We study the extension of applicability of system-level testing techniques to the construction of a consistent model of (legacy) systems under test, which are seen as black boxes. We gather observations via an automated test environment and systematically extend available test suites according to learning procedures. Testing plays two roles here: (i) as an application domain and (ii) as the enabling technology for the adopted learning technique. The benefits include enhanced error detection and diagnosis, both during the testing phase and the online test of deployed systems at customer sites.


The southern galaxy NGC 1433 is one of the nearest examples of a ringed, barTed spiral. It is the prototype of revised Hubble type (R')SB(r)ab, and it includes the three main ring types possible in a normal galaxy: a nuclear ring/lens 0'.3 in diameter, an inner ring 3'.0 in diameter, and an outer pseudoring 5'.8 in diameter. In addition to these rings, the galaxy possesses a remarkable set of "plumes," or short feather-like spiral arcs symmetrically leading the bar. This paper explores the photometric and kinematic properties of this galaxy by means of UBVRI photographic surface photometry and Ha interferometry. Basic photometric parameters defined by de Vaucouleurs are first derived to demonstrate that the object is fairly normal for its type. From detailed ellipse fits, it is shown that isophote eccentricities and orientations vary in a complicated manner with increasing radius, mainly because of the misalignment of the major axes of the three rings. The inner ring is almost exactly aligned parallel to the strong bar, while the nuclear and outer rings are misaligned with the bar by 62° and 79°, respectively, in projection. Each ring is found to be a zone of enhanced blue colors relative to its surroundings, consistent with the presence of active star formation. Recent star formation is also found in the "plumes." Subtle azimuthal variations in color index are detected along the inner ring, in the sense that that structure is reddest in those regions immediately trailing the bar. Both the nuclear and the inner rings are found to consist of two components: a blue, narTow component composed of young associations and H II regions, and a red, broad component composed of much older stars. The broad component of the inner ring is in the form of a lens, and its significant intrinsic eccentricity leads to both radial and azimuthal terms in the color gradient. Bar-interbar amplitudes are found to reach a maximum of 2.5 mag in the I band, which is larger than for other barred spirals with recently published data. A Fourier analysis is used to study the azimuthal variations in the light distribution in some detail. Near the ends of the bar, 20 and 40 components are of major importance. These are found to contribute 33% of the total near-infrared light within the standard isophotal radius. The kinematics of the inner ring confirm that its apparent alignment along the bar is not an artifact of projection effects. The line of nodes appears to be virtually along the major axis of the outer pseudoring, implying that the intrinsic axis ratio of the inner ring is 0.65 ± 0.03 depending on the inclination. If the inner ring represents a naturally outlined view of a periodic orbit in the bar field, then the variation of radial velocity as a function of position angle around the ring favors a model where motion is in the forward direction (i.e. , the ring is within corotation). The major conclusion of this paper is that most of the observed properties of NGC 1433 favor the hypothesis that the rings have originated near orbital resonances with the bar, specifically the inner Lindblad resonance for the nuclear ring/lens, the inner second harmonic resonance for the inner ring, and the outer Lindblad resonance for the outer ring. Pure gasdynamical models provide the best account of the properties of the rings, but are nevertheless incomplete since each ring is largely stellar. The origin of the stellar components is uncertain, but the new photometry suggests that the inner lens has not originated from some kind of ongoing dissolution of the bar, but rather could be just an "old ring." The new data also suggest that the disk of the galaxy has been significantly restructured by the bar, and that the "gap" between the inner and outer rings, together with the "plumes," is a signature of orbital instability in the vicinity of corotation. Subject headings: galaxies: individual galaxies: internal motions galaxies: photometry galaxies: stellar contentgalaxies: structure


Objective Platelet distribution width (PDW) has been reported in a wide range of pathological settings. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between PDW and lower extremity chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) by comparing the levels of PDW and other parameters derived from complete blood count (CBC) tests in young individuals with or without lower extremity CVI. Methods This prospective clinical study was conducted between January 2020 and December 2020. A total of 108 patients, 72 patients with lower extremity CVI (study group) and 36 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled from the Bursa Yuksek Ihtısas Educatıon Research Hospıtal and the Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Training and Research Hospital. The age range of the participants was between 18 and 50 years old. Participants' baseline clinical features and CBC parameters including PDW, white blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet count, mean platelet volume, plateletcrit, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were compared between the two groups. Results The groups were statistically similar in terms of baseline clinical features. The median PDW value was significantly higher for the CVI patients relative to the control group (17.6 vs 16.8; p < 0.001). In terms of other CBC parameters, there were no significant differences between the groups. According to ROC analysis, area under the curve of PDW was 0.749 (95% confidence interval: 0.653–0.846 and p < 0.001). If the value of PDW was accepted as 17, it could predict CVI with 76% sensitivity and 59% specificity, whereas a PDW value of 17.5 could predict CVI with 51% sensitivity and 81% specificity. Conclusion Platelet distribution width might be a useful marker to determine an increased inflammatory response and thrombotic status in young patients with CVI.


The Hemingway property, located 1.3 km due north of the Kidd Creek volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in Kidd township, Ontario, is part of the Kidd Creek volcanic complex. Ore reserves and past production of the mine total 130 million metric tons of ore at 2.86 percent Cu, 6.14 percent Zn, 0.22 percent Pb, and 85 g/t Ag. Felsic volcanic rocks and ultramafic flows and sills intercalated with the felsic rocks have been overprinted by extensive hydrothermal-metasomatic alteration at the Hemingway property and at the Kidd Creek mine. The earliest significant alteration identified in the ultramafic rocks is serpentinization, and in the rhyolite, silicification. Pervasive CO 2 metasomatism of the serpentinized ultramafic rocks and the silicified rhyolite resulted in extensive carbonate alteration of both rock types. Late sericite-fuchsite, chlorite, and minor (second generation) carbonate alteration overprinted the first generation carbonates. It is suggested that silicification and carbonate alteration may represent an early synvolcanic hydrothermal episode associated with ore deposition, whereas the sericite-fuchsite, chlorite and late carbonate alteration was superimposed on the deposit during later metamorphism-metasomatism.Pervasive CO 2 metasomatism at the Hemingway property was a relatively low temperature event. Microthermometric measurements were obtained on primary fluid inclusions in carbonates and quartz from the ultramafic rocks. Since phase separation was observed, the mean homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions provides a formation temperature estimate of 248 degrees + or - 12 degrees C. The CO 2 content of the fluid ranges from <0.85 mole percent in the talc-carbonate-altered ultramafic rocks to 10 to 75 mole percent in the quartz-carbonate-altered ultramafic rocks. Fluid inclusions in the quartz-carbonate rocks contain liquid CO 2 and up to 1 mole percent CH 4 . The salinity of the fluid ranges from 1 to 6 wt percent NaCl equiv. The calculated oxygen isotope composition of the fluid in equilibrium with the carbonates ranges from 0 to 3.5 per mil; delta 13 C values of carbonates define a narrow range of 0 to 1 per mil. The oxygen isotope composition of the fluid is consistent with a modified seawater source, but the presence of liquid CO 2 in the inclusions precludes seawater as the source of the CO 2 . One possible explanation for the high CO 2 concentration may be that CO 2 had a volcanic source and was produced during magma degassing. Although the delta 13 C composition of magmatically derived CO 2 is -3 to -5 per mil, delta 13 C values could have increased as CH 4 was generated from the interaction of the fluid with carbonaceous sediments.The hydrothermal-metasomatic evolution of the rocks at the Hemingway property and the Kidd Creek massive sulfide deposit is comparable to some ultramafic rock-hosted gold deposits in the Abitibi belt. The similarity in previously reported ages of secondary accessory minerals such as monazite, titanite, rutile, fuchsite, and sericite at gold deposits and at Kidd Creek suggests that the hydrothermal and metasomatic evolution of these deposits occurred on a regional scale and should be evaluated in a regional context. Early, pervasive carbonate alteration may have been contemporaneous with the syngenetic deposition of massive sulfides at Kidd Creek, and pervasive carbonate alteration of ultramafic host rocks in gold deposits, such as Dome, Kerr Addison, and Aquarius, may have predated subsequent alteration events (quartz-carbonate veins, fuchsite, chlorite + or - rutile) associated with gold.


Probiotic ice cream was manufactured by mixing fortified milk fermented with probiotic strains with an ice cream mix, followed by freezing. The probiotic ice cream was evaluated for chemical properties, cultures survival and sensory characteristics during 12 week of frozen storage at -26°C. Analysis of ice cream mixes showed higher acidity and viscosity in the case of mixes containing probiotic bacteria. There was no effect on specific gravity as well as weight per gallon of bio-ice cream mixes. Freezing point of mixes decreased in all bio-ice cream than control. Ice cream analysis showed an increase in both values of specific gravity and weight per gallon with adding the probiotic cultures. Overrun percent has affected with the addition of probiotic cultures. All treatments showed slightly faster melting than control. Initial freezing of ice cream mix followed by hardening caused a reduction of less than one log cycle in viable counts of probiotics. The viable counts decreased by 2.23,1.68,1.54, 1.23 and 1.77 log cfu/g for Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, respectively, during 12 weeks of frozen storage. Although there was a decrease in the number of viable cells, the ice cream may be considered as a probiotic food during 12 weeks of storage, since the remained was above the recommended minimum limit of 10 6 cfu/g. All the ice cream samples received a high score in the organoleptic evaluation. Lactobacillus reuteri containing ice cream was judged to be sourer and attained a higher score for probiotic flavour.


