The uses of herbal medicines are well recognized since the advent of mankind having very little side effects. Their use is a cheaper and quite affordable source of antimicrobial particularly in the rural areas. Some of the microbial strains are drug resistant and are always been a threat to human life. The herbal therapy is the best choice of remedy against the drug-resistant strains, which had opened the new roads for conventional use due to several antimicrobial phytochemicals and essential oils. Momordica charantia Linnaeus (L). and Citrus limon L. contain phytochemicals, which affect the bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites The aim of this study is to examine the effects of Momordica charantia and Citrus limon peel extracts on gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria. Preparation of extracts in ethanol, methanol, and ether were prepared and activation of test cultures, antimicrobial assay by disc diffusion, well diffusion and spectrophotometry at 600 nm. The greater zones of inhibition were determined by ethanolic extract of Momordica charantia on the growth of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa whereas Citrus limon methanolic peel extract revealed the greater effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Escherichia coli at 15 and 20 μl concentrations respectively. The observations concluded that both the plant extracts have effects on bacteria that indicate that the preparations of these extracts up to pharmaceutical standard may be effectively used as antibacterial therapy against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.


As cryptocurrencies gain popularity, the issue of how to regulate them becomes more pressing. The attractiveness of cryptocurrencies is due in part to their decentralized, peer-to-peer structure. This makes them an alternative to national currencies which are controlled by central banks. Given that these cryptocurrencies are already replacing some of the "regular" national currencies and financial products, the question then arises: should they be regulated? And if so, how? This paper draws the legal distinction between cryptocurrencies which are in fact currency and those which are securities disguised as currency. It further suggests that in cases where a token is indeed a security, regular securities regulation should apply. In all other cases anti-fraud measures should be in place in order to protect investors. Further regulation should only be put in place if the cryptocurrency starts increasing systemic risk in the general financial system.


SUMMARY
This study sought to determine the main genomic regions that control zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulation in Arabidopsis halleri and to examine genotype x environment effects on phenotypic variance. To do so, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were mapped using an interspecific A. halleri x Arabidopsis lyrata petraea F(2) population. *The F(2) progeny as well as representatives of the parental populations were cultivated on soils at two different Zn concentrations. A linkage map was constructed using 70 markers. *In both low and high pollution treatments, zinc hyperaccumulation showed high broad-sense heritability (81.9 and 74.7%, respectively). Five significant QTLs were detected: two QTLs specific to the low pollution treatment (chromosomes 1 and 4), and three QTLs identified at both treatments (chromosomes 3, 6 and 7). These QTLs explained 50.1 and 36.5% of the phenotypic variance in low and high pollution treatments, respectively. Two QTLs identified at both treatments (chromosomes 3 and 6) showed significant QTL x environment interactions. *The QTL on chromosome 3 largely colocalized with a major QTL previously identified for Zn and cadmium (Cd) tolerance. This suggests that Zn tolerance and hyperaccumulation share, at least partially, a common genetic basis and may have simultaneously evolved on heavy metal-contaminated soils.


Short breaks help maintain caring relationships, enabling people to remain living in their own homes and contributing significant economic benefit to public services. However, relatively little is known about the added social value generated by community-based short breaks. To address this evidence gap, we explored the feasibility of using a social return on investment (SROI) evaluation to explore a day support service in North Wales for people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. Following good practice for evaluating complex interventions, we developed a logic model based on the literature and interviews to understand the mechanisms and outcomes of the day support service. Using questionnaires, we quantified outcomes for the current service cohort, which included people living with dementia, unpaid carers, and paid companions. Seven people living with dementia, three unpaid carers, and four companions completed questionnaires. By following the SROI analysis approach, three key learning points were identified. The first was around ways to capture outcomes from all stakeholder subgroups expected to experience material change. The second concerned the importance of collecting longitudinal data. This included the need to consider how to adapt the SROI method to work with small populations. The third concerned how to value "maintenance" of wellbeing as well as improved wellbeing.


The effects of experimentally manipulated barnacle cover on the population size, mortality and growth of Patela vulgata L. were investigated on a vertical, barnaclecovered pier at Port Erin in the Isle of Man. One area was left untouched as a control, half of the barnacles on a second were scraped off in a chequered pattern, and on the third the barnacle cover was reduced to less than 2 °0. Subsequent growth rates were inversely proportional to barnacle cover. Mortality was highest on the control. Recruitment of limpets was markedly enhanced by the mosaic of 50 % barnacle cover. Behaviour on this vertical face differed from that on nearby more gently sloping shores, with foraging during emersion being more prevalent: however, barnacle removal reduced this foraging when the tide was out. The foraging of Patella vulgata whilst emersed was similarly shown to be more prevalent on vertical than horizontal surfaces at other localities in Britain. Emersed foraging on the pier was dependent on high humidity. It is suggested that on vertical surfaces, particularly if barnacle-covered, P. vulgata are more dependent on foraging whilst emersed because of the greater risk of dislodgement by waves when feeding whilst the tide is in.


Previous research on the acquisition of negation in longitudinal data of adult-child interaction showed that the first negative constructions take over from early motions of rejection and avoidance (Pea, 1980). Thus, before using gestures or words children negate with actions. Yet, tracing the transitions from action to gesture and from gesture to verbal production is a complex task. To map these transitions among the semantic and pragmatic functions of negation and across modalities, we analyse all the actions, gestures, vocalisations and verbal productions of two French-speaking and two English-speaking monolingual children filmed one hour a month between the ages of 10 months and four years, along with those of their adult interlocutors. We developed a specific multimodal coding system relying on previous typologies of negation (e.g. Antinucci & Volterra, 1979; Pea 1980; Choi, 1988). We combined the use of Excel, CLAN and ELAN with video data aligned with transcriptions to analyse the functions of different forms of negation according to discourse context. Results show that the four children use multiple modalities throughout the data for main functions of negation, but with great individual differences. Some of them go from actions to symbolic gestures first produced alone and then combined with words before using complex verbal productions. The other children very quickly use verbal productions and do not rely on symbolic gestures at first. During their fourth year, the children gradually master multimodal means of expressing the subtleties of negation and the visual-gestural modality receives new emphasis in all the children's data with the use of co-verbal gestures. This study illustrates that in order to understand how children acquire negation we need to analyse the interfaces between different linguistic levels and different modalities. References Antinucci, F. & Volterra, V., 1979, "Negation in child language: A pragmatic study", in. E. Ochs & B. Schieffelin (eds.), Developmental pragmatics. New York: Academic Press. Choi, S., 1988, "The semantic development of negation: A cross-linguistic study", in Journal of Child Language 15, pp. 517-532. Pea, R. D., 1980, "The development of negation in early child language", In D. R. Olson (ed.), The social foundations of language and thought, New York: Norton. Spitz, R. A., 1957, No and Yes: On the Genesis of Human Communication. New York: International Universities Press, Inc. New York.


Recent theories suggest planetesimal formation via streaming and/or gravitational instabilities may be triggered by localized enhancements in the dust-to-gas ratio, and one hypothesis is that sufficient enhancements may be produced in the pile-up of small solid particles inspiralling under aerodynamic drag from the large mass reservoir in the outer disc. Studies of particle pile-up in static gas discs have provided partial support for this hypothesis. Here, we study the radial and temporal evolution of the dust-to-gas ratio in turbulent discs that evolve under the action of viscosity and photoevaporation. We find that particle pile-ups do not generically occur within evolving discs, particularly if the introduction of large grains is restricted to the inner, dense regions of a disc. Instead, radial drift results in depletion of solids from the outer disc, while the inner disc maintains a dust-to-gas ratio that is within a factor of ∼2 of the initial value. We attribute this result to the short time-scales for turbulent diffusion and radial advection (with the mean gas flow) in the inner disc. We show that the qualitative evolution of the dust-to-gas ratio depends only weakly upon the parameters of the disc model (the disc mass, size, viscosity and value of the Schmidt number), and discuss the implications for planetesimal formation via collective instabilities. Our results suggest that in discs where there is a significant level of midplane turbulence and accretion, planetesimal formation would need to be possible in the absence of large-scale enhancements. Instead, trapping and concentration of particles within local turbulent structures may be required as a first stage of planetesimal formation.


Abstract Context: Osteopathic medical students have a choice to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) in addition to the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA). However, taking the USMLE requires additional commitments of time, effort, and expense, often for uncertain return. No data are available about the attitudes of graduating osteopathic medical students toward their options regarding the USMLE and how they decide whether to take this examination. Objective: To uncover attitudes among graduating osteopathic medical students on taking the USMLE. Method: Using an Internet-based questionnaire, the authors surveyed graduating osteopathic medical students about their experiences with deciding whether to take the USMLE and whether they would advise other students to take the examination. Results: Nineteen osteopathic medical colleges agreed to participate in the survey. Of the 2744 graduating students at those schools, 978 (35.7%) completed the survey. Students in higher quintiles (ie, top 40%) of class rank were more likely to take the USMLE than those in lower quintiles (ie, bottom 40%) (P<.001). The most common reason cited by students for taking the USMLE was to "keep [their] options open" for residencies (233 of 507 respondents [46%]). Of the 474 students who did not take the USMLE, 171 respondents (36.1%) reported experiencing discrimination for not taking the examination. Four hundred seventy of 981 respondents (47.9%) reported finding residency programs that specifically require the USMLE, and 689 of 981 respondents (70.2%) recommended that future students take at least 1 step of the USMLE. Conclusion: The majority of graduating osteopathic medical students polled in the present study believed that osteopathic medical students should take the USMLE.


