SUMMARY Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan protozoan that has the dog as a definitive host and cattle (among other animals) as intermediate hosts. It causes encephalopathy in dogs and abortion in cows, with significant loss in worldwide livestock. As any Apicomplexan, the parasite invades the cells using proteins contained in the phylum-specific organelles, like the micronemes, rhoptries and dense granules. The aim of this study was the characterization of a homologue (denominated NcMIC2-like1) of N. caninum thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (NcMIC2), a micronemal protein previously shown to be involved in the attachment and connection with the intracellular motor responsible for the active process of invasion. A polyclonal antiserum raised against the recombinant NcMIC2-like1 functional core (thrombospondin and integrin domains) recognized the native form of NcMIC2-like1, inhibited the in vitro invasion process and localized NcMIC2-like1 at the apical complex of the parasite by confocal immunofluorescence, indicating its micronemal localization. The new molecule, NcMIC2-like1, has features that differentiates it from NcMIC2 in a substantial way to be considered a homologue†.


Volvatoxin A2 (VVA2), a novel pore-forming cardiotoxic protein was isolated from the mushroom Volvariella volvacea. We identified an N-terminal fragment (NTF) (1-127 residues) of VVA2 as a domain for oligomerization by limited tryptic digestion. On preincubation of NTF with VVA2, NTF was found to inhibit VVA2 hemolytic activity by inducing VVA2 oligomerization in the solution in the same manner as liposomes. By site-directed mutagenesis, the amphipathic α-helix B of NTF or VVA2 was shown to be indispensable for its biological functions. Interestingly, at a molar ratio of recombinant NTF (reNTF)/VVA2 as low as 0.01, reNTF was able to inhibit VVA2 hemolytic activity and induce VVA2 oligomerization. This indicates that reNTF can trigger VVA2 oligomerization by a seeding effect. Furthermore, the recombinant C-terminal fragment (128-199 residues) was found to be a functional domain that mediates the membrane binding of VVA2. We found a fragment localized at the C-terminal half of VVA2 containing β6, -7, and -8, which is protected from protease digestion because of its insertion of a membrane. We also identified a putative heparin binding site (HBS) located in the VVA2 C terminus (166-194 residues), which was conserved among 10 kinds of snake venom cardiotoxins. VVA2 or the reHBS fragment was shown to interact with sulfated glycoaminoglycans by affinity column chromatography. The finding of a higher number of glycoaminoglycans in the membrane of cardiac myocytes suggested that they could be the specific membrane target for VVA2. Taken together, these findings indicate that VVA2 contains two functional domains, NTF and CTF. The NTF domain is responsible for VVA2 oligomerization and the CTF domain for membrane binding and insertion. Our results support a model whereby the formation of VVA2 oligomeric pre-pore complexes precedes their membrane insertion.


Conclusions Monkeys in whom erythro-poiesis was suppressed (post hypoxic) showed a significant reticulocyte response to administration of erythropoietin of rabbit, sheep or human origin. These results indicate that erythropoietin of primate origin is not required for stimulation of erythropoiesis in primates.


Stimuli responsive polymeric nanoparticles in regulated drug delivery for cancer Stimuli-responsive drug delivery system is a concept in which a drug is delivered at a suitable rate in response to stimuli. States of diseases may cause an alteration in some parameters of the body (e.g. in tumors) and the onset and offset of the drug delivery can be done by using this as a stimuli or a "trigger". Stimuli-responsive ("intellectual" or "sharp") resources and molecules show abrupt property changes in response to miniature changes in external stimuli such as pH, temperature etc. For regulated drug delivery, environmental stimuli such as pH and temperature, which undertake phase transition in polymer system, have been investigated. Thermally-responsive polymers can be tuned to a preferred temperature variety by copolymerization with a hydrophilic co-monomer or a hydrophobic co-monomer. Hydrophilic co-monomers increase the LCST while hydrophobic co-monomers decrease the LCST. The stimuli responsive polymer for regulated drug delivery can contain a polymer and copolymers having equilibrium of hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. A number of these polymers have been investigated extensively and some success in drug delivery with them has been achieved, such as polymers and copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide, PLGA, and PLA, HEMA etc. Thus this review is designed for stimuli pH and temperature responsive polymeric nanoparticles, which would be helpful to treat various cronic diseases such as cancer and others, for scientists in the field of the regulated drug delivery system.


INTRODUCTION
Peripancreatic arterial pseudoaneurysm is a rare but potentially lethal complication of severe acute pancreatitis because it can massively bleed into the gastrointestinal tract. Since surgical treatment of such cases has a high mortality, percutaneous angiographic embolization of bleeding artery has recently been advocated as an alternative therapy. We report a case of acute pancreatitis complicated by gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to a ruptured gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm, in which hemostasis was achieved by transcatheter arterial embolization.

CLINICAL CASE
A 65-year-old woman was transferred from another hospital with a diagnosis of severe acute biliary pancreatitis, and having had hematemesis. Upper GI endoscopy detected bleeding from the papilla of Vater, and CT showed hemorrhage in a pseudocyst at the pancreatic head. Angiography revealed active bleeding from an arterial pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery: hematemesis was considered to result from rupture of the pseudoaneurysm (hemosuccus). Transcatheter arterial embolization was performed by a 2-step procedure, both through the celiac trunk, that was stenotic, and through the superior mesenteric artery, and hemostasis was achieved.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that transcatheter arterial embolization is a minimally invasive and highly effective treatment for acute bleeding from a ruptured pseudoaneurysm secondary to acute pancreatitis.


A variety of factors shape farmers' views as they face the rising effects of climate change and consider a range of adaptation strategies to build the resilience of their farming systems. We examine a set of related questions to explore farmers' perspectives on risks and potential shifts to their operations: (1) Relative to other environmental factors, how salient of a challenge is climate change and climate-related impacts to farmers? (2) Do farmers intend to adapt to climate impacts generally?, and (3) What factors shape their use of a specific and underexplored adaptive response—farm product diversification? The data come from a survey of 179 operators within a 30-county region of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The region spans various rural-urban gradients. Respondents generally represent smaller operations [median of 80 acres (32 hectares)]. Because our selection methods aimed to over-sample from food-producing farms, 60% of respondents produced some type of food or value-added product, and 40% produced only commodity feedstocks and biofuels. Although the group as a whole indicated only "somewhat" of a concern about changing weather patterns, and half did not anticipate adapting their farming practices to climate change, farmers' responses to a write-in question denoted regional climate effects as challenges to their farms. Analysis of subgroups among the respondents, according to their views of climate change, adaptation, and further diversifying their agricultural products, distinguished farmers' family considerations, and gender. Methods to elicit subgroups included correlation, regression, cluster analysis, and an examination of the many respondents (29%) who indicated uncertainty about adapting practices. Women, who participated in 29% of responses, indicated more concern with changing weather patterns and more openness to adapting farming practices compared to men. Farmers with the most family relationships to consider, and those with the greatest aspirations to employ descendants, were the most receptive to adapting their farming practices. This was the case even when respondents' concern over climate change was low. Results point to the importance of family relationships as a factor in farmers' openness to implementing adaptive and potentially mitigative actions.


Due to the rapid advances in the development of quantum computers and their susceptibility to errors, there is a renewed interest in error correction algorithms. In particular, error correcting code-based cryptosystems have reemerged as a highly desirable coding technique. This is due to the fact that most classical asymmetric cryptosystems will fail in the quantum computing era. Quantum computers can solve many of the integer factorization and discrete logarithm problems efficiently. However, code-based cryptosystems are still secure against quantum computers, since the decoding of linear codes remains as NP-hard even on these computing systems. One such cryptosystem is the McEliece code-based cryptosystem. The original McEliece code-based cryptosystem uses binary Goppa code, which is known for its good code rate and error correction capability. However, its key generation and decoding procedures have a high computation complexity. In this work we propose a design and hardware implementation of an public-key encryption and decryption co-processor based on a new variant of McEliece system. This co-processor takes the advantage of the non-binary Orthogonal Latin Square Codes to achieve much smaller computation complexity, hardware cost, and the key size.


