The mammary gland is unique in female mammals. Mammary tissue undergoes development and remodeling during lactation, a stage associated with high susceptibility to bacterial infections, inducing an inflammatory condition called mastitis. Although the immune response of the mammary gland has been the subject of intense research to improve prevention and treatment efficacy, the precise definition of its immune composition at this particular physiological stage is still missing. We combined single-cell RNA-Seq, flow cytometry, and three-dimensional confocal microscopy techniques to characterize the immune landscape of lactating murine mammary tissue. Macrophages dominated the immune cell repertoire and could be subdivided into at least two subsets: ductal and stromal macrophages. Ductal macrophages represented approximately 80% of the total CD45pos immune cells and co-expressed F4/80 and CD11c, with high levels of MHC class II molecules. They were strategically poised below the alveolar basal cells in contact with the myoepithelial cell network. Adaptive T and B lymphocytes were remarkably less numerous at this stage, which could explain the limited efficacy of vaccination against mastitis. These results support the view that new strategies to increase mammary immunity and prevent mastitis should be devised.


Controller Area Network (CAN) is an effective choice for the automotive industries due to its simplicity, low cost nature, and in addition to that it provides connectivity with multiple nodes with single wiring pair. This paper aims in describing an ARM 7 LPC 2129 based Vehicle Monitoring System with Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. Objective of this paper is to construct a hardware proposal for communication between nodes with CAN bus. A Node to Node communication link has been established which are connected via CAN bus so as to observe and control the different parameter values, transfer on the CAN bus and send the control signals onto the another node. This Hardware is connected in loop with the help of LABVIEW HIL capable of Monitoring and Controlling different signals on CAN. The system describes the EMS and vehicle monitoring system using CAN interface. The communication between two ECUs through CAN bus. It Senses all the parameters like temperature, Pressure, coolant level, Fuel Level, speed and Lightening from main Sensors of the Vehicle and sends it to the LABVIEW Frontend via HIL. So if there is any fault occurrence, then it can be removed easily and hardware can be tested more effectively. KeywordsCAN Bus, ARM-7 LPC2129, Vehicle monitoring Parameters, LABVIEW HIL.


People often share news, opinions, and information, and social transmission shapes both individual behavior and collective outcomes. But why are certain things more viral than others? An analysis of over 7,500 New York Times articles published over six months suggests that individual-level psychological processes (e.g., emotion) act as a selection mechanism on culture, shaping what becomes viral. Even controlling for external drivers of attention (e.g., the time an article spent on the Times' homepage), awe-inspiring articles are more likely to be among the newspaper's most e-mailed stories on a given day. Practically useful, surprising, positive, and affect-laden articles are also more likely to be viral. The magnitudes of these relationships are considerable. These results underscore the importance of considering how individual-level psychological processes shape collective outcomes such as the transmission and prominence of culture.


The present authors' systematic studies on growth of novel ceramic layers on Ti metal and its alloys by chemical and heat treatments for inducing bone-bonding bioactivity and some other biological functions are reviewed. Ti metal formed an apatite on its surface in a simulated body fluid, when heat-treated after exposure to strong acid solutions to form rutile surface layer, or to strong alkali solutions to form sodium titanate surface layer. Both types of Ti metal tightly bonded to the living bone. The alkali and heat treatment was applied to the surface Ti metal of an artificial hip joint and successfully used in the clinic since 2007. The acid and heat treatments was applied to porous Ti metal to induce osteoconductivity as well as osteoinductivity. The resulting product was successfully used in clinical trials for spinal fusion devices. For the Ti-based alloys, the alkali and heat treatment was little modified to form calcium titanate surface layer. Bone-growth promoting Mg, Sr, and Zn ions as well as the antibacterial Ag ion were successfully incorporated into the calcium titanate layer.


Rabbits were used as a traumatic shock model, and the right femoral root was fastened tightly with a tourniquet for human children for 24 hours. The amounts of LTB4, LTD4 and LTE4 in the blood and muscle were measured just before unfastening and 3, 6 and 12 hours after unfastening. After unfastening, the rabbits showed a gradual decline of blood pressure, and one died 7 hours after unfastening. LTB4 levels in the blood and muscle were within the levels of the control rabbits throughout the experimental period. On the contrary, LTD4 levels in the blood increased just before and 6 and 12 hours after unfastening. LTD4 levels in the muscle also increased at the fastened site just before and 3 and 6 hours after unfastening. LTE4 levels in the blood increased 3 hours, and those in the muscle 3 and 6 hours after unfastening. These results suggest that peptide leukotrienes may contribute to the pathogenesis of traumatic shock.


Citable URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29667 Other Contributors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Advisor: Robert K. Cunningham. Department: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Date Issued: 2003 Abstract: The Lincoln Adaptable Real Time Information Assurance Testbed (LARIAT) project is the first fully automatable network testbed for the evaluation of information assurance (IA) technologies. It allows researchers to easily set up experiments that evaluate the accuracy of host-based and network-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs). Initially, the network traffic it could produce used UNIX services and protocols as implemented for the Linux and Solaris platforms. However, due to the widespread deployment of Windows-based systems in production environments, it is necessary to include Windowsbased traffic when testing IA systems in order to provide a comprehensive evaluation. This thesis describes WinNTGen, a Windows network traffic generation system that integrates into the existing LARIAT framework and enables it to produce Windows-based network traffic. To do this, WinNTGen simulates the actions of a user controlling applications that in turn use network resources. This frees WinNTGen from the need to re-implement network protocols and allows it to operate at a higher level of abstraction. WinNTGen controls applications via loadable libraries that encapsulate the manner in which a typical user interacts with a particular application. The statistical parameters that specify the behavior of a user with each application are derived from real users' behavioral data as they interacted with each application. The system is flexible and extensible so that different versions of the same application as well as additional applications can be controlled by modifying and adding libraries. Finally, the reality and the throughput of the network traffic produced by the WinNTGen system are evaluated. Description: Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-67). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29667


We propose a theoretical framework to analyze quantitative sensing performance parameters, including sensitivity, full width at half maximum, plasmonic dip position, and figure of merits for different surface plasmon operating conditions for a Kretschmann configuration. Several definitions and expressions of the figure of merit have been reported in the literature. Moreover, the optimal operating conditions for each figure of merit are, in fact, different. In addition, there is still no direct figure of merit comparison between different expressions and definitions to identify which definition provides a more accurate performance prediction. Here shot-noise model and Monte Carlo simulation mimicking the noise behavior in SPR experiments have been applied to quantify standard deviation in the SPR plasmonic dip measurements to evaluate the performance responses of the figure of merits. Here, we propose and formulate a generalized figure of merit definition providing a good performance estimation to the detection limit. The measurement parameters employed in the figure of merit formulation are identified by principal component analysis and machine learning. We also show that the proposed figure of merit can provide a good estimation for the surface plasmon resonance performance of plasmonic materials, including gold and aluminum, with no need for a resource-demanding computation.


This work analyzes the advantages of broad-band time-domain the electrical measurement applied to electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems. The digital signal processing of EMI measurements allows to emulate in real-time the various modes of conventional analogous equipment. Since time-domain techniques allow processing the amplitude and phasing information of the whole signal spectrum in parallel, the measurement time may be reduced by at least one order of magnitude. On details the signal processing algorithms and the measurement results obtained with the time-domain electromagnetic interference system.


An alliance between a patient9s cultural identity and a physician9s cultural competency can improve patient physician communication and ultimately reduce health disparities[1]. However, communication barriers in the patient-physician relationship contribute to health disparities in the cancer care setting.[2] Providers are often unaware of their skill level and perceptions and may believe they do not need improvement. 2 This study sought to develop and evaluate a brief intervention for oncology care providers to improve cultural communication related to Hispanic patients and families. Oncologists at a major cancer center were surveyed to identify which of the nine AHRQ cultural competency techniques they desired to receive more training (n= 72). 66% selected, "I am interested in receiving information on how to communicate difficult issues such as terminal illness and controversial diagnosis, in a way that is respectful to Hispanic culture." A workshop was held for 55 staff containing a didactic lecture from an Hispanic provider addressing culture, terminal illness, and communication strategies. A panel of interpreters, translators, and bi-lingual providers answered questions from the audience and a group discussion was held. A seven item pre-test was administered prior to the workshop, followed by a three item post-test. 62% agreed the panel discussion was helpful in developing techniques for communicating bad news to Spanish speaking patients. At baseline 20% of participants felt very comfortable with their cultural communication skills, however, only 3% felt very comfortable after attending the intervention. At pre-test 25% reported having very little knowledge about the cultural context of breaking bad news to Hispanic patients, yet at post-test 0% reported having very little knowledge. These data suggest the training was successful overall, as well as aiding in identifying providers who previously had a high level of comfort based on misperceptions of good cultural communication and through the workshop realized they needed improvement. [1] Brach, Cindy, Fraser, Irene Can Cultural Competency Reduce Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities? A Review And Conceptual Model Med Care Res Rev 2000 57: 181-217 [2] Saha, Somnath, Arbelaez, Jose J., Cooper, Lisa A. Patient-Physician Relationships and Racial Disparities in the Quality of Health Care Am J Public Health 2003 93: 1713-1719 Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 884.


Inter-organizational systems operate in an area where there are many interested parties. If the views of these interested parties are not explored and taken into consideration before and during the development of an inter-organizational system, it is likely that the implementation of this system will be disappointing. This paper describes one approach to exploring these views through the use of stakeholder analysis. More specifically, it describes how to identify the stakeholders, a process that has been overlooked in the stakeholder analysis and inter-organizational systems literature, and examines the perceptions of a number of stakeholders in the drug use management field in the UK.


