The article analyzes lobbying activities, as well as lobbying as a factor in the development of parliamentary conciliation procedures. The author examines various legal and non-legal factors influencing different institutions of constitutional law including parliamentary conciliation procedures. The article provides the provisions of normative legal acts of the Russian Federation that form the basis for institutionalization of lobbying activity in Russia. Various instruments of institutionalization of lobbying in Russia are considered. The practice of lobbying is subject to research. The auther determines specific institutions of lobbyists' influence used by them in their activity. The paper represents opinions of scholars and practitioners whose views are directed to parliamentarism in general and lobbyism in particular. The article contains definitions of lobbying and lobbying activities. According to the results of the analysis, the author identifies the main problems of the impact the lobbying activity has on parliamentary conciliation procedures, gives proposals for improvement of the normative and legal regulation and the primary elimination of the negative impact of lobbying on parliamentary conciliation procedures.


The current study examined the differences in the levels of homophobia in terms of the sex of participants, level of class, level of religiosity, acquaintance, and level of acquaintance with homosexual individuals among university students. Hudson and Ricketts's Homophobia Scale and a demographic questionnaire were given to 419 university students (298 female and 121 male) who participated in the study. The analyses were conducted using SPSS 22.0. The results showed that male students had more negative attitudes toward homosexuals compared to female students, students who defined themselves as religious had more negative attitudes, and individuals who had a homosexual acquaintance had more positive attitudes. Moreover, it was found that individuals who had a very close level of acquaintance with homosexuals had more positive attitudes toward lesbians and gays. No significant difference was found in the level of homophobia in terms of the level of class. The findings are discussed in light of previous research. In addition, suggestions for future research are provided.


Cultural models theory is one of the most important theories in cognitive linguistics. This paper briefly introduces the theory of cultural models in cognitive linguistics, analyses the current situation of cross-cultural awareness teaching in primary school, and further discusses the significance of cultural models theory in the cultivation of cross-cultural awareness in primary school English teaching. This theory provides a tool for teachers to cultivate pupils' cross-cultural awareness, so teachers can effectively introduce cultural factors into primary school English teaching.


In the Italian agro-food industry pasta represents a strategic product since Italy has the peculiarity of being, at the same time, the main producer and consumer of pasta. In the last years, Italian food retailing, as in all developed countries, has experienced some developments. This work, which represents a preliminary study on the Italian pasta market, focuses on how national and private label brands are positioned in the different segments of the Italian pasta markets. A way to reach such goal is to investigate on retail price and price promotions in Italy and 4 Italian macro-regional areas. The average prices show that at the national level different market segments exist with three national brands positioned at the highest level, following by an intermediate segment in which we find brand leader (Barilla) which competes with private label brands. The private labels products, which present a regular price lower than national brands, are sold without promotions. the frequency of price promotions concerns mainly the brands positioned in the higher market segment and the market leader. Finally, there is a moderate there is a relevant degree of heterogeneity in the results across the selected regional areas.


Fast in situ switching of magnetic vortex core in a ferromagnetic nanodisk assisted by a nanocavity, with diameter comparable to the dimension of a vortex core, is systematically investigated by changing the strength as well as the diameter of the effective circular region of the applied magnetic field. By applying a local magnetic field within a small area at the nanodisk center, fast switching time of about 35 ps is achieved with relatively low field strength (70 mT) which is beneficial for fast data reading and writing. The reason for this phenomenon is that the magnetic spins around the nanocavity is aligned along the cavity wall due to the shape anisotropy when the perpendicular field is applied, which deepens the dip around the vortex core, and thus facilitates the vortex core switching.


In the continent, about 760 million people lack this simple tool and 220 million people still practice open defecation. This is in a continent which has only a seventh of the world population. A big part of this huge number are the people within the lowest wealth quintiles. Others are from vulnerable groups cutting across the physically challenged, women, children, people behind bars, people in geographically hard to rich areas and other vulnerable groups. They often face many forms of discriminations and other barriers to access and management of sanitation services.


The structure of gynecologic disease for the reasons of hospitalization of 590 female students is studied. The leading place in students gynecologic disease structure was occupied the spontaneous and not specified abortions in I–II trimesters of gestation (21,53 %), threats of interruption of pregnancy till 26 weeks of gestation (20,00 %), artificial abortions (18,14 %) and complications of abortions (12,03 %). Conclusion: a gynecologic pathology of students is associated to gender risk behavior and low level of reproductive and contraceptive knowledge.


"If you drop a frog into a pan of boiling water it will leap out. However, if you put a frog in a pan of cold water and gradually increase the heat until it is boiling, it will stay there until it is scalded to death... sometimes we need to be aware of things that creep up on us before it is too late!" (Stomm cited in Oqvist, 2009, p1). You may consider that you have a right to personal privacy. However if you regularly use the internet you will inevitably leave digital footprints: small records of your interaction which may be far from private and which may collectively have an unwanted impact on your future. The growth of Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networking and blogging, has made it easier to digitally interact with our friends, family and others. The messages we leave behind in our own name or in discussion with or about others can all be linked together to form a virtual shadow or online profile. Data collated about our personal lives from other digital sources such as CCTV, medical and criminal records and information we provide government agencies add to this profile at each interaction and can persist beyond our control. This creeping abuse or potential abuse of our privacy is often incremental and not normally noticed until it is too late to manage. There is growing evidence (Career Builder, 2008) that employers are increasingly utilising the Internet to gain "value added" information on candidates and are using this new information to eliminate applicants based on what they find. This project aims to make the reader aware of how their personal interaction with the internet could affect their future employability and provides some guidance on how to manage their online profile. When sharing personal information online we should do so in an informed way, with an awareness of how that information may be interpreted, potentially years into the future, by an external party who may have an agenda far beyond the context in which we originally shared our information. The ubiquity of digital data storage and the ease of collating or linking diverse sources of data containing information about us presents new moral and social issues which will impact our lives in ways we may not only find surprising but also potentially damaging (Dessimoz et al, 2006).


The moiré of twisted graphene bilayers can generate flat bands in which charge carriers do not possess enough kinetic energy to escape Coulomb interactions with each other, leading to the formation of novel strongly correlated electronic states. This exceptionally rich physics relies on the precise arrangement between the layers. Here, we survey published scanning tunneling microscope measurements to prove that near the magic-angle, native heterostrain, the relative deformations between the layers, dominates twist in determining the flat bands as opposed to the common belief. This is demonstrated at full filling where electronic correlations have a weak effect and where we also show that tip-induced strain can have a strong influence. In the opposite situation of zero doping, we find that electronic correlation further renormalizes the flat bands in a way that strongly depends on experimental details.


The aim of the study is to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model, of Octreotide long acting repeatable (LAR) formulation in healthy volunteers, which describes the highly variable, multiple peak absorption pattern of the pharmacokinetics of the drug, in individual and population levels. An empirical absorption model, coupled with a one-compartment distribution model with linear elimination was found to describe the data well. Absorption was modelled as a weighted sum of a first order and three transit compartment absorption processes, with delays and appropriately constrained model parameters. Identifiability analysis verified that all twelve parameters of the structural model are identifiable. A machine learning method, i.e., cluster analysis, was performed as pre-processing of the PK profiles, to define subpopulations, before PPK modelling. It revealed that 13% of the patients deviated considerably from the typical absorption pattern and allowed better characterization of the observed heterogeneity and variability of the study, while the approach may have wider applicability in building PPK models. The final model was evaluated by goodness of fit plots, Visual Predictive Check plots and bootstrap. The present model is the first to describe the multiple-peak absorption pattern observed after octreotide LAR administration and may be useful to provide insights and validate hypotheses regarding release from PLGA-based formulations.


This study aims to examine if, when holding socio-economic, bio-demographic and healthcare covariates constant, geospatial indicators help to explain variations in the under-five mortality rate across wards from a high focus district of Misungwi in Tanzania. Data were collected from a 2019 survey which canvassed 540 households with 471 women aged 15-49. A total of 737 live births that occurred during five years preceding the survey were analysed. Of all the children born, 46 had died before survey interviews were carried out. Under-5 mortality rates in 27 clusters were calculated. The spatial autocorrelation of under-five mortality rates was estimated by global Moran's index (I). Thematic maps were generated with these rates. The software TerraView 5.4.1 was used for spatial analysis. The results showed substantial cluster-level spatial variations in childhood mortality in the district. Among all the under-five children analysed, the mortality rate was 56 deaths per 1000 live births. The average global Moran's index (I) was I=0.05 for child mortality rate. All global Moran's indices showed p-values <0.05. Thematic maps showed clusters of villages with high rates located closer to streams and further from transport routes. The geospatial factors associated with mortality indicate variability due to exposure and transmission of infectious diseases. These results provide an improved understanding of district level under-five mortality and help in the execution of health policies.

 Key words: Geographic differentials, deaths, global Moran's index, health management, Tanzania.


Abstract Mobile money schemes have grown rapidly in some developing countries but failed in many more. This paper reports the results of an empirical study of mobile money schemes in 22 developing countries chosen based on prior evidence to include roughly equal numbers of successes and failures. It uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence to determine why some countries succeeded in launching mobile money schemes and others failed. The analysis is guided by multi-sided platform economics and in particular recent work on the role of ignition and critical mass. It finds among other things heavy regulation, and in particular an insistence that banks play a central role in the schemes, which is generally fatal to igniting mobile money schemes.


