Two important copper electrode parameters, namely, the volt-equivalent of the arc spot heat flux and the arc spot effective current density have been measured experimentally in magnetically driven arcs in air. The measurements were performed for currents in the range 0.025 - 1 kA, magnetic field strengths 0.133 - 0.95 T and air pressures 1 - 40 atm. The volt-equivalent of the arc spot heat flux is proposed to account for the total heat flux entering the electrode surface through the arc spot. An unsteady thermal method was applied in the measurements. To obtain the effective current density, the thermophysical experiment was combined with the application of equations of the erosion model presented in a previous companion paper. We show that the volt-equivalent of the cathode arc spot heat flux increases with increasing magnetic field. The sum of the cathode and the anode voltage drops is shown to be approximately equal to the sum of the corresponding volt-equivalents of the arc spot heat fluxes. Good agreement with the measurements of other authors is obtained. In particular, the effective arc spot current density allows one to confirm the thermophysical model for the erosion of copper electrodes indirectly.


The ALK fusion oncogene was first identified in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2007 (1). It has been identified in approximately 3–7% of NSCLC cases, and more commonly in younger patients, and non- or light smokers. The central nervous system (CNS) is the most common site of disease progression, with many incidences of brain metastases diagnosed at disease onset. In the last 10 years, the discovery of ALK rearrangements has led to the rapid emergence of various ALK inhibitors, many developed in response to ALK resistance mutations that develop to crizotinib and to improve responses in the CNS.


Mechanical physiological pulsations are movements of a body surface incited by the movements of muscles in organs inside the body. Here we demonstrate the use of long-period grating sensors in the detection of cardio-vascular pulsations (CVP), in particular apex and carotid pulsations. To calibrate the sensors, we use a mechanical tool designed specifically to measure the sensor response to a localized perturbation at different grating curvatures as working points. From the data we infer the amplitude of the CVP. Together with the electrophysiological signals, the CVP signals obtained from the sensors can provide significant information on heart function which is inaccessible to the electrocardiogram. The low cost and easy handling of the fibre sensors increase their prospects to become the sensors of choice for novel diagnostic devices.


This study addresses a basic model to solve a problem of liquidation of shares, which does not take into consideration the round trip trade, a fundamental concept for establishing the condition of linearity of the permanent impact, and excluded from that imposition, the change in the optimal policies for the liquidation of a number of shares is explored from an analytical and a numerical perspective, when the functional form of the permanent price impact is non-linear.


NHS Employers is trying to persuade trusts to fund return-to-practice courses amid fears that nurses who take career breaks will not be able to get back on the register.


Children are a gift from Allah SWT that should be grateful for, guarded, cared for, guided, educated and must also develop all their potential according to their nature. Education for children has got the most important place, because education is a very important factor in changing a civilization. This study aims to improve the role of parents in educating their children according to religious demands based on the Qur'an so that what is expected by parents can be applied to their children in living life. So this research is a library research. In this research will be explored about Early Childhood Education according to the Qur'an in the study of maudhu'i interpretation. Data were collected from various literatures, such as books, the Koran, interpretations and other research results are then processed into informative data. The results of this study indicate that the active role of parents in educating children is very much needed. Negligence of parents in educating children from an early age can result in unfavorable children's behavior in the future. Children's education according to the Qur'an shows how good children's behavior is, about what is the sense of responsibility for moral development in children, responsibility for attitudes towards children, responsibility for social development in children, responsibility for fostering prayer in childrenChildren are a gift from Allah SWT that should be grateful for, guarded, cared for, guided, educated and must also develop all their potential according to their nature. Education for children has got the most important place, because education is a very important factor in changing a civilization. This study aims to improve the role of parents in educating their children according to religious demands based on the Qur'an so that what is expected by parents can be applied to their children in living life. So this research is a library research. In this research will be explored about Early Childhood Education according to the Qur'an in the study of maudhu'i interpretation. Data were collected from various literatures, such as books, the Koran, interpretations and other research results are then processed into informative data. The results of this study indicate that the active role of parents in educating children is very much needed. Negligence of parents in educating children from an early age can result in unfavorable children's behavior in the future. Children's education according to the Qur'an shows how good children's behavior is, about what is the sense of responsibility for moral development in children, responsibility for attitudes towards children, responsibility for social development in children, responsibility for fostering prayer in children


-------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT--------------------------------------------------Lean Manufacturing (LM) is considered as a rapid growing manufacturing culture. The companies are facing cut throat competition and so are compelled to continuously perform better than their competitors. Hence the organizations are growing at a faster pace, to enhance their position in the competitive world. Industrial organizations have to adopt the new philosophies like lean. Lean Manufacturing may be defined as the technique which is used for the continuous elimination of all types of waste in the production process to improve the efficiency. Management strategies and philosophies are always difficult and uncertain because change is inevitable and the companies should devise it as per the customer's requirement. The primary competitive measure of lean is "ability to respond to the customer and satisfy his requirements by making the process of the production efficient and waste free".


Background: A vaccine could substantially impact the HIV epidemic, but inadequate uptake is a serious concern. Unfortunately, people who use drugs, particularly those residing in rural communities, have been underrepresented in previous research on HIV vaccine acceptabi lity. This study examined HIV vaccine acceptability among high-risk drug users i n a rural community in the United States. Methods: Interviewer-administered questionnaires included questions about risk behavior and attitudes toward HIV vaccination from 433 HIV-negative drug users (76% with hist ory of injection) enrolled in a cohort study in Central Appalachia. HIV vaccine accepta bility was measured on a 4-point Likert scale. Generalized linear mixed models were us ed to determine correlates to self-report of being "very likely" to receive a 90% effec tiv HIV vaccine (i.e. "maximum vaccine acceptability", or MVA). Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and corre sponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. Results: Most (91%) reported that they would accept a preventive HIV vaccine, but concerns about cost, dosing, transportation constraints, vaccine-induced seropositivity, and confi dentiality were expressed. Cash incentives, oral-administration, and peer/partner enco uragement were anticipated facilitators of uptake. In multivariate analysis, men were sig nificantly less likely to report MVA (AOR: 0.33, CI: 0.21 – 0.52). MVA was more common among participants who believed that they were susceptible to HIV (AOR: 2.31, CI: 1.28 – 4.07), that an HIV vaccine would benefit them (AOR: 2.80, CI: 1.70 – 4.64), and who had positive experiential attitudes toward HIV vaccination (AOR: 1.85, CI: 1.08 – 3.17). MVA was also more common among


As genomic characterization becomes increasingly necessary for accurate diagnosis of tumors of the central nervous system, identification of rapidly assessible biomarkers is equally important to avoid excessive cost and delay in initiation of therapy. This article reviews novel immunohistochemical markers that may be used to determine mutation status, activation of signaling pathways, druggable targets, and cell lineage in many diverse tumor types. In particular, recently added entities to the 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors will be addressed, including IDH-mutant gliomas, diffuse midline glioma, epithelioid glioblastoma, angiocentric glioma, RELA-rearranged ependymoma, embryonal tumors (medulloblastoma, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, pineoblastoma, embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes, and other genetically defined high-grade neuroepithelial tumors), and meningiomas associated with germline alterations.


The design and performance of single- stage single-stage wind energy meet in the integrated energy quality controller. An essential aspect of shunt compensator the effect of the consonant material is to reduce or prevent the load. In the existing technology, buck-boost converter based power quality improvement for a renewable energy framework. The trouble is the chaotic plan, the high past plan, the conversion mode, and the wave in the current cycle. Therefore, in the proposed technology, the power quality improvement for renewable energy-based (Static Synchronous Compensator) STATCOM based ANFIS demonstrations. Probability by taking into account the high accuracy and low calculation time in the planning and assessing flood vulnerability. Also known as a regulator, on-off regulator, or hysteresis regulator, it is a critical regulator that switches between the two states. These regulators can be traced to a component that gives hysteria. Introduced the KY Help Converter, which merges with the KY Converter Custom Lift Converter. Such a converter has uninterrupted information and yields inductive currents, not the same as a conventional lift converter. Furthermore, subsequently, this converter is suitable for low-bloat applications. The proposed converter's classified outlines to test this currency converter's efficiency are given, along with some experimental results.


Gamma knife surgery (GKS) is now used as a treatment option for glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN). Most authors have selected the distal part of the nerve as the gamma knife target. Here we report on 3 patients with medically intractable GPN who were treated with GKS. All 3 patients had a single shot with a 4-mm collimator which was used to deliver 80 Gy to the 100% isodose line. The GKS targets were the medial cisternal segments of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Patients were investigated prospectively, treated, and then assessed periodically with respect to pain relief and neurological function. Three patients felt pain reduced at 2, 7, and 11 days, respectively. None of them have suffered recurrent pain since becoming pain free. The follow-up after radiosurgery was 25 months, 22 months, and 20 months, respectively. This preliminary experience provides encouraging evidence that choosing the medial cisternal segment of the glossopharyngeal nerve as the target is also an option for the treatment of GPN with stereotactic radiosurgery and is consistent with previous reports. Additional follow-ups and a larger number of patients are needed to demonstrate the long-term safety and effectiveness for this indication.


Summary and ConclusionsIn these experiments cortisone had no antisynthetic effect; its effect on protein synthetic reactions was to increase synthesis in the diaphragm. Since liver is spared and diaphragm is not spared against the wasting effects of cortisone, the chief effect of cortisone according to our observations must be its influence on catabolic reactions. Thus the organ-specific effects of cortisone can be explained on the basic of increased catabolism in diaphragm but not in liver.


