ABSTRACT Tourism was of critical economic importance in Pacific SIDS until COVID-19 border closures cut off international ties. The virus did not reach Vanuatu and Samoa, and few cases occurred in Fiji. The collapse of tourism, on land and from cruise ships, resulted in increased unemployment and the closure of hotels and tourism-oriented businesses with multiplier effects throughout the island economies. Many people returned to home islands, putting pressure on local land resources. Diverse local markets, exchange and bartering increased. Women were most affected in terms of lost jobs, more domestic burdens and a rise in domestic violence. This article argues that tourism is unlikely to restart in the immediate future, but may be initiated through small elite ventures. In response, regional metropolitan states – Australia and New Zealand – have increased aid to what is increasingly a strategically important region.


Background: The prognosis of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poor. Elderly patients are frequently intolerant to intensive chemotherapy due to poor performance status and co-morbidities. Moreover, considering the increase of genetic abnormalities, it is disputable whether conventional chemotherapy improves the prognosis of elderly AML patients. The purpose of this study is to identity patients who would benefit from conventional chemotherapy.
 Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of patients with AML aged over 65 years who received conventional chemotherapy based on the JALSG GML 200 protocol at our institution between December 2011 and January 2020. Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were excluded. No patients underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Dose reduction of each regimen was considered in patients over 70 years of age. MEC regimen was used for reinduction therapy in 70% of patients with induction failure. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) after induction therapy. Factors associated with the achievement of complete remission (CR) and overall mortality were analyzed using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models, respectively.
 Results: A total of 74 patients were analyzed. The median age was 72.8 years (range, 65-85). Nine patients (12%) had an ECOG performance status of 3-4. The most common AML subtype was AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (n=30, 41%) followed by AML with maturation (n=11, 15%). Twenty patients (27%) were previously diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). According to the 2017 ELN stratification, 3 patients (4%) were classified as favorable-risk, 44 (60%) as intermediate-risk, and 27 (37%) as adverse-risk. Overall, 21 patients (28%) achieved CR after induction therapy. Among 53 patients with induction failure, 37 received reinduction therapy and 14 (38%) achieved CR. The ELN favorable- or intermediate-risk (OR, 23.2; 95% CI, 4.59-117.0, p<0.001) and age under 70 years (OR, 7.62; 95% CI, 1.54-37.8, p=0.013) were important factors associated with the achievement of CR. Median OS was 10.3 months for all patients and 19.3 months for patients who achieved CR after induction therapy. The probability of 3-year survival was 20.9% in the total patients. The day 100 and 1-year NRM incidences were 4% and 8%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, lower performance status (3-4) (HR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.81-8.49, p<0.001), age 70 and older (HR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.76-6.47, p<0.001), the ELN adverse-risk (HR, 3.16 95% CI, 1.83-5.47, p<0.001), and previous MDS diagnosis (HR=2.36, 95% CI=1.29-4.30, p<0.001) were the significant independent prognostic factors for poor OS. On the basis of the number of these four factors, the prognostic score was calculated for each patient and patients were categorized into five groups (score 0-4). The score was significantly correlated with OS (p<0.001, Figure). The probability of 1-year survival was 85.7% for score 0, 59.4% for score 1, and 5.9% for score 2. All patients for score 3 and 4 died within 1 year and their median OS was 2.8 months for score 3 and 0.4 months for score 4.
 Conclusions: Each two patient (age, performance status) and disease (ELN disease risk, history of MDS) factors were significantly associated with survival in elderly patients with AML. The prognostic scoring system based on the four factors clearly stratified survival, suggesting that it will be useful for making a treatment decision. Further large-scale studies are required to validate this system and a combination therapy with molecular targeted drugs should be established for patients with poor prognosis.

 Seo: Janssen Pharmacuetical K.K.: Consultancy; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb K.K.: Speakers Bureau; Meiji Seika Pharma.: Speakers Bureau. Ichikawa:Novartis, Takeda: Honoraria. Mitani:KYOWA KIRIN: Consultancy, Research Funding; CHUGAI: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding.


The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruption to business as usual across all industries, including education, and there is a growing consensus that the higher education (HE) sector may never go back to 'business as usual'. While universities are now developing strategies for 2030, several management consultancies are projecting a very challenging HE landscape in the next decade. Suggestions, from the death of the normal university campus to shutdowns, mergers and collaborations are widely predicted including new opportunities for growth. University administrators should develop innovative strategic plans to address the challenges and harness the growth opportunities. Although other industries have faced such disruptions and have coped with responses such as partnerships and mergers, it may be time for universities to reconsider business models for the future. The strategies adopted in the aviation industry have been used to recommend a way forward for universities.


Computer-aided slide presentations have been commonly used at lectures in universities. To improve their educational quality, this paper presents an Web-based lecture scene playback system using the digital picture-card show for distance learning. In this system, fine still images of lecture scenes containing the lecturer, the blackboard, and the screen, are periodically taken by an off-the-shelf digital photo camera, and the lecturer voice is recorded into a digital file by a personal computer during a class. Then, the digital picture-card show to play back the lecture scenes is edited by selecting one image and the voice file interval corresponding to one lecture scene defined as the time span of teaching one slide page by the lecturer. The picture-card show is delivered to students through the World-Wide Web system on demand. We have implemented and applied our system to one course for freshmen in our department. The system performance and the questionnaire results from students show that our system is very efficient and practical to improve understandings and motivations of students for study of this course.


An aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) carries a high disability burden. The true impact of rurality as a predictor of outcome severity is unknown. Our aim is to clarify the relationship between the proposed explanations of regional and rural health disparities linked to severity of outcome following an aSAH. An initial literature search identified limited data directly linking geographical location, rurality, rural vulnerability, and aSAH. A further search noting parallels with ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarct literature presented a number of diverse and interrelated predictors. This a priori knowledge informed the development of a conceptual framework that proposes the relationship between rurality and severity of outcome following an aSAH utilizing structural equation modeling. The presented conceptual framework explores a number of system, environmental, and modifiable risk factors. Socioeconomic characteristics, modifiable risk factors, and timely treatment that were identified as predictors of severity of outcome following an aSAH and within each of these defined predictors a number of contributing specific individual predictors are proposed. There are considerable gaps in the current knowledge pertaining to the impact of rurality on the severity of outcome following an aSAH. Absent from the literature is any investigation of the cumulative impact and multiplicity of risk factors associated with rurality. The proposed conceptual framework hypothesizes a number of relationships between both individual level and system level predictors, acknowledging that intervening predictors may mediate the effect of one variable on another.


The paper deals with the role of trust in market relationships. The concept of trust is discussed by referring to a large extent of literature. A computer aided content analysis was carried out on a set of thirty definitions of trust and the outputs allowed for a summary to be made of the variety of the definitions proposed by the literature. The role of trust in the process of value creation is explained and the antecedents and consequences of trust are identified. A final model is presented aiming at understanding the evolutionary dynamics of trust in market relationships.


This study was designed to identify workplace and individual factors that cause stress in the lives of Extension professionals and to determine baseline needs assessment data for professional development in the area of balancing work and family. A census -survey questionnaire (74% response rate) was utilized to explore balancing work and personal life issues among the population of University of Florida Extension faculty. It was found that some faculty have stress under control while others are experiencing high levels of stress; county faculty perceived slightly higher stress than state faculty but this difference was not significant. Respondents reporting greater use of formal planning, planning for meetings, and "to do" lists tended to have lower stress scores. For Extension faculty, spending more time with family served as a coping mechanism for minimizing stress. Any stress inducing situations disclosed in this study can be improved upon through proactive professional development. Professional development programs and inservice training focusing on workday planning may help faculty cope with the stress and pressure of an Extension career. Greater organizational effectiveness can be achieved through employees being able to manage stress and work pressure via positive workplace skills.


Introduction In this era of rising cost of medical care, it is difficult to decide how to treat patients (pts). Specifically, with elderly pts who have small breast cancers (BC), there are many options. The NSABP B21 study looked at the need for breast radiotherapy (RT) after lumpectomy in node - pts with invasive BC =70 who received tam or RT alone. The CALGB also looked at this question in pts >= 70 with stage 1, node -, ER+ BC by randomly assigning them to tam or tam/RT. The only difference between the 2 groups was the rate of IBTR, which was 1% in the tam/RT group and 4% in the tam group. There was no differences in mastectomy for local recurrences, distant metastases, or 5 year OS. With the addition of aromatase inhibitors (AI), the IBTR rate in this cohort would be smaller. Based on these studies, we undertook a cost-benefit analysis of RT vs tam vs AI in pts >=70 with node -, ER+, stage 1 BC.MethodsThe 3 adjuvant treatment (tx) methods considered were conventional whole breast RT (28 fractions) alone, anastrozole (1mg Qday x 5 years), & tam (20mg Qday x 5 yrs). Rates of IBTRs were extrapolated from the CALGB 5 year data as a basis, the NSABP B21 trial relative risks (9.3% RT alone vs 16.5% Tam alone), & the ATAC trial relative risks (1.5% RT+Tam vs 1.0% RT+AI). Rates of contralateral breast cancers (CBC) were similarly estimated. Costs of outpatient tx was estimated using Medicare Part B reimbursements as a surrogate. Drug costs were taken from prices from Drugstore.com. All breast failures (CBC + IBTRs) were assumed treated with mastectomy alone. Costs associated with mastectomy were estimated using Medicare Part B reimbursements for surgical costs and associated Part A inpatient prospective payments. Total cost for each tx was calculated by the formula C = FC + TC, where C= total cost, FC= failure associated cost (failure rate x mastectomy cost), and TC = tx cost.ResultsThe results for estimation of failure rates at 5 years is shown in Table 1.The cost of mastectomy was $10,037.08.The results for total cost are shown in Table 2.DiscussionWe consider costs of initial tx and tx of local failure. Tam alone would be the tx of choice if simply considering this total cost. However, if side effects associated with each tx is considered, then the cost for each would need to be increased accordingly. For example, in NSABP P1 trial, 3 pts died from PE on tam. If a cost were estimated for these deaths (beyond the scope of this abstract), the total cost for tam would be much higher.ConclusionsThe results from adjuvant tx after breast conserving surgery in older women with early stage BC have been excellent. In an era of steadily increasing health care costs, the cost-to-benefit ratio should be one of the factors taken into consideration when deciding tx options. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1074.