Received Signal Strength (RSS) fingerprint-based localization has attracted a lot of research effort and cultivated many commercial applications of location-based services due to its low cost and ease of implementation. Many studies are exploring the use of deep learning (DL) algorithms for localization. DL's ability to extract features and to classify autonomously makes it an attractive solution for fingerprint-based localization. These solutions require frequent retraining of DL models with vast amounts of measurements. Although crowdsourcing is an excellent way to gather immense amounts of data, it jeopardizes the privacy of participants, as it requires to collect labeled data at a centralized server. Recently, federated learning has emerged as a practical concept in solving the privacy preservation issue of crowdsourcing participants by performing model training at the edge devices in a decentralized manner; the participants do not expose their data anymore to a centralized server. This paper presents a novel method utilizing federated learning to improve the accuracy of RSS fingerprint-based localization while preserving the privacy of the crowdsourcing participants. Employing federated learning allows ensuring preserving the privacy of user data while enabling an adequate localization performance with experimental data captured in real-world settings. The proposed method improved localization accuracy by 1.8 meters when used as a booster for centralized learning and achieved satisfactory localization accuracy when used standalone.


The supermarket is one of the 20th Century's most important marketing innovations. The concept of the supermarket emerged in the 1930s, and supermarkets came to dominate food retailing in the two decades immediately after World War II. Made possible by rapid suburbanization of American cities and expansion of ownership of automobiles and refrigerators, supermarkets transformed business processes and competition for customers at the retail level. They also fostered expansion and new efficiencies for wholesalers and created new opportunities for food manufacturers to develop products for mass audiences. The basic hub and spoke distribution system that has evolved for supermarkets is built around large distribution centers located near interstate highways. These distribution centers receive full semi-trailer loads of product from suppliers and then send full semi-trailers out to individual stores daily or several times per week. Loads sent to stores are comprised of relatively small quantities of thousands of individual SKUs, or stock keeping units, needed to replenish the inventory of tens of thousands of SKUs stored on self-service shelves in a typical store. This system, which is supplemented by deliveries from specialty distributors and direct store deliveries by some suppliers, economizes on transportation and labor. With electronic transmission of orders and payment and computer-based tools that assist with ordering, pricing, and inventory management, this distribution system also keeps transaction costs to a minimum. It is ideally suited for sourcing consistent quality products at low cost from wherever they are available and so has been an integral part of an increasingly national and global food system. This mainstream supermarket distribution system favors large scale suppliers and facilitates long distance movement of products. Supermarket wholesale and retail companies usually prefer to work with a small number of large, reliable suppliers. At the same time, this system is remarkably resilient and quick to adapt. Can it be an effective channel for meeting the rapidly growing demand for local food products? Are there meaningful, long run prospects for a significant "relocalization" of supermarket offerings? While definitive answers to these questions are not yet apparent, there is emerging evidence that helps clarify how the relationship between the local foods movement and the supermarket industry may evolve.


Due to the accelerated growth of electricity demand, the scarcity of primary resources to produce electricity, and technological advances in recent years, electricity companies must face and solve these challenges in the best possible way, and for that, the Transmission Network Expansion Planning (TNEP) plays a crucial role, since the decisions taken in longterm planning determine the optimal form of expansion of the networks, to respond to these needs of electricity demands. On the other hand, there is also the tendency to leave the TNEP problem more efficient, robust, and closer to what happens in real electrical networks. For these reasons, this article proposes a methodology to solve the TNEP problem considering active power losses. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. The Chu-Beasley Genetic Algorithm (CBGA) is used to transform the MINLP problem into a linear programming (LP) problem. Furthermore, the Villasana Garver constructive heuristic (VGCH) algorithm is used to make the investment proposals made by the AGCB feasible. To measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed methodology several tests are performed on the 6- bus Garver system, the IEEE 24-bus test system, and the South Brazilian 46-bus test system


ABSTRACT The mass demonstrations that brought down the Hosni Mubarak regime might not have been started by the Muslim Brotherhood, which successive Egyptian governments had banned since 1954, but that well-funded and organized opposition group was quick to take advantage of the popular protests. Their endorsement of the demonstrations and their active participation in them provided the Brotherhood with a legitimate voice in the emerging political leadership. The massive coverage of the uprising by the international media gave this Muslim fundamentalist global movement an excellent stage on which to enact its masquerade as a benign, freedom-loving organization. Looking for new alternatives to the old regime, the media and many political commentators have either ignored or deliberately misinformed the public about the real agenda of the group and the serious threat its rising influence poses to the West. Since its establishment in 1928, this secretive organization has frequently adopted new strategies, allowing it to grow and become a global organization with deep footholds in more than seventy countries. This article lays out the Brotherhood's agenda and highlights key points in the organization's evolution that has helped it to survive and pursue its mission to establish a global Islamic Caliphate.


Aromatic S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) are of significant interest as potential donors of nitric oxide and related biologically active molecules. Here, we address a number of poorly understood properties of these species via a detailed density functional theory and the natural bond orbital (NBO) investigation of the parent PhSNO molecule. We find that the characteristic perpendicular orientation of the -SNO group relative to the phenyl ring is determined by a combination of the steric factors and the donor-acceptor interactions including, in particular, a cascading orbital interaction involving electron delocalization from the oxygen lone pair to the σ-antibonding S-N orbital and then to the π*-aromatic orbitals, an unusual negative hyperconjugation/conjugation long-range delocalization pattern. These interactions, which are also responsible for the relative weakness of the S-N bond in PhSNO and the modulation of -SNO group properties in substituted aromatic RSNOs, can be interpreted as a resonance stabilization of the ionic resonance component RS(-)/NO(+) of the RSNO electronic structure by the aromatic ring, similar to the resonance stabilization of PhS(-) anion. These insights into the chemistry and structure-property relationships in aromatic RSNOs can provide an important theoretical foundation for rational design of new RSNOs for biomedical applications.


A common result obtained in electromigration experiments carried out on Al‐Si lines using different high resolution resistometric methods, is a monotonous non‐linear resistance increase at the very beginning of the high current electromigration test, and a decrease after the high stressing current is switched off. These effects have often been attributed to the attainment of a steady state of vacancy concentration during and after electromigration. This paper shows how even small abrupt temperature steps, always present at the beginning and after electromigration tests, are the triggering events for different, often reversible, physical phenomena contributing to non‐linear resistance changes. Precipitation–dissolution of alloyed elements appears to be the most significant one. Abrupt temperature changes also induce a change of the hydrostatic stress of passivated lines. The relaxation of the hydrostatic stress could be coupled with a void volume change, and the total resistance is a function of both the h...


We report the X-ray crystal structure of 11 molecular clips and analyze the influence of substituents (e.g., OMe, Me, and NO2) and their location on the observed crystal packing. Molecular clips 3a and 3b form tapelike structures in the crystal due to pi-pi interactions between the aromatic walls. Compounds 3d, 3eC, and 3fC form dimers driven by critical C-H...O interactions and then form tapes driven by pi-pi interactions in the crystal. These two building motifs, pi-pi and C-H...O interactions, can be used to rationalize the enantio- and diastereoselectivity observed in the X-ray crystal structures of the remaining five molecular clips. For example, the C-H...O interactions are found to dictate the formation of homochiral dimers in the structures of (+/-)-3eT and (+/-)-3fT and to control the diastereoselective formation of 6a2-6c2 dimeric motifs with internal p-dimethoxy-o-xylylene walls. Overall, the results suggest that substituent effects that induce even weak intermolecular interactions (e.g., C-H...O) can be used to reliably control crystal packing within glycoluril-based systems.


Hydrogen safety has become the first consideration, especially after fuel cell automobiles were pushed into commercial auto market. Tunnels are important parts of traffic infrastructure featured in confinement or semi-confinement. Hydrogen detonation is a potential accident scenario while hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are operated in a traffic tunnel with a confined space. Pressure shockwaves are mostly produced by hydrogen detonation and propagate along the tunnel. As a designed safety measure, water mist injection is hopefully to mitigate the pressure loads of such shocks. To model the interaction between shockwaves and water droplets, a droplet breakup model has been developed for the COM3D code, which is a highly validated three-dimensional hydrogen explosion simulation code. By using the model, the hydrogen detonation shockwave propagation in confined volumes is simulated in the study. The attenuation effects of water mist on the pressure shocks in the simulations are elaborated and discussed based on the simulation results.


Survival sex, commonly understood to be the exchange of sex for material support, is a practice that is associated with young homeless women. However, such a narrow definition of survival sex fails to recognise the multiple, complex, and co-existing motivations of young homeless women for engaging in intimate relationships in post-industrial capitalist society. Within Youth Homelessness and Survival Sex, Watson's insightful analysis of personal narratives reveals how young homeless women are exposed to situations in which survival can be impeded or assisted by playing out specific gender roles. Indeed, in identifying and contesting the dominant social discourses that young homeless women draw upon to frame their experiences of intimate affairs, Watson challenges the reader to understand how gendered subjectivities are produced and performed through heteronormative relationships. Consequently, this enlightening monograph is vital in presenting how homelessness is not a gender-neutral phenomenon and that there are gender-specific processes and practices involved in the navigation of poverty, violence and social exclusion. A timely monograph, Youth Homelessness and Survival Sex will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, interested in fields such as Homelessness, Youth Studies, Social Work, and Gender Studies.