This paper seeks to address different ways of conceptualising communication – a mechanistic and a systemic view. The views are considered complementary rather than exclusionary. A meta-model of how communication in engineering design can be conceptualised to analyse communication issues in industrial practice is proposed. The model combines an information-centred view reflecting the exchange of information with interactional and situational aspects. It is intended to provide the backbone of an audit method with which the current ('as-is' ) as well as the desired ('to be') communication situation in a company can be diagnosed. The conceptual meta-model for communication in engineering design presented here is part of a wider research project that aims at assessing the current and the desired communication situation in design teams by raising awareness and providing a platform for reflection.


Light emission from polyethylene with a needle-like microvoid has been investigated under the application of a negative impulse voltage in order to examine the temporal behavior of discharge in the microvoid at the metal-polymer interface. The light emission was observed distinctly during the voltage rise and fall phases with a period of no light emission between the two light emitting phases. The emitted light consisted of sequential light pulses which appeared regularly, according to the temporal variation rate of the voltage. The sequential light pulses corresponded to the sequential discharge in the microvoid which occurred to keep the voltage across the microvoid below the discharge inception voltage. The characteristics of light emission revealed the occurrence of intermittent discharges in the microvoid during the voltage variation phase of the impulse voltage, caused by charge deposition on the polymer surface of the microvoid.


Ferromagnetic Josephson junctions can show at equilibrium a π phase difference between the superconducting electrodes. We explain this π state in an original way by a modified spectrum of Andreev bound states shifted by the exchange energy. A simplified expression for the spectral supercurrent density is calculated and the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the critical current is discussed. This model accounts for the cancellation of the critical current with temperature observed in a small range of barrier thickness in our Nb/Cu 5 2 Ni 4 8 /Nb junctions. This cancellation corresponds to an inversion of the supercurrent and to a ground-state crossover from a 0 state to a π state. This transition is caused both by the thermal distribution of quasiparticles and by the temperature dependence of the exchange energy. The experimental curves are well reproduced by our theoretical expression except for the very small amplitude of the supercurrent attributed to a large spin-flip scattering.


Though patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have lots of complaints, abnormal findings cannot be detected by biochemical screening tests. However, some specialized blood tests have revealed neuroendocrine immune axis abnormalities, which is closely associated with each other. Recent studies indicate that CFS can be understood as a special condition based on abnormality of the psycho-neuro-endocrino-immunological system, with the distinguishing feature of CFS seeming to be the secondary brain dysfunction caused by several cytokines and/or autoantibodies. In this paper, we summarize these abnormalities found in CFS and show the neuro-molecular mechanism leading to chronic fatigue.


The sustained release of antibiotics from bone cement provides an opportunity for the induction of hypersensitivity. We evaluated the cellular and humoral immune responsiveness of guinea pigs to antibiotics diffusing from bone cement. We were unable to detect the presence of antibodies or skin hypersensitivity to any of the antibiotics tested.


The phenomenon of "social media" has more to do with its cultural positioning than its technological affordances. Rooted in the broader "Web 2.0" landscape, social media helped engineers, entrepreneurs, and everyday people reimagine the role that technology could play in information dissemination, community development, and communication. While the technologies invoked by the phrase social media have a long history, what unfolded in the 2000s reconfigured socio-technical practices in significant ways. Reflecting on the brief history of social media, this essay argues for the need to better understand this phenomenon.


Actuality. The risk of death of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) after acute decompensation of heart failure (ADHF) is directly related to the quality of the treatment of CHF after discharge from the hospital. In order to achieve the maximum effect of therapy in patients with CHF, experts in Europe and the USA recommend the creation of centers of specialized medical care for patients with CHF. Objective: to determine the risks of general, cardiovascular mortality and death from ADHF in patients with CHF during two years of observation, depending on their adherence to observation in a specialized center for the treatment of chronic heart failure (center CHF). Materials and methods. The study consistently included 942 patients with CHF after ADHF. The adherence of patients to follow up in center CHF was analyzed and 4 groups were distinguished: group 1 (n = 313) included patients who were observed continuously for two years; group 2 (n = 382) included patients who, after discharge, had never been observed in the center CHF; group 3 (n = 197) consisted of patients who were monitored at center CHF during the first year and then discontinued, and group 4 (n = 49) united patients who, when included in the study, abandoned observation, but after a year began to be constantly observed during the second year center CHF. Results. Statistically significant differences in age were registered only between groups 1 and 2 (69.6+9.9 and 71.8+11 years, respectively, р1/2=0.006). The overall mortality over the 2 years of follow-up was significantly higher in group 2 (32.4%) versus group 1 (1.2%, OR=3.8, 95% CI 2.5-5.7; p1/2<0.001 ); compared with group 3 (9.1%, OR=4.8, 95% CI 2.8-8.1; p2/3<0.001) and group 4 (8,2%, OR = 5.4, 95% CI 1.9-15.3; p2/4=0.0005). Cardiovascular mortality (CVM) for 2 years of follow-up was significantly higher in group 2 versus group 1 (8.1% and 1.3% of cases, OR=6.8, 95% CI 2.4-19.5; p1/2<0.001), as well as in comparison with group 3 (CVM 3% for 2 years, OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.1-6.8; p2/3=0.02). CVM in group 4 (6.1%) was 5 times higher in comparison with group 1 (OR=5.0, 95% CI 1.1-23.2; p1/4=0.02). The risks of death from ADHF over the 2 years of follow-up were significantly higher in group 2 (16.4%) compared with all groups: with group 1 (6.4%) OR=2.9, 95% CI 1.7-4, 9, p1/2<0.001; with group 3 (5.1%) OR=3.7, 95% CI 1.8-7.3, p2/3<0.001; and with group 4 (2%) OR=9.5, 95% CI 1.3-69.7, p2/4= 0.008. The combined endpoint (CVM and death from ADHF in 2 years of follow-up) was also significantly higher in group 2 (24.5%) compared with all compared groups: group 1 (7.7%), OR=3.9, 95% CI 2.4-6.3, p1/2<0.001; group 3 (8.1%), OR=3.7, 95% CI 2.1-6.5, p2/3<0.001; and group 4 (8.2%), OR=3.7, 95% CI 1.3-10.4; p2/4=0.01. Conclusion. Surveillance of patients with CHF after an episode of ADHF in a specialized center CHF, both for a long time (two years) and partially during the first year of observation, reduces the risk of all-cause death, CVM and death from ADHF.


The addition of bromine in carbon tetrachloride or acetic acid to hexachloronorbornadiene affords the products of endo-cis- and trans-addition of bromine to the unsubstituted double bond, and the rearrangement product 5-exo,-7-anti-dibromo-1,2,3,5-endo,6,6-hexachloronorborn-2-ene. With chlorine, in addition to the products of endo-cis- and trans-addition, two rearrangement products, 1,2,3,5,5,6,6,7-anti-octachloronorborn-2-ene and its 7-syn-epimer, are formed. The effect of changes in temperature, and of added free-radical catalysts and inhibitors, on the product ratios, has been examined to provide evidence for possible intermediates in these addition reactions. Sulphuryl chloride has been used to add, in a free-radical manner, the elements of chlorine to hexachloronorbornadiene. This affords the products of endo-cis- and trans-addition to the unsubstituted double bond together with the rearrangement product 1,2,3,5,5,6,6,7-anti-octachloronorborn-2-ene.


2257 Green tea extract (GTE) and its major component (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) have been shown to have antiangiogenic effects in various experimental tumor models. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effect of GTE and EGCG on HIF-1α and VEGF expressions induced by hypoxia or serum in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and hepatoma (HepG2) cells. Our results showed that GTE and EGCG significantly inhibited hypoxia- and serum-induced HIF-1α protein accumulation in the cancer cells, but had no effects on HIF-1α mRNA expression. Meanwhile, GTE and EGCG also drastically inhibited VEGF expressions at both mRNA and protein levels in HeLa and HepG2 cells in response to hypoxia or serum stimulation. Mechanistically, we found that GTE and EGCG inhibited hypoxia- induced HIF-1α protein accumulation via blocking the activation of PI-3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways and substantially promoting HIF-1α protein degradation through the proteasome system. In addition, we demonstrated that GTE and EGCG inhibited serum- induced HIF-1α protein expression through the inhibition of AKT activation and the phosphorylation of two protein translational regulators, Mr 70,000 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). Our data suggested that HIF-1α/VEGF may serve as a promising target for GTE and EGCG in the context of cancer chemoprevention and anticancer therapy.


An effective and fast minimization approach is proposed for the prediction of protein folding, in which the 'relative entropy' is used as a minimization function and the off-lattice model is used. In this approach, we only use the information of distances between the consecutive Calpha atoms along the peptide chain and a generalized form of the contact potential for 20 types of amino acids. Tests of the algorithm are performed on the real proteins. The root mean square deviations of the structures of eight folded target proteins versus the native structures are in a reasonable range. In principle, this method is an improvement on the energy minimization approach.


In this article we will try to tackle how the Argentinean identity has beenbuilt-up, since the end of the 19th century, by the denial of the «otherness». This observation will be made by analyzing Lucio Mansilla's book Una excursion a los indios ranqueles. We will also make inquiries on the violence that is exerted from the use of the language focused on the annulment of the Other and how does that Other has been displaced throughout the History in different social agents. To finalize, we will consider how nowadays Occidental World imposes its mental models to exert a cultural influence to monopolize and homogenize the ideological speech on identity and values.