Background Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) provides a method for safely perturbing brain activity, and has been employed in basic research to test hypotheses concerning brain-behavior relationships with increasing translational applications. Objective We introduce and evaluate a novel subthreshold NIBS method: kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP). KTMP is a magnetic induction method that delivers continuous kHz-frequency cortical electric fields which may be amplitude-modulated to potentially mimic electrical activity at endogenous frequencies. Methods We used TMS to compare the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in a hand muscle before and after kTMP. In Experiment 1, we applied kTMP for 10 min over motor cortex to induce an E-field amplitude of approximately 2.0 V/m, comparing the effects of waveforms at frequencies of 2.0, 3.5, or 5.0 kHz. In Experiments 2 and 3 we used two forms of amplitude-modulated kTMP with a carrier frequency at 3.5 kHz and modulation frequencies of either 20 or 140 Hz. Results The only percept associated with kTMP was an auditory tone, making kTMP amenable for double-blind experimentation. Relative to sham stimulation, non-modulated kTMP at 2.0 and 3.5 kHz resulted in an increase in cortical excitability, with Experiments 2 and 3 providing a replication of this effect for the 3.5 kHz condition. Although amplitude-modulated kTMP increased MEP amplitude compared to sham, no enhancement was found compared to non-modulated kTMP. Conclusions kTMP opens a new experimental NIBS space inducing relatively large amplitude subthreshold E-fields able to increase cortical excitability with minimal sensation.


A portable, inexpensive profiling light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system was used to inventory forests in Delaware, a small state (5205 km2) on the mid-Atlantic seaboard of the USA. Ground and airborne sampling procedures are described, and large-area inventory results are reported and compared to independent estimates. Systematic airborne LIDAR profiling measurements were used (1) to estimate forest merchantable volume, biomass and above-ground carbon statewide; and (2) to estimate impervious surface and open water area. Over 1300 km of laser profiling data acquired along parallel flight lines 4 km apart were analysed. Four explicitly linear models were considered to predict merchantable volume and total above-ground dry biomass. Merchantable volume estimates were within 21% of US Forest Service estimates at the county level and within 1% statewide. Total above-ground dry biomass estimates were within 22% of USFS estimates at the county level and within 16% statewide. LIDAR estimates of percentage impervious area surface for the three counties (Newcastle, Kent and Sussex) were 10.9, 3.4 and 2.8%, respectively, and 4.7% statewide. Comparable estimates developed using 30 m Enhanced Thematic Mapper digital data and mixture modelling were 8.8, 3.5 and 3.9%, respectively, and 4.9% statewide. Laser estimates of open water at the county and state level were comparable to 1997 Geographical Information System (GIS) estimates. Open water estimates based on laser transect data showed the three counties to have 3.0, 2.0 and 4.6% of their county area covered by water, and 3.5% of the state to be covered by open water. Comparable 1997 GIS estimates were 2.6, 2.1 and 4.8% (county), and 3.5% (state), respectively. The results of the study indicate that line intercept sampling techniques can be used in conjunction with a relatively inexpensive, portable airborne laser system to assess multiple resources regionally.


Two adult sisters had spinocerebellar degeneration. Biochemical studies revealed a very low activity of both fraction A and fraction B of the lysosomal enzyme, hexosaminidase, in serum and leukocytes. A skin biopsy showed lesions suggestive of neuronal storage disease. The disorder seems to be an adult form of GMz gangliosidosis.


A trend among manufacturing companies is offshoring of R&D. The aim of this study is to investigate Swedish companies' offshoring of R&D activities to China, utilizing both a survey and explorative case studies. The survey results show that 9% of the companies have offshored R&D to China, that performance in China is satisfactory, primarily in terms of costs, and that there is a need for strong integration mechanisms to handle coordination and information sharing. Based on the case studies, a categorization of firms offshoring R&D into Market- & Talent-driven firms and Low-cost & Supply-driven firms is proposed, as these have different challenges and require different managerial solutions. Finally, a dilemma concerning information sharing and innovation is identified and discussed.


We present images of L1551 IRS5 at angular resolutions as high as 30 mas, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 5 AU, made at 7 mm with the VLA. Previously known to be a binary protostellar system, we show that L1551 IRS5 is likely a triple protostellar system. The primary and secondary components have a projected separation of 46 AU, whereas the tertiary component has a projected separation of 11 AU from the primary component. The circumstellar dust disks of the primary and secondary components have dimensions of 15 AU, whereas that of the tertiary component has a dimension of 10 AU. Their major axes are closely, but not perfectly, aligned with each other, as well as the major axis of the surrounding flattened, rotating, and contracting molecular condensation (pseudodisk). Furthermore, the orbital motion of the primary and secondary components is in the same direction as the rotational motion of this pseudodisk. We suggest that all three protostellar components formed as a result of the fragmentation of the central region of the molecular pseudo disk. The primary and secondary components, but apparently not the tertiary component, each exhibits a bipolar ionized jet that is centered on and which emergers perpendicular to its associated dust disk. Neither jets are resolved along their base, implying that they are driven within a radial distance of 2.5 AU from their central protostars. Finally, we show evidence for what may be dusty matter streams feeding the two main protostellar components.


Low fat corn germ flour is rich in minerals, proteins and certain essential amino acids such as lysine and can be used as a complementary food supplement. In this study, the rheological characteristics of adding 10, 20 and 30% of low fat corn germ flour to macaroni were evaluated. Different treatments were produced by industrial and semicontinuous production method and rheological and sensory analysis were performed according to standard methods. Results showed that by using more low fat corn germ flour, water absorption and dough development time increased but dough resistance and tensile reduced. Also resistance to stretch dough increased, tension ability reduced, ratio (tension resistance to tension ability index) increased and energy reduced. For sensory evaluations (color, taste, chewing ability and adhesion to the tooth) trained assessor were used. Results presented that two samples of macaroni containing 10 and 20% low fat corn germ flour were designated and more desirable. Then these samples along with control sample were given to home consumers for preferred test and finally presented that the sample of macaroni containing 10% low fat corn germ flour was selected as preferred sample. Samples containing 10% low fat corn germ flour had higher quality due to possessing rheological properties, baking and sensory characteristics.


The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between students' mathematical beliefs, metacognition, problem representation and their mathematical problem solving performance. The sample consisted of 644 form four students from the state of Selangor, selected via multistage cluster sampling technique. Three instruments were used: Mathematical Beliefs Instrument, Metacognition Instrument and Problem Solving Instrument. The data collected was analysed using standard multiple regression analysis. The result showed that there was significant relationship between students' mathematical beliefs, metacognition and problem representation students' with mathematical problem solving performance.


The use of transport protocols that support the notion of multicast logical connectivity, both within a single network and an internet environment, is investigated. It is shown that protocols with multicasting capabilities can yield a substantial performance improvement over protocols that support only unicast logical connectivity. Ways in which multicasting can be utilized to suit the present application are proposed. A prototype implementation of a multicast communications facility based on these requirements is presented, and an application model is used to measure the transport protocol performance under various possible system configurations and loads. Results of performance measurements are presented for experiments carried out on an Ethernet-based internet.<<ETX>>


Prefetching is a technique for lowering the access delay by making data available in anticipation of future requests. Correspondingly, power control has been proposed in wireless networks for the efficient use of the wireless resources and low energy consumption at the transmitters. This work investigates the two techniques jointly (1) for communications over a fluctuating wireless channel whose dynamics and statistics is unknown, and (2) explore approximating schemes for exercising deep prefetching. In short, a user uses a wireless terminal to access various data items residing at a server over a wireless network. Every requested item not found in the cache of the terminal incurs to the system (1) an access delay cost, and (2) an energy/network cost to download it over the wireless link. To minimize the total cost, the system may either (i) postpone the transmissions when the link quality is sensed to be low, or reversely, (ii) proactively prefetch data items during link quality 'highs', in anticipation to future user requests. The decision therefore involves choosing when and what to (pre)fetch, and at what power level. To quantify on the above, we formulate the problem in the context of controlled Markov chains using the technique of dynamic programming. After analyzing the structure of the problem, we construct a set of policies based on justified heuristics for taking near-to-optimal decisions. Simulation is then used to quantify on the performance gains over standard schemes.


