acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in a water–nitromethane solvent mixture was investigated. Among the studied mesoporous solid acids, the catalysts with lower surface hydrophobicity and relative acidity were found to be more selective and efficient catalytic system for HMF production. Our studies showed that the hydrophilic surface of the employed solid acids might indeed provide a means of faster departure of HMF from the system mesopores as soon as it forms, thus retarding the rehydration of HMF to unwanted by-products and improving the HMF selectivity. HMF selectivity of 75% was reached in 93% fructose conversion in a water–NM system at 140 °C within 30 min in the presence of catalyst 2a, which is comparable or even superior to other systems which employ MIBK–2-butanol or other organic co-solvents.


The review sumarizes up-to-date information on majority of published degradative plasmids found in Gram-negative bacteria. Different plasmids are compared which code for similar or identical properties, that may, however, differ in many features such a size, conjugative properties, stability and number and properties of coded enzymatic activities, metabolic pathways of degraded chemicals are also discussed. The history of research on bacterial degradative plasmids is also briefly described.


The article presents the results of the research of the dynamics of sol-gel transition and the formation of nanostructures in a colloidal solution. The correlation function of Van Hove, the incoherent scattering function and mean square displacement of particles at different temperatures and bulk density were calcu-lated on the basis of modeling data. Non-Gaussian effects of the numerical evaluation of dynamic hetero-geneity, and determined the temperature of gelation at different densities were used. The radial distribu-tion functions of particles and of the self-intermediate scattering function are calculated and analyzed here.


Local Lorentz invariance violating (LLIV) and Einstein equivalence principle violating (EEPV) effects in atomic experiments are discussed. The EEPV effects are strongly enhanced in the narrow 7.8 eV transition in the _{90}^{229}Th nucleus. The nuclear LLIV tensors describing the anisotropy in the maximal attainable speed for massive particles (analog of the Michelson-Morley experiment for light) are expressed in terms of the experimental values of the nuclear quadrupole moments. Calculations for nuclei of experimental interest _{55}^{133}Cs, _{37}^{85}Rb, _{37}^{87}Rb, _{80}^{201}Hg, _{54}^{131}Xe, and _{10}^{21}Ne are performed. The results for _{10}^{21}Ne are used to improve the limits on the proton LLIV interaction constants by 4 orders of magnitude.


BACKGROUND
In rats, prenatal exposure to high concentrations of galactose may contribute to a condition that is equivalent to the premature ovarian failure (POF) component of human galactosaemia. We investigated if development of POF under experimental galactosaemia-like conditions was attributed to impaired germ cell migration.

METHODS
Pregnant rats were fed pellets supplemented with, or without, 35% galactose from day 3 of conception continuing through parturition. Between days 12-15, embryos from one uterine horn were dissected out. Primordial germ cells (PGC) were histochemically localized and counted on the basis of binding of Dolichos biflorus agglutinin, a lectin specific for terminal N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), to the surface glycoconjugate of the germ cells. The embryos from the other uterine horn were maintained until parturition. Liver activity of uridine diphosphate galactose 4-epimerase, the enzyme involved at multiple steps in the process of synthesis of GalNAc, was assayed in 1-2 day old female pups.

RESULTS
The numbers of PGC at the day-specific sites on all days of examination were significantly lower (P </= 0.0003), and liver epimerase activity was significantly (P = 0.000001) reduced in the galactose-exposed group.

CONCLUSION
Impaired germ cell migration leading to the development of gonads with deficient initial pools of germ cells may form the causal link between galactosaemia and POF.


Parallel computing is a promising way to achieve high performance in a database system. The disk access speed has been a well known bottleneck for database machines, and the data intensive nature and the random communication patterns of databases make the interconnection network in a database machine difficult to design. This article describes the design of a highly parallel, high throughput database machine based on the new T9000 transputer family and a large number of relatively inexpensive disks. The database machine is designed to achieve a throughput of more than 10,000 elementary transactions per second and a total size in the range of terabytes. The Semantic Binary Database Model is employed by the system. Besides its logical aspects, this model's implementation facilitates the utilization of the parallel processing power and improves the reliability of the system.


Water distribution system (WDS) aims to distribute water from reservoirs or aqueducts to the end-users. This system is part of the water supply network that carries potable water from a central treatment plant or wells to water consumers in order to deliver water sufficiently to meet residential, commercial, industrial, and firefighting requirements. Modern systems aim to solve water distribution systems management problems, such as the lowest cost, and most efficient design by using linear/nonlinear optimization schemes, which are limited by the system size, the number of constraints, and the number of loading conditions. After a literature review for the articles that dealt with this topic, designing two parts of the water distribution system is discussed as a case study in Erbil. Pumps and storage tanks, while optimizing the water distribution system by minimizing the project cost through minimizing the volume of the elevated tank according to the pump working hours.