Having quality line work is a fundamental skill for designers, architects, and engineers to have when sketching concepts and ideating. Construction lines and perspective lines often form the basis of complex three-dimensional forms in a drawing, and if these lines are ambiguous or poorly drawn, the entire foundation of a drawing can be significantly weakened. We introduce a novel sketch-based game called ZenSketch that encourages quality freehand line work through engaging gameplay. The game utilizes gesture-based sketch recognition and translates features of line work into unique game mechanics. Our evaluation showed that the game was designed well and could improve the player's line work in the dimensions of accuracy, smoothness, and speed.


Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels ('bijels') were proposed in 2005 as a hypothetical new class of soft materials in which interpenetrating, continuous domains of two immiscible fluids are maintained in a rigid state, by a jammed layer of colloidal particles at their interface. Such gels should have unusual material properties relevant to catalysis and other applications. Although initially proposed on the basis of computer simulation, the existence of bijels has since been confirmed in the laboratory. However, a wide gap remains between the simulated and the experimental systems. This leaves room for continuing debate on the cause of stability in these materials; in particular, it is not known whether an attraction between the colloidal particles is essential for stability.


Digital rock methodology combines modern microscopic imaging with advanced numerical simulations of the physical properties of rocks. Elastic-wave propagation modeling, directly from rock microstructure to estimate effective elastic properties, is integral to this technology. Additionally, we determine the permeability of the digitized rock samples. The goals of this paper are to describe and understand how laboratory experiments couple with digital rock physics results. For a Berea Sandstone sample, we measure pressure-dependent velocities and permeability. Different approaches, with different resolution, are used to characterize the pore geometry of the selected sample. These include X-Ray tomography, electron probe micro analysis, scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion. Knowing the pore size distribution, we suggest a strategy for calibrating digital rock physics results.


Pump-probe time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is employed to investigate ultrafast non-adiabatic dynamics in aniline, deuterated aniline (aniline-D7) and 1,4- diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). Aniline molecules are photoexcited over a wide range of wavelengths between 269 and 236 nm. Our observations reveal direct population of the S2(π3s/πσ∗) state. The photoelectron energy and angular distributions obtained in our experiments show an interesting bifurcation of the Rydberg population to two non-radiative decay channels. One of these involves ultrafast relaxation from the Rydberg component of the S2(π3s/πσ∗) state to the S1(ππ∗) state, from which the population relaxes back to the electronic ground state on a much longer timescale. The other channel appears to involve motion along the πσ∗dissociative potential energy surface. At higher excitation energies, the dominant excitation is to the S3(ππ∗) state, which undergoes extremely efficient electronic relaxation back to the ground state. Aniline-D7 is photoexcited with 260 nm wavelength light. The photodynamics of aniline-D7 is similar to those observed in aniline. Comparison of the dynamics of aniline and aniline-D7confirm that the relaxation of the π3s component of the S2(π3s/πσ∗) state to the S1(ππ∗) state is a main relaxation pathway. Photodynamics of DABCO molecules were also studied over a wide range of wavelengths between 251 and 234 nm. The ultrafast internal conversion in DABCO between the S2 3px,y(+) and S1 3s(+) Rydberg states follows a biexponential decay. It was found that initial randomly oriented molecules are partially aligned after absorption of linearly polarised light and, therefore, DABCO exhibits a preferential direction of excitation.


Although numerous studies have been carried out to study haze formation in the North China Plain (NCP) and Northeastern Plain (NP), little is known about the chemical compositions and haze formations in Qinhuangdao city, which is located in the northeast edge of the NCP and adjacent to the NP. In this study, water‐soluble inorganic ions, organic carbon and elemental carbon (EC) were analysed offline during two haze periods from October 29 to November 7, 2021. The results showed that NO3− and organic matter (OM) accounted for 34.81% and 21.15% of total PM2.5 mass concentration, respectively, followed by NH4+ (14.06%) and SO42− (12.33%). The sulphur oxidation ratio and nitrogen oxidation ratio as well as OM/EC ratio on haze days were higher than those on non‐haze days, suggesting both high secondary inorganic and organic aerosol formation on haze days under high relative humidity. Source apportionment results showed that marine aerosols contributed small of total aerosol particle loads, while the combustion‐related sources were the most, possibly coal combustion, biomass burning and vehicle emissions. Air masses during haze periods mainly came from southwest and west directions in this case. Further calculated meteorological data of 2018–2021 showed high PM2.5 mass in Qinhuangdao were mainly affected by low‐speed southwest wind in autumn. The results highlighted the important role of long‐range transport of air pollutants from the NCP instead of the NP on haze formation in autumn in Qinhuangdao.


The time-dependent failure behaviour of off-axis loaded composites is investigated, assuming that fracture is matrix dominated. Since the stress and strain state of the matrix in composite structures is complex, the yield and fracture behaviour of a neat epoxy system is investigated under various multi-axial loading conditions. A good description of the multi-axial yielding behaviour of the matrix material is obtained with the 3-dimensional pressure modified Eyring equation. The parameters of this 3-dimensional yield expression are implemented into a constitutive model, which has been shown to describe the deformation behaviour of polymers under complex loadings correctly. By means of a micromechanical approach, the matrix dominated transverse strength of a unidirectional composite material was investigated. Numerical simulations show that a failure criterion based on maximum strain provides a good description for the rate dependent transverse strength of unidirectional glass/epoxy composites. Furthermore, such a strain criterion is also able to describe the durability (creep) of off-axis loaded unidirectional composites.


The first impression of robot appearance normally affects the interaction with physical robots. Hence, it is critically important to evaluate the humanoid robot appearance design. This study towards evaluating humanoid robot design based on global eye-tracking metrics. Two methods are selected to extract global eye-tracking metrics, including bin-analysis-based entropy and approximate entropy. The data are collected from an eye-tracking experiment, where 20 participants evaluate 12 humanoid robot appearance designs with their eye movements recorded. The humanoid robots are evaluated from five aspects, namely smartness, friendliness, pleasure, arousal, and dominance. The results show that the entropy of fixation duration and velocity, approximate entropy of saccades amplitude are positively associated with the subjective feelings induced by robot appearance. These findings can aid in better understanding the first impression of human-robot interaction and enable the eye-tracking-based evaluation of humanoid robot design. By combining the theory of design and bio-signals analysis, the study contributes to the field of Transdisciplinary Engineering.


We develop a spatially dependent generalization to the Wells–Riley model, which determines the infection risk due to airborne transmission of viruses. We assume that the infectious aerosol concentration is governed by an advection–diffusion–reaction equation with the aerosols advected by airflow, diffused due to turbulence, emitted by infected people, and removed due to ventilation, inactivation of the virus and gravitational settling. We consider one asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious person breathing or talking, with or without a mask, and model a quasi-three-dimensional set-up that incorporates a recirculating air-conditioning flow. We derive a semi-analytic solution that enables fast simulations and compare our predictions to three real-life case studies—a courtroom, a restaurant, and a hospital ward—demonstrating good agreement. We then generate predictions for the concentration and the infection risk in a classroom, for four different ventilation settings. We quantify the significant reduction in the concentration and the infection risk as ventilation improves, and derive appropriate power laws. The model can be easily updated for different parameter values and can be used to make predictions on the expected time taken to become infected, for any location, emission rate, and ventilation level. The results have direct applicability in mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.


This study aims to analyze the formative evaluation developed by the teacher so it is known whether the evaluation form developed is based on High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). The subjects of this study were High School Students of SDN Kuwonharjo 2, Academic Year 2018/2019 UPTD Takeran District, Magetan Regency. The research approach used is descriptive qualitative approach. The data of this study were obtained from formative question documents developed by SDN Kuwonharjo 2 teachers. Based on the overall results of the formative evaluation analysis, it showed that the evaluation forms that were made had not yet demonstrated Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). All questions are still at the C1 and C2 levels so this is an ingredient to make improvements in terms of planning to make a minimum evaluation form at the C4 level.


Recent advances in nanofabrication methods have made it possible to create complex two-dimensional artificial structures, such as fractals, where electrons can be confined. The optoelectronic and plasmonic properties of these exotic quantum electron systems are largely unexplored. In this paper, we calculate the optical conductivity of a two-dimensional electron gas in a Sierpinski carpet (SC). The SC is a paradigmatic fractal that can be fabricated in a planar solid-state matrix by means of an iterative procedure. We show that the optical conductivity as a function of frequency (i.e., the optical spectrum) converges, at finite temperature, as a function of the fractal iteration. The calculated optical spectrum features sharp peaks at frequencies determined by the smallest geometric details at a given fractal iteration. Each peak is due to excitations within sets of electronic state-pairs, whose wave functions are characterized by quantum confinement in the SC at specific length scales, related to the frequency of the peak.


A study of the usefulness of features extracted from unsupervised methods is pro- posed. The usefulness of these features will be studied on the task of performing named entity recognition within one clinical sub-domain as well as on the task of adapting a named entity recognition model to a new clinical sub-domain. Four named entity types, all very relevant for clinical information extraction, will be studied: Disorder, Finding, Pharmaceutical Drug and Body Structure. The named entity recognition will be performed using conditional random fields. As unsupervised features, a clustering of the semantic representation of words obtained from a ran- dom indexing word space will be used.


