Heterostyly typically involves reciprocal polymorphism in stamen and style lengths, physiological self- and intramorph-incompatibility, and a set of associated polymorphisms of pollen and stigma characters. This study examined floral morphology and compatibility relationships in the monotypic, herbaceous perennial Decodon verticillatus (Lythraceae). There have been conflicting reports on the occurrence of tristyly in the species, probably because of frequent loss of style morphs from populations in parts of the species' range. Floral morphology was examined using material collected from natural populations throughout the range. Detailed floral measurements revealed discrete trimorphism in style length and anther positioning in three populations. Data from two dimorphic populations showed similar patterns of floral polymorphism, except that both were missing the mid-styled morph. In one dimorphic population, there was evidence for modification in the length of mid-level stamens. Measurements in three populations indicated pronounced floral variability, including high frequencies of modified phenotypes with reduced stigma anther separation. Pollen size was only weakly differentiated among anther levels, and there were no differences in pollen production among anther levels or morphs. In contrast, stigma size and papilla length showed a strong negative correlation with style length; a pattern opposite to most heterostylous species. Experimental crosses performed under glasshouse conditions on plants from two populations showed a high degree of both self- and intramorph-compatibility. A comparative analysis of floral morphology showed that D. verticillatus is not unusual in terms of the precision and reciprocity of organ positioning compared with 13 other tristylous species.


The aim of the study was assessment of the general nutrition knowledge and physical activity rate among the first grade school age children and evaluation of their diet and nutritional skills based on the parental interviews. Cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected schools of Tbilisi. In each school was selected one group of the second grade children and their parents by cluster selection method. A population of 290 children aged 6-8 years and their parents were interviewed. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the SPPS 17. Questionnaires, except those with incomplete answers (n=30), were used for the analytical data. The study shows that in general, the level of knowledge related to rich sources of nutrients was poor. The most of the children can't identify the role of calcium (72,6%), proteins (68,1%) and iron (84,6 %). Children prefer to eat and select foods which they like (71,8%), such as sweets and cakes, hamburgers, chips and etc. The study showed that the most of the children (83,3%) have normal weight for age, underweight was revealed in 3,1% of children, more frequent was overweight (12,3%) and obesity (1,4%). There wasn't significant difference of overweight and underweight distribution in boys and girls. The assessment of child dietary intake show, that intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as milk and milk products is quite low, while intake of bread and pastry, and sweets and cakes are quite high. Daily consumption of sweets and snacks was significantly higher in girls (64.2%) than in boys (47.5%) (p<0.01). The study revealed that only 62 % of children eat the breakfast, in frequent cases children eat very fast (26,1%), 47,8 % of children need to remind to wash hands before eating, most children 60,4% view TV during the meal time or play computer games. The most of the children play the active games approximately 30-60 minutes, quite often children play active games only 20-30 minutes that is much less then WHO recommendations. The parent questionnaires reveal that most frequent problem that influenced child nutrition is lack of information about healthy feeding (55%), lack of time for preparation of food (33%), inability to control child's feeding (36%), financial deficit (4%). The dietary intake of children does not correspond to WHO recommendations. It is recommended on the one hand to conduct country wide assessment of dietary intake of children and adolescent and on the other hand to implement nutrition education programs.


Purpose

3D printing possesses certain characteristics that are beneficial for user entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the business models of user entrepreneurs in the 3D printing industry. In addition, various business opportunities in 3D printing open to user entrepreneurs are classified according to their attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the literatures on user entrepreneurship and on business models. Data from eight user entrepreneurs in Europe and North America are analyzed, applying qualitative content analysis. Multiple correspondence analysis is used to analyze their respective business models.

Findings

User entrepreneurs in the 3D printing utilize a number of different business models, which show similarities in particular business model components. User entrepreneurs focus primarily on the combination of low opportunity exploitation cost and a large number of potential customers.

Research limitations/implications

Online business seems to be beneficial for user entrepreneurship in 3D printing. Policy makers can foster user entrepreneurship by expanding entrepreneurship education and lowering administrative barriers of business foundation. The results of this study are based on a small European and North American sample. Thus, they might not be applicable to other markets.

Originality/value

This is the first study of user entrepreneur business models in 3D printing and, thus, contributes to the literature on business models and on user entrepreneurship. In view of the novelty of the field, the business models identified in the study could serve as blueprints for prospective user entrepreneurs in 3D printing.


ABSTRACT The persistent natural hydrocarbon seepage in onshore basins challenges observation and exploration technologies, which are required to document and assess these valuable indications of the presence of oil and gas in the subsurface. This paper aims at demonstrating the relationship between the compositional variation of an evaporite cap rock and the types of seeps occurring at the surface. For this purpose, the multispectral Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data was utilized for mapping mineral variations of a petroleum system in the Zagros oil fields. Relative absorption-band depth (RBD), band rationing and the boosted regression trees (BRT) were applied to enhance and classify the mineral composition of evaporite, sandstone, and marly limestone formations. The gas seeps were associated with the areas of gypsum-bearing evaporite cap rock while oil seeps were mostly associated with calcite and clay zones within the cap rock, which was more prone to fracturing during the tectonic activities of the basin. It is suggested that the application of remote sensing in the oil and gas industry could be widened by detection of sleep-induced alteration to assess the efficiency of cap rock and to evaluate the productivity of reservoirs at a regional scale.


The neighbourhood concept of Clarence Perry established the relationship between the residential components of a neighbourhood and elementary schools at the centre of the neighbourhood within a walking distance. Although, many land subdivisions in the planned areas of Nigerian cities are based on this concept, with schools at the neighbourhood centre, yet the plans are not often implemented as designed. Instead, indiscriminate location of schools without consideration for through traffic, easy and short accessibility to homes prevails. Consequently, many pupils travel several kilometres to and from schools amidst complex urban transit system. This study examined home-school travel pattern of school pupils within Abeokuta metropolis with particular reference to mode of transit used by pupils in regards to safety and security considerations. A sample of 190 pupils was taken from 19 private and public schools, selected randomly through cluster sampling technique. Data were analysed using percentage and multinomial logistic regression analysis. The study revealed that 35.8% of pupils journey to school by organised school bus service, 25.8% by motorcycle/three wheeler, 6.8% by private car, 18.4% walked to school unaccompanied and 13.2% took public taxi. Safety and security vulnerability of pupils revealed 83.7% and 82.1% respectively. The study recommended review of planning standard on location of schools and as a matter of policy advice, strict enforcement of such standards to reduce vulnerability of pupils.Keywords: Safety, Security, Transit, Travel Pattern, Vulnerability


There is a general perception that the South African curriculum statements for mathematics create polarity between the 'old' and the 'new', which does not benefit both the teachers and the learners. The new curricula demand a radical shift from the traditional teacher-led approaches that teachers are familiar with, yet does not provide a model of what it might mean to teach for conceptual understanding. This article aims to provide such a model by examining the potential of teaching with variation, which is viewed as an important mathematics teaching and learning style. Proponents of the theory of variation claim that how teachers make available the object of learning to their students has been neglected yet it has a critical influence on learners' learning. This is important for educators as they struggle to make sense of the seemingly contradictory requirements of the new curriculum. In this article a discernment unit comprising four variation patterns is used as a tool to analyse a seemingly rich teacher-led approach to teaching that was observed in one South African Grade 11 mathematics classroom. The results of the analysis and implications for theory and practice are then discussed.


Series Foreword by Cameron Northouse Introduction Seventeenth-Century Critical Responses "The Verse" by John Milton The Transproser Rehears'd: or the Fifth Act of Mr. Bayes's Play by [Richard Leigh] "On the Paradise Lost of the Top Poet John Milton" by Samuel Barrow "On Paradise Lost" by Andrew Marvell Theatrum Poetarum, or a Compleat Collection of the Poets... by Edward Phillips "The Authors Apology for Heroique Poetry and Poetique Licence." The State of Innocence, and Fall of Man: An Opera by John Dryden The Life of Milton by John Aubrey "An Essay of blanc Verse out of the 6th. Book of Paradise lost" by Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon "Preface." Sylvae: or, the Second Part of Poetical Miscellanies by John Dryden The Lives of the most Famous English Poets... by William Winstanley "Epigram" by John Dryden "Preface." The Passion of Byblis, Made "English" by [John] Dennis "Dedication." The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis... by John Dryden "An Account of the Greatest English Poets." The Annual Miscellany: For the Year 1694... by Joseph Addison "To Mr. T.S. in Vindication of Mr. Milton's Paradise lost." Miscellaneous Letters and Essays... by [Charles Gildon] Letters of State, Written by Mr. John Milton... by [Edward Phillips] "The Preface, Being an Essay on Heroic-Poetry." The Life of Our Blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ... by Samuel Wesley Annotations of Milton's "Paradise Lost"... by P[atrick] H[ume] Remarks on a Book entituled, "Prince Arthur: An Heroick Poem" by [John] Dennis "The Preface." The History of Sin and Heresie Attempted... by [Charles Leslie] The Life of John Milton... by [John Toland] Eighteenth-Century Critical Responses "Preface." Fables Ancient and Modern by John Dryden The Advancement and Reformation of Modern Poetry by John Dennis The Grounds of Criticism in Poetry by John Dennis "Preface." Britannia Trimphans by John Dennis The Spectator, Numbers 262, 267, 273, 279, 285, 291, 297 by Joseph Addison The History of the Life of Thomas Ellwood... by Thomas Ellwood An Essay Upon the Civil Wars of France...And also Upon the Epick Poetry of the European Nations... by Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire Explanatory Notes and Remarks on Milton's "Paradise Lost" by Jonathan Richardson, Father and Son "Epistle I of Horace" by Alexander Pope The Divine Legation of Moses Demonstrated by William Warburton A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful by Edmund Burke The Lives of the English Poets by Samuel Johnson Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres by Hugh Blair The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake The Life of Milton, in Three Parts... by William Hayley "Conjectures on the Origin of 'Paradise Lost'." The Life of John Milton, in Three Parts... by William Hayley Nineteenth-Century Critical Responses The Poetical Works of John Milton... by Henry John Todd "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth "Milton." by Samuel Taylor Coleridge "Lecture III. On Shakespeare and Milton" by William Hazlitt ["Notes on Milton's 'Paradise Lost'"] by John Keats Personal Letters by John Keats "On the Devil, and Devils" by Percy Bysshe Shelley A Defence of Poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley "Milton" by Thomas Babington Macaulay "Dr. Samuel Parr..." by Thomas De Quincey "Table Talk," September 4, 1833 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley "Oxford" by Thomas De Quincey "Milton" by [Ralph Waldo Emerson] "Southey and Landor." Imaginary Conversations by Walter Savage Landor "Milton verses Southey and Landor" by Thomas De Quincey "The Poetry of Pope" by Thomas De Quincey "Milton Alcaics by Alfred Lord Tennyson History of English Literature by H. A. Taine "John Milton." Literary Studies by Walter Bagehot The Life of John Milton by David Masson Milton by Mark Pattison "Milton." Essays in Criticism by Matthew Arnold The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton by William Vaughn Moody Twentieth-Century Critical Responses Milton by Sir Walter Raleigh Milton's Astronomy: The Astronomy of "Paradise Lost" by Thomas N. Orchard "Milton and the Return to Humanism" by James Holly Hanford The Epic: An Essay by Lascelles Abercrombie Milton by E. M. W. Tillyard "Milton and the Telescope" by Marjorie Nicolson Revaluation: Tradition & Development in English Poetry by F.R. Leavis A Preface to "Paradise Lost" by C. S. Lewis "Paradise Lo