St. Frideswide is the patron saint of Oxford, the town and university. According to her legend, Frideswide dedicated her life to God, serving as an abbess in what is now Oxford and its surrounding area. She is credited with performing many miracles such as eliciting a well for a nunnery and healing a leper. Even after her death, people thanked Frideswide for healing them from injury and affliction. Frideswide lived from 650-727 yet the earliest recording of her story is from the early twelfth-century, nearly 500 years after her death. The legend of St. Frideswide was written many times. The most commonly studied primary sources include three versions written in Latin and two in Middle English, the common language of twelfth-century England. While all of the versions contain some similarities, they were each written at a different time, by different authors, for unique audiences, and served different social and political purposes. None of the versions are a clear and truthful biography of Frideswide. As England underwent a Christian Reformation, Frideswide, her legend, and her relics were lost. Once rediscovered, her legend continued to metamorphosize. While the legend of Frideswide can explain some aspects of her contemporary society and its views of women, the legends shed even more light on the authors' societies and the changing status of women. These changes to Frideswide's legend continue today. 1


From January 1987 until March 1990, 61 children suffering from mixed malaria infections of P. falciparum and P. vivax entered the Department of Child Health Medical School Sam Ratulangi University/Gunung Wenang General Hospital, Manado. Only 41 patients were evaluated as 20 patients did not fulfill the inclusion criteria. Twenty patients were treated with fansidar-quinine (Group I), and 21 patients with fansidar chloroquine (Group II). In group II, the asexual form of P. vivax disappeared in 2 days after having been treated with fansidar-chloroquine. Conversely, in group I the asexual form of P. vivax disappeared after 5 days of treatment. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference (p less than 0.001). No significant difference could be detected between the duration of asexual parasitemia of P. falciparum in these two groups (p = 0.3085). No statistically significant difference could be detected concerning the duration of fever and the length of hospitalization between these two groups.


Pre-elongation stage bovine embryos contain insulin receptor, ligands and receptors of IGF-I and IGF-II, and possibly EGF ligand. Cumulus cells and blastocysts also express EGF receptor; however, insulin is not produced (Watson AJ et al. 1992 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 31, 87–95; Tetens F. et al. 2000 Anat. Embryol. 201, 349–55; Yaseen MA et al. 2001 Reproduction 122, 601-10). Reported effects of external growth factors during bovine IVC are conflicting. The present study evaluated effects of EGF and insulin on the development of in vitro-produced embryos in a chemically defined IVC medium. IVM medium was TCM199 plus fetal bovine serum, LH and estradiol. IVF was done in Tyrodes solution containing BSA, lactate, pyruvate, heparin, penicillamine-hypotaurine-epinephrine and nonessential amino acids. At 18 h post-insemination, ova were vortexed, washed and placed in IVC treatments. Modified KSOM (Yang BK et al. 1995 J. Reprod. Dev. 41, 213–18) with 1X MEM nonessential and 1X BME amino acids was the base IVC medium. Incubations were done at 39°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air (IVM, IVF) or 5% CO2, 10% O2 and 85% N2 (IVC). Effects of three EGF (0, 50, 100 ng mL−1; Experiment 1) or five insulin (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 μg mL−1; Experiment 2) doses were tested, in five replicates, by supplementation during the entire IVC period (up to Day 9; Day 0 = day of insemination). Embryos were placed in fresh medium on Day 4 post-insemination. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test. In Experiment 1 (n = 646 oocytes), EGF treatment did not affect percentages of Day 2 cleavage (83 ± 3, 82 ± 3, and 81 ± 2%, respectively; mean ± SEM.) and Day 9 blastocysts (34 ± 4, 33 ± 4 and 33 ± 5%, respectively) or cell number per blastocyst after Hoechst staining (95 ± 5, 88 ± 4 and 89 ± 5, respectively). In Experiment 2 (n = 687 oocytes), insulin improved the frequency of cleavage and percentage of expanding, hatching and total blastocysts. It also increased blastocyst cell number (see Table 1). Lack of effect of EGF on bovine IVC is in contrast to its widely reported beneficial effects in mice. In many bovine IVC studies, the beneficial effects of external insulin were seen at or after the morula stage. The present study demonstrates that insulin can influence embryonic development as early as the initial cleavage stage and before embryonic genome activation. Reseach was funded in part by J. Bennett Johnston Science Foundation. Table 1 Effects of insulin (μg mL−1) on development to >2-cell (Day 2), expanded, hatched and total blastocysts (Day 9: % ± SEM) and on blastocyst cell number (Day 9: mean ± SEM)


The wind/hybrid systems group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been researching the most practical and cost-effective methods for producing ice from off-grid wind-electric power systems. The first phase of the project, conducted in 1993--1994, included full-scale dynamometer and field testing of two different electric ice makers directly connected to a permanent magnet alternator. The results of that phase were encouraging and the second phase of the project was launched in which steady-state and dynamic numerical models of these systems were developed and experimentally validated. The third phase of the project was the dynamometer testing of the North Star ice maker, which is powered by a 12-kilowatt Bergey Windpower Company, Inc., alternator. This report describes both the second and third project phases. Also included are detailed economic analyses and a discussion of the future prospects of wind-electric ice-making systems. The main report is contained in Volume 1. Volume 2 consists of the report appendices, which include the actual computer programs used in the analysis and the detailed test results.


While public administration scholars argue that core values of social equity are exceedingly important in service provision, less is known of how these values are practised on the frontline in the contemporary public administration. Research points to a dual trend: together with practices aimed at increasing clients' wellbeing, public service workers' decisions about allocating public resources are guided by moral perceptions of worthiness, leaving behind the most weakened populations. The current study aims to decipher this duality, analyzing street-level bureaucrats' decisionmaking about providing personal resources to low-income clients, in order to examine whether the pursuit of social equity is manifested in informal practices. Drawing on indepth qualitative interviews of social service providers in Israel, we found that decisionmaking about personal resource provision is grounded in two distinct sets of values. Alongside a pattern of providing resources to deserving clients, street-level bureaucrats also provide them to clients typically considered undeserving. These latter practices are aimed at decreasing social inequality, demonstrating that social service providers often walk the talk of social equity.


Enterotoxins elaborated by Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli cannot elicit fluid secretion in the absence of functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channels. After enterotoxin exposure, CFTR channels are rapidly recruited from endosomes and undergo exocytic insertion into the apical plasma membrane of enterocytes to increase the number of channels on the cell surface by at least fourfold. However, the molecular machinery that orchestrates exocytic insertion of CFTR into the plasma membrane is largely unknown. The present study used immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, surface biotinylation, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown assays, and immunoprecipitation to identify components of the exocytic soluble N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) vesicle fusion machinery in cyclic nucleotide-activated exocytosis of CFTR in rat jejunum and polarized intestinal Caco-2(BB)e cells. Syntaxin 3, an intestine-specific SNARE, colocalized with CFTR on the apical domain of enterocytes in rat jejunum and polarized Caco-2(BB)e cells. Coimmunoprecipitation and GST binding studies confirmed that syntaxin 3 interacts with CFTR in vivo. Moreover, heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) activated exocytosis of both CFTR and syntaxin 3 to the surface of rat jejunum. Silencing of syntaxin 3 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference abrogated cyclic nucleotide-stimulated exocytosis of CFTR in cells. These observations reveal a new and important role for syntaxin 3 in the pathophysiology of enterotoxin-elicited diarrhea.


High-level ab initio calculations of the structure, vibrational frequencies, and NMR spectra of the recently isolated methyl hypofluorite, CH3OF, have been carried out. When electron correlation is included in the calculations (but not at the HF level), there is a very good agreement between the experimental and the theoretical IR and NMR spectra. Four different unimolecular decomposition pathways, all leading to CH20 and HF, were studied. Of these, two mechanisms, the synchronous single-step HF elimination and a two-step mechanism via the CH30' and F radicals, are predicted to be the most favorable, both having activation free energies of ca. 38 kcal mol-' at GAUSSIAN 2. A theoretical analysis of the expected kinetic isotope effects between the competing pathways leads to a clear differentiation which can be used in experimental studies.


In year 2009 European Commission launched a new project to achieve European Digital Single market. In the frame of the project Digital agenda was adopted and Europe 2020 strategy planned. In September year 2016 European Commission launched a public consultation on a Directive of the European Parliament and the council establishing the European Electronic Communications Code, that combines all framework directives. The new directive, among other aspects, sets additional requirements on mobile broadband, mapping and Qualities of Service for fixed and mobile networks. Requirements that should be met for minimal internet speeds and SG technology implementation times among European Union are also strictly defined. The aim of this paper is theoretically offer and practically investigate the possible implementation of SG and possible measurements for broadband networks to determine if existing broadband connection would be enough to meet new requirements and user demand for a broadband according with the Directive. The existing LTE network parameters were analysed in comparison with fixed broadband networks. The results of the analysis gave a base to make conclusions and could be set as a reference for the future SG implementation for Regulatory authorities and mobile operators.


In combination with features such as intensive labor and speech in the customer service report field, this paper discusses the design of a customer service report system based on artificial intelligence automatic speech recognition technology and big data text classification technology. The proposed system realizes functions like a flat IVR menu, quick transcription and input of work orders, dynamic tracking of failure hotspots, automatic classification and accumulation of the knowledge base, speech emotion detection and real-time supervision of service quality, and it can improve the user experience and reduce the labor strengths of customer service staff. The automatically accumulated knowledge base can further assist with feedback to resolve the difficult problem that the emerging intelligent network Q&A and intelligent robots rely on a manually summarized knowledge base.


The vast majority of the literature on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor is concerned with its functions in xenobiotic detoxification. However, in the course of evolution, this receptor had to have physiological (rather than toxicological) functions. Our aim was to review the aryl hydrocarbon receptor's role in the physiological functions involved in aging. This study was performed by searching the MEDLINE and Google Academic databases. A total of 34 articles were selected that focused specifically on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and aging, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and physiological functions, and the combination of both. This receptor's main physiological functions (mediated by the modulation of gene expression) were cell regeneration, the immune reaction, intestinal homeostasis, and cell proliferation. Furthermore, it was shown that the loss of this receptor led to premature aging. This process may be caused by the dysregulation of hematopoietic stem cells, loss of glucose and lipid homeostasis, increase in inflammation, and deterioration of the brain. We conclude that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, apart from its well-established role in xenobiotic detoxication, plays an important role in physiological functions and in the aging process. Modulation of the signaling pathway of this receptor could be a therapeutic target of interest in aging.