Education in the scoring of sleep‐disordered breathing is organised differently and data on the evaluation of teaching strategies based on student ratings are sparse. The aim of the study was to analyse the gain in theoretical and practical knowledge achieved during different course settings offered by a national sleep society. The course contained 1 hr of theoretical teaching (scoring rules and recording methodology) and 2.5 hr of practical scoring (physiological breathing, obstructive/central sleep apnea and hypoventilation). Three different settings were provided: a large scoring group including participants with mixed experiences (1), a small scoring group with inexperienced scorers (2), and guided scoring for experienced scorers (3). Evaluation was performed at the end of the course. Data from 67 out of 82 participants (79%) were analysed (42 nurses/technicians and 25 physicians/dentists). Previous scoring experience was limited, moderate and extended in 25, 26, and 15 students, respectively. Gain of practical knowledge and overall course rating were significantly higher in settings 2 and 3 compared with 1 (p = 0.005 and p = 0.018 respectively). Guided scoring was the preferred practical teaching setting in experienced scorers, whereas scoring in large groups together with an experienced student was preferred in newcomers. Profession did not influence gain of knowledge, course satisfaction or preferred course design. From the student's perspective, consensus scoring in groups or guided scoring for all students may have advantages compared with single/small‐group scoring settings. Technical teaching knowledge of faculty members is of significant importance.


We have found that canine and rat hepatocytes convert (125I)iodoTyr10-glucagon to a peptide metabolite lacking the NH2-terminal three residues of the hormone. The peptide is released into the cell incubation medium and its formation is unaffected by a variety of lysosomotropic or other agents. Use of specific radioimmunoassays and gel filtration demonstrated in both normal subjects and in chronic renal failure patients a plasma peptide having the properties of the hormone fragment identified by cell studies. Studies of the dog revealed a positive gradient of the fragment across the liver and no differential gradient of the fragment and glucagon across the kidney. We conclude that the glucagon fragment arises from the cell-mediated processing of the hormone on a superficial aspect of the hepatocyte, the glucagon fragment identified during experiments in vitro represents the cognate of a peptide formed during the hepatic metabolism of glucagon in vivo, and measurement of the fragment by COOH-terminal radioimmunoassays could lead to an understimulation of hepatic glucagon extraction.


Strategic control represents that sequence of the strategic management process in which the strategy to be applied is followed,existing and potential problems are being identified and neccessary corrections are being made in order to ensure compliance of the achieved performance with set standars. Strategic control should allow the identification of problems generated by these changes and correction of the course of action based on intermediate performance that is registered succesively in the process of applying the strategic management model and then in that of full operation of the company based on the new model. This is achieved by permanent monitoring of the way in which the provisions of strategic plans are being administered, comparing achieved performance with the standards set by the plans. When the performance gaps exceed certain limits, corrective measure are take in order to restore the envisaged course of action on track. As the application of the strategic model progresses, the information collected from monitoring this process serve to review the strategy and update the strategic plans. Strategic control involves the use of a wide range controls at the corporate, business and functional levels to guide, direct, motivate and support managers and employees in the evaluation of the percentage of objectives achievement.


The Cold War was not only about power politics, security, and hegemony – it was also a conflict between differing theories of how to organize economies and societies at the various stages of industrial development. Ideologies and belief systems helped define the Cold War's front lines, but social conflict also largely determined its course and outcome. Beginning with the Marxist challenge to the capitalist system, multiple social concepts emerged during the course of the Cold War without any clear favorite model emerging. In the long run, however, collectivist and centrally planned economies showed some strengths in modernizing less developed societies albeit at great costs, whereas free-market economies showed greater productivity, at least after having accepted state-run systems of social welfare and a certain degree of planning at the national and international levels. That political freedom favored productivity and innovation ought to be one of the major lessons of the twentieth century. Capitalist system, Marxist movement, and Soviet power For Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, history was a story of class struggle. From their nineteenth-century perspective, they saw only two classes exercising an influence on history: the bourgeoisie that dominated society, and the proletariat that was exploited by it. The future, Marx and Engels believed, belonged to the proletariat. They predicted that the concentration of capital would continually increase, as would the exploitation and impoverishment of the proletariat. Finally, there would come a point when there would be no one left who could afford to buy the products of the few remaining big capitalists, and when the ever-expanding working class could no longer contain its indignation.


Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has been used for more than a decade for imaging dielectric processes. However, because of its ill-posedness and non-linearity, ECT image reconstruction has always been a challenge. A new genetic algorithm (GA) developed for ECT image reconstruction uses initial results from a linear back-projection, which is widely used for ECT image reconstruction to optimize the threshold and the maximum and minimum gray values for the image. The procedure avoids optimizing the gray values pixel by pixel and significantly reduces the search space dimension. Both simulations and static experimental results show that the method is efficient and capable of reconstructing high quality images. Evaluation criteria show that the GA-based method has smaller image error and greater correlation coefficients. In addition, the GA-based method converges quickly with a small number of iterations.


The otolith, found in both inner ears of bony fish, has mainly been used to estimate fish age. Another application that has been developing significantly in recent years, however, is the use of otolith shape as a tool for stock identification. Often, studies have directly used the shape asymmetry between the right and left otoliths. We tested the magnitude of directional asymmetry between the sagittal otoliths (left vs. right) of 2991 individuals according to their catch locations, and we selected species to evaluate whether directional asymmetry may itself be a tool to evaluate stock boundaries. Elliptical Fourier descriptors were used to describe the otolith shape. We used a flatfish, the common sole (Solea solea, n = 2431), from the eastern English Channel and the southern North Sea as well as a roundfish, the bogue (Boops boops, n = 560), from the Mediterranean Sea. Both species showed significant levels of directional asymmetry between the testing locations. The bogue otoliths showed significant asymmetry for only 5 out of 11 locations, with substantial separation between two large areas: the Algerian coast and the western part of the Italian coast. The sole otoliths showed significant asymmetry in the shape analysis (3.84%–6.57%), suggesting a substantial separation between two large areas: the English and French parts of the English Channel and the southern North Sea. Consequently, directional bilateral asymmetry in otolith shape is a potential new method for stock identification.


Histoplasmosis is a deep mycosis which occurs in America and Africa. It is extremely rare in France. The case presented involves a male subject who had spent time in the French colonies of Africa and in Brazil. He presented with undiagnosed ulceration of the cheek, similar to that seen with cancer. Diagnosis was made on histology on one hand and on mycological examination on the other. This case serves to remind us that tropical and sub-tropical pathology may be encountered in temperate zones due to population migration.


Alpinia pricei Hayata is cultivated throughout Asia and is an endemic plant in Taiwan. The leaf and root of this plant are used for traditional wrapping of food and as a cooking substitute for fresh ginger. The aim of this work was to study the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts from A. pricei Hayata (EEAP) and its phenolic compounds. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiling indicated that EEAP contained caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, apigenin, curcumin and pinocembrin. EEAP and its phenolic compounds, apigenin, curcumin, and pinocembrin, inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) production in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, EEAP, apigenin, curcumin, and pinocembrin decreased LPS-mediated induction of protein and mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, EEAP and its major active compound pinocembrin inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and NF-kappaB-mediated reporter gene expression. EEAP and pinocembrin also significantly inhibited LPS-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in RAW 264.7 cells. When these results are taken together, they indicate that EEAP and pinocembrin suppressed LPS-induced NO and PGE(2) production by inhibition of NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and ROS generation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the size and morphology of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) articular disc and condyle in young asymptomatic adults by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and scientific study of temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

METHODS
Overall, 93 undergraduate volunteers without TMD were enrolled from the freshmen pool at the Qingdao University. All participants underwent MRI of the oblique sagittal and oblique coronal TMJ planes. The articular disc and condyle were subsequently measured, and their morphology was evaluated. The obtained data were then grouped and analyzed statistically. Finally, intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the interobserver measurement reliability.