The present study demonstrates that treating O-glycosylated peptides with methylamine vapor followed by partial acid hydrolysis is an effective means for locating O-glycosylation site(s). The reaction with methylamine transforms the glycosylated Ser and Thr residues into stable methylamine derivatives with a mass increment of +13 Da relative to nonglycosylated Ser and Thr residues. Peptide sequencing based on partial acid hydrolysis followed by mass spectrometric analysis or in favorable cases by CID-MS/MS enables the determination of the formerly O-glycosylated sites.


We consider the problem of universal simulation of an unknown random process, or information source, of a certain parametric family, given a training sequence from that source and given a limited budget of purely random bits. The goal is to generate another random sequence (of the same length or shorter), whose probability law is identical to that of the given training sequence, but with minimum statistical dependency (minimum mutual information) between the input training sequence and the output sequence. We derive lower bounds on the mutual information that are shown to he achievable by conceptually simple algorithms proposed here. We show that the behavior of the minimum achievable mutual information depends critically on the relative amount of random bits and on the lengths of the input sequence and the output sequence. While in the ordinary (nonuniversal) simulation problem, the number of random bits per symbol must exceed the entropy rate H of the source in order to simulate it faithfully, in the universal simulation problem considered here, faithful preservation of the probability law is not a problem, yet the same minimum rate of H random bits per symbol is still needed to essentially eliminate the statistical dependency between the input sequence and the output sequence. The results are extended to more general information measures.


With an increasing number of renewable energy integrated into the power system, the impact of intermittent and random wind power and photovoltaic power on the power system is becoming larger and larger. To study the probabilistic correlation between wind power and photovoltaic power on different temporal and spatial scale, a joint probability model needs to be established. On the basis of the third-order Gaussian mixture model, a photovoltaic-wind joint power probability model is proposed in this study. By analysing the statistical probability characteristics of the measured power output data, this method avoids the error accumulation caused by the individual modelling of the wind and photovoltaic generators and considers the joint correlation between wind power and photovoltaic power. On the basis of this model, the corresponding time series of wind power and photovoltaic power is calculated. The results indicated that the coastal joint power probability model and the inland joint power probability model are quite different on the same time scale, the parameters of joint probability model on different time scales are close to each other. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the measured data.


The aim of study was to investigate the killing effect of double suicide gene system mediated by retroviral vector on K562 cells in vivo and ex vivo. CDglyTK gene was transfected into PA317 cells by using lipofectamine. K562 cells were infected with viral supernatant. K562/CDglyTK cells were treated with 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) and/or ganciclovir (GCV). Mice were randomly divided into three groups: tumor formation, tumor inhibition and tumor therapy. Each mouse was implanted with K562/CDglyTK cells or K562 cells. The results indicated that the killing effect of 5-FC in combination with GCV on K562/CDglyTK was more significant than using 5-FC or GCV alone. In vivo study showed that after being injected subcutaneously with K562 cells and K562/CDglyTK cells, there was not obvious difference in tumor formation rate of mice, 5-FC + GCV could suppress tumor formation of the K562/CDglyTK cells. After being treated with 5-FC and GCV, the median tumor volume of mice implanted with K562/CDglyTK cells decreased obviously, compared with the control group. Their median survival was significantly prolonged. It is concluded that double suicide genes are more effective for killing effect on K562 cells in vivo and in ex vivo. It may be applicable to clinical gene therapy.


Langacker's model of Cognitive Reference Point (CRP) and Wang Yin's model of Remedied Cognitive Reference Point (RCRP) could be integrated to form a cognitive trinity to construe and generate the text coherence. This trinity framework is composed of cognitive reference point, target concept point and the processing mental path (CTM) within certain semantic domain. This research tested the efficacy of CTM and found it promotes the dynamic construal and generation of local and global coherence in Abstracts of scientific papers. Activating the related information schema and integrating the mental representation with the semantic information embedded in the Abstract sentences, the three-dimensional CTM establishes a cognitive referential framework for Abstract viewers. This CTM framework assists Abstract viewers in efficiently construing and constructing the local and global coherence of Abstracts.


ABSTRACT As the ecotourism industry has grown, a diversity of courses have been developed to provide training to meet the needs of the industry. However, the influx of a growing number of graduates into the industry raises questions related to the courses, the industry, and the links between them. To consider these issues, a workshop was held during the annual conference of the Ecotourism Association of Australia in 1999. This paper introduces some of the issues under discussion, describes some of the key themes arising from the workshop, and identifies further questions, and possible directions which could be followed to deal with some of these issues.


This project describes the use of Laser based tomography in the measurement
of concentration profile of Multiphase Flow. It use an optical tomography method
which a laser as emitter and photodiode as receiver (sensor). The array of sensor will
be installed at the jig/fixture which the laser will emit the light to the photodiode.
The data of the sensor will be converted to the suitable digital form for computer
processing. The computer is used to reconstruct a tomography image of the crosssection
by the sensor. This system used an orthogonal projection which both the
number of emitter (laser) and receiver (photodiode) are the same and each pair of
transmitter and receiver is arranged in a straight line and the received signal only
correspond to its emitter source. Beside that, this project also uses the Visual Basic
(VB) software to reconstruct the image.


Abstract : If current trends in communications technologies and services persist, the United States will be hard pressed to keep a strategic advantage in network capability. The international telecommunications system is rebalancing into four major centers of influence and innovation. Within ten years, Europe, India, and China will have the same technological and innovative capabilities in telecommunications as the United States. This shift is problematic for U.S. national security, because the global telecommunications infrastructure is becoming an important strategic battlespace the physical battlefield of information warfare. Understanding the dynamic of regional balancing is critical to shaping U.S. responses Underscoring this dynamic is a shift from hierarchical science and technology development based on U.S. educational dominance to globally distributed centers of technological development facilitated by the international telecommunications network. This article assesses the changing geopolitical structure of the international telecommunications system and analyzes the problems and opportunities for the United States in a vastly different telecommunications environment. Much of the writing on U.S. network-centric warfare and information warfare capabilities reflects unbounded enthusiasm, with little emphasis on vulnerabilities and the capabilities of potential adversaries. A thoughtful evaluation of new strategic constraints is imperative.


In the rat, alternatively spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) species encode GH receptor (GHR) and GH-binding protein (GHBP). Additionally, these mRNAs are alternatively spliced in the 5'-untranslated region, resulting in at least two classes of GHR and GHBP mRNA with distinct first exons and identical coding regions. These alternative first exons define two unique classes of GHR and GHBP mRNA (called GHR1 and GHR2). The GHR1 class of RNA is expressed only in the liver, is far more abundant in females than males, and is particularly abundant during pregnancy. GHR1 RNA is induced later in development than is GHR2. Additional classes of GHR and GHBP RNA may also exist. The genomic structure of the GHR1 first exon reveals a putative promotor region with no TATA box, CAAT box, or other sequence elements suggesting specific responses. An in vivo approach was used to investigate the regulation of GHR1 expression. In female rats, gonadectomy was found to reduce the percentage of steady state GHR1 RNA levels in the liver, whereas male castration resulted in an induction of GHR1 RNA. However, short-term treatment with estrogen or testosterone had little effect, suggesting that direct regulation of GHR1 expression may occur through effector(s) other than gonadal steroids. Hypophysectomy abolished GHR1 RNA in females. Treatment of hypophysectomized females and castrated males with GH by single injection did not significantly induce GHR1 RNA, but treatment by continuous infusion of GH did. Little change in non-GHR1 RNA levels was observed for each of these treatments. The results suggest that: 1) the sexual dimorphism observed in total GHR and GHBP RNA in rat liver is attributable to the sexually dimorphic expression of the GHR1 class of RNA; 2) the sexually dimorphic pattern of GH release in rats regulates the GHR1 class of RNA; 3) changes in GHR and GHBP expression observed on gonadectomy, hypophysectomy, GH treatment, and pregnancy are best attributed to GHR1 regulation; and 4) since GHR1 is liver specific, the observed increases in serum GHBP concentration in response to sex steroids, GH pattern, and pregnancy are likely to originate from the liver.


The nutritive value of sown binary- and multi-species grassland mixtures may differ from the values expected based on single-species swards of their constituent species. Field plots were established in a split-plot design to assess the nutritive value of binary- and multi-species mixtures compared to single-species swards of three grass species and red clover (RC) (Trifolium pratense L.) managed for intensive silage production. The nutritive value of grass–legume binary mixtures reflected the values of the constituent species grown on their own, and thus may be predicted from monoculture values. The relatively low digestibility (dry matter digestibility [DMD]) and crude protein (CP) content of the Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) sward compared to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) suggests that it may have a limited role in binary- or multi-species swards. Herbage nutritive value in the multi-species swards (Mix 1: perennial ryegrass, timothy, RC and white clover [Trifolium repens L.]; Mix 2: perennial ryegrass, timothy, RC, ribwort plantain [Plantago lanceolata L.] and chicory [Cichorium intybus L.]) appeared to be influenced more by the presence of legumes than herbs. Compared to perennial ryegrass, the multi-species swards had a slower rate of DMD decline prior to Cut 1, but subsequently had lower DMD values at the mid-season harvests. Both multi-species mixtures exhibited DMD, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and CP values that would not have been predicted from their constituent species and thus need to be measured on herbage from field plots growing these mixtures.


BACKGROUND
Antisperm antibodies (ASA) may be an important cause of infertility, but current tests for the detection of ASA have poor prognostic value. Identification of the sperm proteins that ASA bind to may aid the development of more useful diagnostic tests.

