The main objective of the competition policy and law is to preserve and promote competition, as a means to ensure efficient allocation of resources in an economy, resulting in the best possible choice of quality, the lowest prices and adequate supplies to consumers. As a general proposition, competition law consists of rules that are aimed at protecting the process of competition in order to maximize consumer welfare. The aim of the Competition policy is to enhance the economic efficiency by way of safeguarding and promoting the competition between the enterprises, persons, etc. Existence of a policy on competition efficiency of producers is witnessed ushering in maximum welfare to the society keeping profit at a reasonable level. The object behind the enactment of the Competition Act in 2002 has been the prevention of practices bearing negative effect on competition in the market, to ensure the promotion of competition in market, to ensure the protection of the consumers' interests and to promote free trade to be carried on by the participants other than the domestic players in the Indian markets, keeping in view the economic development. Hence, the Competition law in India seems to be very focused over the maintenance of free market economy and controlling the abuse of dominant position by the market player through the anti-competitive practices. The very root of the competition policy in India can be traced back to Articles 38 and 39 of the Constitution which make the State duty-bound to promote the welfare of the people. Article 38(2) specifically provides for the minimization of inequalities in income of the people in India. Article 39(b) provides for the distribution of material resources of the society with an objective to subserve the common good. Though these articles highlight the socialist influence on the Indian economy, yet they can be taken as responsible for imposing the duty over the government to ensure the welfare of the society and the consumers. It can be recalled again that the welfare of consumers is the ultimate aim of the free market economy. While the competition policy in general, is also based on the free market principle of the Economics.


In Germany, the opinion is commonly held that the general provision of § 812 (1) BGB, according to which the one enriched has to restore what he acquired without legal cause to the one at whose expense the enrichment occurred, is the basis of two different claims. This attitude is of ancient origin; it can be traced back to the general rule stated by Pomponius on the one hand and the distinction between two types of claims for restitution in roman-common law on the other. Nevertheless, the separation of the two types of claims is nowadays regarded as an unquestionable dogmatic truth. Both theory and practice divide the general clause into two different formulas. The article shows that it is indeed reasonable to distinguish restitution following unjustified performance from restitution following unlawful interference with another?s property. At the same time it refutes the commonly held opinion which, concentrating on the concept of performance (Leistung), separates two different claims of unjustified enrichment. The two forms of claims of unjustified enrichments can rather be described as two sides of the same coin. To distinguish them may not mean to separate them.


Computer games called multiplayer real-time, or (MCG) are at the forefront of the use of the possibilities of the network. Research on this subject have been made for military simulations, virtual reality systems, computer support teamwork, the solutions diverge on the problems posed by MCG. With this in mind, this document provides an overview of the four issues affecting networking at the MCG. First, network resources (bandwidth, latency and computing capacity), together with the technical limits within which the MCG must operate. Second, the distribution concepts include communication architectures (peer-to-peer, client / server, server / network), and data and control architectures (centralized, distributed and reproduced) .Thirdly, scalability allows the MCG to adapt to changes in parameterization resources. Finally, security is intended to fend off the traps and vandalism, which are common in online games; to check traffic, particularly these games we decided to take the massively multiplayer game League of Legends, a scene corresponding to a situation of real life in a network of ADSL access network is deployed has been simulated by using NS2. Three variants of TCP, it means SACK TCP, New Reno TCP, and TCP Vegas, have been considered for the cross traffic. The results show that TCP Vegas is able to maintain a constant speed while racing against the game traffic, since it avoids the packet loss and the delays in the tail caused by high peaks, without increasing the size of the sender window. SACK TCP and TCP New Reno, on the other hand, tend to increase continuously the sender window size, which could allow a greater loss of packages and also to cause unwanted delays for the game traffic.


In this paper we present the development and implementation of a neural network-based controller for the Pac-Man agent which is fed with minimal information about the environment. The implementation of the game we used differs from the original. In this regard some key aspects were changed in order to provide new challenges for the agent and thus better test our controller. A neural network is used to compute a desirability value for the locations to which the agent can move. The non-deterministic nature of the game does not allow for fast and accurate feedback, thus a different method for training was developed. Accordingly, we considered a genetic algorithm to evolve weights for the neural network. To conclude, the controller adapts very well to the environment, resulting in well-trained agents that can complete several consecutive levels of the game.


For agriculture-based economies, energy generation through biomass is currently among the few practical means for overcoming energy and environmental crisis. However, economic assessment for bioenergy poses significant challenges to the developing nations due to limited availability of data and existing financial models. This study therefore conducts an economic assessment for Pakistan based on Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for those bioenergy technologies which are commercially available in developing countries. These technologies vary from thermal processes such as biomass gasification or incineration in turbines to bio-chemical processes such as anaerobic digestion. LCOE modeling was performed through a mathematical set of equations driven by input parameters i.e., Feedstock price, total capital cost, auxiliary cost, operation and maintenance cost, capacity factor, and plant lifecycle. The results obtained from the modeling depicted that LCOE for bioenergy in Pakistan may vary from as low as $0.06/kWh to as high as $0.315/kWh. Combustion techniques like stoker boiler and Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) have lower cost and yield better economic value with LCOE ranging from $0.06-0.22/kWh. Further, feedstock cost is the most dominant factor that contributes to approximately 60% of the total LCOE. Hence, to make bioenergy economically viable, a sustainable biomass supply chain is essential. This will not only provide a sound energy alternative for developing countries, but it will also contribute towards social and environmental sustainability.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the productivity and cost of the Urus MIII skyline yarder during extraction of timber from spruce stands in northeast Turkey. The productivity of Urus MIII skyline yarder was determined by using the methods of work and time study. The research results implies that some working characteristics of the Urus MIII skyline yarder such as fuel consumption, load volume, yarding distance, speed of the carriage, time consumption per phases have an important impact on productivity of the skyline yarder. The results indicated that the productivity of Urus MIII skyline yarder was 10.63 m3/hr for average 253 m. Daily productivity was found 84.80 m3. The unit cost of yarder was found to be 30.00 €/hr. Also, the average fuel consumption was 5 liter/hr.


For the purpose of this chapter, philosophy will be seen as the study of the beliefs that we have about the world, and the use of rational argument and evidence in the formulation and support of those beliefs. In recent years it has been widely argued that language testing exists in a social context and that language assessment practices and test use can be understood only in terms of the exercise of power. This position is based on a particular view of the world in which meaning is created by human interaction and social structures, but where there is little use for reference in Frege's sense. It is a position that does not ask ontological questions, but prioritizes a social ethics of test use for instrumental purposes. This illustrates a deeper truth than any claim that tests exist in, and are shaped by, social conditions. Namely, that how we understand the role of tests and social conditions is determined by our prior understanding of how we think the world works.

In this chapter I will attempt to unravel some of the key philosophical issues that face the language-testing profession, and in the process help to shed some light on fault lines in current debate that are much deeper than mere disagreement on procedure or outcomes. These will include: the nature of our constructs; the role of "procedure" in validity theory; realism, instrumentalism, and constructionism; the place of "inference"; reductionism and language assessment as a "social" science. The discussion will be embedded in a loose historical narrative that relates language assessment to the development of philosophical beliefs about "assessing man" in the social sciences.

Keywords:

Assessment evaluation;
Assessment methods;
ESL/EFL;
Identity;
Language policy


Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors involved in lymph node metastasis (LNM) and evaluate their role in predicting LNM in clinically lymph node negative (clinical stage I–III) intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Materials and Methods: We selected 320 patients who were diagnosed with ICC with no apparent clinical LNM (T1–3N0M0). Age, gender, tumor boundary, histological differentiation, tumor size, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 value were the studied factors. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were conducted. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was used to test the predicting value of each factor and a test which combined the associated factors was used to predict LNM. Results: LNM was observed in 76 cases (76/320, 23.8%). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that histological differentiation as well as tumor boundary and tumor size significantly correlated with LNM. The sensitivity and negative predictive value for LNM for the three factors when combined was 96.1 and 95% respectively. This means that 5% of the patients who did not have the risk factors mentioned above developed LNM. Conclusion: This model used the combination of three factors (low-graded histological differentiation, distinct tumor boundary, small tumor size) and they proved to be useful in predicting LNM in ICC with clinically lymph node negative cases. In patients with these criteria, lymph node dissection or lymph node irradiation may be omitted and such cases may also be good candidates for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).


Lysosomal storage diseases and related disorders (LSRDs) are a heterogeneous group of rare diseases caused by genetic mutations that result in deficiencies of specific lysosomal enzymes. Some of these enzymes are necessary for normal development of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Because of the heterogeneity in clinical presentation and complexity of these disorders, evaluation of disease progression poses unique challenges. In recent years, recombinant enzyme replacement therapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation have been developed to treat some of these diseases. With the development of specific therapies and screening programmes, there is a need to systematically follow the natural course and effects of treatment in these disorders with standardized and validated tools. This review describes the limitations of currently available neurobehavioural tools in longitudinally tracking disease outcomes in patients with neurodegenerative LSRDs. A multidisciplinary team reviewed over 750 evaluations in 274 patients. These patients were found to have neurological, sensory and somatic problems that considerably influence the results of neurobehavioural testing.