The occurrence of thortveitite, Sc 2Si2O7, and bazzite, Be3Sc2Si6O18, in the miarolitic cavities of the granophyre of Cuasso al Monte, in Varese, Italy, is reported for the first time, together with additional data for the corresponding species from the g ranite of Baveno. Bazzite from both these localities is Mg-poor and contains notable amounts of cesium (up to 2.3 wt% Cs 2O), which is not encountered in the corresponding samples from Alpine fissures, and which has been overlooked in the type material (from Baveno). These discoveries confirm the similarity between the Baveno and Cuasso al Monte occurrences, and suggest the possibility that scandium minerals are more widespread in granitic rocks than is inferred at present. The composition and paragenesi s of these Sc-rich species indicate the importance of complexes in enhancing the different geochemical behavior of scandium with respect to the REE, and that of equilibria with species such as feldspars, where aluminum cannot be replaced by transition elements.


The risk that a two-sided market with strong indirect network effects may tip into a monopoly is well-known. The questions of whether this will happen in practice, whether this creates problems, and if so what can be done to address those problems, are less well investigated. This paper addresses these questions in relation to ride-hailing apps in the UK, also drawing on limited data observations in other countries.

The UK market place exhibits a large number of car-based transport services which differ in the degree of vertical integration exhibited. In some, the intermediary service of car booking is combined with the provision of the physical service; in the case of a pure ride-hailing app, it is separated.

UK and other countries' data show that the emergence of ride-hailing apps has had a major effect on the wider market place; such entrants gaining substantial share in a growing market place. The data do not yet permit a firm conclusion as to the inevitability of market tipping in ride-hailing, but the possibility remains.

The paper considers alternative regulatory measures which might be prepared or adopted against the possibility of such tipping. These include revisions of existing regulation to reduce distortions in the wider market place; new interventions including enhanced data reporting; measures to prevent dominant firms from injuring their rivals by such practices as requiring the single-homing of drivers; data-sharing; and price control.


Two cases of transient stuttering occurring in association with catatonia and bipolar disorder are described. Affective decompensation has been associated with lateralized cerebral dysfunction, and it is hypothesized that in some bipolar catatonic patients a concomitant disorder of the lateralization of language function may lead to a variety of clinical presentations including aphasia, mutism, and stuttering.


Background: Blood pressure control is a global challenge. Adequate and appropriate health education is a potentially useful tool. This study was carried out to investigate the content of health education received by patients with hypertension in relation to their treatment compliance and blood pressure control. Methodology: Two hundred and two consecutive subjects with systemic hypertension attending a tertiary health facility in Zaria, Nigeria were seen in a cross-sectional prospective study. Clinical information and content of health information they had received on issues of awareness and control of their disease were obtained and analyzed. Results: Their mean age was 52.6±10.7 years, mean BMI 28.5±0.1 kg/m2 while the duration of hypertension ranged from 0.3- 40 years, median of 7.0 years. 12.4% of the patients had BP controlled, 49.5% were in stage 1 and 38.1% in stage 2. 71.1% of the subjects had had health education from their primary physician, 80.5% were consistent with follow up and 67.3% reported compliance with their medication. Knowledge of the names of their medication and need for dietary salt restriction was significantly higher in those with health information. (X 2 = 9.85, p=0.002 and X 2 = 9.20, p=0.01 respectively). Awareness rate did not seem to have affected blood pressure control. (X 2 = 0.82, p=0.36). Only 46.9% of the total population showed some understanding of health information. Conclusion: This study shows a fair hypertension awareness rate but poor blood pressure control. Emphasis should be placed on content and coverage of health information in hypertension management at all levels of healthcare. Key Words hypertension, awareness, treatment, control.


Flies are important transmitters of infectious agents and parasitic diseases of man and animals. Synanthrophic flies are so abundant in the tropics especially in areas with sub-standard environmental sanitary conditions. Flies were collected with a specially designed improvised trap of transparent plastic bucket about 10 cubic litres capacity with rotten pieces of meat used as bait inside the bucket within selected locations. A total of 848 flies were collected from six locations categorized according to socio-economic income status using a locally designed trap (Plate 1). Four species of flies namely: Chrysomyia albiceps, Chrysomyia chloropyga, Musca domestica and Musca sorbens were collected in the different locations. The highest fly abundance recorded 258(30.4%) while the least recorded was 177(21.0%). A total of 172 parasites were isolated using standard parasitological technique (floatation and sedimentation). The recorded parasites were cyst of entamoeba, hookworm ova, Ascaris lumbricoides ova, Strongyloides stercoralis, Hymenolepsis nana, Taenia spp. The most prevalent parasites were from the low income class (54.0%) followed by medium income class (28.4%) then the high income class (17.4%). The parasites isolated were from the external and internal body surface of the flies. The present study demonstrates the potential of synantrophic flies as vector of pathogenic parasites to humans. Therefore, unsanitary conditions which provide breeding sites for the flies should be discouraged through proper advocacy on proactive sanitary practices and personal hygiene. Keywords: Infectious agents; sanitary practices; pathogenic parasites.


When performing a monotonous task, one often experiences an urge to quit. This urge may vary depending on how long one has performed the task (a temporal factor) and on. which particular component of task one is carrying out (an event-based factor). Using the Stroop task and a working memory task, we examined change in the urge to quit as a function of basic temporal (repetition) and event-based (cognitive conflict) factors. Consistent with the law of least work and recent theorizing, for the memory task, urges to quit were greater following difficult trials; for the Stroop task, urges to quit were greater following incongruent than congruent trials, but only during early/novice phases of performance, when responding is inefficient. This is a demonstration of an avoidance response toward cognitive conflict. Regarding temporal sources of quitting, urges to quit were greater for late task stages than early stages. These basic findings may illuminate the nature of the more 'hot' motivational struggles involving the delay of gratification.


Summary: This study examined the effect of peptide and nonpeptide endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists on the contractile actions of ET-1 and sarafotoxin S6c (STXc) in the rabbit isolated pulmonary artery (RbPA). The peptide antagonists BQ-123, BQ-788, and RES-701 (10 μM) did not inhibit ET-1-induced RbPA contractions. The nonpeptide antagonists PD 156123, Ro 47–0203, and SB 217242 (10 μM) also had no effect on ET-1-induced contractions. In contrast, the nonpeptide antagonists SB 209670 and L-749,239 (10 μM) both caused a shift to the right of the ET-1 concentration-response curve (Kbs of 231 nM and 1.42 μM, respectively) and a two- to threefold increase in nH (Hill slope), without altering the Rmax (maximal agonist-induced contraction). Contractile responses to STXc were unaffected by BQ-123, RES-701, and PD 156123 (10 μM). SB 209670, SB 217242, L-749,239, Ro 47–0203, and BQ-788 (10 μM) caused a shift to the right of the STXc response curve (Kbs of 16, 353, 202, 1,303 and 1,499 nM, respectively) and an increase in nH and Rmax. SB 209670 and L-749,239 were both approximately 10-fold more potent in antagonizing STXc than ET-1. Assuming, at best. Kbs of 10 μM for SB 217242, Ro 47–0203, and BQ-788 against ET-1, these antagonists were also at least 10-fold more potent in blocking STXc. The effects of various incubation and washout times on the antagonistic properties of SB 209670 (1 μM) against STXc were studied. Washing the antagonist from the tissue bath caused a 100-fold decrease in affinity (KBS of 23–2,373 nM at 0 and 30 min, respectively) and a return to near control levels of nH (within 30 min). In contrast, the augmented -Rmax response did not return to control levels until 6 hr later. As the incubation time was increased, the augmented Rmax was sustained (6 h), but affinity decreased (Kbs of 21 and 793 nM after 5 min and 6 h of incubation), and nH returned to near control values. In conclusion, agonist-dependent inhibition by ETB receptor antagonists is observed in the RbPA. Heterogeneous populations of ET receptors, differential binding domains, and/or functionally uncoupled receptors may account for this phenomenon.


