This work proposes an economic dispatch scheme for the energy robust optimal in microgrid. This scheme includes a two-stage robust optimization model which accounts for the uncertainties in the renewable energy source (RES) generation and the load demand using extreme scenarios strategy produced by the rules. The result of the inner function in the two-stage robust optimization is to generate extreme scenarios, and the result of the outer function is to optimize the system in the scenarios. The optimization model could be transformed into a single layer nonlinear mathematical structure through the above strategy. Moreover, the relationship between the cost and the demand response load adjustment factor is also analyzed. Finally, the impact of different purchase and sale price on system cost is analyzed. Numerical cases show the effectiveness of the model and solution strategy. In addition, the results also indicate that the demand response load adjustment factor affects the cost of the system and the satisfaction of users, which can provide references to microgrid investors and distribution system operator for energy planning and the design of incentive mechanism, respectively.


Flow-line patterns constructed from the orientation of drumlin long axes are used to infer two major subglacial meltwater floods in southern Ontario and northern New York State. In this interpretation, the flood waters of the first event, the Algonquin, surged southward. In the later, Ontarian event, powerful floods streamed southwestward along the basins of Lakes Ontario and Erie. Bedrock fluting, upstream-pointing noses on escarpments, and tunnel channels give supporting evidence for the regional flood hypothesis. Regional distributions of drift thickness may be explained by this hypothesis.


We propose two new algorithms for 4-way vectorization of the well known Montgomery ladder over elliptic curves of Montgomery form. The first algorithm is suitable for variable base scalar multiplication. In comparison to the previous work by Hisil et al. [17] , it eliminates a number of non-multiplication operations at the cost of a single multiplication by a curve constant. Implementation results show this trade-off to be advantageous. The second algorithm is suitable for fixed base scalar multiplication and provides clear speed improvement over a previous vectorization strategy due to Costigan and Schwabe (2009). The well known Montgomery curves Curve25519 and Curve448 are part of the TLS protocol, version 1.3. For these two curves, we provide constant time assembly implementations of the new algorithms. Additionally, for the algorithm of Hisil et al. [17] , we provide improved implementations for Curve25519 and new implementation for Curve448. Timings results on the Haswell and Skylake processors indicate that in practice the new algorithms are to be preferred over previous methods for scalar multiplication on these curves.


We model propagation of far-red-detuned optical vortex beams through a Bose-Einstein condensate using nonlinear Schrödinger and Gross-Pitaevskii equations. We show the formation of coupled light-atomic solitons that rotate azimuthally before moving off tangentially, carrying angular momentum. The number, and velocity, of solitons, depends on the orbital angular momentum of the optical field. Using a Bessel-Gauss beam increases radial confinement so that solitons can rotate with fixed azimuthal velocity. Our model provides a highly controllable method of channeling a BEC and atomic transport.


The pulp and paper industry together with lignocellulosic biofuel production provides plentiful streams of lignin and lignin-derived molecules (LDMs) that currently remain underutilized. The heterogeneity and complexity of lignin along with the lack of convenient tools significantly hamper its utilization. Selective separation of these LDMs from streams using specific tools would allow the recovery of aromatic compounds, as well as facilitate biological processes aiming at lignin valorization. To this end, here we report the isolation and characterization of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against ferulate, coumarate, and caffeate, which are the molecular representatives of LDMs. Binders for the target LDMs were enriched by interrogating a synthetic scFv library with the phage display technique. As a result, scFv binders specific against each of the target molecules were obtained with affinities in the micromolar range. The selectivity of scFvs towards specific LDMs was proved by recovering caffeate from simulated LDM solution, Kraft lignin, and rice straw hydrolysate samples. Further proof of concept studies with model compounds demonstrated the applicability of antibody-based binders as a detection tool for monitoring microbial LDM conversion. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of scFv binders as a specific toolset for lignin compound recovery and analysis.


Various topics and issues on the neutronics of pulsed spallation neutron sources, mainly for neutron scattering experiments, are reviewed to give a wide circle of readers a better understanding of these sources in order to achieve a high neutronic performance. Starting from what neutrons are needed, what the spallation reaction is and how to produce slow-neutrons more efficiently, the outline of the target and moderator neutronics are explained. Various efforts with some new concepts or ideas have already been devoted to obtaining the highest possible slow-neutron intensity with desired pulse characteristics. This paper also reviews the recent progress of such efforts, mainly focused on moderator neutronics, since moderators are the final devices of a neutron source, which determine the source performance. Various governing parameters for neutron-pulse characteristics such as material issues, geometrical parameters (shape and dimensions), the target–moderator coupling scheme, the ortho–para-hydrogen ratio, poisoning, etc are discussed, aiming at a high performance pulsed spallation source.


Abstract Two novel sampling techniques were used to survey the spider community of the leaf litter in a deciduous forest in Kentucky, USA. Using modified pitfall traps and litter-grab techniques, we sampled separately the top, middle and bottom litter layers from April–October. Our sampling program captured over 3,000 spiders encompassing 18 different families. Both techniques revealed that the web-spinning families were more abundant in the lower litter layers. In contrast, the non-web building cursorial spiders, which actively pursue their prey, were more abundant in the top litter layer. Cursorial spiders, on average, were larger than the web-building spiders found in the leaf litter. Web-building spiders from the top litter layer were also larger than the web-building spiders caught in the middle and the bottom litter layers. Comparison between the two sampling techniques revealed that the spider community profile is greatly influenced by the sampling method employed. The stratified litter-grab technique revealed the numerical dominance of Dictynidae (38% of the spiders captured) and Linyphiidae (32%), families that are predominately minute web-building spiders. In contrast, the pitfall-trap technique suggested Lycosidae (24%), a family of active foragers, to be numerically dominant, with Dictynidae representing only 1% of the spiders captured. The results indicate that major groups of spiders differ in their vertical distribution within deciduous leaf litter, and that sampling method can dramatically affect inferences about spider community structure.


In this digital world every one seeks for the information on the internet. As the time passed every one placed their digital content on the web. On the web the website developers support to place the data in the relational databases. The databases from different organizations and agencies are available online and are accessible through web query interfaces. The web query interfaces act as the front door to access the information from these relational databases. But these web forms or web query interfaces need human intervention to submit the form data. So in order to make search engines capable of accessing the relational databases i.e. data behind query interfaces, the query generation should be done automatically. So in this paper we discuss the different form submission techniques to fetch the data from the databases and propose a novel technique "Dynamic Query Processing for Hidden Web Data Extraction".


Fuel cells are an attractive option for alternative power and of use in a variety of applications. This paper proposes a state space model for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based power system that comprises fuel cell, DC-DC buck converter, and load. In this investigation we have taken up a case study for SOFC feeding a DC load where a DC-DC buck converter acts as the interface between the load and the source. A proportional-integral (PI) controller is used in conjunction with pulse width modulation (PWM) that computes the pulse width and switches the MOSFET at the right instant so that the desired voltage is obtained. The proposed model is validated through extensive simulation using MATLAB/SIMULINK. Controller for the fuel cell power system (FCPS) is prototyped using XC3S500E development board containing a SPARTAN 3E Xilinx FPGA that simplifies the entire control circuit besides providing additional flexibility for further improvement. The results clearly indicate improved performance and validate our proposed model.


Abstract Although pig farming can accelerate Uganda's economic development, the value chain is undeveloped with poorly organized informal markets. Buyers take advantage of farmers paying low prices, pointing to the poor quality of pigs and pork. Farmer innovation can remedy this situation by enabling farmers to reduce costs, improve pig productivity and quality of pigs and pork. Leveraging farmer innovation behaviour calls for appropriate agricultural information. However, the effect of market information quality, sharing, and utilization on the innovation behaviour of pig producing farmers is not fully known. This study sought to determine the effect of information quality, sharing, and utilisation on the innovation behaviour of pig producing farmers in Northern Uganda. A cross-section survey of 239 respondents selected through multiple stages of purposive and random sampling was done. Data were analysed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that information quality contributes significantly to innovation behaviour directly (β = 0.247; P < 0.01) as well as indirectly through the partial mediation of information utilization (β = 0.176; 95% CI = 0.040∼0.349). Therefore, interventions that seek to enhance smallholder farmer innovation should provide quality information and support farmers to utilise it.


It is of great importance to understand the effects of cropping practices of Bupleurum chinense on the properties of rhizosphere soil. Therefore, the chemical properties of rhizosphere soil and the rhizosphere microbiome were assessed in the field trial with Bupleurum and three cropping practices (continuous monocropping, Bupleurum-corn intercropping and Bupleurum-corn rotation). The results showed cropping practices changed the chemical properties of the rhizosphere soil and composition, structure and diversity of the rhizosphere microbial communities. Continuous monocropping of Bupleurum chinense not only decreased soil pH and the contents of NO3--N and available K, but also decreased the alpha diversity of bacteria and beneficial microorganisms. However, Bupleurum-corn rotation improved soil chemical properties and reduced the abundance of harmful microorganisms. Soil chemical properties, especially the contents of NH4+-N, soil organic matter (SOM) and available K, were the key factors affecting the structure and composition of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil. These findings could provide a new basis for overcoming problems associated with continuous cropping and promote development of B. chinense planting industry by improving soil microbial communities.


The dispute between Russia and Ukraine of January 2009 brought about the largest interruption in the supply of natural gas in the history of the European Union (EU). Given the significance of Russian gas to the EU, the 2009 crisis triggered a challenge that had to be resolved swiftly and adequately in cooperation with all parties concerned. Against the backdrop of the Union's foreign policy leitmotiv of 'effective multilateralism', this article aims to critically assess the EU's interventions and draw lessons for future energy crisis management. Furthermore, it analyses the implications of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty for EU external action in the field of energy crisis management.