The au thors are at tempt ing to draw to gether ex ist ing lit er a ture on the gov er nance of GVCs; re search on host coun try "spillovers" as a con se quence of MNE ac tiv ity and the broader clus ter and in no va tion lit er a ture. While clus ter re search had done im por tant work in iden ti fy ing and operationalizing the nec es sary con di tions for clus ter for ma tion, it had rel a tively ig nored the global-lo cal link age brought by the pres ence of MNEs. The "spillover" lit er a ture has iden ti fied in the ory nu mer ous ben e fits of MNE pres ence in host coun tries. There was rel a tively lit tle em pir i cal work done in CEE to dis cover if these ben e fits ac tu ally ex ist. Nei ther lit er a ture had fo cused on how MNEs gov ern their GVCs. Thus bring ing these sources together presents an important opportunity for international business. The au thors find that in the Slo vak case the in dus trial clus ters among the firms sur veyed were not much func tional. On a stra te gic level, there ap pears to be lit tle ev i dence of co op er a tion in ar eas of mar ket ing, ex port pro mo tion or in vest ment. This is es pe cially of con cern in sec tors such as au to mo tive where co op er a tive strat e gies among sup pli ers could offer significant benefits.


Background: Delayed childbirth has increased significantly over the past several decades in developed countries while teenage pregnancy is still common in developing countries. Assessing the association between adolescent childbearing and the risk of perinatal and health outcomes may help policy makers to reform or formulate new policies to prevent premature death, disability and other adverse perinatal outcomes. Objectives: To assess the association between adolescent pregnancy and the risk of adverse maternal, obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. Study design: Data was extracted from 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). This is a nationally representative population-based survey with a two-stage stratified cluster sample design. Outcomes for adolescent women ≤ 19 years of age were compared with those of women aged 20 to 34 years (young adult) and ≥ 35 years (adult). Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to determine the associated adverse birth and health outcome with maternal age. Results: The mean age at childbearing was 26 years. Prevalence of adverse perinatal outcomes including low birth weight, stillbirths, stunting and perinatal mortality were substantially higher among adolescent mothers compared to the young adults. Multilevel regression models indicated that higher risk of low birth weight (adjusted relative risk (aRR), 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00-1.33), childhood stunting (aRR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98-1.14) and early neonatal mortality (aRR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.85-1.27) were observed among the adolescent mothers compared to young adult mothers. Maternal age 35 years or over found to be a greater risk factor for pregnancy termination (aRR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09-1.56), caesarean delivery (aRR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02-1.79) and menstrual irregularities (aRR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02-1.79) than for young adult mothers. Conclusion: Pregnant women aged ≤ 19 years and ≥ 35 years are at increased risk of different adverse birth and health outcomes. Social awareness needs to be increased about the consequences of early and late childbearing to prevent premature death and disability and adverse perinatal outcomes.


Ginger (ZingiberofficinaleL.) belongs to family Zingiberaceae is an important oriental spice crop. Ginger is high value crop which grows well in warm and humid climate and is cultivated from sea level to an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level (Kandinnan, et al. 1996). It has special significance for tropical countries where it is produced and consumed in large quantities (Islam, 2017; BARI, 2012, 2013 and 2014). The aromatic rhizomes are used as spice and medicine. Major producers of ginger in the world are India, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, China, Japan, Taiwan and Australia (Rana and Sharma, 1998). Ginger is much more used in Bangladesh as a spice and is cultivated more or less all over the country. In the country produced only 74380 metric tons of ginger from 9120 ha of land and the yield per hectare was 8.15 kg (BBS, 2011). But average yield is low as compared to other ginger growing countries of the world. The production is not enough to fulfill the annual requirement of the country. So every year a good amount of ginger is imported in exchange of foreign currency. Like many countries diseases are the major limiting factors for ginger cultivation in Bangladesh. Among the diseases, rhizome rot is the most devastating one caused by Pythium aphanidermatum, Fusariumoxysporum, Sclerotiumrolfsiiand Ralstoniasolanacearumthroughout the world (Chauhan and Patel, 1990; Dohrooet al. 1987 and Iyer, 1987). The pathogens involved decide the nature of the damage and symptom expression .The major pathogens involved with rhizome rot are viz., species of Pythium causing soft rot, Fusariumspp. causing yellows or wilt and Ralstoniasolanacearumcausing bacterial wilt (Elliot, 2003). Basal rot caused by Sclerotiumrolfsiiwhich appears later in the season in some cases. All these pathogens are known to form complexes with nematodes leading to synergistic effect on the severity of the disease. They predispose the crops to secondary pathogens (Sarma, 1994).Loss due to rhizome rot is estimated in many countries and the main pathogens associated with rhizome rot are the fungi such as Pythium spp. and Fusariumspp, bacteria like Ralstoniasolanacearumand nematode (Elliot, 2003). It may cause losses to the extent of 50% or more due to soft rot ((Islam, 2017; BARI, 2012, 2013 and 2014; Joshi and Sharma, 1982) and sometimes total failure of the crops in the tropical regions of India (Fageriaet al, 2006); 70% rhizomeproduction is reduced due to the infection caused by Pythium spp. and Fusariumspp. in Nepal (Anon., 2012) and 5-30% losses occurred in Fiji and Australia by Pythium myriotylum(Stirlinget al., 2009). Soil, water and infected planting materials are the main source of perpetuation of these pathogens (Dohroo, 2005). Pythium spp. is able to persist in soil over decay by means of encysted zoospores, oospores and sporangia. Pythium spp also can survive in air dry muck soil for up to 12 years (Hoppe, 1966). Pythium spread via infested rhizomes (Trujillo, 1964) and as oospores surviving in debris in the soil (Dohroo, 2005). Infection started from contaminated planting materials, saprophytically living fungus in the soil or on trash of previous ginger crops. The soft rot pathogen generally have quite a wide host range and can survive on other host plants so this makes it difficult to control in the field. In the past Pythium aphanidermatumwas known as the sole causal agent of rhizome rot of ginger and was successfully controlled by the technology developed by Plant Pathology Division, BARI. But during the last few years that technology was not working well and it was noticed that some other fungal and bacterial association were involved with such rot. As the crop is cash crop so it is prime need to identify the causal agents of rhizome rot through intensive survey which will help to modify the existing technology for managing the disease in future. The present research work was undertaken to determine the incidence of rhizome rot of ginger and its causal agents.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 44(3): 569-576, September 2019


A study of the palladium-catalyzed hydroarylation/hydrovinylation reaction of γ-(2-methoxycarbonylphenyl)propargylic alcohols with aryl iodides/vinyl triflates and of the rhodium-catalyzed one with organoboron derivatives is described. The opposite regiochemical outcome of the two processes allows an easy selective approach to 5- or 4-substituted benzoxepin-1(3H)-ones by combining the hydroarylative/hydrovinylative step with cyclocondensation between -OH and -COOMe groups in the intermediate γ,γ-disubstituted or β,γ-disubstituted allylic alcohols. A one-flask procedure to give benzo[c]oxepin-1(3H)-ones directly from the starting alkyne has been also developed. Treatment of crude γ,γ-disubstituted allylic alcohols with NaOH, followed by acidification, affords 3,3-disubstituted phthalides.


We compare two photolithographic methods to pattern magneto-impedance elements with micrometric dimensions, suitable to build magnetic microsensors. The magnetic material to be patterned is deposited by sputtering onto silicon wafers. It has a sandwiched structure where the outer magnetic layers are composed by a stack of permalloy and thin titanium layers and the central non-magnetic layer is made of copper. The total thickness is 1.31 μm. After preparation it displays an excellent magneto-impedance performance that is intended to be retained after the patterning procedure. For the lift-off method, a negative-type resist is deposited and patterned onto the silicon wafer prior to the material deposition. The undesired parts of the material are peeled off when removing the resist. Even for such a thick film, the quality of the obtained samples is quite good and the magneto-impedance response of the micro-shaped samples is great. In the wet-etching method, a positive-type resist is deposited and patterned onto the sputtered material. The parts that are not protected by the resist are etched using an acid solution. The different chemical behavior of the metals that constitute the sample severely challenges the wet-etching process. The results are poor, and the results compare unfavorably to those obtained by the lift-off process.


The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the effect that corporate governance measures have in external audit fees in two countries where this matter is not much developed: Portugal and Spain. The analysis includes a sample of 39 listed companies on the Portuguese Stock Exchange and 104 listed companies on the Spanish Stock Exchanges for the years 2013 to 2015 using an OLS regression model. For the Spanish sample, the results show that the capital hold by the Board of Directors influence negatively external audit fees. The results are in accordance with the supplier perspective which states that better corporate governance practices decrease the control risk and, consequently, audit fees. On the other hand, the Board of Directors' diligence also affected external audit fees but positively, that is, the greater the number of meetings the greater the demand for an audit with quality which result in higher fees charged (demand perspective). For the Portuguese sample it can be observed that corporate governance characteristics do not affect external audit fees.


Under a static high magnetic field of 10 T, diamond-like carbon (DLC) nanocrystals and graphite-coated n-diamond nanoparticles have been synthesized after a pyrogenation of carbon black and a nanometre-sized iron catalyst at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 1100 °C. The product is analysed by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron-probe microanalysis. The average size of the DLC nanopowders is about 20 nm, and that of the graphite-coated n-diamond particles is about 100 nm. The yield of diamond is as high as 30%.


The Bergstrom dislocation model is used to study the influence of coiling temperature after hot rolling on the mechanical properties of the cold rolled SSAB-grade Docol 800DP. Further, the anisotropy-effect for this type of steel, caused for instance by banding, is investigated. The physical dislocation model is based on the assumption that the work hardening behaviour is controlled by the creation, the immobilisation and the remobilisation of dislocations and it is demonstrated that all these processes are strongly influenced by the amount of hard martensite particles in DP-steels. The true strain to necking is a widely used tool for estimating the stretch formability of DP-steels. A detailed discussion regarding the influence of for instance friction stress, rate of dislocation remobilisation and mean free path of dislocation motion is presented. It is also indicated that the best stretch formability of DP-steel is obtained by minimising the quotient between the rate of work hardening at smaller strains with that at larger strains, close to the strain at necking.