Measuring quality of service in academic libraries traditionally includes quantifiable data such as collection size, staff counts, circulation numbers, reference service statistics, qualitative analyses of customer satisfaction, shelving accuracy, and building comfort. In the libraries of the third millennium, virtual worlds, Web content and remote customer populations mean that traditional measures of quality service are no longer complete. Applying methods to quantify effectiveness is vital to future success, and is a necessary precursor to examining quality of service. This case study of a small, virtual academic library, created to serve a non-traditional student population, faculty, and community, illustrates the use of measures such as the saturation rate of student population, the percentage of bibliographic sessions and orientations compared to number of courses offered, and Web site traffic patterns. As library services are affected by factors such as self-sufficient customers, declining physical collections, staff cuts, and increases in virtual traffic, all types of academic libraries may find it useful to implement the relatively uncomplicated data analysis explored in this article, in addition to established methodologies.


Today, on the whole, mainstream theology rarely invokes concepts of law. This paper argues that important theological concepts have an inescapable juridical dimension that must be recognized and addressed if theological concepts are to be rightly understood. Drawing from secular law, it divides Catholic theological law into the three traditional separate categories of law: normative, constitutive, and epistemic. It then applies this juridical analysis to the polity of the Church, the validity of the sacraments, the magisterium, the status of non-Catholics, and redemption. It concludes, noting that while one can lead a good Christian life without paying attention to the legal analysis behind the law and teaching of the Catholic Church, such analysis is especially important today given the need for relating the unique claims of the Catholic Church to the requirements of a growing ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.


A biostratigraphic and biochronological study from the late Neogene–Quaternary section of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 807A, located on the Ontong Java Plateau, western equatorial Pacific, revealed 50 planktic foraminiferal events, enabling the identification of eight late Neogene–Quaternary biozones, from the Globorotalia plesiotumida Interval Zone to the Globorotalia truncatulinoides Interval Zone. A significant faunal turnover (17 events) from late Pliocene identified in cores 7 and 8, between 70 and 55 meters below seafloor (mbsf), and spanning 0.67 million years (Myr). This noteworthy turnover may be the result of a shift in oceanographic conditions pertaining to the closure of the Indo–Pacific Seaway, followed by the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation. This study provides a high resolution biostratigraphic and biochronological framework for ODP Site 807A that will aid in correlation and timing the various paleoceanographic changes over the last 6 million years in the western equatorial Pacific.


Abstract A series of field trials evaluated the efficacy of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser All strain for control of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, larvae. Separate trials examined the effects of nematode application rate and timing on corn rootworm control in 1991. In the rate trial, S. carpocapsae (0, 104, 105, 106, and 107 nematodes per 30.5 row-cm) was applied as the insect population entered the second instar. Nematode treatment significantly reduced corn root injury and adult emergence. High application rates (106 and 107 nematodes per 30.5 row-cm) significantly outperformed low rates (104 and 105 nematodes per 30.5 row-cm). Nematode treatment (500,000 S. carpocapsae per 30.5 row-cm) reduced root injury and adult emergence slightly in the timing trial; later applications (second, third instar) were numerically, but not significantly, more effective than early (egg, first instar) ones. In 1992, a factorial trial combined four application dates (egg; first, second, third instar) and five rates (0, 104, 105, 106, 107 S. carpocapsae per 30.5 row-cm). Later applications (second, and particularly, third instar) were significantly more effective than early (egg, first instar) ones. Root injury and adult emergence in control and low rate (104 and 105 nematodes per 30.5 row-cm) plots significantly exceeded that in high rate (106 and 107 nematodes per 30.5 row-cm) plots. Commercially acceptable root protection (root injury ratings below 3.0) was provided by 106 nematodes per 30.5 cm of row applied to third instars, and by 107 nematodes per 30.5 cm of row applied to second and third instars.


Full Duplex (FD) radio has emerged as a promising solution to increase the data rates by up to a factor of two via simultaneous transmission and reception in the same frequency band. This paper studies a novel hybrid beamforming (HYBF) design to maximize the weighted sum-rate (WSR) in a single-cell millimeter wave (mmWave) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (mMIMO) FD system. Motivated by practical considerations, we assume that the multi-antenna users and hybrid FD base station (BS) suffer from the limited dynamic range (LDR) noise due to non-ideal hardware and an impairment aware HYBF approach is adopted by integrating the traditional LDR noise model in the mmWave band. In contrast to the conventional HYBF schemes, our design also considers the joint sum-power and the practical per-antenna power constraints. A novel interference, self-interference (SI) and LDR noise aware optimal power allocation scheme for the uplink (UL) users and FD BS is also presented to satisfy the joint constraints. The maximum achievable gain of a multi-user (MU) mmWave FD system over a fully digital half duplex (HD) system with different LDR noise levels and numbers of the radio-frequency (RF) chains is investigated. Simulation results show that our design outperforms the HD system with only a few RF chains at any LDR noise level. The advantage of having amplitude control at the analog stage is also examined, and additional gain for the mmWave FD system becomes evident when the number of RF chains at the hybrid FD BS is small.


One of the ways to utilize the potential of local breeds is to use them as producers of raw materials for the bio-industry (production of vaccines and diagnostics for animals and humans).

 Breeding of Russian White (PRWC) laying hens in 5 generations was carried out with the aim of increasing the output of allantois-amniotic fluid of embryos with a selective background (cooling of hatching eggs during the sensitive period of embryogenesis). In F5, the thermoregulation capabilities of 7-day-old PRWC chickens were studied in comparison with Amrox chickens under the influence of a daily stress factor (cooling at +10oC for 30 minutes) and raising at +22oC. The level of allantois-amniotic fluid output and biological activity of the Newcastle disease virus in F5 PRWC embryos in comparison with F0 and commercial line embryos was evaluated.

 Day-old PRWC chicks responded to exposure to low sublethal temperature with muscle shivering, but, unlike Amrox chickens, they were active and retained the reflex of searching for food. PRWC chickens raised at low temperatures up to 7 days of age maintained the same growth rate as chickens raised at a common regime but used less residual yolk, which practically did not decrease the body temperature, and change the level of thyrotrophic hormone in response to the dosed exposure at low temperatures at 7 days of age. The content of doses of the Newcastle disease virus (EID50) in the extraembryonic fluid of F5-embryos of PRWC was 32.3 times higher than that of commercial line ones.

 PRWC chicks in the early neonatal period are more reactive at low temperature and have better thermoregulation mechanisms. PRWC embryos can be recommended for use in the production of various viral vaccines as well as diagnosticums.


The aim of this study is to search effectiveness level of the primary schools, to examine the relationships between the levels of effectiveness and to study whether there is a meaningful relationship between independent factors and level of effectiveness or not. Inputs, climate, teaching, conditions and outputs are taken into consideration as the factors of the effectiveness. While the level of the effectiveness in the primary schools is found in medium level in the sample of 25 primary schools but mean levels are different. Meaningful differences are observed in some of the independent factors. The relationships between some factors are determined as strong positive in coefficient Pearson Correlation.


Paresthesias may be caused by central or peripheral nervous system abnormalities. Central nervous system-induced paresthesias are most commonly caused by ischemia, structural or compressive phenomena, infection, inflammation or degenerative conditions. Peripherally induced paresthesias can be caused by entrapment syndromes, metabolic disturbances, trauma, inflammation, connective tissue diseases, toxins, hereditary conditions, malignancies, nutritional deficiencies and miscellaneous conditions. Confirming the diagnosis and establishing an etiology may require appropriate laboratory and radiologic studies, or other studies. In most cases, the specific clinical syndromes associated with the paresthesias, coupled with the presenting neurologic findings, provide the physician with a framework for the diagnosis.


A team of identical and oblivious ant-like agents - a(ge)nts - leaving pheromone traces, are programmed to jointly patrol an area modeled as a graph. They perform this task using simple local interactions, while also achieving the important byproduct of partitioning the graph into roughly equal-sized disjoint sub-graphs. Each a(ge)nt begins to operate at an arbitrary initial location, and throughout its work does not acquire any information on either the shape or size of the graph, or the number or whereabouts of other a(ge)nts. Graph partitioning occurs spontaneously, as each of the a(ge)nts patrols and expands its own pheromone-marked sub-graph, or region. This graph partitioning algorithm is inspired by molecules hitting the borders of air filled elastic balloons: an a(ge)nt that hits a border edge from the interior of its region more frequently than an external a(ge)nt hits the same edge from an adjacent vertex in the neighboring region, may conquer that adjacent vertex, expanding its region at the expense of the neighbor. Since the rule of patrolling a region ensures that each vertex is visited with a frequency inversely proportional to the size of the region, in terms of vertex count, a smaller region will effectively exert higher "pressure" at its borders, and conquer adjacent vertices from a larger region, thereby increasing the smaller region and shrinking the larger. The algorithm, therefore, tends to equalize the sizes of the regions patrolled, resembling a set of perfectly elastic physical balloons, confined to a closed volume and filled with an equal amount of air. The pheromone based local interactions of agents eventually cause the system to evolve into a partition that is close to balanced rather quickly, and if the graph and the number of a(ge)nts remain unchanged, it is guaranteed that the system settles into a stable and balanced partition.


Hexagonal Variations provides an essential overview of key debates about contemporary French society and culture. Concise, challenging and comprehensive, its chapters each address the processes of change and redefinition that characterise France today. Contributors analyse and situate cinematic, literary, online and visual texts, mediatic, political and everyday discourses, in each case pinpointing how diversity, plurality and reinvention inflect cultural and social evolution in France. The chapters in the collection share a key set of thematic concerns and raise topics for debate among scholars and students alike. Central to these are questions about Francezs uncertain place and role in Europe and the wider world; the morphing topography of its capital; and the many conundrums posed by the persistence of Republican paradigms in a global environment. If France is no longer the exception, what are the versions and varieties of being French that are lived, thought and imagined in the new millennium? [Back cover]


The worker/wrapper transformation is a general-purpose technique for refactoring recursive programs to improve their performance. The two previous approaches to formalising the technique were based upon different recursion operators and different correctness conditions. In this article we show how these two approaches can be generalised in a uniform manner by combining their correctness conditions, extend the theory with new conditions that are both necessary and sufficient to ensure the correctness of the worker/wrapper technique, and explore the benefits that result. All the proofs have been mechanically verified using the Agda system.