RESULTS
We totally received 186 TMJ imaging samples. Based on our analysis, disc's anterior band in young asymptomatic adult females were thicker than males of the same age (p = 0.024). Moreover, the media-lateral dimensions of the condylar head of adult females were shorter than males of equal age (P<0.001). The bilateral articular disc morphology was the same in 72.4% of subjects while the condylar morphology was the same in 63.4% of participants. Finally, using measurement reliability assessment, we demonstrated that our conclusions are reliable (ICC ≥0.7).

CONCLUSION
The thickness of the anterior band of the disc and the media-lateral dimensions of the condylar head were gender-related. Additionally, the morphology of the bilateral articular disc and condyle was different among the subset of young asymptomatic adults.


Conjugation of an oligopeptide or an amino acid to bioactive compounds is one of the simplest chemical modifications to modulate the biological functions of the compounds. Recently, numerous methods have been proposed for the modification of their properties, including the alteration of their chemical and physical properties, and of their original bioactivities. We review the current knowledge of the adaptability of oligopeptide or amino acid conjugation for modulating the biological activities of biomolecules.


Anodic alumina membranes with modulated pore diameters serve as template for the preparation of magnetic nanowires. Filling the pores with Ni by electrodeposition delivers wires replicating the variation in modulation in pore diameter from 80 to 160 nm. Such structures are of interest for the observation and control of magnetic domain wall motion. Single-object characterization utilizing the magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry evidences a strong correlation between geometric parameters and magnetic properties. Ensemble magnetization measurements with a superconducting quantum interference device show the effect of dipolar interactions. Analytical models can reproduce the lowering of coercivity due to the presence of enhanced stray fields within the array. Magnetic force microscopy at individual wires indicates the presence of a strong stray field in the vicinity of the diameter change. The preparation technique demonstrates a mass production method of nano-objects with designed geometric irregulariti...


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relation between personality traits and awareness of gender equality. Method: A descriptive survey design was used and 688 students in fifth and sixth grades in 3 elementary schools were selected as participants. Result: 1. Level of gender equality awareness among the students was 2.82. This is higher than average and was most influenced by awareness of family life, followed by awareness in education, work environment and social-cultural life. 2. Students with higher levels of extraversion-introversion had higher levels of awareness of gender equality in family life, work environment, and education. Students with higher levels of tough-mindedness showed lower levels of gender equality awareness in family life and work environment, while those with higher levels of lying showed lower levels of gender equality awareness in social-cultural life. Conclusion: Personality traits and awareness of gender equality were correlated to some degree. However, in order to understand the characteristics of childhood personality traits and the behaviors of our children though the mediation of the gender equality awareness as society changes, and to let them grow with understanding of gender equality, it is essential to implement various kinds of education in families, schools, and the society.


The study deals with assessment of marketing mix of the MOHA soft drinks industry share company in Hawassa millennium Pepsi-Cola plant. Both primary and secondary data have been employed. Primary data obtained through interview and questionnaires, distributed to marketing managers and employees/staffs/ of the marketing department. The findings showed that the factory provides five types of products namely Pepsi Cola, Mirinda Orange, 7-Up, Mirinda Tonic, and Mirinda Apple. The plant has no any written pricing policy as a result the prices of the products are depends on different factors like; transportation charges, Competitors' costs, Economic factors, Gross profit costs, Overhead costs, Net profit, direct costs. The findings also shows that Hawassa millennium Pepsi-cola plant promotes its products by means of erecting artistic notice board in towns, at main public squares, sight-catching places, major outlets and inlets, public service stations and on vehicles and contributing to popular events by means of sponsoring various exhibitions etc. The recommendation made was to alleviate the problems in the distribution of the products (to fill the gap between the imbalances of demand and supply requirements), the factory must choose distributors that reach its customers most effectively and other intermediaries that add value to the distributive process. The factory has to do more to expand its local market coverage and increase its market share by selling the products even in rural areas. Keywords: Marketing, Mix Strategy, Hawasa Millenium, Pepsi-Coca Plant DOI : 10.7176/JMCR/52-01


In her first letter to the community as Mother General, Mother Mary Gerald Barry of the Adrian Dominicans in southeast Michigan instructed Sisters to put God in the center of their lives and pray for others. Pray for patience, she instructed. Be a joy to your Community now and always. See that you have the right disposition; that you are a real Dominican; …It is not so much what we do but the spirit in which we do it that marks us as religious.1 To be "religious" meant to be a part of a religious order, a person professed to a life in the service of God and the Church- the opposite of which was "worldly." She concluded her advice to the Sisters with "We are in the world but not of it" a frequently used phrase to remind Sisters of the place they occupied as Catholic women religious- inside but not attached to a mainstream "world" of material objects and ideas incongruent to Church doctrine. To be "in the world but not of it" spoke of a requirement for all Sisters2 set by the Church before Vatican II.3 They must live in two environments simultaneously- the larger world of schools, hospitals, and retirement communities where they served and the convent, built on rules from the Middle Ages, where they lived. The measuring stick by which they were judged to have the "right disposition" and be "imbued" with religious spirit existed within the signals given off from their well-trained bodies.


Medical time series contain important information about the condition of a patient. However, due to the large amount of data and the staff shortage, it is difficult for physicians to monitor these time series for trends that suggest a relevant clinical detoriation due to a complication or new pathology. This paper proposes a framework that supports physicians in detecting patterns in time series. It has three main tasks. First, the time-dependent data is gathered from heterogeneous sources and the semantics are made explicit by using an ontology. Second, Machine Learning techniques detect trends in the semantic time series data that indicate that a patient has a particular pathology. However, computerized classification techniques are not 100% accurate. Therefore, the third task consists of adding the pathology classification to the ontology with an associated probability and notifying the physician if necessary. The framework was evaluated with an ICU use case, namely detecting sepsis. Sepsis is the number one cause of death in the ICU.


Traditionally a communication channel is mandatory for performing verbal and written communication. The same use case when mapped to information and communication technology gives rise to one of the concept called textual communication, which deals with transmitting text using a communication channel. Every symbol used in the text needs a unit of storage called byte, the metric for transmission and storage resources. Due to the limitations of the transmission channel with respect to bandwidth and storage with respect to size, considerable models, methods and technologies have been proposed and evolved to optimally utilize the said resources without compromising the content and the semantics of the text. This work carried out proposes a novel framework for representing and storing textual data called Ordell Ugo Nano hereinafter termed as OUNano, which can be seamlessly integrated with existing communication and storage infrastructure. The proposed methodology attempts to best optimize the utilization of existing digital storage and communication resources, thus allowing such resources to be exploited to their maximum potential. This facilitates a considerably higher rate of textual data transmission and processing in communication channels, along with significant increase in storage capacities of the existing storage assets in place, without investing in additional resources.