OBJECTIVE:This study used meta-analytical techniques to compare the incidence of recurrence and the indication for reoperation in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who underwent their first operation, due to perforating disease versus patients who underwent their first operation due to nonperforating disease.METHODS:Comparative studies published between 1988 and 2005 of perforating versus nonperforating CD were included. Using a random effects model, end points evaluated were recurrence of CD given as reoperation, and the indication for reoperation, i.e., perforating or nonperforating. Heterogeneity (HG) was assessed and a sensitivity analysis was performed to account for bias in patient selection.RESULTS:Thirteen studies (12 nonrandomized retrospective, 1 nonrandomized prospective) reported on 3,044 patients, of which 1,337 (43.9%) had perforating indications (P group) and 1,707 (56.1%) had nonperforating indications (NP group) for surgery. The recurrence was found to be significantly higher in the P group compared to the NP group (HR 1.50, P = 0.002), with significant HG among studies (P < 0.001). The recurrence remained significantly higher in the P group compared with the NP group during sensitivity analysis of high-quality studies (HR 1.47, P = 0.005) and more recent studies (HR 1.51, P = 0.05), but still demonstrating significant HG (P = 0.08 and P < 0.001, respectively). At reoperation, concordance was found in the disease type of those patients re-presenting with perforating disease (OR 5.93, P < 0.001, without significant HG among studies P = 0.15) and those with nonperforating disease (OR 5.73, P < 0.001, with significant HG among studies P < 0.001). Concordance in disease type remained when considering only high-quality studies (P: OR 7.48, P < 0.001; NP: OR 7.48, P < 0.001) and more recent studies (P: OR 5.95, P < 0.001; NP: OR 5.95, P < 0.001), both not associated with HG among studies (P = 0.47 and P = 0.60, respectively).CONCLUSIONS:The indication for reoperation in CD tends to be the same as the primary operation, i.e., perforating disease tends to re-present as perforating disease, and nonperforating as nonperforating. Also, perforating CD appears to be associated with a higher recurrence rate compared with nonperforating CD. However, because of significant HG among studies, further studies should be undertaken to confirm this finding.


Graph-based Semi-Supervised learning is one of the most popular and successful semi-supervised learning methods. Typically, it predicts the labels of unlabeled data by minimizing a quadratic objective induced by the graph, which is unfortunately a procedure of polynomial complexity in the sample size $n$. In this paper, we address this scalability issue by proposing a method that approximately solves the quadratic objective in nearly linear time. The method consists of two steps: it first approximates a graph by a minimum spanning tree, and then solves the tree-induced quadratic objective function in O(n) time which is the main contribution of this work. Extensive experiments show the significant scalability improvement over existing scalable semi-supervised learning methods.


In sensory evaluation, there have been many attempts to obtain responses from the autonomic nervous system (ANS) by analyzing heart rate, body temperature, and facial expressions. However, the methods involved tend to be intrusive, which interfere with the consumers' responses as they are more aware of the measurements. Furthermore, the existing methods to measure different ANS responses are not synchronized among them as they are measured independently. This paper discusses the development of an integrated camera system paired with an Android PC application to assess sensory evaluation and biometric responses simultaneously in the Cloud, such as heart rate, blood pressure, facial expressions, and skin-temperature changes using video and thermal images acquired by the integrated system and analyzed through computer vision algorithms written in Matlab®, and FaceReaderTM. All results can be analyzed through customized codes for multivariate data analysis, based on principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Data collected can be also used for machine-learning modeling based on biometrics as inputs and self-reported data as targets. Based on previous studies using this integrated camera and analysis system, it has shown to be a reliable, accurate, and convenient technique to complement the traditional sensory analysis of both food and nonfood products to obtain more information from consumers and/or trained panelists.


Abstract The thermal-hydraulic design characteristics of a boiling water reactor are strongly dependent on the physics of heat-removing mechanisms from nuclear rods. Performance is often limited by a lack of understanding of the heat and momentum transfer in thin liquid films close to dryout. This is particularly important with regard to power uprates of reactors. Flow control by functional spacers equipped with vanes adds complexity to the flow behavior. Instead of improving the heat removal, they can cause a local reduction of the film thickness under unfavorable conditions. This work presents a novel experimental technique to measure the velocity of the liquid phase and to study the turbulent mixing of a passive scalar in the film. The studies were performed in vertical annular flow in a double-subchannel geometry. The liquid film was labeled by either continuous or pulsed tracer injection. An electrically conductive tracer (salt solution) is injected into the film consisting of deionized water. The salt is traced using a liquid film sensor, a high-frequency nonintrusive conductivity-based technique. The experiments are conducted with and without a swirl-type spacer to quantify the effect of the spacers on the film flow for different gas and liquid flow rates. An ensemble averaging of the data obtained from individual injection pulses provides time-averaged liquid velocities in the film. The turbulent dispersion was characterized by analyzing the spread of the tracer in axial and lateral directions. Spacer vanes are found to induce a characteristic transverse movement of the liquid in the film. The effect of waves on mixing is analyzed and is found to enhance it.


Auxin metabolism is, together with auxin transport, a key determinant of auxin signalling output in plant cells, yet details on the underlying mechanisms and factors involved are still largely unknown. Processes involved in the auxin metabolism are subject to regulation based on numerous signals, including auxin concentration itself. Altered auxin availability and the subsequent changes of auxin metabolite profiles can therefore elucidate the function and regulatory role of individual elements in the auxin metabolic machinery. After analysing auxin metabolism in auxin dependent tobacco BY-2 cell line grown in presence or absence of synthetic auxin 2,4-D we found that both conditions were similarly characterized by very low levels of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and its metabolites. However, metabolic profiling after exogenous application of IAA uncovered that the concentration of N-(2-oxindole-3-acetyl)-L-aspartic acid (oxIAA-Asp), the most abundantly formed auxin metabolite in the control culture, dramatically decreased in auxin-starved conditions. To describe the molecular mechanism behind this regulation, we analysed transcriptome and proteome changes caused by auxin starvation. While no changes in the expression of auxin biosynthetic machinery were observed, many genes related to auxin conjugation and degradation showed differential expression. Selected putative auxin glycosylating enzymes as well as members of the Gretchen Hagen 3 gene family involved in auxin amino acid conjugation showed both up- and down-regulation. Contrarily to that, all tobacco homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana DIOXYGENASE FOR AUXIN OXIDATION 1 (DAO1), known to be responsible for the formation of oxIAA from IAA, showed significant downregulation at both transcript and protein levels. To validate the role of DAO1 in auxin metabolism, we performed auxin metabolite profiling in BY-2 mutants carrying either siRNA-silenced or CRISPR-Cas9-mutated NtDAO1, as well as in dao1-1 Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Both mutants showed not only expectedly lower levels of oxIAA, but also significantly lower abundance of oxidated amino acid conjugates of IAA (oxIAA-Asp). Our results thus represent the first direct evidence on DAO1 activity on IAA amino acid conjugates. Statement of significance Here we present an analysis of auxin metabolism on metabolite, transcript and protein levels in tobacco BY-2 cell line, collectively identifying oxidation of IAA amino acid conjugates as a new role of DIOXYGENASE FOR AUXIN OXIDATION 1 within an auxin-level-responsive metabolic system.


Business model innovations (BMIs) are one of the key activities organizations must undertake to survive and thrive. As information systems (IS) penetrate more and more aspects of life, they become an important factor affecting both the process and the outcome of business model innovations. The increased importance of IS in a growing number of industries has led various researchers to focus on examining the role of IS in innovation. However, these insights concentrate on process, product, and service innovations, while business model innovations encompass characteristics that are fundamentally different from these. Therefore, in this paper we use a rigorous taxonomy-building approach to uncover the distinct roles IS play in this important endeavor, employing a meta-perspective and drawing from documented empirical research on business model innovations. We found that IS act, first, as enablers of business model innovation, second, as capabilities in the business model innovation process, and third, as frames of reference for business model innovations. Our findings indicate that IS are thus both operand and operant resources in business model innovations. Hence, business managers must be aware of all of these roles, as they could have transformative impacts in every industry.


Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that was discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, China, no standard therapy guideline has been set despite the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its high infectivity. The globally pandemic outbreak suggests that COVID-19 is highly infectious and difficult to control. A dual-combination of ribavirin and interferon-α has been the widely used regimen for the treatment of this disease in China. However, due to the varying results of treatment with these drugs, a novel antiviral combination therapy is urgently needed. This case reports the usage of lopinavir/ritonavir-based combination antiviral regimen for a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection.


It is well established that musical sounds comprising multiple partials with frequencies approximately in the ratio of small integers give rise to a strong sensation of pitch even if the lowest or fundamental partial is missing—the so-called virtual pitch effect. Experiments on thirty test subjects demonstrate that this virtual pitch is shifted significantly by changes in the spacing of the constituent partials. The experiments measured pitch by comparison of sounds of similar timbre and were automated so that they could be performed remotely across the Internet. Analysis of the test sounds used shows that the pitch shifts are not predicted by Terhardt's classic model of virtual pitch. The test sounds used were modelled on the sounds of church bells, but a further experiment on seventeen test subjects showed that changes in partial amplitude only had a minor effect on the pitch shifts observed, and that a pitch shift was still observed when two of the lowest frequency partials were removed, so that the effects reported are of general interest.


Apoptosis is an important significance in the pathogenesis of cancer. Caspase 3 and p53 have been identified as important members of the apoptosis related proteins. This study was performed to define roles of caspase 3 expression and its relationship with p53 expression in endometrial cancers by immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity for caspase 3 was found in 13 (65.0%) out of 20 endometrial hyperplasia cases and 8 (36.4%) out of 22 endometrial cancers. Seven (87.5%) of the 8 cases with a positive caspase 3 immunoreactivity showed a positive p53 expression in 22 endometrial cancers. There were no significant associations between caspase 3 and p53 expressions. These findings suggest that caspase 3 expression might be associated with carcinogenesis of endometrial cancers. Further studies are needed to define the relationship between caspase 3 and p53 and apoptosis for examining the mechanisms of tissue-specific apoptosis related protein.