Recruitment is central to the maintenance of any plant population, particularly in disturbed or drought-prone environments. Recruitment relies on both seedling emergence and subsequent survival to establishment, processes susceptible to changes in soil water potential. Here, we use an existing relationship between seedling survivorship and soil water potential from the TasFACE global change impacts experiment situated in Tasmanian grassland, elucidate relationships between rainfall and soil water potential, and then simulate seedling survivorship responses to potential changes in both the amount and seasonal distribution of precipitation. Annual rainfall was a poor predictor of survivorship, suggesting the importance of seasonal and daily distribution of rain in determining establishment patterns. Modelled seedling survivorship was remarkably resistant to declines in rainfall, with a rainfall reduction of 40% reducing survivorship only by ~10%. Reducing spring rainfall only markedly reduced seedling survivorship when the rain removed was not added to winter rainfall. Our results show that soil water recharge during winter is critical to seedling survivorship of perennial species at the study site. Providing rainfall regimes allow recharge to occur, seedling survivorship of perennial grassland species may be maintained despite large reductions in rainfall, indicating that these grassland species may have an inherent capacity that limits the impacts of reductions in rainfall.


Abstract The analysis of samples from numerous Pliensbachian and Toarcian sections from the northern regions of Russia and northern Alaska, as well as published data, allow us to estimate the correlative significance of foraminifera and ostracodes, and to develop an Arctic zonal standard based on these microfauna. During the Late Pliensbachian-Early Toarcian depositional period in the Arctic Basin and northwestern seas of Western Europe, a succession of almost simultaneous biotic and abiotic events occurred: widespread development of black bituminous shale at the beginning of the Early Toarcian, and a microbiota crisis (mass extinction event) in the Northern Hemisphere. The Early Toarcian microbiotic crisis was very sharp in both Arctic and Western European palaeobasins. In the Arctic seas, the generic and family composition of ostracode communities was completely replaced by new taxa. The species composition of foraminiferal assemblages changed considerably, while the generic composition of the foraminifera is only characterized by partial changes. In the Western European seas, the Early Toarcian microbenthos crisis caused taxonomic changes generally at the species level among foraminifera and at the generic level among ostracodes. The comprehensive analysis of the biogeographical distribution of Late Pliensbachian and Early Toarcian foraminifera and ostracodes, as well as Jaccard cluster analysis, allow us to define several biogeographical units within the Arctic and Boreal-Atlantic realms. A pattern of ecological distribution of microbenthos in bathymetric zones in Siberian palaeobasins has been developed, providing the basis for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.


Quantum dots with narrow emission line width have persistently received attention for their applications in biological imaging, lasers and next-generation displays. We herein report a cation exchange assisted shelling approach changing the starting CdSe emitting cores into new ZnCdSe alloy emitting cores and finally ZnCdSe/ZnSe core/shell QDs. The resulting ZnCdSe/ZnSe QDs exhibit an emission line width as narrow as 17.1 nm with a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield and a single emission channel. We anticipate that our study on a cation exchange assisted synthetic route for controlling the emission line widths of the QDs could be extended to high-quality green and blue ones beyond currently achieved.


In this study, driving efficiency and the safety of motorcycle drivers due to the mounting gradient of motorcycle protective glass are investigated through flow analysis. Mounting gradients of motorcycle protective glass in models 1, 2, and 3 are 60°, 70°, and 80°, respectively. Wind velocity of 100 km/h is applied to the protective glass installed at the front of each model. The flow resistance values of models 2 and 3 are 1.2 and 1.5 times, respectively, that of model 1. The driving efficiency of model 1 is the highest among the three models. Pressure to the driver's face in models 2 and 3 is 1.2 times higher than in model 1. Because the pressure to the driver's face in model 1, with mounting gradient of 60°, is the lowest among the three models, model 1 is the safest. This result can be applied to improve the safety of motorcycle drivers.


We performed a comprehensive analysis of human Y chromosome-encoded proteins, their pathways, and their interactions using bioinformatics tools. From the NCBI annotation release 107 of human genome, we retrieved a total of 66 proteins encoded on Y chromosome. Most of the retrieved proteins were also matched with the proteins listed in the core databases of the Human Proteome Project including neXtProt, PeptideAtlas, and the Human Protein Atlas. When we examined the pathways of human Y-encoded proteins through KEGG database and Pathway Studio software, many of proteins fall into the categories related to cell signaling pathways. Using the STRING program, we found a total of 49 human Y-encoded proteins showing strong/medium interaction with each other. While using the Pathway studio software, we found that a total of 16 proteins interact with other chromosome-encoded proteins. In particular, the SRY protein interacted with 17 proteins encoded on other chromosomes. Additionally, we aligned the sequences of human Y-encoded proteins with the sequences of chimpanzee and mouse Y-encoded proteins using the NCBI BLAST program. This analysis resulted in a significant number of orthologous proteins between human, chimpanzee, and mouse. Collectively, our findings provide the scientific community with additional information on the human Y chromosome-encoded proteins.


This study compared two statistical approaches, predictive discriminant function analysis and binary logistic regression analysis, to determine the characteristics of at-risk students who succeeded in comparison with those who did not succeed in a project-based alternative high school program. The study also investigated true positive hit rates for predicting correctly the students that would be successful using each statistical approach to provide information for decision making in admissions decisions for this program. Data came from the Wisconsin Youth Survey from measures of bonding with teachers, school, and peers and from a measure of educational engagement completed by 70 students. Other variables measured were family composition, student employment, grade, gender, and age. The predictive discriminant analysis approach produced a true positive hit rate of 79% compared to the remarkable 94% of the binary logistic approach. Advantages of the binary logistic approach are discussed. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Running Head: Predicting Student Success in an Alternative High School A Comparison of the Relative Practical Value of a Predictive Discriminant Function Analysis and a Binary Logistic Regression Analysis of Student Success in an Innovative Alternative High School Program in South Texas Data Set # 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. A Working Paper