RFID has been identified as one of the cornerstones of the upcoming Internet of Things (IoT) and the focus is moving from conventional RFID towards next generation pervasive networked and interconnected systems. In the future IoT billions of objects are envisioned to report their identity, location, environmental conditions and history over wireless connections. An on-going effort that will support this gradual change is the development of "smart RFID tags", tags that are able to sense, monitor, and adapt to their changing environment. RFID systems alone provide item and product visibility within the supply chain. This visibility can further be translated into actionable data and predictive changes with additional information attained through sensing capabilities. Intelligent RFID tags can combine sensing, computation and communication into a single, small device. The need for new sensing solutions is highlighted further by the fact that legislation, regulatory and quality demands are setting requirements for certain branches (pharmaceuticals, explosives, transportation of dangerous goods, foods, etc). Cold chain compliance is a key requirement for pharmaceuticals, hospital transfusions, clinical trials, foods and perishable items. RFID can be used to fight counterfeiting and RFID can provide the electrical pedigree of a product. Most efforts on RFID tag design so far have been concentrated on the ultra low price tag segment. This has led to compromised performance when label tags have been applied in "unsuitable" environments and has been evidenced as low reading accuracy in many RFID pilots. In order to reach a high reading accuracy and reliable long distance operation, RFID tags ought to be immune or adapt to their environment (e.g. presence of metals, liquids, gas...) to avoid detuning and other impairing effect caused by their surroundings. New solutions to implement platform insensitive/platform tolerant and platform adaptive RFID tags are emerging.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of enteral nutrition support on response and toxicity of the first-line chemotherapy in those patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer.

METHODS
We collected the clinical data of 118 patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer who received the first-line chemotherapy in our center from July 2014 to December 2016. All these 118 esophageal cancer patients were then divided into two groups: the nutrition group (received enteral nutrition support in addition to chemotherapy) and the control group (received chemotherapy only). Differences were analyzed before and after chemotherapy in each of the nutritional indicators including Karnofsky performance status (KPS), weight, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (Hb), number of lymphocytes (Lymph), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) in both groups. And differences of the efficacy and toxicities of the first-line chemotherapy between the two groups were also analyzed.

RESULTS
(1) Weight, BMI and Hb were all significantly decreased after chemotherapy in the control group (P<0.001), while there was no significant change of weight and BMI in the nutrition group, just with Hb decrease only. However, there was no significant change of all the other nutrition indicators after chemotherapy in both groups. (2) Compared with the control group, the nutrition group had significantly lower incidence of grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicities after chemotherapy (15.4% vs. 42.1%, P=0.004). In addition, the incidence of grade 3 to 4 nonhematologic toxicities after chemotherapy was also lower in the nutrition group but without statistical significance (0 vs. 9.2%, P=0.123). Logistic regression model was then used for multivariate analysis to identify the factors that affected the toxicity of chemotherapy in these patients, and the results showed that nutrition therapy was an independent influencing factor of grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity after chemotherapy in the patients with esophageal cancer (P=0.008, RR=6.048, 95%CI: 1.589-23.027). (3) The response rate of chemotherapy between the control group and the nutrition group had not significant difference.

CONCLUSION
Enteral nutrition support in addition to chemotherapy could improve nutrition status and reduce toxicity of chemotherapy in advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer patients.


ABSTRACT Web accessibility evaluation requires tests to be carried out with real users with disabilities performing real tasks or activities. To recruit an appropriate group of users and to observe their performance in the real world is difficult. For this reason we have developed RemoTest, a platform that assists researchers designing experiments, conducting remote and in-situ experimental sessions and analyzing the data gathered while the users are accessing the Web. Although this tool is oriented to experimenters, it is necessary to check whether the evaluation environments created by RemoTest are accessible or not to the users that participate in the tests. To this end, we conducted formal in-situ evaluations with 36 users with diverse characteristics. For this assessment, the participants were asked to install the platform, to fill in some automatically created questionnaires and to carry out several web navigation tasks. From the data gathered we analyzed the ease of the installation process, the accessibility of the automatically generated questionnaires, and user satisfaction. The results revealed the suitability of the platform for conducting inclusive experiments both in remote and in-situ contexts and provided guidelines on how the experiments should be set out.


the brevity of its intensive phase (four months). The findings of the two-year follow-up will be considered inadequate by others. Those who know the difficulty of conducting this kind of research will modestly echo the praises of the authors of the Forewords and will join their plea for more and equally solid research into the issues raised or left unanswered by this study. As to the results, it would be unfair to the authors to attempt to summarize them, and equally unfair to the potential reader-like revealing the ending of an excellent who-done-it. If you are in the mental health field and (a) believethe battle still rages between the forcesofanalysis and those of behaviorism and/or (b) love research in our field when it is well constructed and reported; and/or (c) are involved in teaching budding therapists, then don't miss this book. Prepare to be well rewarded for the work and the money spent.


The multifractal scaling of the growth probability distribution is analysed for experimentally grown quasi-two-dimensional Zn electrodeposits. Two morphologies are considered: an open-fractal self-similar growth form, and a dense parallel mode whose fractality is limited to its lateral branching texture. Restricting to the less screened regions of the deposits (q ⩾ 0), and appropriately choosing the examined range of length scales, evident features of Laplacian multifractality are detected.


Abstract When operating autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in real environments it is necessary to deal with the effects of wind that causes the aircraft to drift in a certain direction. In such conditions it is hard or even impossible for UAVs with a bounded turning rate to follow certain trajectories. We designed a method based on an Accelerated A* algorithm that allows the trajectory planner to take the wind effects into account and to generate states that are reachable by UAV. This method was tested on hardware UAV and the reachability of its generated trajectories was compared to the trajectories computed by the original Accelerated A*.


Abstract Background The prescription of injectable anticipatory medications is widely accepted by clinicians to be key in facilitating effective last-days-of-life symptom control. Community end-of-life care and admission avoidance is particularly strongly advocated for older patients. However, patient and informal caregiver views and experiences of anticipatory medication have been little studied to date. Objective To understand older patients', informal caregivers' and clinicians' views and experiences of the prescribing and use of anticipatory medications. Design Qualitative study. Setting Patients' homes and residential care homes. Participants Purposive sample of six older patients, nine informal caregivers and six clinicians. Methods Multi-perspective, longitudinal interview study based on 11 patient cases. Semi-structured interviews (n = 28) were analysed thematically. Results Three themes were identified: (i) living in the present whilst making plans: anticipatory medications were used by clinicians as a practical tool in planning for uncertainty, while patients and informal caregivers tried to concentrate on living in the present; (ii) anticipation of dying: it was rare for patients and informal caregivers to discuss explicitly the process and experience of dying with clinicians; and (iii) accessing timely care: the use of anticipatory medications generally helped symptom control. However, informal caregivers reported difficulties in persuading nurses to administer them to patients. Conclusions Anticipatory medications are simultaneously reassuring and a source of unease to older patients and their informal caregivers. Prescriptions need careful discussion and tailoring to their preferences and experience. Nurses' decisions to administer medication should consider informal caregivers' insights into patient distress, especially when patients can no longer communicate their needs.


Extracellular voltage fields produced by a neuron's action potentials provide a primary means for studying neuron function, yet their biophysical sources remain ambiguous. The neuron's soma and dendrites are thought to drive the extracellular action potential (EAP), while the axon is usually ignored. However, by recording voltages of single neurons in dissociated rat cortical cultures and Purkinje cells in acute mouse cerebellar slices at hundreds of sites, we find instead that the axon initial segment dominates the EAP, and, surprisingly, the soma shows little or no influence. As expected, this signal has negative polarity (charge entering the cell) and initiates at the distal end. Interestingly, signals with positive polarity (charge exiting the cell) occur near some but not all dendritic branches and occur after a delay. Such basic knowledge about which neuronal compartments contribute to the extracellular voltage field is important for interpreting results from all electrical readout schemes. Moreover, this finding shows that changes in the AIS position and function can be observed in high spatiotemporal detail by means of high-density extracellular electrophysiology. Key points summary The neuron's soma and dendrites are thought to give rise to its extracellular voltage signal, while signals from the axon are usually considered negligible. Instead, we found that the largest amplitude of the extracellular signal originates from the axon initial segment, not from the soma. This finding shows that changes in the AIS position and function can be observed in high spatiotemporal detail by means of high-density extracellular electrophysiology. Abbreviations ACSF artificial cerebrospinal fluid AIS axon initial segment AnkG ankyrin-G CMOS complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor DMEM Dulbecco's modified eagle medium EAP extracellular action potential GAD67-GFP glutamic acid decarboxylase 67-green fluorescent protein MAP2 microtubule-associated protein 2.