Background The western Canadian province of Alberta attracts skilled workers from across Canada to work in the oilfields. We investigated whether information from Workers Compensation Board (WCB) claims would provide unbiased estimates on the rate of injury in such migrant workers. Work injuries in Alberta are compensated by the Alberta WCB regardless of province of residence. Methods The Alberta WCB provided claims data with home province, sex, age, industry and time lost from work. Denominator data came from Statistics Canada, linking census and taxation information. We also recruited a cohort of workers in Fort McMurray, the hub city for oil and gas, and followed them for 4 months to record work injuries. Results From Statistics Canada, we had 1,720,716 people working in Alberta in 2012 whose home was Alberta and 10403 whose home was Newfoundland. The overall rate of injury (with no correction possible for days employed) was lower in the migrant workers, after adjustment for age, sex and industry. Within claims, the pattern of time loss differed importantly: those from Newfoundland had a marked deficit in claims with time loss 1-28 days (OR=0.18: 95%CI 0.12-0.27). WCB reporting among the 151 cohort members was lowest among those from out of province or recently settled: overall only 38% of loss time injuries were reported. Those in precarious employment were more likely to self-medicate or quit their job to avoid being labelled with a history of injury. Conclusion Injury risk in inter-provincial workers could not be estimated using only WCB data.


Nutraceutical is a food or part of a food that provides health benefits. Boron is an essential micronutrient and neutraceutical for many life functions such as reproduction and embryogenesis, eye development, immune response and inflammation. The main sources of boron are vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes. Recent studies are about the relation of boron with bone metabolism. Therefore, in this review we aimed to give information about the possible effects of boron on bone metabolism as a nutraceutical.


The aim of these investigations was the study of the effect of different antimicrobial preparations on the survival rate and intestinal microflora of mice with experimental acute radiation sickness. These investigations revealed that the survival rate of the animals increased 3.1 times with the use of Supramycin, 2.4 times with the use of Tacef and 1.6 times with the use of Spizef and Pen-bristol. The study of the influence of these preparations on the intestinal microflora revealed that Spizef not only decreased the number of opportunistic microorganisms, but also led to a sharp drop in the level of lactobacteria. The use of Pen-bristol and Tacef led to practically complete elimination of enterobacteria enterococci, staphylococci, as well as lactobacteria. Supramycin essentially suppressed the number of opportunistic microorganisms and did not affect the level of lactobacteria. This was probably the cause of the highest effectiveness of Supramycin in comparison with Tacef, Spizef and Pen-bristol.


Amalgams made from three single-composition high-Cu alloys of the same nominal composition were investigated for differences in creep behavior. The curves of creep vs. final Hg content for all three alloys showed a sudden creep increase (jump) at approximately 46% final Hg content. Previous studies have shown this creep jump to be associated with the initiation of the Sn--Hg phase (gamma 2). The anticipated final Hg content in clinical restorations for two of these alloys is below the creep jump and gamma 2 would not be expected. On the other hand, the clinical Hg content for the third alloy was above its creep jump and gamma 2 would be expected. The effect on clinical behavior of this finding require further investigation.


This study's intent is to offer a generalizable model for undertaking economic impact studies that tourism professionals can use to conduct similar studies in their own communities. A conceptual rationale for undertaking economic impact studies is described. The four principles central to the integrity of economic impact analyses are reviewed: exclusion of local residents, exclusion of "time-switchers" and "casuals," use of income rather than sales output measures of economic impact, and correct interpretation of employment multipliers. The economic impact of a festival on Ocean City, Maryland, is offered as an exemplar.


The future vehicle navigation for safety applications requires seamless positioning at the accuracy of sub-meter or better. However, standalone Global Positioning System (GPS) or Differential GPS (DGPS) suffer from solution outages while being used in restricted areas such as high-rise urban areas and tunnels due to the blockages of satellite signals. Smoothed DGPS can provide sub-meter positioning accuracy, but not the seamless requirement. A disadvantage of the traditional navigation aids such as Dead Reckoning and Inertial Measurement Unit onboard vehicles are either not accurate enough due to error accumulation or too expensive to be acceptable by the mass market vehicle users. One of the alternative technologies is to use the wireless infrastructure installed in roadside to locate vehicles in regions where the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals are not available (for example: inside tunnels, urban canyons and large indoor car parks). The examples of roadside infrastructure which can be potentially used for positioning purposes could include Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)/Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) based positioning systems, Ultra-wide band (UWB) based positioning systems, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) devices, Locata's positioning technology, and accurate road surface height information over selected road segments such as tunnels. This research reviews and compares the possible wireless technologies that could possibly be installed along roadside for positioning purposes. Models and algorithms of integrating different positioning technologies are also presented. Various simulation schemes are designed to examine the performance benefits of united GNSS and roadside infrastructure for vehicle positioning. The results from these experimental studies have shown a number of useful findings. It is clear that in the open road environment where sufficient satellite signals can be obtained, the roadside wireless measurements contribute very little to the improvement of positioning accuracy at the sub-meter level, especially in the dual constellation cases. In the restricted outdoor environments where only a few GPS satellites, such as those with 45 elevations, can be received, the roadside distance measurements can help improve both positioning accuracy and availability to the sub-meter level. When the vehicle is travelling in tunnels with known heights of tunnel surfaces and roadside distance measurements, the sub-meter horizontal positioning accuracy is also achievable. Overall, simulation results have demonstrated that roadside infrastructure indeed has the potential to provide sub-meter vehicle position solutions for certain road safety applications if the properly deployed roadside measurements are obtainable.


A human factors study consisting of a vehicle headway analysis and a questionnaire survey was conducted in Rhode Island (RI) to investigate tailgating issues and possible means for tailgating treatment. Vehicle headways were collected from highway surveillance videos and serious tailgating issues were identified on RI highways. The results of the questionnaire survey further confirmed the observations made in the vehicle headway analysis that most RI drivers maintained insufficient vehicle headways on highways. Among a few tailgating treatments presented in the survey, most subjects preferred a system consisting of equally spaced, white horizontal bars marked on pavement and overhead graphic-aided dynamic message signs.


Dietary hypocholesterolemic adjuncts may have a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of cholesterol gallstones (CGS). In this investigation, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed was evaluated for this potential on the experimental induction of CGS in laboratory mice. CGS was induced by maintaining mice on a lithogenic diet (0.5% cholesterol) for 10 weeks. Fenugreek seed powder was included at 5%, 10%, and 15% of this lithogenic diet. Dietary fenugreek significantly lowered the incidence of CGS in these mice; the incidence was 63%, 40%, and 10% in the 5%, 10%, and 15% fenugreek groups, respectively, compared with 100% in the lithogenic control. The antilithogenic influence of fenugreek is attributable to its hypocholesterolemic effect. Serum cholesterol level was decreased by 26%-31% by dietary fenugreek, while hepatic cholesterol was lowered by 47%-64% in these high cholesterol-fed animals. Biliary cholesterol was 8.73-11.2 mmol/L as a result of dietary fenugreek, compared with 33.6 mmol/L in high-cholesterol feeding without fenugreek. Cholesterol saturation index in bile was reduced to 0.77-0.99 in fenugreek treatments compared with 2.57 in the high-cholesterol group. Thus, fenugreek seed offers health-beneficial antilithogenic potential by virtue of its favourable influence on cholesterol metabolism.


A unique ventilation system was designed and built to reduce formaldehyde fumes in the large animal anatomy lab at the Vet Medical Center at Cornell University. The laboratory includes four rooms totaling 5,500 ft{sup 2}. The main room has 2,300 ft{sup 2} and houses the laboratory where up to 60 students dissect as many as 12 horses at a time. Other rooms are a cold storage locker, an animal preparation room and a smaller lab for specialized instruction. The large animal anatomy laboratory has a history of air quality complaints despite a fairly high ventilation rate of over 10 air changes/hour. The horses are embalmed, creating a voluminous source of formaldehyde and phenol vapors. Budget constraints and increasingly stringent exposure limits for formaldehyde presented a great challenge to design a ventilation system that yields acceptable air quality. The design solution included two innovative elements: air-to-air heat recovery, and focused ventilation.


Storage of radon-producing material in two silos and two waste pits is one of the major environmental and occupational issues at a former uranium production facility, now a Superfund site. In addition, up to 100 metric tons of thorium is stored on the northeast side of the site. Concentrations of radium up to 17,600 Bq g(-1) (477,000 pCi g(-1)) or higher for silos and up to 45 Bq g(-1) (1,200 pCi g(-1)) for waste pits have been reported. This study was conducted to identify factors and climatic conditions that contribute to higher radon levels and to assess workers' exposure at the site. Data covering a 12-mo period were compiled from monitoring hourly real-time radon levels at indoor (within 3 buildings) and outdoor (at 14 on-site and 2 off-site monitoring stations) locations and from hourly site-specific meteorological information. The ranges of radon levels were as follows: 1.8-3,655 Bq m(-3) (0.05-98.8 pCi L(-1)) outdoor on-site, 3.7-329 Bq m(-3) (0.1-8.9 pCi L(-1)) outdoor off-site, and 1.8-111 Bq m(-3) (0.05-3.0 pCi L(-1)) indoor on-site. Only radon levels in the vicinity of the storage silos were significantly higher than levels off-site. Radon concentrations showed diurnal variations, with maximum levels occurring in the early morning and minimum levels in the afternoon. Seasonal variation was also observed, with radon levels higher during the summer through early fall and lower during the late winter through spring. Wind speed, relative humidity, and wind direction appeared to be the most significant predictors of radon concentration. The estimated radon dose to workers, calculated by using exposure models and annual average levels of radon in the work area, was below recommended exposure limits. These results suggest that the emission control methods at this site have been effective in maintaining environmental radon contamination and workers' exposure at acceptable levels.