Strong competition for water is largely recognized as the main factor explaining the resistance of herbaceous old fields to tree invasion. Therefore, site preparation as well as chemical and mechanical vegetation control are recommended when establishing hardwood tree plantations on such sites, but those methods are sometimes socially or ecologically inappropriate. The main objective of this study was to analyze whether treeshelters could improve early tree growth in herbaceous old fields, when mulching alone is used to partially control herbaceous competition. Our results indicate that treeshelters can facilitate tree growth in those conditions but that this was not caused by an improvement of tree water relations. Rather, it appeared to be related to an optimization of light levels inside the shelter, where light intensity was low enough to lead to a photosynthetic system less costly to maintain due to a greater specific leaf area but high enough to have no adverse effects on photosynthetic rates. Although treeshelters increased tree growth when surrounding herbaceous vegetation was low (either height or standing biomass), allowing high light levels, they reduced growth when surrounding vegetation was high and blocked a substantial quantity of light. Therefore, environmental factors such as light availability need to be considered to optimize the success of hardwood plantations when treeshelters are used in recently abandoned agricultural fields.


Pre-service teachers' beliefs and perceptions of teaching can influence their future teaching in schools. In this respect, it is important for teacher trainers to understand how pre-service teachers think about themselves as teachers and guide them to have more positive views on teaching. At present, however, little is known about perceptions of Korean pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). This article reports the results of a study, looking at the similarities and differences between elementary and secondary pre-service English teachers' perceptions of teaching in Korea. A total of 137 pre-service teachers from a teachers' college and a college of education responded to a questionnaire about their motivations for becoming a teacher and their perceptions of teaching. The findings of the study suggest that, while the two groups had similar motivations for becoming a teacher and goals of EFL teaching, the two groups showed statistically significant differences in the following areas: their roles in choosing teaching materials, the consideration of students' individual differences, the importance of teachers' speaking and comprehension skills in English, the teaching of culture of English-speaking countries, the use of the Internet for teaching EFL, the consideration of some instrumental factors in designing an English course and their selection of certain teaching activities.


Using the established definition of situated cognition in organizations as "the interaction of cognitive schemas and organizational context" (Lant 2002), we examine empirical case studies from the last 15 years to illustrate what situated cognitions in organizations might actually look like. Grounded in this research, we develop a framework that identifies how some specific forms of cognitive schemas (i.e., rule schemas, event schemas, person schemas) and specific contexts (e.g., physical contexts, institutional contexts) interact during sensemaking processes to give rise to momentary perceptions that we call situated cognitions. We present evidence that common patterns of interaction between schemas and context may occur during sensemaking in organizations. In terms of theoretical implications, our framework focuses attention on the specific interactions between context and cognition (rather than on context or cognition alone) that comprise situated cognitions, and helps to more concretely define situated cognitions as momentary or temporally bounded perceptions. We offer several practical implications of this framework for managers and suggest avenues for further elaboration on our ideas through research.


The subprime mortgage crisis caused significant damage to the international real estate market. Did the crisis teach us anything? In practice, yes. For one, examinations in the form of due diligence of real estate assets have become more frequent and more thorough. Activities on the real estate market in Germany are recovering robustly and have almost reached pre-crisis levels. Thus, the practice of due diligence is increasing correspondingly.However, the literature on due diligence real estate is still exiguous and lacks outright theoretic approaches. This thesis investigates the relevance of due diligence within real estate transactions by contextualizing it within integrated Transaction Cost Theory approaches and its behavioral assumptions. Transaction-cost and agency-theory parameters such as bounded rationality, opportunism and uncertainty offer approaches for describing how due diligence reduces information asymmetries, uncover hidden characteristics, and therefore prevent adverse selection. The conducted multi-method qualitative study affirms the strategic relevance of due diligence within real estate transactions. It indicates that due diligence is fundamental and serves to minimize risks by reducing information asymmetries.The main finding is that shorter portfolio life-cycles and the growing trend towards outsourcing indicate clearly that the asset real estate is becoming a commodity. The relevance of due diligence real estate is therefore also gaining. In times of high volatility and uncertainty, a reduction of information asymmetry is highly desirable.


Abstract Pauesia juniperorum (Starý), a solitary endoparasitoid which attacks several Cinara spp. in the subgenus Cupressobium, was introduced into Africa for the control of the cypress aphid Cinara cupressivora Watson & Voegtlin (previously identified as Cinara cupressi (Buckton)) and is now established. Data on its biology including a comparison of populations from different hosts and geographical locations are presented. From the UK this consisted of populations reared from Cinara cupressivora, Cinara fresai Blanchard and Cinara juniperi De Geer, and from France, Cinara ?fresai. Between different populations, the duration of development varied within a narrow range (15.5–18.1 days) at 22°C. Data on duration of development over a range of temperatures (15–26°C) for two populations, from the UK and France ranged between 14.0–31.4 days for males and 14.7–32.8 days for females. The threshold temperature for development was 6.2°C and 4.1°C for the populations from the UK and France, respectively. The mean egg load for different populations ranged between 46.4 and 78.5 eggs. The host species had a significant effect on egg load which was directly related to size of the respective host aphids. The lowest egg load was recorded on specimens reared from C. cupressivora which was the smallest aphid. The population from the UK had a higher intrinsic rate of increase (0.232) than the one from France (0.207).


This study was designed to analyze the effects of the storage and preservation conditions on counts of mesophilic, thermoduric, psychotrophic, coliform, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Staphylococcus aureus organisms in silo ovine milk. A total of 910 analytical determinations were conducted from aliquots of 10 silo ovine milks. The conditions tested were unpreserved and azidiol-preserved milk stored at 4°C, and unpreserved milk stored at -20°C. Milk aged 2, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-collection for refrigerated aliquots, and 7, 15, and 30 d post-collection for frozen aliquots. The factors silo and storage conditions significantly contributed to variation of all microbiological variables, although milk age effect within storage was only significant for mesophilic, psychrotrophic, and coliform bacteria counts. In refrigerated raw milk, mesophile, psychrotroph, and coliform counts significantly increased over 96 h post-collection, whereas the other groups and bacteria species tested maintained their initial concentration. In all cases, azidiol preservation maintained the initial bacterial concentration in raw sheep milk under refrigeration throughout 96 h. Thus, azidiol was a suitable preservative for microbiological studies in sheep milk. Smallest counts were registered for frozen samples, particularly for coliforms, E. coli, Strep. agalactiae and Staph. aureus. Estimates of mesophilic, thermoduric and psychrotrophic organisms showed similar values on both azidiol-preserved and frozen milk samples. Coliforms and E. coli counts significantly decrease over time after freezing. Consequently, freezing at -20°C could also be appropriate for analysis of mesophilic, thermoduric, and psychrotrophic bacterial groups, but not for coliforms or mammary pathogens.


Anaerobic digestion of olive-mill wastewater (OMW) was carried out in a continuously fed mode bioreactor. The bioreactor was operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs), using OMW, either raw or pre-treated with white-rot fungi. Two different kinds of feed were tested in this process, one which was thermally treated and subjected to sedimentation, in order to remove the solids contained and the other without any physicochemical treatment (raw OMW). Thermally pretreated OMW did not allow a stable operation even at an HRT of 30d. Further pretreatment of the OMW with a white-rot fungus for removal of the contained phenolics, allowed a stable operation at an HRT of 30 d. On the other hand, simple dilution of the raw wastewater, without any solids removal, lead to a stable operation at an HRT of 30d and was accompanied by higher production of biogas. The presence of the solids in the OMW proved to be a determining factor for the stability of the process and could be attributed to a possible adsorption on the solids of hydrophobic compounds, such as long-chain fatty acids that are toxic to methanogens.


Summary form only given. The effect of the narrow channel width on performance of thin-film transistors (TFTs) is evaluated. To this end, the authors fabricated coplanar, n-channel TFTs with a fixed gate length of 20 mu m and channel widths ranging from 20 mu m to half a micrometer. The dependences of threshold voltage, grain-boundary trap density, and transconductance on the channel width were measured. A drastic decrease in the threshold voltage was observed as the channel width W was reduced to a few micrometers. The grain-boundary trap density was also found to decrease sharply when W was decreased to below a few micrometers. The transconductance, on the other hand, was found to be slightly higher than the value expected from its linear relationship with W. This translated into an increase in the effective mobility for TFTs with small channel widths. These results demonstrate the existence of regions in the channel near the polysilicon film edges where the grain-boundary trap density is much less than in the rest of the channel. >


Colloidal shear thickening presents a significant challenge because the macroscopic rheology becomes increasingly controlled by the microscopic details of short ranged particle interactions in the shear thickening regime. Our measurements here of the first normal stress difference over a wide range of particle volume fractions elucidate the relative contributions from hydrodynamic lubrication and frictional contact forces, which have been debated. At moderate volume fractions we find N_{1}<0, consistent with hydrodynamic models; however, at higher volume fractions and shear stresses these models break down and we instead observe dilation (N_{1}>0), indicating frictional contact networks. Remarkably, there is no signature of this transition in the viscosity; instead, this change in the sign of N_{1} occurs while the shear thickening remains continuous. These results suggest a scenario where shear thickening is driven primarily by the formation of frictional contacts, with hydrodynamic forces playing a supporting role at lower concentrations. Motivated by this picture, we introduce a simple model that combines these frictional and hydrodynamic contributions and accurately fits the measured viscosity over a wide range of particle volume fractions and shear stress.