Inflammation-induced epithelial injury results in compromised mucosal barrier function. In response to injury, epithelial cells migrate as a sheet to cover denuded surfaces. We have recently reported that a calcium dependent phospholipid binding protein Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is a pro-resolving mediator that signals via epithelial formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) to promote intestinal mucosal wound repair. Analysis of signaling pathways downstream of epithelial FPRs identified intestinal epithelial NADPH oxidase-1 (Nox1) and Rac1 as key elements responsible for generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We determined that ROS-induced oxidative modification of phosphatases, in turn, activate proteins involved in controlling focal cell matrix adhesions and epithelial cell migration. Exogenous AnxA1 administration was observed to promote intestinal mucosal wound closure in WT mice but not in mice lacking intestinal epithelial Nox1 (Nox1-/-IEC). Analysis of AnxA1 released from the epithelial cells revealed that it is shed in membranes that have properties of microparticles (<1 µm) as an N-terminal cleaved product. Incubation of wounded epithelial monolayers with AnxA1containing microparticles promoted wound closure. These findings define a mechanism by which intracellular AnxA1 is cleaved and released in epithelial-derived microparticles during inflammation which can then signal in a paracrine fashion via FPR and Nox1 to promote intestinal mucosal wound repair.


Hormonal therapies, including ovarian ablation, ER antagonists, and aromatase inhibitors, are the standards of care for treatment of ERα positive breast cancer. However, development of resistance to hormone therapies in advanced breast cancer is a major obstacle. Moreover, estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-negative breast cancer is clinically aggressive and does not respond to conventional estrogen targeted therapies. Strategies that lead to re-expression of ERα could sensitize breast cancers to selective ER modulators. FTY720/Fingolimod, a sphingosine analog, is an FDA-approved pro-drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis that also has anticancer actions that are not yet well understood. We have now found that FTY720 is phosphorylated in breast cancer cells by nuclear sphingosine kinase 2 and accumulates there. Nuclear FTY720-P in turn is a potent inhibitor of class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) that enhances histone acetylations and gene expression independently of its known effects on canonical signaling through sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. In ERα negative human and murine breast cancer cells, FTY720 reactivated expression of silenced ERα and sensitized them to tamoxifen. Moreover, oral administration of clinically relevant doses of FTY720 to mice bearing ERα negative syngeneic breast tumors also re-expressed ERα and increased therapeutic sensitivity to tamoxifen in vivo more potently than a known HDAC inhibitor. Our work suggests that FTY720 is a promising strategy for effective treatment of conventional hormonal therapy-resistant breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. Supported by NIH grant RO1CA061774 and the Department of Defense BCRP program award W81XWH-14-1-0086 (S. Spiegel). Citation Format: Nitai C. Hait, Dorit Avni, Akimitsu Yamada, Sheldon Milstien, Kazuaki Takabe, Sarah Spiegel. FTY720-P is a potent inhibitor of class I histone deacetylases that enhances histone acetylation, reactivates ERα expression, and increases hormonal therapeutic sensitivity of breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 112. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-112


THE effect of temperature elevation on impregnated paper insulation is to increase conductivity and dielectric loss and to accelerate such chemical action as may be possible among the constituent paper, oil, and adjacent electrodes. Both effects increase rapidly above, say 60 degrees centigrade, but are relatively small at ordinary atmospheric temperatures in dry and air-free insulation.


In the book "Learning to Live", Edgar Darfur pointed out a viewpoint incisively: "The illiteracy in the future, are no longer the illiterate people, but people who do not know how to learn." "knowledge explosion" now has occurred. so human beings have to learn how to learn. only in this way. would they be possible to calmly face the emergence of new knowledge which impacts the world incisively. However, due to our high school exam-oriented education and intense competition in the score, most of the students lost their enthusiasm for learning and motivation. Therefore, educators have the responsibility to change this situation. So How would the teachers educate students with various capacity has become the focus attention of the public. Self-learning ability of the students are the basic capabilities. The Self-learning ability of students is an access of how to acquire knowledge, also it is an access to the other abilities which promote and accelerate the development of the students sound ability and personality.


Looking at the medical technological development there are two important trends to distinguish. First the development of the information and communication technology and secondly the development of new medicines for always smaller and sharper defined groups. Some of the new technologies are cost-raising, others are moneysaving but as a result we see that two thirds of the autonomous cost development in Health Care is caused by the development of medical technology. The question is if we can afford this development. One hand it brings better quality of care and new and better treatments on the other hand it raises the cost of health care systems with the result that present levels of solidarity in those systems are maybe not sustainable in the future.


The recruitment of DNA ligase I to replication foci and the efficient joining of Okazaki fragments is dependent on the interaction between DNA ligase I and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Although the PCNA sliding clamp tethers DNA ligase I to nicked duplex DNA circles, the interaction does not enhance DNA joining. This suggests that other factors may be involved in the joining of Okazaki fragments. In this study, we describe an association between replication factor C (RFC), the clamp loader, and DNA ligase I in human cell extracts. Subsequently, we demonstrate that there is a direct physical interaction between these proteins that involves both the N- and C-terminal domains of DNA ligase I, the N terminus of the large RFC subunit p140, and the p36 and p38 subunits of RFC. Although RFC inhibited DNA joining by DNA ligase I, the addition of PCNA alleviated inhibition by RFC. Notably, the effect of PCNA on ligation was dependent on the PCNA-binding site of DNA ligase I. Together, these results provide a molecular explanation for the key in vivo role of the DNA ligase I/PCNA interaction and suggest that the joining of Okazaki fragments is coordinated by pairwise interactions among RFC, PCNA, and DNA ligase I.


Ischemic iatrogenic lesions can complicate surgical procedures on the mitral valve. One of the causative mechanisms is direct injury to or distortion of the circumflex coronary artery. The risk of damaging the circumflex coronary artery depends mainly upon the proximity of that vessel to the posterior segment of the mitral annulus, and this varies from patient to patient. Herein, we report a case of iatrogenic circumflex coronary artery lesion after mitral annuloplasty, and we review the literature on the subject, in order to highlight a possible relationship between iatrogenic circumflex lesions and coronary dominance. In a 60-year-old man who had severe mitral regurgitation due to prolapse of both leaflets, preoperative coronary angiography showed irregularities only along the left anterior descending coronary artery and a coronary network of right dominance. The patient underwent mitral annuloplasty (32-mm Carpentier-Edwards ring) by means of minimally invasive right thoracotomy through the right 4th intercostal space (HeartPort). When the procedure was over, and before the patient was taken to intensive care, ventricular fibrillation developed; the administration of direct-current shock (200 joules) resulted in a resumption of sinus rhythm. Repeat transesophageal echocardiography showed posterolateral dyskinesis of the left ventricle and ST-segment elevation suggestive of acute lateral myocardial infarction. Emergency cardiac catheterization revealed a subocclusion of the distal circumflex coronary artery. Dual percutaneous angioplasty and stenting (Taxus, 2.5 x 24 mm) was performed with optimal result. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient showed good results of the mitral annuloplasty.


Fluorescent labeling of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) is essential for their study in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report a new chemical biodelivery method for labeling hMSCs using a series of very efficient and highly versatile thiophene-based fluorescent dyes. Such conjugates contribute to a stable and viable labeling of hMSCs and constitute a promising strategy for in vivo applications.


The focus of the Convention on Biological Diversity on conservation, the sustainable use of the greatest possible diversity of biota, and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom, has broadened the opportunities and responsibilities of a range of entities that are involved with conservation. Countries seeking to market their genetic resources, as well as firms seeking access to these materials, are uncertain as to how to proceed under the new expectations brought about by the Convention, and the excitement stemming from prospecting revenues is having an unfortunate side-effect in emphasizing the perceived newness of this opportunity. The continued emphasis on newness discourages participation until a less risky standard practice emerges.


Reproductive isolation is the result of either the inability to produce viable and fertile offspring or the avoidance of mating altogether. While these mechanisms can evolve either over time via genetic drift or natural selection, the genetic result is usually a complex set of traits that are often linked. Explaining how reproductive isolation proceeds from the initiation of divergence to the complete prevention of mating is often a difficult task, as the underlying genes for traits associated with reproductive isolation can change via molecular evolution and subsequent protein coding alterations or through alterations of gene expression regulation. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Treer, Maex, VanBocxlaer, Proost, and Bossuyt ( ) use transcriptomic, proteomic and phylogenetic analyses to show that species‐specific sex pheromones are the result of gradual sequence divergence on the same set of proteins in two closely related newt species (Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton helveticus). This study shows that salamander pheromone systems provide an enticing opportunity to connect the evolution of reproductive isolation to the changes in genes that underlie a key phenotype.


OBJECTIVE
To identify feline and household characteristics associated with relinquishment of a pet cat to an animal shelter.

DESIGN
Case-control study.

SAMPLE POPULATION
Households that relinquished cats for adoption (case households) and a random sample of current cat-owning households in the same community (control households).

RESULTS
Potentially modifiable risk factors with the highest population attributable risk for relinquishment were owners having specific expectations about the cat's role in the household, allowing the cat outdoors, owning a sexually intact cat, never having read a book about cat behavior, cats having daily or weekly inappropriate elimination, and inappropriate care expectations. Frequency of inappropriate elimination and aggression toward people were not associated with declaw status, but these behaviors were more common among sexually intact cats, compared with sterilized cats. Owners of cats in case households were more likely than owners in control households to cite cost of sterilization as a reason a cat was sexually intact. Cats found as strays and cats acquired with minimal planning were at decreased risk of relinquishment.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
The identified risk factors can be modified by cat owners and veterinarians to decrease the estimated 4 million cats euthanatized annually in animal shelters. Owner education programs are needed as well as increased awareness on the part of cat owners and veterinarians of the importance of resolving feline inappropriate elimination problems.