In Escherichia coli, the Z ring has the potential to assemble anywhere along the cell length but is restricted to midcell by the action of negative regulatory systems, including Min. In the current model for the Min system, the MinC/MinD division inhibitory complex is evenly distributed on the membrane and can disrupt Z rings anywhere in the cell; however, MinE spatially regulates MinC/MinD by restricting it to the cell poles, thus allowing Z rings formation at midcell. This model assumes that Z rings, formed at different cellular locations have equal sensiticity to MinC/MinD in the absence of MinE.
However, there is evidence reported that differences in MinC/MinD sensitivity between polar and internal Z rings exists even when there is no MinE. MinC/MinD alone at proper levels is able to block minicell production.
This computational research focused on optimization on reaction and diffusion rate that simulate the new experimentally proposed model in differences in MinC/MinD sensitivity between polar and non polar Z rings in Escherichia coli. In this proposed system, MinE are discarded from the system to imitate the lacking of MinE in the FtsZ-I374V strain in vivo.
The result produced patches that is assumed to stay at poles forever so that inhibition of FtsZ can occur, thus lead to the formation of Z rings at midcell. This in silico research will provide significant information and better understanding on the reaction and diffusion rate that affect the oscillation of Min proteins without the presence of MinE
Future work will focus on the simulation in triangular environment that was predicted to provide more sharply curved membrane that make able to the patches to localize at poles.


The pH 4.5 soluble tryptic peptides of Holmes Rib-Grass strain virus protein were fractionated by Dowex 1•~2 column chromatography and their amino acid compositions were determined. The purification of the peptides has been achieved by chromatography on Dowex-l•~2 following paper chromatography. The sequences of five small peptides have been established. These are as follows. T-3; Asn-Arg, T-5; Asp-Thr-Val-Arg, T-6; Ser-Phe-Asp-Thr-Arg, T-7; Phe-Pro-Asp-Thr-Gly-Phe-Arg, T-9; Val-Asp-Asp-Ala-Thr-ValAla-Ileu-Arg.


An increasing body of research indicates that carbon can exist in a number of polymorphic "carbyne" forms. It is proposed that these forms occur because of a shift to triple bonding in the carbon system as temperature increases above 2600 K. It is also proposed that graphite can dissociate into triple-bonded molecules by a simple mechanism.


Abstract The objective of the study was to determine genotypic profiles of Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bbr) strains, based on the occurrence of genes encoding virulence factors, such as flagella (fla), dermonecrotoxin (dnt), and exogenous ferric siderophore receptor (bfrZ), using PCR. 209 tested Bbr strains were obtained from Polish swine herds with different health status (with progressive atrophic rhinitis - PAR, suspected for PAR, and unknown). In total, seven different Bbr genotypes were determined. In 39.2% of Bbr isolates all three genes were present. In 41.1% of the isolates only two genes were detected. The most common genotype dnt+bfrZ-fla+ was present in 60 (28.5%) Bbr strains, 65% of them were obtained from farms with PAR. Twenty five (12%) Bbr isolates were identified as dnt-bfrZ+fla+ genotype and, as above, they were more frequently isolated from clinical cases of disease (84%). Among 31 (14.8%) strains only fla gene was evident, and in nine (4.3%) only dnt gene was present. There were no Bbr strains with bfrZ gene only. These results confirm the heterogenicity among Bbr strains.


Background: Activation of telomerase has been recently recognized as one of the pivotal events in malignant transformation. Up-regulation of this enzyme is probably necessary for transformation and, more importantly, for perpetuation of the malignant clone. Down regulation of telomerase activity may compromise the viability of cancer cells. Therefore, telomerase is considered to be a central target for future anti cancer therapies. Indeed, others and we have shown that telomere shortening by inhibition of telomerase sensitizes malignant cells to several cytotoxic drugs. Very little is known about the effect of irradiation, an important anticancer modality, on telomerase activity. The available data is sketchy and controversial. In this study we characterize the effect of irradiation on telomerase activity in malignant cells and its molecular mechanism.

Methods: Several cancer cell lines were exposed to a range of radiation doses. Telomerase activity was assessed at various time points. All levels of telomerase regulation were evaluated: transcriptional, alternative splicing, posttranslational phosphorylation and dephosphorylation and intracellular compartmentalization of the enzyme. Subsequently, the involvement of several signal transduction pathways triggered by irradiation and relevant to telomerase regulation was evaluated by point inhibition of numerous signaling compounds.

Results: In all cell lines, irradiation caused a fourfold increase in telomerase activity with a maximal effect at 24 hours at a dose of 400 Rad. This elevation was mediated by posttranslational modification of the enzyme as phospho-AKT; the enzyme that phosphorylates telomerase was increased after irradiation. Transcriptional activity and intracellular compartmentalization of telomerase were not affected. PI3K/AKT pathway mediates the irradiation-induced upregulation of telomerase activity, as wortmanin decreased that effect. RAS oncogene was the upstream effector of PI3K, since its inhibition by FTS decreased irradiation dependent telomerase activity. PTEN was not involved in regulating that effect. In addition, several membrane receptors known to be activated by radiation including Erb1, Erb2 andIGF1R were not involved in the signaling cascade leading to the up regulation of telomerase.

Conclusions: Radiation causes posttranslational upregulation of telomerase in cancer cells lines. Telomerase activation probably enables non-specific "chromosomal healing" in certain low irradiation dosages. This activation was mediated via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activated by Ras. The membrane receptors classically activated by irradiation were not involved in this process. These finding have potential clinical implication, since the upregulation of telomerase by irradiation in cancer cells may interfere with future cytotoxic treatment and necessitate concomitant inhibition of the enzyme.


: The study of plant behavior in environments with different luminous intensities offers information about their ability to modify their growth and performance in response to light. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of shading on the development of Dimorphandra gardneriana Tul. Different levels of shading were used, with 0% shading (full sun) - (T 1 ), 30% - (T 2 ), 50% - (T 3 ) and 70% shading - (T 4 ). The different levels of shading were obtained by means of black polyolefin screens, sombre type, each treatment consisting of four replicates of 15 plants. The evaluated characteristics were: number of leaves, plant height, neck diameter, survival percentage, shoot length and primary root, green and dry mass of shoots and roots, total dry mass, Dickson quality index and (AP/MSPA), shoot height and diameter (A/DC), aerial part and root dry mass (MSPA/MSR), shoot height and dry mass (CPA/CR), as well as the percentage of roots (%R). The shading influenced negatively the quality of D . gardneriana seedlings, being those grown in full sun the ones that presented the best quality. Based on the morphological parameters studied, it can be affirmed that the D . g ardneriana Tul., seedlings, produced in an open environment with high luminosity showed superior qualities in relation to the shaded seedlings.


This study examined whether attitude toward writing is a unique and separable construct from attitude toward reading for young beginning writers. Participants were 128 first-grade children (70 girls and 58 boys) and 113 third-grade students (57 girls and 56 boys). We individually administered to each child a 24-item attitude measure that contained 12 items assessing attitude toward writing and 12 parallel items for reading. Students also wrote a narrative about a personal event in their life. A factor analysis of the 24-item attitude measure provided evidence that generally supported the contention that writing and reading attitudes are separable constructs for young beginning writers, as it yielded 3 factors: a writing attitude factor with 9 items, a reading attitude factor with 9 parallel items, and an attitude about literacy interactions with others factor containing 4 items (2 items in writing and 2 parallel items in reading). We obtained further validation that attitude toward writing is a separable construct from attitude toward reading at the third-grade level, where writing attitude made a unique and significant contribution beyond the other 2 attitude measures to the prediction of 3 measures of writing: quality, length, and longest correct word sequence. At the first-grade level, none of the 3 attitude measures predicted students' writing performance. Finally, girls had more positive attitudes concerning reading and writing than boys.


Sunken, covered, and encrypted stomata have been anecdotally linked with dry climates and reduced transpiration and therefore have been used to infer dry palaeoclimates from fossils. This study assesses the evolutionary and ecological associations of such stomatal protection in a model system-the diverse southern hemisphere family Proteaceae. Analyses were based on the morphology of over 1400 Australian, South African, New Caledonian, New Zealand, and South American species, anatomy of over 300 of these species, and bioclimatic data from all 1109 Australian species. Ancestral state reconstruction revealed that five or six evolutionary transitions explain over 98% of the dry climate species in the family, with a few other, minor invasions of dry climates. Deep encryption, i.e., stomata in deep pits, in grooves, enclosed by tightly revolute margins or strongly overarched by cuticle, evolved at least 11 times in very dry environments. Other forms of stomatal protection (sunken but not closely encrypted stomata, papillae, and layers of hairs covering the stomata) also evolved repeatedly, but had no systematic association with dry climates. These data are evidence for a strong distinction in function, with deep encryption being an adaptation to aridity, whereas broad pits and covered stomata have more complex relations to climate.


Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a global public health problem, particularly in the developing countries [1]. It usually involves organs like lungs and/or gastrointestinal (GI) tract [2]. Hepatic involvement is usually associated with miliary tuberculosis which is one of the most characteristic manifestations of tuberculosis. Isolated liver abscess without any primary infection is a rare clinical entity. It is more difficult for a clinician to diagnose as in most cases it is frequently confused with pyogenic or amoebic liver abscess or a hepatoma [3]. Only a few cases have been reported in Bangladesh till date [4-7]. Recently we came across tubercular liver abscess in an immunocompromised patient without any primary foci of infection which was really a diagnostic challenge for us.

Objectives: The objective of reporting this case is to aware clinicians about the uncommon presentation of a common disease like tuberculosis. This will be an eye-opening experience for clinicians and help in formulating differentials in the workup of patient with pyrexia due to non-resolving liver abscess.


Palisaded encapsulated neuromas (PENs) are benign cutaneous nerve sheath proliferations that typically occur as flesh-colored papules solitarily on the head and neck in adults, with a slight predilection for females. Histopathologically, they are partially or completely encapsulated intradermal nodules with Schwann cells and axons in fascicles separated by clefts. Although these features are often characteristic, the hypercellular variant of PEN can pose a diagnostic challenge in distinguishing between other cellular neural and melanocytic lesions. We herein report a case of hypercellular PEN, which showed striking similarity to desmoplastic melanoma.