Introduction Epidemiological evidence supports the potential role of dietary haem iron in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis.1 2 Oesophageal cancer cells acquire inorganic and organic iron by progressive up-regulation of iron and haem transport proteins.3 These alterations result in increased cellular iron loading which is likely to drive cellular proliferation.3 The effect of perturbing haem import proteins, hemopexin receptor (LRP1) and haem carrier protein (HCP1), on cancer cell iron transport, phenotype and tumour burden is unknown. The aim was to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of depriving oesophageal cancer cells of haem iron. Methods Stable knock-downs of LRP1 and HCP1 were created by infection with specific shRNA lenti-viral vectors. Successful knock-down was confirmed by Western blotting. The effect on cellular iron transport and cell phenotype was assessed by qRT-PCR and phenotypic experiments for viability, proliferation, migration and anchorage independent growth. Stable knock-downs of LRP1 and HCP1 were then xenografted into NOD-SCID mice as an in vivo model of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Results Perturbation of LRP1 and HCP1 caused a compensatory up-regulation of inorganic iron import proteins and a decrease in iron storage capacity. Neoplastic activity was significantly impaired compared to control (proliferation, viability, colony forming and migration – all p=<0.01). Loss of active haem iron import significantly reduced xenograft tumour burden in murine models with a 70% (p=0.014) and 58% (p=0.05) reduction in average xenograft weight compared to control. Conclusion Haem import significantly contributes to iron loading in oesophageal cancer cells and creates a more aggressive phenotype. Functional inhibition of haem importing proteins LRP1 and HCP1 curbs neoplastic activity and significantly reduces in vivo tumour burden in murine models. Haem iron transport proteins are potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Competing interests None declared. References 1. Cross AJ, Freedman ND, Ren J, et al. Meat consumption and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer in a large prospective study. Am J Gastroenterol 2011;106:432–42. 2. Cross AJ, Leitzmann MF, Gail MH, et al. A prospective study of red and processed meat intake in relation to cancer risk. PLoS Med 2007;4:e325. 3. Boult J, Roberts K, Brookes MJ, et al. Overexpression of cellular iron import proteins is associated with malignant progression of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:379–87.


Low Carbon-13%Cr martensitic stainless steels have been widely used for line pipe application because of their high strength and excellent corrosion resistance in corrosive conditions. Recently, both laboratory and field experiences related to cracking near fusion line of these steels weld joints in hot acid environments have been published. In this paper, SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) mechanism near fusion line of low C-13%Cr welded joints is discussed. Especially, initiation process is focused. Mainly electrochemical measurement using solution flow type micro-droplet cell and surface analysis of weld joints are conducted. In the evaluation of electrochemical behavior of low C-13%Cr welded joints with and without PWHT (Post Welded Heat Treatment) by the use of a solution flow type micro-droplet cell, PWHT leads to more noble and stable potential in HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) compared to as-welded condition. In the HAZ portion of the as-welded joint, Cr depleted layer was detected under welding scale with the use of GDS (Glow Discharge Spectrometer). PWHT was confirmed to eliminate Cr depleted layer under welding scale. This can be an initiation of SCC near girth welded joint in hot acid environment. Finally, mechanism of SCC initiation near fusion line of as-welded joint was proposed. Localized corrosion would start at Cr depleted layer under welding oxide scale. This dissolution was also accelerated by a galvanic effect due to a large cathode area of base metal.


Successful identification of genetic risk factors in genomewide association studies typically has depended on meta-analyses combining data from large numbers of studies involving tens or hundreds of thousands of participants. This poses a challenge for research on Gene × Environment interaction (G × E) effects, where characterization of environmental exposures is quite limited in most studies and often varies idiosyncratically between studies. Yet the importance of environmental exposures in the etiology of many disorders-and especially alcohol, tobacco, and drug use disorders-is undeniable. We discuss the potential for "big-data" approaches (e.g., aggregating data from state databases) to generate consistent measures of neighborhood environment across multiple studies, requiring only information about residential address (or ideally residential history) to make progress in G × E analyses. Big-data approaches may also help address limits to the generalizability of existing research literature, such as those that arise because of the limited numbers of severely alcohol-dependent mothers represented in prospective research studies.


In the last twenty years maternal mortality attributed to anaesthesia has decreased. Inhalation of gastric contents is the commonest cause in patients undergoing cesarean section; in fact pregnant women are considered "high risk" because of gravidic modifications. In this retrospective study of 10017 caesarean sections performed under general anaesthesia in our institution between January 1980 and December 1990, we evaluated the frequency of this syndrome (7 cases = 1:1431). We had no case of maternal and neonatal mortality. All these seven patients were admitted at our recovery room for less than 5 days; aspiration pneumonitis occurred in only three patients. Our results suggested that induction of anaesthesia with high doses of thiopental reduces complications related to light anaesthesia, including vomiting. At a dose of 5-6 mg/kg thiopental didn't produce any significant neonatal depression as documented by Apgar scores.


Abstract:A genre within the genre of Mexican telenovelas is the rurally set production that establishes a feudal-like context for characters whose attitudes and behaviors are anachronistic and might best be described as a rejection of modernity. One aspect of this rejection is seen in the treatment of women who do not conform to traditional, that is, Marianist, standards of womanhood. The "wild woman" of these telenovelas initially pushes the boundaries of gender roles, but before the final chapter, romantic love and motherhood tame her. Because telenovelas have been shown to have a didactic effect on the viewing audience, the investigation at hand not only analyzes the representation of these women and their eventual taming but also considers the potential impact of such portrayals on the viewing audience. The telenovelas that I point to in this study aired on Mexico's national channel, Televisa, and later on Univisión: Apuesta por un amor (Gambling on Love) (2004–2005), Fuego en la sangre (Burning for Revenge) (2008), Soy tu dueña (A Woman of Steel) (2010), and La que no podía amar (The One Who Couldn't Love) (2011–2012).


An elaborate and nested legal framework, with both interstate and intrastate components, governs allocation of Colorado River water to and within Southern California. This framework has evolved for nearly a century, and this paper chronicles major milestones within this evolution. The narrative is framed with the formation of the Colorado River Compact in 1922 as a front bookend, and recent developments involving the Quantification Settlement Agreement, Salton Sea restoration, and the Interim Shortage Guidelines as back bookends. Reflections on the iterative and provisional nature of the evolutionary process, and Southern California's relative degree of water security resulting from it, appear in the conclusion.


This paper aims to analyse how the publications in Brazil are considering the relationship between sustainability and supply chain management. For this end, a literature review was carried out in 120 Brazilian academic journals in which 124 papers were identified, from 2008 until 2013. When considering the Triple Bottom Line approach, the results show that sustainability research in Brazil is focusing on the environmental dimension and SCM research is focusing on the economic dimension. Additional inputs are provided by integrating the governance dimension in the analysis to underline which actions and policies are discussed in Brazil at a corporate level. To support the results a consultation of experts in the field of sustainability in Brazil was fulfilled, and three case examples are presented to explain some of the research results. The findings on publications in Brazil contrast with international studies, particularly on the topic of social performance and management in supply chains. One of the main conclusions is that there are large opportunities to increase publications about sustainability and SCM in the country and that Brazil presents some specificities in the field that researchers and managers shall consider.


Abstract The shape of emission lines in the optical spectra of star-forming galaxies reveals the kinematics of the diffuse gaseous component. We analyse the shape of prominent emission lines in a sample of
$\sim$
 53000 star-forming galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, focusing on departures from gaussianity. Departures from a single gaussian profile allow us to probe the motion of gas and to assess the role of outflows. The sample is divided into groups according to their stellar velocity dispersion and star formation rate (SFR). The spectra within each group are stacked to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the emission lines, to remove individual signatures, and to enhance the effect of SFR on the shapes of the emission lines. The moments of the emission lines, including kurtosis and skewness, are determined. We find that most of the emission lines in strong star-forming systems unequivocally feature negative kurtosis. This signature is present in
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 ,
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 , [N ii], and [S ii] in massive galaxies with high SFRs. We attribute it as evidence of radial outflows of ionised gas driven by the star formation of the galaxies. Also, most of the emission lines in low-mass systems with high SFRs feature negative skewness, and we interpret it as evidence of dust obscuration in the galactic disk. These signatures are however absent in the [O iii] line, which is believed to trace a different gas component. The observed trend is significantly stronger in face-on galaxies, indicating that star formation drives the outflows along the galactic rotation axis, presumably the path of least resistance. The data suggest that outflows driven by star formation exert accumulated impacts on the interstellar medium, and the outflow signature is more evident in older galaxies as they have experienced a longer total duration of star formation.


In the present work was carried out selection of transgenic plants of Nicotiana tabacum carrying acdS-gene of bacteria Pseudomonas putida B-37. Using polymerase chain reaction with specific primers, the presence of the target gene was proved. Transgenic plants selected on a selective medium were planted in the ground and subjected to abiotic stress caused by soil contamination with heavy metal salts (15 mg / kg for Cu2+ and 30 mg / kg for Cr6+ and Pb2+ ) and salinization of the soil (200 mmol/L NaCl). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and real-time polymerase chain reaction were conducted and confirmed the transcriptional activity of the bacterial acdS-gene in transgenic plant cells at a level with the reference gene Ef-1a. Determination of activity of ACC-deaminase, the product of expression of the acdS-gene, confirmed the formation of the active enzyme in the leaf tissues of transgenic tobacco plants. The beneficial effect of the acdS-gene of the bacteria P. putida B-37 on transgenic N. tabacum plants under abiotic stress has been proven.


The speed limit of information propagation is one of the most fundamental features in non-equilibrium physics. The region of information propagation by finite-time dynamics is approximately restricted inside the effective light cone that is formulated by the Lieb-Robinson bound. To date, extensive studies have been conducted to identify the shape of effective light cones in most experimentally relevant many-body systems. However, the Lieb-Robinson bound in the interacting boson systems, one of the most ubiquitous quantum systems in nature, has remained a critical open problem for a long time. This study reveals an optimal light cone to limit the information propagation in interacting bosons, where the shape of the effective light cone depends on the spatial dimension. To achieve it, we prove that the speed for bosons to clump together is finite, which in turn leads to the error guarantee of the boson number truncation at each site. Furthermore, we applied the method to provide a provably efficient algorithm for simulating the interacting boson systems. The results of this study settle the notoriously challenging problem and provide the foundation for elucidating the complexity of many-body boson systems.