The third generation cellular network UMTS, provides large opportunities to offer multimedia applications and services that meet end to end quality of service (QoS) requirements in a more efficient way, considering packet data transmission mode. However, this requires us to design an efficient flow control and call admission control (CAC). Design of CAC has special difficulties given that capacity in CDMA varies according with the number of active users and the level of interference. Taking into account the stochastic nature of multimedia traffic and the changes in the available capacity in the CDMA system, an effective capacity request is derived and used to characterize the resources required by each mobile user in order to meet its respective QoS requirements. These requirements are expressed in term of rate and delay constraints in addition to the signal to interference ratio. After setting an effective capacity threshold for the system a linear approximation is used to find the total amount of resources required by all the mobile users already admitted in the system and the new connection request. Packet transmission is considered for both real time and nonreal-time services while a centralized demand assignment algorithm has been implemented in order to provide QoS in the packet level. Computer simulation results are given to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method.


The response of Ni-SiC powders deposited by Gas Dynamic Spraying (GDS) with various particle velocities, and their compaction behavior to the different packing densities were studied in parallel. Bulk compacts (90–99% dense), made in the form of 6 mm diameter by 3 mm thick disks, were analyzed to determine the structural changes occurring within the particles and at the particle boundaries, and to examine their mechanical properties. Optical microscopy and SEM observations revealed the presence of a lamellar morphology and a strong interparticle bonding in the composite coating. An analysis of the experimental data revealed the retention of the nanoscale structure and a localized grain refinement. Adiabatic shear band areas were observed and thought to be responsible for the grain refinement. Powder layers, which were shear compacted to the packing density (up to 90% dense), showed the best densification characteristics. Correspondingly, coatings with enhanced mechanical properties and a strong exchange coupling between hard and soft phases are obtained.


RhoA-GTPase (RhoA) is widely regarded as a key molecular switch to inhibit neurite outgrowth by rigidifying the actin cytoskeleton. However, during neurite outgrowth, whether and how microtubule dynamics are regulated by RhoA remains to be elucidated. Herein, CT04 and Y27632 were used to inactivate RhoA and its downstream effector Rho-associated coiled coil-forming kinase (ROCK), while the RhoAQ63L lentiviral vector was utilized to overexpress the constitutively activated RhoA in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons or neuronal differentiated PC12 cells. The current data illustrate that the RhoA signaling pathway negatively modulates neurite outgrowth and elevates the expression of Glu-tubulin (a marker for a stabilized microtubule). Meanwhile, the microtubule-severing proteins spastin and p60-katanin were downregulated by the RhoA signaling pathway. When spastin and p60-katanin were knocked down, the effects of RhoA inhibition on neurite outgrowth were significantly reversed. Taken together, this study demonstrates that the RhoA pathway-mediated inhibition of neurite outgrowth is not only related to the modulation of microfilament dynamics but is also attributable to the regulation of the expression of spastin and p60-katanin and thus influences microtubule dynamics.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Oral intake of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been demonstrated to be effective in the prevention of various diseases. We have found that the subaleurone layer of rice contains a large amount of LPS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of this layer in innate immunity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Using the Saika-style rice polishing process, a sbaleurone layer and the rice retaining a subaleurone layer and polished white rice were prepared from brown rice. Using hot-water extracts from rice, LPS content was measured by the Limulus reaction and the effect of activation of macrophages was evaluated on the basis of their phagocytic activity and nitric monoxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production levels. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2-, TLR-4- and TLR-9-transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells were used to identify the activation pathway. An allergy mouse model was used to evaluate the prevention of pollen allergy.

RESULTS
When compared to polished white rice, rice retaining a subaleurone layer had a 6-fold increase in LPS and an increased macrophage activation when phagocytic activity and NO and TNF production were used as indices. TRL4 was the major pathway for such activation. Anti-allergy test by oral intake of subaleurone showed a significant preventive effect for pollen allergy.

CONCLUSION
Compared to polished white rice, rice retaining a subaleurone layer contained a high level of LPS with higher macrophage activation. Furthermore, oral administration of the rice demonstrated a preventive effect for pollen allergy, thus indicating its utility as a functional food that has a regulatory effect on innate immunity.


Introduction:
 Cardiovascular disease and cancer co-exist due to shared risk factors. The utility of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring in this population to predict cardiovascular events is not certain.

 Methods:
 We studied all patients enrolled in the CLARIFY registry of no-charge CAC (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04075162) with diagnosis of any cancer. We followed patients for major adverse cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, coronary revascularization or mortality).

 Results:
 A total of 3,432 patients with cancer were identified. Mean age was 64±9 years, 1965 (57%) were women and 2937 (86%) were white. Overall distribution of CAC scores were as follows: CAC 0 in 35%, CAC 1-99 in 31%, CAC 100-399 in 20%, and CAC ≥ 400 in 15%. CAC distribution varied by cancer type (figure A). At a median follow-up of 663 [294-1086] days, 343 patients had MACE event. Compared with CAC 0, patients with CAC ≥ 400 had increased unadjusted risk of MACE (HR 2.57 [1.93-3.41], P<0.001), which was not attenuated after adjusting for age and sex (HR 2.09 [1.50-2.90], P<0.001).

 Conclusions:
 In this large cohort of patients with cancer, coronary artery atherosclerotic calcifications are common, vary by cancer type, and are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events, independently of age and sex. Further research should focus on utility of routine CAC for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with cancer.


Normal human leukocytes were cultivated in millipore diffusion chambers which had been implanted subcutaneously in autologous and homologous subjects. The observations were made over periods of a few days to six weeks. It was found that mature granulocytes underwent disintegration within one to two weeks. Mononuclear leukocytes underwent differentiation into macrophages and "polyblasts" within a few days and by three weeks had assumed the morphologic appearance characteristic of histiocytes and fibroblast-like cells. By four to six weeks extensive fibroblastic proliferation and marked collagen formation was found. In several chambers numerous fat cells were seen. These in vivo studies demonstrate the mesenchymal potential for differentiation possessed by circulating mononuclear leukocytes of adult blood.


Among the different criteria used for testing sustainability of public debt, the econometric approach determines whether a government is able to sustain its budget deficits without defaulting on its debt. In this contribution, by linking three different motives proposed respectively by Trehan and Walsh (1991), Hakkio and Rush (1991) and Bohn (1995), we develop a compact step-wise test algorithm and apply that to the European economies, including the PIIGS countries and Turkey. Secondly, we introduce phase-space reconstruction methodology in order to locate the path for debt dynamics, which enables us to observe fiscal policy implications in short and medium-term. We conclude that most economies are characterized by sustainable debt policies with the exception of Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and possibly United Kingdom. For the latter country, while the outcome of test algorithm indicates the sustainability of debt policy, phase-space examination shows that the reaction of the government to diverging debt stock GDP ratio cannot be sufficient to stabilize the path for debt dynamics.


An electromechanical robot based on the modified slider-crank mechanism with a damped spring hung at its plate terminal is investigated. The robot is first used for actuation operation and for energy harvesting purposes thereafter. Mathematical modeling in both cases is proposed. As an actuator, the robot is powered with a DC motor, and the effect of the voltage supply on the whole system dynamics is found out. From the numerical simulation based on the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm, results show various dynamics of the subsystems, including periodicity, multi-periodicity, and chaos as depicted by the bifurcation diagrams. Applications can be found in industrial processes like sieving, shaking, cutting, pushing, crushing, or grinding. Regarding the case of the robot functioning as an energy harvester, two different configurations of the electrical circuit for both single and double loops are set up. The challenge is to determine the best configuration for the high performance of the harvester. It comes from theoretical predictions and experimental data that the efficiency of the robot depends on the range values of the electrical load resistance RL. The double loop circuit is preferable for the low values of RL<50 Ohm) while the single loop is convenient for high values of RL ≥ 50 Ohm.


The acaricidal activity of cyenopyrafen on the tea red spider mite, Tetranychus kanzawai was evaluated in laboratory and field studies. In the laboratory, cyenopyrafen was highly effective against egg, larva, protonymph and adult female of T. kanzawai. In surviving adult females of T. kanzawai exposed to cyenopyrafen, we observed significant reduction in reproduction and no egg hatch. Effectiveness of cyenopyrafen against adult female of T. kanzawai on bean leaves was lasted for 15 days at treatments of 125 and 83.3 ppm. In a field study, cyenopyrafen exhibited excellent activity to mixed developmental stages of T. kanzawai. Based on the results, cyenopyrafen could be used for the control of T. kanzawai and treatment of this acaricide at 83.3 ppm was recommended as the field rate.


This thesis is of an exploratory character. Its purpose is to facilitate understanding of leisure activity reading, the meaning and motivations for reading and reading habits. This thesis considers a consumer's perspective, with a focus on time. It further considers the needs and attitudes of consumers towards reading books as opposed to listening to audio books.


ABSTRACT Background and Purpose There are diverse forms of rehabilitative techniques available to improve postural control in diabetic peripheral neuropathy but little is known about the efficacy of these techniques. The primary focus of this review is to find out the effectiveness of diverse rehabilitative interventions in improving postural control in type 2 induced diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods: Two reviewers independently scrutinized the included studies. The selected studies underwent quality assessment by PEDro scale. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) having a score of 4 or more were included in the review. A search was conducted in PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PROQUEST, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Google Scholar. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) related to the interventions were also taken into account. Results: A total of 563 studies were identified and finally 8 studies were included in the review process. The included studies were 3 in task-specific balance training, 1 in treadmill, 1 in strengthening, 2 in whole body vibration, and 1 study in pilates analyzing posture using static posturography. No RCTs were reportedly found under tai chi and yoga. Conclusions: Interventions related to task-specific approach in balance training, treadmill, strengthening, WBV showed improvement in static postural control. Intervention with pilates did not show any beneficial effects. However, there still remains a need for quality trials as the results of these studies were ambivalent in interpretation and quality of the studies were limited by small sample size and higher attrition rates.