We have previously reported reliable engraftment of CD19/CD5/CD23/CD45 positive human B-CLL cells in the spleens of NOD/SCID mice (NSS-CLL cells) following transplantation of human peripheral blood-derived B-CLL (PB-CLL) cells. On histology, in the majority of the samples NSS-CLL cells formed focal aggregates which also contained various amounts (range:0–50%) of human CD45/CD3+ T cells (ASH 2005; #52). We now have further characterized these NSS-CLL cells. In our model 1x10^8 MNC are injected i.v. plus i.p. and engraftment in the spleen and other organs is analyzed after 4 (−8) weeks by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. In 22 CLL samples investigated in a total of 64 NOD/SCID mice 1.6±0.4x10 6 NSS-CLL cells representing 10.5±2.3% of total spleen cells were recovered with recovery highly reproducible on repetitive experiments (3.0 vs. 2.0; 1.6 vs. 1.5; 0.2 vs. 1.1; 0.0 vs. 0.0x10 6 NSS-CLL cells; n=4). In contrast to the low proliferative status reported for human PB-CLL, considerable proliferation was observed in NSS-CLL cells. Following the application of BrdU (1mg/6g d5 i.p., 1mg/ml added to drinking water d6–13; 20–27) BrdU positive NSS-CLL cells ranged from 5.3–25.0% (n=5). Immunohistological analysis showed positive staining for the proliferation marker Ki67 in 18.5±3.5% of NSS-CLL cells. In addition, markers related to proliferation/activation of B-CLL proliferation center cells such as survivin (mean MFI: 5.5±0.8 vs. 2.3±0.2; p=0.028; n=6) and CD100 (semaphorin 4d; mean MFI: 3.3±0.5 vs. 1.1±0.2; p=0.043; n=5) were significantly up-regulated in NSS-CLL vs. PB-CLL cells. When NSS-CLL cells were characterized utilizing additional adhesion/migration, differentiation and/or activation markers, only a subset of NSS-CLL cells (15.7±8.2%, n=6) expressed chemokine coreceptor (CCR) 7, while PB-CLL cells uniformly showed high CCR7 expression. Also CCR5, a migration marker in the context of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, consistently was demonstrated on a fraction of NSS-CLL cells (8.1±3.0%; n=6), whereas here no CCR5 expression was found on PB-CLL cells. No expression of human CD10, CD11c, CD127 or CD49d was detected in B-CLL cells derived from either PB- or NSS-CLL cells, while both sources, as expected, uniformly stained positive for CD40. In summary, NSS-CLL exibit a distinct phenotype as compared to PB-CLL cells and show considerable similarity to B-CLL cells in the proliferation centers of involved human tissues. For these cells not only proliferation but also increased expression of survivin and CD100 as well as down-regulation of CCR7 have been described. Therefore, we think that our model may represent a novel tool to further elucidate biological properties of human B-CLL and, in addition, may serve to devise and evaluate novel treatment strategies.


Currents through epithelial Na channels (ENaCs) were measured in the cortical collecting tubule (CCT) of mice expressing truncated beta-subunits of ENaC, reproducing one of the mutations found in human patients with Liddle's syndrome. Tubules were isolated from mice homozygous for the Liddle mutation (L/L) and from wild-type (WT) littermates. Amiloride-sensitive currents (INa) from single cells were recorded under whole cell clamp conditions. CCTs from mice kept under control conditions and fed a diet with normal levels of Na had very small INas (WT: 18 +/- 13 pA; L/L: 22 +/- 8 pA at Vm = -100 mV) that were not different in WT and L/L animals. However, the L/L mice had much larger currents when the animals were fed a low-Na diet (WT: 256 +/- 127 pA; L/L: 1,820 +/- 330 pA) or infused with aldosterone (WT: 285 +/- 63 pA; L/L: 1,600 +/- 280 pA). Currents from L/L mice were also larger when animals were pretreated with a high-K diet but not when the CCTs were stimulated in vitro with 8-CTP-cAMP. Noise analysis of amiloride-induced fluctuations in INa showed that single-channel currents at Vm = 0 mV were slightly smaller in L/L mice (WT: 0.33 pA; L/L: 0.24 pA). This difference could be attributed to a decrease in driving force since current-voltage analysis indicated that intracellular Na was increased in the L/L animals. Analysis of spontaneous channel noise indicated that the open probability was similar in the two genotypes(WT: 0.77; L/L: 0.80). Thus the increase in whole cell current is attributed to a difference in the density of conducting channels.


Scallop squash fruits may be harvested at different stages of development. Small size fruits, intended both for the fresh market and the food industry, have the highest biological value. This study was conducted to determine the yield potential of scallop squash cultivars ('Polo F1', 'Disco', 'Gagat', 'Okra', 'Sunny Delight F1') grown on mulched (black polyethylene foil or black agrotextile) or unmulched soil, and harvested when fruits reached a diameter of 3–6 cm. Based on 3-year average data, the highest marketable and early yield was produced by 'Sunny Delight F1'. This cultivar is also appreciated by consumers for its yellow colored skin of fruits. Another advantage of this cultivar was its high nutritional value expressed by the highest content of dry matter, vitamin C, polyphenols and minerals (K, P, Ca, Mg), with limited tendency to nitrate accumulation. Among the other cultivars tested, 'Okra' showed high yield potential, 'Gagat' was a rich source of carotenoids, and 'Disco' – polyphenols. Black polyethylene foil and black agrotextile appeared to be equally effective mulching materials. The benefit from the application of mulch was a significant increase in yield without any change in the chemical composition of the fruit.


Purpose Little is known regarding the incidence of early postoperative pulmonary embolus (PE) following hip fracture surgery. Clinical suspicion of PE mandates therapeutic anticoagulation, adding a further insult to those of trauma and surgery in a physiologically frail population. The aim of the study was to evaluate for the presence of PEs by performing postoperative CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in patients who demonstrated intraoperative, or early postoperative cardiorespiratory lability following surgery with a cemented prosthesis for intracapsular hip fracture. Methods All patients undergoing cemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced intracapsular neck of femur fracture were recruited during a 6-month period, and signed consent obtained from the patient or their next of kin for CTPA in the event of any cardiorespiratory instability. Patient demographics, comorbidities were reviewed, and premorbid mobility status documented. Results 18 of the 66 patients in the study having cemented hemiarthropalsty demonstrated intra- or early postoperative lability, all had early postoperative CTPA scans. 6 of the 18 were noted to have PE. All had more than 1 risk factor for VTE on admission (excluding their injury). Patients diagnosed with PE had a higher ASA grade, and lower mobility scores than those who did not have a PE. Conclusions Clinical suspicion alone is inadequate to diagnosis PE in patients undergoing cemented hip arthroplasty. Only 1 in 3 patients suspected of PE on account of intraoperative or immediate postoperative cardiorespiratory lability was found to have a PE based on CTPA. Early postoperative CTPA is helpful to prevent unnecessary anticoagulation for suspected PE.


Services play a broad and strategic role in the economy. The new focus in services arises because they have become increasingly tradable, allowing for the emergence of new and improved export activities. Trade in services, particularly business services, has become a dynamic component of trade and an alternative for export diversification for many developing countries. Besides traditional activities (such as tourism), health, information technology, and communication services are among the most successful service exports. Developing countries seem to follow different policy approaches to trade in services, and diverse trade patterns appear to emerge. What determines the participation of a developing country in trade in services? And what is the role of international negotiations?


During the pharmaceutical powder blending process, electrostatic charges generate and accumulate unavoidably due to particle-particle and particle-wall collision. The effect of electrostatic charging on pharmaceutical powder blending homogeneity was investigated on two binary blending systems: (1) lactose as an excipient with caffeine as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and (2) Micro-crystalline Cellulose (MCC) with caffeine. Three different blending procedures were conducted: (1) conventional blending without any charge control, (2) blending with simultaneous charge neutralization, and (3) blending combined with a corona charging process. It was found that the average API concentration variation increases with the increase of charge-to-mass ratio of final blend samples. In other words, the presence of uncontrolled electrostatic charges has an adverse effect on powder blend uniformity. Elimination or minimization of electrostatic charges also appears to have a negative impact on powder blend uniformity. In contrast, blending of positively charged excipient material and negatively charged API material leads to a better blend uniformity. The controlled electrostatic charging opens an opportunity for improving uniformity of the pharmaceutical blending process.


Asgard archaea genomes contain potential eukaryotic-like genes that provide intriguing insight for the evolution of eukaryotes. The actin polymerization/depolymerization cycle is critical for providing force and structure for a variety of processes in eukaryotes, including membrane remodelling. Here, we identify actin filament severing, capping, annealing and bundling, and monomer sequestration activities by gelsolin proteins from Thorarchaeota (Thor), which complete a eukaryote-like actin depolymerization cycle. Thor gelsolins are comprised of one or two copies of the prototypical gelsolin domain and appear to be a record of an initial pre-eukaryotic gene duplication event, since eukaryotic gelsolins are generally comprised of three to six domains. X-ray crystal structure determination of these proteins in complex with mammalian actin revealed similar interactions to the first domain of human gelsolin. Asgard two-domain, but not one-domain, gelsolins contain calcium-binding sites, which is manifested in calcium-controlled activities. Expression of two-domain gelsolins in mammalian cells led to enhanced actin filament disassembly on ionomycin-triggered calcium release. This functional demonstration, at the cellular level, provides evidence for calcium-regulated actin cytoskeleton in Asgard archaea, and indicates that the calcium-regulated actin cytoskeleton predates eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, dynamic bundled filaments are responsible for shaping filopodia and microvilli. By correlation, the formation of the protrusions observed from Lokiarchaeota cell bodies may involve gelsolin-regulated actin structures.