Background Chinese SLE treatment and Research Group (CSTAR) started a multi-center prospective cohort study recruiting SLE patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) since 2006. This study aimed to investigate the validity of a multimensional risk assessment and the prognostic value of it in SLE-associated PAH. Methods All SLE patients were fulfilled the 1997 revised ACR criteria. PAH was diagnosed based on ESC/ERS guidelines by right heart catheterization. The outcome was all-cause mortality. Two different methods of risk categorization were applied according to baseline data, including low-risk criteria number of none to four and mean score of 1 (low-risk), 2 (intermediate-risk) or 3 (high-risk). According to first follow-up, patients were further divided into increased risk, remained risk and decreased risk group. A prediction model was used to distinguish SLE-PAH from vasculitic and vasculopathic subtype, based on the time interval between the diagnosis of SLE and PAH and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). KaplanMeier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards analysis were conducted. Results 282 patients were enrolled. The 5 year survival of patients with none, one, two, three and four low risk criteria were 42.7%, 64.8%, 86.1%, 90.2% and 91.7%, respectively (HR=0.59, 95% CI 0.44–0.78, p<0.001). The 5 year survival of patients in low-risk, intermediate-risk and high-risk group were 92.3%, 60.4% and 50.0%, respectively (Log-rank, p=0.001). Notably, in low-risk group, patients with vasculitic subtype had better survival than those with vasculopathic subtype (Log-rank, p=0.044). The 5 year survival of patients with remained, decreased and increased risk were 65.4%, 88.1% and 23.8%, respectively (log-rank, p<0.001). Conclusions Our study, for the first time, validated the prognostic value of risk stratification strategy at baseline and follow-up visit in patients with SLE-associated PAH. Patients are recommended to have a comprehensive evaluation on PAH and SLE at baseline and every follow-up visit. The SLE disease activity and systemic manifestations predict the phenotype of SLE-associated PAH, which also effect the long-term survival and need to be involved into risk assessment of SLE-associated PAH. Improving to low-risk group can be a future treatment target for SLE-associated PAH patients in clinical practice. Funding Source(s): This work was supported by the Chinese National Key Research R and D Program [grant number 2017YFC0907601, 2017YFC0907602, 2017YFC0907603, 2008BAI59B02], and the Chinese National High Technology Research and Development Program, Ministry of Science and Technology [grant number 2012AA02A513].


Purpose: Quantitative analysis of hyperautofluorescent rings and progression in subjects with retinitis pigmentosa associated with retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene mutations. Methods: Prospective observational study of 46 subjects. Ring area, horizontal and vertical diameter measurements taken from outer and inner ring borders. Intraobserver repeatability, baseline measurements, progression rates, interocular symmetry, and association with age and genotype were investigated. Results: Baseline ring area was 11.8 ± 13.4 mm2 and 11.4 ± 13.2 mm2 for right and left eyes, respectively, with very strong interocular correlation (r = 0.9398; P < 0.0001). Ring area constriction was 1.5 ± 2.0 mm2/year and 1.3 ± 1.9 mm2/year for right and left eyes, respectively, with very strong interocular correlation (r = 0.878, P < 0.0001). Baseline ring area and constriction rate correlated negatively with age (r = −0.767; P < 0.0001 and r = −0.644, P < 0.0001, respectively). Constriction rate correlated strongly with baseline area (r = 0.850, P < 0.0001). Age, but not genotype, exerted a significant effect on constriction rates (P < 0.0001), with greatest rates of progression seen in younger subjects. An exponential decline overall was found. Conclusion: This study provides disease-specific baseline values and progression rates together with a repeatability assessment of fundus autofluorescence metrics. Our findings can guide future treatment trials and contribute to the clinical care of patients with RPGR-associated retinitis pigmentosa.


Single Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) bilayers derived from calix[n]arene-based surfactants (n = 4, 5 and 6) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) exhibit exceptional H(2)/CO(2) permeation selectivities. Evidence for the importance of ionic crosslinking and self-healing processes is presented.


A simple single-feed resonant cavity antenna having a flat, low-profile all-dielectric partially reflecting surface (PRS) is described, which has a wide 3 dB bandwidth covering the entire Ku-band. The PRS is composed of three dielectric sections, forming a planar slab with the dielectric constant of the slab decreasing from the centre to the edge in three steps. In addition to the directivity enhancement (up to 10 dB over the feed antenna), it is shown that such single-layer PRSs remarkably improve the bandwidth of RCAs while reducing the profile of the antenna significantly. The total height of the antenna prototype is only 0.65λ 0 at the lowest operating frequency. Experimental results are included to validate the proposed concept.


In humans, the process of hair shedding, referred to as exogen, is believed to occur independently of the other hair cycle phases. Although the actual mechanisms involved in hair shedding are not fully known, it has been hypothesized that the processes leading to the final step of hair shedding may be driven by proteases and/or protease inhibitor activity. In this study, we investigated the presence of proteases and protease activity in naturally shed human hairs and assessed enzyme inhibition activity of test materials.


We consider natural and general exponential families $(Q_m)_{m\in M}$ on $\mathbb{R}^d$ parametrized by the means. We study the submodels $(Q_{\theta m_1+(1-\theta)m_2})_{\theta\in[0,1]}$ parametrized by a segment in the means domain, mainly from the point of view of the Fisher information. Such a parametrization allows for a parsimonious model and is particularly useful in practical situations when hesitating between two parameters $m_1$ and $m_2$. The most interesting examples are obtained when $\mathbb{R}^d$ is a linear space of matrices, in particular for Gaussian and Wishart models.


Objectives Approximately 200 000 workers are employed in the UK waste sector and an estimated 1.5 million working days per year are perhaps lost across the sector due to work related sickness absence, at a cost of around £100 million per year. HSL commenced a 3-year survey in 2011, aiming to quantify sickness absence across the sector and identify specific work areas where work related ill health may be particularly prevalent. Methods A sample of local authorities delivering municipal waste services and private waste management companies, operating across England, Scotland and Wales, are currently being recruited to the survey. Participating organisations are being requested to provide sickness absence data pertaining to their workforce, broken down across standard ill health and work area categories. Results Potentially significant work related health hazards in waste workers include risks of musculoskeletal injury from carrying activities, respiratory health risks associated with inhalation of dusts during domestic and particularly green waste collection, and from composting organic waste, and risks of infections and skin irritation/dermatitis due to poor personal hygiene during waste handling. Initial analysis of pilot data suggests the risk of absences attributable to musculo-skeletal disorders and certain respiratory problems to be collectively around fourfold higher in several operational waste worker groups relative to office workers. More detailed analysis is planned to elucidate potential work related effects. Conclusions Improved understanding of the profile of work related ill health in waste workers will help ensure that any interventions introduced are appropriately targeted. UK Crown Copyright 2011.


Abstract During the evolutionary transition to Metazoa, cell-cell- as well as cell-matrix recognition molecules have been formed, which made a further step in evolution possible, the establishment of an immune system. Sponges [Porifera] represent the oldest still extant metazoan phylum and consequently testify to major features of the common metazoan ancestor, the Urmetazoa. Most studies with respect to evolution and phylogeny in sponges have been performed with the marine demosponges Suberites domuncula and Geodia cydonium. These animals possess effective defense systems against microbes and parasites which involve engulfment of bacteria into specific cells, but also signal transduction pathways which actively kill bacteria. Among those is the LPS-mediated pathway, with the stress-responsive kinases. In addition, sponges are provided with an interferon-related system, with the (2–5)A synthetase as controlling enzyme. Transplantation studies have been performed on tissue, as well as at the cellular level ("mixed sponge cell reaction assay") which demonstrate the complex molecular strategy by which sponges respond to allogeneic- and/or autogeneic signals. Among the molecules involved in histo(in)compatibility response of sponges, cytokines e.g., the allograft inflammatory factor 1, have been identified which control rejection of allografts. Furthermore, transcription factors, with Tcf-like factor as an example, have been identified which very likely control gene expression during histocompatibility reactions. The immune reactions in sponges can be modulated by FK506, a drug which has been successfully used as immunosuppressant in humans. One further surprising finding is the fact that G. cydonium has several molecules containing polymorphic Ig-like domains of the variable type. It is concluded that the successful evolutionary transition to the Metazoa, with the sponges as the oldest still extant phylum, and the subsequent rapid radiation into the other metazoan phyla, became possible because of the acquisition of modular molecules, involved in cell adhesion and the immune system.


Digital platforms disrupt – not just incumbent industries, but also academic imaginations about the future course of capitalism. While some scholars envision the next great transformation towards the ultimate marketization, others anticipate a post-capitalism based on digitally revitalized notions of community and reciprocity. Starting from this controversy, the article advances a Polanyian perspective to push beyond the ostensibly antagonistic dynamics of more or less market. More specifically, the emergence of digital platforms is perceived from the angle of three key drivers that propelled the great transformation towards marketization: technology, science, state. While the break-through of marketization, in Polanyi's view, was prompted by the steam engine, the emergence of platforms is driven by the digital infrastructures of cloud computing, big data and algorithms; and while markets were scientifically legitimized by economics, platforms deploy network theories that, through their far-reaching application, perform social reality. Just like markets, however, platforms are nothing natural, but are objects of ongoing political contestations that forge the embedding of the platform economy into the regulatory framework of society.