ABSTRACT Pseudomonas strains with an atypical LOPAT profile (where LOPAT is a series of determinative tests: L, levan production; O, oxidase production; P, pectinolitic activity; A, arginine dihydrolase production; and T, tobacco hypersensibility) can be regarded as emergent pathogens in the Principality of Asturias (Spain), where they have been causing, since 1999, severe damage in at least three taxonomically unrelated orchard plants of agronomic importance: common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). These strains are mainly differentiated by production of yellowish mucoid material in hypersucrose medium, used for the levan test, and by a variable pectinolytic activity on different potato varieties. The atypical organisms were identified as Pseudomonas viridiflava based on their 16S rRNA sequences. Among them a certain intraspecies genetic heterogeneity was detected by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing. To differentiate between isolates of P. viridiflava and Pseudomonas syringae pathovars, a 16S ribosomal DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism method employing the restriction endonucleases SacI and HinfI was developed. This could be used as a means of reliable species determination after the usual phenotypical characterization, which includes the LOPAT tests.


: Using chemical modification and spectrofluorimetry, it was shown that two tryptophane residues of the elongation factor G (EF-G) in positions 51 and 71 from the N-terminus are located on the surface of the EF-G molecule. The tryptophane residue in position 71 is effectively shielded against modification at binding of EF-G guanyl nucleotides. Modification of these tryptophane residues does not result in a loss of the nucleotide-binding activity but completely inhibits EF-G binding to the ribosome. Polarized fluorescence study showed that the relaxation properties of these exposed tryptophane residues essentially depend both on the presence of the C-terminal domain and on binding of nucleotides in the nucleotide-binding site located in the N-terminal part of EF-G. It was assumed that the C-terminal domain, the nucleotide-binding site and the site responsible for the EF-G binding to the ribosome are brought together in the three-dimensional structure of the elongation factor G.


There is no consensus on the best equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in obese patients (OP). Objective: to evaluate the performance of the current equations and the new Argentinian Equation ("AE") to estimate GFR in OP. Two validation samples were used: internal (IVS, using 10-fold cross-validation) and temporary (TVS). OP whose GFR was measured (mGFR) with clearance of iothalamate between 2007/2017 (IVS, n = 189) and 2018/2019 (TVS, n = 26) were included. To evaluate the performance of the equations we used: bias (difference between eGFR and mGFR), P30 (percentage of estimates within ±30% of mGFR), Pearson's correlation (r) and percentage of correct classification (%CC) according to the stages of CKD. The median age was 50 years. Sixty percent had grade I obesity (G1-Ob), 25.1% G2-Ob and 14.9% G3-Ob, with a wide range in mGFR (5.6–173.1 mL/min/1.73 m2). In the IVS, AE obtained a higher P30 (85.2%), r (0.86) and %CC (74.4%), with lower bias (−0.4 mL/min/1.73 m2). In the TVS, AE obtained a higher P30 (88.5%), r (0.89) and %CC (84.6%). The performance of all equations was reduced in G3-Ob, but AE was the only one that obtained a P30 > 80% in all degrees. AE obtained better overall performance to estimate GFR in OP and could be useful in this population. Conclusions from this study may not be generalizable to all populations of obese patients since they were derived from a study in a single center with a very specific ethnic mixed population.


Analysis of the diagnostic potentialities of MR-tomography in the assessment of radiotherapeutic efficacy was performed in 11 patients (malignant tumors of the upper respiratory tract in 10 and juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in one). Repeated investigation was performed after abatement of local radiation reactions (usually after 4-8 weeks). MR-tomography permitted the assessment of the state of the accessory sinuses of nose, the detection of a residual tumor, and the differentiation between tumors and inflammatory changes of the mucosa. In one case radiotherapy resulted in the regeneration of posterolateral wall of the maxillary sinus.


It has long been known that certain superquantum nonlocal correlations collapse communication complexity, and it is conjectured that a statement like "communication complexity is not trivial" may provide an intuitive information-theoretic axiom for quantum mechanics. With the goal of addressing this conjecture, we take aim at collapsing communication complexity using weaker nonlocal correlations, and present a no-go theorem for a broad class of approaches. To achieve this, we investigate fault-tolerant computation by noisy circuits in a new light. Our main technical result is that, perhaps surprisingly, noiseless XOR gates are not more helpful than noisy ones in read-once formulas that have noisy AND gates for the task of building amplifiers. We also formalize a connection between fault-tolerant computation and amplification, and highlight new directions and open questions in fault-tolerant computation with noisy circuits. Our results inform the relationship between superquantum nonlocality and the collapse of communication complexity.


Subdivision methods are widely used for surface interpolation of a non-four-sided area. Using this method, smooth surface shape control of multiple surfaces is difficult. Therefore, we used the trim surface for interpolation of a concave area, but shape control of the trim surface was also difficult. In this research, the surface interpolation method of non-four-sided (over 4 sided) area uses a single NBG (NURBS Boundary Gregory) patch. Moreover we apply this method for concave areas and study the ability of interpolation. Interpolation of one-sided and two-sided concave shapes is also considered. As a result, one-sided concave area can be interpolated smoothly for complex cases. Two-sided cases need further study. §


Deep neural networks have led to a series of breakthroughs, dramatically improving the state-of-the-art in many domains. The techniques driving these advances, however, lack a formal method to account for model uncertainty. While the Bayesian approach to learning provides a solid theoretical framework to handle uncertainty, inference in Bayesian-inspired deep neural networks is difficult. In this paper, we provide a practical approach to Bayesian learning that relies on a regularization technique found in nearly every modern network, \textit{batch normalization}. We show that training a deep network using batch normalization is equivalent to approximate inference in Bayesian models, and we demonstrate how this finding allows us to make useful estimates of the model uncertainty. With our approach, it is possible to make meaningful uncertainty estimates using conventional architectures without modifying the network or the training procedure. Our approach is thoroughly validated in a series of empirical experiments on different tasks and using various measures, outperforming baselines with strong statistical significance and displaying competitive performance with other recent Bayesian approaches.


We describe an efficient numerical method for solving the isotropic inhomogeneous 3D Poisson equation in cylindrical coordinates as applied to analysis of EIT phantom experimental systems. The proposed approach is based on the second order accuracy finite-difference scheme and the BiCG iterative method with the FFT preconditioner. Extensive validation, numerical examples and comparison with experimental results are given. The performance and accuracy of the proposed numerical method are investigated and compared with the similar BiCG method with the Jacoby preconditioner.


A variety of luting cements are available for use with orthodontic bands. This in vitro study was conducted to evaluate the force required to cause debanding when zinc phosphate, polycarboxylate and glass ionomer cements are used as the luting agents; and to determine whether sandblasting the inner surface of orthodontic bands affects the force required to deband. The data were obtained by debanding cemented stainless steel bands from 20 extracted third molars. Glass ionomer cement demonstrated the highest mean force value required to deband both the nonsandblasted and sandblasted orthodontic bands. Sandblasting the inner surface of the bands proved to be a significant (P < 0.001) method for increasing band retention for all three cements tested. The mean force required to deband using zinc phosphate, polycarboxylate and glass ionomer cements was approximately doubled following sandblasting.


The energetic and electronic structure of bilayered graphene (BLG) with AA stacking arrangement on a SiO2 substrate is investigated in the presence of an electric field F of different intensities by ab initio density functional calculations. The AA-stacked bilayer graphene is stable on the SiO2 substrate in the absence of an electric field. However, as F increases, the AA-stacked bilayer graphenes are gradually shifted with each other and finally transfers into AB-stacked bilayer graphenes. The bandgap is accordingly changed.


The color, with the particularity to be defined simultaneously as a physical quantity and as a psychophysical quantity, is one of the concepts that can link hard sciences and behavioural sciences. From the viewpoint of behavioural sciences, colors are basically measured with nominal scales. in hard sciences, colors are measured with interval scales. Our hypothesis is that the main relation that must be preserved during a color measurement is a metric. We suggest then that colors must be measured with metrical scales. The fuzzy metrical scale is preferred due to the possibility to define it like a nominal scale.


Introduction.In the modern world, volunteering is one of the most effective ways for successful social development and improvement of the quality of human life. By the Decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the year of 2018 has been declared the Year of Volunteer in the Russian Federation. Voluntary activity has a positive impact not only on people who are provided with help but also on volunteers. Volunteering is beneficial for the formation and strengthening of moral position and citizenship, development of philanthropy, responsiveness, sense of justice, leadership skills. Besides, youth volunteering abroad has long been used as an important element of preparation to perform professional duties. Participating in the professionally focused volunteering, the student has an opportunity to gain professional experience, to check the correctness of own professional self-determination and career aptitude. Similar volunteer service is especially relevant for representatives of the "caring" professions – teachers, social workers, psychologists and doctors, i.e. people who have to be a priori ready for pro-social activity and have such qualities as goodwill, communicability and conscientiousness.The aimof the paper is to study the dynamics of the psychological characteristics of future health-care professionals regularly participating in professionally-oriented volunteer activities.Methodology and research methods.The research is based on competency-based and activity approaches to education. Also, research methodology involves the key provisions of the concept of a humanization of the pedagogical process of the higher education institution, and the basic principles of volunteers' activity declared in documents of the "United Nations Volunteers" (UNV) programme. The survey among students was the main method of information collection. Psycho-diagnostic tools involved: the assessment technique for communicative and organizing tendencies of an individual (V. V. Sinyavsky, V. A. Fedoroshin); the questionnaire for assessing the development level of empathic tendencies (A. Megrabyan, N. Epstein); the methodology for studying of valuable orientations of the individual (M. Rokich); the questionnaire "Motivation of Assistance" (S. K. Nartov-Bochaver). To objectify the data obtained, the Mann–Whitney U Test statistical technique was applied to reveal a difference in values of the parameter between small selections.Results and scientific novelty.The volunteer team was organized at the Department of Psychology of Health and Correctional Psychology of the Kursk State Medical University. This team is engaged in volunteering at the boarding school for children with disabilities. The authors came to the conclusion that the real directions of quasi-professional voluntary student unionism substantially correspond to the abilities and skills required of future health professionals. The authors analyzed the two-year dynamics of changes in students' psychological characteristics and professional competencies under the influence of their constant involvement in the volunteer movement. The key personality traits of an experienced student volunteer were designated: orientation towards humanistic values; motivation and readiness of providing assistance to needy people; well-developed communicative abilities and empathy. It has been established empirically that the level of development of these professionally important qualities among the student volunteers is initially above, compared with fellow students who were not involved in volunteering. Also, the level mentioned above continues to evolve actively due to the performance of the professionally focused and socially important volunteer mission.Practical significance. Results of the undertaken research prove convincingly that inclusion in the pedagogical process of higher education institution of professional volunteering as one of the priority activities contributes to the spiritual-moral education of students, the formation of professional and general humanistic outlook. In addition, student volunteering allows future graduates to find the necessary experience in the chosen field of employment.