METHODS
One- and two-dimensional PAGE and western blotting analyses, as well as amino acid sequencing, were used to identify a novel sperm protein reactive with ASA (SPRASA) from infertile men. An antiserum reactive with SPRASA was produced by immunizing a rabbit with SPRASA excised from two-dimensional gels. This antiserum was used to demonstrate the localization of SPRASA on the sperm.

RESULTS
Amino acid sequences derived from SPRASA matched those of a theoretical protein, XP-085564. This protein is derived from the C-type lysozyme/alpha-lactalbumin gene family. Immunohisto chemistry indicates that SPRASA is localized to the acrosome. Western blot analysis revealed that 50 unselected individuals did not have antibodies that reacted with SPRASA.

CONCLUSION
Only ASA from infertile men react with SPRASA, suggesting that this novel protein may be important in the processes of fertility. The identification of SPRASA as the antigen for infertility-associated ASA raises the possibility of developing first, antigen-specific tests for ASA, and secondly, more targeted treatment for immune-mediated infertility.


: Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin A, which is the basis for the treatment of complete and sustained remission in steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome in children. Project: A hospital based descriptive study (case series). Place and duration: In the department of pediatric Nephrology, Children Hospital Lahore for one-year duration from January 2019 to January 2020. Patients and methods: Twenty-nine patients with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in 13 cases, minimal change in disease in 8 cases, mesangoproliferative glomerulonephritis in 4 cases, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in 3 and crescentic glomerulonephritis in 1) with normal renal function and glomerular filtration rate, were treated with Cyclosporine-A and Enalapril for 12 months along with low dose alternate day Prednisolone tapered over six to nine months. Results: The average age of 29 patients (20 boys and 9 girls) was 8.3 (range: 2.7-14). The mean age at the beginning of the nephrotic syndrome and the beginning of the cyclosporin-A study was 4.3 years (range 1.7-12) and 8 years (range: 2.5-14), respectively. Seven (24.1%) cases had "early steroid resistance" and 22 (75.8%) had "late steroid resistance". At the end of the 12-month treatment, 17 (58.6%) patients were mostly in full and continuous remission with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (9 of 13 cases) and minimal lesion disease (6 of 8 cases). Eight (27.5%) patients continued to have proteinuria in the nephrotic range. This group initially included only 6 cases in which partial remission was achieved, and then 2 cases that stopped responding to cyclosporin-A after a period of full remission. Four (13.7%) cases did not undergo remission from the very beginning. The median time to achieving "full remission" and "partial remission" after the start of the cyclosporin-A study was 2.2 months (range 1 to 3.5) and 3 months (range 2-5), respectively. The correlation of early remission with longer and total remission time was significant. Recurrence of pyuria was demonstrated in 4 (13.7%) and bacterial peritonitis in 2 cases. Hirsutism was reported in 22 (75.8%) patients. Three (10.3%) patients went on to end-stage renal disease. Conclusion: Cyclosporin-A is highly effective and safe to achieve full remission lasting at least 12 months in approximately 60% of cases of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children, especially when it leads to early remission.


The natural corollary of the narrow relationship between bryophytes and their environment is that a great deal of variation in community composition and physiological behaviour is to be expected whenever changes in environmental conditions occur. In the current context, global change brought about by human activities has increasingly been an area of concern. Bryophytes, perhaps more than many other organisms, are highly sensitive. Their response to climate change is obvious from the reconstruction of paleovegetation based on the analysis of macrofossils (see Section 7.1), so that a great deal of changes in species distribution and community composition is to be expected in the current context of global warming (Box 7.1). The response of bryophytes to an increasingly polluted world is no less dramatic. This is because bryophytes, being poikilohydric, mostly lack a protective, highly hydrophobic cuticle and are, therefore, directly exposed to pollutants. As a result, pollutants may bind on cell walls, eventually pass through the cell membrane and affect metabolism. In this chapter, we review how pollution affects bryophyte ecophysiology and community composition. We focus on airborne pollution, which arguably constitutes the main threat to ecosystems (Lee 1998). We then assess how understanding the response of bryophytes to these changes can be used as one indicator to monitor the quality of the environment. Finally, we examine the mechanisms by which bryophytes are able to adapt and survive in a changing environment.


In a recent article on the incidence of salivary gland tumors among A-bomb survivors, Land et al. reported significant increases in risk with increasing A-bomb dose avd found that most of the dose response was produced by malignant mucoepidermoid tumors and benign Warthin's tumors (1). With respect to these two histologies, we reanalyzed case-control data from a Los Angeles County study of tumors of the parotid gland (about 80% of salivary gland tumors arise in the parotid glands) diagnosed between 1976 and 1984 (2), the largest study of salivary gland tumors to date, designed to assess the risk of medical and dental radiography. Radiation treatment to the head or neck at least 5 years prior to diagnosis was used as a simple dichotomous exposure with which to test the histologyspecific hypothesis. Risk was highest but was not limited to malignant mucoepidermoid tumors (Table I); none of the benign tumors were Warthin's tumor. Thus our data provide limited support for the conclusions of the A-bomb survivor study of salivary gland tumors and radiation risk. TABLE I


Nanocrystalline cadmium sulfoselenide thin films have been synthesized using a self-organized arrested precipitation technique with different deposition times using triethanolamine as a complexing agent. Optical, structural, morphological and photoelectrochemical solar cell properties were investigated as a function of deposition time. A UV-Vis-NIR absorption study suggested a direct allowed transition type and the band gap energy decreased from 2.01 to 1.86 eV with the increase in deposition time. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the thin films are nanocrystalline by nature with a pure hexagonal crystal structure and a calculated crystallite size of 51–68 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the surface morphology was altered from nanoflakes to assorted nanoflakes–nanospheres and finally to a nanocoral-like morphology. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the composition of the Cd(SSe) thin films was of good stoichiometry. Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power measurements confirmed that the deposited films were n-type semiconductors. From J–V measurements, a highest photo-conversion efficiency of 0.57% was achieved. The significant boost in the PEC performance might be due to the improved crystallinity along with lower values of the grain boundary resistance, dislocation density and the microstrain of the Cd(SSe) thin films.


In the last decades in a number of countries burned clays have been used as a pozzolanic additives to the concrete, which is connected with their universal distribution and cost savings due to reduction of long-distance transportation of the additives. The haydite dust is the co-product of the haydite gravel. At every enterprise of haydite gravel about 7-8 tons of haydite dust are daily formed. The haydite dust represents thermally activated clay. Its structure includes a certain amount of non-dehydrated clay and dehydrated clay minerals with crystal lattices of different levels of defects. Previously the authors described the compositions of cost-effective composite gypsum binding materials produced with complex mineral additive, including lime, a ground haudite dust and the superplasticizer possessing the durability at compression up to 27 MPa and coefficient of softening up to 0,78. In this paper the authors investigated the composition and structure of artificial stone on the basis of the developed composite gypsum binder. As a basic binder building plaster is used. In the research work the X-ray phase analysis, the differential thermal analysis, electron microscopy and the standard methods of research of concrete porosity were used. The introduction in composition of gypsum binder with a complex mineral additive allows to receive an artificial stone with more dense and finegrained structure, durability and water resistance in comparison with original binder without any additive. The content of ettringite in the course of hardening does not increase. The formation of low based low-main hydrosilicates of the calcium filling steam structure of a gypsum stone, forming additional contacts between the gypsum crystals, raising stone water resistance is established.


Scaling text-to-speech to a large and wild dataset has been proven to be highly effective in achieving timbre and speech style generalization, particularly in zero-shot TTS. However, previous works usually encode speech into latent using audio codec and use autoregressive language models or diffusion models to generate it, which ignores the intrinsic nature of speech and may lead to inferior or uncontrollable results. We argue that speech can be decomposed into several attributes (e.g., content, timbre, prosody, and phase) and each of them should be modeled using a module with appropriate inductive biases. From this perspective, we carefully design a novel and large zero-shot TTS system called Mega-TTS, which is trained with large-scale wild data and models different attributes in different ways: 1) Instead of using latent encoded by audio codec as the intermediate feature, we still choose spectrogram as it separates the phase and other attributes very well. Phase can be appropriately constructed by the GAN-based vocoder and does not need to be modeled by the language model. 2) We model the timbre using global vectors since timbre is a global attribute that changes slowly over time. 3) We further use a VQGAN-based acoustic model to generate the spectrogram and a latent code language model to fit the distribution of prosody, since prosody changes quickly over time in a sentence, and language models can capture both local and long-range dependencies. We scale Mega-TTS to multi-domain datasets with 20K hours of speech and evaluate its performance on unseen speakers. Experimental results demonstrate that Mega-TTS surpasses state-of-the-art TTS systems on zero-shot TTS, speech editing, and cross-lingual TTS tasks, with superior naturalness, robustness, and speaker similarity due to the proper inductive bias of each module. Audio samples are available at https://mega-tts.github.io/demo-page.


This essay won the 2005 Literature Compass Graduate Essay Prize, American Section.

This essay on Herman Melville's Benito Cereno (1856) examines the author's views on savagery not merely as ethnic composition but as a progression through the performative to become a product of language itself. Thus, locating the savage becomes less a task of highlighting cultural otherness than examining how one writes and speaks about the primitive. In Benito Cereno, Melville liberates the discourse of civilized versus savage from what today would be considered a strictly post-Colonial model – one which seems to fit Melville's own encounters with the cultural outsider as documented in his early works Typee (1846), Omoo (1847), and Mardi (1849) – and places it in a linguistic sphere. Melville therefore introduces us to a savagery writ so large that only a system of signs becomes large enough to contain it. The critical figure in Benito Cereno is Babo, the mastermind behind a play of such monstrous proportions that even the reader becomes a savage actor in his infernal drama.