The structural analysis of class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), cell surface proteins responding to peptide hormones, has until recently been restricted to the extracellular domain (ECD). Cor-ticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 (CRF1R) is a class B receptor mediating stress response and also considered a drug target for depression and anxiety. Here we report the crystal structure of the trans-membrane domain of human CRF1R in complex with the small-molecule antagonist CP-376395 in a hex-agonal setting with translational non-crystallographic symmetry. Molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations on this novel structure and the existing TMD structure for CRF1R provides insight as to how the small molecule ligand gains access to the induced-fit allosteric binding site with implications for the observed selectivity against CRF2R. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations performed using a full-length receptor model point to key interactions between the ECD and extracellular loop 3 of the TMD providing insight into the full inactive state of multidomain class B GPCRs.


The DNA intercalating properties of trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (1) and of trans-4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (2) have been compared in UV absorption and in fluorescence emission and fluorescence lifetime studies. Molecules 1 and 2 represent steric models of the two epoxide containing metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene, trans-7,8-dihydroxy-anti-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) and benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide. The former of these metabolites is a highly carcinogenic bay region metabolite, the latter is a much less carcinogenic K region metabolite. The association constant for intercalation for model 1 is 5,226 M-1. This is more than 2.7 times greater than that for molecule 2. These results taken together with results form previous studies of bay and K region metabolite models of benz[a]anthracene suggest that intercalation is important to the overall carcinogenic activity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.


BACKGROUND
Zinc deficiency has been seen in developing countries in which grain-based vegetable protein is consumed more often than animal protein. This study was done to emphasize the importance of zinc-fortified foods and to investigate bioavailability of zinc in zinc-fortified bread.

METHODS
Serum zinc concentrations in healthy 7- to 11-year-old school children were determined. In 24 of 101 children serum zinc concentrations were below 65 micrograms/ul. These 24 children with asymptomatic zinc deficiency were divided into two equal groups. The 12 children with low serum zinc concentrations received the zinc-fortified bread providing 2 mg/kg/day elemental zinc acetate for 90 days (zinc-supplemented group), whereas the other 12 children received the same quality bread with no zinc fortification (control group).

RESULTS
By the end of the period, the zinc-supplemented group had significantly higher serum and leukocyte zinc concentrations (p < 0.01) and the weight, serum albumin levels, and alkaline phosphatase increased (p < 0.01). Immune functions improved, evidenced by conversion of delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions. Zinc-fortified bread (2 mg/kg/day) caused no side effects or manifestations of zinc toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the bioavailability of zinc in the bread is satisfactory. The use of zinc-fortified bread was found to be an economical and readily accessible method to eliminate zinc deficiency and to prevent further occurrence.


The re-ingestion of toxic or odorous gases exhausted from rooftop stacks of a building may be a cause of indoor air quality problems of the same or an adjacent building. Although many experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the dispersion of exhaust from low-rise buildings, relatively little work has been conducted for high-rise buildings. The present study examines the dispersion of pollutants from rooftop stacks on high-rise buildings and their effect on adjacent buildings. The water flume of the Building Aerodynamics Laboratory (BAL) has been used to carry out flow visualization experiments to identify building configurations that may produce exhaust re-ingestion. Results from the water flume were verified in the boundary layer wind tunnel of the BAL using the tracer gas technique. General flow patterns are discussed in terms of dilution contours. Thirteen empirical equations of the minimum dilution variation with different building configurations have been derived based on a significant amount of experimental data. The effects of various factors are investigated. The dilution measurement results are compared with prediction from ASHRAE dilution model and those from other recent similar studies. It was found that the distance of stack to wall inlet and the exhaust momentum ratio affect the exhaust dilution dramatically. However, the stack location does not make any significant difference on dilution within the wake cavity zone with the same stack distance. Higher stack provides higher wall dilution. The gap between emitting and adjacent buildings affects the distribution of dilution, but it does not affect the value of the minimum dilution


Abstract A redefinition of 'authenticity' is occurring in historical fiction, with the emergence of a 'neo-historical' aesthetic. Wider cultural discourses around authenticity are particularly unstable as evidenced by the renegotiation of the term through social media movements such as Instagram's #liveauthentic community. The neo-historical impulse in fiction participates in these debates. Whereas in much historical fiction criticism the term 'authentic' has been synonymous with 'accurate' – witness the quotation from Sarah Waters in my title – the neo-historical aesthetic is differently authentic. This is evident in the use of conspicuous anachronisms through which the neo-historical both resists and incorporates postmodern discourses about the unreliability of 'factual' historical narratives, proposing instead new kinds of fictional histories, which are authentic in their self-awareness and honest acknowledgement of their inevitable limitations. With reference to #liveauthentic, this paper will explore the neo-historical aesthetic in novels by Emma Donoghue and Sarah Waters and historical fiction criticism from Diana Wallace and Marie-Luise Kohlke. Underpinning these debates are semiotic theories by Jonathan Culler about authenticity and tourism which illuminate the conditions of 'authenticity' and clarify ongoing shifts in its meaning. Rather than deconstructing all history neo-historical aesthetics use the politics and practices of deconstruction and shift the semiotic markers of authenticity to create new, fictionalised 'neo-histories'.


We prepared macro-porous silicon (MPS) by electrochemical corrosion in a double-tank cell on the surface of single-crystalline P-type silicon. Then, nano-WO3 films were deposited on MPS layers by DC facing target reactive magnetron sputtering. The morphologies of the MPS and WO3/MPS samples were investigated by using a field emission scanning electron microscope. The crystallization of WO3 and the valence of the W in the WO3/MPS sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The gas sensing properties of MPS and WO3/MPS gas sensors were thoroughly measured at room temperature. It can be concluded that: the WO3/MPS gas sensor shows the gas sensing properties of a P-type semiconductor gas sensor. The WO3/MPS gas sensor exhibits good recovery characteristics and repeatability to 1 ppm NO2. The addition of WO3 can enhance the sensitivity of MPS to NO2. The long-term stability of a WO3/MPS gas sensor is better than that of an MPS gas sensor. The sensitivity of the WO3/MPS gas sensor to NO2 is higher than that to NH3 and C2H5OH. The selectivity of the MPS to NO2 is modified by deposited nano-WO3 film.


The surface-supported silver nanoparticles have been studied and applied in various applications. Many unique nanostructures have been introduced into this field to improve the functionalities of the surfaces depending on application purposes. We created featured silver nano-array surfaces by utilizing the solvent-mediated phase transition on the surface grafted with poly (acrylic) acids polymer chains and taking advantage of the low temperature of argon gas discharged plasma as a reducing agent. The applied solvents and grafted polymer chain densities affected the phase transition and thus determined the outcome of surface nano-array patterns. However, the total loaded silver ions on the surface affected silver nano-array structures at the sub-micron levels. The featured silver patterned surfaces made in the optimal conditions present a favorable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enhancement as well as recyclability for detection re-usage. This novel method prepares tunable silver nanopatterned surfaces and provides a new approach to various potential applications.


We present a new method for analyzing the 3D motion of the heart's left ventricle (LV) from tagged magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Our technique is based on the development of a new class of volumetric physics-based deformable models whose parameters are functions and can capture the local shape variation of an object. These parameters require no complex post-processing in order to be used by a physician. These volumetric models allow the accurate estimation of the shape and motion of the inner and outer walls of the LV as well as within the walls. We also present a new technique for calculating forces exerted by tagged MRI data to material points of the deformable model. Furthermore, by plotting the variations over time of the extracted LV model parameters from normal heart data we are able to quantitatively analyze and compare the epicardial and endocardial motion.<<ETX>>


a. Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York. b. Nuffield Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds c. Clinical Trials & Evaluation Unit, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, London d. Division of Public Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham e. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Leicester, Leicester f. BHF Heart Research Centre at Leeds, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds g. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham


Background

In severe sepsis, early mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle is associated with decreased biogenesis and adverse patient outcome. We hypothesised that reduction in mitochondrial content during critical illness would be balanced by improved efficiency by switching from fatty acid oxidation as metabolic substrate.

Methods

30 critically ill patients (70% male, age 56.4±19.7 years, APACHE II score 22.4±6.6) were recruited <24 hours after intensive care admission. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were taken on day 1 and 7. Concentrations of mitochondrial respiratory complex proteins and key proteins of the β-oxidation pathway were determined. Mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA) and PGC1-α mRNA concentrations were determined contemporaneously by RT-qPCR. Muscle and blood metabolic profiles were quantified by H1 nuclear magnetic resonance (H1 NMR).

Results

There was reduction in both mtDNA (p = 0.003) and PGC1-α (p=0.041) from day 1 to day 7. Mitochondrial respiratory complex I-V concentrations did not change significantly but mitochondrial β-oxidation pathway proteins (CPT1, MCAD, ETF, DecR1) all significantly decreased. There was a significant increase in serum LDL and VLDL from day 1 to day 7 (p<0.01) and intramyocellular concentrations of lipid also increased significantly (p= 0.002).

Conclusion

These data suggest decreased mitochondrial biogenesis over the first week of critical illness. The decrease in β-oxidation proteins combined with an increase in both serum and muscle fat concentrations suggest a shift away from inefficient fat metabolism during the first 7 days of critical illness. These data have implications for feeding regimes in critical illness.