Background/aims: To investigate retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness measurement reproducibility using conventional time-domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT) and spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT), and to evaluate two methods defining the optic nerve head (ONH) centring: Centred Each Time (CET) vs Centred Once (CO), in terms of RNFL thickness measurement variability on SD-OCT. Methods: Twenty-seven eyes (14 healthy subjects) had three circumpapillary scans with TD-OCT and three raster scans (three-dimensional or 3D image data) around ONH with SD-OCT. SD-OCT images were analysed in two ways: (1) CET: ONH centre was defined on each image separately and (2) CO: ONH centre was defined on one image and exported to other images after scan registration. After defining the ONH centre, a 3.4 mm diameter virtual circular OCT was resampled on SD-OCT images to mimic the conventional circumpapillary RNFL thickness measurements taken with TD-OCT. Results: CET and CO showed statistically significantly better reproducibility than TD-OCT except for 11:00 with CET. CET and CO methods showed similar reproducibility. Conclusions: SD-OCT 3D cube data generally showed better RNFL measurement reproducibility than TD-OCT. The choice of ONH centring methods did not affect RNFL measurement reproducibility.


Numerous factors affect the reproducibility and validity of dietary assessment questionnaires. Although the respondents' abilities to respond accurately are most frequently discussed as the cause of apparently poor reproducibility and validity, many other factors are as important and perhaps more important. Most of these other factors are under the control of the investigator, and thus are amenable to improvement. Factors which may affect reproducibility included the degree of variability permitted by the instrument, the error-proneness of the response format, quality control of coding and keying and real dietary change in the time between the two administrations of the questionnaire. Factors affecting real or apparent validity include respondent characteristics, questionnaire design and quantification, quality control, and the adequacy of the reference data. The implications of inadequate reference data are illustrated and discussed.


The mechanism of concrete mix compaction by vacuum compaction and vibro-vacuumizing is considered. The major factors essentially influencing this process are distinguished. The mathematical dependences are given. The theoretical findings are verified by experimental tests.


Abstract : The multimegawatt MPD (Magnetoplasma Dynamic) thruster is an electric engine capable of orbital transfer and maneuvering of large payloads driven by a megawatt class space power supply. The MPD thruster is capable of specific impulses from 1,500 to 8,000 s. The high specific impulse means this system can perform missions using much less propellant than chemical systems. A five MW MPD electric system, propellant and payload from one shuttle launch must be replaced by the equivalent of four fully loaded Centaur G' stages. Thus, the savings in propellant and launch costs are very substantial. This report discusses 3 aspects of MPD thruster Physics: 1) A significant operational problem which has limited the useful operation of the device is discussed. This is severe erosion of the insulator at the cathode insulator junction. A technique which appears to solve the problem has been tested, and is described. 2) A preliminary analyses of anode sheath is presented. 3) Analysis of the discharges two dimensional nature is explored for the case where transverse gradients are considered but transverse velocity is assumed to be zero. This situation applies to high aspect ratio devices. The analyses concludes with: a) a formalish that provides a means to qualitatively evaluate Ohmic dissipation from simple measurements of magnetic Hall effect on magnetosonic choking (where thermodynamics is ignored).


We consider the problem of planning trajectories for a group of N vehicles, each aiming to reach its own target set while avoiding danger zones of other vehicles. The analysis of problems like this is extremely important practically, especially given the growing interest in utilizing unmanned aircraft systems for civil purposes. The direct solution of this problem by solving a single-obstacle Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) variational inequality (VI) is numerically intractable due to the exponential scaling of computation complexity with problem dimensionality. Furthermore, the single-obstacle HJI VI cannot directly handle situations in which vehicles do not have a common scheduled arrival time. Instead, we perform sequential path planning by considering vehicles in order of priority, modeling higher-priority vehicles as time-varying obstacles for lower-priority vehicles. To do this, we solve a double-obstacle HJI VI which allows us to obtain the reach-avoid set, defined as the set of states from which a vehicle can reach its target while staying within a time-varying state constraint set. From the solution of the double-obstacle HJI VI, we can also extract the latest start time and the optimal control for each vehicle. This is a first application of the double-obstacle HJI VI which can handle systems with time-varying dynamics, target sets, and state constraint sets, and results in computation complexity that scales linearly, as opposed to exponentially, with the number of vehicles in consideration.


The objective of this research is to design and optimize a mini/micro-channel based concentrator of E. coli and integrate it with an acoustic wave biosensor. A computational research has been carried out using the state of the art computational software, CFD-ACE with water as bacteria bearing fluid. E. coli bacteria have been modeled as random discrete particles tracked by solving the Lagrangian equations. The design challenges are to achieve high particle to water ratio, high enough Reynolds number to avoid bacteria swimming, and various particle boundary conditions. The optimized design has achieved concentration of more than an order of magnitude higher than the inlet concentration at a flow velocity much higher than the bacteria swimming speed under various particle-boundary interactions. Bypass channels have been used to separate concentrated water-particle mixture and to put this mixture directly onto the biosensor's bacteria detecting surface for safe and precise installation of the biosensor in the fluidic chip.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The article presents an analysis of the main indicators of the labor market and determines the main trends, including taking into account quarantine measures concerning COVID-19. The correlation of the types of trends in the labor market in the regions of Kazakhstan is carried out: regions with positive trends in the labor market, regions with positive dynamics according to certain indicators with a risk of deterioration of the situation, regions with a negative trend in the labor market are identified. Structural shifts in employment are investigated and their masses are calculated. The presence of polarization of workplaces was revealed. The main conclusions of the study are formulated: the problems of the labor market are updated and appropriate recommendations are proposed.


This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the relative importance of different labor market adjustment mechanisms in Canada and the United States and also examines the effects of the unemployment insurance (UI) system on labor market adjustment. At the aggregate level, employment growth shocks result in similar unemployment rate responses but smaller wage responses in Canada relative to the United States. Although overall UI generosity has increased aggregate unemployment persistence in Canada, the endogenous component of UI has affected unemployment persistence only marginally. The lower degree of aggregate real wage flexibility in Canada has not been an important determinant of unemployment persistence.


The effects of sheep urine and dung patches on methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes were investigated during the summer-autumn in 2010, to evaluate their contribution to climate change in a desert grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. Results indicate that the cumulative CH4 emissions for dung patches, urine patches and control plots were − −0.076, −0.084, and −0.114 g/m2 and these were net CH4 sinks during the measured period. The level of CH4 intake from urine and dung plots decreased 25.7%, and 33.3%, respectively, compared with a control plot. CO2 fluxes differed (p<0.01) in urine plots, with an average of 569.20 mg/m2/h compared with control plots (357.62 mg/m2/h) across all sampling days. Dung patches have cumulative CO2 emissions that were 15.9% higher compared with the control during the 55-d period. Overall, sheep excrement weakened CH4 intake and increased CO2 emissions.


Malassezia pachydermatis is a commensal yeast of the skin and external ear canal of dogs and cats that may become an opportunistic pathogen under some conditions. The aim of this paper was to research the diseases which predispose to the development of opportunistic M. pachydermatis in dogs with external otitis or dermatopathies. The samples were collected by sterile swabs or by the carpet technique. Samples were obtained from the external ear canal and cutaneous tegument and were seeded in Sabouraud dextrose agar added with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide. Following, they were incubated at 32oC for seven days for yeast identification. M. pachydermatis isolation was successful in 49 (70%) of the 70 samples investigated. Underlying diseases diagnosed in these animals included ceruminous otitis, skin fold pyoderma, seborrhoeic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, pressure point pyoderma, parasitic otitis, acanthosis nigricans, hot spot and bacterial otitis. The results confirm that the presence of this yeast can cause the perpetuation of these diseases and be a treatment complication factor.

 Key words: Malasseziosis, dogs, otitis external, dermatopathies.


We report on a 45-year-old man with bacterial mitral valve endocarditis and valve-ring abscess following a staphylococcus aureus sepsis with septic shock and respiratory insufficiency. A thrombosis of the marginal branch of the left circumflex coronary artery with a myocardial infarction occurred as a consequence of the unusual location of the abscess which spread to the left ventricular lateral wall with an encasement of this blood vessel, and with destruction of the arterial wall. The patient died of biventricular heart failure because of septic shock and myocardial infarction. We discuss entrance spots of infection, predisposing diseases, and complications of valve-ring and myocardial abscesses.