The real-time estimation through vision of the physical properties of objects manipulated by humans is important to inform the control of robots for performing accurate and safe grasps of objects handed over by humans. However, estimating the 3D pose and dimensions of previously unseen objects using only RGB cameras is challenging due to illumination variations, reflective surfaces, transparencies, and occlusions caused both by the human and the robot. In this letter, we present a benchmark for dynamic human-to-robot handovers that do not rely on a motion capture system, markers, or prior knowledge of specific objects. To facilitate comparisons, the benchmark focuses on cups with different levels of transparencies and with an unknown amount of an unknown filling. The performance scores assess the overall system as well as its components in order to help isolate modules of the pipeline that need improvements. In addition to the task description and the performance scores, we also present and distribute as open source a baseline implementation for the overall pipeline to enable comparisons and facilitate progress.


Though majority vote among annotators is typically used for ground truth labels in natural language processing, annotator disagreement in tasks such as hate speech detection may reflect differences in opinion across groups, not noise. Thus, a crucial problem in hate speech detection is determining whether a statement is offensive to the demographic group that it targets, when that group may constitute a small fraction of the annotator pool. We construct a model that predicts individual annotator ratings on potentially offensive text and combines this information with the predicted target group of the text to model the opinions of target group members. We show gains across a range of metrics, including raising performance over the baseline by 22% at predicting individual annotators' ratings and by 33% at predicting variance among annotators, which provides a metric for model uncertainty downstream. We find that annotator ratings can be predicted using their demographic information and opinions on online content, without the need to track identifying annotator IDs that link each annotator to their ratings. We also find that use of non-invasive survey questions on annotators' online experiences helps to maximize privacy and minimize unnecessary collection of demographic information when predicting annotators' opinions.


The aim of our work is to describe the ecological niche of the land snail Brephulopsis cylindrica (Menke, 1828) in terms of the edaphic properties and properties of the vegetation cover and to show the spatial features of the variation of the habitat preference index within the artificial soil body – technosols (soddy-lithogenic soils on loess-like clays) using the ecological niche factor analysis (ENFA). The research was carried out at the Research Centre of the Dnipro Agrarian and Economic University in Pokrov. Sampling was carried out on a variant of artificial soil (technozems) formed on loess-like clays. The test site where the sampling was conducted consists of 7 transects of 15 samples each. Test points form a regular grid with a mesh size of 3 m. Soil mechanical impedance, aggregate-size distribution, soil electrical conductivity, vegetation physiognomic characteristics, and Didukh phytoindication scales were used as ecogeographic predictors of the mollusc's ecological niche properties. Phytoindication assessment indicates that the technosol ecological regimes are favourable for sub-mesophytes, hemi-hydrocontrastophiles, neutrophiles, semi-eutrophs. The test for statistical significance showed that an axis of marginality of the ecological niche of B. cylindrica and axes of specialization are significantly different from the random distribution. We found that the ecological niche of the mollusc is determined by both edaphic factors and ecological features of vegetation. The marginality of B. cylindrica ecological niche over the entire period of study is determined mainly by preferences for physiognomic vegetation types, higher values of the continentality and thermality regimes. Often greater content in the soil of aggregates 1–3 mm in size coincides with greater numbers of B. cylindrica individuals. Individuals of this species avoid physiognomic type III and areas with higher soil alkalinity and mineralization detected both by means of the phytoindication approach and soil electrical conductivity data. Ecological niche optima may be presented by integral variables such as marginality and specialization axes and plotted in geographic space. The spatial distribution of the B. cylindrica habitat suitability index (HSI) within the technosols is shown, which makes it possible to predict the optimal conditions for the existence of the species.


Data warehousing is a corporate strategy that needs to integrate information from several sources of separately developed Database Management Systems (DBMSs). A future DBMS of a data warehouse should provide adequate facilities to manage a wide range of information arising from such integration. We propose that the capabilities of database languages should be enhanced to manipulate user-defined data orderings, since business queries in an enterprise usually involve order. We extend the relational model to incorporate partial orderings into data domains and describe the ordered relational model. We have already defined and implemented a minimal extension of SQL, called OSQL, which allows querying over ordered relational databases. One of the important facilities provided by OSQL is that it allows users to capture the underlying semantics of the ordering of the data for a given application. Herein we demonstrate that OSQL aided with a package discipline can be an effective means to manage the inter-related operations and the underlying data domains of a wide range of advanced applications that are vital in data warehousing, such as temporal, incomplete and fuzzy information. We present the details of the generic operations arising from these applications in the form of three OSQL packages called: OSQL_TIME, OSQL__INCOMP and OSQL_FUZZY.


OBJECTIVE
Personality change in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) is complicated by the patient and informant factors that confound accurate reporting of personality traits. We assessed the impact of caregiver burden on informant report of Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) and investigated the regional cortical volumes associated with larger discrepancies in the patient and informant report of the Big Five personality traits.

METHOD
Sixty-four ADRD participants with heterogeneous neurodegenerative clinical phenotypes and their informants completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Caregiver burden was measured using the Zarit Burden Interview. Discrepancy scores were computed as the difference between patient and informant ratings for the BFI. Regional gray matter volumes from T1-weighted 3T MRI were normalized to intracranial volume and related to global Big Five discrepancy scores using linear regression.

RESULTS
Higher levels of caregiver burden were associated with higher informant ratings of patient neuroticism (ß = 0.08, p = .012) and with lower informant ratings of patient agreeableness (ß = 0.11, p = .021) and conscientiousness (ß = 0.04, p = .034) independent of disease severity. Patients with greater Big Five discrepancy scores showed smaller cortical volumes in the right medial prefrontal cortex (β = -5.24, p = .045) and right superior temporal gyrus (β = -7.91, p = .028).

CONCLUSIONS
Informant ratings of personality traits in ADRD can be confounded by the caregiver burden, highlighting the need for more objective measures of personality and behavior in dementia samples. Discrepancies between informant and patient ratings of personality may additionally reflect loss of insight secondary to cortical atrophy in the frontal and temporal structures.


Background: This study sets out to investigate the effect of soft contact lens materials [polymacon (Bescon), hioxifilcon A (Extreme H2O®), lotrafilcon B (O2Optix)] on the non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) and fluorescein-instillation break-up time (FBUT). Materials and Methods: A total of forty-five subjects within age range 18-30years with mean age 22.4 ± 3.2 years consisting of males (n=11) and females (n=34) were used for this study. The NIBUT was assessed with the Bausch & Lomb Keratometer, stopwatch and FBUT assessed using BIO GLO sterile strips (1 mg fluorescein sodium ophthalmic strip, U.S.P) with Burton lamp. Results: The mean NIBUT was profoundly affected by wear of contact lenses made from polymacon (p=0.018) and Hioxifilcon A (p=0.006) materials though they belong to different FDA classes. However, the NIBUT was not affected by wear of contact lens made of lotrafilcon B. The FBUT was not affected by wear of contact lenses made from the three materials. Conclusion: The change in NIBUT caused by polymacon and hioxifilcon A was due to disruption of the tear film by the wear of lenses made of such materials. Destabilization of the tear film by instilled fluorescein during assessment masked the possible effect of lens wear hence no change in FBUT was noticed with lenses made of Polymacon, Hioxifilcon A and Lotrafilcon B. Keywords: soft contact lens materials, tear film stability, non-invasive tear break-up time, fluorescein-instillation tear break-up time.


Abstract. This research incorporates the correlated k distribution BCC-RAD radiation model into the climate model BCC_AGCM2.0.1 and examines the change in climate simulation by implementation of the new radiation algorithm. It is shown that both clear-sky radiation fluxes and cloud radiative forcings (CRFs) are improved. The modeled atmospheric temperature and specific humidity are also improved due to changes in radiative heating rates, which most likely stem from the revised treatment of gaseous absorption. Subgrid cloud variability, including vertical overlap of fractional clouds and horizontal inhomogeneity in cloud condensate, is addressed by using the Monte Carlo Independent Column Approximation (McICA) method. In McICA, a cloud-type-dependent function for cloud fraction decorrelation length, which gives zonal mean results very close to the observations of CloudSat/CALIPSO, is developed. Compared to utilizing a globally constant decorrelation length, the maximum changes in seasonal CRFs by the new scheme can be as large as 10 and 20 W m−2 for longwave (LW) and shortwave (SW) CRFs, respectively, mostly located in the tropics. The inclusion of an observation-based horizontal inhomogeneity of cloud condensate has also a significant impact on CRFs, with global means of ~ 1.5 W m−2 and ~ 3.7 Wm−2 for LW and SW CRFs at the top of atmosphere (TOA), respectively. Generally, incorporating McICA and horizontal inhomogeneity of cloud condensate in the BCC-RAD model reduces global mean TOA and surface SW and LW flux biases in BCC_AGCM2.0.1. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the new model configuration to be used in BCC_AGCM2.0.1 for climate simulations, and also indicate that more detailed real-world information on cloud structures should be obtained to constrain cloud settings in McICA in the future.