The authors were responsible for leading the preparation of the Canterbury Regional Economic Development Strategy (CREDS) in September 2009, twelve months before a series of three devastating earthquakes destroyed large parts of the central business district of the region's largest city, Christchurch. The authors were commissioned to prepare an evaluation of the impact of the first earthquake and to write a report on opportunities for one of the region's two universities in the post-earthquake environment. They have acted as advisors to planners before and after the earthquakes. Drawing on these experiences, the paper presents the analytical model that was used in 2009 to identify key sectors for regional economic development and reflects on the implications of that analysis for planning after the natural disaster.


Introduction: By using an ex vivo model of isolated perfused and ventilated rabbit lungs we investigated the influence of systemic oxygenation on pulmonary function during simulated transplantation.

Methods: Lungs of New Zealand White rabbits were flush-perfused with Perfadex® Solution, followed by an ischemic storage for 4h on ice. Thereafter ventilation and reperfusion for 2h were continued to simulate a transplantation situation (oxygenated group, pulmonary artery pO2=120mmHg). In another series the perfusate inflow was gassed with nitrogen to simulate the typical situation with deoxygenated pulmonary artery blood and not reanastomized private vessels(deoxygenated group, pulmonary artery pO2=50mmHg). Hemodynamic and ventilatory parameters were continuously detected.

Results: After 2h reperfusion time the oxygenated group showed a significant lower PAP and lung weight compared to the deoxygenated group (p<0.05). PAP and lung weight steadily increased after reestablishment of lung perfusion (PAP 8.78±0.89 to 11.5±1.06cmH2O; lung weight 22.1±1.32 to 35.4±4.23g). This development was significantly influenced by the intravascular pO2 (PAP 9.65±0.43 to 8.02±0.63cmH2O; lung weight 17.9±1.54 to 21.5±2.29g, p<0.05).

Conclusions: Oxygenation of the lung perfusate during simulated transplantation attenuates post transplant edema formation and decreases pulmonal arterial hypertension. Transfering this to the surgical situation, revascularisation of bronchial arteries after lung transplantation might initiate positive effects in the early phase after lung transplantation.


We propose an algorithm, called BI-GRAPPIN, to search for similarities across PPI networks. The technique core consists in computing a maximum weight matching of bipartite graphs to compare the neighborhoods of pairs of proteins in different PPI networks. The idea is that proteins belonging to different networks should be matched look- ing not only at their own sequence similarity, but also at the similarity of proteins they "strongly" interact with, ei- ther directly or indirectly. We implemented the method and tested it on both real and synthetic data, showing its effec- tiveness in solving ambiguous situations and in individuat- ing functionally related proteins. Differently from previous work, the presented algorithm allows to take into account both quantitative and reliability information possibly avail- able about interactions.


Hong Kong has had an ID card system for nearly sixty years, used primarily for purposes of immigration control, and for identification by government, but at the turn of this century it decided to convert it to a chip-based 'smart' ID card. This was only a few years after Hong Kong became part of the People's Republic of China. The Hong Kong Administration took the opportunity to make the smart card multi-functional from the start, but claimed that use of all the additional functions would be voluntary. This chapter questions to what extent these uses of additional functions will be voluntary, and whether this is significant. It examines the potential for further expansion of the functions of Hong Kong's ID system, commonly known as 'function creep', and the extent to which any such expansion will or will not be under democratic control.


Thermodiffusion in liquids (the Soret effect) has several unusual properties. In particular, transport can occur with or against a temperature gradient depending on the case. Numerous empirical correlations have been proposed with mixed success or range of applicability. Here, we show that physicochemical mechanics, derived from the Smoluchowski equation as a description of diffusive transport phenomena, is in accord with the experimental and simulated thermodiffusion data from colloidal beads and biomacromolecules to ionic solutions and ultracold fluid mixtures. It yields a simple formula for the Soret coefficient ST based on the reference molar entropy including non-ideality. Hydrodynamic and local non-equilibrium effects are discussed but not included as these are apparently not a major contribution for the wide range of solutes under the near-equilibrium experimental conditions considered here.


Improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning without continual growth and progress. I write this editorial to welcome authors, reviewers, and readers to the third edition of the HSI Journal Volume 2Issue 1in 2021. It is my pleasure to announce that all 3 issues of the HSI Journal were published online on time and the print issues were also brought out and dispatched within a month of publishing the issue online. Towards this edition, the HSI Journal received several manuscripts-some were rejected in the preliminary screening and others after peer review process. A total of 43 research scientists from different juridictions reviewed the manuscripts submitted to this edition. Some of the accepted articles are presented in this issue. Altogether, there are 6 original research articles, 4 case reports, and a commentary. The average publication lag time for publication of an article was 2-3 months. The topics covered are broad but interesting and scientifically relevant. The HSI Journal is an Open Access publication with no article processing charges, and all published articles are accessible for greater dissemination. The Journal subscribes to the progressive thinking that access to scientific knowledge must benefit all without recourse to purchasing power. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of editorial board members and reviewers covering all related topics, especially during the final editing of the published articles. I would also like to express my gratitude to the publisher, all the authors, the advisory board, and office bearers for their support in bringing out yet another volume of the HSI Journal. I am indeed blessed with an excellent team. I look forward to their unrelenting support to bring out Volume 2 Issue 2 at the scheduled time. As the Editor-in-chief, I welcome suggestions, complaints, discussions, and thoughts from authors and readers to help us to maintain high standards. We look forward to publishing high-quality studies and making the HSI Journal synonymous with top quality in health sciences research. Thank you Acknowledgements The University of Ghana College of Health Sciences, the copyright owner, the patron, and sponsor of HSI Journal has always shown a deep interest in the affairs of its constituent institutions. The Journal is indeed grateful to the Reverend Professor Patrick Ferdinand Ayeh-Kumi, the Provost of the University of Ghana College of Health Sciences, for his immense support and leadership.


Occupational injury and fatality risk analysis was performed on 16 building trades in the study reported herein. The approach was based on defining risk fundamentally as the product of probability (frequency) and severity, and using the risk plane concept to evaluate and rank the trades in terms of nonfatal injury rates. A parameter named index of relative risk was then used for fatality rate based ranking, and the results separately obtained from these analyses were integrated into a combined risk score for arriving at final rankings. Bureau of Labor Statistics data was used in the study. The risk analysis methodology included both frequency and severity considerations associated with nonfatal injuries. It was observed that simultaneous consideration of frequency and severity gives more comprehensive results than performing risk analysis based exclusively on either frequency or severity. The findings of the study indicated that ironworkers and roofers were the highest risk trades. The information derived from the methodology presented in this paper should be particularly valuable for risk managers, legal and liability experts, and project managers.


The continue wave (CW) high current proton linac has wide applications as the front end of the high power proton machines. The low energy part is the most difficult one and there is no widely accepted solution yet. Both normal conducting and superconducting acceleration structures are thought to be the possible solutions. Although the characteristics of normal conducting structures and superconducting ones are quite different, such as acceleration voltage, maximum electric field and so on, we found the focusing properties of the lattice composed by these two acceleration structures are quite similar for different reasons. The advantages and disadvantages of lattices composed of both the normal conducting and superconducting structures are analysed from the beam dynamics point of view, and their constraints on beam main parameters are discussed.


Experimental frames have been used in DEVS-based simulations to drive scenarios through injecting inputs and interpreting outputs. This design has traditionally called for separate models with distinct roles: generator, acceptor, and transducer. In certain controlled experiments such as model testing, sequential programming offers a simpler design with many benefits, specifically: code reduction, test case development throughput, and diagnostics for failed tests. This research offers a test framework that is derived from atomic DEVS and facilitates testing through scripting. The challenge for this research is to prove DEVS semantics are maintained when the experimental frame is tightly controlled by a script. Our solution uses a separate thread for this script and synchronizes program execution switching with a nest lock. Synchronization is key in showing that this design maintains DEVS semantics by nesting script code within the state transition functions of DEVS modeling components.


Recent models of global mercury (Hg) cycling have identified the downward flux of sinking particles in the ocean as a prominent Hg removal process from the ocean. At least one of these models estimates the amount of anthropogenic Hg in the ocean to be about 400 Mmol, with deep water formation and sinking fluxes representing the largest vectors by which pollutant Hg is able to penetrate the ocean interior. Using data from recent cruises to the Atlantic, we examined the dissolved and particulate partitioning of Hg in the oceanic water column as a cross-check on the hypothesis that sinking particle fluxes are important. Interestingly, these new data suggest particle-dissolved partitioning (Kd) that is approximately 20× greater than previous estimates, which thereby challenges certain assumptions about the scavenging and active partitioning of Hg in the ocean used in earlier models. For example, the new particle data suggest that regenerative scavenging is the most likely mechanism by which the association of Hg and particles occurs. This article is part of the themed issue 'Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry'.


In the late 1920s, European expatriates in Hollywood made a number of independent experimental
films influenced by avant-garde cultural movements. But these were preceded by three
short experimental films made in 1920 by an American, Dudley Murphy, of which one, Soul of
the Cypress , survives. Influenced by California Pictorialist photography of the preceding
decades, it was in its own day recognized as an avant-garde film, but nevertheless it secured
successful commercial distribution. The surviving print of the film, however, was drastically
framed by the later addition of a pornographic coda that radically transformed its erotic theme
and its social function.