Some Aspects of the Tetrad Effect in the Synergic Extraction of Rare Earth β-Diketonate Adducts with n-Hexyl Alcohol, TBP, and TOPO Author(s) Honjo, Takaharu; Matsui, Masakazu; Shigematsu, Tsunenobu Citation Bulletin of the Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University (1978), 55(5): 423-428 Issue Date 1978-01-17 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/76752 Right Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher


Pattern matching is the most time consuming process in text image compression with JBIG2. In this paper we propose three techniques to speed up the pattern matching process. By limiting the search range for matching symbols in the dictionary, the first technique saves 15% of encoding time with almost no bit rate penalty By making early decisions about the pattern matching outcome, the second technique saves another 15% of encoding time with no coding loss. The third technique looks at enhanced prescreening using additional symbol features besides symbol size. Using certain topological features, enhanced prescreening can save up to 75% of encoding time with at most 1.6% of bit rate penalty.


Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex condition caused by a lesion of the central nervous system. 1 It may result from various causes that affect the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, including diabetic neuropathy, cancerrelated neuropathic pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, HIV-related neuropathy, spinal cord injury, trigeminal neuralgia and other pain syndromes.


The recent census shows that one-third of those who identified as Japanese-American in California were foreign-born, signaling a new-wave of immigration from Japan that is changing the composition of contemporary Japanese-America. However, there is little or no academic research in English that addresses this new immigrant population, known as Shin-Issei. This paper investigates how Shin-Issei who live their lives in a complex space between the two nation-states of Japan and the U.S. negotiate their ethnic identity by looking at how these newcomers find a sense of belonging in Southern California in racial, social, and legal terms. Through an ethnographic approach of in-depth interviews and participant observation with six individuals, this case-study expands the available literature on transnationalism by exploring how Shin-Issei negotiations of identities rely on a transnational understandings of national ideologies of belonging which is a less direct form of transnationalism and is a more psychological, symbolic, and emotional reconciliation of self, encompassed between two worlds.


The eleventh edition of the renowned Cross and Tapper on Evidence provides detailed coverage of a fast moving and important subject. It carefully considers the full implications of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, with a particular focus on the interpretation, by the courts, of the radical changes to the law relating to the admissibility of evidence of the bad character of the accused, and of hearsay. The ways in which the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights continues to penetrate English law are also fully evaluated. On the civil side, this new edition reflects on recent decisions in the area of private privilege, especially in relation to legal professional privilege. In addition, it considers and evaluates the principal changes proposed by various law reform bodies and lobbying groups. This focused and detailed book retains its wide coverage of overseas materials from the principal common law jurisdictions. This comparative material provides an excellent basis for the critical analysis and appraisal of English law.Cross and Tapper on Evidence remains the most all-embracing text on the law of evidence available, and will be of great use to students and practitioners alike.


The electrostatic self-assembled monolayer synthesis process is used to fabricate gas sensors by building up grating sensor elements on the ends of multimode optical fibers. These novel sensors can be designed to operate in the transmission windows of standard optical fibers and implemented using specific reference wavelengths to normalize the output signals. Experimental results for such sensors designed to detect dichloromethane gas are presented.


Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are critical for identifying full-length genomic sequences, correlating genetic and physical maps, and comparative genomics. Here we describe the utilization of the Fluidigm access array genotyping system in conjunction with KASPar genotyping technology to identify individual BAC clones corresponding to specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from an Amplicon Express seven-plate super pooled Amaranthus hypochondriacus BAC library. Ninety-six SNP loci, spanning the length of A. hypochondriacus linkage groups 1, 2, and 15, were simultaneously tested for clone identification from four BAC super pools, corresponding to 28 384-well plates, using a single Fluidigm integrated fluidic chip (IFC). Forty-six percent of the SNPs were associated with a single unambiguous identified BAC clone. PCR amplification and next-generation sequencing of individual BAC clones confirmed the IFC clone identification. Utilization of the Fluidigm Dynamic array platform allowed for the simultaneous PCR screening of 10,752 BAC pools for 96 SNP tag sites in less than three hours at a cost of ~$0.05 per reaction.


Humans exhibit complex arithmetic skills, often attributed to the exceptional enlargement of neocortical regions during evolution. However, the past decade has provided ample evidence that the functional domain of the subcortex extend well beyond basic functions. Using a sensitive behavioral method, for the first time, we explored the contributions of lower-order visual monocular channels to symbolic arithmetic operations, addition and subtraction. The pattern of results from 4 different experiments provides converging evidence for a causal relation between mental arithmetic and primitive subcortical regions. The results have major implications for our understanding of the neuroevolutionary development of general numerical abilities–subcortical regions, which are shared across different species, are essential to complex numerical operations. In a bigger conceptual framework, these findings and others call for a shift from the modal view of the exclusive role of the neocortex in high-level cognition to a view that emphasizes the interplay between subcortical and cortical brain networks.


ABSTRACT Findings for heat pain have shown consistent pain attenuation through concurrent cognitive task completion; but only a minimal amount of studies have explored that for cold pain. This study investigated the direct impact of two well-established cognitive tasks on cold pain tolerance. In a within-subject design, 36 female Hong Kong locals were required to complete a baseline pain tolerance measurement, induced by the well-established Cold Pressor Test. This was followed by the counterbalanced presentation of the Colour Stroop or the Judgment of Line Orientation task with and without concurrent pain administration. As suggested by the Limited Capacity, Multiple Resource, and Cognitive-Affective Models, participants were expected to tolerate pain for significantly longer durations when they perform either concurrent Colour Stroop or concurrent Judgment of Line Orientation tasks compared to baseline measures with no concurrent task. The findings clearly indicated increased pain tolerance times during task completion compared with baseline measures, providing support for the a-priori hypothesis. The results contribute to existing literature by confirming increased cold pain tolerance during selective attention to cognitive tasks and extending this finding to tasks previously established in heat pain but not for cold pain research.


Background Over time, Residency Match dynamics fluctuate with some specialties experiencing increases in medical student popularity. Academic departments with limited resources must devise methods for coping with increased demand for their specialty. Students perceive traditional programs on Match mechanics as inadequate. Subsequently, faculty are confronted with demands for more personal attention from more students. Objectives We developed a strategy for providing specialty-specific residency match advising to large numbers of students. Methods The 'speed-advising' session (SAS) was developed to address the common questions and concerns that medical students pose during the Match process and to provide advisees with a breadth of faculty perspectives. Two SASs were offered over a 2-week period. After the sessions, students and faculty were surveyed regarding their experience. Results Twenty-six students pursued our specialty in the 2015 Match (26 of 234, 11.1%). Twenty-three (89%) participated in the SAS. Seventy-four percent of students (17 of 23) and all faculty completed the post-session survey. Students found the SAS to be informative, helpful and an efficient use of time. Common discussion topics included: career goals, to which programs and how many to apply, and how academic record impacts their likelihood of matching in our specialty. Students would have preferred more time with each faculty; however, most (77%) conceded that their questions were adequately answered. Faculty-favored speed advising over traditional advising (86%), primarily due to estimated time savings of 7.3 h per faculty member. Conclusions In preparing students for the Match, specialty-specific speed advising offers an efficient supplement to traditional advising.