OBJECTIVE
To compare dental arch dimensions and arch forms in various vertical facial patterns.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional comparative study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY
The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from June 2007 to May 2008.

METHODOLOGY
Cases of age ranging 13-30 years were reviewed having full complement of teeth (upto second permanent molars) with less than 7 mm crowding. Exclusion criteria included presence of dental anomalies, previous dentoalveolar surgery, trauma or orthodontic treatment and craniofacial syndromes. One hundred cases including 40 normodivergent, 30 hypodivergent and 30 hyperdivergent facial patterns were selected. Occlusograms were made and various arch dimensions were measured. Arch forms were calculated according to ratios of three sagittal to three transverse dimensions.

RESULTS
The mean age of the sample was 21 years and 5 months. Significant differences in arch dimensions were found only in maxillary total arch length (p=0.03) and mandibular posterior intermolar width (p=0.04). Wide lower arches were predominant in all face types. Wide upper arches were predominant only in hypo- and hyperdivergent subjects.

CONCLUSION
Statistically significant difference in arch dimensions was found only in maxillary total arch length and mandibular posterior intermolar width. A non-linear relationship was found between arch length and arch width. Wide lower arches were predominant in all face types whereas wide upper arches were predominant in hypo- and hyperdivergent subjects.


The Malang Religious Court has the authority to decide cases on Islamic economic disputes. Decision numbered: 0689 / Pdt.G / 2017 / PA.Mlg is a ruling stating that they reject the plaintiff's claim regarding the cancellation of the mortgage. The formulation of the problem in this study was how the litigation procedure in the Sharia Economic Dispute Settlement of the Malang Religious Court and the legal basis for judges' consideration in deciding case number 0689 / Pdt.G / 2017 / PA.Mlg. This study used qualitative methods with primary data source for decision number 0689 / Pdt.G / 2017 / PA.Mlg and secondary data in the form of laws and regulations, DSN-MUI fatwa, documentation, and interview with judges of the Malang Religious Court. Conclusion Thesis, legal considerations used by the Panel of Judges in Decision Number: 0689 / Pdt.G / 2017 / PA.Mlg wereappropriate. These legal considerations used Law number 3 of 2006 and Law number 50 of 2009 concerning religious courts, Law number 4 of 1996 concerning mortgage rights and objects related to land, Law number 21 of 2008 concerning Islamic banking, DSN fatwa MUI number 11 / DSN-MUI / IV / 2000 concerning Kafalah and Perma number 2 of 2008 concerning Sharia Economic Law Compilation. However, in using consideration Permenkeu 106 / PMK.06 / 2013 was not appropriate because the Permenkeu had been revoked and was not valid because there was a Permenkeu 27 / PMK.06/2016. Key Words : Sharia Economic Disputes, Mortgage Rights, Religious Courts


In this paper we present a novel iterative multiphase clustering technique for efficiently clustering high dimensional data points. For this purpose we implement clustering feature (CF) tree on a real data set and a Gaussian density distribution constraint on the resultant CF tree. The post processing by the application of Gaussian density distribution function on the micro-clusters leads to refinement of the previously formed clusters thus improving their quality. This algorithm also succeeds in overcoming the inherent drawbacks of conventional hierarchical methods of clustering like inability to undo the change made to the dendogram of the data points. Moreover, the constraint measure applied in the algorithm makes this clustering technique suitable for need driven data analysis. We provide veracity of our claim by evaluating our algorithm with other similar clustering algorithms. Introduction


Bioanalytical methods must enable the delivery of data that meet sound, scientifically justified, fit-for-purpose criteria. At early phases of biotherapeutic drug development, suitable criteria of a ligand-binding assay could be met for pharmacokinetic (PK) in-study sample testing without a full validation defined by regulatory guidelines. To ensure fit-for-purpose methods support PK testing through all phases of biotherapeutic development, three tiers of method validation - regulatory, scientific and research validations - are proposed. The three-tiered framework for method validation outlines the differences in the parameters that should be assessed, the acceptance criteria that may be applied, and the documentation necessary at each level. The criteria for selecting the appropriate application of each of these PK method validation workflows are discussed.


Experiments currently searching for dark matter and studying properties of neutrinos require very low levels of radioactive backgrounds both in their own construction materials and in the surrounding environment. These low background levels are required so that the current and next generation experiments can achieve the required sensitivities for their searches. This presentation will describe the low background measurement facilities currently operating at SNOLAB and will discuss plans and options to expand these facilities to allow for the increased sensitivity required by the next generation of experiments.


Due to the inherent safety characteristics of passive core injecting system, it is one of the most important mitigation strategies under loss of coolant accident (LOCA). However, flow instability during passive gravity-driven reflooding may occur, which can obstruct core reflooding process and reduce the heat removal rate from the reactor core. Therefore, exploring the characteristic and influencing mechanisms of flow instability during gravity-driven reflooding is necessary to analyze the effectiveness of passive core injecting system and mitigate the consequences of LOCA.
 In this work, small scale experiments are performed to investigate the flow instability during gravity-driven reflooding when the open ratio of steam outlet are in the ranges of 3.33–50%, gravity driving head are 16–20kPa and system pressure are 0.1–0.3MPa. The test facility consists of a cooling water storage tank, a test section and a condensate tank. The results show that flow instability could occur under specific conditions and have a strong regularity, which is divided into three stages: cooling water initial injection, cooling water expulsion and cooling water re-injection. In addition, the effects of open ratio of steam outlet, gravity driving head and system pressure on flow instability phenomenon are investigated. Increasing the open ratio of steam outlet accelerates the discharge rate of steam and prevents the accumulation of steam at the inner cylinder, which can contribute to cooling the heated rods and restrict the flow instability. And under low gravity driving head of 16kPa and low system pressure of 0.1MPa the temperature and pressure acutely change and flow instability is more likely to occur.


Electrical burns of the mouth can result in severe scarring and constriction of the lip commissures. Plastic surgery is needed to correct this defect when a special burn obturator is not used. The obturator is worn for a year and can prevent or reduce the need for corrective surgery.


Purpose To examine the contribution of "values-based reasoning" in evaluating older adults' capacity to make medical decisions. Design and Methods Older men with schizophrenia (n=20) or dementia (n=20), and a primary care comparison group (n=19), completed cognitive and psychiatric screening and an interview to determine their capacity to make medical decisions, which included a component on values. All of the participants were receiving treatment at Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient clinics. Results Participants varied widely in the activities and relationships they most valued, the extent to which religious beliefs would influence healthcare decisions, and in ratings of the importance of preserving quality versus length of life. Most participants preferred shared decision making with doctor, family, or both. Individuals with schizophrenia or dementia performed worse than a primary care comparison group in reasoning measured by the ability to list risks and benefits and compare choices. Individuals with dementia performed comparably to the primary care group in reasoning measured by the ability to justify choices in terms of valued abilities or activities, whereas individuals with schizophrenia performed relatively worse compared to the other two groups. Compared to primary care patients, participants with schizophrenia and with dementia were impaired on the ability to explain treatment choices in terms of valued relationships. Conclusion Medical decision making may be influenced by strongly held values and beliefs, emotions, and long life experience. To date, these issues have not been explicitly included in structured evaluations of medical decision-making capacity. This study demonstrated that it is possible to inquire of and elicit a range of healthcare related values and preferences from older adults with dementia or schizophrenia, and individuals with mild to moderate dementia may be able to discuss healthcare options in relation to their values. However, how best to incorporate a values assessment into a structured capacity evaluation deserves further research attention.


The regulating mechanism in hepatic injury caused by obstructive jaundice (OJ) was examined in this study. Rat hepatocytes were harvestedby in situ collagenase perfusion and subjected to primary culture. The heptocytes were pre-treated with various concentrations of protein kinase C(PKC) agonist PMA and its inhibitor chelerythrine and cultured for 20 min. After the treatment,50 μmol/L glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC) was added and the cells were cultured for an additional24 h. Cells were then detected by flow cytometry (FCM) and TUNEL. After hepatocytes were treated with different concentrations of fructose and 100 μM GCDC, the cells were examined by FCM and TUNEL. Experimental obstructive jaundice (BDL) was induced by double ligation of the bile duct. After BDL, the rats were fed with or without fructos and sacrificed 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after the ligation. The apoptotic status was observed in liver of all rats with TUNEL and PKC protein in liver of OJ was studied by immunohistochemical method. Our results showed that PMA increased GCDC-induced apoptosis and chelerythrine decreased GCDC-induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. After the treatment with fructose of different concentrations, 100 μM GCDC decreased the apoptotic rate and the apoptotic rate decreased with the increase of fructose concentration. The apoptotic rate of liver was related to the time of OJ. Without the treatment of fructose, PKC and apoptosis index (AI) were highest 14 days after the bile duct ligation. With the treatment of fructose, apoptosis index (AI) and PKC were decreased from the 14th day after the bile duct ligation. It is concluded that PKC is involved in the regulation of apoptosis in the liver cells with OJ and plays important roles in the development and progression of liver injury caused by OJ.Fructose can protect hepatocytes in the bile salt-induced apoptosis by regulating PKC.


A discussion of current concepts on silicone implantation of the joints of the foot is presented. The properties of medical grade silicone, its clinical application with and without associated Dacron mesh, and a review of the literature on reported surgical complications is described.