Gunung Basor Forest Reserve in Jeli, Kelantan is the forest reserve that still keeps most of their wilderness criteria and ecosystems. This research and study gathers a valid method for the geomorphological classification of GBFR, as well as its development with Geographic Information System (GIS). Since landform on earth surface are expensive to map and monitor, GIS offers detecting, analyzing, and time cost effective way to identified and classified the landform. The identification and classification of geomorphic process is based on particular references from Geomorphic Classification System of USDA Forest Service. With the aid of GIS analysis and satellite imaginary, the geomorphological map of GBFR is produced with the validation of the aerial photograph of the study area. The distribution of the geomorphic process and landform have been differentiated and identified with particular references to Geomorphic Classification System develop by Haskins et al., (1998). There are five geomorphic process and landform identify in GBFR. Thus a finding shows that, there is clear dominance of batholiths landform in GBFR. There are also other tectonic process identified; faulting and fault scarp. Floodplain and fluvial erosion also covered in the GBFR. The geomorphic map produced in this study will aid in the future research in the study area and act as preliminary study of ecosystem and ecology approach to manage this forest reserve. Likewise, in the last years the geomorphology begins to settle as the central point of many projects and implementation planning about forest management and land use with the aid of geomorphological map.


The necessity of installing a forward tracking detector stack is discussed for the Hadron Physics LanzhoU Spectrometer(HPLUS). A local tracker is developed to solve the multi-track finding problem. The track candidates are searched iteratively via Hough Transform. The fake tracks are removed by a least square fitting process. With this tracker we have studied the feasibility of pp → pp+(→ K+K−), a typical physical channel proposed on HPLUS. The single track momentum resolution due to the uncertainty of the positioning in FTD is 1.3%. The multiple scattering effect contributes about 20% to the momentum resolution in the FTD coverage. The width and the signal-to-background ratio of the reconstructed are 1.51 MeV and 4.36, respectively, taking into account the direct Kaon channel pp → pp + K+K− as background. The geometry coverage of FTD for f events is about 85.4%. Based on the current fast simulation and estimation, the geometrical configuration of FTD meets the physical requirement of HPLUS under the current luminosity and multiplicity conditions. The tracker is applicable in the full simulation coming next and is extendable to other tracking component of HPLUS.


Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) act as signal-transducing molecules that connect serpentine-transmembrane receptors to a variety of intracellular effectors. We characterized a Caenorhabditis elegans G(s) gene, gsa-1, which encodes a G(s) alpha-subunit (G alpha(s)) that is expressed throughout the nervous system and in muscle cells. gsa-1 is an essential gene; a loss-of-function mutation in gsa-1 results in lethality at the first stage of larval development. Partial (mosaic) loss of G alpha(s) expression or overexpression of the protein results in reciprocal defects in movement and egg-laying, suggesting a role for G alpha(s) in the regulation of these behaviors. Expression of a constitutively active form of G alpha(s) from an inducible promotor results in hypercontraction of body-wall muscle cells and vacuolization and degeneration of neurons within hours of induction. Neurons that are susceptible to the degeneration induced by activated G alpha(s) are predominantly motoneurons located within the ventral nerve cord. Phenotypic analysis shows that the induced neural degeneration is not the result of programmed cell death but is probably caused by the activation of ion channels. A genetic suppressor of activated G alpha(s) was isolated that identifies a putative downstream target of G(s) signaling.


The monitoring of civil, mechanical, and aerospace structures is important especially as these systems approach or surpass their design life. Often, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) relies on sensing techniques for condition assessment. Advancements achieved in camera technology and optical sensors have made three-dimensional (3D) Digital Image Correlation (DIC) a valid technique for extracting structural deformations and geometry profiles. Prior to making stereophotogrammetry measurements, a calibration has to be performed to obtain the vision systems' extrinsic and intrinsic parameters. It means that the position of the cameras relative to each other (i.e. separation distance, cameras angle, etc.) must be determined. Typically, cameras are placed on a rigid bar to prevent any relative motion between the cameras. This constraint limits the utility of the 3D-DIC technique, especially as it is applied to monitor large-sized structures and from various fields of view. In this preliminary study, the design of a multi-sensor system is proposed to extend 3D-DIC's capability and allow for easier calibration and measurement. The suggested system relies on a MEMS-based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a 77 GHz radar sensor for measuring the orientation and relative distance of the stereo cameras. The feasibility of the proposed combined IMU-radar system is evaluated through laboratory tests, demonstrating its ability in determining the cameras position in space for performing accurate 3D-DIC calibration and measurements.


Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada(Dated: November 17, 2014)A nanoscale, cylindrical, semiconductor based superconductor-normal-superconductor (SNS)junction is considered theoretically by use of an idealized model. A magnetic eld is applied alongthe axis of the cylinder. The Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations for Andreev bound states are solvedwhile considering the transverse subbands in the N-section. It is seen that the energy-versus-phasecurves of the Andreev bound states are shifted in phase, as the N-section Andreev quasiparticlesoccupying subbands of non-zero orbital angular momentum couple to the axial magnetic ux. Asimilar phase shift is observed in the continuum current of the junction. An intuitive, semi-classicalpicture of the phase shift is presented to complement the quantum mechanical calculation. Thecritical current of the junction is studied when multiple subbands carrying non-zero orbital angularmomentum are occupied. Oscillations of the critical current versus the axial magnetic ux are iden-ti ed as a novel form of Josephson interference. Regimes in which this e ect is prominently visibleare identi ed.


This paper presents an experiment for monitoring the behaviour of dependent elderly people living in a retirement home in rural area. The surveillance consists to monitor the physical activities of the elderly in order to detect automatically risk situations such as fall, high agitation or any change in behaviour. Monitoring is carried out both locally via a wireless multisensor system and remotely via a satellite communication link. This approach aims to associate advanced wireless technologies with health monitoring application.


In microseismic data processing, source locations and origin times are usually obtained using kinematic techniques, whereas moment-tensor estimates are typically based on linear inversion of Pand S-wave amplitudes. Waveform inversion (WI), which has been used primarily for high-resolution velocity analysis, has the potential to provide more accurate source parameters along with an improved velocity model by incorporating both phase and amplitude information. The first issue addressed in the thesis is efficient calculation of the gradient of the WI objective function with respect to the model parameters. Application of the adjoint-state method helps obtain closed-form expressions for the gradient with respect to the source location, origin time, and moment tensor. Computation of the forward and adjoint wavefields is performed with a finite-difference algorithm that handles elastic VTI (transversely isotropic with a vertical symmetry axis) models. Numerical examples illustrate the properties of the gradient for multicomponent data recorded by a vertical receiver array placed in homogeneous and horizontally layered VTI media. Then WI is implemented to estimate the location, origin time, and seismic moment tensor of microseismic sources embedded in 2D VTI media. Both a constant and variable step-length computed by line-search followed by the nonlinear conjugate method (NCG) are used for model updating. Although in the current algorithm the interval VTI parameters are assumed to be known, they can be included in WI at almost no additional cost. Velocity estimation, however, is likely to make the objective function more complicated and increase ambiguity of the inversion. Synthetic tests for data recorded by vertical receiver arrays show that it is possible to tightly constrain all source parameters, if a sufficiently accurate initial model is available. In particular, the source location in layered VTI media can be estimated simultaneously with the moment tensor. The resolution of event location, however,


During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the gallbladder may be inadvertently entered and stones may be spilled into the peritoneal cavity. The prevailing consensus among surgeons is that "leftover" stones rarely, if ever, give trouble and should be left alone. This is based on accumulated clinical experience and an experimental study in which gallstones were implanted in the peritoneal cavity of rats and harvested a few months later. 1 Our recent experience demonstrates that, occasionally, spilled stones may become symptomatic. Report of a Case . A 52-year-old woman underwent an emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. During the procedure, gallstones were spilled but not retrieved. The postoperative course was uneventful. Twelve months later she presented to the emergency department with a 1-week history of a painful, tender lump under her umbilicus. On physical examination, an abscess was noted in the depth of the healed site of the umbilical laparoscopic port, previously used for camera


A photosynthetic mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, hcf5, was isolated by screening M2 seedlings for high chlorophyll fluorescence. Thylakoid morphology was strikingly abnormal, with large grana stacks and almost no stroma lamellae. Fluorescence induction kinetics, activity assays, and immunoblotting showed that photosystem II was absent. Polypeptides of the photosystem I complex, the Cyt b6/f complex, coupling factor, and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase were also severely depleted. However, the nuclear-encoded chlorophyll a/b light-harvesting complex polypeptides were unaffected. The rbcL transcript was present at very low levels, the pattern of transcripts from the polycistronic psbB-psbH-petB-petD operon was abnormal, and the mature psbH message was almost completely lacking. This suggests that the hcf5 locus may encode a product required for the correct expression of several chloroplast genes.


In this paper, wavelet approach is studied to determine the torsional natural frequencies of a simple discretized structure excited by white noise, emulating environmental conditions. In this work, the implementation of this approach is described and the analytical results of one case are compared with the frequencies determined using Fourier analysis. Results have shown a good agreement between the values reported by Fourier analysis and the obtained by using Wavelet functions.