The interest for pure sulfide Cu(In,Ga)S2 chalcopyrite thin films is increasing again because their optical properties make them relevant candidates to be applied as top cell absorbers in tandem structures. Nonetheless, their use as so is still hindered by the level of single-junction cells performance achieved so far, which are far below those demonstrated by selenide absorbers. Amongst the reasons at the origin of the limited efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)S2-based solar devices, one can mention the poor tolerance of S-chalcopyrite to Cu deficiency. In fact, Cu-poor Cu(In,Ga)S2 films contain CuIn5S8 thiospinel secondary phase which is harmful for device performance. In the present work, we investigate Cu(In,Ga)S2 thin films grown by a modified three-stage process making use of graded indium and gallium fluxes during the first stage. The resulting absorbers are single phase and made of large grains extended throughout the entire film thickness. We propose that such a morphology is a proof of the recrystallization of the entire film during the synthesis. Devices prepared from those films and buffered with bath deposited CdS demonstrate outstanding efficiency of 16.0%. Replacing CdS by Zn(O,S) buffer layer leads to increased open circuit voltage and short circuit current; however, performance become limited by lowered fill factor.


In cities worldwide, the housing question has returned. As demands and proposals by housing movements have grown bolder, city governments are implementing new policies, ranging from small tweaks to major overhauls. This paper takes a close look at New York City, Berlin and Vienna, assessing their current housing policy landscapes. We evaluate to what extent those cities' recent housing reforms depart from the dominant, neoliberal policy landscape of recent decades and can be categorized as 'post-neoliberal'. We do so through the criteria of affordability, decommodification and democratization. The three selected cities display varying histories of housing systems and neoliberalization, enabling us to search for post-neoliberal policies in three distinct institutional contexts. We find a common pattern across cases: recent reforms have improved affordability and dampened hyper-commodification, but little has been done to address the democratization of housing and planning systems. By way of conclusion, we discuss some of the structural factors that impede attempts at developing a genuinely post-neoliberal transformation of local housing policies.


Since viruses generally do not reproduce in the absence of living cells, the virus particle must be partially dependent upon the metabolic activities of the host cell for its survival. Evidence of this dependence may be found in reports that undernourished animals, or animals deficient in certain accessory food factors, are more resistant to virus infection than are well-nourished animals (1–17). Many dietary constituents required for normal growth have been studied in relation to viral invasion (3–6, 8–15). From these studies it may be concluded that modification of normal biochemical function in the hosts cells may result in an altered rate of virus growth in that host's tissues.
 To test the effect of host growth upon virus growth, two experiments were done to observe: a) the effect of variations in protein intake with its alterations of host growth on virus susceptibility, and b) naturally occuring growth differences and their relation to virus susceptibility.


When the work above was conducted, Green and his group were thinking of processes underlying development of voluntary control, not how to deal with health problems. Their program was initially named the Voluntary Controls Program reflecting their interest in the volitional aspects of human potential His concept of empowerment became more clinically relevant when the following events (described in the next few papers) unfolded, opening a doorway to empowerment in health care. Decades later, we have only begun to cross the open threshold of this doorway. We remain restrained-from realizing the foil potential of what has been opened for us-by societal forces that turn us toward interventions such as medications and surgery, rather than toward taking charge ofour own health. We will return to this theme later, but first let us see just how the focus became more clinical. Elmer and Alyce summarize some of the events that led to this conceptual change in the following sections from their book chapter in Biofeedback: Principles and Practice for Clinicians Oohn V. Basmajian, Ed., 1st Edition, The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, MD, 1979). [Eds.}


Synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymers are the subject of this thesis, the goal of which is to synthesize polymers with properties that will make them suitable as the active materials in applications such as light-emitting diodes and microcavity laser devices. The two classes of conjugated polymers studied are poly(p-phenylenevinylenes) (PPVs) and polyfluorenes (PFs).
By careful design of the chemical structure of a green emitting PPV, it is shown here that the resistance to photooxidation can be increased significantly. Further investigations of this PPV showed that the content of structural defects could be decreased by a lower polymerization temperature. As a consequence, the luminescence efficiencies in the solid state were increased dramatically. The highest photoluminescence yield for this polymer film was 62 %. The use of copolymers was shown to be another effective way to increase the photoluminescence yields. Using a copolymer with two polymers of different band-gaps resulted in materials with higher photoluminescence quantum yields than for any of the pure polymers.
Polyfluorenes with segments that have a narrower band-gap were synthesized and used successfully as the active material in a microcavity laser device. The synthetic procedure was designed to allow the incorporation of only one, if any, segment per polymer chain. Energy transfer from the fluorene part of the polymers to the segments did occur. As a consequence, the undesirable self-absorption was reduced and all of the emissions in the solid state were detected from the segments, with photoluminescence yields up to 68 %.


The developement of broadband xed networks which support diierent services has an impact on wireless networks. This is due to the growing number of users of PCS (Personal Communication System) which support multiservices with the ability of moving. So, eecient multicasting is a fundamental issue for the success of these applications. Furthermore, with the emergence of mobile networks, there is a strong trend towards the extension of the existing networks, such as ATM, to support those multimedia group applications in a mobile environment. On the other hand, Wireless Asynchronous Transfer Mode (WATM) 10] is emerging as a promising technology for multimedia applications in wireless networks. In our previous study 5] we proposed the BAAWAM algorithm (Bandwidth Allocation Algorithm in the Wireless ATM for a Multicast) which is a new bandwidth allocation policy in WATM networks to provide multicast transmissions. In this study, we modify this algorithm by integrating a ow control mechanism for the ABR, and we improve the Q.o.S by deening a new bandwidth reservation policy.


This volume arose from the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference of 1995 and, like any set of conference proceedings, it is somewhat eclectic. The introduction also proclaims an agenda, to consider 'cultural identity' in the new environment created by increased awareness of 'anthropology, social theory and history', but to do so in an inclusive way, drawing in archaeologists and ancient historians. The book is certainly inclusive with many varied contributions. To offer just a few: from Braund we have a consideration of the governor's entourage, from van Dommelen a case study of the survival of pre-Roman identity in a post-conquest context, and from Laurence an 'ancient historical' approach to the construction of identity in Italy. But this very inclusiveness, promoted as one of the volume's strengths, is also a weakness. No clear thread emerges, and although individual contributions culminate with interesting discussions, for example, that of Petts, who stresses the multiplicity of ways in which landscape may be perceived and experienced in the context of Roman Wessex, what is lacking is any attempt to crystallize important issues in the debate over cultural identity, or to drive the debate forward. There is no meta structure to make sense of either the range of contributions, or the notion of a mixed archaeological/ancient historical approach. In articulating new approaches to cultural identity, the volume has rather more success. The range of perspectives offered illustrates the true complexity of the problem. It is a question to be considered, not only from the perspective of Roman governors (Braund) or a province like Italy (Laurence), but, as Marshall does, when subject populations in the Empire regard themselves with reference to each other the construction and reproduction of identity is more complex than a mere Roman/native dichotomy. On the whole, then, this volume feels like a collection of papers organized around a loose theme, rather than the book about cultural identity which the title seems to promise. But the papers do offer a valuable range of approaches, and indicate some of the many recent developments that make the study of identity in the Roman Empire a current and important issue.


Wind power is one of the world's fastest growing renewable energy sources. Design and performance of wind turbines greatly depend on the atmospheric turbulence on the plant site. Furthermore, turbulent characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer are of utmost importance in modeling the large-scale meteorological processes, diffusion of atmospheric contaminants, heat transfer and evaporation off of the earth's surface. Meteorological data are available for some areas of the globe but are sparse in tropical regions. There had been some recent studies in tropical weather in southwestern Asia but no data is available for the Gulf region. The present study for the first time reports the micrometeorological data collected from an atmospheric measurement station in the coastal region of Doha, Qatar, to characterize the nature of atmosphere surface layer (ASL) and ocean wave in this region. In the present work, turbulence velocity spectra and stability in Qatar is presented and compared with the available data from other locations. Also, empirical relationship for the normalized dissipation function in this region is suggested. Finally, variation of different length scales with the stability parameter z/L is investigated and compare with the existing values in available literatures. This is the first ever study of ASL in this area, and is expected to be a foundation of further atmospheric research endeavors in Qatar.


Natural disasters can trigger chemical accidents (so-called Natech accidents) with severe consequences on man or the environment. This work highlights the main characteristics of earthquake-triggered Natechs by describing our insights from a field trip to chemical facilities in the area affected by the 12 May, 2008, Wenchuan earthquake in China. Our preliminary results indicate that damage was most severe in older facilities with masonry and un- or poorly reinforced concrete structures being the most vulnerable. Debris impact and the shaking loads caused damage to and loss of equipment and pipes where hazardous-materials releases occurred. Emergency response on-site was hampered by a loss of lifelines


The sponges are potential to associate with bacterial isolates producing antibacterial compounds. This study was conducted to isolate and test the antibacterial activity of bacterial isolates associated with Demospongiae (Spongia sp. and Hippospongia sp.) from Paciran Beach, Lamongan. Isolation of bacteria was done by using the pour plate method then purified by using the streak plate method. The antibacterial assay were conducted by using Escherichia coli FNCC 0091 and Staphylococcus aureus 0047 FNCC based on well diffusion assay. There were 38 isolates of bacteria associated with sponges and two of them revealed the antibacterial activity against E. coli FNCC 0091, while four other isolates showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus FNCC 0047. The isolates were B413, B48, B47, B410, B52, and B53. B48 has the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli FNCC 0091 and the inhibition zone diameter was 37 mm, while B52 has the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus FNCC 0047 and the inhibition zone diameter was 31 mm.