Electroosmosis (EO) is the movement of water in a porous medium under the influence of a direct current (dc). In past decades, electro-osmosis has been successfully employed in many soil improvement and other geotechnical engineering projects. Metal electrodes, such as steel, copper and aluminum have been used traditionally to conduct current. The shortcoming of these electrodes is that
they corrode easily during an EO treatment, which results in reduced effectiveness and environmental concerns. More recently, conductive polymers are developed to replace metal electrodes in EO treatment. Electrical vertical drainages (EVDs) are one of these products under trial. The goal of this study is to assess the performance of EVDs for soil improvement and to further understand the scientific principle of the EO process, including the voltage drop at the soil-EVD interface, electrical current density, polarity
reversal, and changes in soil physico-chemical properties generated by electroosmosis. It is found from the study that after 19 days of EO treatment with a constant applied dc electric field intensity of 133 V/m, the soil\'s moisture content decreased by 28%, the shear strength and pre-consolidation pressure increased more than 400%. It is also found that the current density required triggering the water flow in the soil tested, the Korean Yulchon marine clay, is 0.7 A/m2. The project demonstrates that EVDs can serve as both electrodes and drains for soil improvement in short term. However, the EVDs, as tested, are not suitable for polarity reversal in EO treatment and their service life is limited to only 15 days.


Abstract: Fifty patients (42 men, 8 women) with seborrheic dermatitis were included in the trial. Ketoconazole 2% emulsion or the same emulsion without active drug was applied b.i.d. for 4 weeks. Two patients dropped out in the ketoconazole group and nine in the placebo group. Pityrosporum ovale was cultured from all patients at the start and from six out of 23 in the ketoconazole group versus nine out of 16 in the placebo group at week 4. The overall assessment showed a significantly better response to treatment for the ketoconazole emulsion (72%) than for the placebo (32%).


The hemocompatibility of polymeric vascular implants is in part dependent on the propensity of fibrinogen to adsorb to the implant surface. Fibrinogen surface adsorption was measured in real time using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Six new, biodegradable tyrosine-derived polycarbonates were used as test surfaces. Stainless steel, poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) surfaces served as controls and provided a comparison of the test surfaces with those of commonly used biomaterials. Our study addressed the question regarding to which extent systematic variations in polymer structure can be used to optimize X-ray visibility and provide tunable degradation rates while generating protein-repellant surface properties that minimize fibrinogen adsorption. QCM-D revealed surface-dependent changes in fibrinogen layer thickness (2 to 37 nm), adsorbed wet mass (0.2 to 4.3 microg/cm2), and viscosity (0.001 to 0.005 kg/ms). While we did not find an overall correlation between surface air-water contact angle measurements and fibrinogen adsorption (R2 = 0.08), our data demonstrate that gradually increasing the poly(ethylene glycol) content within a subgroup of polymers having the same polymer backbone will lead to decreased fibrinogen adsorption. Within this subgroup of polymers, there was a strong correlation between decreasing air-water contact angles and decreasing fibrinogen adsorption (R2 = 0.95). We conclude that it is possible to minimize fibrinogen adsorption to tyrosine-derived polycarbonates while optimizing X-ray visibility and degradation rates. Some of the tyrosine-derived polycarbonates were identified as useful materials for the design of blood-contacting implants on the basis of their substantially lower levels of fibrinogen adsorption relative to the commonly used controls.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

The major challenge in breast cancer research pertains to tumor heterogeneity being a constant characteristic in the disease process. Although it is recognized that rare cancer cells drive the disease, there is a lack of suitable function-based assays to identify and focus on such cells for therapy development. Based on the hypothesis that only rare but highly adaptable cancer cells succeed in metastasizing, we have recently isolated rare (< 0.01% of population) highly metastatic cells present in an aggressive inflammatory breast cancer cell line SUM149. Using a variety of long-term adaptability assays we have found that such cells have adaptability to survive lack of glutamine, glucose, oxygen, and serum. Unlike the majority of cells, such cells have a high ability to dissociate their metabolic state from regulatory state, thus making them more resistant to chemotherapy drugs. These properties of cancer cells make them suitable for survival as resistant cells in the body, which often use quiescence as a way of surviving unfavorable conditions. As an initial step to optimize our in vitro system for evaluating potential personalized therapies, we compared the efficacy of several experimental targeted therapy drugs on metastatic Gln-independent variants and on parental SUM149 cell line. Since cell proliferation and apoptosis assays after a short exposure to experimental therapies are not good at predicting clinical response, we chose to determine therapeutic efficacy by analyzing residual/resistant cells after a relatively long exposure to therapy. Celecoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor (2-10 micromolar range), failed to inhibit resistant cells in both Gln-ind and parental SUM149 cell lines. At a 50 micromolar concentration, celecoxib eradicated all cells with a proliferative potential in the parental cell line but not in the Gln-ind subpopulation. Metformin, an anti-diabetes drug that activates AMPK and also inhibits "cancer stem cells," was less effective in inhibiting Gln-ind cells than the parental cell line. BEZ235, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, sensitized Gln-ind and parental cells to the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and paclitaxel. However, Gln-ind cells yielded significantly more clonogenic (10-fold) cells after they were treated sequentially with BAZ235 and doxorubicin/paclitaxel. Salinomycin, a potassium ionophore and an inhibitor of "cancer stem cells," was also less effective against Gln-ind cells. HDAC inhibitors, valproic acid, and butyrate, which are being evaluated as sensitizers to other therapies in various cancers, sensitized both Gln-ind and parental cell line to doxorubicin and paclitaxel. We conclude that the pair of cell lines used in this study will be useful in discovering strategies (e.g., novel therapies and ways to administer them) for eradicating metastatic breast cancer cells.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 879. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-879


We first identified the RANTES chemokine as part of a search for genes expressed by T lymphocytes "late", 3-5 days, after T-cell activation. The kinetics of expression of RANTES and a small number of other genes are unusual and the mechanism of such delayed expression is unknown. In order to uncover a mechanism for such "late" expression, we identified and characterized the RANTES promoter and a novel transcription factor regulating RANTES expression in T lymphocytes. RANTES factor of late activated T lymphocytes (RFLAT)-1 is a member of the Krüppel-like family of transcription factors. Like RANTES, RFLAT-1 expression is "late" after T-cell activation. But, unlike RANTES, regulation of RFLAT-1 expression appears to be translational rather than transcriptional.


Abstract NO2 and H2 gas sensing by few-layer graphene (FLG) were studied in dependence on the annealing and decoration of graphene by palladium nanoparticles (NPs). Graphene was deposited onto SiO2 (500 nm)/Si substrates by a modified Langmuir-Schaefer technique. A solution of FLG flakes in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone was obtained by a mild sonication of the expanded milled graphite. FLG films were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and the Brunnauer-Emmett-Teller method. Average FLG flake thickness and lateral dimension were 5 nm and 300 nm, respectively. Drop casting of Pd NP (6–7 nm) solution onto FLG film was applied to decorate graphene by Pd. The room temperature (RT) resistance of the samples was stabilized at 15 kΩ by vacuum annealing. Heating cycles of FLG film revealed its semiconducting character. The gas sensing was tested in the mixtures of dry air with H2 gas (10 to 10 000 ppm) and NO2 gas (2 to 200 ppm) between RT and 200 °C. The response of 26 % to H2 was achieved by FLG with Pd decoration at 70 °C and 10 000 ppm of H2 in the mixture. Pure FLG film did not show any response to H2. The response of FLG with Pd to 6 ppm of NO2 at RT was ≥ 23 %. It is 2 times larger than that of the pure FLG sample. Long term stability of sensors was studied.


The development of concise grading schemes for diffuse gliomas with proven relevance to tumor behavior and susceptibility to therapy is important for clinical decision making. At present, there is unacceptably large interobserver discrepancy in the application of the current World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for accrual of patients in trials for patients with gliomas. Because of a lack of relevant studies, the WHO guidelines for grading are not yet as clear aswould be desirable. The development of well-defined grading schemes consisting of features with low interobserver scoring variability and prognostic or predictive relevance is needed. Although interobserver concordance can be tested in retrospective studies, the prognostic or predictive qualities of histological parameters can only be tested in prospective studies. Only evidence-based histopathology will retain its critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of diffuse gliomas.


Five differently proposed force fields are compared on their ability to reproduce experimental data of dilute aqueous solutions of polyethylene oxide (PEO). Solution densities, radii of gyration, radial distribution functions, self-diffusion coefficients, and also solvation free energies are evaluated in using atomistic Molecular Dynamics simulations. The chosen force fields are the three ones from Bedrov et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 1998, 102, 996], including the original force field with the generic combining rule (GEN), one with empirical combination rule (EMP) and quantum chemistry based force field (QC). The other two force fields are the one from Cordeiro et al. [Macromolecules 2010, 43, 1583] (CZMP) and the CHARMM force field. The CZMP force field performs best in reproducing both thermodynamic and dynamic properties of the PEO dilute solution. The QC force field describes the chain dimension and hydrophilic behavior of PEO oligomers reasonably well and also the power-law exponent matches well with experimental results, but it overestimates the interaction strength between PEO and water resulting in slightly higher densities and slower mobilities for PEO oligomers in dilute solution. The CHARMM force field reproduces the densities and self-diffusion coefficients for PEO oligomers quite well, but it gives PEO a semi-hydrophobic character in dilute solution. The original force field, together with the EMP combining rule gives only the thermodynamic properties of PEO dilute solutions in a reasonable agreement with experimental data, but describes neither the thermodynamic nor the dynamic properties of PEO oligomers properly when it is used with the generic combination rule. Simulation results also reveal that CZMP, QC and CHARMM can qualitatively reproduce the solvation free energies for the ether unit in dilute aqueous solution. The influence of different water models on phase behavior of dilute PEO aqueous solution is indistinguishable in our simulations.