Compounds that inhibit their target through covalent binding offer a number of unique advantages as potential therapeutic agents. They can achieve high ligand efficiency, and thus high potency, which can translate into a reduced drug dosage. In addition, covalent binding can result in a long duration of action of the compound and thus less frequent drug dosing. Despite these advantages, there are several safety concerns about this class of compounds because of their inherent reactivity and potential for non-specific binding to cellular proteins. The primary aim of this study was to establish the thiol reactivity of acrylamides and other cysteine-reactive groups by measuring reactivity against various cysteine-containing cellular components. Compounds were incubated with glutathione, bovine serum albumen (BSA) or human liver microsomes (HLM), and the reduction in thiol levels was quantitated using Ellman's reagent. In addition, the ability of compounds to induce Nrf2 activity in a reporter gene assay was used as a functional readout of compound reactivity. The assays were validated using known thiol-reactive compounds and Nrf2 inducers such as sulforaphane (SFP) and 1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T). Our results demonstrate that acrylamides possess low reactivity unless activated by electron-withdrawing N-substituents. Analogous propynamides and vinyl sulphones were more reactive than acrylamides with respect to glutathione activity but were less reactive in the Nrf2 assay. Large drug-like molecules, including irreversible kinase inhibitors targeting BTK and EGFR, were far less reactive than their lower molecular weight counterparts, suggesting that the presence of an electrophile is not sufficient to predict thiol reactivity. These studies demonstrate the utility of multiple thiol sources in addition to glutathione when assessing the thiol reactivity of covalent inhibitors.


The performance of compact fin-and-flat tube heat exchangers (HE) can be affected by many geometrical and processing factors and one of them is tube inclination angle. However, the effect of flat tube inclination angle on the thermal-hydraulic performance of the HE is not fully examined. This paper investigates the effects of flat tube inclination angles on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of fined flat tube HE when the tubes are deployed in in-line and staggered arrangements. A symmetric numerical method based on FLUENT software was carried out with six different tube inclination angles (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 150°) in moderately high Reynolds number. From the results, it was observed that heat transfer coefficient increased with the augmentation of the tube inclination angle from 0o to 90o and decreased for 120o and 150o. With the increase of tube inclination angle, the average Nusselt number rose by 36.3%. This might be due to the reason that the tube surface area increases with the inclination angle, which also results in the largest increment of the pressure drop by 42.0%. Overall, the 90o tube inclination angle showed the highest enhancement in heat transfer for both inline and staggered configurations with a maximum enhancement of 41.2% for in-line and 32.2% for staggered arrangements. However, the heat transfer enhancements were accompanied by high-pressure drop penalties of up to 44.2% and 42.6% for in-line and staggered arrangements, respectively. Therefore, inclining the tubes at 90o is recommended where high heat transfer is required. On the other hand, 0o tube inclination angle is recommended where pumping power is a crucial issue.


The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Warsaw pact have resulted in a change of operational theatre for the naval forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). In particular, the focus of Anti Submarine Warfare forces has shifted from tracking Soviet nuclear ballistic missile submarine in the deep waters of the Atlantic ocean to hunting smaller and quieter Diesel electric submarines in coastal water. In most scenarios, towed array sonars are the best sensor to detect, classify and localise submarines. The long passive towed array sonars used during the Cold war are more difficult to use in coastal waters and are being replaced by most Navies by Low Frequency Active Sonars (LFAS) using a towed source and shorter towed receiving array. These shorter towed arrays can be used in both active and passive modes. In passive mode, their reduced size offer limited performance compared to their longer equivalent. In active mode, they can detect submarines at long ranges in shallow waters but are plagued by false alarms caused by echoes from features of the seafloor. This thesis deals with algorithms improving Detection, Classification and Localisation for towed sonar arrays, with a specific focus on LFAS sonars. In Chapter 2, we derive, analyse and apply to measured data a method for improving detection performance with short passive towed arrays. An important issue in detection of quiet acoustic source with short towed arrays is the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bearing resolution for targets emitting low frequency signals. One of the techniques believed to improve these characteristics is Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS). The method is based on the artificial enlargement of a sonar array by coherently integrating acoustic snapshots at different antenna positions. We first derive theoretical measures of performance of passive SAS and report on its application in combination with other signal-processing algorithms. Its theoretical performance is compared with that of the frequently used incoherent integration. The used passive SAS algorithm is the method known as Extended Towed Array Measurement (ETAM) or the overlap correlator. It is based on the correlation of data snapshots on overlapping hydrophones. Correlation is a key issue in this method and since it is affected by noisy targets, some gain can be expected from noise cancellation. The influence on the performance of ETAM of a method of tow ship noise cancelling at hydrophone level (Inverse Beam Forming, IBF) is analysed. This approach increases ETAM performance by removing a loud and highly correlated noise source, the tow ship, and thus enhancing the other targets in the beam pattern. The results of the algorithms applied to two experimental datasets show that they bring an improvement close to theoretical expectations. Port starboard discrimination and the successful combination of IBF with ETAM make this approach innovative. In Chapter 3, methods for improving the localisation of a source with a short towed array are analysed and applied to data, both simulated and measured at sea. Localisation performance with sonar towed array is related to the array length. The knowledge of the position of a given acoustic source gives a critical tactical advantage to a ship. There are a limited number of ways to estimate the range of a source with a towed passive sonar, most requiring the towing platform to execute a manoeuvre. These manoeuvres are undesirable as they take a lot of time, cause bending of the towed array and can even put the towing platform in harm's way. We present a number of source position estimation methods for both broadband and narrowband sources suitable for short towed arrays. Recursive methods based on the extended Kalman filter are first examined. A new method based on the integration of time delay of arrival measurements along the sonar path is described. We derive theoretical performance indicators and show that this method gives the possibility to estimate the position and speed of a source without a manoeuvre. In Chapter 4, the Classification performance of a broadband waveform is analysed and measured on data collected at sea. Like any long-range active sonar system, LFAS produces a large amount of unwanted sea bottom echoes or clutter. These echoes give rise to false alarms that increase the computational load of target trackers and jeopardise the correct classification of each echo. The number of false alarms due to clutter can be reduced either through echo classification techniques or through Doppler filtering provided the targets of interest are in motion. Much research has been carried out on waveform investigation for the efficient use of bandwidth capabilities of modern sonar transmitters. Among the quantity of waveforms, Binary Phase Shift Keyed (BPSK) pulses have emerged as exhibiting cross-correlation properties relevant to Doppler filtering while maintaining a range resolution comparable to Frequency Modulated (FM) pulses. We have successfully applied a false alarm reduction technique using contacts obtained with an FM pulse subsequently processed by Doppler filtering with a BPSK pulse. The Doppler classification performance for this pulse is evaluated on an experimental dataset and a few limitations of BPSK are identified.


After the most recent expansion, the European Union, and consequently Greece, is found at a turning point in its history. While the previous expansions had functioned as a source of wealth and experience for the Union, the recent accessions and those scheduled to take place in the near future will further the distances at every level: demographic, economic, social, developmental causing a gap between the old and new member countries. A widely held view today is that in the years to come there will be even further rearrangements of a series of indicators, indicators of demographics, economics, employment, immigrant inflow etc. In the face of the new developments and the pessimistic scenarios, the state of the world will be changing and Greece will be faced with the challenge of being invited to play a decisive role in the wider Balkan region, regarding both external and internal parameters affecting its development in the new millennium. The aim of the presentation is to attempt a correlation of current demographic trends with economic and developmental factors, as well as employment conditions in the 10 new member countries of the EU, through the use of certain evaluation models of the aforementioned dynamics. The presentation also aims to trace the position of Greece in the face of these new dynamics, as well as its prospects of sustainable development.


`China's problem is the peasants' problem. The peasants' problem is that there is no land' ± it was the last century's old saying, utilized by both KMD and Chinese Communist Party (CPC) to mobilize peasants. Then CPC succeeded in the `War of Land Revolution.' Now the catch-phrase has been changed to: `China's problem is the peasants' problem. The peasants' problem is unemployment.' Who can overcome this problem and gain the upper-hand this time? And how? With the discussion at the turn of the century, people nowadays begin to think that there is no `agricultural' problem in China. Instead, there are only rural problems in three dimensions: rural people, rural society and rural production. Academics who were involved in the economic reforms in China all know very well that the main projects I carried out in the `Rural Reform Experimental Zones' for the past ten years have always been marketoriented. In order to implement the ® rst initiated `Policy Experiments' , I have been trying my best to learn from scholars working in different traditions, including those who believe in the so-called classical `Marxist Political-Economics' as well as those who teach trendy theories of `Western Economics' , in order to illuminate the concept of property rights. During these years, I took different theories into consideration, respecting scholars from different traditions as `Masters' , treating all perspectives equally and practising eclecticism. On several occasions of theoretical discussion, I have repeatedly emphasized that I am only an `experimenter' , not a theorist, and I consider what I am proposing here merely an intuitive understanding of the experiments in the grassroots. The meaning and value of the outcomes of `Experiments' serve not merely as a reference for the government leaders whose agricultural policies were detested by peasants. They were therefore forced to review the `rural problem in three dimensions' , which serves as a stimulus for the centenary re ̄ ections of the scholars on what China has learned from the West.


Alliin and Allicin products were measured and determined by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) with UV detection at 210 nm. These two Compounds were extracted from various types of garlic with methanol / ethyl acetate and chromatographed on octadecyl silane column (ODS C18 (250 x 4.6 mm id)) with gradient elution from 0.01M phosphate buffer (PH=2.5) with 5M heptanslfonic acid (mobile phaseA) to 0.01M phosphate buffer (PH=2.5) acetonitrile(1:1) (mobile phase B). Allicin was eluted after Alliin. The results observed show that the concentration differs between the different types of garlic. The aqueous Iraqi garlic extract has the highest concentration of Alliin and Allicin (17.9 ppm, 0.9%),(23.94 ppm, 1.2%) respectively. But the lowest concentration of allicin was found in French garlic extract (0.56 ppm, 0.03%) while the lowest level of Alliin was (4.3 ppm, 0.22%) in Chinese garlic extract.