An improvement of the two-scale model for the solution of the electromagnetic bistatic scattering from sea surface is presented. The simplest two-scale model combines the small perturbation theory with geometrical Optics. A cut-off frequency separating the two domains has to be chosen. This is a difficult task, since, except for low winds, the domains of validity of the two approximations do not overlap. We suggest to replace the small perturbation theory by the Small Slope Approximation of Voronovich. It allows the cut-off spatial frequency to be shifted so that the use of geometrical Optics is restricted to larger scales.


Robust single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) microarrays are created by attaching amine-modified oligonucleotides to a monolayer of poly(L-glutamic acid) (pGlu) that is electrostatically adsorbed onto a chemically modified gold thin film. This surface attachment chemistry methodology is first characterized with a combination of polarization-modulation Fourier transform infrared (PM-FTIR) spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) angle shift measurements. SPR imaging (SPRI) measurements of these ssDNA microarrays are then used to study two surface bioaffinity interactions: (i) the quantitative hybridization adsorption of complementary ssDNA onto mixed ssDNA microarray elements and (ii) the adsorption of single-stranded binding protein (SSB) onto fully and partially hybridized DNA microarray elements. The Langmuir adsorption coefficient (K(Ads)) of SSB binding to ssDNA was determined to be (5.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(9) M(-1).


An alternative adaptive-immune system is present in the most basal vertebrates—lampreys and hagfish—the only surviving jawless vertebrates. These eel-like fish use leucine-rich repeat–based receptors for Ag recognition instead of the Ig-based receptors used in jawed vertebrates. We report that in Japanese lamprey (Lampetra japonica), variable lymphocyte receptor (VLR)B interacts with C1q and C3 proteins to mediate complement-dependent cytotoxicity for bacteria and tumor cells. The immune-based lysis involves deposition of VLRB and C1q-like protein complex on the surface of target cells, activation of C3, and ultimate disruption of cell wall integrity. The demonstration of functional interaction between VLRB and complement components in lamprey provides evidence for the emergence of cooperative innate and adaptive-immune responses at a pivotal point in vertebrate evolution, before or in parallel with the evolution of Ig-based Abs and the classical complement-activation pathway.


Introduction In selected patients, liver transplantation (LT) is considered a curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). With the application of strict eligibility criteria the risk of tumour recurrence can be minimised but never entirely eliminated. Historically, HCC recurrence is associated with a poor prognosis; however the new and evolving systemic therapies may improve outcomes. Hence, there may be a potential beneficial role for early diagnosis. Although, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement is commonly employed in HCC surveillance in at-risk patients, its role following LT for HCC is not clearly defined. Therefore, we have explored (1) the utility of AFP as a biomarker for tumour recurrence following LT in patients with HCC and (2) the influence of liver disease aetiology on its diagnostic performance. Methods The clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters and outcomes of 302 patients with HCC who underwent LT between January 1999 and July 2011 at our institution were reviewed. Serum AFP levels following LT were analysed and the area under a receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) calculated to assess the performance of AFP as a diagnostic test for HCC recurrence. Results Recurrent HCC was observed in 13% of patients during the follow-up period. Recurrence was associated with higher pre-LT AFP (98 ng/ml vs 11.5 ng/ml, p>0.001), vascular invasion in the liver explant, and greater tumour size. Following LT, the median time from initial rise in serum AFP to the diagnosis of recurrence was 16 weeks. In our cohort, AFP was an effective predictor of HCC recurrence (AUC 0.843) and using a cut-off value of ≥10 ng/ml was an excellent exclusion test (negative predictive value 0.94). Furthermore, its performance was superior in patients with AFP-secreting tumours at LT, in comparison to those with non-secreting tumours (AUC 0.892 vs 0.710). Patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), in comparison to non-infected patients, were younger (56 years vs 60 years, p=0.887) and had a lower MELD score (13 vs 10 ng/ml, p=0.002) but higher serum AFP (21 ng/ml vs 10 ng/ml) at LT. However, there was no difference in recurrence rates between groups. In patients with CHC, AFP was an inferior predictor of HCC recurrence, in comparison non-CHC patients (AUC 0.769 vs 0.887). Conclusion We, therefore, conclude that serum AFP measurement is a potentially useful surveillance investigation for tumour recurrence post-LT for HCC particularly in patients without CHC. Competing interests None declared.


ChemCAD is a chemical engineering process simulation software package. This program enables the user to design process flowsheet diagrams(PFD), regulate and edit virtually every aspect about it including feed compositions and equipment parameters. More complicated function of this program includes pipe sizing, pricing, establishing crude assays, and formulating control strategies. One will find that the chief advantage in using this program or any other process simulation software is the avoidance of the nuisance of having to perform countless series of tedious and often repeatative calculations. ChemCAD is one of the most economical, user friendly yet high fidelity simulation software tools available in the market today. There are more than 1500 companies across the globe using this highly versatile software since years and benefitting from its use. Batch reactors are used extensively for the manufacture of small volume high value added products increasingly in production facilities intended for multipurpose use. To achieve stable and reproducible operational conditions is increasingly of importance to achieve the required product purity.


Synchronized and variable reproduction by perennial plants, called mast seeding, is a major reproductive strategy of trees. The need to accumulate sufficient resources after depletion following fruiting (resource budget), the efficiency of mass flowering for outcross pollination (pollen coupling), or the external factors preventing reproduction (environmental veto) could all synchronize masting. We used seed production data for four species (Quercus ilex, Quercus humilis, Sorbus aucuparia, and Pinus albicaulis) to parametrize resource budget models of masting. Based on species life-history characteristics, we hypothesized that pollen coupling should synchronize reproduction in S. aucuparia and P. albicaulis, while in Q. ilex and Q. humilis, environmental veto should be a major factor. Pollen coupling was stronger in S. aucuparia and P. albicaulis than in oaks, while veto was more frequent in the latter. Yet in all species, costs of reproduction were too small to impose a replenishment period. A synchronous environmental veto, in the presence of environmental stochasticity, was sufficient to produce observed variability and synchrony in reproduction. In the past, vetoes like frost events that prevent reproduction have been perceived as negative for plants. In fact, they could be selectively favored as a way to create mast seeding.


There is a broad consensus that greenhouse gas emissions management requires coordinated efforts and collaboration in all sectors and at all levels of an organization or within the value chain. However, potential conflicts of interest and lack of trust between stakeholders make this collaboration extremely challenging. Blockchain has opened the door for a series of innovative applications that can propose an efficient carbon footprint traceability and management solution.
 Blockchain is a distributed secure database, called a ledger, among different parties, used to hold and verify tamper-proof records or transactions without the need to trust any participant of this process except the mechanism. In the race to net zero, the need for an advanced information and communication technology has become vital to global climate change management with increased digitalization, decarbonization, security, and decentralization challenges. Blockchain is proposed as an integrated platform for various applications, such as carbon traceability, carbon trading, certification, and value chain management.
 This work presents an overview of blockchain technology and its working principles. It describes blockchain's novelty and innovation to the industry and climate action. Also, the paper investigates blockchain's potential for carbon footprint traceability and management. It explores the latest use cases and the current challenges. It concludes that enabling innovation for climate action requires digging further into evolving disruptive technologies such as blockchain.