We performed thoracoscopic surgery for a mediastinal bronchogenic cyst with complaining of back pain. The patient, a 38-year-old male, was admitted with an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray. Chest CT showed a localized tumor on the mediastine. MRI showed a cyst. Under thoracoscopy the tumor was based on parietal pleura and movable in chest cavity. We concluded that back pain was caused by a stimulus of a nerve in parietal pleura. Pathological diagnosis was a bronchogenic cyst.


We propose to measure the longitudinal rms beam size by existing apparatuses in MEBT1 at J-PARC linac. The RF chopper cavity horizontally deflects beam particles at the frequency of 324 MHz, which is the same frequency as other accelerator cavities. By setting an adequate driving phase of the chopper, a horizontal deflection is proportional to relative phase difference from the centroid of a beam bunch. Then, the deflected beam distribution is measured by a wire scanner monitor. It is also possible to measure the longitudinal rms emittance by varying the amplitude of a buncher upstream. In this paper, we confirm the feasibility of the measurement scheme with particle simulation.


The microbial diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis plays a key role in routine treatment and Tuberculosis control Programmes in developing countries. Many patients have presented with signs and symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis, of which consecutive direct sputum smear microscopy have given negative results for Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB). Microscopy of smears made directly from sputum has a low sensitivity and there is an urgent need for improved methods. This study was carried out at the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital and is aimed at evaluating the sputum smear concentration technique in the laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary TB. Sputum samples were collected in screw-cap tight containers and evaluated by both the direct and concentrated methods. Microscopy of direct smears of sputum after liquefaction with 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution; and concentration of the organisms by centrifugation were compared and evaluated. Results showed an increase in sensitivity from 18.27% to 25% with a specificity of 90.95%. The tuberculosis prevalence was 25%. 13.33% belongs to the age range 20-40 years and 11.67% to the age range >40 years. The positive predictive value was 73%. We concluded that the use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in the concentration of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum significantly improves the laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Keywords : Sputum smear concentration, Laboratory diagnosis, Pulmonary tuberculosis


Genetic algorithms have been used to generate test sets automatically by searching the domain of the software for suitable values to satisfy a predefined testing criterion. These criteria have been set by the requirements for test data set adequacy of structural testing, such as obtaining full branch coverage and controlling the number of iterations of a conditional loop. This technique has been applied successfully to several problems, varying in complexity from a quadratic equation solver to a generic sort module that comprises several procedures. In these cases, full branch coverage was obtained. Genetic algorithms could be applied to approaches other than structural testing, provided that the goal of the testing is clearly defined, and a fitness function which relates to this goal can be devised to give a single numeric value for the fitness. The quality of the test data is enhanced by designing the fitness function to generate data close to a subdomain boundary where the likelihood of revealing an error is higher.


Data analysis of complex behaviors, intrusion attacks and system failures inherent in the Information Technology systems became one of the key strategies for ensuring the security of cyber assets. Data-driven anomaly detection methods can offer an appealing alternative to existing signature-based intrusion detection systems by capturing known and previously unseen attacks. In this paper, we try to develop efficient rules that distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior in a given period and over time that can also adapt to relational and dynamic changes in cyber environment. Specifically, we represent the network flow data as a bipartite graph and then adopt an outlier detection approach for heavy-tailed distributions to develop an adaptive threshold method for node behavior characterization. Further, we introduce a trust management scheme for aggregation of node behaviors over time and evaluation of overall node 'trustworthiness' over full time period. Using the data collected by European Internet Service Provider, we demonstrate superior performance of the proposed adaptive threshold selection method for Trust-based detection systems. Overall, the proposed framework can adjust to changing conditions of the system and can be used for detection of anomalous node behaviors in real-time.


This study was focused on tourists visiting the Chujado, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as island tourism. First, this study collected the selection attributes visiting Chujado from literature review and applied the IPA (Importance-Performance Analysis)with the attributes to this research. The results are as follows: First, in the area Ⅰ, the attributes (climates, exotic atmosphere, tourism information, reservation service, a variety of food, clean food etc.) both with high importance and high performance need to be kept continuously. And, in the area Ⅱ, the IPA map showed that other attributes (accessibility, a variety of food, accommodation, affordable price etc) with high importance and low performance) need to be improved in the future time. These results can give the implications for establishing an appropriate policy of Chujado tourism development.


Cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with an injury that may cause pathophysiological changes in the form of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In the present study, we investigated the inflammatory response of patients with multiple organ dysfunctions following open-heart surgery. Plasma levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18) and procalcitonin (PCT) were measured on the first four postoperative days in 12 adult male patients with SIRS and two or more organ dysfunctions after myocar-dial revascularization (MODS group), and 15 patients without organ dysfunctions (SIRS group). All cytokines (except IL-1β) and PCT were significantly elevated in MODS patients, with peak values at the first two postoperative days. The results of our study show a different expression of members of the IL-1 family following extracorporeal circulation. For the first time, we can document that IL-18 is involved in the inflammatory response and the initiation of the MODS following cardiopulmonary bypass. In addition to APACHE-II score, PCT, IL-8, and IL-18 may be used as parameters for the prognosis of patients with organ dysfunctions after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, it must be noted that the duration of the surgical procedure is one of the most important factors for the initiation of the inflammatory response.


The need to support and promote breastfeeding is unquestionable. The World Breastfeeding Week 2013 theme, "Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers," focuses on "breastfeeding peer counseling." Mother support groups are traditionally community-based and little is published about peer-to-peer support for mothers who have critically ill newborns. This study describes the development of a support group established in a children's hospital. The Group of Empowered Mothers focuses on a unique population of mothers (those with critically ill hospitalized infants) and involves 3 basic tenets: healthcare provider support; mother-to-mother support; and Certified Breastfeeding Consultant Support.


This study has been conducted in a total of 50 patients who have been refered with infertility or scrotal pain and swelling. Following physical examination, color doppler ultrasonography and scrotal scintigraphy have been performed in all patients and diagnostic value of each method has been comparatively evaluated. Of the 50 patients, diagnosis of varicocele was made in 44 (88%) patients by physical examination, in 46 (92%) patients by scrotal scintigraphy and color doppler ultrasonography in all (100%) patients. In conclusion; color doppler ultrasonography and scintigraphy, following physical examination, should be prefered to detect varicocele, especially subclinic varicocele that is important for infertility.


Extracting quantitative information from remote sensing data requires analytical tools such as canopy reflectance models to interpret radiative measurements in terms of the quantities of interest. A new model (Raytran) of radiation tranfer in complex threedimensional media, taking advantage of the latest ray tracing computer graphics techniques, has been developed to study the transfer of solar radiation in terrestrial environments over a variety of spatial scales. This model is used as a "virtual laboratory", to generate reflectances and absorption profiles of complex targets, where all geometrical and physical quantities can be controlled explicitly. The accuracy of this model has been established by comparison with other Monte Carlo models[l] and with laboratory measurements. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate potential applications of this model.


Robot movement in its working environment requires tracking the correct path between the start point and the end point. This paper employs artificial intelligence methodologies in mapping and path search procedures for robot navigation. Robot localization was determined using dead reckoning method with a new error correction algorithm. A topology and odometry unit along with a motion control unit is designed using a PIC microcontroller that controls the motors using PWM to drive the robot.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Obese African American and Latina women show the high mortality rate linked to triple negative breast cancer, TNBC. The disease is commonly detected at more advance degree and associated with resistance to common therapeutic treatments. Obesity, characterized by high levels of leptin, has consistently been associated with many different cancers including breast cancer. We hypothesize that leptin signaling is instrumental in the increased proliferation and survival of breast cancer cells, which is mediated through a crosstalk between the Notch and Wnt signaling pathways. We further hypothesized that these leptin actions are more evident in TNBC cells. Objective/Methods: The effects of leptin-Notch-Wnt crosstalk on the proliferation and survival (MTT-Vybrant assay and Annexin V-flow cytometry) of breast cancer cells responsive to estrogen (MCF-7 and T47D) and TNBC (MDA-MB231 and HC1806) were investigated. The cells were treated with agonists and inhibitors of leptin-Notch-Wnt axis [i.e., leptin, Wnt1, JAG1/14-mer peptide and leptin peptide receptor antagonist 2 (LPrA2), g-secretase inhibitor and Wif]. The expression of Notch and Wnt signaling components (ligands/receptors) and levels of cyclin D1 and myc were also determined via western blot and real-time RT-PCR. In a series of experiments the cells were treated with chemotherapeutic drugs, doxorubicin and cisplatin plus leptin and the activation of caspase 3, levels of Bcl-2 and, the drug resistance marker (multidrug resistance-associated protein 1, ABCC1/MRP1) were determined using as control the etoposide resistant MCF-7/VP cell line. The relative expression of leptin, Notch and Wnt systems in breast cancer tissue arrays (n=150; Pantomics) was also investigated. Results: Leptin induced significant increase of TNBC cell proliferation, cyclin D1, bcl-2, ABCC1 and Notch/Wnt axis. Leptin also decreased the anti-cancer effects of doxorubicin and cisplatin, which were related to leptin upregulation on Notch-Wnt crosstalk. HScore analyses of breast cancer tissue arrays showed significant correlation of the expression of leptin-targeted proteins (Notch and Wnt) in breast cancer tissues. These results suggest that leptin can induce the crosstalk between Notch and Wnt and breast cancer progression. Conclusions: Targeting leptin-Notch-Wnt signaling axis could be a new strategy to treat and/or prevent breast cancer. The inhibition of leptin signaling could be a promising new way to target the most deadly TBNC, especially in obese patients. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by NIH/NCI 5SC1CA138658-04, Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar Award (to RRGP), NIH/2G12RR003034-26 and U54 MSM/TU/UAB Cancer Center Partnership, and NIH/NIGMS R25 GM058268. This research was also supported, in part, facilities and support services at Morehouse School of Medicine (NIH 1C06 RR18386).