Hemicellulases responsible for depolymerization of hemicellulose, including α-glucuronidase, α-arabinofuranosidase, arabinase, endo-mannanase, β-mannosidase, acetyl xylan esterase and feruloyl xylan esterase, were reviewed. They usually exist as multimers with a modified (β/α)8 Tim barrel fold. In a few cases they possess a substrate binding domain which helps them bind to the substrates bringing efficient hydrolysis. Post-translational modifications are the major reasons leading to enzyme multiplicities to adapt the heterogeneous nature of hemicellulose. Glycosylation is one of the most important post translational modifications and contributes multiple functions to the protein such as stability, multiplicity and in a few cases enzyme activity. Advances in recombinant DNA technology have made it feasible to clone, improve and functionally express them in various hosts. Hemicellulases are traditionally applied in food, feed, detergent and paper industries, but their applications in hydrolysis of hemicellulose to release sugars is expected to increase, driven by the rapid development of lignocellulose biorefineries. Screening more powerful hemicellulases from nature, mining their coding genes from various sources and engineering them genetically are recommended for broadening their applications. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry


Low-temperature saturation of the temperature dependence of order parameters Q (T ) leads to highly nonlinear phase boundaries Tc (x ) in (Tc , x ) space where x is a secondary field variable. A typical experimental parameter x is the external pressure p or an electric field E which couple with the square of the order parameter (Hcoupling = xQ 2 ). The general characteristics of Tc (x ) are derived in mean field theory for 4 and p models. It is shown that in several cases the function Tc (x ) can be found by direct inversion of the function Q (T ) with the parameter mapping Q p -2 x .


Literature is an art of expressing thought and sense through creative product. By learning literature, it does not only to improve our knowledge and attitude but also give a pleasure. This study discussed one of Mario Puzo's novels entitled "The Godfather", the story told about a great leader of mafia gangster who has images of extraordinary leadership to protect his family and all people around him. The writer analyzed Vito Corleone's leadership style in "The Godfather" novel; there are two statement of problems in this undergraduate thesis, namely 1) What kinds of leadership style are reflected by Vito Corleone 2) What are the effects of leadership style reflected by Vito Corleone toward his organization. The design used in this study was qualitative while the data are displayed in the form of descriptive. The data were taken concerning on phenomena of Vito Corleone's leadership style in "The Godfather" novel. The writer used mimetic approach because the novel's ideas or forms contain imitation or reflection of the world and human life. In collecting data, the writer read and understood the novel, chose the data dealing with the problems, which become the focus of the study, namely leadership style and rewriting all of the data, and identified them based on the original quotation in the novel. The result of this study showed the kinds of leadership style : 1) charismatic leadership style: Don Vito Corleone refused Sollozzo's offer to join narcotics business, Don Corleone met with the heads of the rival families to discuss on a ceasefire and not seek revenge for Sonny's killing; 2) transactional leadership style: Amerigo Bonasera came for asking help to Vito Corleone about his daughter humiliation, and Johnny Fontane came for asking help to Vito Corleone about his career; 3) transformational leadership style: Don Vito Corleone explained and clarified to Tom Hagen about his position in the family business and Michael Corleone as the head of family, and Vito told Michael that he expected the Family's enemies would try to kill Michael by using an inside man. The Corleone family had several effects because Vito's leadership style, they were: 1) The Corleone family had large relations; 2) The Corleone Family earned respect and loyalty; 3) The Corleone family became the most powerful mafia organization in the United States.


BACKGROUND
Metabolites in wheat grains greatly influence nutritional values. Wheat provides proteins, minerals, B-group vitamins and dietary fiber to humans. These metabolites are important to human health. However, the metabolome of the grain during the development of bread wheat has not been studied so far. In this work the first dynamic metabolome of the developing grain of the elite Chinese bread wheat cultivar Zhongmai 175 was analyzed, using non-targeted gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for metabolite profiling.

RESULTS
In total, 74 metabolites were identified over the grain developmental stages. Metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed that the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, organic acids, amines and lipids was interrelated. An integrated metabolic map revealed a distinct regulatory profile. The results provide information that can be used by metabolic engineers and molecular breeders to improve wheat grain quality.

CONCLUSION
The present metabolome approach identified dynamic changes in metabolite levels, and correlations among such levels, in developing seeds. The comprehensive metabolic map may be useful when breeding programs seek to improve grain quality. The work highlights the utility of GC/MS-based metabolomics, in conjunction with univariate and multivariate data analysis, when it is sought to understand metabolic changes in developing seeds. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.


Pressured by global population growth, which currently stands at 6.5 billion, the Indian Ocean Region, dominated by Africa, is a key site of global hunger. Of the estimated 850 million people worldwide classified as malnourished, some 200 mil-lion live in sub-Saharan Africa (Berthelot 2005). Many others of the global hungry also live in the Indian Ocean Region, especially in Asian countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Despite many measures to purportedly address hunger and malnutrition, especially since the mid-1940s, with the creation of the high-yielding crop varieties of the so-called Green Revolution, and their transfer as industrial agriculture from the North to the South, hunger and malnutrition have persisted and worsened. Following the decreasing effectiveness of the Green Revolution, the message now, with the birth of modern agricultural genetics and genetically engineered crop varieties, is of a Doubly Green Revolution. Accompanying that message, increasingly, is the message of "food security," which, in the context of hunger, is a message of hope. This chapter critically interrogates these messages and finds that they are wanting, and that the populations most targeted by them will likely remain wanting of food security and, indeed, may be worse off. Instead, other agricultural systems and ways of public participation in technological change seem more appropriate as a message of hope.


Power consumption has become a major consideration in nanometer chip design. Since the dynamic power is proportional to Vdd2, and the static power is proportional to Vdd, lowering power supply voltage is an efficient method to reduce the power usage. In this paper, we adopt the row-based dual-supply voltage (DSV) scheme. DSV assigns a low power supply voltage to timing noncritical gates for the power saving. Contrary to the traditional region-based voltage island works, the row-based approach creates voltage islands along the circuit rows. This kind of fine grid voltage islands give more flexibility on gate voltage assignment such that the low voltage gates can be selected primarily based on timing and design logic, which in turn minimizes the shifter insertion. We present a two-stage flow to generate voltage islands for every two mirrored circuit rows and place gates legally inside each island. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the first work to cover latch and LCB (local clock buffer) handling and shifter placement in voltage island generation. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.


During the last decade, the national health systems faced tremendous pressure coming from two main factors: an increased number of patients and the necessity to limit the constant increase of the cost of assistance. The bigger number of patients is explained mainly by a growing number of older population, mainly in the developed countries, which, in turn, represents one factor of the cost rising; the second factor is represented by the requirement to provide quality health services over a continuously increasing area, where there are only few hospitals and medical personnel available. A potential answer to this critical situation can be offered by technology via telehealth. Telehealth, as it is defined by ATA website, "is used to encompass a broader definition of remote healthcare that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth", During the last years specialized architectures have been proposed, each one of them including advanced communication technologies on the wireless data link and on the networking level. Each one of these architectures is focused to solve the permanent connection between the patient and the healthcare provider center where all the data is collected an analyzed. Instead of evaluating separately each architecture, we derived two main categories: hospital-oriented and home-oriented architectures, within the large majority of proposals fitting in. This paper evaluates the two categories on different technical and functional requirements to be able to provide an objective method to differentiate between them.


Change of climate can be a remarkable turning point in the 21 st century history of mankind. An important task of landscape geographic research is forecasting environmental, nature protection, land use demands and helping mitigation of disadvantageous processes from the aspect of society. ALADIN and REMO numeric climate models predict strong warming and lack of summer precipitation for the area of Hungary for the period between 2021 and 2100. There is a predicted growth in frequency of extreme weather events (heat waves, droughts hailstorms). Changes have been forecasted using data presented in table 1. For analyses of complex landscape geographic impacts of climate change the area of Hungary have been divided into 18 mesoregions with 5.000-10.000 km 2 area each (figure 1). The main aspect of choosing the regions was that they should have homogeneous physical, geographic and land use endowments and, for this reason, they should react to climate change the same way. Relationships between landscape forming factors and meteorological elements examined by us have been taken into consideration. Results of analyses of impacts of the meteorological factors on the changes of relief through the mass movements are presented in this paper. Changes of landscape sensibility of mesoregions to mass movements have been presented in the last chapter for the periods between 2021-2050 and 2071-2100 according to numeric climate models.


Objective: To compare the difference of hearing loss after microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm between control and experimental groups, and to explore the possible causes. Methods: A retrospective analysis including 443 patients was performed, including 203 cases of group A (before the operation was improved) and 240 cases of group B (after the operation was improved). Chi-square test was used to compare the rate of hearing loss. Results: There were 18(8.9%) cases with postoperative hearing loss in group A, including 9 cases of conductive hearing loss and 9 cases of sensorineural hearing loss.While 2 cases of conductive hearing loss and 3 cases of sensorineural hearing loss occurred in group B. Conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss of two groups had the significant deference (P=0.015 and P=0.04). Conclusion: The type of hearing loss after microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm included conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.It could be reduced by early closing of the mastoid air chamber, avoiding continuous traction of the cerebellum, avoiding excessive irrigation and exhaust, and intraoperative auditory brainstem evoked potential monitoring.