The quantum-mechanical problem of the stimulated transition of a system in the field of an intense electromagnetic wave from the continuous spectrum to a bound state having a finite lifetime is considered. The formulas derived are used to calculate the stimulated production of mesic atoms and the mesic molecule dd..mu... It is shown that the probability for the production of such systems may be considerably enhanced in the presence of an external electromagnetic field.


GENERAL WADE HAMPTON, THE CONFEDERATE CAVALRY HERO, RODE again on October 7, 1876. Flanked by the paramilitary arm of the South Carolina Democratic Party--which was made up of local groups known as "rifle clubs"--Hampton entered the midlands town of Sumter, South Carolina, an important stop in his gubernatorial campaign tour. In the center of town, a speakers' stand had been erected, and on it a black-robed figure, bound in chains, stood solemnly before a crowd of farmers and townspeople. As the hopeful candidate assumed his position on the platform, the shadowy figure flung off its chains and cast aside its robe of mourning, revealing a beautiful young woman, with skin and dress of white, wearing a tiara emblazoned with the words South Carolina. The journalist Alfred Brockenbrough Williams witnessed the crowd erupt at this performance, with many of the men openly weeping. Late into the night, Williams reported, frenzied horsemen rode through the town crying out "Hampton or Hell!" The candidacy of Wade Hampton in the 1876 governor's race seemed to these white South Carolinians to be the chance to restore South Carolina to "home rule." (1) The historiography of southern "Redemption" has tended to focus on the ways in which conservative whites used fraud and violence to overturn Reconstruction regimes. Whether the story is told as a heroic narrative of "redemption" or as a dream of democracy deferred, the emphasis has centered on votes--whether bought, coerced, or fraudulently counted. (2) No new evidence challenges the role of intimidation and violence in this and other Redemption contests. Former Confederate brigadier general and leading "straight-out" Democrat, Martin Witherspoon Gary, certainly believed that for the Hampton campaign to succeed without compromise or cooperation with Republicans, "every Democrat must feel honor bound to control the vote of at least one negro." (3) This article, however, also takes into account Gary's contention that the Hampton campaign must "get up all the enthusiasm we can among the masses." (4) South Carolina Conservatives, like Gary, recognized that these white masses were the key to Democrats' regaining power in postbellum society. They understood, moreover, that power functioned best in a context of cultural consensus. If Conservatives could control the tenets of that consensus in such a way that the white masses acquiesced to domination by the Democratic elite, then Conservative rule would certainly be assured. To this end, in the 1876 campaign Conservatives successfully created and celebrated a public spectacle that drew upon the racial and gendered obsessions of white Carolina culture. The ritual and rhetoric that accompanied the so-called Hampton Days of September and October 1876 depicted the conflict between Democrat Wade Hampton and Republican incumbent Daniel H. Chamberlain as a religious struggle between good and evil (between "Hampton" and "Hell") and preyed upon white anxieties about ideas of race and gender. As public representations of cultural ideology, the Hampton Days celebrations bring us into a tightly woven network of memory and myth. A close examination of this ideology's manifestation as public spectacle in the Hampton campaign promises two important results. First, it opens a window to the vexed question of southern conservatism. The attempt to define the conservative worldview of the South has generally focused on the lineaments of proslavery ideology or on the planter's relationship to bourgeois capitalism. Eugene D. Genovese's skillful explication sees southern conservatism as "a variant of transatlantic traditionalism" that "expresses a belief in a transcendent order" and "accepts social stratification as necessary and proper." (5) But this ideology, as the Hampton Days celebrations suggest, lived in public spectacle as well as in the writings and ruminations of the southern learned divines and public intellectuals who populate the pages of Genovese's work. …


The aim of this study was to observe the growth and proliferation of the Tca8113 cell line in nude mice after the wild-type p53 gene has been transfered by electroporation. The experiment consisted of four groups: the wild-type p53 gene, blank control plasmid, the mutant p53 gene, and blank control into which no gene was transfered. After the gene was transfected, the cells were planted into 16 nude mice respectively. When the tumor formed, the nude mice were killed and the tumors were studied by regular pathology, stereology and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that in the wild-type p53 gene group, the tumors weighed less heavy, the pathological mitosis decreased markedly, and stereologically, the ratio of the area of necrosis to the total tumorous area was smaller. Similarly, the count of the proliferation cell nuclear antigen in non-necrotic area went down. The above findings were statistically significant (P < 0.05). These indicate that when the tumor cells re-obtain the well functional exogenic wild-type p53 gene, the gene expresses and produces new negative cell-growth regulator to replace the abnormal regulation system partially, then the growth and proliferation of the tumors can be inhibited; therefore, it is suggested that the p53 tumor suppressor gene may possibly be used as a gene therapy agent to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma.


In certain cases, when an already born child is affected with a fatal disease and needs transplantation, the only possible solution could be the creation of saviour sibling. Saviour sibling is a term that refers to a child born through a procedure in which an embryo, created in vitro, is being tested in order to determine whether such an embryo could provide stem cells or tissue for an already born, ill child. If the embryo is both, a matching donor and free of the disease, it could be implanted and after the birth of a child, the umbilical cord stem cells or tissue could be used for treatment of a sick sibling. However, this procedure poses a number of dilemmas. This paper aims to give a brief analysis of these issues, to address some of the main concerns and to provide possible solutions for future regulation of this technique.


To improve the output and quality of agricultural products, pesticides are globally utilized as an efficient tool to protect crops from insects. However, given that most pesticides used are difficult to decompose, they inevitably remain in agricultural products and are further enriched into food chains and ecosystems, posing great threats to human health and the environment. Thus, developing efficient methods and tools to monitor pesticide residues and related biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase and butylcholinesterase) became quite significant. With the advantages of excellent stability, tailorable catalytic performance, low cost, and easy mass production, nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties (nanozymes) are extensively utilized in fields ranging from biomedicine to environmental remediation. Especially, with the catalytic nature to offer amplified signals for highly sensitive detection, nanozymes were finding potential applications in the sensing of various analytes, including pesticides and their biomarkers. To highlight the progress in this field, here the sensing principles of pesticides and cholinesterases based on nanozyme catalysis are definitively summarized, and emerging detection methods and technologies with the participation of nanozymes are critically discussed. Importantly, typical examples are introduced to reveal the promising use of nanozymes. Also, some challenges in the field and future trends are proposed, with the hope of inspiring more efforts to advance nanozyme-involved sensors for pesticides and cholinesterases.


If h > 1, r is undefined (infinite) out " a t the origin. If h = 1, y = x, and the osculating circle of this parabola at the origin has radius | . If 0 < ft < 1, r = 0 a t the origin, even though there is no corner there (the first derivative exists). This is perhaps not so surprising for values of h near zero (like h =1/19), giving a curve " close to " y — \x\; but i t is quite surprising for values of ft near one (like h —17/19), giving a curve " close to " a parabola. Evidently curvature is not a quality one appreciates intuitively.


A genetic map of Lolium has been produced using isozyme, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers applied to a segregating family derived from an F1 hybrid plant of L. perenne x L. multiflorum provenance, crossed on to a doubled haploid L. perenne. A total of 106 markers, out of a total of 160 polymorphic loci analysed, have been ascribed to seven linkage groups covering a map distance of 692 cM. Two of these groups may be allocated to chromosomes 2 and 6 of the Lolium genome. The remaining unallocated markers, the majority of which showed severe segregation distortion, could be associated into small groups of two or three markers which showed no linkage with the main groups at a LOD of 2.8 or, if associated, could not be mapped in a satisfactory manner. This high incidence of disturbed segregations could be accounted for by the use of an interspecific hybrid between two species of differing genome size, with consequent cytological imbalance.


Poor insight in schizophrenic patients is a common and multidimensional phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of the formation of insight in patients with schizophrenia in remission. A qualitative design was used to analyze first-person narratives of 50 people with schizophrenia in remission. Face to face, semistructured interviews were conducted by investigators, and the narratives were transcribed verbatim. The results of our study showed that there were four stages of illness understanding in patients with schizophrenia: 1) the feeling that symptoms were unbearable or a loss of control, 2) comparisons of experiences with references, 3) perception that medication was working through trial and error experiments, and 4) awareness of illness after medication relieved symptoms. Insight formation is an active process in which schizophrenic patients gain knowledge about their medication, connect the association between their medication and symptoms, and realize they need to deal with issues.


Housing issue in Brazil has become known for great advances in recent decades, both in the academic and public policies fields. However, despite the undeniable progress, doubts emerge about the effectiveness of the undertaken actions and the role of academic community in overcoming the chronic deficiencies of urban planning in Brazil, which contributes, in ultimate instance, to increase housing deficit. Despite expansions in the knowledge volume produced, there isn't sufficient data in scientific literature to support this panorama with consistency. Thus, we attempt to discuss Brazilian scientific production on housing from a bibliometric study, focusing in the last decade. The results show a detachment of values and ideals adopted in the practice of public management and in academic discourse that, ultimately, leads to questioning the real contribution of academic community in the arduous task of reducing social segregation existing in Brazil.