MYTH AND MYSTERY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PAGAN RELIGIONS OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD. By Jack Finegan. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989. Pp. 335. Finegan, well known for his illuminating books on the world in which the Bible took shape, presents here the beliefs of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Zoroastrian, Canaanite, Greek, Roman, Gnostic, Mandaean, and Manichaean religions, describing our sources of knowledge about each, its geographical spread, its tenets, the factors that influenced it, and its relation to biblical writings. Under Mesopotamian religion F. describes the beliefs of non-Semitic Sumerians, which were eventually adopted by Semitic Assyrians and Bablyonians. These peoples venerated deified cosmic powers An (lord of the sky), Enlil (lord of the atmosphere), Enki (lord of the earth and waters below), Inanna (Venus), Nanna (moon), Utu (sun); and other deities: Beletili (mistress of the god), Ninurta (lord of earth), Nergal (god of underworld). Among these, two emerged as prominent national gods, Marduk (calf of Utu) in Babylonia, and Asshur (god of the fathers) in Assyria. The temples of these gods are located and described; the mythologies associated with them are set forth. The Egyptians too venerated deified cosmic powers; Hapi (Nile-god), Re (sun-god), Osiris (constellation Orion), Isis (dog-star Sirius). Gods were associated with animals: Hathor (cow), Anubis (jackal), Bastet (cat), Horus (falcon); or with plants: Nefertem (lotus), Isched (willow). Egyptian belief distinguished aspects of the human person: its kha (mortal body), ba (soul), ka (double), and akh (spirit). Mythologies about the gods, especially Osiris and Isis, developed at various places (Heliopolis, Thebes, Memphis), where their temples were built. Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and the Book of the Dead contain literature about the afterlife. Religious belief also ruled human life and society: maat (truth, righteousness, justice) was its ethical norm. Wisdom literature and prophetic literature flourished. Zoroastrian religion grew up in central Asia, where it is known principally from the Avesta and Zand-Avesta. According to it two beings rule world history, Ahura Mazda (the good lord of Wisdom, dwelling in light) and Angra Mainyu (the evil spirit, dwelling in darkness). History is the record of the strife between them, which lasts for thousands of years until the final battle, in which three helpers born of Zarathustra will conquer evil, conduct the judgment, and renew the universe. Though the Avestan literature dates Zarathustra to 630-536 B.C., Greek tradition


Experiments in rats and dogs showed that bleeding of parenchymal organs can be stopped quickly and reliable by using a recently developed infrared contact coagulator (ICC). Haemostasis of liver parenchyma was established in a shorter time than by usual diathermo-coagulation. Due to this reduced time of coagulation smaller regions of necrosis were observed. Bleeding of the dog's spleen could only be stopped by long time coagulation and caused a severe destruction of the tissue.


The right hind limb of twelve rabbits was vibrated for 15 min. Blood samples were taken before vibration from the right hind limb and after vibration from both the vibrated and the non-vibrated hind limbs. A control series was also run. Estimations were made of: haematocrit, whole-blood viscosity, erythrocyte xi potential and plasma fibrinogen concentration. There was no significant change in whole-blood viscosity in either limb after vibration. Erythrocyte xi potential was significantly increased (in both limbs) after vibration. Fibrinogen concentration did not change (in either limb) after vibration. Yield stress was significantly reduced (in both limbs) after vibration. High Shear Casson Law slope decreased in the vibrated limb after vibration.


A stable super-hydrophobic and self-cleaning surface with a high contact angle above 150° and the contact angle hysteresis below 3° were produced by using roughness combined with hydrophobic coatings, which were also confirmed to exhibit extreme water repellence and self-cleaning properties which facilitate removal of contaminant particles. To fabricate micro-patterened aluminium surface, the aluminium was etched with hydrochloric acid. A very thin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film was coated on the etched aluminium surface in order to achieve the super-hydrophobic surface. Roughness factors on the aluminium surfaces coated with PTFE were calculated as a function of etching time, based on the homogeneous interface (Wensel model). A critical roughness factor on the super-hydrophobic surface of the aluminium coated with PTFE was found to be 1.51 which can be formed on the surface of the aluminium etched over 10 min with hydrochloric acid of 7 wt.%.


Besides other organ manifestations, the urinary tract can also be affected in the case of Behçet's syndrome. To our knowledge, the formation of fistulae in the urinary tract has not previously been described in this condition. Our report describes a patient suffering from urethro-vaginal fistula and Behçet's syndrome. Operative correction was carried out with vaginal access according to Martius' procedure.


Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the predominant cause of cervical cancer worldwide. The infections with HPVs 16 and 18 have a high oncogenic risk for cancer development. Besides, the genes E6 and E7 encode viral oncoproteins associated with infection. New molecular techniques for HPV detection, show important advantages such as high sensitivity, recognition capacity, reliability, among others. These techniques allow the standardization of new protocols associated with the detection in a variety of substances and samples. The stretch relationship between the virus and the disease open a new field to study early detection of the HPV infection. Additionally, less concentration of the sample is needed. Considering the significance of the detection, the present paper explains five novelty molecular applications for the prevention cervical cancer and early detection of HPV such as RNA in situ Hybridization for the detection of HPV E6/E7, genosensors, electrochemical DNA biosensor, PCR-based urine assay and a semen assay for detection of HPV. All the methods related to DNA samples could be used for both genders, there are more acceptable and easy to collect.


: Measure the effectiveness of a subject in a study programme is very essential activity at all levels of the education system, from primary through post-secondary education. Educational concepts, Learning environment and resource management, Teachinglearning process, and Assessment (ELTA) were identifiedas important parameters to the effectiveness of a subject. As such this paper developed amodel named as ELTA to measure the effectiveness of a subject in a study programme. The development of the model is based on the factthat the effectiveness of learning process is influenced by the level of satisfaction of the stakeholdersand also results from the total synergy used in the learning process. The model was validated through interviews with stakeholders. The validation revealed that the model offers valid, reliable, and useful results for evaluating the effectiveness of a subject that claims to be generic to subject and non-culturally specific.


When it comes to resolving interstate freshwater disputes, International Law has developed a set of rules that relate to both the substance of these disputes, and the conduct of the disputing countries. 'Equitable and reasonable utilization' is commonly considered as the leading 'substantive' rule, 'no significant harm' as subsidiary to it, and the 'duty to cooperate' as the central 'procedural' rule. The purpose of this article is to analyze the merits of these substantive and procedural rules under the lens of the celebrated Coase theorem. The second part of the Coase Theorem observes that if transaction costs are present, then the legal rule governing the dispute between two parties should be one that minimizes the bargaining costs. This will ensure that the legal rule will generate an optimal allocation of resources. When it comes to international freshwater disputes there are usually high transaction costs such as unequal and asymmetric access to information by both the disputing parties and adjudicating tribunal, enforcement uncertainty, and unclear political goals of the parties. Therefore, a liability rule such as 'equitable and reasonable utilization' only furthers the uncertainty and bargaining costs, whereas a property rule such as 'no significant harm' is better at achieving dispute resolution (both theoretically and empirically). Moreover, when a so-called procedural rule such as the 'duty to cooperate' is imposed on the parties, this ensures a better negotiation environment, which leads to better dispute resolution outcomes even when imposed by a third party.


The mammalian circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus and in most peripheral tissues. Clock genes drive the biological clock. However, circadian expression variations of the human clock genes are still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the daily variations of mPer2 and mClock mRNA expression in both the mouse SCN and liver to evaluate the central and peripheral alterations in the rodent clock genes. We also examined whether there are the daily variations of the clock genes hPer2 and hClock in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The daily variation of mClock and mPer2 mRNA expression in mouse SCN and liver were determined at ZT2, ZT6, ZT10, ZT14, ZT18 or ZT22. We isolated PBMCs from 9 healthy volunteers at 9:00 and 21:00 and examined the expression of hPer2 and hClock mRNA by RT-PCR analysis. The animals exhibited a robust daily rhythm in the RNA levels of mPer2 in the SCN and liver (P<0.01, respectively). In humans, hPer2 mRNA expression also had daily variation, and the hPer2 mRNA levels at 9:00 were significantly larger than those at 21:00 (P<0.01). While, the Clock mRNA in both mice and humans exhibited no daily variation. These findings suggest that the variation in hPer2 mRNA expression may be useful for assessing human peripheral circadian systems.


Sanitary surveys are used in low- and middle-income countries to assess water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions, but have rarely been compared with direct measures of environmental fecal contamination. We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of sanitary conditions and E. coli counts in soils and on surfaces of compounds (household clusters) in low-income neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique. We adapted the World Bank's Urban Sanitation Status Index to implement a sanitary survey tool specifically for compounds: a Localized Sanitation Status Index (LSSI) ranging from zero (poor sanitary conditions) to one (better sanitary conditions) calculated from 20 variables that characterized local sanitary conditions. We measured the variation in the LSSI with E. coli counts in soil (nine locations/compound) and surface swabs (seven locations/compound) in 80 compounds to assess reliability. Multivariable regression indicated that a ten-percentage point increase in LSSI was associated with 0.05 (95% CI: 0.00, 0.11) log10 fewer E. coli/dry gram in courtyard soil. Overall, the LSSI may be associated with fecal contamination in compound soil; however, the differences detected may not be meaningful in terms of public health hazards.