This work is aimed at contributing to the development of a computational cognitive architecture , i.e. a theory for understanding and simulating human cognition. The objective is a conceptualization of spatial cognitive disturbances according to a general, structuralized, top-down systemic framework. For the test study, two characteristic cases from clinical psychology: Agoraphobia and Claustrophobia (AC cluster) have been modeled. The analysis has been performed in frame of the TOGA (Top-down Object-based Goal-oriented Approach) theory where human intelligent cognitive processes are represented by an unique modelling frame composed with well distinguished components and functional layers with learning capabilities. Using this approach we identify pathologies as possible conflicts between recognized components and their functioning. Ongoing research results of this study are presented. The assumed model can also be seen as a basis for the development of a meta-cognition layer for artificial intelligent agents in advanced software engineering. ABSTRACT Adam Maria Gadomski * , Antonietta Salvatore**, Alessandro Di Giulio ***


The recent explosion of interest in physical system simulation may soon lead to realistic animation of passive objects, such as sliding blocks or bouncing balls. However, complex active objects (like human figures and insects) need a control mechanism to direct their movements. We present a paradigm that combines the advantages of physical simulation and algoritlunic specification of movement. The animator writes an algorithm to control the object and runs this algorithm on a physical simulator to produce the animation. Algorithms can be reused or combined to produce complex sequences of movements, eliminating the need for tedious keyframing. We have applied this paradigm to control a walking biped. The walking algorithm is presented along with the results from testing with the Newton simulation system.f!


The enzymology of secondary metabolism has not received the same attention as that for primary (general) metabolism. There are traditional and other reasons for this bias, some of which will become apparent in this review. With the advent of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology (genetic engineering), it seems inevitable that this state of affairs should change. Many secondary metabolites have economic significance, and it would be very desirable to be able to manipulate their production by using this latest technology. Strictly speaking, it is not impossible to do this without a knowledge of the enzymes involved in their production, but in practice it is essential that we have thorough and detailed information on the enzymes (and their regulation) that we would desire to manipulate. The truth of this statement is well supported by the increased interest in the enzymes responsible for the formation of secondary metabolites of commercial importance (93, 116, 135). The field of antibiotics is a particularly good example of this groundswell and includes work on penicillin (103), tetracycline (104), tylosine (129), and bacitracin (158). Another group of secondary metabolites of economic impact are the mycotoxins, although it is implicit in their nature that we should try to prevent, rather than promote, their formation. An important example of mycotoxins, the aflatoxins, have generated much interest in both their effects and their biosynthesis; investigations into the latter have led to elucidation of the pathway of their formation (16). In spite of agreement on the validity of this pathway, there is still much to be learned with respect to the enzymology of the process. This review attempts to bring together what is known with regard to these enzymes and their regulation and associated processes and also to stimulate further interest in the subject. FUNGAL SECONDARY METABOLIC ENZYMES


We present a summary of the status of the field of resistive gaseous detectors as discussed in a dedicated closing session that took place during the XI Workshop for Resistive Plate Chambers and Related Detectors held in Frascati, and especially we review the perspectives and ambitions of the community towards the XII Workshop to be held in Beijing in year 2014.


Abstract Carsharing can partially replace private ownership of vehicles with a service that allows the use of a car temporarily on an on-demand basis. In this study, we analyze the supply of shared cars across 177 cities in five Western European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom), while distinguishing between the traditional business-to-consumer (B2C) business model and the more recent peer-to-peer (P2P) business model. The data on carsharing supply is individually collected of all operators in the respective cities, while data of city characteristics is drawn from international or national statistical databases. We explain carsharing supply using comparable data of 14 explanatory variables. The results indicate that carsharing is popular in cities with a high educational level or university presence and, in the B2C case, with many green party votes. Furthermore, carsharing is less popular in cities with many car commuters. Particularly striking are the differences between countries, with peer-to-peer carsharing being especially popular in French cities and business-to-consumer carsharing in Germany. We reflect on the findings in the light of (sustainable) mobility policy options.


The Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment was funded to address degradation and loss of spawning habitat for chum salmon (Onchorhynchus keta) and fall Chinook salmon (Onchoryhnchus tshawytscha). In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed lower Columbia River chum salmon as a threatened Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Grays River watershed is one of two remaining significant chum salmon spawning locations in this ESU. Runs of Grays River chum and Chinook salmon have declined significantly during the past century, largely because of damage to spawning habitat associated with timber harvest and agriculture in the watershed. In addition, approximately 20-25% of the then-remaining chum salmon spawning habitat was lost during a 1999 channel avulsion that destroyed an important artificial spawning channel operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Although the lack of stable, high-quality spawning habitat is considered the primary physical limitation on Grays River chum salmon production today, few data are available to guide watershed management and channel restoration activities. The objectives of the Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment project were to (1) perform a comprehensive watershed and biological analysis, including hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological assessments; (2) develop a prioritized list of actions that protect and restore critical chum and Chinook salmon spawning habitat in the Grays River based on comprehensive geomorphic, hydrologic, and stream channel assessments; and (3) gain a better understanding of chum and Chinook salmon habitat requirements and survival within the lower Columbia River and the Grays River. The watershed-based approach to river ecosystem restoration relies on a conceptual framework that describes general relationships between natural landscape characteristics, watershed-scale habitat-forming processes, aquatic habitat conditions, and biological integrity. In addition, human land-use impacts are factored into the conceptual model because they can alter habitat quality and can disrupt natural habitat forming processes. In this model (Figure S.1), aquatic habitat--both instream and riparian--is viewed as the link between watershed conditions and biologic responses. Based on this conceptual model, assessment of habitat loss and the resultant declines in salmonid populations can be conducted by relating current and historical (e.g., natural) habitat conditions to salmonid utilization, diversity, and abundance. In addition, assessing disrupted ecosystem functions and processes within the watershed can aid in identifying the causes of habitat change and the associated decline in biological integrity. In this same way, restoration, enhancement, and conservation projects can be identified and prioritized. A watershed assessment is primarily a landscape-scale evaluation of current watershed conditions and the associated hydrogeomorphic riverine processes. The watershed assessment conducted for this project focused on watershed processes that form and maintain salmonid habitat. Landscape metrics describing the level of human alteration of natural ecosystem attributes were used as indicators of water quality, hydrology, channel geomorphology, instream habitat, and biotic integrity. Ecological (watershed) processes are related to and can be predicted based on specific aspects of spatial pattern. This study evaluated the hydrologic regime, sediment delivery regime, and riparian condition of the sub-watersheds that comprise the upper Grays River watershed relative to their natural range of conditions. Analyses relied primarily on available geographic information system (GIS) data describing landscape characteristics such as climate, vegetation type and maturity, geology and soils, topography, land use, and road density. In addition to watershed-scale landscape characteristics, the study area was also evaluated on the riparian scale, with appropriate landscape variables analyzed within riparian buffers around each stream or river channel. Included in the overall watershed assessment are field habitat surveys and analyses of the physical and hydrological characteristics of primary chum and fall Chinook salmon spawning areas and spawning habitat availability and use. This assessment is a significant step in a comprehensive program to ensure the survival and recovery of Columbia River chum salmon in its most productive system and builds on existing recovery planning efforts for these ESA-listed salmonids within the Grays River and the lower Columbia River. This assessment also provides a basis for the recovery of other fish species in the Grays River, including coho salmon, winter steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey.


Results of studies of hypophysectomized rats suggest that growth hormone serves as a final common mediator through which gonadal steroids and other modifiers of pituitary function alter the expression of gender-specific liver genes such as the sexually dimorphic pair of cytochrome P-450 isozymes, male-specific P-450h and female-specific P-450i. We tested the effects of growth hormone in a system for primary monolayer culture of adult rat hepatocytes on a laminin-rich extracellular matrix (matrigel), which permits sustained expression of both constitutive and inducible liver genes in a chemically defined medium. Cultures of freshly isolated hepatocytes prepared from untreated male rats and samples of the intact donor liver contained readily detectable quantities of immunoreactive P-450h protein (measured on immunoblots of cell microsomes) and P-450h mRNA (measured on Northern blots of cellular RNA). Neither P-450i immunoreactive protein nor P-450i mRNA were present. Addition of physiologic concentrations of human or bovine growth hormone, but not of prolactin, to culture medium lacking insulin or other hormones resulted in prompt induction of P-450i immunoreactive protein and P-450i mRNA. Induction of P-450i mRNA in male hepatocyte cultures was dependent on the concentration of growth hormone, required as little as 24 hr of exposure, and was markedly attenuated in cultures maintained on type I collagen rather than on matrigel. Growth hormone treatment also induced the level of mRNA for insulin-like growth factor I, whereas the amount of mRNA for the male-specific urinary protein alpha 2 mu-globulin was unaffected. Cultures of hepatocytes derived from untreated adult female rats retained high levels of P-450i mRNA but only if the culture medium contained growth hormone. None of the tested treatments with estrogens, androgens, glucocorticoids, or growth hormone induced P-450h mRNA or P-450h immunoreactive protein in cultures of female hepatocytes. We conclude that the somatogenic effects of growth hormone acting alone and directly on the hepatocyte in culture are sufficient to "feminize" the cytochrome P-450 phenotype. The present culture system offers a way to explore the molecular basis for hormonal control of liver gene expression.