In the wild, male House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) vary in plumage color from pale yellow to bright red. I investigated the proximate basis of this variation in plumage brightness, as well as the basis for variation in the extent of ventral carotenoid pigmentation. Regardless of their age or coloration in the wild, captive males converged on a similar appearance after completing prebasic molt on a standardized diet, with significantly less variance in coloration than is found among wild males. Captive males that were fed a diet deficient in carotenoid pigments grew pale yellow feathers; males fed a diet supplemented with -carotene grew pale orange feathers; and males fed a diet supplemented with can- thaxanthin grew bright red feathers. Stored carotenoids did not appear to be an important source of feather pigments. Red males captured from the wild just prior to fall molt and fed a carotenoid-deficient diet did not grow more colorful feathers than males that had been held in captivity on a carotenoid-deficient diet for six to nine months prior to fall molt. In a wild House Finch population in southeastern Michigan, the mean plumage coloration of yearling males was significantly drabber than the mean coloration of older males, although both groups displayed approximately the same range of coloration. Wild males tended to become brighter between their first and second springs, but thereafter, males tended to display a similar plumage coloration between years. The extent of ventral carotenoid pigmentation (color-patch size) also was partly dependent on carotenoid intake. Captive males whose diet was supplemented with canthaxanthin produced significantly larger patches after captive molt than before captive molt, and canthaxanthin-supplemented males also expressed sig- nificantly larger patches than males in the carotenoid-deficient or -carotene-supplemented groups. Among wild males, there was a significant positive correlation between patch size and plumage brightness. Received 17 September 1990, accepted 24 July 1991.


The stealthy shrew Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attacks, also known as Reduction of Quality (RoQ) attacks, could be even more detrimental than the more widely known flooding DDoS assaults. The reason is that such shrew attacks damage the victim servers for a long time without being noticed, thereby denying new visitors to the victim servers, which are mostly e-commerce sites. Thus, in order to minimize the monetary losses, there is a pressing need to effectively detect such attacks in real-time. Unfortunately, effective detection of shrew attacks remains an open problem. In this paper, we meet this challenge by proposing a new signal-processing approach to identifying and detecting the attacks by examining the frequency domain characteristics of incoming traffic flows to a server. Our proposed technique is effective in that its detection time is less than a few seconds. Furthermore, the technique entails simple implementation, making it deployable in real-life network environments.


Sickle cell anemia is an abnormality that causes a deformation in the shape of the red blood cell that hinders the circulation of the red blood cell through the blood vessel. The deformation is caused by the association of monomers to each other to form polymers (polymerization). The oxygenation of the sickle cell may lead to the melting of polymers (depolymerization). Many studies have been conducted to understand the dynamics of depolymerization. This study focuses on the impact of various parameters over the output values in the system of de-polymerization. Both mathematical and statistical approaches for the sensitivity analysis of the parameters are developed and conducted on the carbon monoxide (CO) mediated sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS) de-polymerization. The sensitivity analysis measures how sensitive the model output is with respect to the changes of the model input parameters and which input parameters are key factors that affect the model output. There are many approaches in the parameter sensitivity analysis. This study focuses on two: the traditional sensitivity analysis (TSA) that utilizes the traditional sensitivity functions (TSFs) and the multi-parameter sensitivity analysis (MPSA). The TSA is a local sensitivity analysis that computes the first-order partial derivatives of the system output with respect to the input parameters, i.e. the TSFs. The TSFs are obtained numerically by the RungeKutta method on the sensitivity equations. The MPSA is a global sensitivity analysis that enumerates the overall effect of the model input parameters on the output by perturbing the model input parameters within large ranges. The MPSA is implemented by employing a Monte Carlo method over a broad range of parameters values and comparing the cumulative distribution functions of the acceptance and unacceptance groups of the parameters.


Despite the expenditure of huge amounts of money and human effort, the Green Revolution has largely failed to benefit the vast majority of the rural poor in Africa: those smallholding farmers who sell little, if any, of what they grow and rely almost entirely upon natural soil fertility, rainfall and traditional broodstock and seed varieties. New approaches on food production and income generation in the rural areas must be found if this sector of agricultural community is to be assisted. Integrated resources management (IRM) in general, and integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) in particular, may offer some solutions in cases where the classical methods of improving farm output have failed and/or been unsustainable.


The nitric oxide synthases (NOS), although unrelated to the cytochromes P450 in terms of sequence, exhibit spectroscopic and catalytic properties strongly reminiscent of those of the P450 system. One important difference is the requirement of the NOS enzymes for tetrahydrobiopterin. The biopterin cofactor is shown by chemical studies to bind close to pyrrole ring D of the prosthetic heme group, a position confirmed recently for inducible NOS and endothelial NOS by crystal structures. The only plausible role so far for the tetrahydrobiopterin is as a transient electron donor for the activation of molecular oxygen. NADPH-derived electrons are provided to the heme by the NOS flavin domain, but the biopterin may be required to provide an electron at a faster rate than that supported by the flavin groups. Chimeras in which the reductase domains of the isoforms have been exchanged indicate that the overall rate of catalytic turnover is directly governed by the ability of the flavin domain to deliver electrons. Electron transfer from the flavin to the heme domain, and within the flavin and heme domains, is thus a critical determinant of the catalytic turnover of NOS.


A novel spiroborate-based double-stranded helicate bearing photoresponsive cis-stilbene units in the middle (cis-3) was successfully synthesised from the corresponding cis-stilbene-bound tetraphenol strand in the presence of NaBH4, whereas the tetraphenol strands with a trans-stilbene or trans-azobenzene unit did not form such a double-stranded helicate. The 1H NMR and NOESY experiments revealed that cis-3 adopted contracted (cis-3C) and extended (cis-3E) forms under equilibrium in CD3CN at 25 °C. The contracted cis-3C that accommodated a Na+ ion in the center showed almost reversible extension and contraction motions by removal and addition of a Na+ ion. The cis-to-trans photoisomerisation of the extended cis-3E with UV light (295 nm) further induced an extension of the helicate, producing a mixture of cis,trans-3E and trans-3E helicates in the photostationary state. However, trans-to-cis photoisomerisation of the trans-mixtures using UV light (360 nm) was irreversible in this system and produced the photooxidated aldehyde species (trans-4), resulting from the photo-cleavage of the trans-stilbene moieties of trans-3E.


This research measures earnings progression among participants in federally funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs in the state of Washington during the period 2001 through 2008, using state administrative data and propensity score-weighted regressions. Unlike previous evaluations that have emphasized earnings levels, this study addresses both earnings progression and levels to assess whether workers are on a path to reaching economic self-sufficiency within a short time after participation. The analysis finds that participants in WIA Adult services had similar earnings progression as people receiving only less-intensive Labor Exchange services.


SUMMARY 1. In complex landscapes such as river networks, organisms usually face spatio-temporal heterogeneity and gradients in geomorphological, water, ecological or landscape characteristics are often observed at the catchment scale. These environmental variables determine developmental conditions for larval stages of freshwater insects and influence adult phenotypic characteristics. Environmental clines are therefore expected to generate morphological clines. Such a process has the potential to drive gradual geographical change in morphology-dependent life history traits, such as dispersal. 2. We studied the influence of aquatic and terrestrial environmental factors on morphological variations in Calopteryx splendens across the Loire drainage. To investigate these effects we took explicitly into account the hierarchical structure of the river network. 3. We analysed eight morphological traits. Results showed significant body size variation between tributaries and the presence of a morphological cline at the drainage scale. We observed an effect of pH and water temperature on body size. Individuals in downstream sites were larger than individuals in upstream sites, and adults whose larval stages were exposed to alkaline pH and high temperatures during summer were larger. 4. Body size affects flight abilities in insects. Thus, our results suggest that morphological clines may generate an asymmetric dispersal pattern along the downstream–upstream axis, downstream populations dispersing farther than upstream ones. Such a process is expected to influence population genetic structure at the drainage scale if larval drift and floods do not balance an asymmetrical dispersal pattern of adults along the downstream– upstream gradient. To assess the influence of environmental gradients on the variation of life history traits it is important to understand the population biology of freshwater insects, and more generally of riverine organisms. It is also essential to integrate such data in conservation or restoration programmes.


The CERNAS – Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society is a research unit recognised by the Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (FCT). It involves researchers from three Institutions of Higher Education in the centre of Portugal: Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (IPC), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB) and Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (IPV). The aim of CERNAS is to conduct research in the fields of Agriculture, Food Science and Engineering, Environment and Society, promoting sustainable development on a regional basis as part of a global intervention. At present, it established three research groups as follows: Agriculture Science Research Group– research areas include forestry, agriculture and livestock. Food Science and Engineering Research Group– research related to the valorisation of food products, the development of novel products and processes, valorisation of by-products and residues for waste minimization, as well as studies of human nutrition and food habits. Environment and Society Research Group– investigates questions linked to rural development, ecosystem conservation, environmental services, eco-efficiency tools and solutions and the judicious use of natural resources, including land use planning and the measurement of the societal response. I, as coordinator of the Management Unit of CERNAS at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, proposed to the group of researchers from this branch to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the IPV together with the first year of joining the CERNAS Research Centre, by preparing scientific works aimed at editing a Special Issue of the journal Open Agriculture, because this publication covers the different areas of intervention and research of the group CERNAS-IPV. Hence, the defined topics for inclusion in the special issue titled CERNAS 2020 –Natural Resources, Agriculture and Food for Society were as follows: • Sustainable Agriculture, • Animal Science, • Environment & Society, • Food Science & Technology, • Nutrition & Eating Behaviours. The role of sustainable agriculture to the general wellbeing of the human race, while preserving the environment and ecosystems, is unquestionable, so that sustainability assumed a pivotal role in The Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations. New developments in agricultural practices and animal science are also highlighted as important actors of the food chain. The concept "from farm to fork" encompasses the primary productive sector and the industrial transformation of the agricultural and animal products into foods, going also beyond that, i.e. to their final usage as well as disposal of the wastes and packaging materials. The questions linked with rural development and agro economy are also covered in this special issue that culminates into some research works devoted to studying eating habits and aspects linked with human nutrition.