We describe the subsets whose intersection with a Chebyshev set (sun, or strict sun) in preserves the approximative properties of in .


Food plays a significant role in the religious rituals of Java, specifically within the realm of Islam, where special foods are prepared and consumed during religious ceremonies and celebrations, imbuing spiritual practices with a unique cultural essence. Understanding the chemistry behind these foods is essential for comprehending their health benefits and their embodiment of noble values within Javanese and Islamic cultures. This article seeks to delve into the chemistry of various cultural heritage foods from an Islamic-Javanese standpoint. To achieve this, a thorough literature review was conducted, focusing on culinary practices embedded within the Islamic-Javanese cultural heritage and exploring the corresponding chemical explanations. The research employed a systematic and meticulous search across academic databases, online libraries, and search engines to gather a broad range of perspectives, theories, and empirical evidence. Food, as a reflection of culture, serves both practical and symbolic roles within a particular cultural community. It serves as a manifestation of the values, traditions, and identity of the cultural group, while also meeting the physiological needs of individuals by providing essential nutrients and energy. Beyond mere sustenance, food holds utilitarian value by ensuring survival and promoting overall well-being. By delving into the chemistry of these cultural heritage foods, this article aims to shed light on their significance within the Islamic-Javanese context, uncovering the intricate interplay between chemistry, culture, and spirituality.


Renal tubular dysgenesis (RTD) is a rare fatal disorder in which there is poor development of proximal tubules, leading to oligohydramnios and the Potter sequences. RTD occurs secondary to renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade during the early stages of fetal development or due to autosomal recessive mutation of genes in the RAS pathway. A boy born at 33+1 weeks due to cord prolapse was found to be anuric and hypotensive. Pregnancy was complicated by severe oligohydramnios from gestational age 28+4 weeks. Abdominal sonography revealed diffuse globular enlargement of both kidneys with increased cortical parenchymal echogenicity. Infantogram showed a narrow thoracic cage and skull X-ray showed large fontanelles and wide sutures suggestive of ossification delay. Basal plasma renin activity was markedly elevated and angiotensin-converting enzyme was undetectable. Despite adequate use of medications, peritoneal dialysis, and respiratory support, he did not recover and expired on the 23rd day of life. At first, autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease was suspected, but severe oligohydramnios along with refractory hypotension, anuria, skull ossification delay and high renin levels made RTD suspicious. ACE gene analysis revealed compound heterozygous pathogenic variations of c.1454.dupC in exon 9 and c.2141dupA in exon 14, confirming RTD. Based on our findings, we propose that, although rare, RTD should be suspected in patients with severe oligohydramnios and refractory hypotension.


Although it is widely known that trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) stabilizes the native structure of proteins, the underlying mechanism of its action is poorly documented. To obtain an in-depth understanding of this important osmolyte molecule, we conducted large-scale molecular dynamic simulations of model proteins, namely, wild-type villin headpiece protein HP35 and its doubly norleucine-substituent mutant (Lys24/29Nle) HP35NN in pure urea and urea + TMAO mixed solutions for direct comparison. From extensive sampling, the protective capability of TMAO was well captured in the simulations, where HP35NN demonstrated a significantly more stable native structure than HP35 in the presence of TMAO, whereas in pure urea solution, the former denatured in a shorter time. These findings highlight the importance of the two norleucine residues that regulates the interactions of proteins with urea and TMAO. By accessing the hydration and conformational dynamics of both proteins, we were able to directly probe how TMAO compensates the denaturing effect of urea at the atomic level. The accumulation of urea around hydrophobic residues is clearly suppressed, which indicates that the van der Waals interactions between urea and proteins are weakened by TMAO. As a consequence, the hydrophobic core of protein is preferentially protected by TMAO against urea attack. Although the hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between proteins and urea are suppressed by TMAO, this plays a very minor role than expected in the enhanced protein stability. In addition, TMAO was found to be always excluded from the protein surface and incapable of forming H-bonds with proteins. Thus, the present study provides solid evidence to support the indirect mechanism of TMAO counteracting the denaturing effects of urea.


The set-based concept approach has been suggested as a means to simultaneously explore different design concepts, which are meaningful sub-sets of the entire set of solutions. Previous efforts concerning the suggested approach focused on either revealing the global front (s-Pareto front), of all the concepts, or on finding the concepts' fronts, within a relaxation zone. In contrast, here the aim is to reveal which of the concepts have at least one solution with a performance vector within a pre-defined window-of-interest (WOI). This paper provides the rational for this new concept-based exploration problem, and suggests a WOI-based rather than Pareto-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. The proposed algorithm, which simultaneously explores different concepts, is tested using a recently suggested concept-based benchmarking approach. The numerical study of this paper shows that the algorithm can cope with various numerical difficulties in a simultaneous way, which outperforms a sequential exploration approach.


Abstract In this study, the effect of paraffin (PR) and copper (Cu) incorporation in polycarbonate (PC) was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of PR incorporation in PC was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of thermal treatments on thermophysical properties was studied in PC/PR and PC/Cu composites by using the hot-disk method and a periodic method (DICO). Specimens were heated at 160°C (Tg + 15°C), then two different cooling methods were employed: furnace cooling (annealing) and water cooling (quenching) at 0°C and 35°C. The DSC results showed that a solid-liquid transition occurred in all PR formulations, as well as showed the plasticizing role of the PR additive. Thermal stability decreased with the addition of PR. Thermal conductivities (λ) increased with increasing Cu content and decreased with PR additive content, and the annealed samples showed a higher thermal conductivity (λ) than quenched ones. Meanwhile, a small difference between the thermal conductivity of the DICO samples and the hot-disk samples was noticed.


To understand Argentine architecture, it is necessary to know that this country is built cultural void, since there was no pre-existing indigenious culture. This means that from the very beginning relations with European sources were closer than elsewhere in the sub-continent. The history of architecturual expression in the Argentina ran more or less parallel to that of the great world centers.


Sympathetic outflow influences the renal release of renin through modifications of the tonic activity of the renal nerves and the plasma concentration of catecholamines. These influences may initiate changes in the rate of renin secretion or modulate the response initiated by another of the mechanisms that control renin release. Beta-adrenoceptor mediated stimulation of renin release has been demonstrated in vivo, in the isolated perfused kidney and in preparation in vitro. Likewise an array of evidence has accumulated pointing to the existence of alpha-adrenoceptor mediated inhibition of renin release. However, the cellular location, the physiological significance, and even the existence of these alpha-adrenoceptors is still disputed. Receptors sensitive to alterations in the vascular volume have been identified in areas of low and high pressure of the circulation. There is evidence that input from both types of receptors may cancel each other, and that to demonstrate experimentally the effects on renin release of the low pressure cardiopulmonary receptors it is necessary to avoid changes in the input from the high pressure arterial receptors, and vice versa. Again there are dissenting voices that disclaim a tonic inhibitory effect of cardiopulmonary receptor initiated impulses on renin release. The majority of the pharmacological evidence identifies the beta-adrenoceptors in JG cells as of the beta 1-subtype. However, some species may make exception to this generalization. As in other tissues, beta-adrenoceptor mediated influences appear to relate to activation of adenylcyclase in the cell membrane. Considerable interest in the role of calcium in the process of activation of renin release has met with some unexpected, though consistent, experimental findings.


Understanding the high water adhesion of rose petals is of great significance in artificial surface design. With all-atom molecular dynamics simulation, the wettability of nanoscale wrinkles was explored and compared to that of nanoscale strips with favorable hydrophobicity. The dewetting and wetting of gaps between nanoscale structures represent the Cassie-Baxter (CB) and Wenzel (WZ) states of the macroscopic droplet deposited on the textured surface, respectively. We uncovered the intermediate state, which is different from the CB and WZ states for wrinkles. Structures and free-energy profiles of metastable and transition states under various pressures were also investigated. Moreover, free-energy barriers for the (de)wetting transitions were quantified. On this basis, the roles of pressure and the unique structures of nanoscale wrinkles in the high water adhesion of rose petals were identified.


To probe the complexity of biological systems, large numbers of independent experiments are needed to gather statistically reliable information. A platform that performs these experiments at high-throughput demands precise control over the formation and delivery of microcapsules. Microfluidics enables passive and active modes of droplet formation, manipulation, and mixing. Aqueous- and organic-based emulsions serve as well-defined compartments that encapsulate target materials (e.g., cells, reagents, nucleic acid, and nanoparticles) in femto- to picoliter volumes surrounded by an immiscible fluid. In this work, we demonstrate a high-throughput PDMS-based microfluidic device for fabrication and control of uniform micron-size water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions. Passive and active modes of droplet generation (i.e., hydrodynamic flow focusing and electrospray, respectively) are utilized to form droplets in the size range of 1 to 100 μm. We also leverage dielectrophoretic forces to steer the microemulsions across flows of organic or inorganic phases. The dielectrophoretic force provides high-speed separation with no moving elements and does not require droplet charging. Two electrode designs of AC- and DC-based circuits incorporated into the PDMS block are proposed. We investigate the effect of frequency and voltage on the degree of deflection and separation efficiency of the emulsions. We show that the fabricated microcapsules can be used as templates to build synthetic lipid bilayer model membranes that more accurately mimic physiological conditions. In addition, our microfluidic-based device integrated with on-board electronics can be used as an essential component in high-speed screening bioassays.