Epigenetic control of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene transcription by cell type-specific regulators, such as the osteogenic transcription factor Runx2, conveys cellular memory of growth and differentiation to progeny cells during mitosis. Here, we examined whether coregulatory proteins contribute to epigenetic functions that are mitotically transmitted by Runx2 in osteoblastic cells. We show that the transcriptional corepressor Transducin Like Enhancer-1 (TLE1) associates with rRNA genes during mitosis and interphase through interaction with Runx2. Mechanistically, depletion of TLE1 relieves Runx2-mediated repression of rRNA genes transcription and selectively increases histone modifications linked to active transcription. Biologically, loss of TLE-dependent rRNA gene repression coincides with increased global protein synthesis and enhanced cell proliferation. Our findings reinforce the epigenetic marking target genes by phenotypic transcription factors in mitosis and demonstrate a requirement for retention of coregulatory factors to sustain physiological control of gene expression during proliferation of lineage committed cells.


In order to fill the gap existing between the production and consumption of roselle in the humid tropical areas of Nigeria, this experiment was carried out in Owerri between May and December, 2012 to evaluate the effects of planting dates and accessions on the growth and performance of roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa) . Six planting dates including planting at monthly intervals from May to October and two accessions (Purple calyx and Green calyx) were evaluated. The experiment was laid out as a 2 x 6 factorial in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) with three replications. Results revealed that all roselle crops planted in May through August flowered within the same period (26 – 29th September) which coincided with the period of short days in the northern hemisphere. Consequently, roselle planted in May produced flower buds significantly (138 days after planting) compared to other dates. July sown roselle in addition to producing flower bud relatively earlier (80.2 days after planting), had comparably higher number of flower buds/plant and calyx length. Roselle sown in September and October however did not flower. For use as vegetables in soup making, green calyx roselle should be sown in May and harvested not later than 8 weeks after planting. Planting in July appears to favour early flowering and is appropriate for purple calyx roselle. Keywords : Roselle, Accession, Planting Date, Month, Calyx Length


Cleft lip and palate (CLP) refer to a congenital craniofacial condition that causes various speech-related disorders. As a result of structural and functional deformities, the affected subjects' speech intelligibility is significantly degraded, limiting the accessibility and usability of speech-controlled devices. Towards addressing this problem, it is desirable to improve the CLP speech intelligibility. Moreover, it would be useful during speech therapy. In this study, the cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) method is exploited for improving CLP speech intelligibility. The model is trained on native Kannada-speaking childrens' speech data. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is also measured using automatic speech recognition performance. Further, subjective evaluation is performed, and those results also confirm the intelligibility improvement in the enhanced speech over the original.


All buildings are ultimately the products of building cultures-complex systems of people, relationships, rules, and habits in which design and building are anchored. In this book of thirteen chapter-essays, Davis uses historical, contemporary and cross-cultural examples to describe the structure of such cultures and how they are reflected in the form of buildings and cities. His aim is to show that special insights about the improvement of the contemporary built world come from looking at the building culture as a whole, not merely the individual acts of architects and city planners. The book is illustrated with over 260 historic and contemporary photographs, drawings and prints.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of authentic leadership (AL) on employee performance (EP) and to examine the mediating role of organizational commitment (OC).

Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from all employees (216) of tourism agencies in Guilan province (Iran) using a 19-item survey. In total, 173 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 80 percent. A mediation model was outlined and tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings
The results showed that AL had a significant effect on EP and OC. The findings further demonstrated the significance of the relationship between OC and EP confirming the mediating role of OC.

Practical implications
This study suggests that managers can promote OC and consequently EP by adopting an AL style. In addition, the managerial and theoretical foundations generated by this study can be considered a solution for improving EP.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the EP literature by providing a plausible explanation of the mediating role of OC in connecting AL to EP.


In recent years, Turkey has increasingly moved away from the affiliation with the powers of the transatlantic bloc and seeks to play its own game. There are several reasons why Ankara has a special interest in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo): historical, socio-cultural, religious and geographical proximity; the absence of strict institutional restrictions due to the stalling of the process of the inclusion of the Western Balkans into the EU; the complex history of the relations between Turkey itself and Brussels, as well as Turkey's political ambitions and claims for regional leadership. All these factors increase the chances of the Republic of Turkey to gain a foothold in the Balkans as a serious player. The fact that the region is formally outside the EU expands the opportunities for political maneuvering both for Ankara and for the Western Balkan capitals. The article focuses on four analytical blocks: the evolution of Turkey's foreign policy strategy; its integration proposals for the countries in the region as an attempt to replace Brussels' initiatives; ethno-religious and migration components of the Turkish influence; tools of socio-cultural penetration. The analysis carried out by the authors shows that, despite Turkey's well-thoughtout strategy, the resources involved, the political will and perseverance, in the medium term the country is unlikely to become an alternative to the EU for the Western Balkan countries, or even an influential economic player in the region. Ankara will have to continue to weight its goals against the actions of the geopolitical grandees. At the same time, since the struggle for influence in southern Europe is only going to intensify in the face of the deepening international conflict, the corridor of opportunities for Ankara remains open.


We demonstrate a new and improved borderless contact (BLC) Ti-salicide process for the fabrication of sub-quarter micron CMOS devices. A low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) SiO/sub x/N/sub y/ film to act as the selective etching stop layer and the additional n/sup +/ and p/sup +/ source-drain double implant structure (DIS) are employed in the studied device. The additional n/sup +/ and p/sup +/ DIS can reduce the junction leakage current, which is usually enhanced by BLC etching near the edge of shallow trench isolation (STI). The process window is enlarged. Furthermore, the employed low-thermal oxynitride and high deposition rate can improve the salicide thermal stability and avoid the salicide agglomeration.


Working children are commonly not considered as active political subjects. Yet, many of them have organised themselves as local groups that cooperate across borders. As a transnational network, they advocate for a right to work and political participation. In ir, these actors were accurately analysed as 'governed' actors proactively engaging in (inter-)national norm dynamics. Yet, their situatedness in local and global power relations (shaped by colonialism) remains understudied. Analysing how working children in Bolivia discursively shape their subjectivity in such hierarchical processes, it is argued that their norm engagement is intertwined with how they are situated in this context. Looking beyond proactive norm engagement, the paper argues for a broader conceptual understanding of the 'agency of the governed' in norm dynamics emerging in narrative practices. Special emphasis is placed on how working children in Bolivia (re)create their subjectivity through everyday practices interacting with institutional, material, and social structures which in turn are embedded within broader narrative frameworks.


This article is concerned with collaborative planning processes for the future use and management of a former military property in Wisconsin, USA. The article locates this story within both an historical account of conservation in the US and the theoretical and operational literature on collaborative planning. It argues that the effectiveness of the planning processes described is a direct result of its collaborative nature; that is, its focus on integrating conservation with community in a process of civic engagement. In particular, the article argues that three factors are crucial in explaining the effectiveness of the process. First, the inclusion of other types of knowledge, including local cultural attachments and stories as part of the information base; second, a focus on understanding the different values of all those who have something at stake in the issue rather than a steadfast focus on competing interests and the political calculus among them; and third, the commitment to a broadly democratic and deliberative process.


Ocean gliders are quiet, buoyancy-driven, long-endurance, profiling autonomous platforms. Gliders therefore possess unique advantages as platforms for Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) of the marine environment. In this paper, we review available glider platforms and passive acoustic monitoring systems, and explore current and potential uses of passive acoustic monitoring-equipped gliders for the study of physical oceanography, biology, ecology and for regulatory purposes. We evaluate limiting factors for passive acoustic monitoring glider surveys, such as platform-generated and flow noise, weight, size and energy constraints, profiling ability and slow movement. Based on data from 34 passive acoustic monitoring glider missions, it was found that <13% of the time spent at sea was unsuitable for passive acoustic monitoring measurements, either because of surface communications or glider manoeuvre, leaving the remainder available for subsequent analysis. To facilitate the broader use of passive acoustic monitoring gliders, we document best practices and include workarounds for the typical challenges of a passive acoustic monitoring glider mission. Three research priorities are also identified to improve future passive acoustic monitoring glider observations: 1) Technological developments to improve sensor integration and preserve glider endurance; 2) improved sampling methods and statistical analysis techniques to perform population density estimation from passive acoustic monitoring glider observations; and 3) calibration of the passive acoustic monitoring glider to record absolute noise levels, for anthropogenic noise monitoring. It is hoped this methodological review will assist glider users to broaden the observational capability of their instruments, and help researchers in related fields to deploy passive acoustic monitoring gliders in their studies.


Machine learning components such as deep neural networks are used extensively in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). However, they may introduce new types of hazards that can have disastrous consequences and need to be addressed for engineering trustworthy systems. Although deep neural networks offer advanced capabilities, they must be complemented by engineering methods and practices that allow effective integration in CPS. In this paper, we investigate how to use the conformal prediction framework for assurance monitoring of CPS with machine learning components. In order to handle high-dimensional inputs in real-time, we compute nonconformity scores using embedding representations of the learned models. By leveraging conformal prediction, the approach provides well-calibrated confidence and can allow monitoring that ensures a bounded small error rate while limiting the number of inputs for which an accurate prediction cannot be made. Empirical evaluation results using the German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmark and a robot navigation dataset demonstrate that the error rates are well-calibrated while the number of alarms is small. The method is computationally efficient, and therefore, the approach is promising for assurance monitoring of CPS.