We construct a variational wave function for the ground state of weakly interacting bosons that gives a lower energy than the mean-field Girardeau-Arnowitt (or Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov) theory. This improvement is brought about by incorporating the dynamical 3/2-body processes where one of two colliding non-condensed particles drops into the condensate and vice versa. The processes are also shown to transform the one-particle excitation spectrum into a bubbling mode with a finite lifetime even in the long-wavelength limit. These 3/2-body processes, which give rise to dynamical exchange of particles between the non-condensate reservoir and condensate absent in ideal gases, are identified as a key mechanism for realizing and sustaining macroscopic coherence in Bose-Einstein condensates.


While the political and cultural importance of the keffiyeh, as well as its attendant commodification as a fashion accessory in the West, is established, this article seeks to analyze the precise theoretical coordinates of this cultural artifact's affective power, and its relationship to current politico-cultural trends. That is, we know what cultural work the keffiyeh does, but here we show how that work is carried out, its theoretical underpinnings, and its implications for better understanding the interrelationship between current events, the ideological, and the cultural. Symbolic interactionism, along with affect theory, are leveraged as tools to answer these questions of serious and timely political importance. Indeed, the keffiyeh is used here as the theoretical vehicle that may elucidate the broader implications for cultural studies internationally.


. Video deblurring models exploit information in the neighboring frames to remove blur caused by the motion of the camera and the objects. Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) are often adopted to model the temporal dependency between frames via hidden states. When motion blur is strong, however, hidden states are hard to deliver proper information due to the displacement between different frames. While there have been attempts to update the hidden states, it is difficult to handle misaligned features beyond the receptive field of simple modules. Thus, we propose 2 modules to supplement the RNN architecture for video deblurring. First, we design Ping-Pong RNN (PPRNN) that acts on updating the hidden states by referring to the features from the current and the previous time steps alternately. PPRNN gathers relevant information from the both features in an iterative and balanced manner by utilizing its recurrent architecture. Second, we use a Selective Non-Local Attention (SNLA) module to additionally refine the hidden state by aligning it with the positional information from the input frame feature. The attention score is scaled by the relevance to the input feature to focus on the necessary information. By paying attention to hidden states with both modules, which have strong synergy, our PAHS framework improves the representation powers of RNN structures and achieves state-of-the-art deblurring performance on standard benchmarks and real-world videos.


The society economic empowerment program in Kupang City aims to improve the economic structure and the giving of productive economic business capital which is in a small scale in accordance with the potential in the regency level, the target of which is the society who has the individual business in a small scale which has run. This research would like to describe and analyze the policy implementation on society economic empowerment fund utilization in the Kupang City Regional Development Planning Agency and the Society Empowerment Institution.The research method used in this research was descriptive research method with qualitative approach and spiral data analysis proposed by Creswell. The research result showed that the society economic empowerment program had not been able to empower the entire potentials which were available in society.


This report contains the results of geophysical surveys at two sites: White Sands, New Mexico an Fort Carson, Colorado. The geophysical surveys, seismic reflection, seismic refraction, shear wave refraction and reflection, and electrical resistivity, were used in an integrated fashion to detect and assess groundwater potential at a number of locations at each site. The locations presented various geological and groundwater conditions. The results of the surveys varied from fair to good. Factors which contributed to a successful assessment of groundwater potential were: (a) geology consisting of coarse-grained sediments, (b) limited knowledge of geology, and, (c) knowledge of all available geological information. Factors which hindered the assessment of groundwater potential were: (a) geology consisting of fine-grained sediments, (b) complex geology and topography, and (c) no prior knowledge of the geology available. Software developed during this study was designed to allow unskilled military personnel to interpret refraction and reflection data on a small, field-portable microcomputer.


This paper studies numerically the collapse of a cluster of cavitation bubbles (as a primitive model for a bubble cloud) near a solid wall. The homogeneous two-phase mixture model is used, with the liquid-vapor interface resolved by volume of fluid method. The liquid is treated as compressible, allowing the propagation of pressure waves at the speeds determined by a state equation. This cluster consists of 27 identical bubbles, evenly distributed in a cubic region, with various bubble-wall and bubble-bubble distances considered. Our simulations suggest that the bubble-wall distance plays a more significant role. The maximum impulsive pressure of 41MPa is achieved when the cluster is very close to the wall. The inward progress of collapse is observed by examining the evolutions of bubble shapes and flow fields, with two distinctly different sequences of collapse identified between the small and large bubble-wall distances. At a large bubble distance, the centermost bubble is the last to collapse, while at a small bubble distance, it is the central bubble nearest to the wall which collapses lastly. This difference can also explain the more intensive impulsive pressure for the smaller bubble-wall distances. The proposed numerical approach is of special interest because it can resolve the details of bubble-bubble and bubble-wall interactions, which are significant to the study of the collapse of a cavitation cloud, and its potential damage to hydraulic systems.


The article discusses the theoretical background of some postmodern art practices of appropriation. In the writings of art critics' like Douglas Crimp, Craig Owens, or Rosalind Krauss, as well as in some artists' statements (Peter Halley, Sherrie Levine), there was a strong repudiation of the so-called "modern" concepts of originality, immediacy of meaning or authorship. As a result of the influence of poststructuralist theories, such concepts of modern art as the idea of original expressivity of medium and form, together with the search to go beyond conventional codes, were replaced by ideas of intertextuality, iterability, there is no way to go beyond conventional codes of communication resulted in turning towards another strategy, i.c. a play with the code. In the works of some theoretically informed postmodern artists' this criticism towards the "utopian" ideas of modern art assumed the form of pastiche and appropriation of celebrated works of modern art, so that the fact of cultural mediation in our reading of artworks was comming well apparent. The modern concept of "pure visuality" was replaced by textual attitudes and the concept of allegory which was drawn from Walter Benjamin. However, thinking about visual works in terms of textuality only may be a too narrow view. Textual categories seem to suit well those works which came under the strong influence of conventionalist theories, but it may be claimed that images put a demand for a more complex and specific theoretical attitude, like for example one proposed by Barthes in his text "The Third Meaning".


It is frequently necessary to ensure that pharmaceutically active materials of low aqueous solubility meet minimum requirements for specific surface in order to achieve their desired therapeutic activity. The paper describes work on a compound with a very slight aqueous solubility where the need for control over specific surface is indicated. It is customary and often convenient to establish the relationship between surface area and particle size, and to determine the latter, as modern instrumentation allows the rapid measurement of size distribution. For this compound this approach was not feasible as particle size determination proved difficult. The determinations were therefore made directly as surface area measurements using the dynamic flow technique based on the BET nitrogen adsorption technique. Laboratory scale preparations of the compound achieved a sufficiently high specific surface consistent with small particle size, and crystal shape. As these materials were used in early bioavailability studies, it was necessary to achieve a comparable specific surface on scale-up. This initially proved difficult to achieve. A programme of work has been conducted to establish the causes of the lower specific surface observed in these preparations, and to examine the conditions of the precipitation isolation process. The conclusions from the study allowed successful further scale-up of the precipitation to pilot plant scale, achieving acceptable specific surface values.


Testing Web applications for detection and fixing of vulnerabilities has become an indispensable task in web applications' development process. This task often consumes a lot of time, efforts and other resources. The research community have devoted considerable amount of efforts to address this problem by proposing many techniques for automated vulnerabilities detection and fix generation for web application. Many of these techniques can reliably detect vulnerabilities and generate fix(es), which can be applied to the web application's code, by the developer, for possible fixing of the vulnerabilities. Hence, the actual code modifications that fix the vulnerabilities is not automated and has to be carried out manually. To the best of our knowledge, none of the existing automated techniques is able to do this, and hence the actual fixing of the vulnerabilities is left for the human developer to handle. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for automatic vulnerabilities fixing for web application. We mimic evolutionary idea and employ Evolutionary Programming to evolve web applications whose fitness is evaluated based on their ability to survive test attacks. The reliability of the resulting vulnerabilities-free web application can be further enhanced by co-evolving test sets with generations of web applications in which the fitness of test attack is evaluated based on its ability to break web applications.


This research was describe about temperature profile on Arch Greenhouse with the curved shape of roof and square wall for Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) that cultivated on Arch Greenhouse. The aims of this research were to obtain a temperature profile on arch greenhouse, to determine the building height of arch greenhouse which suit for chrysanthemum cultivation. Height treatments of greenhouse was separated by 3 levels i.e. 2.5 m, 3.0 m, and 3.5 m. Chrysanthemum seeds varietys used in this research was Fiji white. To measure the temperature used temperature and humidity meter. Temperature measurement carried out by 2 times start from a week before planting (empty condition) and plant age was 45 days after planting. Doing the measurement on morning, noon, and afternoon. Analysis data of temperature was done with interpolation to determine profile contour line of analysis temperature. The result showed that there are the different shape and contours distribution profile of microclimate for difference height. The level of growth plan on each treatments showed a better productivity on greenhouse with height 2.5 m when compared with the others. Greenhouse with height 2.5 m produced flower quality which suit as the SNI with average of height plan was 81.93 cm, grooming age was 46 days, amount flower was 5 florets per stem, flower wide was 44.26 cm, and dry weight was 13.11 gram


Abstract. The poleward gradient of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) introduces more intense propagation effects on transionospheric satellite links in comparison to the equatorward gradient. Characterization of the poleward gradient was performed during March–April, August–October 2011 and March–April 2012 using GPS total electron content (TEC) recorded from a chain of stations located more or less along the same meridian (88.5° E) at Calcutta, Baharampore, Farakka and Siliguri. The poleward gradients calculated on magnetically quiet days at elevation in excess of 50° at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 LT were found to have a strong correlation with GPS S4 observed from Calcutta during post-sunset-to-midnight hours. A threshold value of poleward TEC gradient is calculated above which there is a probability of scintillation at Calcutta with S4 ≥ 0.4.