Disturbance of the climate due to greenhouse gases is the most unsafe and complicated of all the ecological problems. The main cause is the emission of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, which produces around 80% of the world's energy. Consequently, energy strategies are mandatory in reducing the total carbon dioxide emanations. At the data centers, one key element that is suitable for energy management is the server's power supply unit (PSU). The conventional PSU architecture (disregards the power factor correction stage) is based on the conventional low-voltage high-current dc-dc converter which accomplishes the international standards in a range around 1.5 kW. Beyond that power rating, the imposed losses become significantly high. To cope up with the constant increase in information technology demands, this paper proposes a three-phase zero voltage switching dc-dc converter associated with a positive double-star active rectifier and a reduced current unbalance transformer for high-power-density-efficiency energy conversion. The operating stages, topology analysis, and experimental results for a 1.2-kW prototype with 97% efficiency at half power load are presented.


As an application of the recently proposed Langevin formulation of quantum dynamics, we quantize the time-dependent harmonic oscillator. In this way, we are able to explicitly compute the quantum-mechanical propagator. At variance with previous results, the expression found in this letter contains no auxiliary function to be determined by solving (as yet unsolved) non-linear differential equations, but it is written in terms of two series which arise quite naturally within the present formalism. Our strategy is compared with ordinary time-dependent perturbation theory.


Equalisation is necessary in a digital communication system to mitigate the effect of inter-symbol interference and other nonlinear distortions. A new reduced complexity approach to digital communication channel equalization is proposed based on a single generalised neuron (GN). Since it uses only a single GN, there is no problem of selection of initial architecture of the neural network giving optimum performance. It has less computational requirements giving rise to reduced training and computation time. The simulation results show that proposed equaliser bit error rate (BER) performance approaches to optimal Bayesian solution. Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(5), pp.524-529 , DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.1559


Many European countries have faced the erosion of the competitive advantage in the international market with a mixed strategy of productivity increase at home and labour cost reduction abroad, through the international fragmentation of production and subcontracting in low wage countries. Italy in particular, has delocalized segments of its industrial production in Eastern Europe. The advantage of delocalization abroad � with particular reference to East European countries � is due to the low cost of labour, depends from the capability to transmit information efficiently and the availability of a complete supply-type blueprint in the receiving country.The paper discusses the prospects open to Italia apparel firms and presents a case study dealing with the development of outsourcing by the Benetton group in the last decades.


Many gammaherpesviruses encode G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Several in vivo studies have revealed that gammaherpesvirus GPCRs are important for viral replication and for virus-induced pathogenesis. The gammaherpesvirus alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) is carried asymptomatically by wildebeest, but causes malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) following cross-species transmission to a variety of susceptible species. The A5 ORF of the AlHV-1 genome encodes a putative GPCR. In the present study, we investigated whether A5 encodes a functional GPCR and addressed its role in viral replication and in the pathogenesis of MCF. In silico analysis supported the hypothesis that A5 could encode a functional GPCR as its expression product contained several hallmark features of GPCRs. Expression of A5 as tagged proteins in various cell lines revealed that A5 localizes in cell membranes, including the plasma membrane. Using [35S]GTPgammaS and reporter gene assays, we found that A5 is able to constitutively couple to alpha i-type G-proteins in transfected cells, and that this interaction is able to inhibit forskolin-triggered cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) activation. Finally, using an AlHV-1 BAC clone, we produced a strain deleted for A5 and a revertant strain. Interestingly, the strain deleted for A5 replicated comparably to the wild-type parental strain and induced MCF in rabbits that was indistinguishable from that of the parental strain. The present study is the first to investigate the role of an individual gene of AlHV-1 in MCF pathogenesis.


Abstract Deposition of ragweed pollen released from a point above a corn crop was directly observed on foliage, and the number of particles deposited was related to the concentration of pollen in the air, the wind within the crop, and the foliage characteristics. At winds of 1–2 m s−1 deposition on the foliage both at the top and at the middle of the plants was primarily by sedimentation; while at winds of 3–4 m s−1, deposition was enhanced at the top about threefold. Since 20 μm particles impact inefficiently on corn plants for usual wind speeds within the crop, they should penetrate far through the canopy before settling out by gravity.


Collagens IX, a non-fibrillar collagen, and XI, a fibrillar collagen, are minor components of cartilage collagen fibrils, which form a supportive meshwork in the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). Collagens IX and XI are known to be present also in other tissues, including the vitreous body of the eye, the intervertebral disc, the inner ear, and various tissues during embryonic development. Collagen IX is suggested to act as a macromolecular bridge between collagen fibrils and other ECM molecules, and it may be important for the cohesive and compressive properties of cartilage, as well as the long-term stability of articular cartilage. Collagen XI is speculated to have a role in regulating the fibril diameter, and it may participate in interactions with other ECM components. However, the role of neither collagen IX nor XI has been confirmed yet. As important but minor components of the cartilage ECM, collagens IX and XI are excellent candidates for relatively mild chondrodysplasias and even milder disease phenotypes involving cartilaginous tissues, such as non-syndromic hearing loss. There are in fact many reports describing defects in the genes for collagens IX and XI in patients with a variety of chondrodysplasias, including multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, Stickler syndrome, Marshall syndrome and otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia. In order to screen the minor cartilage collagen genes for mutations, it is essential to know their gene structures. Therefore, the complete structures of the human COL9A1, COL9A2 and COL11A2 genes were characterized in this study. Also, to facilitate the analysis of the 5' region of the COL11A2 gene, the cDNA and partial genomic structure of the mouse Col11a2 gene were defined. The information obtained in this study was utilized in the mutation analysis of a family with nonocular Stickler syndrome. The COL11A2 gene was analyzed with conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) and sequencing, and a heterozygous single-nucleotide mutation causing a premature termination codon was found in the affected family members. Studying the effect of the mutation on the RNA revealed that the nonsense mutation caused the skipping of a 54-bp exon, presumably through a pathway called nonsense-associated altered splicing.


Cohesion has been a topic of interest since structured design [20, 23] in the 1970's. Today, there are numerous researchers continuing this work into object-oriented designs [1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 22]. Most of the current research has focused on the interaction of methods within a class, the inter-method cohesion. In this paper we consider both the inter-method cohesion and the intra-method cohesion of a class. We have utilized the concept of program slice [21] and extended Functional Cohesion [2] to devise a new intra-method cohesion metric, ITRA-C, for measuring cohesion of each method within the class. This intra-method cohesion is based on the notion of effects and chaining in an effect-slice. We further combine the (inter-method, intra-method)-tuple into one combined Class Cohesion, which provides a quick view of bands of cohesion for classes. A sample of a commercial bank account class is then provided to illustrate these concepts and metrics.


The authors have fabricated and measured a lateral Si single electron transistor consisting of a succession of a big island and small quantum dots. The big island gives rise to a small period Coulomb oscillation riding on the large irregular oscillation arising from the small quantum dots. The peaks of the latter shift in the presence of a magnetic field, which is analyzed in the context of field-induced Landau level shift with a soft-wall confinement potential. Furthermore, the current peak was suppressed for fields beyond a threshold value. An explanation based on cyclotron localization at noninteracting Landau levels is presented.


Introduction: sexually transmitted diseases present high rates of prevalence and incidence in people younger than 24 years and are very frequent in sexually active adolescents. Objectives: to determine the sexual behaviors and the level of information on signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections in adolescent athletes of both sexes. Methods: a descriptive study was conducted including a probabilistic survey to 177 adolescent athletes of both sexes to collect data. The questionnaire responses were analyzed with the help of SPSS software 11.5, and descriptive statistics in addition to the ji-square test to determine the level of association among variables. Results: in the study group, 91.3 % had had sexual intercourses at a mean age at onset of 14.5 ± 1.3 years. The males were statistically more likely to have several sexual couples. The percentage of use of condom was higher as more time elapsed from sexual initiation to the most recent sexual intercourses. Recognition of the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases was very low. Conclusions: despite the fact that the adolescent athletes refer to protect themselves more at present, their low level of information about the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases and their adverse effects make them vulnerable to the contagion with these diseases, mainly the male athletes.


Across a global network of eddy covariance flux towers, two relatively new open-path infrared gas analyzers (IRGAs), the IRGASON and the EC150, are increasingly used to measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes (Fc OP). Differences in net CO2 fluxes derived from openand closed-path IRGAs in general remain poorly constrained. In particular, the performance of the IRGASON and the EC150 for measuring Fc OP has not been characterized yet. These IRGAs measure CO2 absorption, which is scaled with air temperature and pressure before converting it to instantaneous CO2 density. This sensor-internal conversion is based on a slow-response thermistor air temperature measurement. Here, we test if the high-frequency temperature attenuation causes selectively systematic Fc OP errors that scale with kinematic temperature fluxes. First, we examine the relationship between wintertime Fc OP and kinematic temperature fluxes for eight northern ecosystems. Second, we investigate how residuals between Fc OP and CO2 fluxes from co-located closed-path IRGAs (FC CP) are related to kinematic temperature fluxes for three different ecosystem types (i.e., boreal forest, grassland, and irrigated cropland). We find that kinematic temperature fluxes, but not mean ambient air temperatures or CO2 flux regime, consistently determine the absolute magnitude of Fc OP errors. This selectively systematic bias causes the most pronounced relative Fc OP errors to occur when "true" CO2 fluxes are low and kinematic temperature fluxes are high (e.g., northern ecosystems during the winter). The smallest relative errors occur during periods with large "true" CO2 fluxes and low kinematic temperature fluxes. To address this bias, we replace the slow-response air temperature in the absorption-to-CO2 density conversion with a fast-response air temperature derived from sonic anemometer measurements. The use of the fast-response air temperature improves the agreement between half-hourly Fc OP and FC CP for all openversus closed-path IRGA comparisons. Additionally, cumulative Fc OP and Fc CP sums are more comparable as differences drop from 63 %–13 % to 20 %–8 %. The improved IRGASON and EC150 performance enhances the ability and confidence to synthesize flux measurements across multiple sites including these two relatively new IRGAs. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the active androgen, as well as a strong tumor promoter in the prostate, where several enzymes are essential for the regulation of its activity. We localized four enzymes promoting the enolization of the 3-keto group of DHT in rat prostate. The enzymes were purified by ion-exchange chromatography, acetone fractionation and gel filtration to homogeneity, and found to have molecular sizes of 19.5, 22.0, 44.5 and 21.5 kDa. A partial characterization of the four enzymes revealed that their structure consisted of a common chain of 14.5 kDa with various subunits which differentiate the four enzymes from each other. All the enzymes exerted their activity only on 5-dihydro 3-keto steroids. The total enzymatic activity was strongly influenced by animal age, being very low before sexual maturation, as well as after castration. In the latter case the level of total activity fell to about 8% control animals. Activity was also estimated in human, pork, ram and bovine prostate and it was found that all these species have 20-25 times lower enzyme levels than rat. These results, in combination with the practically exclusive localization of the enzymes in the prostate, suggest a role relating to the bioavailability of DHT in this gland.