In an observational study, the average treatment effect may only be reliably estimated for a subset of units under which the covariate space of both treatment and control units overlap. This is known as the common support assumption. In this report, we develop a method to find a region of common support. The method is as follows. Given a distance function to measure dissimilarity between any two units with differing treatment statuses, we can construct an adjacency list by drawing edges between each pair of treated and control units that have distance no larger than some pre-specified threshold. Then, all connected components of the graph are found. Finally, a region of common support is found by obtaining the largest connected components (LCC) (e.g. the connected components with the most treated units) of this graph. We implement the LCC algorithm by using binary search trees to find all the connected graphs from sample data and sorting them by size. This algorithm requires O(n) runtime and O(n) memory (where n is the number of units in the observational study. We then create an R package implementing this LCC algorithm. Finally, we use our R package to compare the performance of LCC to that of other common support methods on simulated data.


Debt trading in traditional markets with a nominal value of Rp. 1,000,000 (one million rupiah) down is usually done by recording under the hand. The seller emphasizes the element of trust rather than the element of legal proof. The process of buying and selling is fast, simple and if it is implemented with accounts receivable debt that is done simply, if the debt is stalled, intensive collection is carried out and the seller will receive it if paid in installments or in installments. In the process of payment the merchant does not provide interest expense or operating expenses due to the collection. If there is a debt dispute, the settlement is carried out in a family manner without involving law enforcement. Bad debt is certainly a calculation for traders who dare to pay off their merchandise. The factor of bad debt is usually not more than 20% of the total debt - the debt that must be paid by buyers with the debt system. Therefore the process runs in such a way and is considered natural. So the customary law factor that debt must be paid and the legal factor of trade that if you don't pay the debt will sin more debt for the parties than the legal proof factor.


Partial nucleotide sequences of 1D gene of 38 isolates of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) of serotypes O, A and Asia 1 originating from various parts of India were determined. Field materials were subjected straight to RNA extraction, reverse transcription - PCR (RT-PCR) and sequencing. Also 3 FMDV vaccine strains, IND R2/75 (serotype O), IND 63/72 (serotype Asia 1) and IND 17/77 (serotype A) were included in the analysis. The seqences were compared mutually as well as with available corresponding sequences of other FMDV isolates, and their phylogenetic relationships were calculated. The deduced amino acid sequences showed that the serotype O isolates were relatively conserved as compared to serotype Asia 1 or A isolates from India. In phylogenetic analysis, the serotype O viruses clustered in two genotypes, one including the European vaccine strain (O1/K) and the other represented by the isolates from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Turkey. The serotype Asia 1 viruses clustered in two groups of single genotype where the prototype strain from Pakistan (PAK 1/54) formed one group and the other was formed by the isolates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Israel and Nepal. In serotype A viruses three well-differentiated genotypes were observed. The isolates from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and India formed the first genotype. The second genotype was formed by isolates from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, while two recent Iranian isolates represented the third genotype. In India, the prevalence of at least one genotype could be identified in each serotype. This evolutionary clustering of isolates from the neighbor countries is not surprising, since these countries share border with India. The genetic relatedness between sequences of isolates from India and those from distant places is indicative of spread of the virus between the countries. Of importance is the fact that clinical materials proved useful for rapid generation of sequences and subsequent studying of molecular epidemiology of the disease.


Phase windup in GPS precise point positioning can not be eliminate or mitigate easily,so it is important to deal them with accurate correction models,or set residuals of them as unknown parameters.The phase windup error and it's correction models are discussed detailed.Numerical result shows the accuracy of PPP using the correction model.


Disruption in the movement of blood or lymph leads to potentially fatal diseases, most commonly atherosclerosis in the blood and lymphedema/lymphangitis in the lymph. There have been an enormous amount of studies done on blood vasculature in the past few decades, but our understanding of lymphatics in health and disease remains poor. Lymphatics interact systemically and locally with the blood vasculature and we have recently proven that dendritic cells are an important regulator in lymphatic function. Some of these processes can only be proven in a living animal as the interactions and impact of immune cells on vascular flow dynamics and vice versa cannot been mimicked in vitro. Our most recent intravital imaging studies allow the visualization of resident macrophage dynamics within a plaque. Due to the fast movement of cells in the vasculature and the sensitivity of cells to phototoxicity it was challenging to generate a palette of dyes which are low in cytotoxicity able to label the structures and cell populations of interest. It is possible by using fluorophores (Fluorescent proteins and conventional dyes) efficient enough to be excited with low laser power and an emission sufficient enough for being detected. Recently, a femtosecond pulsed Titanium Sapphire (Ti:sap) laser with averaged power ≥ 1W above 1200 nm became available. We have coupled a laser of this type (InSight DS+) together with an conventional Ti:sap-laser (Mai Tai DeepSee) to an customized ultra fast and sensitive scanning Microscope. Using these settings we can image up to five fluorophores in intravital settings. This approach enables us to visualize lymphatics and blood vessels together with myeloid cells and lymphocytes in vivo.


Determining both myeloid and lymphoid chimerism after T-cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) could be helpful in the understanding of the biology of engraftment and could provide a rational method of assessing the ability of different conditioning regimens to promote engraftment. We prospectively investigated the role of different pretransplant conditioning regimens in 29 leukemic patients post-BMT by assessing myeloid and T-cell chimerism using a rapid and sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Minisatellites are hypervariable regions of DNA consisting of tandem repeats of a core nucleotide sequence, and allelic polymorphism results from differences in the number of the repeats. We used this variation to distinguish between donor and recipient cells post-BMT. Seventeen patients (9 sibling and 8 unrelated donors) received conditioning with hyperfractionated total body irradiation (TBI), thiotepa, and cyclophosphamide (Cy). Of the other 12 patients (all sibling donors), 11 received TBI plus Cy plus another agent: VP16, carboplatinum, or AZQ. One patient received TBI plus thiotepa plus VP16. All but one of the patients studied received marrow from HLA-identical donors. PCR analysis confirmed donor lymphoid engraftment within 8 days of transplant in six of six patients studied. All granulocyte DNA was of donor origin within the first 4 weeks of transplant, regardless of the conditioning regimen. The day +28 T cells were exclusively of donor origin in 14 of 17 patients who received TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy, but were mixed chimeric in 10 of 12 patients who received other conditioning regimens (P < .001). Early graft rejection was seen in one unrelated transplant recipient conditioned with TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy. Late graft failure was observed in 3 of 12 patients with mixed T-cell chimerism and in none of 16 patients with full donor chimerism at day +28. However, 5 of 16 patients who had complete T-cell chimerism at day +28 developed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), whereas no patient with mixed chimerism had acute GVHD. Our results indicate that minisatellite PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for assessing chimerism post-BMT, that the donor T cells are important for consistent durable engraftment, and that TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy may be superior to the other regimens studied in inducing full donor chimerism. Larger numbers and longer follow-up are necessary to confirm these data and also to assess the relationship between complete donor T-cell chimerism and leukemia-free survival.


Urban Development of Northern Nigeria is a big challenge due to serious security situation and lack of government will to implement the development plans. The present study is based on the appraisal of the only master plan of Nguru (1976) prepared by Maxlock group. There is no new master plan since last four decades. Nguru town is headquarter of Nguru Local Government Area (LGA) in Yobe state, northern Nigeria. It is located near river Hadejia at 12 0 52 1 45 11 N to 10 0 27 1 09 11 E. It has population of 150,632 (Census, 2006) and an area of 916 sq. km. The town is comparatively younger developed on a rapid grid-iron pattern during 1930s. The topography of Nguru is mainly flat with a variety of landscapes as; Hadejia-Nguru wetlands of Nguru Lake and the Sand dunes around machine road. Nguru has hot and dry climate throughout the year. The economy of the town is based on trade and commerce of gum Arabic, groundnut, meat, hides and skins. The present paper is an appraisal study of Nguru master plan. The most significant problem of the study area is lack of effective implementation of the master plan. Extensive field work has been carried out amidst volatile security of the area. Among the major findings, the issues of land use are predominant along with poor plan implementation and lack of people's participation in the planning process. Some of the major recommendations based on the research findings include; strong financial support from government, strong administrative set up with trained professional form multiple disciplines and people's active participation in planning.


Background Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted glycoprotein that is involved in the development of hepatic fibrogenesis via the enzymatic production of lysophosphatidic acid. The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic expression of ATX in biliary atresia (BA) compared with non-BA liver controls and to examine the association between ATX expression and clinical outcome in BA. Methods Liver specimens from BA infants (n = 20) were compared with samples from infants who underwent liver biopsy for reasons other than BA (n = 14) and served as controls. Relative mRNA and protein expression of ATX were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Masson's Trichrome staining was performed to determine the degree of liver fibrosis. Results Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated overexpression of ATX mRNA in BA livers. In immunohistochemical evaluation, ATX was positively stained on the hepatic parenchyma and the biliary epithelium in BA patients, as compared to non-BA controls. The immunostaining score of ATX in BA livers was also significantly higher than that observed in non-BA livers (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that ATX expression in the patients with poor outcomes was significantly greater than in those with good outcomes (P = 0.03). Additionally, there was a positive correlation between hepatic ATX expression and Metavir fibrosis stage in BA livers (r = 0.79, P < 0.001). Discussion This study found that mRNA and protein expression of ATX were increased in BA livers. High hepatic ATX expression at the time of Kasai operation was associated with liver fibrosis and outcome in BA, suggesting that ATX may serve a role as a promising biomarker of the prognosis in biliary atresia.