Two-dimensional-layered Van der Waals nanostructures and their hybrids have been in focus since the discovery of graphene. Transition metal dichalcogenides are an important segment of materials of this class which is analogous to graphene and can be exfoliated to mono and few layers form. Excellent interlayer coupling among these nanomaterials may result in fascinating synergistic properties. In this work, a simple liquid-phase coexfoliation technique was utilized to exfoliate WS2 and WSe2 simultaneously by an optimized mixed solvent strategy. The as-synthesized nanohybrids were characterized by using different material characterization techniques. The coexfoliated nanomaterial has shown excellent humidity sensing properties including high reproducibility, stability, and low hysteresis. The response from our humidity sensor varies between 15.4 (at 40% RH) to 57 times (at 80% RH), compared to the reference value of the air (at  $\sim{\text{25}\%}$ RH). The response and recovery times were observed to be 40 and 65 s, respectively, for 60% RH. The performance of coexfoliated sensing layer was compared with individual WS2, and WSe2 nanosheets and nanocomposite prepared by exfoliation separately. Better performance of sensors utilizing coexfoliated nanosheets has been attributed to synergistic interfacial effects and high proton conductivity. A mechanism based on heterogeneous WS2/WSe2 nanohybrids has been proposed where the interfaces help in creating favorable sites for water adsorption and desorption apart from the sulfur vacancies in the individual WS2 or WSe2. This has been attributed to modulation of surface barrier potential through interfacial electron transfer. We believe such sensing mechanism can help in the development of a new generation highly sensitive humidity sensor.


Five Southern California medical schools were examined using a case study approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with faculty members and administrators from Loma Linda University, the University of Southern California, and the University of California at Irvine, Los Angeles, and San Diego, Schools of Medicine. Using an interview instrument based on a needs assessment model, the interviewer examined interviewees' perspectives on the current curriculum and their opinions on the 'ideal' medical ethics curriculum. Key issues of concern for each medical school's medical ethics curricula were discussed.


Aircraft turnaround operations involve all services to an aircraft (e.g. passenger boarding/disembarking, re-fuelling, deicing) between its arrival and immediately following departure. The aircraft, parked at its stand, witnesses a number of service providers move around it to perform their duties. These companies run substantially independent operations, working for different airlines/flights within a confined area where many resources, including physical space itself, have inescapably to be shared. Inter-dependencies among service providers abound, and knock-on effects at disrupted times are rife. Coordination from the side of the airport operator is difficult. We envisage a tactical robust scheme whereby ground handlers and the airport operator cooperate, albeit indirectly, in the development of plans for the next day that are less likely to be impacted by at least the more frequent operational disruptions. The scheme is based on a simheuristic approach which integrates ad-hoc heuristics with a hybrid simulation model (agent-based/discrete-event).


We present new probabilistic motion models of interest for the detection of meaningful dynamic contents (or events) in videos. We separately handle the dominant image motion assumed to be due to the camera motion and the residual image motion related to scene motion. These two motion components are then represented by different probabilistic models which are further recombined for the event detection task. Two solutions are investigated for the residual motion. The motion models (both for camera motion and scene motion) associated to pre-identified classes of meaningful events are learned from a training set of video samples. The detection scheme proceeds in two steps which exploit different kinds of information and allow us to progressively select the video segments of interest using Maximum Likelihood (ML) criteria. The efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated on sport videos.


Habitual aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on many systems of the body, and psychological stress has a negative influence on several of the same systems. One possible pathway is through those systems that account for the detrimental effects of stress; by buffering these harmful effects, exercise may reduce the consequences of stress. This study examined increased resistance of cells to stress-induced oxidative damage as a result of fitness. Forty healthy participants were assigned to either a stress group or a no-stress control group, and measures of stress and oxidative damage were collected. Variation in fitness level across participants was also measured. Oxidative damage increased as a function of stress, but this was not buffered by fitness level. These results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and the limited variability of cardiorespiratory fitness levels in the sample.


e16024 Background: FDA modified the label for 1st-line pembrolizumab or atezolizumab to PD-L1 high cisplatin-ineligible or platinum-ineligible aUC patients (pts) regardless of PD-L1 expression. However, the outcomes when using PD-(L)1 inhibitors for platinum-ineligible pts are unclear. We hypothesized that treatment response and outcomes are comparable to data reported in trials in the 1st line setting of aUC, and conducted a retrospective study to test this hypothesis using data outside the clinical trial setting. Methods: We collected data from 8 institutions for aUC pts with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic UC. The following criteria were used to define pts platinum-ineligible while comorbidities, age and physician discretion were also allowed: Cr Cl < 30 ml/min, ECOG PS 3, Cr Cl 30-59 ml/min and ECOG PS 2. Demographic & clinical variables and outcomes (overall response rate [ORR], overall survival [OS]) were collected. A Cox regression analysis was used to explore associations of baseline variables with response and outcomes. Results: Data were available for 79 pts. Pts received atezolizumab [n = 41], pembrolizumab [n = 28], nivolumab [n = 7] or durvalumab [n = 3]. Median age was 74 years (45-93). Reasons for platinum-ineligibility were: Cr Cl < 30 ml/min (n = 26), ECOG PS 3 (n = 8), ECOG-PS 2 and Cr Cl < 30-59ml/min (n = 14), elderly/co-morbidities (n = 17), and 'unavailable' (n = 14). Median OS was 45 weeks (CI 32-80) and ORR was 27.9%: Complete response in 4 pts [5.1%], partial response in 18 pts [22.8%], stable disease in 19 pts [24.1%], progressive disease in 34 pts [43 %]; data for 4 pts [5.1%] was unavailable for best response. Toxicity of any grade and Grade ≥3 was seen in 41.8% and 31.7% of pts, respectively. Hemoglobin (HR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.68 - 0.90, P = 0.001) and liver metastasis (HR = 1.13, 95% CI 0.51 - 2.53, P = 0.036) correlated with OS. Conclusions: The efficacy and toxicities of 1st-line PD-(L)1 inhibitors for platinum-ineligible pts outside clinical trials appear comparable to those reported in trials for unselected cisplatin-ineligible pts. Further validation is required including data based on PD-L1 status and other biomarkers. Platinum-ineligible pts with aUC warrant evaluation of novel safe and effective agents.


Sextortion is an emerging threat, facilitated by the use of online environments where perpetrators gain the trust of vulnerable individuals in order to obtain sexually explicit material and then use it to coerce victims for the purposes of sexual, personal or financial gain. There is presently no research exploring what may lead a victim of sextortion to choose suicide. The present study examined three cases of sextortion and suicide. A thematic analysis of publicly available online material identified common themes in these cases: fear, helplessness, hopelessness, shame, humiliation, selfblame, general distress, typical antecedents of suicidal behaviour. The implications are discussed.


Expanding international trade forces practitioners, academics, and jurists to wrestle more often with damages claims in international law, navigating the varied treatments of damages issues from country to country. Many of these decisions may be difficult to find, let alone assess. This text guides the reader through complex damage issues and their treatment around the globe. It examines issues and problems presented in determining compensatory interest, moratory interest, damages in foreign currency, attorneys' fees and costs, and punitive damages in foreign currency. The book is aimed at law professionals such as attorneys, arbitrators, judges and scholars, as a resource on how different legal systems address damages issues.


The swelling of layered smectite clay particles consists of a change in the interlayer repetition distance ( d -spacing) as a function of temperature and humidity. For the synthetic clay sodium fluorohectorite, hydrodynamically stable hydration states with zero, one and two intercalated monolayers of water have previously been reported, with discrete jumps in d -spacing at the transitions between the hydration states. Keeping the temperature fixed and varying the ambient relative humidity, we find small reproducible d -spacing changes also within the hydration states. These changes are monotonous as a function of relative humidity, and one order of magnitude smaller than the shift in d -spacing that is typical of the transition between two hydration states. The reproducibility and reliability of this relative humidity controlled d -shift enables us to use the interlayer repetition distance d as a measure of the local humidity surrounding the clay particles. We provide an example of application of this observation: imposing a humidity gradient over a quasi-one-dimensional temperature-controlled sample, and using x-ray diffraction to record the d -spacing, we are able to extract profiles of the relative humidity along the sample length. Their time evolution describes the transport of water through the mesoporous space inside the clay. An analysis of the measured humidity profiles based on the Boltzmann transformation, under certain simplifying assumptions, yields a diffusive behavior that is either normal or possibly weakly anomalous.


Radiation therapy eventually causes severe damage of lymphocytes. We examined numbers of CD4+ (helper/inducer) and CD8+ (cytotoxic/suppressor) T cells, as well as CD4-2H4+ and CD8-2H4+ subpopulation cells in the peripheral blood of patients during the radiation therapy, when lymphocytes decreased to the lowest level (500-1000/mm3). The highest molecular isoforms of the CD45 antigen family, recognized by monoclonal antibody (2H4), are designated CD45RA. Mature but antigen non-primed, naive T cells expressing CD45RA were assumed to be most radiosensitive among T cells, from the view point of radiation biology. Analysis of their damage was, therefore, the focus of this study. The mean values for all cell populations were significantly reduced as compared to those of normal individuals, the CD4-2H4+ cells having been affected most severely. Recovery was first detected in CD8-2H4+ cells after one month. Intravenous injections of a plant alkaloid, Cepharanthin, was effective in promoting recovery of CD4-2H4+ subpopulation.