Citation Format: Tanisha Z. McGlothen, Corey Gillespie, Krysta Greenleaf, Movado Long, Laronna S. Colbert, Gary L. Sanford, Ruben R. Gonzalez-Perez. Role of leptin-induced Notch-Wnt crosstalk in proliferation/survival of triple negative breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5643. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5643


Multi-object tracking (MOT) aims at estimating bounding boxes and identities of objects in videos. Most methods can be roughly classified as tracking-by-detection and joint-detection-association paradigms. Although the latter has elicited more attention and demonstrates comparable performance relative than the former, we claim that the tracking-by-detection paradigm is still the optimal solution in terms of tracking accuracy,such as ByteTrack[70],which achieves 80.3 MOTA, 77.3 IDF1 and 63.1 HOTA on the test set of MOT17 with 30 FPS running speed on a single V100 GPU.However, under complex perspectives such as vehicle and UAV acceleration, the performance of such a tracker using uniform Kalman filter will be greatly affected, resulting in tracking loss.In this paper, we propose a variable speed Kalman filter algorithm based on environmental feedback and improve the matching process, which can greatly improve the tracking effect in complex variable speed scenes while maintaining high tracking accuracy in relatively static scenes. Eventually, higher MOTA and IDF1 results can be achieved on MOT17 test set than ByteTrack[70]


Glioneuronal and neuronal tumours constitute a diverse group of tumours that feature neuronal differentiation. In mixed glioneuronal tumours, a glial component is present in addition to the neuronal component. With a few exceptions (eg diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumour) they are well-circumscribed and slow-growing tumours, which is why their prognosis is intrinsically favourable after gross total resection. Rendering an intraoperative diagnosis of glioneuronal/neuronal tumour is therefore important-neurosurgeons should remove them to prevent the persistence of clinical symptoms and/or recurrence. In this context, cytopathological examination can be especially useful for assessing cellular details when frozen section artefacts render poor-quality preparations, as is the case for this group of tumours, which are frequently mistaken for infiltrating gliomas (eg diffuse astrocytoma infiltrating grey matter, oligodendroglioma) on frozen section slides. The aim of this article is to review the cytomorphological features of glioneuronal and neuronal tumours according to the 2021 World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumours, 5th edition. Additionally, since interpretation in intraoperative cytology relies on intuiting tissue patterns from cytology preparations, representative histological figures of all discussed entities have been included. Clues for specific diagnoses and the primary diagnostic problems encountered during intraoperative procedures are also discussed.


Transformation of the old age pension scheme is one of the most important subject matter of this time. The governments must solve the growth number of retirement age inhabitants in their countries. The transformation can be the solution old age pension scheme into the private funds. The article is speaking about some aspects of his transformation .


The positive activation of several nodulation genes in strain ANU843 of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii is mediated by the product of the nodD gene and by the interaction of NodD with plant-secreted inducer and anti-inducer compounds. We have mutagenized the nodD gene of strain ANU843 with nitrosoguanidine and have found that the ability of the mutated nodD products to interact with inducer and anti-inducer compounds is affected by the amino acid sequence in at least two key regions, including a novel area between amino acids 77 and 123. Several novel classes of mutants were recognized by phenotypic and molecular analysis of the mutant nodD genes. Classes 1 and 4 mutants were able to induce nodA expression independently of the addition of inducer and anti-inducer compounds and were unable to mediate autoregulation of the nodD gene. Classes 2 and 3 mutants retained several properties of the wild-type nodD, including the ability to interact with inducer and anti-inducer compounds and the capacity to autoregulate nodD expression. In addition, class 2 mutants showed an inducer-independent ability to mediate nodA expression to 10-fold higher levels over control strains. The class 3 mutant showed reactivity to compounds that had little or no inducing ability with the wild-type nodD. An alteration in NodD function was demonstrated with classes 2 and 3 mutants, which showed greatly enhanced ability to complement a Tn5-induced mutation in the nodD1 gene of strain NGR234 and to restore nodulation ability on the tropical legume siratro. Mutants of nodD possessing inducer-independent ability to activate nod gene expression (classes 1, 2, and 4) were capable of extending the host range of R. l. bv. trifolii to the nonlegume Parasponia. DNA sequence analysis showed that single base changes were responsible for the altered phenotypic properties of five of six mutants examined. Four of the six mutations affected amino acid residues in a putative receiver domain in the N-terminal end of the nodD protein.


Larger-diameter cylindrical vessels for commercial fast breeder reactors (FBRs) are planned to increase the electric generation capacity with thinner vessels compared to the existing ones. The modified 9Cr-1Mo steel (ASME Grade 91 steel) has high yield stress and low tangent modulus after yielding, and plans to be applied as well as austenitic stainless steel for vessels in existing FBR power plants. Although elasto-plastic axial compression, bending and shear buckling are expected to occur in vessels, the current buckling strength evaluation from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) standard "Design and Construction for Nuclear Power Plants, Division 2 Fast Reactors" mainly focuses on plastic buckling of thick cylindrical vessels.
 Seismic base isolation is being devised for next-generation FBR power plants by the increasing seismic design load in Japan. When a horizontal seismic base isolation design is adopted, cylindrical vessels are subject to cyclic vertical seismic load with long-period horizontal seismic wave. The deformation by cyclic vertical load reduces the buckling strength.
 In this paper, we modified the existing buckling strength equations focusing on elasto-plastic axial compression, bending and shear buckling under cyclic axial load (hereinafter called "modified equations"), and confirmed their applicability through a series of elasto-plastic buckling analyses. We also conducted a series of buckling tests on Grade 91 steel vessels in the load regions where axial compression, bending and shear buckling interact, and where axial compression and bending buckling are dominant due to large vertical load. The buckling behavior and the buckling load estimated by the elasto-plastic buckling analysis considering the actual material stress–strain relationship and imperfections in the test vessel suitably agreed with corresponding test results in the load regions.


As scientific workflows are becoming more complex and apply compute-intensive methods to increasingly large data volumes, access to HPC resources is becoming mandatory. We describe the development of a novel plug in for the Tavern a workflow system, which provides transparent and secure access to HPC/grid resources via the UNICORE grid middleware, while maintaining the ease of use that has been the main reason for the success of scientific workflow systems. A use case from the bioinformatics domain demonstrates the potential of the UNICORE plug in for Tavern a by creating a scientific workflow that executes the central parts in parallel on a cluster resource.


The aim of this study was to investigate the blood flow in the adrenal cortex of the rat. Relative changes in the adrenal cortical blood flow were continuously measured by Laser Doppler flowmetry in 33 chloralose-anaesthetized artificially ventilated rats during electrical stimulation (1 ms, 5 V) of the left great splanchnic nerve (LGSN), which conveys both pre- and post-ganglionic nerve fibres to the adrenal gland. Laser Doppler flux (LDF) was decreased and regional resistance (RR) was increased by augmenting nerve stimulation at increasingly higher frequencies (2, 4, 8, 20 and 40 Hz). The decrease in LDF, when compared to pre-drug stimulations at 4 Hz was partially or totally inhibited by the adrenergic blocking agents trimethaphan (TRIM), guanethidine (GUA) and alpha 1-blockade with prazosin (PRAZ). Furthermore, both the decrease in LDF and the increase in RR were either completely or partially blocked by stimulation at 40 Hz after TRIM-treatment and GUA-treatment. It is concluded that the adrenal cortex in the rat is innervated by post-ganglionic adrenergic nerve fibres, which are involved in the regulation of blood flow in the adrenal cortex.


Abstract  Excessive wall stress is a known stimulus for muscle growth. We recently reported a thickened muscularis propria in patients with high amplitude oesophageal contractions (HAEC). The goal of this study was to determine oesophageal wall stress in normal subjects and patients with HAEC. A manometry catheter equipped with a high frequency ultrasound (US) transducer was used to record pressure and US images simultaneously in 10 healthy subjects and 11 patients with HAEC. Recordings were obtained at 2 and 10 cm above the lower oesophageal sphincter during water swallows. The changes in circumferential wall stress during oesophageal contraction in both groups are relatively small because of an increase in the wall thickness‐to‐radius ratio during contraction. Patients show a greater muscle thickness than normal subjects at rest and at the peak of contraction. The wall stress in patients is elevated at the 2 cm but not at the 10‐cm level as compared to normal subjects. Wall strain is not different between the two groups. Increase in wall thickness during oesophageal contraction maintains low wall stress. A greater wall stress in patients with HAEC may be a stimulus for the increased wall thickness.


Abstract There are many situations in radiotherapy where multiple treatment plans need to be compared for selection of an optimal plan. In this study we performed the radiobiological method of plan evaluation to verify the treatment plan comparison procedure of our clinical practice. We estimated and correlated various radiobiological dose indices with physical dose metrics for a total of 30 patients representing typical cases of head and neck, prostate and brain tumors. Three sets of plans along with a clinically approved plan (final plan) treated by either Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) or Rapid Arc (RA) techniques were considered. The study yielded improved target coverage for final plans, however, no appreciable differences in doses and the complication probabilities of organs at risk were noticed. Even though all four plans showed adequate dose distributions, from dosimetric point of view, the final plan had more acceptable dose distribution. The estimated biological outcome and dose volume histogram data showed least differences between plans for IMRT when compared to RA. Our retrospective study based on 120 plans, validated the radiobiological method of plan evaluation. The tumor cure or normal tissue complication probabilities were found to be correlated with the corresponding physical dose indices.