Notochordal cells play a pivotal role in vertebral column patterning, contributing to the formation of the inner architecture of intervertebral discs (IVDs). Their disappearance during development has been associated with reduced repair capacity and IVD degeneration. Notochordal remnants are known to cause chordomas, a highly invasive bone cancer associated with late diagnosis. Understanding the impact of neoplastic cells during development and on the surrounding vertebral column could open avenues for earlier intervention and therapeutics. We investigated the impact of transformed notochord cells in the zebrafish skeleton using a RAS expressing line in the notochord under the control of the Kita promoter, with the advantage of adulthood endurance. Transformed cells caused damage in the notochord and destabilised the sheath layer triggering a wound repair mechanism, with enrolment of sheath cells (col9a2+) and expression of wt1b, similar to induced notochord wounds. Moreover, increased recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages, displaying abnormal behaviour in proximity to the notochord sheath and transformed cells, supported parallels between chordomas, wound and inflammation. Cancerous notochordal cells interfere with differentiation of sheath cells to form chordacentra domains leading to fusions and vertebral clefts during development. Adults displayed IVD irregularities reminiscent of degeneration; reduced bone mineral density, increased osteoclast activity; while disorganised osteoblasts and collagen indicate impaired bone homeostasis. By depleting inflammatory cells, we abrogated chordoma development and rescued the skeletal features of the vertebral column. Therefore, we showed that transformed notochord cells alter the skeleton during life, causing a wound-like phenotype and activating chronic wound response, suggesting parallels between chordoma, wound, IVD degeneration and inflammation, highlighting inflammation as a promising target for future therapeutics.


Defect engineering in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has recently become an area of significant research due to the possibility of enhancing material properties such as internal surface area and catalytic activity while maintaining stable 3D structures. Through a modulator screening study, the model Zr4+ MOF, UiO-66, has been synthesized with control of particle sizes (100-1900 nm) and defect levels (2-24%). By relating these properties, two series were identified where one property remained constant, allowing for independent analysis of the defect level or particle size, which frequently change coincident with the modulator choice. The series were used to compare UiO-66 reactivity for the hydrolysis of a chemical warfare agent simulant, dimethyl 4-nitrophenylphosphate (DMNP). The rate of DMNP hydrolysis displayed high dependence on the external surface area, supporting a reaction dominated by surface interactions. Moderate to high concentrations of defects (14-24%) allow for the accessibility of some interior MOF nodes but do not substantially promote diffusion into the framework. Individual control of defect levels and particle sizes through modulator selection may provide useful materials for small molecular catalysis and provide a roadmap for similar engineering of other zirconium frameworks.


Emotion detection from text has become a popular task due to the key role of emotions in human-machine interaction. Current approaches represent text as a sparse bag-of-words vector. In this work, we propose a new approach that utilizes pre-trained, dense word embedding representations. We introduce an ensemble approach combining both sparse and dense representations. Our experiments include five datasets for emotion detection from different domains and show an average improvement of 11.6% in macro average F1-score.


We are investigating the characteristic features of lung nodules and the surrounding normal anatomic background in order to develop an algorithm of computer vision for use as an aid in the detection of nodules in digital chest radiographs. Our technique involves an attempt to eliminate the background anatomic structures in the lung fields by means of a difference image approach. Then, feature-extraction techniques, such as tests for circularity, size, and their variation with threshold level, are applied so that suspected nodules can be isolated. Preliminary results of this automated detection scheme yielded high true-positive rates and low false-positive rates in the peripheral lung regions of the chest. This detection scheme, which can assist the final diagnosis by the clinician, has the potential to improve the early detection of lung carcinomas.


Stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) improves functional recovery of postischemic hearts. This study examined the potential for a mechanism mediated by substrate-dependent proton production and intracellular pH. After 20 min of ischemia, isolated rabbit hearts were reperfused with or without 5 mM dichloroacetate (DCA) in the presence of either 5 mM glucose, 5 mM glucose + 2.5 mM lactate, or 5 mM glucose + 2.5 mM pyruvate. DCA inhibits PDH kinase, increasing the proportion of dephosphorylated, active PDH. Unlike pyruvate or glucose alone, lactate + glucose did not support the effects of DCA on the recovery of rate-pressure product (RPP) (without DCA, RPP = 14,000 +/- 1,200, n = 6; with DCA, RPP = 13,700 +/- 1,800, n = 9). Intracellular pH, from (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, returned to normal within 2.1 min of reperfusion with all substrates except for lactate + glucose + DCA or lactate + DCA, which delayed pH recovery for up to 12 min (at 2.1 min pH = 6. 00 +/- 0.08, lactate + glucose + DCA; pH = 6.27 +/- 0.34, for lactate + DCA). Hearts were also reperfused after 10 min of ischemia with 0.5 mM palmitate + 5 mM DCA and either 2.5 mM pyruvate or 2.5 mM lactate. Again, intracellular pH recovery was delayed in the presence of lactate. PDH activation in the presence of lactate also decreased coupling of oxidative metabolism to mechanical work. These findings have implications for therapeutic use of stimulated carbohydrate oxidation in stunned hearts.


Coastal ecosystem are often characterized by their vegetation. This vegetation provides a wide spectrum of valuable ecosystem services. However, increased disturbance and stress is threating the stability of such ecosystems. It is therefore important to understand what mechanisms vegetation exert to influence their environment and how these mechanisms affect coastal ecosystems via landscape formation. In this colloquium landscape formation mechanisms are discussed via two sub-categories: the mechanisms that vegetation directly impose on the landscape and indirect effects on the landscape via mechanisms and processes on vegetation development and succession. In extension it is discussed how the mechanisms are affected when vegetation degrades and disappears. Ultimately these mechanisms are then taken into consideration for how coastal ecosystems can be conserved or restored. First this presentation discussed small-scale physical effects that emerge in the environment from the presence of vegetation. Then mechanisms behind distribution patterns are addressed providing causes for the emergence of spatial patterns in landscape formation. Thirdly it is discussed how vegetation composition and accompanying life-history traits affect landscape formation processes. Finally interaction between vegetation and other organisms and their effect on spatial patterns are examined. Next it was established how vegetation affect soil composition, provide shielding and induce self-facilitating feedback mechanisms, making the environment more habitable for other vegetation. These feedback loops are consecutively used to explain processes that occur once vegetation degrades. Examples are shown of how negative feedback loops change existing ecosystems and allow other ecosystems to encroach on the original ecosystem. In the end methods are discussed which can help reduce disturbance and reintroduce the positive feedback mechanisms that stabilize coastal ecosystems.


Orthopedic injuries can occur anytime; but, before a known deployment, they can affect mission planning for commanders. A longitudinal cohort study of 158 soldiers with an orthopedic injury approximately 3 months before, and after, initial deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from a U.S. Army Brigade Combat Team was performed. Only 53 were fit to deploy on time, with six more deploying within 3 months to follow, leaving 99 in the cohort (62.7%) not deploying. Half the injuries (79) are lower extremity; however, spine injuries (44) were least likely to rehabilitate with only six (13.6%) deploying. Upper extremity injuries (35) were most deployable with 17 (48.6%). It was not expected for the entire cohort to deploy; however, it was expected that an additional 3 months for rehabilitation (6 months total) would result in more than six of the remaining 105 soldiers (3.8% of the cohort) to recover from their injuries and deploy, considering 33.5% of the cohort was deployable in 3 months or less. Distribution of injury location is a significant indicator of rehabilitation success for deployment fitness.


Austenite stainless steel 304 has properties of high resistance to corrosion and temperature changes. Therefore, this material is widely used in various of industries. However, when the material is subjected to heating and cooling cycles the forming accuracy, for example, the right angle associated with a sharp bend such as corner is lost. This phenomenon is caused by the reversion of the deformation-induced martensite into austenite when the temperature in increased. This result in misfit of a structure or an assembly, and an increase in residual stress. Hence, it is important to understand this process. In this study, to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the deformation-induced martensite and reversed austenite, a scanning acoustic spectroscope including the capability of obtaining both phase and amplitude of the ultrasonic wave (i.e., the complex V(z) curve method) was used. Then, the velocities of the SAW propagating within the specimens made in different conditions were measured. The experimental differences of the SAW velocities obtained in this experiment were ranging from 2,750 m/s to 2,850 m/s, and the theoretical difference was 3.6% under the assumption that the SAW velocity was 2,800 m/s. The error became smaller as the martensite content was increased. Therefore, the SAW velocity may be a probe to estimate the marternsite content.


abstrakcyjność, Texts dealing with power or the government can be found in modern journals and newspapers almost everyday; they differ in terms of genre, function, style and pragmatics. Socio-political journals are among important sources of such articles; they are frequently categorised as a rather homogeneous group (e.g. in research on readership or in media studies), which nevertheless construct, as I demon-strate in my analyses, messages which are the result of completely different interpretations of the art of feature journalism. In this paper I analyse the feature article as a classic genre, considered by both theorists and practitioners to be the most typical form of feature journalism. Properties of feature articles can be arranged by means of several distinctive dualisms indicating certain compositional, textual and stylistic links (temporality-arguability, private perspective-public perspective, the specific-the abstract).