The effects of irradiation, initial O2, initial CO2 and the presence of an O2 and CO2 absorbent on toxin production by Clostridium botulinum in inoculated pork stored at 15°C were studied using a factorial experiment. Toxin production occurred faster in samples initially packaged with 20% O2, compared to samples packaged with 100% N2. The presence of CO2 in the package headspace was not a significant factor affecting time until toxin detection. Irradiation was significant in delaying the time until toxin detection in samples initially packaged with 20% O2 but not in other treatments. Sensory rejection, based primarily on discoloration, occurred within 7 to 14 d, irrespective of treatment. All samples were spoiled before they became toxic.


A novel 3-,4-connected network is reported in this communication that is a rare example of a three-dimensional (3D) network with a quaternary stoichiometry, in which 4 distinct sites of bonding occur in the unit of pattern of the material. The net lies in the hexagonal space group P-6m2 (#187) and there are 10 vertices (or atoms) in the unit cell, including 4 sites of approximately trigonal planar coordination and 6 sites of approximately tetrahedral coordination. All vertices (atoms) in the network sit on special positions in the P-6m2 space group, giving the network high 6-fold symmetry axes parallel to the crystallographic c-axis. The structure has thus been named trigohexagonite in a loose analogy with its hexagonite crystalline homolog, sitting in the hexagonal space group P6/mmm (#191). The Wells point symbol for the trigohexagonite network is given by (7)(68)3(6.7)3(3.7.8)3 where this symbol indicates the quaternary stoichiometry of the network. The Wells point symbol also reveals that the only structural strain present in the network comes from the presence of the 3-gon, cyclopropane-like moieties in it, built on tetrahedral vertices. This structural motif of cyclopropane-like rings has precedent in organic chemistry and it adds character to the overall 6-fold symmetry of the trigohexagonite pattern. Also, the overall network contains rare trimethylenemethane-like clusters of 4 trigonal planar vertices (atoms), bonded together, that constitute the 3connected component of the network. Both C10 and B10 realizations are briefly described.


The enhancement of structural anisotropy and magnetic anisotropy in ferrite films, Fe3−xMxO4 (M = Fe, Co, Mn), which were deposited on glass substrates from aqueous solutions by thin liquid film (TLF) method at a low temperature (358 K), was compared in x-ray diffraction, conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer measurements. The experimental results showed that the highly coercive Fe3−xCoxO4 films, maximum coercivity of 0.21 T at room temperature, have a preferential growing direction along the magnetic easy axis of the magnetite, 111. While anisotropy was enhanced by the addition of Co2+ ions in the reaction solution, no enhancement was observed in the TLF-films of Fe3O4 and Fe3−xMnxO4. The enhanced anisotropy is probably caused by the extra stabilization energy of the Co2+ ions in the octahedral sites of the spinel and the interactions between the Co2+ ions in the spinel. The alternating deposition of metal ions and oxide ions in TLF process, which is a simulation of the atomic layer deposition, may help the alignment. The most anisotropic TLF film was Fe2.59Co0.41O4.


Escherichia coli ribosomal proteins S4 and S17 were specifically labelled at their thiol groups with the acetylaminoethyl-dansyl and/or bimane fluorophores. Each formed a complex with 16-S RNA and, when the other 30-S ribosomal proteins were added, a complete 30-S subunit with at least partial activity. If the 3' end of the RNA was also labelled (with fluorescein) then the distance between the two fluorophores could be measured by Förster-type energy transfer. The result for S4 was 6.0 nm (60 A) in the ribonucleoprotein complex and 5.6 nm (56 A) in the 30-S subunit, and for S17 6.3 nm (63 A) in the complex and 6.2 nm (62 A) in the subunit. There is no evidence for a major change in the relative disposition of the 3' and 5' ends of the 16-S RNA during formation of the 30-S subunit. Sources of error are discussed, including the question of multiple labelling. In order to measure more accurately the extent of energy transfer a procedure based upon enzymic digestion was developed and is detailed in this paper.


The use of microwave heating and processing in the composite field shows new approaches on the process interaction, e.g. for the fibre materials, precursors, resin systems, lay-up preparation with direct consequences on the adjustable material properties. Carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) materials can be heated volumetrically with microwaves, offering the opportunity of very high heating rates and improved mechanical performance. In comparison to conventional heating where the heat transfer is diffusive and depends on the thermal conductivity of the material, the microwave field penetrates the material and acts as an instantaneous heat source at each volumetric point of the structure. The HEPHAISTOS microwave systems have been the first overmoded resonators to be designed on a modular hexagonal applicator concept originally at 30 GHz. This concept for obtaining highly homogeneous fields was refined by simulations and industrialized in 2002 from mm-wave technology to a highly energy efficient industrial microwave technology at 2.45 GHz to meet low component costs. The technology has been patented world-wide and licensed by Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe to the company of Votsch, Reiskirchen in Germany. Several HEPHAISTOS systems have been built since 2005 and successfully tested in-house Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe or at the applicant site. The technology offers a maximum effort using autoclave-less fabricating methods which are currently under development in the aviation and supplier industry. In December 2007 the HEPHAISTOS Experimental Centre (HEC) has been opened up to demonstrate and test the technology for interested companies. As well the development for continuous HEPHAISTOS systems will be worked out as the HEPHAISTOS-CA3 system, being currently the largest microwave chamber system in the world (70001 volume) is equipped first time with a throughput capability. Process developments for CFRP structures and other application are continuously proceeding.


Three separate experiments were conducted in a mature Vitis labruscana Bailey 'Concord' vineyard in New York to determine the response of grapevines to daily, season-long sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure, or to intermittent SO2 exposure simulating emissions from a 1700 MW coal-fired power plant. There was little SO2-induced necrosis on grape foliage from daily or power plant SO2. However, both treatments in ambient air increased susceptibility of leaves to oxidant stipple injury due to ambient ozone (O3). Daily SO2 increased leaf chlorosis. Power plant SO2 had no effect on vine growth, yield, or shoot maturation. Daily SO2 reduced soluble solids, growth, yield, and shoot maturation of grapevines. Damage to grapevines from SO2 seemed to be independent of SO2 induced leaf necrosis. SO2 reduced foliage tolerance to O3 injury in grapevines already stressed by ambient O3.


BACKGROUND: Globalization of cancer clinical trials is now involving low middle income countries such as Nigeria as a rationale for global equity. With this ongoing clinical trial globalization, it is important to engage stakeholders such as local providers at the institutions where these trials are conducted by improving knowledge and perception of local providers concerning clinical trials.METHODS: This is a qualitative focused group study consisting of ten groups conducted at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital between November 2019 and January 2020 using locally developed probe questions to engage local providers according to departments. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews was analyzed using direct content analysis and was mapped against the implementation theory of capability, opportunity and motivation for behavior change(COM-B) to access the challenges and barriers reported by local providers. RESULTS: 239 local providers participated in this study, the challenges identified by providers were low knowledge about clinical trials, poor attitudes and systemic barriers. The opportunities suggested by local providers to improve the conduct of clinical trial in that environ included clinical trial workshops to improve baseline knowledge and perception and team collaboration between providers. CONCLUSION: As cancer clinical trials are being globalized, the local healthcare community should be brought to par with this new intervention and not be left behind. Training about clinical trials should not be limited to providers actively involved in the clinical trials but all the providers in that region should be empowered by improving the baseline knowledge and perception of clinical trials.


Abstract The use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) containers, a recent shift in the beverage industry, poses new potential human health concerns including contamination from the original container; use of additives, detergents, and catalysts during recycling; and improper recycling practices. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate available data regarding: (1) chemicals leached from PET and rPET in bottle form; (2) concentration of these chemicals; and (3) trends between rPET percent and concentration of chemicals leached. This analysis identified 211 scientific articles related to recycled plastic and leachables. Three articles met the inclusion criteria: (1) plastic was in bottle form; (2) plastic was made of PET or rPET; and (3) the study analyzed both PET and rPET using the same methods. This evaluation demonstrated that only nine compounds – benzene, styrene, acetaldehyde, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, furan, bisphenol A (BPA), 2-buta-none, acetone, and limonene – have been studied. Notably, the leachable concentration of benzene, styrene, and BPA increased as the percent of recycled content increased from 0 to 100%. However, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane and furan implied a reverse trend, where the leachable concentration decreased as the percent of recycled content increased from 0 to 100%. The concentrations of 2-butanone, acetone, and limonene did not follow any suggested trend. Evidently, recycling PET can lead to changes in the leachables profile. This analysis further identified key areas of research, including testing a variety of liquid types, that need to be addressed to adequately conduct a human health risk assessment.


Introduction
Erythema ab igne is a benign skin condition caused by long-term exposure to infrared radiation and/or heat. Erythema ab igne begins as a mild erythema over the previously exposed areas and develops into an erythematous reticulated hyperpigmentation with scaling and telangiectasias.

Clinical Findings
A 55-year-old female presented to the primary care clinic with concerns due to the development of a rash on her lower back in the previous 1 to 2 weeks. She had a history of chronic back pain and was using conservative treatment for pain management, including daily use of a heating pad for 15 minutes every hour.

Interventions
There is no definitive therapy for erythema ab igne. Elimination of the heat source may reverse the erythema and hyperpigmentation.

Outcome
The patient was counseled regarding the importance of limiting and/or discontinuing the use of the heating pad to facilitate resolution of the rash. The patient did not return to the clinic and resolution of the rash was not confirmed.


This chapter reviews genetic studies that have aimed to identify genes influencing psychological traits in infancy (from birth to age 12 months), and considers how this research informs us about the causes of developmental psychopathology. Specifically, this chapter systematically reviews findings from studies that associated common genetic variants with individual variation in infants' attention, temperament and behaviour, and attachment disorganisation. DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR genes were the most frequently studied candidate genes. Possibly the most coherent set of results relates to the L-DRD4 genotype, which is significantly associated with infant attention, temperament, and attachment style. Research in infant genetics has been strengthened by a careful focus on uniform age ranges within studies, by several longitudinal studies, and by exploration of gene-environment interactions between genes and maternal characteristics. However there is also considerable inconsistency in results in this field and possible reasons for this are discussed. The chapter outlines the main genetic methods that have been used and what new genetic approaches such as polygenic risk scoring could offer infant genetics. Recent findings suggest that some traits during infancy predict individual differences in developmental psychopathology in childhood. It is argued that infant genetic research has considerable potential for the identification of populations at risk for psychopathology in later life, and this remains an area open for future research.