The study examined technical inefficiency and competitiveness among rice farmers
in Niger State, Nigeria. Data for the analysis came from a random sample survey of the area of study. A Single-stage (Cobb-Douglas based stochastic frontier production function was used in analyzing the data. Evidence from the analysis indicates that the coefficient of land, male family labour and female family labour are 0.1354, 0.2713 and 0.2842 respectively. Those for hired labour, miscellaneous cost and improved seeds are 0.1637, 0.1165 and 0.5432 in that order. With coefficient of 0.5432, improved seeds tend to have the greatest impact on rice production. This is followed by female family labour. The coefficient of female family/ male family labour ratio indicated that the contribution of female and male to output is not the same. The average technical efficiency of about 0.81 is obtained. The average technical inefficiency is thus 0.19. The results of the inefficiency model show that farming experience, extension visits, and ratio of number of female to household size is negative and significant. The implication is that increases in these variables reduce the technical inefficiency of the farmers. About 85% of the farmers have their technical efficiency being greater than or equal to the mean technical efficiency. Rice production is thus classified as being competitive. Farm expansion, access to improved seeds, training programme and effective extension delivery services system measures were recommended. Keywords : Technical inefficiency, competitiveness, rice farmers, Niger state,
Nigeria. Agrosearch Vol. 8 (1&2) 2006: pp. 67-80


Four patients, aged 17 to 25 years, obtained lead and opium pills which had been stolen from retail pharmacists. They crushed them, suspended them in water and injected them intravenously. They developed general malaise, vomiting and constipation, and blood tests several weeks after injection of the pills showed raised alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminases. All four patients had negative tests for the hepatitis B surface antigen. Liver biopsy specimens showed persistent hepatitis in one and resolving hepatitis in the remaining three. Liver lead levels were grossly elevated in every case. The liver lead levels found in the patients described here were up to 35 times greater than levels which have been reported in industrial lead poisoning. It is postulated that the livers of patients with chronic lead poisoning are able to withstand this insult whereas in the cases described the overwhelming dose of lead was sufficient to cause hepatic damage.


The concept of a wireless integrated network of sensors, already applied in several sectors of our everyday life, such as security, transportation and environment monitoring, can provide an advanced monitor and control medium for healthcare services. By networking medical sensors wirelessly, we create the appropriate infrastructure for continuous and real-time monitoring of the patient without discomfort. Moreover, the utilization of existing mobile communications networks in such an application releases patient's telemonitoring services from almost any spatial constraint. In this paper we describe the architecture of a modular and ambulatory telemedicine system used for continuous monitoring of vital biosignals. We focus on the design of the wireless network of medical sensors, attached to the patient's body, with emphasis being given to the software and hardware infrastructure that supports the communication between the nodes.


Labyrinth spillways are non-linear weirs folded in plan-view to provide a longer total effective length of the crest for a given overall spillway width, and consequently allowing a higher discharge capacity compared with a straight overflow weir for the same width and upstream energy head. To date, most studies on labyrinth weir hydraulics have been experimental and focused on the discharge capacity as a function of geometric factors and hydraulic parameters, such as the crest shape and sidewall angle, and the energy head over the weir, respectively. In this study, numerical simulations of subcritical flow downstream of a labyrinth weir were conducted using the computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS CFX. The results were compared with experimental data previously acquired on a fairly large-scale flume, including a trapezoidal labyrinth weir with quarter-round crest profile and sidewall angle α = 30o. In general, fairly good agreement was obtained on the main flow properties downstream of the weir, such as flow depths, bottom pressure heads and velocities sufficiently distant from the invert, except in the vicinity of the weir.


An integrated artificial heart-lung device has been developed as a long-term cardiopulmonary support system. The device is composed of gas exchange and pumping units. The gas exchange unit consists of a special hollow fiber membrane that can prevent serum leakage. The entire blood contacting surface of the gas exchange unit is treated with covalent heparin bonding. The pumping unit consists of two pusher-plate artificial hearts joined to each end of the artificial lung unit. The core size and priming volume of the device are 11 x 14 x 17 cm and 400 ml, respectively. In in vitro evaluation, the device exhibited a maximum output of 7.0 L/ min, with a pressure gradient of 10 mmHg per 1 L/min flow rate. In acute in vivo evaluation with adult goats, the device satisfactorily replaced the animals' circulation and respiration for 6 hr. Pumping output ranged from 5.5 to 6.0 L/min, whereas PaO2 and PaCO2 were kept above 500 mmHg and below 30 mmHg, respectively. The device demonstrated prominent thrombus resistant properties in nonheparin animal use trials. These results indicate that the integrated artificial heart-lung device has a potential to be a long-term cardiopulmonary support system that can be used with minimal anticoagulant therapy.


The application of computer-vision algorithms in medical imaging has increased rapidly in recent years. However, algorithm training is challenging due to limited sample sizes, lack of labeled samples, as well as privacy concerns regarding data sharing. To address these issues, we previously developed (Bergen et al. 2022) a synthetic PET dataset for Head & Neck (H&N) cancer using the temporal generative adversarial network (TGAN) architecture and evaluated its performance segmenting lesions and identifying radiomics features in synthesized images. In this work, a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) observer study was performed to quantitatively evaluate the ability of human observers to distinguish between real and synthesized oncological PET images. In the study eight trained readers, including two board-certified nuclear medicine physicians, read 170 real/synthetic image pairs presented as 2D-transaxial using a dedicated web app. For each image pair, the observer was asked to identify the "real" image and input their confidence level with a 5-point Likert scale. P-values were computed using the binomial test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A heat map was used to compare the response accuracy distribution for the signed-rank test. Response accuracy for all observers ranged from 36.2% [27.9-44.4] to 63.1% [54.8-71.3]. Six out of eight observers did not identify the real image with statistical significance, indicating that the synthetic dataset was reasonably representative of oncological PET images. Overall, this study adds validity to the realism of our simulated H&N cancer dataset, which may be implemented in the future to train AI algorithms while favoring patient confidentiality and privacy protection.


This paper summarizes projects that deal with important requirements for achieving an airtight building. The major themes are: (1) problem areas with respect to airtightness, (2) how to find leaky areas and improve their airtightness, (3) good and airtight solutions, and (4) durability of airtight layers and joints. First, critical details for airtightness are identified and analyzed. Poor airtightness is often caused by lack of consideration of airtight details in the design phase, by poor workmanship, or by lack of understanding of airtightness during construction. The consequences of poor airtightness are described. Second, different methods of searching for air leaks are investigated and evaluated. Searching for leaks during the construction phase is a good way of improving airtightness, since the airtight layers are more accessible during erection of the building than when the building is completed. Third, several buildings with very good measured airtightness are investigated in order to provide airtight solutions to designers and builders. A number of important details and designs are collected and presented to the building industry.


Using social comparison theory as the theoretical framework, this study investigates whether relative performance information (RPI) motivates workers in a real-effort task and whether the effects vary under piece-rate, quota-based, and budget-based incentive schemes. An experiment was conducted using a 2 (RPI: yes or no) by 3 (incentive scheme: piece-rate contract, quota-based contract, or budget-based contract) between-subjects factorial design using 135 student participants assuming the role of production workers. Results revealed a strong and consistently positive effect on task performance of providing relative performance information across the three incentive schemes. Regarding the motivational value of the incentive scheme, the results revealed that participants operating under the quota-based contract significantly outperformed those operating under the budget-based and the piece-rate contract. The interaction between RPI and incentive scheme was insignificant. Results also revealed that the performance enhancing value of RPI was most pronounced for participants in the bottom third of the performance distribution. This study provides empirical evidence on the value of configuring a firm's management accounting system to provide workers with frequent relative performance information.


Teaching theory in the study of EU politics has long posed a range of pedagogical challenges, in part because of the broad range of questions that scholars have posed in relation to the EU as object of study. Often such a challenge is overcome by focusing mainly on how integration occurred/occurs and the associated classical theories of integration. However, this article argues that we do our students a disservice by ignoring an extant theoretical plurality, and perhaps never more so than in the context of the current crisis and its multiple effects. In particular, the crisis heightens the imperative for engagement with questions posed by what this special issue calls 'dissident' theoretical approaches. Drawing on the experience of co-authoring a textbook on EU politics, the article considers some of the ways in which we might practically include such approaches, while remaining cognizant of pedagogical constraints.


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are consists of many tiny sensing devices called nodes to sense, compute and transmit the data. These nodes are made of transducer, memory, battery, micro-controller and an antenna for the communication of data from node to sinks. Nodes used in the networks are having energy constraints as they are usually battery powered and hence it is not always feasible to change the battery due to odd terrain of deployment. For the managements of these limited energy resources of WSNs various algorithms have been proposed and implemented. In this paper we have implemented the Sine Cosine Optimization algorithm in routing and clustering of WSNs for the optimizing lifetime of the Wireless Sensor Networks. Higher energy nodes are deployed to work as the cluster head to enhance the lifetime of WSNs and effect of using higher energy nodes are also studied for two different position of base station (BS). Results of this algorithm are compared with the Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm.


Sarah Orne Jewett was one of the best local color writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her stories about the people of Maine are classics, the state where she was born and lived until death. Subscription Databases


CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: An association between chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) and autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) has been reported. However, there have not been any reports on whether ATD raises the risk of angioedema, which is a more severe clinical presentation of CIU. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the risk of angioedema is increased in patients with CIU and ATD. DESIGN AND SETTING: Case-control study including 115 patients with CIU at a tertiary public institution. METHODS: The patients were evaluated with regard to occurrence of angioedema and presence of ATD, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: Angioedema was detected in 70 patients (60.9%). There were 22 cases (19.1%) of ATD, 19 (16.5%) of hypothyroidism and nine (7.8%) of hyperthyroidism. The risk among patients with ATD was 16.2 times greater than among those without this thyroid abnormality (confidence interval, CI = 2.07-126.86). The odds ratio for hypothyroidism was 4.6 (CI = 1.00-21.54) and, for hyperthyroidism, 3.3 (CI = 0.38-28.36). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CIU and ATD presented greater risk of angioedema, which reinforces the idea that a relationship exists between this allergic condition and thyroid autoimmunity. This finding could imply that such patients require specifically directed therapy.