In the last 200 years, and still today, yeast is well known for its application in brewing, alcohol fermentation and wine and bread making. They are an endless source of new food ingredients and additives with excellent functional and nutritional properties, now through the use of innovative elaboration and fractionation techniques that come mainly from biotechnology. The book reviewed here contains fourteen chapters in 246 pages that deal with yeasts employed as food ingredients and their potential as Nutraceutics. It compiles the expertise of three Latin American institutions that have given priority to the generation of basic knowledge on yeast and set the grounds for the development of new technologies based on these microorganisms. This is a sample of the alternatives offered by yeast in the fields of food science and technology.


The structure of the duodenum mucosa and proliferation of the epithelium were studied in 138 patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver by count of the number of mitoses and that of cells labeled in the phase of DNA synthesis with 3H-thymidine. The atrophic changes revealed in the mucosa were noted together with the drop in the number of mitoses and the 3H-thymidine-labeled cells. This makes it possible to explain atrophy of the duodenum mucosa by inhibition of proliferative processes in the crypts.


Background The efflux transporter P-glycoprotein, a member of the adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette superfamily, is a major determinant of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the opioid loperamide, a well-recognized antidiarrheal agent. Animal studies indicate that P-glycoprotein limits morphine entry into the brain. In this study, the authors examined whether other opioids of importance to anesthesiologists such as fentanyl, sufentanil, and alfentanil, and also morphine-6-glucuronide and morphine-3-glucuronide, are P-glycoprotein substrates and whether, in turn, these opioids act also as P-glycoprotein inhibitors. Methods The transcellular movement of the various opioids, including loperamide and morphine, was assessed in L-MDR1 (expressing P-glycoprotein) and LLC-PK1 cell monolayers (P-glycoprotein expression absent). A preferential basal-to-apical versus apical-to-basal transport in the L-MDR cells but not the LLC-PK1 cells is seen for P-glycoprotein substrates. In addition, the effect of the various opioids on the transcellular movement of the prototypical P-glycoprotein substrate digoxin was examined in Caco-2 cell monolayers. IC50 values were calculated according to the Hill equation. Results Loperamide was a substrate showing high dependence on P-glycoprotein in that basal–apical transport was nearly 10-fold greater than in the apical–basal direction in L-MDRI cells. Morphine also showed a basal-to-apical gradient in the L-MDR1 cell monolayer, indicating that it too is a P-glycoprotein substrate, but with less dependence than loperamide in that only 1.5-fold greater basal–apical directional transport was observed. Fentanyl, sufentanil, and alfentanil did not behave as P-glycoprotein substrates, whereas the morphine glucuronides did not cross the cell monolayers at all, whether P-glycoprotein was present or not. Loperamide, sufentanil, fentanyl, and alfentanil inhibited P-glycoprotein–mediated digoxin transport in Caco-2 cells with IC50 values of 2.5, 4.5, 6.5, and 112 &mgr;m, respectively. Morphine and its glucuronides (20 &mgr;m) did not inhibit digoxin (5 &mgr;m) transport in Caco-2 cells, and therefore IC50 values were not determined. Conclusions Opioids have a wide spectrum of P-glycoprotein activity, acting as both substrates and inhibitors, which might contribute to their varying central nervous system–related effects.


The effect of initial correlations between nucleons on the nuclear breakup mechanism is studied. A quantum transport theory which extends the standard mean-field approach is developed to incorporate short range pairing correlation as well as direct nucleon-nucleon collisions. A time evolution of the nuclear breakup from a correlated system leading to the emission of two particles to the continuum is performed. We show that initial correlations have strong influence on relative angles between particles emitted in coincidence. The present qualitative study indicates that nuclear breakup might be a tool to infer the residual interaction between nucleons in the nuclear medium.


The last decades of the twentieth century have been a time of new visibility and social activism for Buddhists in Taiwan and around the world. This paper compares the social engagement of nuns in the Chinese Buddhist tradition in Taiwan and North America. I would like to argue that whereas nuns in Taiwan have developed a variety of approaches to social involvement, their counterparts in the Chinese diaspora in North America have had to face a set of challenges specific to overseas Chinese communities in addition to Chinese Buddhist tradition. The article concludes with reflections on the prospects for nuns' social activism in Taiwan and North America in future years.


Eph A1 and ephrin A1 (Eph-ephrin A1) is a key receptor-ligand pair of Eph-ephrin system, which plays important roles in the migration and adhesion of cells, tissue morphogenesis and vasculogenesis in mammals. In order to investigate the regulation of Eph-ephrin A1 during porcine embryo implantation, the expressions of mRNA and protein of Eph-ephrin A1 were detected in different reproductive tissues from twelve sows during embryo implantation period on pregnancy day 13, 18 and 24, respectively. Functions of Eph-ephrin A1 on the migration and adhesion of porcine endometrial epithelial cells were analysed by RNA interference (RNAi), transwell migration assays and MTT assays. Results showed that mRNA levels of Eph-ephrin A1 were highly expressed in endometrial attachment site when compared to other reproductive tissues (p < 0.05) and were peaked on pregnancy day 18 during embryo implantation (p < 0.05). Protein levels of Eph-ephrin A1 were highly expressed in endometrial attachment site and were peaked on pregnancy day 18 (p < 0.05). Eph-ephrin A1 proteins were located in endometrial luminal epithelium, stroma of attachment site and inter-attachment site during embryo implantation, and the protein levels were higher during implantation compared to pre-implantation or post-implantation. Furthermore, silencing ephrin A1 gene significantly reduced the migration and adhesion capacity of porcine endometrial epithelial cells. These findings suggest that the Eph-ephrin A1 protein likely targets endometrial attachment site to enhance the migration and adhesion of porcine endometrial epithelial cells around pregnancy day 18 during pregnancy in sows.


Until now, little attention has been paid to load-flow methods with variables expressed in rectangular form. These methods could have some advantages over existing methods in polar form, bearing in mind the large amount of computation required for load-flow calculations in large networks where evaluation of polar trigonometric functions is necessary. This paper presents several decoupled load-flow methods, some of them having very good convergence and time characteristics, based on the application of Newton's method to equations of nodal power or current mismatches with the variables, i.e. the nodal voltages, expressed in rectangular form. All the methods presented are compared with several variants of the decoupled load-flow method with variables in polar form. The methods given are applied in studies of electrical networks with different voltage levels from distribution to EHV and various elements, including transformers, cables, short lines, long lines, as well as conditioned and ill-conditioned systems. Comparison is made between all methods by noting the number of iterations for converged solutions from a common start to the end of the iteration process.


The contribution of the microbiota to induce gastrointestinal inflammation is hypothesized to be a key component of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) aggregation within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in the pathological progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). The function of the GI tract is governed by a system of neurons that form part of the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS hosts 100–500 million nerve cells within two thin layers lining the GI tract. The gut-brain axis (GBA) is the major communication pathway between the ENS and the central nervous system. It has become increasingly clear that the microbiota in the gut are key regulators of GBA function and help to maintain homeostasis in the immune and endocrine systems. The GBA may act as a possible etiological launching pad for the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD, because of an imbalance in the gut microbiota. PD is a multi-faceted illness with multiple biological, immunological, and environmental factors contributing to its pathological progression. Interestingly, individuals with PD have an altered gut microbiota compared to healthy individuals. However, there is a lack of literature describing the relationship between microbiota composition in the gut and symptom progression in PD patients. This review article examines how the pathology and symptomology of PD may originate from dysregulated signaling in the ENS. We then discuss by targeting the imbalance within the gut microbiota such as prebiotics and probiotics, some of the prodromal symptoms might be alleviated, possibly curtailing the pathological spread of aSyn and ensuing debilitating motor symptoms.


In this paper, we systematically study spherically symmetric static spacetimes in the framework of Einstein-aether theory, and pay particular attention to the existence of black holes (BHs). In the present studies we first clarify several subtle issues. In particular, we find that, out of the five non-trivial field equations, only three are independent, so the problem is well-posed, as now generically there are only three unknown functions, {$F(r), B(r), A(r)$, where $F$ and $B$ are metric coefficients, and $A$ describes the aether field.} In addition, the two second-order differential equations for $A$ and $F$ are independent of $B$, and once they are found, $B$ is given simply by an algebraic expression of $F,\; A$ and their derivatives. To simplify the problem further, we explore the symmetry of field redefinitions, and work first with the redefined metric and aether field, and then obtain the physical ones by the inverse transformations. These clarifications significantly simplify the computational labor, which is important, as the problem is highly involved mathematically. In fact, it is exactly because of these, we find various numerical BH solutions with an accuracy that is at least two orders higher than previous ones. More important, these BH solutions are the only ones that satisfy the self-consistent conditions and meantime are consistent with all the observational constraints obtained so far. The locations of universal horizons are also identified, together with several other observationally interesting quantities, such as the innermost stable circular orbits (ISCO), the ISCO frequency, and the maximum redshift $z_{max}$ of a photon emitted by a source orbiting the ISCO. All of these quantities are found to be quite close to their relativistic limits.


Abstract The European Union is Russia's largest agricultural trading partner, and this cooperation has a long history. The imposition of sanctions on certain product groups in 2014 significantly affected trading relations. A gravity model helps us to understand and evaluate the characteristics of agricultural trade between countries. The aim of the research is to compare the agricultural trade flow between Russia and the European Union for the period 2000-2017, find some regularity, and estimate the influence of Russian sanctions using regression models for each European country and for particular types of agricultural products. The dataset sample consists of 12,096 observations and 29 countries. The gravity model of the dependence on Russia of imports and exports from each European country takes into account such variables as GDP (US dollar), distance (km) and dummies (a common border, common language, common history and seaport availability). The findings of the research are as follows: the classical gravity model is feasible for imports from Russia to EU countries. Thus, the smaller the distance between countries, the greater the trade flow between them, and the larger the GDP of both countries, the greater the trade flow between them. In addition, the gravity model is feasible not only for countries, but also for the particular group of products. The results of the cluster analysis show the impact of sanctions on each of 24 groups of products imported into Russia (not just those products that have been under Russian sanctions). It is possible to say that the impact of sanctions is deeper than previously thought.