The formation of the Earth's core is a consequence of planetary accretion and processes in the Earth's interior. The mechanical process of planetary differentiation is likely to occur in large, if not global, magma oceans created by the collisions of planetary embryos. Metal-silicate segregation in magma oceans occurs rapidly and efficiently unlike grain scale percolation according to laboratory experiments and calculations. Geochemical models of the core formation process as planetary accretion proceeds are becoming increasingly realistic. Single stage and continuous core formation models have evolved into multi-stage models that are couple to the output of dynamical models of the giant impact phase of planet formation. The models that are most successful in matching the chemical composition of the Earth's mantle, based on experimentally-derived element partition coefficients, show that the temperature and pressure of metal-silicate equilibration must increase as a function of time and mass accreted and so must the oxygen fugacity of the equilibrating material. The latter can occur if silicon partitions into the core and through the late delivery of oxidized material. Coupled dynamical accretion and multi-stage core formation models predict the evolving mantle and core compositions of all the terrestrial planets simultaneously and also place strong constraints on the bulk compositions and oxidation states of primitive bodies in the protoplanetary disk.


Current Huanglongbing (HLB) control measures in South Africa have enabled the planting of citrus in previously abandoned areas such as Alkmaar, Schoemanskloof and White River in the Nelspruit district. Additional measures might contribute to stabilizing citrus production in these areas. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of different Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates and rootstocks on HLB incidence in Palmer navel and Delta Valencia. Symptomless and HLB-affected fruit of the two scions on five different rootstocks (rough lemon, Volkamer lemon, Gou Tou, Troyer citrange, Yuma citrange) were counted before harvest (fallen fruits) and at harvest. The percentage of HLB-affected fruits from Valencia trees was slightly higher than in the navel trees (19.4% and 16.4%, respectively). Of the navel trees, those on Volkamer lemon rootstock had the highest percentage of HLB affected fruits (24.0%), followed by trees on Troyer citrange (20.2%). The lowest incidence occurred on trees with Rough lemon rootstock. Valencia trees on the two trifoliate rootstocks (23.2% for Yuma and 28.7% for Troyer) had more affected fruits than those on the other rootstocks. The lowest infection occurred on trees on Gou Tou rootstock. Overall it appears that the CTV isolates did not affect the HLB incidence. However, there were instances where the percentage infection differed by 10% or more between trees on the same rootstock but with different CTV isolates, as with Valencia on Yuma with ST or T55 isolates (21.6% and 30.4%, respectively), or Valencia on Troyer with GFMS 10, T55 or Micveh T isolates (22.7%, 33.0% and 35.3%, respectively). Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) remains a limiting factor for citrus production in the cooler areas of southern Africa despite present control measures. These include the establishment of new orchards with certified plant material, chemical control of the insect vector and removal of infected plant material (1). The effect of the rootstock on the occurrence of HLB has previously been shown (6), however, the C itrus tristeza virus (CTV) status of those trees was unknown. A CTV isolate reducing the incidence of HLB on fruit from Valencia trees has been found (7). It was also reported that the HLB bacterium and CTV were rarely found in the same cell of the plant (2). The reasons for these phenomena are unknown but may be the result of chemical changes in the plant cell or the production of protective substances in the plant tissue that prohibit entrance or multiplication of the pathogen (3). Whatever the reason, it reveals a way to exploit additional measures to restrict HLB disease. Current control measures enabled the replanting of previously abandoned areas such as Alkmaar, Schoemanskloof and White River. Additional measures that can be incorporated in the current measures will contribute to stabilizing citrus production in these areas. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of different CTV isolates and rootstocks on the percentage of HLB-affected fruit from Palmer navel and Delta Valencia trees. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental design. An 8-yrold orchard from a previous CTV trial was used for the investigation. Sixteenth IOCV Conference, 2005—Insect-Transmitted Procaryotes 367 Palmer navel and Delta Valencia trees on rough lemon, Volkamer lemon, Gou Tou, Yuma citrange and Troyer citrange rootstocks were separately pre-immunized with two mild (GFMS 12, T55), two moderate (GFMS 10, Micveh T) and two severe (GFSS 1, ST) CTV isolates. Control trees were planted virusfree but with the abundance of the aphid vector Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy), these would become infected with various CTV strains. The trees were planted during 1992 according to a split-plot design with six replications (5). The effect of HLB was evaluated in each treatment from the eighth year after planting for 3 yr. Data collection. Many HLBaffected fruits fall before harvest (4). To include those fruit in the study, fallen fruit was collected on a weekly basis, starting at approximately 3 mo before harvest, and the numbers of affected fruit were recorded. At harvest all fruits were inspected and HLB symptoms were recorded. Affected fruit are usually smaller, have an olive-green color that can occur on only part of or on the whole fruit, exhibit a white deposit when pressure is applied on the green part, have high shoulders and exhibit lopsidedness. The data of the fallen and harvested fruits was combined and the percentage of HLB-affected fruits was calculated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The percentages of HLB-affected fruits from the navel and Valencia trees on the different rootstocks infected with various CTV isolates are presented in Tables 1 (navel trees) and 2 (Valencia trees). Navel. Of the navel trees, those on Volkamer lemon rootstock had the highest percentage of HLBaffected fruits (24.0%) followed by trees on Troyer citrange (20.2%). The smallest HLB incidence occurred on trees with rough lemon rootstock (10.7%). The CTV isolates had no differential effect on the percentage of HLB-affected fruits from trees on rough lemon, Volkamer lemon and Gou Tou rootstocks. However, trees on Yuma citrange and Troyer citrange rootstocks with the ST isolate, had significantly more HLB-affected fruits (20.2% and 27.6% respectively) than trees with the Micveh T isolate (7.5% and 16.9% respectively), but the number of affected fruit of trees with both CTV isolates did not differ from the controls trees on Yuma and Troyer citranges (10.9% and 23.9% respectively). Trees on Troyer citrange that were pre-immunized with isolates TABLE 1 THE EFFECT OF CITRUS TRISTEZA VIRUS (CTV) ISOLATES ON THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF HUANGLONGBING INFECTED FRUIT OVER 3 YR IN PALMER NAVEL ON DIFFERENT ROOTSTOCKS* Rootstocks CTV isolates Mean GFMS 10 GFMS 12 GFSS 1 ST T 55 Micveh T Control Wallace rough lemon 8.4 a 13.2 a 13.3 a 8.1 a 8.2 a 9.0 a 14.7 a 10.7 x Volkamer lemon 21.8 c 25.3 c 28.3 c 21.8 c 24.3 c 21.7 c 24.9 c 24.0 y Gou Tou sour orange 11.6 e 10.1 e 12.9 e 14.3 e 16.0 e 11.5 e 14.6 e 13.0 x Yuma citrange 15.5 gh 17.3 gh 13.4 gh 20.2 h 15.4 gh 7.5 g 10.9 gh 14.3 x Troyer citrange 15.3 j 17.6 j 21.1 jk 27.6 k 18.9 jk 16.9 j 23.9 jk 20.2 y Mean 14.5 x 16.7 x 17.8 x 18.4 x 16.6 x 13.3 x 17.8 x *Numbers followed by the same letter in each row in the body of the table do not differ significantly at the 5% level (Fisher's LSD). This implies similarly to the rootstock and CTV means. 368 Sixteenth IOCV Conference, 2005—Insect-Transmitted Procaryotes GFMS 10, GFMS 12 and Micveh T also had significantly less HLBaffected fruits than trees with the ST isolate but not less than the control trees (natural CTV infection). Valencia. Valencia trees on the two trifoliate rootstocks had more HLB-affected fruits than those on the other rootstocks (23.2% for Yuma and 28.7% for Troyer). This supports previous findings (6). The lowest incidence of HLB occurred on trees with Gou Tou rootstock (13.4%). A significant effect among CTV isolates on the HLB incidence occurred in trees on Gou Tou, Yuma citrange and Troyer citrange rootstocks but this was not consistent. Trees on Gou Tou rootstock with GFSS 1 had significantly more HLB-affected fruits (20.3%) than those with isolates GFMS 12 (12.0%), ST (11.5%), T 55 (9.8%) and Micveh T (10.8%). Trees on Yuma citrange with isolate T 55 had significantly higher HLB incidence (30.4%) than those with GFMS 12 (16.4%) and GFSS 1 (19.2%), while trees on Troyer citrange rootstock with the Micveh T isolate had a higher HLB incidence (35,3%) than those with isolates GFMS 10 (22.7%) and ST (22.8%). However, except for trees with GFMS 12 on Yuma citrange rootstock, incidence of HLB in these trees did not differ from that of the control trees (natural CTV infection). Overall, HLB infection by psyllids in the Valencia trees was higher than in the navel trees (19.4% and 16.4% respectively). Navel trees usually have less new flush during growth cycles than Valencia trees and this may have contributed to a lower incidence. The CTV isolates did not affect HLB infection, however, there were interactions between rootstocks and isolates. The effects could not be ascribed to CTV virulence since they varied from mild to severe but may be related to stress where the flush rhythms are disturbed by interactions between rootstocks, scions and pathogens. The CTV isolate that induced a reduction on the HLB incidence (7) was not used in this trial since it was unknown when these trees were planted. However, there are indications that HLB can be reduced by cross-protection with CTV. There may be a chemical interference but most likely it would be only because the trees are less affected by the CTV and are in a more healthy state. Navel and Valencia trees on Troyer citrange rootstock were the most affected by HLB followed by trees on Volkamer lemon (navel) and Yuma citrange (Valencia).