The evaluation of clay wastes (CW) containing boron additives in mortar are reported in this study. CW grounds were added to ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with different proportions (0%–20%). The effects of CW on the mechanical properties of mortar were analyzed by fresh and hardened concrete tests. The obtained results were compared with those of control samples and Turkish Standards (TS). The results showed that strength values of all specimens containing 1.5% of CW were higher than that of the control sample. With the replacement of 2.5–5.0% of OPC by CW, the strength values were nearly equal to that of control sample. The durability of CW added cement was also examined with the measurements of the weight losses of samples exposed to NaCl solution and MgSO4 solution. The CW affected the durability negatively in a low level.


Abstract In an effort to attenuate human–wildlife conflict and promote conservation of charismatic megafauna, compensation programs for wildlife damages have been implemented in many countries. Compensating pastoralists and farmers for damage caused by wildlife reduces hunting pressure on wild animal populations. However, it can also lead to a decrease in efforts to prevent damage and exacerbate conflicts with wildlife. Furthermore, compensation programs increase the return to agriculture and can therefore be viewed as a subsidy toward crop and livestock production. Such subsidies can trigger agricultural expansion (and habitat conversion), an inflow of agriculture producers, and intensification of agricultural production. Each of these impacts is shown to have potentially adverse effects on the wildlife population that compensation intends to favor. In some circumstances, the net effect on the wildlife stock could be negative. This calls for a careful assessment of local ecological and economic conditions before compensation is implemented. Incentive mechanisms that are directly tied to conservation outcomes (e.g., payments to locals based on the size of the wildlife population) should be considered instead of compensation programs.


Author(s): Evpak, Matthew | Advisor(s): Sher, Gila | Abstract: Two kinds of pluralism have recently come to the attention of metaphysicians. Ontological pluralism is the thesis that there are multiple ways in which things can exist; meanwhile, alethic pluralism is the thesis that the nature of truth varies from discourse to discourse. Though it has since taken on a life of its own, alethic pluralism originated with the efforts of Crispin Wright, who advances what he terms a minimalist conception of truth and truth-aptness. Wright's purpose in developing a minimalist and thereby pluralist account of truth was to clarify the distinction between realist and antirealist commitments with regard to a given discourse. The purpose of the dissertation is, first, to articulate the usefulness of alethic pluralism in distinguishing between realism and antirealism concerning some subject matter and, second, to extend Wright's minimalist approach further to encompass the notion of existence, so that ontological pluralism likewise becomes a means of casting ontological disputes as instances of realist-antirealist contention.Chapter One serves primarily as a review of predominant trends in the realism literature in Anglophone philosophy over the past half-century. The aim of the chapter is to clarify the idea of mind-independence or objectivity, which I take to be essential for the idea of realism as a metaphysical thesis.In Chapter Two I explain Wright's minimalist conception of truth and use it as a model for the development of a corresponding minimalist conception of existence. I propose that the concept of existence is bound up with the concept of domain of discourse, along with the closely related concepts of quantification and predication. Then the specifically metaphysical question is whether items found in the domain of a given discourse have further realism-relevant features.Finally, Chapter Three deals with the question of the unification of the two pluralisms, as I've articulated them, into one coherent metaphysical position. A theory of facts, which is again inspired by Wright's minimalist methodology but also borrows from the work of Kit Fine, fulfills this task.


ABSTRACT Control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection requires CD4 T-cell responses and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) processing of M. tuberculosis antigens (Ags). We have previously demonstrated that macrophages process heat-killed (HK) M. tuberculosis more efficiently than live M. tuberculosis. These observations suggested that live M. tuberculosis may inhibit Ag processing by inhibiting phagosome maturation or that HK M. tuberculosis may be less resistant to Ag processing. In the present study we examined the correlation between M. tuberculosis viability and phagosome maturation and efficiency of Ag processing. Since heat treatment could render M. tuberculosis Ags more accessible to proteolysis, M. tuberculosis was additionally killed by antibiotic treatment and radiation. Processing of HK, live, radiation-killed (RadK), or rifampin-killed (RifK) M. tuberculosis in activated murine bone marrow macrophages was examined by using an I-Ab-restricted T-cell hybridoma cell line (BB7) that recognizes an epitope derived from Ag 85B. Macrophages processed HK M. tuberculosis more rapidly and efficiently than they processed live, RadK, or RifK M. tuberculosis. Live, RadK, and RifK M. tuberculosis cells were processed with similar efficiencies for presentation to BB7 T hybridoma cells. Furthermore, phagosomes containing live or RadK M. tuberculosis expressed fewer M. tuberculosis peptide-MHC-II complexes than phagosomes containing HK M. tuberculosis expressed. Since only live M. tuberculosis was able to prevent acidification of the phagosome, our results suggest that regulation of phagosome maturation does not explain the differences in processing of different forms of M. tuberculosis. These findings suggest that the mechanisms used by M. tuberculosis to inhibit phagosomal maturation differ from the mechanisms involved in modulating phagosome Ag processing.


Intrusion Detection System is a new safeguard technology for system security after traditional technologies, such as firewall, message encryption and so on. To intrusion detection system, it makes improving efficiency of intrusion detection by choosing better method of intrusion detection, traditional intrusion detection system because of large amount of calculation, the high rate of omissions and misstatem tmts has not already adapted to the needs of the current network system Protocol analysis is a kind of key technology for network intrusion detection. The paper which based on that idea will presents a distributed intrusion detection system model based on protocol analysis, it makes processing work very simple using protocol analysis technology in detection module. Compared with other model, the model has obvious advantage by analysing, and it can decrease the rate of FN and enhance the capability of system.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
This study was intended to assess the independent contribution of retinopathy to mortality in type 2 diabetic patients.

PATIENTS AND METHOD
Prospective cohort study. Type 2 diabetic patients with available fundus were included. The clinical end-point was total mortality. The main independent variable was baseline presence of background or proliferative retinopathy. Cox regression models were adjusted for age, sex, duration of diabetes, classical risk factors and baseline presence of nephropathy and cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS
458 patients were included (181 male, 277 females), with a median follow-up of 8 years (inter-quartile range, 6.7-9). There were 125 patients (27.3%) with background retinopathy and 46 (10%) with proliferative retinopathy. Mortality incidence rates per 1,000 patients-year were 20/1,000 (non retinopathy), 36.8/1,000 (background retinopathy) and 45.9/1,000 (proliferative retinopathy) with p = 0.0021. In the multivariate analysis, background retinopathy (HR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.1-3.1; p = 0.019) and proliferative retinopathy (HR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-5.1; p = 0.0048) were independent predictors of mortality. Other independent predictors were age (HR [1 year] = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.1-1.17; p < 0.0001), total cholesterol (HR [1 mmol/l] = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.6-0.97; p = 0.026), baseline insulin treatment (HR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1,1-3.2; p = 0.017) and baseline proteinuria (HR = 4.1; 95% CI, 2-8.5; p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
The presence of retinopathy increases the mortality risk in type 2 diabetic patients.


With the rapid development of information technology and Web communication technology, steganalysis is becoming an important issue in the field of information hiding. A multi direction transition probability Matrices algorithm based on Bayes decision is proposed for JPEG images steganalysis. First, the multi-direction transition probability matrices are presented for image steganalysis. It captures the correlation of DCT coefficients from eight directions. 450-dimensional feature is extracted from intra-blocks and inter-blocks, and the feature catches the changes of the image when the secret information is embedded. Then, as the feature dimension is too high, a new universal steganalysis model and Bayes decision rule are adopted. Finally, the SVM is utilized as classifier. Experiment results demonstrate that multi-direction transition probability matrices can effectively detect Jsteg, F5, OutGuess and MB1 steganagraphies. And especially for F5 steganagraphy, the detection ratio increases apparently compared with other steganalysis methods. With Bayes decision, the proposed model could effectively avoid the high dimension feature problems.


We derive the relationship between Coddington's equations and the Gaussian curvature for a stigmatic reflective imaging system. This relationship allows parameterizing off-axis conic optical systems using traditional first-order optics by considering the effective curvature at the center of the off-axis sections. Specifically, we demonstrate parameterizing the system requirements of a 2× achromatic image relay for a terawatt laser system. This system required both collimation (far-field) and pupil imaging (near-field) simultaneously. Long working distances and specific spatial constraints limited the available layout options for the imaging components. By parameterizing these system requirements and packaging constraints, the final specifications could be quickly iterated, while allowing for flexibility in the layout of the system during a multi-year conceptual period.


Bacterial infection breaks the lymph node barrier During infections, lymph nodes are command central. Fragments from invading pathogens enter lymph nodes through the lymph. There, specialized cells called subcapsular sinus (SCS) macrophages capture these antigens and use them to initiate humoral immunity. Despite being such important players, Gaya et al. report that in mice, infection throws these organized sentinels into disarray (see the Perspective by Buzsaki). Disrupting SCS macrophages had important consequences: Bacterially infected mice could not respond as efficiently to a subsequent viral infection. Science, this issue p. 667; see also p. 612 Infection disrupts the organization of macrophages in the lymph node and impairs immunity to secondary infections. [Also see Perspective by Hickman] The layer of macrophages at the subcapsular sinus (SCS) captures pathogens entering the lymph node, preventing their global dissemination and triggering an immune response. However, how infection affects SCS macrophages remains largely unexplored. Here we show that infection and inflammation disrupt the organization of SCS macrophages in a manner that involves the migration of mature dendritic cells to the lymph node. This disrupted organization reduces the capacity of SCS macrophages to retain and present antigen in a subsequent secondary infection, resulting in diminished B cell responses. Thus, the SCS macrophage layer may act as a sensor or valve during infection to temporarily shut down the lymph node to further antigenic challenge. This shutdown may increase an organism's susceptibility to secondary infections.