Caring for children and adolescents with disorders of hemostasis and thrombosis (HAT) has become more specialized and requires a unique skill set that many providers are not able to obtain in standard pediatric hematology/oncology/bone marrow transplant fellowship training programs. The influx of numerous therapeutic advances and increasing medical complexity has expanded the need for experienced HAT providers and subspecialty collaboration in the inpatient setting due to the nuances in the management of patients with HAT complications and concerns. While there are data highlighting the benefits of an inpatient hemostasis, thrombosis, and anticoagulation management service in adult hospitals, there are limited pediatric data supporting such programs. In this article, we summarize the current practices of various pediatric institutions in the inpatient management of HAT patients and provide a consensus opinion for the development of a pediatric inpatient HAT service at tertiary care referral centers.


I was called upon to decide whether eight year old Tishna Rollo could live or whether she must die, a humbling and sobering decision. Tishna, I was told, had virtually no chance of surviving the relapsed Wilms' tumor [of the kidney] from which she is suffering and Blue Cross/Blue Shield had denied coverage for autologous bone marrow transplant ("ABMT") with accompanying high dose chemotherapy, a treatment which could well prolong and quite possibly save her life and which, concededly, provided her only realistic hope of either. The University of Nebraska Medical Center ... would not admit her without coverage, her parents could not afford to pay the projected $130,000-$140,000 costs of the treatment, and there was simply no time to wait, for Tishna's "window of opportunity" would soon close. The coverage issue had to be litigated and litigated quickly. 2


Using non-covalent interactions between nucleic acids (DNA, siRNA, miRNA, and mRNA) with peptides or nucleopeptides is a promising strategy to construct supramolecular assemblies for gene delivery and therapy. Comparing to conventional strategies for gene delivery, the assemblies of peptides or nucleopeptides provide several unique advantages: i) reversible interactions between the assemblies and the nucleic acids; ii) minimal immunogenicity; iii) biocompatibility. This field has advanced considerably in recent years so that it is worth summarizing the recent progresses and future challenges. In this review, we introduce the development of assemblies of peptides or nucleopeptides for applications in gene delivery and related fields. After introducing the promises of gene therapy and the current strategies for the delivery, we discuss the unique advantage of using peptide assemblies for gene delivery. Then we describe several representative strategies for gene delivery by the assemblies of peptides or nucleopeptides. Finally, we discuss the key factors for designing such assemblies for gene delivery, and speculate future directions and challenges in the field, particularly the rational design and the spatiotemporally controlled release in live cells.


Genetic structure within a population of Silene alba was studied using a chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and six allozyme polymorphisms. A 20 X 65 m area was sampled by constructing a 5 X 5 m grid and determining the genotype of the plant nearest to each grid node. Analysis of the spatial distribution of genotypes by Moran's I and join-counts showed a significant degree of association of like cpDNA haplotypes (I = 0.52, S.N.D. = 2.55) but a random or slightly repulsed distribution of allozyme genotypes. A second sample was taken by collecting all individuals from within a 1-m wide transect established along the perimeter of the grid. Genotype and allele frequencies were calculated by grouping individuals from arbitrary 3m intervals along the transect, and analyzed by Wright's F statistics. The Fst value calculated for cpDNA (0.875) differed markedly from that based on all allozymes (0.027). Taken together, the results suggest that in this population gene flow in the maternally inherited cpDNA is limited by restricted seed dispersal, whereas gene flow in the nuclear DNA based allozymes is more pervasive owing to the added effects of pollen dispersal. The utility of cpDNA polymorphism for the study of fine-scale gene flow is discussed.


As part of Pediatrics in Review9s ongoing focus on quality improvement, we present for the use of our readers this self-assessment exercise taken from the American Academy of Pediatrics9 Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Program (ACQIP). ACQIP is an educational program for pediatricians that embodies the concept of continuous quality improvement. It has been implemented successfully in physicians9 offices, health maintenance organizations, and hospitals. Currently, more than 2000 physicians worldwide are enrolled in ACQIP. The program is designed to help pediatricians evaluate their practices by comparing themselves with other physicians in similar practices and communities. Pediatricians in groups can use ACQIP to analyze practice variations within the group. Three aspects of care are addressed: • Practice management • Delivery of preventive care • Patient satisfaction Each year, a theme is selected. In 1992-1993, the first year, the theme was immunizations. The 1993-1994 program focused on telephone management, developmental assessment, and management of asthma. ACQIP is being used by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a vehicle to disseminate and implement its new practice parameters on asthma, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, otitis media, gastroenteritis, head trauma, febrile seizures, and urinary tract infections. This year9s exercises (September 1994 to August 1995) will be on otitis media and hyperbilirubinemia and will be based on the parameters.


ABSTRACT Members of the genus Thermococcus, sulfur-reducing hyperthermophilic archaea, are ubiquitously present in various deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems and are considered to play a significant role in the microbial consortia. We present the complete genome sequence and feature analysis of Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent area, which reveal clues to its physiology. Based on results of genomic analysis, T. onnurineus NA1 possesses the metabolic pathways for organotrophic growth on peptides, amino acids, or sugars. More interesting was the discovery that the genome encoded unique proteins that are involved in carboxydotrophy to generate energy by oxidation of CO to CO2, thereby providing a mechanistic basis for growth with CO as a substrate. This lithotrophic feature in combination with carbon fixation via RuBisCO (ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) introduces a new strategy with a complementing energy supply for T. onnurineus NA1 potentially allowing it to cope with nutrient stress in the surrounding of hydrothermal vents, providing the first genomic evidence for the carboxydotrophy in Thermococcus.


Almost a third of Lithuania's doctors have said they would like to go abroad when the country joins the European Union in May. Health minister Juozas Olekas tells Katka Krosnar how he hopes to keep them at home

Despite his cheerful manner Lithuania's health minister Juozas Olekas faces a serious problem—how to keep doctors in the country.

According to the ministry's own research, 61% of doctors in training and 27% of practising doctors said they wanted to work abroad once the Baltic country joins the European Union this May, along with nine other states. Of those, 15% of doctors in training and 5% of practising doctors firmly intend not to return.

For the new member states, such as Lithuania, being part of the European Union means the axing of borders and therefore free movement of people within the bloc, as well as automatic and unconditional recognition across the union for qualifications and training obtained in their own country. In short, that makes migration easier and, with average wages significantly lower in most of the 10 new member states than in the 15 existing ones, much more likely.

Lithuania may not be the only nation facing a major migration of its doctors, but it is a small country with just 3.5 million inhabitants. It is treating the problem extremely seriously and seeking ways to limit the effects. With average wages just 1400 litas (£277; $503; …


The flow of heat in the scrape-off layer (SOL) region of ASDEX Upgrade is investigated and compared with simple modelling. Parallel heat transport is found to be consistent with electron heat conduction based on Spitzer - Härm conductivity. Cross-field heat transport is characterized using radial e-folding distances for power, temperature and plasma pressure, which are all found to vary weakly over a wide range of discharge conditions. Type I ELMs, also characterized, introduce a discreteness to the power flow into the SOL and carry approximately half of the power exhaust from the discharge. The divertor plates are effectively screened from the ELM energy, even in low-radiation discharges, suggesting enhanced radiation rates during ELMs.


Aluminosilicate sodalite Na_8[SiAlO_4]_6Cl_2 single crystals are synthesized by hydrothermal processing at 873–973 K and 100–150 MPa in noble metal capsules to avoid contamination. The starting material is aluminosilicate gel, and spontaneous nucleation followed by its growth takes place. The largest size of the single crystals obtained is 1 mm across. Longer aging and heating result in larger single crystals. It is also found that the aluminum source in the synthesis gel and the element used in the noble metal capsules influence the single crystal growth. Judging from x-ray diffraction (XRD) (powder and single-crystal), optical microscopy, and thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), the sodalite single crystals grown have good quality compared with the conventional powder.


Median dorsal nerves have been recorded in many Diptera Cyclorrhapha, but their histology has never been considered. It is shown here that they are very different histologically from the lateral segmental nerves. They are invested in a limiting membrane, have no nuclei other than a single large nucleus for each nerve, and the cytoplasm is homogeneous in appearance. These so-called 'nerves' are here considered to be giant cells. At the onset of puparium formation, granules appear in the cytoplasm, and this is followed by the establishment of interconnecting channels, disposed peripherally; changes are at the same time observable in the nuclei. The nerves are unbranched until the respective segment is reached; the distal ends of the nerves then give off fine nerve-terminals. The channels within the nerves are seen to converge and pass out into the terminals. These observations suggest that the 'dorsal nerves' are giant cells, their nuclei lying not within, but outside the central nervous system, showing considerable similarity to the secretory neurones and secretory nerves associated with the pericardial organs of Crustacea. The nerve-terminals pass to the segmental muscles and possibly play some part in tissue histolysis in the early pupa.


In order to simplify the electronic chain with respect to the traditional one, we decided to apply Digital Pulse Shape Acquisition (DPSA) to collect signals from the ΔE and E stages of a monolithic silicon detector telescope, directly from the preamplifier. The collected pulse shapes are digitally processed in order to obtain the physical observables. To verify the device capability of position measurement we have bombarded the 16 strips in different points along the vertical position as well as in some points from the centre of the strip. The position information has been deduced from the signal induced on different strips by the charge collected in the E stage of the telescope. In order to explain the behavior of the induction signals, a basic model of charge generation in the monolithic telescope and of the induction for different irradiation is presented.