Addressing the behavioral health needs of astronauts clearly requires collaborations involving researchers, clinicians and operational support personnel, program administrators, and the astronauts themselves. However, such collaborations are often compromised by a failure to understand the needs, priorities, constraints, and preferences of potential collaborators. This failure, in turn, can lead to research of poor quality, implementation of programs and procedures that are not evidence-based, and an increased risk of morbidity and mission failure. The experiences of social marketing strategies in health promotion and disease prevention, cultural exchange between developers of evidence-based treatments and consumers, and dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices in mental health services offer three different models of research-operational collaboration with relevance to behavioral health in space. Central to each of these models are the patterns of interpersonal relations and the individual, social, and organizational characteristics that influence these patterns. Any program or countermeasure for behavioral health in space must be both needs-based and evidence-based. The successful development, dissemination, implementation, and sustainability of such a program require communication, collaboration, and consensus among all key stakeholders. To accomplish this, all stakeholders must participate in creating a culture of operational research.


Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after haemopoietic stem cell transplantation is a serious complication that occurs in 8–22% of patients with high‐risk factors. We retrospectively investigated tolerance and efficacy of humanized anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab) as first‐line treatment in 12 children with B‐cell PTLD. At diagnosis, eight patients had tumoral involvement. The other four patients had fever, associated with raised Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) viral load and monoclonal gammopathy. Rituximab was given at the dose of 375 mg/m2 once a week by intravenous infusion (1–9 infusions). Only 1/48 infusions was associated with a grade 2 clinical adverse event. Eight out of 12 (66%) patients responded to the treatment and were in complete remission. All patients without tumoral involvement responded to the treatment. A rapid decrease in fever within 1 week was observed in all responders. Non‐responders did not show any clinical response during the first week. Tumoral involvement and immunodepression seemed to be more marked in non‐responders. Rituximab was an effective and well‐tolerated treatment of B‐cell PTLD. Early treatment before tumoral involvement seemed to be the most effective approach. Lack of rapid response should lead to intensification of PTLD treatment. Pre‐emptive treatment should be considered and evaluated in further longitudinal multicentre studies.


Summary Successful glioblastoma (GBM) therapies have remained elusive due to limitations in understanding mechanisms of growth and survival of the tumorigenic population. Using CRISPR-Cas9 approaches in patient-derived GBM stem cells to interrogate function of the coding genome, we identify diverse actionable pathways responsible for growth that reveal the gene-essential circuitry of GBM stemness. In particular, we describe the Sox developmental transcription factor family; H3K79 methylation by DOT1L; and ufmylation stress responsiveness programs as essential for GBM stemness. Additionally, we find mechanisms of temozolomide resistance and sensitivity that could lead to combination strategies with this standard of care treatment. By reaching beyond static genome analysis of bulk tumors, with a genome wide functional approach, we dive deep into a broad range of biological processes to provide new understanding of GBM growth and treatment resistance. Significance Glioblastoma (GBM) remains an incurable disease despite an increasingly thorough depth of knowledge of the genomic and epigenomic alterations of bulk tumors. Evidence from multiple approaches support that GBM reflects an aberrant developmental hierarchy, with GBM stem cells (GSCs), fueling tumor growth and invasion. The properties of this tumor subpopulation may also in part explain treatment resistance and disease recurrence. Unfortunately, we still have a limited knowledge of the molecular circuitry of these cells and progress has been slow as we have not been able, until recently, to interrogate function at the genome-wide scale. Here, using parallel genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identify the essential genes for GSC growth. Further, by screening in the presence of low and high dose temozolomide, we identify mechanisms of drug resistance and sensitivity. These functional screens in patient derived cells reveal new aspects of GBM biology and identify a diversity of actionable targets such as genes governing stem cell traits, epigenome regulation and the response to stress stimuli.


The last years e-learning has untied the hands of many citizens, students since it provides learning while in parallel abolishes the time and the place of teaching. With a personal computer being the only tool needed, learning becomes e-learning without losing its quality. Being completely flexible, e-learning programs offer further training to people who wish to further broaden their knowledge or did not have the chance to attend a university.
This project aims to create an e-learning program focusing on Digital Marketing with two goals, be simple for students while being easily accessed. Functional and non-functional requirements are presented and also the program is demonstrated at runtime. Architecture is analyzed with the use of diagrams and a comparison with other similar program is being conducted. Finally, user manual is given in both analytical and sort forms and future extensions of the program, which will make it more competitive and recognizable, are being discussed.


OBJECTIVE
The development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related syndromes during treatment with sulphasalazine has been described and demonstrated to be influenced by genetic factors. The prevalence of this drug-induced condition and the immunological mechanisms involved are less known. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sulphasalazine-induced lupus-like reactions in a well-defined early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort and to analyse the roles of HLA haplotypes, autoantibodies and the B-cell stimulating cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) as possible underlying risk factors. Patients and methods. Forty-one consecutive patients with early RA, in whom sulphasalazine was used as the first disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in single therapy and was maintained for at least 6 months, were investigated for the occurrence of lupus-related events. Longitudinal analyses of rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies and serum IL-10 (ELISA) and the typing of HLA DR and DQ alleles were performed.

RESULTS
Four of the 41 patients developed lupus-like disease. Three of four patients who had lupus-related events vs four of 37 patients without side-effects had an HLA DR 0301 haplotype. The patients developing lupus-related side-effects had increased levels of serum IL-10 and a high frequency of ANA in speckled patterns before the onset of therapy.

CONCLUSION
The development of SLE-like symptoms and SLE-related autoantibody production was observed more commonly than expected, with an increased risk in patients with SLE-related HLA haplotypes, increased serum IL-10 levels and ANA in speckled patterns. The data suggest that immunomodulation associated with sulphasalazine treatment may contribute to the development of lupus-related reactions in genetically predisposed individuals.


In this study we investigated whether native and non-native speakers
demonstrate a similar preference in the selection of a pleasant voice, and how their
preference rankings correlate with the voice quality and the prosodic features. 50
Chinese without prior knowledge of German and 10 native German listeners par-
ticipated in a pair comparison test to choose the best voice out of eight candidate
speakers for a German speech synthesis. The results showed that the ranking scores
of German and Chinese listeners were highly correlated. A further investigation
revealed though both German and Chinese listeners preferred a breathy voice, Chi-
nese listeners also voted for speakers who exhibited faster falling pitch movements.
The decisions of German listeners relied mainly on voice quality, while those of
the Chinese listeners relied more on pitch movements. The findings suggest that
speakers of a tone language may associate their voice preference with local pitch
movements, especially when they have no knowledge with the concerned language.


Introduction: Wound dehiscence is a postoperative condition that can occur several days after surgery and requires special intervention. Various risk factors sucah as patients-related and surgery-related may influence the incidence of wound dehiscence. A good understanding of these risk factors is necessary to prevent the complication and decrease mortality and morbidity. This study aims to see the characteristics of patients affected by abdominal laparotomy who are treated with wound dehiscence at dr. Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital Palembang.
Methods: This research was a cross-sectional, restrospective descriptive study. Using secondary data from the medical records of Mohammad Hoesin Hospital, Palembang. Performed in the from January 2019 to December 2019. Samples were all patients who underwent abdominal laparotomy and diagnosed with post- operative wound dehiscence.
Results: There were 26 subjects participated who met study critera. Subjects with post laparotomy wound dehiscence were mostly male (69%). The largest age distribution is 40-59 years old (61.53%), with the average age was 48 years old. The most common type of surgery was emergency surgery (73%). The most common albumin level was hypoalbuminemia (76%). Subjects without diabetes melitus were the most common (88%).
Conclusion: Male patients, patients age 40-59 years old, underwent emergency operation, have low albumin level in blood and without diabetes melitus, are all the most common characteristic of patients diagnosed with post laparotomy wound dehiscence.


Background: With greater life expectancies the incidence of osteoporosis is increasing across the African continent. Post-menopausal females are especially at risk and an increasingly common presentation to the orthopaedic surgeon are elderly female patients presenting with symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Traditional management has for decades been a variable period of bed rest followed by progressive mobilization according to pain. Newer minimally invasive spine procedures, under the umbrella term vertebral augmentation, include vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty and are claimed to shorten the period of bed rest allowing earlier mobilization and earlier functional recovery. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and benefit of these procedures by comparing the results of recently published randomizedclinical control trials that compared them to the conservative approach more commonly employed.
Data source: We conducted a Pubmed and Medline search using the words "Postmenopausal women vertebral augmentation"; "Postmenopausal women kyphoplasty"; "Postmenopausal women vertebroplasty" and "Postmenopausal vertebral compression fractures". We limited the articles chosen to include only large randomized clinical control trials published in the last 5 years. In total only four suitable articles that met thecriteria for this stringent review were chosen.
Results: Comparing percutaneous vertebroplasty versus the conservative approach the studies unanimously report a significant reduction in immediate and early post-operative pain allowing earlier mobilization. This benefit is however inconsistently significant at as early as 6 weeks follow-up and largely insignificant at 1-year follow-up. Comparing percutaneous vertebroplasty versus percutaneous kyphoplasty there is no significant difference in outcome.
Conclusion: While vertebral augmentation procedures have added immediate and short-term benefit to patients with symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures they have, in practice, failed to add significant intermediate and no long-term benefit. Medical management aimed at prevention, combined with the conservative approach in patients that incur these fractures, remain fundamentally entrenched as the cornerstones of modern-day treatment.
Key words: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, Vertebral augmentation, Kyphoplasty, Vertebroplasty


Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula is a rare cause of reversible vascular dementia, through a presumed mechanism of intracerebral venous hypertension. The clinical presentations are variable with no easily recognisable syndrome. It is a treatable and reversible cause of cognitive decline, unexplained otherwise. Often the sole presentation could be progressive cognitive decline to suggest a neurodegenerative dementia however the careful clinical history may give the clue of increasing intracranial pressure. Careful radiological review will help to intervene early to cure this condition. We report a case of 55 year old man who presented with progressive symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus for two years, with features of encephalopathy for six month and subsequent focal neurological symptoms and seizure. He was initially diagnosed as dementia and was later treated as stroke before he was referred to our centre. MRI scan of brain revealed dilated veins along the cerebral convexities and the brain stem with progressive diffuse white matter oedema. Cerebral angiography revealed a dural A-V fistula around the right transverse/sigmoid sinus. His history of familial hemochromatosis raises the suspicion of hyperviscosity induced venous thrombus as the putative cause. This was treated with onyx embolisation. His symptoms and the radiological abnormalities resolved completely.