Introduction: Dental and oral health problems in children, especially caries, increase at age 10-14 years old due to the lack of children's knowledge. Knowledge can be provided through dissemination. Dissemination can be delivered by audio-visual media that is easy to be understand and remember. Objective: To determine the influence of dissemination using audio-visual media on 13-14 years old students at Islamic Center Bin Baz Yogyakarta Boarding School (ICBB) of oral hygiene status. Methods: This research used experimental quasy method with one group pre-test and post-test design on 60 subjects at ICBB. Pre-test and post-test assessments include oral hygiene status measurement before and after the dissemination. This studies lasted 35 days with three times dissemination repetition within 14 days interval. Data analysis were used Paired Simple T-Test. Result: The average of oral hygiene status using Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) decreased from 2,58 to 0,96. The result retrieved from Paired Simple T-Test obtained p value 0,000 (p<0,05) showed that there was significant difference of oral hygiene status average before and after the dissemination was delivered. Conclusion: This study showed that audio-visual media dissemination may affect oral hygiene status on students 13-14 years old at Salafiyah Wustha Islamic Center Bin Baz Yogyakarta Islamic Boarding School.


By definition, measuring the social capital in firm-stakeholder relationships assesses the degree to which the company has met essential preconditions for good CSP. Previous studies identified the three most important dimensions of social capital as the structural (e.g., network ties), the relational (e.g., trust), and the cognitive (e.g., shared goals, shared paradigms). A five-year longitudinal study in Papua New Guinea produced measures of social capital that were consistent with the three dimensional view including a cross-culturally meaningful measure of trust. A second cross-sectional study of 15 diverse communities on four continents confirmed the cross-cultural applicability of the cognitive and relational dimensional measures. The findings suggest that a universal predictor of a company's CSP is feasible.


Asian Americans have been writing and publishing since the 19th century, but today the popularity and importance of Asian-American literature is greater than ever. "Encyclopedia of Asian-American Literature", a comprehensive new encyclopedia, traces American writers whose roots are in all parts of Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and more. Coverage emphasizes works that are important in the high school and college literary canon, as well as the historically significant and the contemporary. The coverage includes: Carlos Bulosan; Donald Duk; Sui Sin Far (Edith Maude Eaton); Jessica Hagedorn; David Henry Hwang; Maxine Hong Kingston; Interpreter of Maladies; Gish Jen; Ha Jin; The Joy Luck Club; Jhumpa Lahiri; Chang-rae Lee; Bharati Mukherjee; Native Speaker; No-No Boy; Naomi Shihab Nye; John Okada; Cathy Song; Amy Tan; Waiting; and The Woman Warrior.


An exact solution to the problem of scattering of electromagnetic waves from a perfect electromagnetic conducting spheroid is presented, using the method of separation of variables. The formulation of the problem is realised by expanding the incident as well as the scattered electromagnetic fields in terms of appropriate spheroidal vector wave functions and imposing the appropriate boundary conditions at the surface of the spheroid. This generates a set of simultaneous equations, the solution of which yields the unknown coefficients associated with the expansion of the scattered electromagnetic field. Results are presented in the form of normalised bistatic and backscattering cross-sections for spheroids of different axial ratios, sizes and admittances, for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarisations of the incident wave.


A nonlinear optimization problem (P) with inequality constraints can be converted into a new optimization problem (PE) with equality constraints only. This is a Valentine method for finite dimensional optimization. We review second order optimality conditions for (PE) in connection with those of (P). A strictly complementary slackness condition can be made to get the property that sufficient optimality conditions for (P) imply the same property for (PE). We give some new results (see Theorems 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3) .Without any assumption, a counterexample is given to show that these conditions are not equivalent.


Persistent luminescence strontium aluminate nanoparticles co-doped with Eu2+ and Dy3+ were prepared by urea-assisted combustion synthesis. Different percentages of co-dopants were evaluated in order to optimize luminescence of the nanophosphor. Luminescence measurements showed that excitation of this green-emitting phosphor occurred within a wide range of wavelengths (254 – 460 nm) while the half-life time of persistent luminescence laid within the seconds regime. Presence of Dy3+ as the co-dopant enhanced the green emission in this interval of time, and the entire decay time occurred in minutes. Crystallinity and morphology were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Strontium aluminate co-doped with 1%Eu, and 1%Dy, and 1%Eu, and 3%Dy emitted an intense green signal and long decay time. These crystal nanophosphors displayed sizes of 18 nm and 22 nm, respectively. The cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles was determined by a cell viability test where the tri-methyl-tetrazolium reagent (MTT) was reduced only by metabolically active cells. Different concentrations of bare nanoparticles were tested in a 96-well plate containing 10, 000 cells per well of a human cervix carcinoma cell line (HeLa). Evaluation of cell viability by this cytotoxic assay showed that in most of the cases cell viability was higher than 60% after incubation with bare nanoparticles. Since our bare nanoparticles were not cytotoxic, these results open a broad field of biomedical applications for phosphorescent materials as cell biolabels and imaging research area.


Although recombinant human interleukin-3 (rhIL-3) shortens both the duration of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, its effect on nadir counts is limited. Concurrent administration of rhIL-3 and chemotherapy may enhance this effect. However, simultaneous administration of other hematopoietic growth factors and chemotherapy has resulted in enhanced myelosuppression. We investigated whether concomitant administration of rhIL-3 and chemotherapy would result in enhanced myelosuppression. Twelve patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer received vincristine, ifosfamide, mesna, and carboplatin on day 1 every four weeks. RhIL-3 was administered subcutaneously on days 1-14 during cycle 1 at doses of 4 (three patients) or 8 micrograms/kg/day (nine patients). During cycle 2 patients received only chemotherapy. No significant difference in leukocyte (1.4 +/- 1.0 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.4 x 10(9)/l (mean +/- SD), neutrophil (0.5 +/- 0.6 vs. 0.2 +/- 0.2 x 10(9)/l), and platelet (64 +/- 60 vs. 38 +/- 58 x 10(9)/l) nadir counts were demonstrated. The hemoglobin nadir level was significantly higher during cycle 1 (6.5 +/- 1.1 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.9 mmol/l, P = 0.05). Both leukocyte and platelet recovery were significantly enhanced in the rhIL-3 cycle. There was no significant difference in chemotherapy postponement or platelet transfusions. As a result of severe headaches, rhIL-3 administration was discontinued in one patient at 8 micrograms. RhIL-3 during this chemotherapy regimen for relapsed small cell lung cancer did not enhance myelotoxicity but did improve bone marrow recovery. This observation may increase the application of rhIL-3, for instance in combination with other hematopoietic growth factors.


Fluence measurements made with accelerator-based neutron fields in standards laboratories have been compared at neutron energies of 0,144, 0,565, 2,5, 5,0 and 14,8 MeV. The method used was to compare the neutron sensitivities of a pair of fission chambers, one containing 235U and the other containing 238U fissile deposits. The uncertainty contribution from the transfer method is generally smaller than the uncertainty in the fluence determination, and the results of the intercomparison are in satisfactory agreement. The weighted least squares estimates of the measured chamber neutron sensitivities at each energy confirm the ENDF/B-VI evaluations of the fission cross-sections.


This Article provides the first comprehensive survey and evaluation of proposed approaches to the central financial reform issue of our era: making all money held in account form "safe," or non-defaultable, in the same way a dollar bill cannot default. Financial crises are at core a problem of defaultable money; preventing such crises requires making money safe. The goal is eminently achievable; indeed, a number of plausible proposals have been advanced. The project has two aspects: providing better safe money options and eliminating unsafe money. This Article analyzes safe money approaches and concludes that expanding "base" money—that is, direct claims on the central bank—and removing deposit insurance caps could be equally effective at making money safe, even if they offer different benefits along other dimensions. On the other hand, tightening bank risk constraints in the absence of guarantees and various proposed solutions from the "cryptorealm" are suboptimal solutions. Because past experience has shown that safe-money options on their own do not automatically lead to the disappearance of unsafe money, proactive measures to eliminate unsafe money are also called for. Either of two approaches, taxation and prohibition, could prove effective in achieving this goal. This Article argues that prohibition is nevertheless preferable as it is likely to prove more robust to regulatory rollback efforts.


The samples of PUU polymers were characterized by In-situ FTIR in a temperature-controlled cell. The spectra of FTIR showed that the absorbance of ordered hydrogen-bonded urea carbonyl group (1643 cm(-1)) became stronger with increasing thermal process time (at 100 degrees C), then changed little after a certain time. The rate of change for absorbance of ordered hydrogen-bonded urea link, attributed to microphase separation kinetics, was enhanced with increasing thermal process temperature. In carbonyl region of FTIR spectra, absorbance for various carbonyls available in PUU polymers, associated with micro-hard domain, was observed before process. However, after the process, only the absorbance of free urethane, hydrogen-bonded urethane and ordered urea became obvious. At 100 degrees C, the longer the process time (beyond 8 h), the worse the mechanical properties obtained. The PUU polymers processed at 100 degrees C with the identical process time exhibited the best mechanical properties.