Potentiometric, spectroscopic and X-ray studies of 2-(hydroxyimino)propanohydroxamic acid (H2L) and its complexes with Ni2+ and Cu2+ showed that the ligand is a strong chelating agent forming a series of stable complex species with remarkably higher formation constants compared to those of either aminohydroxamic acids or oximinocarbonic acids. In the Cu2+–H2L system three dinuclear species [Cu2HL2]+, [Cu2L2] and [Cu2H–1L2]– with different donor atom sets were found to be dominant at pH 3.5–7.5. In both Cu2+ and Ni2+ systems the mononuclear species [MHL2]–, [ML2]2– and [MH–1L2]3– are formed in neutral and alkaline solutions which have, according to the UV-VIS spectral data, square-planar structure with a M{N2(oxime)N2(hydrox)} core. Thus, the ligand studied represents a new example in which the adjacent oxime donor group facilitates the N-bonding of the hydroxamic function. The crystal structures of two complexes, Na2[NiL2]·4H2O 1 and [Cu(phen)(hpa)(H2O)]·4H2O 2 [H2hpa = 2-(hydroxyimino)propanoic acid] have been determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In 1 the central atom is situated at the centre of symmetry and in square-planar surroundings of four nitrogen atoms belonging to the deprotonated oxime and hydroxamic groups. The trans-disposed ligands are additionally linked by short intramolecular hydrogen bonds featuring the oxime and hydroxamic oxygen atoms. Complex 2 was crystallised from an alkaline solution containing [Cu(phen)Cl2] and H2L and formed as a result of ligand hydrolysis. The copper(II) ion is in distorted square-pyramidal surrounding, the basal plane being formed by two nitrogen atoms of 1,10-phenanthroline, an oxime nitrogen and a carboxylic oxygen atom of the dianion hpa and the water molecule occupies the apical position. Both organic ligands are co-ordinated in a bidentate chelate mode.


Quality-guided phase unwrapping (QGPU) is a widely used technique, and an adjoin list plays a very important role in the QGPU process. Indexed interwoven linked list (I2L2) is a data structure for implementing the adjoin list. In this paper, we propose three improvements on the I2L2. The first improvement is resumed searching, which records the highest nonempty level in the I2L2 and reduces the computational redundancy; the second is an adaptive mapping between the quality values and the I2L2 levels, which reduces the effect of concentrated quality value distribution. Last, I2L2-H, a new variant of the I2L2 combining the advantages of both the I2L2 and heap, is developed. With these three improvements, the improved I2L2 is over 6 times faster than the original one in the best cases, and it can process large phase maps in almost real time.


A distributed proof (also known as local certification, or proof-labeling scheme) is a mechanism to certify that the solution to a graph problem is correct. It takes the form of an assignment of labels to the nodes, that can be checked locally. There exists such a proof for the minimum spanning tree problem, using $O(\log n \log W)$ bit labels (where $n$ is the number of nodes in the graph, and $W$ is the largest weight of an edge). This is due to Korman and Kutten who describe it in concise and formal manner in [Korman and Kutten 07]. In this note, we propose a more intuitive description of the result, as well as a gentle introduction to the problem.


We report a 10-year-old white girl who developed a pinealoblastoma 2 years before presenting to us with metastatic spread to the left optic nerve. She was treated for the original tumor with irradiation and chemotherapy. She presented to us with decreased vision in the left eye, unilateral disk edema, and diffuse left optic nerve swelling without increased intracranial pressure. Biopsy of the posterior optic nerve sheath was required for diagnosis. Vision was lost in the left eye, but the optic nerve swelling diminished after chemotherapy and additional radiation therapy.


From simple microscopic considerations we propose an expression for the frictional force in granular materials. This force has very nonlinear behavior as a function of the shear rate. The mechanism we propose predicts the existence of a characteristic shear rate, 0, which separates regions of stable from unstable flow. Our formulation can explain the hysteresis phenomena commonly observed in granular materials.


There are more than 300 theories attempting to explain old age or senescence, which is affected by genetic and
 environmental factors. Of all these theories, with respect to free radical theory, oxygen species occurring in the wake
 of extrinsic and intrinsic factors may trigger senescence and accelerate the aging process. Another reason for free
 radical generation is decrement of antioxidants and its components intake in diet. Astaxhantin (ASTX) has more
 antioxidant activity than other carotenoids. Because of this property, astaxhantin may be a substantial antioxidant
 source in the diet. In this review, we discuss antioxidant effects of astaxhantin on potential mechanisms in
 senescence.


In remote areas the sun is a cheap source of electricity because instead of hydraulic generators it uses solar cells to produce electricity. While the output of solar cells depends on the intensity of sunlight and the angle of incidence. The solar panels must remain in front of sun during the whole day. But due to rotation of earth those panels can't maintain their position always in front of sun. This problem results in decrease of their efficiency. Thus to get a constant output, an automated system is required which should be capable to constantly rotate the solar panel. In this project we are implementing Automatic Sun tracking System on both sides. One side of automatic sun tracking system we have sensor network which track the position of sun and based on the position rotate the solar panel towards the direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum and transmit the data to control remote system via wired or wireless medium. Based on the data received it gives the signal to stepper motor to rotate the large panel. The unique feature of this system is that instead of taking the earth as its reference, it takes the sun as a guiding source. The system can display the result on the LCD display. The primary objectives were compact design, efficient energy collection, and ability to monitor available battery charge status using ARM based Microcontroller and also provide to power supply for control system unit. In this project we are using ARM7TDMI based LPC2148 microcontroller to control the position of the solar panel ,which is having 64 pin capability ,512KB of Flash memory ,8 to 32KB of SRAM and many peripherals ,working with internal clock generation using PLLs up to 60 MHz . The application code will be developed in Embedded C language. Keil4 IDE software will be used to build the Hex file and flash magic is used to dump the GENERATED Hex file in to microcontroller.


Abstract This paper presents static and dynamic stress analyses of an axial fan blade, which were carried out under real-life centrifugal and aerodynamic loading conditions using the Abaqus software. The location of the crack was identified on the pressure side of the blade at the conjunction between the blade and the blade root. It reveals a high agreement between the predicted location of stress distribution and the real origin of the crack location. Furthermore, a fracture mechanics criterion was adopted to simulate fatigue crack growth. This was performed using a fracture analysis FRANC3D code for three-dimensional problems. As a result, the calculated stress intensity factors (SIFs) were presented for the first steps, and the fatigue life of the fan blade was evaluated using the Forman de Koning model at different stress ratios.


The Patient Health Questionnaire – PHQ-9 is a well known self-report measure of nine depression symptoms according to DSM-IV/DSM-V criteria. As the PHQ-9 is not yet validated in most of former Yugoslavian countries, the goal of this research was to determine its factor structure and psychometric properties on a large non-clinical BCS language speaking sample. A total of 1875 participants (61.5% female), the average age of 28.26 (SD=8.32) years, completed the PHQ-9 via an anonymous online survey. WLSMV/DWLS based confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that two-factor model with correlated (.83) Cognitive/affective and Somatic factors fits the data well (χ(26)=287.8, p<.001; CFI=0.972, NNFI/TLI=0.961, RMSEA=0.073, 90% CI [0.066, 0.081]), better than single-factor solution (χ(27)=444.2, p<.001; CFI=0.956, NNFI/TLI=0.941, RMSEA=0.091, 90% CI [0.083, 0.098]). The twofactor model also fits better in other research in non-clinical samples (e.g. palliative care), while unidimensionality is detected in clinical/psychiatric samples. The two-factor model had strong gender invariance (i.e. configural invariance + equal loadings + equal thresholds; Δχ(Δdf)=9.48(14.75), p=.839, ΔCFI<.001). However, after adding the equal means constrains, the model remained invariant based on ΔCFI criterion (.008), but became non-invariant based on Δχ(Δdf) criterion (31.63(14.75), p=.006). The source of potential invariance was the higher Somatic score for females (Mfemales=3.32, SDfemales=2.22, Mmales=2.89, SDmales=2.23, t(1873)=4.15, p<.001), but this difference was just at the cutoff between trivial and small effect size (d=0.197). Finally, the results of bifactor analysis and good reliability of the whole scale (ω=.89) suggested that using a single PHQ-9 score is probably advisable for most purposes, but researchers should use a bifactor approach to test Cognitive/affective and Somatic domain specific hypotheses. In conclusion, the PHQ-9 exhibits well-fitting latent structure, it has strong gender factor invariance, and good reliability, suggesting good potential for its research purposes use in BCS language. However, its convergent and discriminative validation and norming on clinical samples are pending.


This paper compares consumption and income as measures of households' living standards using UK data. It presents evidence that income is likely to be under-recorded for households with low resources. It describes the different impressions one gets about trends in the level and inequality of living standards in the UK when using consumption, and when one adds an imputed income from housing, rather than near-cash income. It describes what different impressions one gets about the composition of households with low living standards if these are identified with consumption rather than income.


Received Jul 16, 2021 Revised Mar 14, 2022 Accepted Apr 12, 2022 Internet traffic classification is a fundamental task for network services and management. There are good machine learning models to identify the class of traffic. However, finding the most discriminating features to have efficient models remains essential. In this paper, we use interpretable machine learning algorithms such as decision tree, random forest and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) to find the most discriminating features for internet traffic classification. The dataset used contains 377,526 traffics. Each traffic is described by 248 features. From these features, we propose a 12-feature model with an accuracy of up to 99.76%. We tested it on another dataset with 19626 flows and obtained 98.40% of accuracy. This shows the efficiency and stability of our model. Also, we identify a set of 14 important features for internet traffic classification, including two that are crucial: port number (server) and minimum segment size (client to server).


Three retrospectively diagnosed fatal AIDS cases are reported and discussed together with 4 other HIV seropositive patients, who all apparently contracted the HIV infection prior to the beginning of the present outbreak, without any other risk factor than heterosexual exposure in Central Africa. These data and simultaneous information from other sources contribute to the assumption that AIDS is an old disease in Central Africa. AIDS, having presented itself as a sporadic and ill defined entity, remained unrecognized in Central Africa until the outset of the present outbreak.