Abstract The argument that stringent environmental regulations are generally thought to harm export flows is crucial when determining policy recommendations related to environmental preservation and international competitiveness. By using bilateral trade data, we examine the relationships between trade flows and various environmental stringency indices. Previous studies have used energy intensity, abatement cost intensity, and survey indices for regulations as proxies for the strictness of environmental policy. However, they have overlooked the indirect effect of environmental regulations on trade flows. If the strong version of the Porter hypothesis is confirmed, we need to consider the effect of environmental regulation on gross domestic product (GDP), because GDP induced by environmental regulation affects trade flows. The present study clarifies the effects of regulation on trade flows by distinguishing between the indirect and direct effects. Our results indicate an observed non-negligible indirect effect of regulation, implying that the overall effect of appropriate regulation benefits trade flows.


OBJECTIVES
This study evaluated the degree of conversion (DC) of two commercial, self-adhesive resin cements (SARCs) using Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) polymerized at simulated prepared tooth surface temperatures and under different curing conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
RelyX U100 (U100, 3M ESPE) and Maxcem Elite (MX, Kerr Corporation) were mixed at 25°C and applied to the surface of a horizontal attenuated total reflectance (ATR) unit, which was near room temperature (RT, control) (25°C) or heated to simulate prepared tooth surface temperatures (28°C and 32°C) and then attached to an infrared spectrometer. The products were polymerized using one of three conditions: direct light exposure through a glass slide (DLE), exposure through a 1.5-mm thick ceramic disc overlay (CO) (A2 shade, IPS e.max, Ivoclar Vivadent), or self-curing (SC). FTIR spectra were recorded for 12 minutes (1 spectrum/s, 16 scans/spectrum, resolution 4 cm(-1)) immediately after application to the ATR. The DC was calculated using standard techniques of observing changes in aliphatic-to-aromatic peak ratios before and 12 minutes after curing, as well as during each 1-second interval. DC data (n=7) were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test (p=0.05).

RESULTS
Both simulated tooth temperatures significantly increased DC in all groups of MX and in the CO and SC groups of U100 compared with the RT control. For MX, the self-cure groups exposed to tooth temperatures showed DC values similar to those of the CO groups. For U100, the CO groups showed higher DC values than SC groups regardless of temperature. Time-based conversion profiles ranged according to product, temperature, and curing mode.

CONCLUSIONS
Causing SARCs to polymerize at simulated tooth temperatures increases DC of SARCs compared with room-temperature curing values, mainly in the SC mode.


Despite continuous efforts in expanding roads and railways, traffic congestion in the metropolitan area is now even experienced in non-peak-hours beyond peak-hours. The reason for this phenomenon can be explained by 'Travel Time Budget Theory'. People use their time saved from new transportation system to do more traveling instead of spending more time doing other activities thereby increasing traveling distance and frequency. To figure out these travel behavior, researcher analyzed characteristics of travel time budget for railway commuting to work and school through Population and Housing Census Data conducted by Korean National Statistical Office every 5 years.


Electrical power generation, transmission and distribution systems are often simulated through the single-phase equivalent model by assuming the presence of only the positive sequence in the real system. The well known power flow (pf) analysis is typically used to determine the steady state solution of these single-phase models. After the pf solution was determined, other elements, such as for example synchronous generators and controllers, are initialised. This provides the initial conditions to subsequent transient stability analyses. Nowadays, this simulation approach may be no longer feasible due to the large penetration of unbalanced and/or electronic elements in the power systems. In this paper we present a novel numerical method that allows to freely compute the steady state solution of complex power systems made up of a "mixing" of conventional single-phase models and more complex, detailed three-phase models, for example of some portions of the transmission system and of the distribution ones. This steady state solution can be viewed as a generalization and/or an extension of the conventional pf.


Background and Goal of Study: It has been reported that both of hyperg- lycemia and hypoglycemia are harmful to ischemic brain. We desighned this study to observe whether regulating glucostasis can improve the hippocampus neuronal damage by transient global ischemia/reperfusion. Materials and Methods: After institutional approval, 64 SD rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n=16 in each), contral group (group C), global brain isch-emia/reperfusion group(group I/P), blood glucose fluctuation group (group F) and blood glucose stabliliation group(group S). The global cerebral ischemia was made in latter 3 groups by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion combined with hemorrhagic hypotention. Following 15-minute ischemia, the rat brain was reper-fused. Perioperative blood glucose concentrations were controlled to desired lev- els Background and Goal of Study: Controlled hypotension using sevoflurane combined with hemodilution preserves cerebral blood flow. However, effects of the combination remain to be clarified in elderly patients. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and sevoflurane-induced hypotension on middle cerebral artery flow velocity (Vmca) and CO 2 reactivity in elderly patients using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). Background and Goal of Study: Exendin-4 is a glucagon like peptide 1 ana- logue, which modulates calcium responses to glutamate and membrane depolarization in neurons. We investigated the neuroprotective effect of exendin-4 against transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. Materials and Methods: Mice were divided into two groups at random. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with inhalation of Isoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen in spontaneous breathing. The regional cerebral blood flow was measured with the transcranial laser Dopplar. A silicon-coated filament was inserted and advanced to the origin of the MCA. After the 50 minutes period of MCAO, reperfusion was accomplished by withdrawing the filament. Exendin-4 (5mcg/kg, is) or normal saline was treated 30 minutes before MCAO and 3, 24, 36 hours after MCAO in 1st study, and it was treated 3, 24,36 hours after MCAO in 2nd study. The blood glucose level was measured before and after MCAO. Three behavior tests were performed 48 hours after MCAO. Mice were euthanized and transcardially perfused. The brain was sliced and stained for the neuronal specific antigen NeuN by immunohistochemistry, and Infarct Volume (IV) was measured. Differences were subjected using student t-test and signifi- cance was accepted at p < 0.05.


In Australia, 12% of the hemodialysis population dialyze at home. Until recently, the majority of these patients dialyzed for similar hours to those in satellite dialysis. However, in the past 5 years there has been a new departure such that in many centers the concept of home hemodialysis is now synonymous with extended hours dialysis. Registry data supports the concept that increased frequency and duration of dialysis may result in improved patient survival and a reduction in cardiovascular risk profile. It is hoped, therefore, that the long recognized survival benefit observed in home hemodialysis patients may be further augmented by the swing to extended hours dialysis in this patient population. In addition to the physiological benefits of extended hours home dialysis, there are clear quality of life, social, and economic advantages associated with dialyzing at home. There are however a number of perceived disadvantages to home hemodialysis including the application and time commitment required for training, the potential for relationship strain or "burnout," and reluctance to "hospitalize" the home. Overall, however, in this new era of extended hours dialysis, the advantages both physiological and lifestyle of home hemodialysis far outweigh the disadvantages.


Stability and response of supramolecular forms is important to many areas in materials science, and contributions from vibrations can be crucial. We have collected the first spectra of organic molecular crystals and polymorphic cocrystals using the next-generation, high-signal VISION spectrometer in the far-infrared (FIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) range. Unambiguously different spectral signatures were found for carbamazepine and two polymorphs of the carbamazepine-saccharin cocrystal, including numerous modes undetectable with optical methods. For FIR-range frequencies, in addition to correct calculation of peak positions, accurate line-shape features were reproducible by simulation using ab initio vibrational calculations. High confidence spectral assignments and thermochemical information for this region are thus expected, and a benchmark for vibrational ab initio calculations is provided, creating a significant addition to methods used in investigation and design of organic materials.


While it has been known, for long, that mechanical strains affect the electronic behavior of semiconductors, both the theoretical aspects of the coupling between mechanics and electronics and their practical consequences on the response of semiconductor devices remain to be investigated. In this work, we first develop a general fully coupled mechanical, electrical and electronic continuum model of the finitely deformable semiconductor and subsequently use it to compute the strain-induced changes in the current-voltage characteristic of a p-n junction subjected to bending. Mots clefs : semiconductors, chemical potential, electromechanical process.


Objectives To assess the feasibility and acceptability of screening attendees at a sexual health clinic (SHC) for alcohol misuse, and delivering a brief intervention (BI). To explore the effect of this BI on drinking and sexual behaviour. Methods A consecutive sample of consenting SHC attendees aged ≥16 years were screened using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption (AUDIT-C). Men scoring ≥5 and women scoring ≥4 were invited to complete the full AUDIT, alcohol diary and baseline questionnaire. Interventions Participants were randomised to receive BI by a trained sexual health professional or a standard alcohol leaflet (usual care, UC). All were followed up for changes in alcohol and sexual behaviour at 6 weeks and 6 months. A fidelity check and staff focus group were undertaken. Results Of 664 participants screened, 215 (32%) were eligible for randomisation and 207 were included in the final analysis: 103 (BI) and 104 (UC). Follow-up rates were 54% and 47% at 6 weeks and 6 months, respectively. Both groups reduced alcohol consumption though the degree of change did not differ between them. There was some evidence of positive changes in sexual health risk in both groups. BI was delivered as intended, adding 5 minutes to the consultation, and staff feedback was positive. Conclusions Alcohol misuse was common in SHC attendees. Systematic assessment and BI for alcohol misuse was feasible and acceptable to staff and patients. Identification and provision of standard information alone appeared to influence drinking and sexual behaviour. Trial registration number ISRCTN19452424.