A triband patch antenna with monopole-like and patch-like radiation patterns for multifunctional wireless systems is proposed. The antenna consists of a single square radiation patch with an annular slot, a ground plane, and a top-loaded metal sheet. The top-loaded metal sheet is shorted to the ground plane for producing a zeroth-order resonant (ZOR) mode, which has an omnidirectional radiation pattern at the lowest operation band, and its performance is robust to the location of the probe feed. With the annular slot and the off-center probe feed, a dual-resonant TM01 mode is excited, yielding unidirectional radiation patterns for the two upper operation bands. The ZOR and the dual-resonant TM01 modes can be independently controlled, and a triband antenna prototype with a square patch of 24 mm is fabricated and tested. The first bandwidth is 2.5–2.7 GHz with omnidirectional radiation pattern, the second and the third bandwidths with unidirectional radiation are 3.3–3.9 GHz and 4.8–6.1 GHz, and the realized gains over the three bands are about 2.6, 6.5, and 7.5 dBi, respectively.


The characteristics of P-glycoprotein (MDR1), an ATP-dependent drug extrusion pump responsible for the multidrug resistance of human cancer, were investigated in an in vitro expression system. The wild-type and several mutants of the human MDR1 cDNA were engineered into recombinant baculoviruses and the mutant proteins were expressed in Sf9 insect cells. In isolated cell membrane preparations of the virus-infected cells the MDR1-dependent drug-stimulated ATPase activity, and 8-azido-ATP binding to the MDR1 protein were studied. We found that when lysines 433 and/or 1076 were replaced by methionines in the ATP-binding domains, all these mutations abolished drug-stimulated ATPase activity independent of the MgATP concentrations applied. Photoaffinity labeling with 8-azido-ATP showed that the double lysine mutant had a decreased ATP-binding affinity. In the MDR1 mutant containing a Gly to Val replacement we found no significant alteration in the maximum activity of the MDR1-ATPase or in its activation by verapamil and vinblastine, and this mutation did not modify the MgATP affinity or the 8-azido-ATP binding of the transporter either. However, the Gly to Val mutation significantly increased the stimulation of the MDR1-ATPase by colchicine and etoposide, while slightly decreasing its stimulation by vincristine. These shifts closely correspond to the effects of this mutation on the drug-resistance profile, as observed in tumor cells. These data indicate that the Sf9-baculovirus expression system for MDR1 provides an efficient tool for examining structure-function relationships and molecular characteristics of this clinically important enzyme.


This Precis entitled, Financial restructuring in Chile, complements the Bank's Operations and Evaluation Department (OED), Performance audit reports, Chile : Industrial finance restructuring project, and Second industrial finance project, Report No. 14514, dated May 19, 1995; and the Small and medium industry project, Report No. 14574, dated June 7, 1995, and the Financial markets loan project, Report No. 14575, dated June 7, 1995. This audit of the four operations underscore the difficulty of designing and implementing projects in time of crisis and uncertainty. The first two projects, identified at the height of the crisis, suffered from overly complex designs, But with each operation, performance improved as lessons from earlier projects were used to improve the design and implementation of those that followed.


This book aims to help governments and public authorities to establish effective light rail-light metro transit (LRMT) systems, and focuses on use of Public-Private Participation (PPP) arrangements. Rather than identify a single approach, authors present options and discuss practical issues related to preparing and implementing new LRMT PPP schemes. The approach is focused on providing information that can be used to make informed decisions, adapted to local policy and objectives. The material presented is intended as a practical guide to developing LRMT PPPs in both developed and developing countries. This work endeavors to provide answers to readers' questions regarding how to successfully incorporate private sector participation in LRMT with a lesser emphasis on why LRMT and the private sector may be beneficial. The primary focus of this text is guiding the reader from design through to project implementation. It starts from the premise that underlying transport policy decisions will have already been made and that LRMT has already been identified as the appropriate transport solution. The authors have included some limited discussion of policy and technical issues where these directly impact the LRMT PPP approach. The approach is presented in nine sections, and in preparing it the author drew on current international LRMT PPP experience, through a series of interviews and case studies. The sections covered are: 1) urban transport and LRMT: an overview of urban transport policy, the characteristics of LRMT schemes and the influences on LRMT policies; 2) technical issues: a brief review of some key technical issues inherent in LRMT schemes and their potential impact on PPP design and implementation; 3) incorporating private sector participation in LRMT initiatives: what PPP has to offer, and an overview of the issues and stages public authorities follow to establish successful LRMT PPP arrangements; 4) understanding and managing risk: analyzing and allocating risks and responsibilities among stakeholders in the LRMT scheme and practical ways of designing risk allocation rules; 5) PPP, design, specifications and performance management: setting service standards and specifications and establishing associated costs; developing of performance and payment indicators and managing compliance; 6) funding and finance: large LRMT capital and system maintenance requirements require strong financing arrangements. The practical use of public and private financing mechanisms under PPP arrangement is reviewed; 7) developing a PPP agreement: looking at the main types of PPP agreements, an outline framework for developing the contractual arrangement is developed through re-view of key issues; 8) procurement: reviewing the approaches that the public authority can use to select the private partner; and 9) conclusions.


Deep learning techniques has been employed recently to solve Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). A current approach known as Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN), has evolved as a remarkable method to implement deep learning with the corresponding physics laws in the form of given linear or nonlinear PDEs. PDEs were commonly solved by using classical numerical methods like Finite Element Method or Finite Difference Method (FDM). However, it requires huge computational resources due to data set requirements, multiple dimensions or discretization. The solution of solving PDEs using PINN utilizes a mesh-free domain while still maintains high accuracy compared to conventional numerical methods. Comparing to FDM, PINN runs in less execution time with the same features and constraints. In addition, using PINN to estimate the solutions of PDEs can significantly reduce the tremendous discretized elements needed. In this paper, a PINN architecture is proposed, which employs the Bioheat Transfer Equation (BHTE) into a neural network to predict the temperature rise in a heterogeneous tissue. The thermal model simulates the heat conduction generated from the wave propagating from High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) transducer.


Previously we showed that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and T cell Ig mucin-3 (Tim-3) cross-regulate each others expression on CD11b+ cells, with TLR4 increasing and Tim-3 reducing cardiac inflammation. We show here that TLR4 and Tim-3 are expressed on GR1+F4/80+IL-4R+ alternatively activated M2 macrophages from the heart during acute myocarditis, but are not expressed on GR1-F4/80+IL-4R- classically activated M1 macrophages. GR1+ cells also express the mannose receptor (CD206), caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-10. In gonadectomized male mice, M2 cells express significantly more Tim-3 and significantly less IL-1β with significantly reduced inflammation. In contrast, complement receptor 1/2 (CR1/2) deficient mice have a significantly increased TLR4+casp-1+IL-1β+ M2 population. Elevated expression of IL-1β by M2 macrophages in the heart leads to significantly increased myocarditis, fibrosis and heart failure in CR1/2 deficient mice. These data indicate that different M2 populations have contrasting roles on the development of heart disease: TLR4+casp-1+IL-1β+ M2 are associated with increased inflammation and fibrosis, while Tim-3+ M2 with decreased inflammation. Deciphering how M2 macrophage populations interact with autoreactive cells and antibodies will be critical in understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.
 Supported by NIH grants R01 HL087033 (DF) and R01 HL67290 (NRR).


This study discusses the tools and labor productivity, on the work of casting plate/beam on the 4 floor (Zone 2), and the 5 th floors. That's on the 4 th floor of the tools used concrete pump, while on the 5 floor using a tower crane. Therefore it can be identified that the tool and the labor affect the casting productivity of resulting. By the casting productivity, it can be seen how much influence the factors of tools and labor on the productivity, so as to know which factors are the most substantial influence on the increase in productivity. There are two kinds of data are qualitative (by questionnaires) and quantitative (field observation). Where tools (X 1 ) and labors (X 2 ) as independent variables, productivity (Y 1 JURNAL REKAYASA SIPIL / Volume 8, No.2 – 2014 ISSN 1978 - 5658 th ) and the quality of concrete (Y ) as the dependent variables. All data were tested first by test validity, reliability, and coefficient of determination, prior to the hypothesis testing. By the data analysis, we concluded that the variable of tool affect the productivity on the task of casting plate/beam on 4 th floor, while on the 5th floor affected by the variable of labor. On 4 th floor the value of the casting productivity is greater than on the 5 th floor. Thus, it can be indicated that the increase in the height of the floor, so then productivity will decrease.