This article explores the tourism migration within the South African context, thereby focusing on the current dynamics, challenges and future prospects. Tourism and migration are significant towards globalisation. Almost all countries have jumped on the tourism bandwagon as a result of the positive economic benefits that include improving the balance of payments, attracting foreign exchange, and increasing state coffers through the taxation of non-residents. South Africa has also adopted tourism into the developmental policies. Although Africa's share of the global tourism market remains less than 10%, the continental bodies such as the African Union under the wing NEPAD recognises that tourism and migration as an important factor to societies. This paper adopts the content analysis to address the tourism migration, dynamics, challenges and future prospects as a critical phenomenon. Tourism has deep characteristics of a plantation economy that does not benefit the majority of the societies, particularly in South Africa. Despite being a geographical dispersed country, the tourism industry in South Africa faces numerous challenges such as the integration of Black South Africans as product owners; reported high rates of crimes, lack of integration of locals in the tourism industry, the lack of aviation competition, paucity of ports of entry, and most recently the cyber-crime and the visa regulations etc. However, South African tourism remains resilient as a major destination due to its fauna and flora and increasing market niches are developing such as adventure tourism, health tourism and volunteer tourism. South Africa plans to be one of the top 20 destinations by 2020; steps are in place to ensure that South Africa achieves this objective.


. We study the feature-based newsvendor problem, in which a decision-maker has access to historical data consisting of demand observations and exogenous features. In this setting, we investigate feature selection, aiming to derive sparse, explainable models with improved out-of-sample performance. Up to now, state-of-the-art methods utilize regularization, which penalizes the number of selected features or the norm of the solution vector. As an alternative, we introduce a novel bilevel programming formulation. The upper-level problem selects a subset of features that minimizes an estimate of the out-of-sample cost of ordering decisions based on a held-out validation set. The lower-level problem learns the optimal coefficients of the decision function on a training set, using only the features selected by the upper-level. We present a mixed integer linear program reformulation for the bilevel program, which can be solved to optimality with standard optimization solvers. Our computational experiments show that the method accurately recovers ground-truth features already for instances with a sample size of a few hundred observations. In contrast, regularization-based techniques often fail at feature recovery or require thousands of observations to obtain similar accuracy. Regarding out-of-sample generalization, we achieve improved or comparable cost performance. A.14, A.15, and A.16 show how the solution times scale with the number , respectively for m ∈ { , , , Here, we consider with linear demand model and we fix shortage cost to b = 2, the holding cost to h = 1, and the noise level to σ (cid:15) =


The electromagnetic interactions of muons in iron and lead have been studied, using cosmic ray muons, at Durham, 198 feet above sea level, and at London, 60 m.w.e. underground, respectively. The energies of the secondary particles from the interactions were determined from the cascade showers which these particles produced in layers of absorber. As a result of these studies it has been shown that, over the range of transferred energies from 0.1 GeV to 30 GeV, there is no discrepancy between- the results predicted on the basis of quantum electrodynamics and the experimental results. Since the production of knock-on electrons is the dominant process over most of this transferred energy range, there is thus no evidence for a breakdown of quantum electrodynamical theory in close collisions between muons and electrons. By combining this result with the result of an accurate measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon it is further concluded that, at the present time, there is no evidence for the muon differing from a heavy electron.


We report final results of a phase II trial addressing efficacy and feasibility of lenalidomide maintenance in patients with chemosensitive relapse of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not eligible for or failed after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Patients with relapsed DLBCL who achieved at least a partial response to salvage chemoimmunotherapy were enrolled and treated with lenalidomide 25 mg/day for 21 of 28 days for 2 years or until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint was 1‐year PFS. Forty‐six of 48 enrolled patients were assessable. Most patients had IPI ≥2, advanced stage and extranodal disease before the salvage treatment that led to trial registration; 28 (61%) patients were older than 70 years. Lenalidomide was well tolerated. With the exception of neutropenia, grade‐4 toxicities occurred in <1% of courses. Three patients died of complications during maintenance and three died due to second cancers at 32 to 64 months. There were 13 SAEs recorded in 12 patients; all these patients but two recovered. Lenalidomide was interrupted due to toxicity in other 6 patients, and 25 patients required dose reduction (transient in 21). At 1 year from registration, 31 patients were progression free. After a median follow‐up of 65 (range 39‐124) months, 22 patients remain progression free, with a 5‐year PFS of 48% ± 7%. The duration of response to lenalidomide was longer than response to prior treatment in 30 (65%) patients. Benefit was observed both in de novo and transformed DLBCL, germinal‐center‐B‐cell and nongerminal‐center‐B‐cell subtypes. Twenty‐six patients are alive (5‐year OS 62% ± 7%). With the limitations of a nonrandomized design, these long‐term results suggest that lenalidomide maintenance might bring benefit to patients with chemosensitive relapse of DLBCL not eligible for or failed after ASCT. Lenalidomide was associated with durable disease control and was well tolerated in this elderly population. Further investigations on immunomodulatory drugs as maintenance in these high‐risk patients are warranted.


Library resources including research databases, book and eBook, and multimedia resources for Health Sciences courses at Broward College North Campus.


ABSTRACT Taboroši, D.; Jenson, J.W., and Mylroie, J.E., 2013. Field observations of coastal discharge from an uplifted carbonate island aquifer, northern Guam, Mariana Islands: a descriptive geomorphic and hydrogeologic perspective. Understanding the hydrogeologic properties of carbonate island aquifers requires a conceptual framework within which specific and local properties, especially quantitative phenomena, can be placed and evaluated. In this paper, we present observations and hypotheses for such a qualitative conceptual model based on more than a decade of field studies in Guam. Fieldwork has shown that coastal groundwater discharge features can be usefully classified in terms of their geomorphic context and distinctive, readily observable characteristics: beach seeps and springs, reef seeps and springs, fracture springs, and cave springs. Seeps and springs on beaches and reefs are associated with matrix porosity and diffuse flow or are fed by fissures buried under sediment. Concentrated discharges from fractures and conduits are directly visible on rocky coasts, where springs emerge from dissolution-widened fractures and karst cavities. Although coastal zone conditions make it very difficult to accurately quantify the discharges from each type of feature, the fact that discharge is visibly distributed among these four categories suggests that aquifers of islands such as Guam—composed of uplifted geologically young limestones—can generally be expected to be triple-porosity aquifers, in which matrix, fracture, and conduit porosity each make a substantial contribution to discharge, and presumably to internal flow as well. This is in contrast to noncarbonate aquifers, from which coastal discharge is generally dominated by diffuse flow, and to continental karst aquifers in diagenetically mature limestones, in which flow and discharge are dominated by conduit flow. We propose a conceptual framework that relates these four geomorphic categories of coastal discharge to the evolution and reorganization of matrix, fracture, and conduit porosities in the aquifer, and offer a hypothesis for the general distribution of hydraulic conductivity on uplifted carbonate island aquifers, in particular the juxtaposition of high conductivity in the interior against lower conductivity in the periphery.


Background— Advances in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents have dramatically improved results of these procedures. The optimal treatment for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease is uncertain given the lack of prospective, randomized data reflecting current practice. This study represents a "real-world" evaluation of current technology in the treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease. Methods and Results— A total of 1680 patients undergoing revascularization for multivessel coronary artery disease were identified. Of these, 1080 patients were treated for 2-vessel disease (196 CABG and 884 PCI) and 600 for 3-vessel disease (505 CABG and 95 PCI). One-year mortality, cerebrovascular events, Q-wave myocardial infarction, target vessel failure, and composite major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were compared between the CABG and PCI cohorts. Outcomes were adjusted for baseline covariates and reported as hazard ratios. The unadjusted major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event rate was reduced with CABG for patients with 2-vessel disease (9.7% CABG versus 21.2% PCI; P<0.001) and 3-vessel disease (10.8% CABG versus 28.4% PCI; P<0.001). Adjusted outcomes showed increased major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event with PCI for patients with 2-vessel (hazard ratio 2.29; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.76; P=0.01) and 3-vessel disease (hazard ratio 2.90; 95% CI 1.76 to 4.78; P<0.001). Adjusted outcomes for the nondiabetic subpopulation demonstrated equivalent major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event with PCI for 2-vessel (hazard ratio 1.77; 95% CI 0.96 to 3.25; P=0.07) and 3-vessel disease (hazard ratio 1.70; 95% CI 0.77 to 3.61; P=0.19). Conclusions— Compared with PCI with drug-eluting stents, CABG resulted in improved major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event in patients with 2- and 3-vessel coronary artery disease, primarily in those with underlying diabetes. Coronary artery bypass surgery may be the preferred revascularization strategy in diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.


Calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous and versatile intracellular messenger involved in many different processes. Basically, Ca2+ signalling requires the maintenance of a low cytosolic concentration (usually 50-200 nM). Upon stimulation, the signals are generated by the massive entry of Ca2+ from internal and/or external stores. Ca2+ signalling is therefore strongly dependent on a complex toolkit of pumps/exchangers and channels localized in the different compartments of the cells and responsible for the outwards and inwards fluxes, respectively. In this work, we addressed the function of a previously uncharacterized family of membrane proteins, called UPF0016. An in depth bioinformatic analysis highlighted the high level of conservation found between members of the family, but allowed us to classify them into eight different subfamilies based on some specific features. We then decided to focus on the yeast S. cerevisae member of the family, Gdt1p. We showed that Gdt1p is localized in the cis- and medial-Golgi apparatus, where it colocalizes with Pmr1p, the yeast Ca2+/Mn2+-ATPase. Our findings indicate that Gdt1p and Pmr1p are involved in two different, but related, pathways of Ca2+ transport in the Golgi apparatus. Simultaneous deletion of both genes leads to a strong sensitivity to high external Ca2+ concentration, perturbations of Golgi functions and intolerance to Ca2+ starvation. Furthermore, the pmr1Δ/gdt1Δ double deletant shows a growth defect on non preferred carbon sources (e.g. galactose, mannose, ethanol, or glycerol), indicating a link between Ca2+ homeostasis and adaptation of the carbon metabolism. Our current hypothesis is that Gdt1p, and the other members of the UPF0016 family, are directly involved in Ca2+ transport, probably as a novel family of Ca2+/H+ exchangers. Of course, this hypothesis needs to be confirmed by direct transport assays, which requires improvement of the purification procedure presented in the last part of this work.


Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is a crucial anticancer target, but the relatively low response rate and acquired resistance to existing antibody drugs highlight an urgent need to develop alternative targeting strategies. Here we report the palmitoylation of PD-1, discovered the main DHHC enzyme for this modification, revealed the mechanism for its effect on PD-1 expression, and rationally developed a peptide for targeting PD-1 expression. Palmitoylation promoted the trafficking of PD-1 to recycling endosome, thus preventing its lysosome-dependent degradation. Palmitoylation was required for the activation of PD-1 downstream signaling, and targeting palmitoylation by pharmacological inhibitor or depleting the modification enzyme caused significant anti-tumor effects. A peptide was designed to competitively inhibit PD-1 palmitoylation and expression, opening a new route for developing PD-1 inhibitors as a strategy for cancer immunotherapy. Significance We show for the first time that PD-1 is palmitoylated, identify DHHC9 as the predominant enzyme for its palmitoylation, and reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects on PD-1 stability and functions. Importantly, we also designed a competitive inhibitor targeting PD-1 palmitoylation, and this first-in-class molecule may inspire the development of new checkpoint inhibitors.


This paper can be seen as a continuation of the works contained in the recent article (J. Alg., 305 (2006), 949-956) of the second author, and those of Juan Migliore (math. AC/0508067). Our results are: 1). There exist codimension three artinian level algebras of type two which do not enjoy the Weak Lefschetz Property ( WLP). In fact, for e >> 0, we will construct a codimension three, type two h- vector of socle degree e such that all the level algebras with that h-vector do not have the WLP. We will also describe the family of those algebras and compute its dimension, for each e >> 0. 2). There exist reduced level sets of points in P-3 of type two whose artinian reductions all fail to have theWLP. Indeed, the examples constructed here have the same h- vectors we mentioned in 1). 3). For any integer r >= 3, there exist non- unimodal monomial artinian level algebras of codimension r. As an immediate consequence of this result, we obtain another proof of the fact (first shown by Migliore in the abovementioned preprint, Theorem 4.3) that, for any r >= 3, there exist reduced level sets of points in P-r whose artinian reductions are non- unimodal.


Tobacco promotion at the retail level is pervasive

Tobacco firms face an increasingly stringent regulatory environment. Despite having fewer viable options in the promotional mix, industry promotional spending has persisted, reaching record levels. In the USA, $11.22 billion was spent on tobacco promotion during 2001.1 Once one form of promotion is banned, tobacco firms utilise other marketing strategies to continue communicating brand imagery. Radio and television advertising was no longer acceptable for cigarettes in New Zealand, the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia, commencing in 1963, 1965, 1971, 1972, and 1976, respectively. Consequently, the tobacco industry shifted their promotional spending largely toward the print media. Individual tobacco companies also turned to sponsoring broadcast sports events to compensate for lost broadcast advertising exposure. In Canada, with the implementation of the Tobacco Products Control Act that stipulated a ban on tobacco product advertising, expenditures on sponsorship increased considerably during the late 1980s and early 1990s.2 And once bans were placed on tobacco sponsorship in countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the tobacco industry placed further resources toward point-of-sale strategies, package design, trademark diversification, direct marketing campaigns, and "cigarette girls" who returned to bars and nightclubs.3–9 In the USA, a ban on billboard advertising, in accordance with the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, prompted an increase in the prevalence of both interior and exterior tobacco advertising at retail outlets (fig 1).10,11 Richard Pollay has remarked, "It's like squeezing a balloon. You can shut down one media, but the problem just moves somewhere else".12

 Figure 1
 Marlboro signage, located next to a gas (petrol) station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, serves …


Error analysis of electromagnetic motion tracking systems is of growing interest to many researchers. Under sensor movement, it is logical to presume that the error in position and orientation measurements will increase due to the linearization used in the algorithms, among other reasons. In this article, we analyze theoretically the error, that results from linearization, in position measurement of the Polhemus tracking system for a moving sensor. We derive formulas to estimate this error in terms of the sensor position and speed. Then, we verify these formulas by numerical simulations.


In this paper, we propose a very simple method to coordinate evolutive systems which produce results that do not point towards quantitative, but qualitative aspects, such as the education systems which ensure the educational, professional and scientific instruction function. Key-Words: Control of dynamic systems, non-marketable evolutive systems, the Student-Fisher Test.


A system of differential equations describing myocardium contractions in isometric and isotonic regimes has been obtained. On the basis of these equations functioning of myocardium was modelled on an electronic computer. An effect has been revealed of the coefficients of rheological equations and activation function on isometric and isotonic contraction of the force/rate ratio. A good agreement between the results of modelling and the experimental data has been observed.


The extent to which an international mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) can also provide biodiversity co‐benefits will depend on whether the mechanism results in the retention of forest in countries harboring substantial biodiversity. Countries' decisions whether or not to participate in REDD+ will be influenced by their national reference level of emissions from deforestation, below which their verified emissions can be credited as reductions. In this article, we explore the reduction in extinctions of forest species achieved under four alternative national reference level designs and three alternative levels of finance for REDD+. We use an 85‐country partial equilibrium model and species‐area relationships to estimate extinction rates for 2,472 nationally endemic forest‐dependent amphibian, bird and mammal species if a REDD+ mechanism had been in place during 2005–2010. Our results indicate that elements of REDD+ that are most effective for climate change mitigation—greater finance combined with reference levels which reduce leakage by promoting broad participation across countries with both high and low historical deforestation rates—also offer the greatest benefits for biodiversity conservation.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to carry out the first comprehensive assessment of psychiatric comorbidity in adolescents (aged 12-17 years) with DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) compared to a psychiatric comparison group without BPD. Complex comorbidity (a hallmark feature of adult BPD and defined as having any mood or anxiety disorder plus a disorder of impulsivity) was also examined as a distinguishing feature of adolescent BPD.

METHOD
Consecutively admitted patients (October 2008 to October 2012) to an inpatient psychiatric hospital received parental consent and gave assent for participation in the study (N = 418), with the final sample after exclusions consisting of 335 adolescent inpatients. A comprehensive, multimethod approach to determining psychiatric comorbidity was used, including both an interview-based (categorical) and a questionnaire-based (dimensional) assessment as well as both parent and adolescent self-report. Measures included the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (NIMH-DISC-IV), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Youth Self-Report (YSR), Car, Relax Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble (CRAFFT), and the Childhood Interview for DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder (CI-BPD).

RESULTS
Thirty-three percent of the final sample met criteria for BPD. Adolescent inpatients with BPD showed significantly higher rates of psychiatric comorbidity compared to non-BPD psychiatric subjects for both internalizing (χ²₁ = 27.40, P < .001) and externalizing (χ²₁ = 19.02, P < .001) diagnosis. Similarly, using dimensional scores for self-reported symptoms, adolescent inpatients with BPD had significantly higher rates of psychiatric comorbidity compared to non-BPD subjects for internalizing (t₃₂₉ = -6.63, P < .001) and externalizing (t₃₂₉ = -7.14, P < .001) problems. Parent-reported symptoms were significantly higher in the BPD group only when using a dimensional approach (internalizing: t₃₂₁ = -3.42, P < .001; externalizing: t₃₂₁ = -3.32, P < .001). Furthermore, significantly higher rates of complex comorbidity were found for adolescents with BPD (χ²₁ = 26.60, P < .001). Moreover, externalizing and internalizing problems interacted in association with borderline traits (B = .25; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS
Similar to findings in adult studies of BPD, adolescents with BPD demonstrate significantly more complex comorbidity compared to psychiatric subjects without BPD.


The pukeko, or purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus), commonly uses road margins throughout New Zealand, increasing the risk of road-induced mortality. We examined whether pukeko were exploiting the roadside as a resource. Potential resources on the roadside included food (e.g. new grass shoots and invertebrates), grit, and open areas for social behaviour. Using behavioral observations and the contents of gizzards and crops, we found evidence consistent with foraging (but not necessarily on invertebrates), and grit collection. There also appeared to be a strong social component. We examined the effect of roadside resource use on the ecology of pukeko.


Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiodes are commonly used in ultrafast photoelectronic devices. Recently it was shown that localized surface plasmons can sufficiently enhance photodetector capabilities at both infrared and visible wavelengths. Such structures are of great interest since they can be used for fast, broadband detection. By utilizing the properties of plasmonic structures it is possible to design photodetectors that are sensitive to the polarization state of the incident wave. The direct electrical readout of the polarization state of an incident optical beam has many important applications, especially in telecommunications, bio-imaging and photonic computing. Furthermore, the fact that surface plasmon polaritons can circumvent the diffraction limit, opens up significant opportunities to use them to guide signals between logic gates in modern integrated circuits where small dimensions are highly desirable. Here we demonstrate two MSM photodetectors integrated with aluminum nanoantennas capable of distinguishing orthogonal states of either linearly or circularly polarized light with no additional filters. The localized plasmon resonances of the antennas lead to selective screening of the underlying silicon from light with a particular polarization state. The non-null response of the devices to each of the basis states expands the potential utility of the photodetectors while improving precision. We also demonstrate a design of waveguide-coupled MSM photodetector suitable for planar detection of surface plasmons.