Variations in raindrop size distribution (DSD) during the southwest monsoon (SWM) season over different climatic regions in the Indian subcontinent and adjoining seas are studied in this paper using five years (2014 – 2018) of global precipitation measurement dual-frequency precipitation radar derived DSDs. The rain rate (R) stratified DSD measurements show clearly that land, sea, and orography differ in their mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm) values. Irrespective of R, Dm values of deep rain were found to be larger in continental rain than in maritime and orographic rain. However, for shallow storms, the Dm values were smaller for continental rain than for orographic and maritime rain. Based on the Dm values and their variations with R of the deep systems, the regions could be categorized into four groups, within which the Dm values were nearly equal: (1) the northwest India (NWI) and the southeast peninsular India (SEPI); (2) the foothills of the Himalayas (FHH) and the central India (CI); (3) the northeast India (NEI) and the Bay of Bengal (BOB); and (4) the Arabian Sea (AS), the Western Ghats (WG), and the Myanmar coast (MC). Compared to other geographical regions of the Indian subcontinent, the Dm values of the deep systems were the largest over NWI and SEPI and the smallest over the WG, MC, and AS; while for shallow systems, the Dm values were the largest over the BOB and AS and the smallest over the SEPI and NWI regions. Though the cloud drops were smaller over the continental regions, the raindrops were larger than in the maritime and orographic rain regions. The microphysical and dynamical processes that occur during precipitation play a vital role in altering the DSDs of continental rain.


I. Absract Advertisement sharing in vehicular network through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication is a fascinating in-vehicle service for advertisers and the users due to multiple reasons. It enable advertisers to promote their product or services in the region of their interest. Also the users get to receive more relevant ads. Usually, users tend to contribute in dissemination of ads if their privacy is preserved and if some incentive is provided. Recent researches have focused on enabling both of the parameters for the users by developing fair incentive mechanism which preserves privacy by using Zero-Knowledge Proof of Knowledge (ZKPoK) [2]. However, the anonymity provided by ZKPoK can introduce internal attacker scenarios in the network due to which authenticated users can disseminate fake ads in the network without payment. As the existing scheme uses certificate-less cryptography, due to which malicious users cannot be removed from the network. In order to resolve these challenges, we employed conditional anonymity and introduced Monitoring Authority (MA) in the system. In our proposed scheme, the pseudonyms are assigned to the vehicles while their real identities are stored in Certification Authority (CA) in encrypted form. The pseudonyms are updated after a pre-defined time threshold to prevent behavioural privacy leakage. We performed security and performance analysis to show the efficiency of our proposed system.


The term Errors of Commission (EOC) describes a safety problem of complex technical systems where humans intervene into the system functions in an inappropriate way. Most serious events in any technical area are caused by EOCs. Humans shut down a high pressure injection that is needed in the current situation (TMI Nuclear Power Plant), humans decide to continue a test that brings the plant into serious conditions (Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant), Maintenance Management does not exchange a wheel that is far below the safety margins (Eschede Railway Accident in Germany). Similar examples can be mentioned in other technical systems like Aircraft or Medicine for instance. This paper firstly gives an overview about the problem and the work in that field. It then focuses on some approaches for solution concerning the modeling of cognitive human behaviour.


Repolarization heterogeneity (RH) is an intrinsic property of ventricular myocardium and the reason for T-wave formation on electrocardiogram (ECG). Exceeding the physiologically based RH level is associated with appearance of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In this regard, an accurate and comprehensive evaluation of the degree of RH parameters is of importance for assessment of heart state and arrhythmic risk. This review is devoted to comprehensive consideration of RH phenomena in terms of electrophysiological processes underlying RH, cardiac electric field formation during ventricular repolarization, as well as clinical significance of RH and its reflection on ECG parameters. The formation of transmural, apicobasal, left-to-right and anterior-posterior gradients of action potential durations and end of repolarization times resulting from the heterogenous distribution of repolarizing ion currents and action potential morphology throughout the heart ventricles, and the different sensitivity of myocardial cells in different ventricular regions to the action of pharmacological agents, temperature, frequency of stimulation, etc., are being discussed. The review is focused on the fact that RH has different aspects – temporal and spatial, global and local; ECG reflection of various RH aspects and their clinical significance are being discussed. Strategies for comprehensive assessment of ventricular RH using different ECG indices reflecting various RH aspects are presented.


The power supply equipment is very complicated, which makes the process of assessment too long. The traditional method of assessment is also not comprehensive enough, which induces low accuracy of assessment. A method based on kernel principal component analysis and fast multi-class support vector machine is introduced in this paper: kernel principal component analysis, as the preprocessor of the index system, analyses the most important factors which influence equipment condition. Then multi-class support vector machine, as the assessment tool, can classify power supply equipments as per the requirements of condition based maintenance. The result of experiment shows that the method can reduce the complex of assessment and is more comprehensive. It also improves rapidity and accuracy of traditional assessment.


The Government of India's target
of 100 gigawatts of solar power by
2022 refl
ects two perspectives.
One, it embodies a practical need
and urgency for solar energy from
climate and energy security
points of view. The other
perspective, however, is that it
shows the typical tendency of
government authorities to draw
up overly ambitious targets and
be in a perennial promise mode.
While examining the feasibility of
this target, this article raises key
concerns and offers suggestions on
the appropriate land procurement
and rooftop policies, as well as
manufacturing strategies that
need to be drawn up.


The academic health department, also referred to as the teaching health department, is receiving increased attention as an organizational structure to enhance public health workforce development. Traditionally, academic institutions have been viewed by major funders, and reported in the literature, to be the innovators of these partnerships, in part to extend the academic institution's education role in the workplace. However, the role of the local health department as innovator is emerging with implications beyond workforce development. This report illustrates how a local agency-initiated community-centered approach to an academic health department enhances the core public health function of assessment, a frequently underdeveloped function at the local level. This agency-initiated, community-centered academic health department model builds assessment capacity through a partnership that integrates academic research and public health surveillance capacity to provide comprehensive assessment, including community assessment, community-based participatory research, data analysis, and program evaluation. This organizational structure, focused on systems approaches to building community capacity rather than focusing on disease categories or high-risk populations, illustrates how a local health department can substantially enhance its assessment capacity using available resources.


This is a solution to the editors puzzle from Issue 7.2 of SIGecom Exchanges. The puzzle is about predicting what products one can expect to see in a market with given positive and negative synergies between products. The full puzzle can be found online at the SIGecom website [Conitzer 2008].


Veblen's work contains a neglected, since for the most part implicit, theory of recognition centred on his concepts of waste and workmanship. This article tries to develop this theory in order to shed new light on the theorem of conspicuous leisure and consumption. The legitimacy of violence at the 'predatory stage' of culture has been partly superseded by a legitimacy of industrial efficiency, so that the leisure classes need to disguise their conspicuous waste as socially useful productive endeavours. At the same time waste remains a powerful symbol of legitimate status, so that even the industrial classes turn to it in order to assert their social worth and demand social recognition. Waste - which is far more central in Veblen's theory than is emulation - becomes an ambiguous symbol which can stand for both unproductive privilege and industrial efficiency. The utilitarian urge for efficiency and the meaninglessness of a struggle for recognition through conspicuous waste produce a desire for a romantic escape, also acknowledged by Veblen, but often overlooked in his sharp criticism of consumerism.


This article attempts to describe and examine the process of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the USSR, Syria, and Lebanon. While it places special emphasis on the reaction of Britain and France - the hegemonic powers in the Levant, to this development, it also examines the implications of the growing French-British tension in this area on the Soviet-Syrian-Lebanese process of rapprochement. This article covers the period from mid-1944 - the beginning of the Soviet-Lebanese-Syrian diplomatic dialogue, to 1950 - the year which marked Syria's tilt towards neutralism and the powers reaction to it.


Repeat expansions in C9orf72 cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) eliciting toxic effects through generation of RNA foci, dipeptide repeat proteins and/or loss of C9orf72 protein. Defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) have been implicated as a pathogenic mechanism underlying repeat expansion toxicity. Here, we show that loss of C9orf72 causes neuronal specific phenotypes, disrupting the Ran-GTPase gradient both in vitro and in vivo. We describe compositionally different types of cytoplasmic Importin β-1 granules that exhibit neuronal subtype-specific properties in vivo. We show that the abundance of Importin β-1 granules is increased in the context of C9orf72 deficiency, disrupting interactions with nuclear pore complex proteins. These granules appear to bud from the nuclear envelope and are co-immunoreactive for G3BP1 and K63-ubiquitin. These findings link loss of C9orf72 protein to gain-of-function mechanisms and defects in NCT.


ABSTRACT Monoclonal antibodies to Histoplasma capsulatum can modify pathogenesis. We now show that monoclonal antibody H1C to a 70-kDa antigen increases intracellular fungal growth and reduces macrophage nitric oxide release but has no effect on fungal burden or survival in murine infection. This further demonstrates the complexities of host-pathogen interactions.


Genes of two iron-regulated outer membrane proteins of Vibrio parahaemolyticus zj2003, a pathogenic strain isolated from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea), psuA and pvuA, were cloned and expressed as N-terminal His(6)-tagged proteins in Escherichia coli BL(21)(DE(3)). The recombinant fusion proteins were purified with nickel chelate affinity chromatography. To analyze the immunogenicity of the proteins, groups of large yellow croaker were immunized with the purified recombinant psuA, pvuA or both, by intraperitoneal injection. Antibody response was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Titers to the recombinant proteins increased from log(2) 3.25 to log(2) 9.80, 4-8 weeks following immunization. The relative percent survival of the groups vaccinated with psuA, pvuA, or a combination of the two, reached 50%, 62.5% and 75%, respectively. Western blot analysis was carried out with the serum from unvaccinated survival fish after infection. Both recombinant proteins were detected, indicating that these two proteins of V. parahaemolyticus zj2003 were immunogenic and could produce synergistic effects during in vivo infection, and they might be considered as important components for developing an aquaculture vaccine against this pathogen.