Abstract Introduction: Scientific conferences are useful in disseminating medical research and advancing the medical and scientific fields. An important measure of the success of such conferences is the proportion of research that is published in peer-reviewed journals. The conversion rates for toxicology abstracts to full-text publications at previous North American toxicology meetings were low. No study has assessed the publication rate from the 2013 North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology (NACCT) conference. Methods: We reviewed 316 abstracts presented at the 2013 NACCT Conference. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Medline databases using the authors' names and keywords, through September 2019. We then identified and excluded cases and case reports to reanalyze the data. Results: Thirty-three of 316 abstracts (10.4%) subsequently appeared in 17 different peer-reviewed journals, led by Clinical Toxicology (13 out of 33, 3%). Leading countries of origin for abstract submission were the USA (285), Canada (9), and the UK (8). Excluding case reports, 25 out of 207 abstracts (12.0%) achieved publication in peer-reviewed journals. Conclusions: Fewer than one in eight abstracts reached publication within six years of the 2013 NACCT meeting, even after accounting for and excluding case reports. This rate is lower than in other specialty medical societies.


A simple, specific, precise and accurate Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed and validated for the estimation of Diltiazem HCl (Diltiazem Hydrochloride) in Bulk and Pharmaceutical dosage form. The chromatographic determination was performed on isocretic High performance liquid chromatography system of Agilent model no.1220. The separation was conducted by using column of Zorbax [C8 (5μ, 4.6mm×250)] with mobile phase consisting of buffer and Acetonitrile in the ratio of (60:40). The mobile phase was delivered at the flow rate of 1.0ml/min. The eluent was monitored at wavelength 240 nm and found a sharp and symmetrical peak with retention time of 4.66min. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, robustness. Recovery of Diltiazem HCl was found to be in the range of 98%-102%. The method was found to be linear over the concentration range 50–150 μg/ml with coefficient correlation r2= 0.995. After developing method and studying validation parameter to obtain result complying with USP monograph.


OBJECTIVE
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked primary immunodeficiency characterized by microthrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections, and an increased incidence of autoimmunity and malignancies. The patients always have a severe clinical phenotype that can result in death if not diagnosed and treated early in life. The treatment of choice with the best outcome is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, preferably from a matched related donor. But uncertain treatment effect and high treatment cost limit its clinical application. It is the best strategy that avoiding birth of a fetus with defect through prenatal diagnosis at present. This study aimed to analyze the mutation of WASP gene in 4 Chinese families with WAS and to provide prenatal diagnosis for the high-risk fetus.

METHOD
The probands of the four WAS families were all males, one of whom was deceased but had a family history and clinical datas integrated. All the patients were detected with blood routine tests, immunological tests and bone marrow examination. PCR and bilateral direct sequencing of PCR product was carried out in the regions of exon and exon-intron boundaries of WASP gene for 3 probands, 4 mothers and 100 unrelated healthy individuals as control. Prenatal diagnosis was provided for the two fetuses at the first trimester by mutation analysis.

RESULT
Four WASP gene mutations were detected: c.91A > G (p.E31K), c.665C > T (p.R211X), c.397G > A (p.E133K), c.952-953delCC (p. P317fsX18), among which c.952-953delCC (p. P317fsX18) was first reported. Mothers in Family 2, 3 and 4 were carriers of WASP gene mutation, but family 1 was considered as a de-novo mutation. None of the 100 unaffected subjects had the above mutants. Prenatal diagnosis indicated that the fetus in family 2 was male and carried the same mutation as the proband, so the fetus was presumably to be a patient. The parents decided to receive an induced abortion. Following the termination of the pregnancy, the result of gene analysis of the aborted tissues was consistent with prenatal diagnosis. The fetus in family 3 was normal male confirmed by normal test results six months after birth.

CONCLUSION
The 4 mutations of the WASP gene probably were causative to the families of WAS, among which c.952-953delCC was reported for the first time. Prenatal diagnosis by DNA sequencing is the effective method to avoid birth of WAS patient.


Background

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the most vital pathogenesis causing kidney injury, especially during the perioperative periods of partial nephrectomy and renal transplantation, but lacking of effective prevention and treatment strategies. This study was conducted to investigate the influences of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on the pathological process of mouse bilateral IRI, and to figure out the role of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) mediated autophagy pathway in this process.
Methods

Nephron major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) conditional knockout (cKO) mice (Six2-Cre+/−; MHC II flox/flox) and the age- and sex-matched littermates from the Six2-Cre−/−; MHC II flox/flox colony (Ctrl) were established to investigate these issues. A 15-minute period of IPC was performed 4 days before the 30-minute of bilateral renal vessel occlusion. Severity of renal IRI in cKO and Ctrl mice with or without IPC were analyzed respectively and correspondingly.
Results

MHC II cKO mice presented severer kidney injury in both acute and chronic phase of renal IRI. IPC could significantly attenuate ischemia/reperfusion-induced serum creatinine (sCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increasing, as well as histological KIM-1 expression. However, MHC II cKO mice undergoing IPC showed more deteriorated kidney injury when compared with Ctrl mice, with higher levels of sCr, BUN, KIM-1 expression in the acute phase, and aggravated interstitial fibrosis in the chronic phase.
Conclusions

IPC could attenuate renal IRI functionally and histologically. KIM-1 mediated autophagy pathway plays a vital role in the IPC induced renal IRI protection.


This punishment is proved not effective because there were only two person punished who repaid. The rest failed to do so due either to lack of money or liquid assets. Instead they signed a letter stating their inability to repay the corrupted money and their readiness to undergo subsidiary punishment. The verdicts of Purwokerto regential Court against corruption act during the period between 2004 through 2008 stated that the punished were given additional punishment to repay the corrupted money but not all of them were punished with such additional punishment. The punishment given was without the obligation to repay and verdict of not guilty. There was constraint from the legal aspect. The constraining factors were the difficulty the public attorney faced in tracing the wealth obtained from corruption. There was also the unawareness of the society to report corruption act.  Keyword : Legal effectiveness, Repay the corrupted money, Corruption


Background— Fine particulate matter exposure from both ambient air pollution and secondhand cigarette smoke has been associated with larger risks of cardiovascular mortality than would be expected on the basis of linear extrapolations of the relative risks from active smoking. This study directly assessed the shape of the exposure-response relationship between cardiovascular mortality and fine particulates from cigarette smoke and ambient air pollution. Methods and Results— Prospective cohort data for >1 million adults were collected by the American Cancer Society as part of the Cancer Prevention Study II in 1982. Cox proportional hazards regression models that included variables for increments of cigarette smoking and variables to control for education, marital status, body mass, alcohol consumption, occupational exposures, and diet were used to describe the mortality experience of the cohort. Adjusted relative risks of mortality were plotted against estimated average daily dose of fine particulate matter from cigarette smoke along with comparison estimates for secondhand cigarette smoke and air pollution. There were substantially increased cardiovascular mortality risks at very low levels of active cigarette smoking and smaller but significant excess risks even at the much lower exposure levels associated with secondhand cigarette smoke and ambient air pollution. Conclusions— Relatively low levels of fine particulate exposure from either air pollution or secondhand cigarette smoke are sufficient to induce adverse biological responses increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. The exposure-response relationship between cardiovascular disease mortality and fine particulate matter is relatively steep at low levels of exposure and flattens out at higher exposures.


The applicability of generalized stochastic Petri nets (GSPNs) and other high-level modeling formalisms to real systems is often constrained by the explosion in the size of the underlying state-space representation. This paper describes a distributed program taking advantage of the large amount of memory and powerful computational resources of distributed computing systems to enable the construction of large state-space graphs generated by GSPN models. High state-space cardinalities and significant speedup with respect to sequential techniques are achieved by means of state space partitioning based on a distributed hashing function. The main algorithmic characteristics (global and local hashing and buffering of messages) are analyzed in detail and their effects are assessed by means of performance measurements on a PC cluster and a Cray T3D parallel machine. Performance results emphasize the good scalability with the number of processors of the proposed approach, even without fast interconnection networks. While the distributed reachability graph construction technique has been conceived for GSPN solution, the issues raised are relevant to other modeling systems whose common trait is the generation of state spaces with irregular and a priori unknown structure.


Multi-million gate system-on-chip (SoC) designs increasingly rely on intellectual property (IP) blocks. However, due to technology scaling the leakage power consumption of the IP blocks has risen thus leading to possible thermal runaway. In IP-based design there has been a disconnect between system level design and physical level steps such as floorplanning which can lead to failures in manufactured chips. This necessitates coupling between system level and physical level design steps. The leakage power of an IP-block increases with its temperature which is dependent on the SoC's floorplan due to thermal diffusion. We have observed that different floorplans of the same SoC can have up to 3X difference in leakage power. Hence the system designer needs to be aware of this design space between floorplans and leakage power. We propose a leakage aware exploration (LAX) framework which enables the system designer to create this design space early in the design cycle and provides an opportunity to make changes in the system design. We show the size of the design space generated by applying LAX on ten industrial SoC designs from Freescale Semiconductor Inc. and observe that the leakage power can vary by as much as 190% for 65% difference in the inactive area.


Background: Data on MRSA prevalence in rehabilitation centers are sparse. Methods: We screened more than 18,000 patients with neurological, cardiac/pulmonary or orthopedic diagnoses treated in three German rehabilitation centers and documented potential risk factors in almost 1,500 of them. Results: 2.1% were MRSA positive (CI 1.9%–2.4%). Prevalence was higher in neurologic patients (3.7%) and lower in orthopedic patients (0.9%). While the overall MRSA situation was stable over two years, the weekly MRSA rate fluctuated strongly (0.0% to 8.0%). We confirmed five risk factors in our study population. A risk adapted screening strategy derived from our data had a significance of 74% and a positive predictive value of only 2.2%. Conclusion: MRSA positivity is a rare and highly variable event, requiring a huge sample size to generate robust data. The benefit of a risk-adapted screening strategy over a general screening should be questioned in each individual setting.


Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) search is a fundamental algorithmic problem, with numerous applications in many areas of computer science. In this work, we propose indexable distance estimating codes (iDEC), a new solution framework to ANN that extends and improves the locality sensitive hashing (LSH) framework in a fundamental and systematic way. Empirically, an iDEC-based solution has a low index space complexity ofO(n) and can achieve a low average query time complexity of approximately O(log n). We show that our iDEC-based solutions for ANN in Hamming and edit distances outperform the respective state-of-theart LSH-based solutions for both in-memory and externalmemory processing. We also show that our iDEC-based in-memory ANN-H solution is more scalable than all existing solutions. We also discover deep connections between Error-Estimating Codes (EEC), LSH, and iDEC. PVLDB Reference Format: Long Gong, Huayi Wang, Mitsunori Ogihara, and Jun Xu. iDEC: Indexable Distance Estimating Codes for Approximate Nearest Neighbor Search. PVLDB, 13(9): 1483-1497, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14778/3397230.3397243


INTRODUCTION. FUNDAMENTAL TENETS OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOPHYSICS. PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION. MAIN DEFINITION. Photophysical Processes. Photochemical Processes. CLASSIFICATION OF MOLECULES BY SPECTRAL AND LUMINESCENT PROPERTIES. THEORETICAL IDEAS OF ELEMENTARY PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESSES. Principles of Classification of Photochemical Processes. Photoionization and Electron Transfer. Proton Transfer. The Interrelation Between the Electron and Proton Transfer Processes. Hydrogen Atom Transfer. Pericyclic Reactions. Photosubstitution. Photodissociation. Photochemical Trans-Cis Isomerization. Valence Photoisomerization. SPECTRAL AND LUMINESCENT PROPERTIES OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. UNSUBSTITUTED, ALKOXYSUBSTITUTED AND ALKYLSUBSTITUTED HYDROCARBONS. Electronic Structure. Individual Compounds of the Row of Unsubstituted Aromatic Hydrocarbons. AROMATIC COMPOUNDS OF THE CHAIN STRUCTURE. Polyphenyls. Diphenylpolyenes. Styrenes. Derivatives of Triphenylmethane and Triarylmethane Dyes. AROMATIC OXYCOMPOUNDS. Phenols. Naphthols. AROMATIC AMINES. Aniline. Aminonaphthalenes. Spectroscopic Properties in Ethanol. Dependence of Fluorescence Quantum Yield on Excitation Energy. Acid-Base Properties in the Ground and Excited States. The Luminescence Properties of Amine Molecules with a "Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer State" (TICT). Nitroanilines. HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. AROMATIC NITROCOMPOUNDS. PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. NONSUBSTITUTED, ALKYL- AND ALKOXYSUBSTITUTED COMPOUNDS. Valence Photoisomerization. Photodissociation. H-Abstraction. Photoionization and Electron Transfer. Pericyclic Reactions. Photosubstitution. HYDROCARBONS WITH CHAIN STRUCTURE. Cis-Trans Photoisomerization. Cyclization. Photodimerization. Photocycloaddition. Electron Transfer and Interactions with Charge Transfer. Proton Transfer. Bond Photodissociation in the ss-Position to Aromatic Ring. AROMATIC OXYCOMPOUNDS. Homolytic Photodissociation. Photoionization and Electron Transfer. Proton Transfer. Valence Isomerization. AROMATIC AMINES. Photodissociation of the N-H Bond. Dissociation of the C-N Bond. Cyclization. Photoionization. Electron Transfer. Photosubstitution. Triarylmethanes. NITRO COMPOUNDS. Electron and Hydrogen Atom Transfer. Photocycloaddition to NO2-Group. Nitro-Nitrit Rearrangement. Acid-Basic Dissociation. Photosubstitution. AROMATIC NITRILES. Benzonitrile. 1,4-Dicyanobenzene. 1,2,3,4-Tetracyclobenzene. 1- and 2-Cyanonaphthalenes. 1,4-Dicyanonaphthalene. Cyanoanthracene, -Phenanthrene and Higher Hydrocarbons. HALOGENAROMATIC COMPOUNDS. Valence Photoisomerization. Photodissociation. Electron Transfer in Fluorohydrocarbons. Photocycloaddition. Photosubstitution. REFERENCES. TABLES. FIGURE CAPTIONS. FIGURES. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. LIST OF SYMBOLS. APPENDIX. SUPPLEMENT. Notes to Tables. Luminescence Parameters of Aromatic Compounds Without Functional Substituents. Luminescence Parameters of Biphenyls, Terphenyls, and Fluorens. Luminescence Parameters and Quantum Yields of Monomolecular Rearrangement of the Stilbene Derivatives. Luminescence Parameters of Diphenylpolyenes and Styrenes. Luminescence Parameters and Quantum Yields of Photodissociation of Triarylmethanes. Luminescence Parameters of Aromatic Oxycompounds. Parameters for the Acid-Base Dissociation of the Aromatic Oxycompounds and Amines. Luminescence Parameters of Aromatic Amines. Luminescence Parameters of Nitrocompounds. Luminescence Parameters of Aromatic Nitriles. Photochemical Reactions of Nonsubstituted, Alkyl- and Alkoxysubstituted Aromatic Compounds. Quantum Yields of Cycloreversion and O-O-Rupture of Endoperoxides of Aromatic Compounds. Photoaddition of Olefins to Benzene. Biomolecular Photochemical Reactions of Diphenylpolyenes and Styrenes. Photochemical Reactions of Oxycompounds. Photochemical Reactions of Aromatic Amines. Photochemical Reactions of Nitrocompounds. Photochemical Reactions of Nitriles. Photochemical Reactions of Halogenaromatics.


The levels and interactions of foreign connections and size may be important determinants of plant productivity and efficiency, particularly in a developing country such as Turkey. We explore the productive contributions of foreign ownership (FDI), emphasizing its linkages with plant size and input composition, for plants in the Turkish motor vehicle and parts industry. We evaluate the implications of FDI for overall productivity, input-specific contributions, and returns to scale, using OLS, stochastic production frontier, and quantile (size-specific) regression estimates of a translog production function model. We find significantly higher productivity of plants with foreign ownership, driven by a higher marginal product of labor, particularly for smaller plants. This effect augments the productive contributions of technical progress, capital intensity, and increasing returns to scale. FDI is also associated with a greater productive contribution of imported capital investment.


A key component of the 4D-Var data assimilation method used widely for numerical weather prediction is the linear forecast model, which is approximately tangent linear to the forecast model. Traditionally this has been based on differentiating the forecast model, though recently some authors have experimented with an ensemble regression technique, the localized ensemble tangent linear model (LETLM). We propose a hybrid of the two, in which a simplified conventional tangent-linear model (e.g., just the dynamical core) is used together with an LETLM-like adjustment every time step to account for the remaining processes (in this example, the parameterized physics). This is much cheaper than the LETLM, and in tests using the Met Office's linear model performs considerably better than either a pure LETLM (with a very large ensemble) or the existing linear model.


Carotid endarterectomy has been firmly established as the gold standard of therapy for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with severe carotid stenosis, provided surgical complication rates are within prescribed limits. The procedure-related risk of stroke/death should be < 3% in asymptomatic patients and < 6% in symptomatic patients. New investigational therapies such as balloon angioplasty and stenting for carotid stenosis should be evaluated against the same standard.


Abstract We demonstrate that basic components of the plastid protein-import apparatus originally found in pea, Toc34, Toc159, and Tic110, are also conserved in evolutionarily younger gymnosperms. We show that multiple isoforms of the preprotein receptor Toc34 differentially accumulate in various stages of needle development, while the amounts of Toc159 drastically decrease during chloroplast morphogenesis. Spruce Toc34 and Toc159 receptors are able to recognise and interact with the angiosperm precursor of the Rubisco small subunit. Young proplastids found in closed buds contain a highly elevated number of protein translocation complexes equipped with only two types of outer envelope receptors, Toc159 and a 30-kDa Toc34-related protein. Photosystem II (PSII) can already be assembled in a fully functional complex at this very early stage of needle development, suggesting that no additional receptor isoforms are needed for translocation of all necessary PSII components. We conclude that the accumulation of evolutionarily conserved plastid preprotein translocation components is differentially regulated during spruce needle development.


Officials must show that they understand why and how the public's confidence in the federal government's ability to manage financial turmoil was lost. Leaders of the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission must face up to their institutions' roles in an uncomfortable sequence of events. First, procedures adopted at private firms and federal agencies for supervising securitization activity at commercial banks, investment banks, and government-sponsored enterprises inappropriately shortcut due diligence by outsourcing the monitoring and policing of the safety-net consequences of potential defects in the securitization process to private parties. Second, when the adverse consequences of this imprudent arrangement emerged, officials falsely claimed that the difficulties that short-funded, highly leveraged firms were facing in rolling over debt reflected a shortage of market liquidity rather than a shortage of economic capital at key firms. Among knowledgeable parties, this raised severe doubts about the integrity and competence of the officials in charge of rescuing the industry. Finally, the panicky way that the Treasury and President recharacterized the nature and extent of the industry's accumulated losses in September 2008 created an extreme urgency that subsequent delays in implementation revealed to have been dangerously exaggerated. That authorities and financiers callously violated common-law duties of loyalty, competence, and care they owe taxpayers is a massive incentive breakdown in industry and government. What is needed is a thorough-going reorientation of: (1) how regulatory agencies report both on their performance and their interactions with Congress and the Administration, and (2) the contract structures and performance measures that determine how top managers and top staffers are graded and paid, not only in the financial industry but in government as well.


Cybercrime is now a day is very burning issue   govt. of all the countries majority of cybercrime are performed in certain age group. This particular paper deals with the issue of relationship o cybercrime and age of criminals. Further this paper may contribute in searching out the solutions to slow down the growth of cybercrime.