In this paper, we investigate abelian knot contact homology by using the trace-free slice of a knot, which is the cross-section of the character variety of a knot cut by the hyperplanes defined by meridionally trace-free (traceless) conditions. We first give a set of equations whose common solutions coincide with the trace-free slice. This gives us a strong tool to describe exactly the relationship between the trace-free slice, degree 0 abelian knot contact homology and the character variety of the 2-fold branched cover of the 3-sphere branched along the knot. Using this relationship, we introduce a notion called ghost characters of a knot to check the followings: (1) when the conjecture given by L. Ng concerned with the above relationship does not hold, (2) when the map from the trace-free slice to the character variety of the 2-fold branched cover, constructed by Y. Yamaguchi and the author, is not surjective. Note that in the recent paper of Christopher R. Cornwell, he has translated the results on the above relationship into the language of"reflective augmentation".


Liquidity risk is a separate risk distinct from the economic fundamentals that determine valuations in the stock and bond markets. It is a risk that arises from investing in an asset that cannot be sold in a timely manner, or can only be sold at a large discount. However, measuring a consistent premium for liquidity risk across asset classes has not been accomplished. This article provides a framework for measuring liquidity risk and calculating a premium for that risk.


Twenty-two patients with spondylolysis and minimal degrees of spondylolisthesis have been treated with repair of the defect by segmental wire fixation and bone grafting. Twenty-one patients are available for follow-up. Eighty percent of the patients obtained good to excellent results, and 90% obtained solid fusion of the pars defect. The technique would appear to have the greatest use in patients less than 30 years of age with minimal degrees of displacement.


This manuscript is composed of three chapters.In the first chapter, I analyze the impact of key European Central Bank's unconventional monetary policy announcements on inflation expectations, measured by Euro Area five-year Inflation Linked Swap rates five years ahead, since the aftermath of the crisis. I control for market liquidity and uncertainty measures, change in oil price shock and macroeconomic news. The results show that the impact of the European Central Bank's announcements has been positive during the period under observation. Along the line of the expansionary monetary policy measures implemented, the agents have been revising upwards their long term inflation expectations. This means that the unconventional monetary policy measures were effective. In the second chapter, co-authored with Claudia Pacella, we construct a Bayesian vector autoregressive model with three layers of information: the key drivers of inflation, cross-country dynamic interactions, and country-specific variables. The model provides good forecasting accuracy with respect to the popular benchmarks used in the literature. We perform a step-by-step analysis to shed light on which layer of information is more crucial for accurately forecasting euro area inflation. Our empirical analysis reveals the importance of including the key drivers of inflation and taking into account the multi-country dimension of the euro area. The results show that the complete model performs better overall in forecasting inflation excluding energy and unprocessed food over the medium-term. We use the model to establish stylized facts on the euro area and cross-country heterogeneity over the business cycle. In the third chapter, using confidential firm-level data from the National Bank of Belgium, I document the heterogeneous response of firms' markups to the 2008 financial crisis. Overall, markups increased in the aftermath of the crisis and the effect was larger for highly financially constrained firms. I show that standard heterogeneous-firm models, featuring monopolistic competition and variable markups, are unable to replicate these patterns. I then introduce endogenous demand shifters which respond to firm investment in market share (e.g. quality). I show that the interaction of an increase in the cost of procuring inputs combined with an endogenous quality downgrading can rationalize the observed changes in firm-level markups.


Landscape ecology has fundamentally changed the way ecologists view the world through a greater understanding of the links between spatial patterns and ecological processes. Until recently, landscape ecology has been largely a two-dimensional (2D) science focused on the spatial patterning of 2D planar surfaces rather than three-dimensional (3D) structures. Advances in high-resolution remote sensing technologies, such as laser altimetry, acoustic sensors, and photogrammetry now provide the capability to map complex ecosystem structure in three dimensions, creating more structurally realistic models of the environment. In the present article, we focus on high-resolution 3D structure, using terrestrial and marine examples to illustrate how state-of-the-art advances in landscape ecology achieved through novel data fusion, spatial analysis, and geovisualization of environmental data can provide new ecological insights. These examples provide a look to the future in landscape and seascape ecology, where continued progress toward a multidimensional science will fundamentally shift the way we view, explore, and conceptualize the world.


A Nike-Tomahawk sounding rocket was launched near local noon on November 8, 1966, from Wallops Island with a triaxial electric field experiment using long cylindrical dipoles for sensors. Twenty ELF whistlers with dispersion constants ranging from 0.15 to 0.85 sec1/2 were detected and identified as having propagated up to the rocket through the E region from the earth-ionosphere waveguide. The data extend to the smallest dispersion ever encountered and the lowest frequencies observed on ionospheric whistlers (60 Hz). The waves were eliptically polarized, becoming more nearly circular at higher altitudes. Analysis showed good agreement between the experimental results and quasi-longitudinal (QL) propagation theory for amplitude, dispersion, and polarization characteristics of the wave once it is away from the D- to E-region boundary. No appreciable effects of negative ions or protons were observed in the dispersion of the whistlers.


Applications that fuse machine learning and simulation can benefit from the use of multiple computing resources, with, for example, simulation codes running on highly parallel supercomputers and AI training and inference tasks on specialized accelerators. Here, we present our experiences deploying two AI-guided simulation workflows across such heterogeneous systems. A unique aspect of our approach is our use of cloud-hosted management services to manage challenging aspects of cross-resource authentication and authorization, function-as-a-service (FaaS) function invocation, and data transfer. We show that these methods can achieve performance parity with systems that rely on direct connection between resources. We achieve parity by integrating the FaaS system and data transfer capabilities with a system that passes data by reference among managers and workers, and a user-configurable steering algorithm to hide data transfer latencies. We anticipate that this ease of use can enable routine use of heterogeneous resources in computational science.


The cardiovascular system is sensitive to the action of thyroid hormones, and thyroid dysfunction causes a wide spectrum of cardiovascular changes. The effect of overt hypothyroidism on the cardiovascular system has long been recognised. Nowadays, the clinical presentation of cardiovascular symptoms related to hypothyroidism is only rarely observed due to early diagnosis of hypothyroidism by easily available thyroid-stimulating hormone assays. Overt hypothyroidism causes changes in such parameters of cardiovascular function as heart rate, left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, blood, arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance. During the last years, there has been increasing evidence that subclinical hypothyroidism may also impair the cardiovascular system. This review discusses the effect of hypothyroidism on the cardiovascular system.


An overview of a design methodology called WELLMADE is presented. WELLMADE is a synthesis of results obtained from recent research on software engineering and the experience gained at HIS/Phoenix. The principles, procedures, and notation of WELLMADE are briefly outlined and an example is presented, illustrating the approach for deriving correct programs and the notation for its design specification.


The role of generic advertising in consumer response is investigated using a rich individual-level dataset on purchase of 100% orange juice and other beverages. The data is survey-based and is designed to measure recall and responsiveness to advertising programs by the Florida Department of Citrus. The survey also collects information on various socio-demographic and household indicators. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of generic advertising on purchase of 100% orange juice using an econometric model that controls for different socio-demographic variables. Although previous research has examined the influence of generic advertising on the demand for orange juice, all previous work has been based on aggregate data while this study utilizes individual-level survey data. Findings are relevant to agricultural marketing policy and FAMPS members. A significant and positive relationship between purchase frequency and advertising awareness is obtained. Hence, increasing product demand is dependent upon levels of generic advertising, which emphasizes the role of commodity marketing orders. Moreover, the study introduces a rich individual-level dataset that may be of interest to others in future research on the role of generic advertising.


This study investigates the effect of incorporation of one- or two-dimensional nanoparticles with distinct composition and morphology on the bioactivity of biodegradable, biocompatible polymer matrices. 0.2 wt% multiwalled carbon nanotubes, multiwalled graphene nanoribbons, graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GONPs), molybdenum disulfide nanoplatelets (MSNPs), or tungsten disulfide nanotubes (WSNTs) were uniformly dispersed in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer. PLGA or nanoparticle-incorporated PLGA were then incubated with simulated body fluid (SBF) under physiological conditions for 1, 3, 7, or 14 days. Apatite collection on control and incorporated scaffolds was assessed. All groups showed apatite precipitate on the surface after 1 day of SBF incubation. After 14 days of SBF incubation, scaffolds incorporated with GONPs, MSNPs, or WSNTs showed significantly higher phosphate accumulation compared to PLGA scaffolds. Scaffolds incorporated with GONPs, MSNPs, or WSNTs should be studied in vivo to further investigate potential bioactivity, leading to enhanced integration and tissue repair at the bone-implant interface.