Anatomy of Pmoo, by Hugh J. Klare. Published by Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1960. Price 18/-. . This book, by the Secretary of the Howard League for Penal Reform, is a study of our present penal system as it affects the people who live and work In our prisons, whether trom choice or necessity! In it, the author analyses the group pressures which exist amongst prisoners, and amongst the various grades of prison staffs. He gi\l'eS a comprehensive summary of the various types of prisons and prisoners, and outlines the difficulties of and necessity for prison reform. The picture of the stresses within the various groups inside a prison has many parallels with, for instance, the structuring of a mental hospital, where in some instances the custodial element of mental nursing dies hard. Just as authoritarian attitudes hamper progress towards a truly therapeutic community in a mental hospital, so in the prison service. the introduction of more positive attitudes towards the prisoners are regarded by some officers, whether consciously or unconsciously, as a threat to their own security; progress in prison reform tends to conflict at a deep level with the interests of prison staffs. (How reminiscent of the reactions in some quarters over the proposed future of the mental nursing service!) Public attitudes towards prisons and convicted prisoners, again similar in many respects to the attitudes shown towards mental patients, have so far been less educated towards a more enlightened approach. The author points out that detention, to serve any worthwhile good, should be preventive rather than punitive, but that public opposition to this idea is again based on deepseated psychological barriers of projected guilt feelings amongst ordinary people-the tendency to banish and reject what is felt to be wrong rather than to meet it consciously and deal with it by recognition and acceptance. For as Mr. Klare says, "Society does want to punish the prisoner." In face of this fact, large-scale public expenditure on prison reform would probably meet with considerable opposition. Yet "It is dffficult to graft new aims on to these old foundations" (the buildings and systems of the 19th century). Mr. Klare puts forward a strong and convincing appeal for a new system of smaller prisons, and of smaller groups of prisons, so that discipline can be relaxed and some democracy be introduced; "to provide a climate in which prison officers can lead and need not suppress." The problem of idleness amon~st prisoners is also discussed. What a familiar ring the following passage has! "It is intrinsically difficult to find a continuous flow of work for an immobile labour force of (in England and Wales) some 26,000 workers whose intelligence and capacity is well below average. Prisons are horribly permanent but not necessarily well placed to take advantage of new developments in light industry. They are so overcrowded that it may sometimes be impossible to build enough suitable workshops. And because of the expense to the public, the authorities dare not put 111 good. up-to-date and possibly costly equipment unless they are quite sure of getting the sort of longterm contract which would justify the outlay. Needless to say, such contracts do not fall off trees." . This book is written in a refreshingly straightforward and readable fashion; it is fair-minded and humane, factual without being in the least dull. For anyone' who has no first-hand knowledee of prison (which I optimistically imagine will include most O.T.s) it is well worth reading; it will be of particular interest to those who work in communities which tend to be isolated from the ordinary world, as it presents yet another slant on the aetiology of institutional neurosis.


In this study, the authors present a method to design efficient full-rate linear dispersion space-time block codes (LD-STBCs) in correlated Rayleigh fading channels with simple detection at the receiver. The authors first derive a formula for the achievable capacity of an LD-STBC coded multi-input multiple-output (MIMO) system as a function of correlation at the transmitter and the receiver. Moreover, the authors compute closed-form bit-error rate equations for multiple phase shift keying (M-PSK) and multiple quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) schemes. Then, the authors present a method to construct LD-STBCs over correlated Rayleigh fading MIMO channels. Finally, the authors design LD-STBCs for two and four transmit antennas. The designed LD-STBCs enjoy full-rate, minimum power fluctuation, simple structure, simple processing at the receiver. Moreover, the designed LD-STBCs for two transmit antennas provide better performance than Alamouti and LYC codes and the designed LD-STBCs for four transmit antennas provide better performance than TV codes at practical signal-to-noise ratios. Simulation results show that when the proposed LD-STBC for two transmit antennas is concatenated with an efficient outer channel encoder, it provides better performance than LYC code over correlated fading channels.


It has been suggested that small changes in population blood pressure will have a major impact upon the incidence of cardiovascular disease caused by blood pressure elevation. Early reports indicated a close correlation between intercultural differences in salt intake and blood pressure. Before such epidemiological associations can be translated into population advice, certain conditions have to be met. The association has to be validated scientifically, and persuasive evidence has to be produced that the relationship is causal and reversible by changes in salt intake. Further, risk-benefit analysis should indicate that net harm is unlikely. Finally it has to be demonstrated that the population measures being advocated will produce an adequate change in dietary salt intake. The small individual effects upon blood pressure being examined, and the prevailing changes in blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality suggest that data will always fall short of the ideal and therefore that extrapolation will always be necessary. Nevertheless, a review of the present evidence indicates the inadequacies of the available data as a basis for population advice.


Aflatoxin (AF) is a human health, nutrition, and financial risk to many people in the developing world. AF contamination in peanut is caused by the fungi: Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. AF is a potent carcinogenic toxin that also causes millions of dollars of financial losses to people in Africa. The fungus producing the AF can be reduced to an acceptable level by proper drying, sorting, storage, and cleaning of peanut. Government intervention and regulation can also encourage market participants to reduce AF contamination. In this paper, we examine the financial risk associated with sorting, and storing of peanut and peanut products along the marketing chain. Study results show that the prices paid for peanut, prices received, the costs of sorting and storage are dominant factors in reducing AF levels in peanut. Practices such as drying, sorting, and storing, however, pose financial risks to market traders of peanut. Unless government intervenes by requesting an AF-reduced peanut and provides assistance for market liberalization where market participants consider quality in trading decisions, suppliers of peanut will be reluctant to adopt AF-reducing techniques.


Abstract Choice experiments are often implemented with choice sets including one alternative depicting the status quo. Utility from status quo is experienced by the respondent, while utility associated with experimentally designed hypothetical alternatives is only conjectured by respondents. The effects of explicitly accounting for such a difference in the econometric analysis of the data are often unreported, or limited to fitting a 'status quo' constant. The paper proposes a model that explicitly accounts for these effects and attempts their decomposition using data from two choice modelling exercises designed to value the provision of environmental goods. Preferences for change versus status quo are explored with standard specifications along with a less usually applied error component analysis via mixed logit. The results suggest that alternatives offering changes from status quo do not share the same preference structure as the status quo alternative, and that estimates of spread parameters in zero-mean error components can be decomposed conditional on respondents' socio-economic characteristics. It is argued that these findings have implications for practitioners and their stance towards the strategies for the econometric analysis of choice modelling data for the purpose of valuation.


Abstract : This report describes a software package that was written to support the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) program in force-detected nano-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The software characterizes the noise found in cantilevers used for nano-MRI. The noise can be thermal noise that manifests itself as the Brownian motion of the cantilever, or it can be environmentally induced from external forces that excite the cantilever. The program analyzes the noise of both undriven and driven cantilevers. The program determines the root mean square (RMS) value of the undriven cantilever's motion versus time and its displacement power spectrum. The driven cantilever will experience instantaneous frequency deviations from the driving frequency due to Brownian motion. This program determines the instantaneous frequency of the cantilever and calculates the mean, standard deviation, and frequency deviation power spectrum of the cantilever's frequency versus time. Although developed to characterize the noise in a cantilever, the analysis preformed here is valid for characterizing the noise on a carrier independent of the source of the carrier and its noise.


The following are highlights from the series, Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions Topic Review. This series summarizes the most important articles, as selected by the editors, that have published in the Circulation portfolio. The studies included in this article represent the most noteworthy research in the area of new drug-eluting stents.


Particles containing soot, or black carbon, are gen- erally considered to contribute to global warming. However, large uncertainties remain in the net climate forcing result- ing from anthropogenic emissions of black carbon (BC), to a large extent due to the fact that BC is co-emitted with gases and primary particles, both organic and inorganic, and sub- ject to atmospheric ageing processes. In this study, diesel exhaust particles and particles from a flame soot genera- tor spiked with light aromatic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors were processed by UV radiation in a 6 m 3 Teflon chamber in the presence of NO x. The time-dependent changes of the soot nanoparticle properties were charac- terised using a Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter, an Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer and a Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. The results show that freshly emitted soot particles do not activate into cloud droplets at supersat- urations 2 %, i.e. the BC core coated with primary organic aerosol (POA) from the exhaust is limited in hygroscopicity. Before the onset of UV radiation it is unlikely that any sub- stantial SOA formation is taking place. An immediate change in cloud-activation properties occurs at the onset of UV ex- posure. This change in hygroscopicity is likely attributed to SOA formed from intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) in the diesel engine exhaust. The change of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties at the onset of UV ra- diation implies that the lifetime of soot particles in the at- mosphere is affected by the access to sunlight, which dif- fers between latitudes. The ageing of soot particles progres- sively enhances their ability to act as cloud condensation nu- clei, due to changes in: (I) organic fraction of the particle, (II) chemical properties of this fraction (e.g. primary or sec- ondary organic aerosol), (III) particle size, and (IV) particle morphology. Applying -Kohler theory, using a SOA value of 0.13 (derived from independent input parameters describ- ing the organic material), showed good agreement with cloud droplet activation measurements for particles with a SOA mass fraction 0.12 (slightly aged particles). The activa- tion properties are enhanced with only a slight increase in or- ganic material coating the soot particles (SOA mass fraction < 0.12), however not as much as predicted by Kohler theory. The discrepancy between theory and experiments during the early stages of ageing might be due to solubility limitations, unevenly distributed organic material or hindering particle morphology. The change in properties of soot nanoparticles upon pho- tochemical processing clearly increases their hygroscopicity, which affects their behaviour both in the atmosphere and in the human respiratory system.