We report the first results from the Clusters Around Radio-Loud AGN program, a Cycle 7 and 8 Spitzer Space Telescope snapshot program to investigate the environments of a large sample of obscured and unobscured luminous radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.2 < z < 3.2. These data, obtained for 387 fields, reach 3.6 and 4.5 μm depths of [3.6]AB = 22.6 and [4.5]AB = 22.9 at the 95% completeness level, which is two to three times fainter than L* in this redshift range. By using the color cut [3.6] − [4.5] > −0.1 (AB), which efficiently selects high-redshift (z > 1.3) galaxies of all types, we identify galaxy cluster member candidates in the fields of the radio-loud AGN. The local density of these Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)-selected sources is compared to the density of similarly selected sources in blank fields. We find that 92% of the radio-loud AGN reside in environments richer than average. The majority (55%) of the radio-loud AGN fields are found to be overdense at a ⩾2σ level; 10% are overdense at a ⩾5σ level. A clear rise in surface density of IRAC-selected sources toward the position of the radio-loud AGN strongly supports an association of the majority of the IRAC-selected sources with the radio-loud AGN. Our results provide solid statistical evidence that radio-loud AGN are likely beacons for finding high-redshift galaxy (proto-)clusters. We investigate how environment depends on AGN type (unobscured radio-loud quasars versus obscured radio galaxies), radio luminosity and redshift, finding no correlation with either AGN type or radio luminosity. We find a decrease in density with redshift, consistent with galaxy evolution for this uniform, flux-limited survey. These results are consistent with expectations from the orientation-driven AGN unification model, at least for the high radio luminosity regimes considered in this sample.


In both nonneurological and Alzheimer brains, we examined the localization of adult T cell leukemia-derived factor (ADF) by immunohistochemistry, that of its mRNA by in situ hybridization, and its semiquantitative mRNA analyses by RT-PCR. Anti-ADF antibody gave positive staining of white matter astrocytes and Schwann cells in the posterior root. Their intense and abundant staining was seen in Alzheimer brains. In situ hybridization for ADF mRNA showed identical signals in the white matter astrocytes. The evidence was also confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. These results suggest that redox regulation may play a role in Alzheimer pathology.


This paper analyzes the optimal control of the wireless remote control pruning machine based on complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The power control circuit and the safety control circuit are all designed and analyzed. The appropriate choice of electronic devices and the reasonable control law are applied for different circuit. Firstly, by using the new idea of "power switch" in the transmitting system, the lifespan of the chargeable battery is extended strongly. Secondly, the control accuracy is improved by self-retain and cutoff delaying power supply in the receiving system. And last the ignition of the engine is controlled in emergency case. All these optimal control system are simple, reliable and effective. The integrated system has been extensively field tested and the results are very promising.


Wind energy is becoming a larger portion of the global energy portfolio, and wind penetration has increased dramatically in certain regions of the world. This increasing wind penetration has driven the need for wind turbines to provide active power control (APC) services to the local utility grid, as wind turbines do not intrinsically provide frequency regulation services that are common with traditional generators. Large scale wind turbines are typically decoupled from the utility grid via power electronics, which allows the turbines to synthesize APC commands via control of the generator torque and blade pitch commands. Consequently, the APC services provided by a wind turbine can be more flexible than those provided by conventional generators. This paper focuses on the development and implementation of both static and dynamic droop curves to measure grid frequency and output delta power reference signals to a novel power set point tracking control system. The combined droop curve and power tracking controller is simulated and comparisons are made between simulations using various droop curve parameters and stochastic wind conditions. The tradeoffs involved with aggressive response to frequency events are analyzed. At the turbine level, simulations are performed to analyze induced structural loads. At the grid level, simulations test a wind plant's response to a dip in grid frequency.


In order to produce sago starch, sago bar had to be crushed and extracted using water to separate starch from other compounds. In the sago processing, a lot of water was used to extract sago starch and finally was discarded as liquid waste. In this study, the quality of sago liquid waste, before and after applying a layer-based filter containing: coir, charcoal, gravel and sand, was measured. The study was designed with a different time of storage of the Sago liquid waste, namely 0,1,2,3,4, and 5 day of storage. Each day the liquid waste was filterd using layer-based filter, and then the quality of the liquid waste was compared. The parameters measured were total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, final pH, and physical parameters such as smell and color. The results ofthis studyshowed that quality decrese of sago liquid waste accurs during 5 days of storage as indicated by increasing the total suspended solids (up to 1400 mg/L) and the dissolved solids (up to 2000 mg/L), decresing the pH value (down to 5) and arising unpleasant smells. Furthermore,the use of thelayer-basedfilterwas effective enoughto restorethe quality of the sago liquid water bydecreasing thetotalsolids, neutralizing thepH valueand reducingthe unpleasant smell


Eosinophils, which may be associated with allergic, parasitic, or neoplastic disease, have a potent oxidative burst that may be activated by particulate or soluble stimuli. Eosinophils from normal persons and patients with hypereosinophilia were compared with respect to their ability to produce the active oxygen product, superoxide anion. Normal eosinophils produced large amounts of superoxide anion under resting conditions (0.53 +/- 0.15 nmoles cyto-c/10(5) eos/hr) and when stimulated by preopsonized zymosan (0.85 +/0 1.10 nmoles cyto-c/10(5) eos/hr) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) (2.38 +/- 0.46 nmoles cyto-c/10(5) eos/hr). Considerable variation was observed in superoxide production by eosinophils from patients with hypereosinophilia. Eosinophils from a group of four patients with hypereosinophilia associated with neoplastic disease produced less superoxide anion than normal eosinophils when stimulated by preopsonized zymosan or PMA (p less than or equal to 0.05). Eosinophils from a group of 5 patients with other causes of hypereosinophilia produced more superoxide anion than normal eosinophils when stimulated by PMA (p less than or equal to 0.01). These studies demonstrate metabolic heterogeneity of eosinophils from patients with hypereosinophilia, and further emphasize that normal eosinophils and eosinophils from hypereosinophilic patients are not functionally equivalent.


To put a finer point on the influence of the ENIAC on IBM, engineers from the Endicott, New York, plant, specializing in input/output card equipment, visited the ENIAC while it was under construction and observed the use of a card reader with it. But as a general statement, what the ENIAC did to the office appliance and electrical supply firms during World War II was to call out the possibility that a new class of hardware was emerging. In the years following - that is to say, from 1946 to roughly 1951/1952 - the system confirmed that development. Electrical engineers at IBM, NCR, Burroughs, and GE took notice; although as time passed, they focused greater attention on computers that followed ENIAC, as there were nearly two dozen such projects underway in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Historians have carefully documented the work of Eckert and Mauchly in the 1940s, recording that the experiences they gained in building the ENIAC directly and explicitly influenced their work on several subsequent systems: the EDVAC, BINAC, and Univac. Explicitly, the ENIAC taught Eckert and Mauchly their initial lessons about building computers, providing insights that carried over to future projects.


Law enforcement to protect the environment as lay in Act Number 32 Year 2009 of Protection and Management of Environment, can be make from administrative, penal and private law. Government that includes legislative, executive and judicative has role and responsibility to perform welfare for citizen. The administrative lawsuit goes to Administrative Court, follows the Act Number 5 Year 1986 of Administrative Court for procedural process. This research based on normative legal research, which is descriptive analysis. Also using conceptual and statute approach, and research data used are literature and secondary data. The good understanding of principle of good environment, become important for judge and government to do their duties to protect the environment. Judge has an important role in law enforcement due to protection of environment, by using judicial activism. Through judge's verdict, judge has to conceive wisely the importance of environment and the principle of good environment governance. Government should be based on environment ethic as a guidance to make, prepare the regulations, permissions due to protection of environment. Antroposentris and biosentris approach might be used to prepare the green regulations and green permissions.


The dietary habits influencing the risk of acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection resulting in peptic ulcer are not w ell est ablished. 30 pa tients requiring an endoscop y f or t he evaluation of gast rointestinal sy mptoms had demographic and dietary data collected and biopsy specimens of the gastric antrum stained for the identification of H. pylori. The 50% infected subjects were significantly older than the uninfected ones with no difference in gender, crowding, source of drinking water, or exp osure to domestic animals. Increased prevalence of infection was associated with increased consumption of food from street vendors, and decreased consumption of fruits in the subgroup that denied consuming food from street vendors. No association was found with consumption of fish, chicken, beef, beans, vegetables, rice, cheese, milk, and unboiled water. These findings support the role of food prepared under unhygienic conditions as a probable mechanism of transmission of H. pylori in developing countries.


The features of these Siluro-Devonian age flysch sediments of the Melbourne Trough in southeastern Australia conform closely to those of the European Alps. The coarser of the alternating coarse-fine layers were deposited by turbidity currents and the fine layers by slower pelitic sedimentation. The turbidites intruded the deeper water shale environment with an average frequency of 1 turbidite per 2000 yrs from calculations of the thickness of the formation and the time deduced by graptolite zones. The flysch, shelf, and massive lithofacies are continuously diachronous from Lower Silurian to Lower Devonian, during which time the longitudinal axis of the zone of flysch deposition was displaced laterally across the trough a distance of 80 mi.

A theoretical model of the sedimentation pattern indicates the flysch sedimentation to be the result of a balance sediment supply and accumulation in a holding area to reach a state of metastability, allowing a triggering mechanism to periodically displace the coarser sediment downslope into the quieter shale environment. The flysch sediments are considered to be an expression of the slow tectonic uplift of the western margin of the Melbourne Trough prior to the major Tabberabberan orogeny in Late Devonian time.