Pithecellobium dulce a plant of many uses which has versatile role in traditional system of medicine. Several studies are being conducted regarding the efficacy of whole plant or its parts for treatment of different diseases and aliments. The active compound of the plant includes flavonoids, sterols, tannins, triterpenoids etc. The health promoting properties due to the presence of proteins, carbohydrates, steroids etc. and diseases preventing properties such as antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, antidiabetic, diastolic, diuretic, anthlmintic effects antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and sedative activities which has been investigated and verified by modern scientific research. The various properties of therapeutic properties of Pithecellobium dulce have been discussed in the present paper.


In 1981 Bangladesh celebrated its first decade of independence. This milestone was marked by a sharp increase in publications about the new nation. Authors are fascinated and not a little surprised that the "international basketcase" of 1971 has survived a vast array of economic, social, and political afflictions. The authors are also concerned about the continuing survival of Bangladesh. Current writing is concentrated on either its political history or problems of economic development and represents a major contribution to filling gaps in our knowledge of Bangladesh. Unfortunately, although most contemporary authors have limited experience in Bangladesh, they do have well-developed theoretical perspectives that guide their constructions of Bangladeshi reality. Current writing proffers Weberian, neoclassical economic, and Marxist interpretations of Bangladesh. Little fresh, in-depth, culturally sensitive, representative reporting of Bangladeshis' own interpretations of the present and aspirations for the future is being done. Academia is failing the majority of Bangladeshis by not taking seriously their ideas, aspirations, and abilities.


ABSTRACT Trust in data practices and data-driven systems is widely seen as both important and elusive. A data trust deficit has been identified, to which proposed solutions are often localised or individualised, focusing either on what institutions can do to increase user trust in their data practices or on data management models that empower the individual user. Scholarship on trust often focuses on typologies of trust. This paper shifts the emphasis to those doing the trusting, by presenting findings from empirical research which explored user perspectives on the data practices of the BBC. These findings challenge the assumption that localised or individualised solutions can be effective. They also suggest that conceptualisations of trust in data practices need to account for the complex range of factors which come into play in relation to trust in data and so move beyond the production of typologies. In this paper, we propose the concept of 'complex ecologies of trust' as a way of addressing all of these issues.


In recent years, web 2.0 increasingly gained importance in terms of e-government. In this context, e-participation received more and more attention. However, there are only few examinations providing a structured overview on web 2.0 implementation possibilities in participative e-government. This contribution examines these implementation possibilities using electronic Participative Budgeting projects. The web 2.0 characteristics "interaction orientation", "personalization"," social networking", and "user added value" serve as evaluation criterions. The examination shows that web 2.o implementation in German projects is still at a very low maturity level. In parts, communities have significant implementation significances concerning provided features and integration of citizens. Using the most advanced approaches we illustrate how the targeted use of web 2.0 tools can influence the Participative Budgeting success.


The objectives of the present study were to determine whether serum hypercholesterolemia (HC) promotes the development of spontaneous and angioplasty-induced lesions and whether amlodipine inhibits these lesions and cellular processes underlying their genesis. Rabbits were fed normal, 0.5%, or 2% cholesterol diets for 9 wk, which resulted in the development of increasing HC. After week one, balloon dilation of the abdominal aorta was performed while the thoracic aorta was not disturbed and monitored for the development of spontaneous lesions. Lesion size increased with the degree of HC and was accompanied by increased collagen synthesis and smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation at each site. Amlodipine (5 mg/kg p.o.) inhibited lesion size by 50% (P < 0.01) at both sites in cholesterol-fed animals but not at angioplasty sites in animals on a normal diet. Local collagen synthesis was inhibited at both sites by amlodipine in the diet animals. The increase in HC was accompanied by a 1.7-fold increase in basal Ca2+ uptake in SMCs in the thoracic aorta, which was not altered by amlodipine, nifedipine, Ni2+, or La3+, revealing an uninhibitable calcium leak during atherogenesis. In culture, cholesterol enrichment increased SMC proliferation, collagen synthesis, and the secretion of a soluble SMC mitogen, which were inhibited by amlodipine (10(-9) M). Finally, in SMC membranes, amlodipine uniquely restored the cholesterol-expanded membrane bilayer width without any effect on membrane fluidity. This study establishes a causal role between serum HC and the development of spontaneous and angioplasty-induced lesions and the ability of amlodipine to disrupt this action by a novel remodelling action on the SMC membrane.


There is mounting evidence that seemingly diverse psychiatric disorders share genetic etiology, but the biological substrates mediating this overlap are not well characterized. Here, we leverage the unique iPSYCH study, a nationally representative cohort ascertained through clinical psychiatric diagnoses indicated in Danish national health registers. We confirm previous reports of individual and cross-disorder SNP-heritability for major psychiatric disorders and perform a cross-disorder genome-wide association study. We identify four novel genome-wide significant loci encompassing variants predicted to regulate genes expressed in radial glia and interneurons in the developing neocortex during midgestation. This epoch is supported by partitioning cross-disorder SNP-heritability which is enriched at regulatory chromatin active during fetal neurodevelopment. These findings indicate that dysregulation of genes that direct neurodevelopment by common genetic variants results in general liability for many later psychiatric outcomes.


A method of fitting age-related reference ranges using maximized likelihood is presented. The method is illustrated using CD4 counts of uninfected children born to HIV-1 infected women. The likelihood incorporates exponential functions to describe the Box-Cox transformation parameter that induces Normality and the mean and standard deviation of the transformed data, at all ages in the range. This guarantees that the centiles are asymptotic to notional adult values and avoids edge effects. Likelihood ratio tests were used to assess the significance of the model parameters, and profile likelihood confidence intervals were constructed around the fitted centiles. The asymptotes of the resulting CD4 reference range for the childhood dataset were compared with CD4 counts available from a group of uninfected adults. The proposed approach limits the need for arbitrary decisions about grouping of the data, degree of smoothing or choice of model.


and delivery were normal, and examined for the presence of foetal erythrocytes. Foetal cells were found in 50% of cases. Parity, duration of labour, condition of the placenta and its method of expulsion, and the state of the infant at birth, as judged by the Apgar method of assessment, were found to have no influence on transplacental leakage. Large placentae appear to be positively correlated with escape of foetal cells into the maternal circulation. Foetal cells were found when there was ABO incompatibility between mother and foetus, but less frequently than when there was ABO compatibility. The cause of transplacental leakage of foetal cells remains unknown.


This book shows the development of a power amplifier for LTE at the edge of planar CMOS technology. It includes theoretical design concepts, simulations and measurements for a power amplifier based on uplink specifications for mobile communication defined by 3GPP. It proofs the basic capability of CMOS technology for a full integration on a SoC.
Different power amplifier classes and linearization concepts are summarized and compared. A special focus is given on a selection of published watt-level power amplifiers as well as implemented DPAs. These basic considerations were the foundation for the later implemented designs.
A stand-alone linear power amplifier was developed and characterized as a bare bumped die on a PCB. The DPA was integrated into an LTE transceiver what gave the possibility of on-chip verification of the entire system.
Die pictures of the linear PA and the DPA show their architectures, which are implemented on-chip in 28nm CMOS technology, from the top metal layer perspective.


INTRODUCTION:Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as a promising diagnostic modality for locoregional staging of rectal cancer. However, as with any new technology, publication bias, the selective reporting of studies featuring positive results, may result in overestimation of the capability of EUS. The aim of this study was to systematically assess for publication bias in the reporting of the accuracy of EUS in staging rectal cancer.METHODS:A MEDLINE search for all published estimates of EUS accuracy in staging rectal cancer between 1985 and 2003 was performed. All retrieved studies were fully published in the English literature. Published studies were analyzed and the following information was abstracted: accuracy of EUS, year of publication, number of subjects studied, impact factor of journal, and type of journal (gastroenterology, surgery, radiology, other).RESULTS:Two hundred and two abstracts were reviewed; 41 publications met the stated criteria for inclusion. EUS T-staging accuracy was reported in 40 studies while EUS N-staging accuracy was reported in 27 studies. The experience of 4, 118 subjects was reported with an overall mean T-staging accuracy of 85.2% (median, 87.5%) and N-staging accuracy of 75.0% (median, 76.0%). There was a paucity of smaller studies expressing low EUS accuracy rates. Both T-staging and N-staging accuracy rates also declined over time with the lowest rates reported in more recent literature.CONCLUSION:The performance of EUS in staging rectal cancer may be overestimated in the literature due to publication bias. This inflated estimate of the capability of EUS may lead to unrealistic expectations of this technology.


The green-emitting CeMgAl 1 O 19 :Tb (CMAT) phosphor has been prepared at 1200 °C by the simple solid-state reaction using AlF 3 as a self-flux. This preparation temperature is much lower than those (1500-1700 °C) for conventional solid-state reaction and spray pyrolysis method. In particular, the complete process to produce high-quality phosphor particles was carried out through the single-step heat treatment of the mixture of corresponding oxide-type metal sources. An addition of A1F 3 as a self-flux significantly decreased the crystallization temperature of CMAT with plate-like shape. The particle morphology could be controlled from plate-like to spherical by using H 3 BO 3 as an additional flux. Thus, an optimal morphology and luminescence characteristics of CMAT were achieved when both AlF 3 and H 3 BO 3 fluxes were simultaneously used. Compared with conventional solid-state process, which is accompanied by the calcination step(s), and other alternative liquid solution techniques such as sol-gel method and spray pyrolysis, no use of active precursors and liquid media that are harmful to the environment is a distinctive advantage for the industrial purpose.


PURPOSE
To measure the microshear bond strengths (μSBS) of composite resin to the intaglio surface of prefabricated indirect veneers and analyze the FE-SEM ultramorphology of the pretreated intaglio surfaces as well as the fracture modes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Three veneer systems (veneer and respective luting material) were used in this study: two prefabricated veneer types, Cerinate One-hour (CER, DenMat) and Componeer (CMP, Coltene), and a laboratory- made veneer, IPS e.max Press (IPS, Ivoclar Vivadent) used as the control. For each group, 10 veneers were used. After delimitation of the bonding area with a double-faced adhesive tape, 0.8-mm-diameter cylinders of composite luting material were bonded to the pretreated intaglio surface. After polymerization, the specimens were fractured in shear mode using the wire-loop method in a universal testing machine. The pretreated intaglio surface of two extra veneers and four fractured specimens per group were morphologically characterized using FE-SEM.

RESULTS
CER resulted in statistically lower mean μSBS (7.1 ± 1.2 MPa) than the other two veneer systems, CMP (15.2 ± 2.5 MPa) and IPS (14.7 ± 1.7 MPa) at p < 0.0001. As seen with the FE-SEM, the intaglio surface of CMP did not display microretentive features, while multiple microretentions were observed in both CER and IPS after HF etching.

CONCLUSION
Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the CMP and IPS veneer systems resulted in greater bond strengths than those of the CER veneer system.


The effects of stochastic perturbations and periodic excitations on the eutrophicated lake ecosystem are explored. Unlike the existing work in detecting early warning signals, this paper presents the most probable transition paths to characterize the regime shifts. The most probable transition paths are obtained by minimizing the Freidlin–Wentzell (FW) action functional and Onsager–Machlup (OM) action functional, respectively. The most probable path shows the movement trend of the lake eutrophication system under noise excitation, and describes the global transition behavior of the system. Under the excitation of Gaussian noise, the results show that the stability of the eutrophic state and the oligotrophic state has different results from two perspectives of potential well and the most probable transition paths. Under the excitation of Gaussian white noise and periodic force, we find that the transition occurs near the nearest distance between the stable periodic solution and the unstable periodic solution.


Abstract In this study, we investigate optimal investment timing and capacity decisions in the presence of time-to-build and competition. Due to uncertain time-to-build, a leader, who invests first, may have its product enter the market after a follower's. We show that a dominated firm with the longer time-to-build can become a leader by making the investment earlier than a dominant firm with shorter investment lags. The leader's capacity choice increases with the dominated firm's time-to-build, even if the dominated entity is the leader. This finding is consistent with the observation in the electric vehicles market in which a relatively new firm with little experience of mass production makes aggressive investment early on, while the biggest carmakers capable of mass production are timing their investment. With a welfare-maximizing policy, however, the dominant firm with the shorter time-to-build always becomes the leader. There is a significant loss of social welfare with the dominated firm being the leader, and the loss increases with the asymmetry of time-to-build.


The fourth modern upheaval period (Industry 4.0) is an opportunity for local governments to carefully develop administrations for the general public. The presence of Semarang Smart City is intended to provide convenience and efficiency for the general public and Regional Government in obtaining a range of data about Semarang City. This review aimed to gain an overview of Semarang Smart City using the mindset, frameworks, and systems administration (MSN) model. This research examined the Semarang Regional Government's methodology of mindset, disposition, conduct, and obligation, which has a particular focus on the Semarang Smart City and the RPJMD Kota Semarang. The RPJMD contained pointers that were upheld by the city's execution. The results of the review from the frameworks approach indicated that there was support from the Semarang City Government (Pemkot) to break the old organization's way of working. The findings from the attitude frameworks and systems administration approach demonstrated the unification of the idea of manageability, availability, inventiveness, and social incorporation with the 6 Smart (6s): smart administration, smart marking, smart economy, smart living, smart society, and smart climate, to become the 10 main programs in the RPJMD of Semarang City in 2016-2021.
Keywords: model mentality, systems, networking, Semarang Smart City


The first, to my knowledge, experimental demonstration of photoerasure of UV-induced birefringence and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) in chirped fiber Bragg gratings is presented here. The photoerasure process carried out by launching high-peak-power (approximately 0.6-kW) pulsed (10-Hz, 5-ns) circularly polarized laser light in the visible wavelength (532 nm) through the core of a fiber with the grating was found to reduce its PMD by more than 85% to 0.12 ps. Possible reasons for the photoerasure process, including photobleaching of UV-induced absorption and randomization of dipole orientation of UV-induced defects, are discussed.


Reactions of fluorine- and beryllium-bearing hydrothermal fluids with Cretaceous limestone formations in brecciated zones near dikes of rhyolite porphyry, under conditions of low temperature and low pressure, produced sizeable fluorspar deposits, some of which are potential economic sources of beryllium in the Aguachile district, Coahuila, Mexico. Bertrandite (Be 4 OH 2 Si 12 O 7 ) is intermingled with fluorite in the "lower" contact zone along a ringdike which encircles a subsidence basin (cauldron collapse) in the central part of Aguachile Mountain. Fluorspar deposits outside Aguachile Mountain contain 5 to 20 ppm beryllium in ionic (?) combination with fluorite. A pluglike mass of quartz microsyenite, younger than the rhyolite dikes, intrudes the floor of the subsidence basin; a few still younger small dikes and irregular-shaped bodies of analcite diabase are present elsewhere in the district. The hydrothermal fluids probably were late emanations from a parent magma which gave rise to one or more of the types of intrusive igneous rocks. Both the quartz microsyenite and the bertrandite probably came from the same parent magma. Bertrandite mineralization followed two generations of fluorite and appears to have been essentially contemporaneous with a third, weak generation of fluorite mineralization. The ionically combined beryllium probably accompanied the earlier, stronger fluoritization. Greater concentration of beryllium in deposits around Aguachile subsidence basin may be the result of more open connections with a deep-seated, beryllium-enriched alkalic magma.


Infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major health concern, especially hospital-acquired infections, in critically ill individuals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increases the morbidity and mortality rates associated with pseudomonal infections. In this review, we aim to address two major aspects of P. aeruginosa. The first part of the review will focus on the burden of AMR and its prevailing mechanisms seen in India, while the second part will focus on the challenges and approaches in the management with special emphasis on the role of newer antimicrobial agents.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of metabolic acidosis and changes in ionized calcium (Ca2+) concentration on PaO2 in dogs.

ANIMALS
33 anesthetized dogs receiving assisted ventilation.

PROCEDURE
Normal acid-base status was maintained in 8 dogs (group I), and metabolic acidosis was induced in 25 dogs. For 60 minutes, normocalcemia was maintained in group I and 10 other dogs (group II), and 10 dogs were allowed to become hypercalcemic (group III); hypocalcemia was then induced in groups I and II. Groups II and IV (5 dogs) were treated identically except that, at 90 minutes, the latter underwent parathyroidectomy. At intervals, variables including PaO2, Ca2+ concentration, arterial blood pH (pHa), and systolic blood pressure were assessed.

RESULTS
In group II, PaO2 increased from baseline value (96 +/- 2 mm Hg) within 10 minutes (pHa, 7.33 +/- 0.001); at 60 minutes (pHa, 7.21 +/- 0.02), PaO2 was 108 +/- 2 mm Hg. For the same pHa decrease, the PaO2 increase was less in group III. In group I, hypocalcemia caused PaO2 to progressively increase (from 95 +/- 2 mm Hg to 104 +/- 3 mm Hg), which correlated (r = -0.66) significantly with a decrease in systolic blood pressure (from 156 +/- 9 mm Hg to 118 +/- 10 mm Hg). Parathyroidectomy did not alter PaO2 values.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Induction of hypocalcemia and metabolic acidosis each increased PaO2 in anesthetized dogs, whereas acidosis-induced hypercalcemia attenuated that increase. In anesthetized dogs, development of metabolic acidosis or hypocalcemia is likely to affect ventilatory control.


Fractures of the lateral humeral condyle run a great risk of subsequent displacement. This is also true--although to a lesser extent--for primarily non-displaced or minimally displaced (less than or equal to 2 mm) fractures. The present retrospective investigation aimed at defining radiographic criteria in order to predict the stability of non-displaced or minimally displaced fractures in 159 children. The fractures were classified according to radiographic criteria into 3 groups considered to represent stable, ambiguous and unstable fractures. Additional displacement while immobilized in plaster occurred in 2.6 per cent of the fractures classified as stable and in 44.4 per cent of those classified as unstable (p less than 0.001); in the ambiguous group subsequent displacement occurred in 24.1 per cent. It is concluded that the radiographic criteria should be useful to predict the stability of non-displaced or minimally displaced fractures of the lateral humeral condyle in children.


Background: Caesarean section is the most common major surgical procedure performed in obstetrics. There is a need to frequently assess the safety of this operation. Objective: To determine the rate and complications of caesarean sections. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of the caesarean sections performed at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto from January 2007 to December 2010. Results: During the study period, there were 7986 deliveries and 819 caesarean sections, giving a caesarean section rate of 10.3%. Six hundred and eleven cases were available for analysis. The major indication was previous caesarean section (19.7%), cephalo-pelvic disproportion (15.4%), pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (14.7%). One hundred and thirty-five patients (20.4%) had post-operative complications, sepsis (36.3%) being the most common complication. All were cases of emergency caesarean section in unbooked patients. There were 19 maternal deaths (287.4/100,000), and the major cause of death was sepsis (57.9%). Conclusion: There is a high level of morbidity and mortality following caesarean section mainly due to sepsis.