Objective : Spinal cord injuries are typically associated with major trauma from motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries, and violence. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) is one of the most frequent conditions seen in spinal cord injuries patients. Diagnosis is not always easy due to lack of symptoms. Present study is survey about urinary tract infection and pyuria in these patients. Methods : All of patients with spinal cord injuries, who admitted to "Brain and Spinal Injury Repair Research Centre" in Imam Hospital in duration one year, were included in this study. Clean catch midstream urine samples were collected of patients and were analyzed by biochemical and microscopically surveys. Results : In total 103 patients, 22 patients have cervical spinal cord injury, 52 patients have thoracic spinal cord injury and 13 patients have lumbar spinal cord injury. 83 patients were urine culture positive with urinary tract infection and pyuria were seen in 65 patients. the highest incidence of UTI and pyuria were demonstrated in patients with cervical spinal cord damage. E.coli, Klebsiellapneumoniea and Enterobacter cloacae were isolated in urine samples respectively. the high incidence of resistancy to Nitrofurantoin and Imipenem in E.coli were seen. Conclusion : Patients with spinal cord injuries have to use catheter for long time and or for all of life, and they are high risk to recurrent urinary tract infections and other infections. These patients need to monitor for urinary tract infection although without any symptoms of infections and sometimes they need to take prophylactic antibiotics. Key words: spinal cord injury, urinary tract infection, pyuria.


Studies of phage lambda in vivo have indicated that its own recombination enzymes, beta protein and lambda exonuclease, are capable of catalyzing two dissimilar pathways of homologous recombination that are widely distributed in nature: single-strand annealing and strand invasion. The former is an enzymatic splicing of overlapping ends of broken homologous DNA molecules, whereas the latter is characterized by the formation of a three-stranded synaptic intermediate and subsequent strand exchange. Previous studies in vitro have shown that beta protein has annealing activity, and that lambda exonuclease, acting on branched substrates, can produce a perfect splice that requires only ligation for completion. The present study shows that beta protein can initiate strand invasion in vitro, as evidenced both by the formation of displacement loops (D-loops) in superhelical DNA and by strand exchange between colinear single-stranded and double-stranded molecules. Thus, beta protein can catalyze steps that are central to both strand annealing and strand invasion pathways of recombination. These observations add beta protein to a set of diverse proteins that appear to promote recognition of homology by a unitary mechanism governed by the intrinsic dynamic properties of base pairs in DNA.


This article pursues a dual objective. First, it seeks to present the notion of the relationship to knowledge as a valuable theoretical tool for science education research. Secondly, it aims to illustrate how this notion has been operationalized in recent research conducted in Quebec (Canada) that focuses on teachers" and students" relationship to knowledge. The first portion of this article presents the notion of the relationship to knowledge, documenting its origins, usefulness and contributions to research in the field of science education. In the second portion, we present four (4) studies recently conducted in Quebec that relied on the notion of the relationship to knowledge to analyze, respectively: 1) postsecondary science students" relationships to experts; 2) secondary students" epistemological postures and relationship to scientific knowledge; 3) the relationship to knowledge and school of primary and secondary students who repeated a school year; and 4) the relationships to knowledges (in the plural form) of preservice secondary science and social studies teachers. We also present one (1) project, in progress at this time, which is dedicated to the point of view of preservice primary teachers concerning science and science education. By way of conclusion, we set out some main avenues for further research and debate in science education.


Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have proven to be a promising class of drug carriers due to their high porosity, crystalline properties with defined structure information, and their potential for further functionalization. However, to date, no extensive research has been conducted on MOF-based drug carriers with stimuli-responsive, dual-drug delivery, and tumor targeting functions. Here, we demonstrate the strategy of constructing a redox responsive and tumor-targeted MOF, as dual-drug carrier, by anchoring functional disulfide anhydride and folic acid (FA) molecules to the organic links of MOFs, respectively. The MOF composites show the controlled release of loaded 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) entrapped within UiO-66-NH2 nanostructures modified by dichloroacetic acid (DCA). Moreover, the MOF building block DCA acts as a synergistical drug to 5-FU in cancer cells inhibition. Through disulfide bonds, the gated MOF has redox-responsive drugs release. The confocal laser scanning microscopy further proved that conjugation of folic acid to the MOF surface can significantly enhance the targeting ability to cancer cells and the cancer cell uptake of FA-MOFs. The synthesis of redox-responsive dual-drug delivery MOF hybrids paves the way to assemble of other MOF hybrids that respond to other triggering factors such as light, temperature, pH, or biomarkers. The properties and functions of such materials are expected to influence the development of sensors, new catalysts, photonic devices, and drug delivery carriers.


Otolith microstructure analysis was used to determine daily age, growth rate and hatching periods of young of the year (YOY) common two-banded seabream, Diplodus vulgaris, collected at two sites by using beach seine from Çanakkale shallow waters between January and December 2007. Total length of the YOY D. vulgaris was between 12 and 86 mm and the daily ages ranged between 42 and 313 days. Somatic growth rate estimated by fitting a linear regression to the age–length data set was calculated as 0.273 mm day−1. According to the length–age regression analysis, maximum daily growth rates were found 0.277 mm day−1 in the lowest sea temperature period and minimum values of 0.274 mm day−1 were observed in the declining sea temperature period. Analysis of covariance indicated that there were no significant differences in the linear growth equations for the two cohorts (F = 0.4008, P = 0.527). Hatching period of the YOY was estimated to occur between October and March with relatively higher frequency in January. This study has shown that YOY D. vulgaris is a winter spawner in the Çanakkale shallow waters.


Objective: Psychoeducation forms part of the current practice for ADHD; however, its efficacy is yet to be established. Method: Sixty-nine children/adolescents with ADHD were randomly assigned for their families to receive either a well-structured psychoeducation program (n = 35), or belong to a control group (treatment-as-usual, n = 34). Results: One-way analyses of variance showed a statistically significant Treatment × Time interaction, for ADHD total symptoms, inattention/cognition, and hyperactivity/impulsivity subdomains according to the parents, the first two with medium-large effect sizes. The effects of the intervention on the ADHD total and the inattention/cognition domain persisted after 6 months follow-up. No significant differences in teacher ratings were found; however, an improvement in clinical functioning as measured by clinicians was observed. Conclusion: This psychoeducation program has shown effectiveness in reducing ADHD symptoms when compared with treatment as usual. Psychoeducation needs to be considered as a valid and additional approach in ADHD.


Many problems in the real world due to the local and global optimization change over time are a matter of dynamic optimization. Therefore, optimization algorithms despite global optimization and tracking of environments changed over time are needed in these environments. We are faced with two problems in designing the particle swarm optimization algorithm for dynamic environments to find the best solution in a short time and follow the solution after the environmental changes: Outdated memory and loss of population diversity in search area. The problem of loss of population diversity is one of the biggest challenges in dynamic environments because diversifying a convergent population to find dynamic optimization and then turning it into a new optimization greatly reduces the efficiency of the algorithm. Given the challenges presented in this paper, a hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm based on a Gaussian mixture model is proposed. In the proposed method, the change of each particle is based on the result of the best particles in its cluster. The results of the Moving Peak Benchmark experiments show a better performance of the proposed algorithm than other algorithms.


Nostalgia has become a major force in global politics. While Donald Trump hopes to 'make America great again', Xi Jinping calls for a 'great rejuvenation of the Chinese people', and a majority of Russians still mourn the Soviet Union. But it is Brexit, with its idealization of a bygone era of full sovereignty, that epitomizes nostalgic nationalism in its purest form. Despite its romantic flavor, nostalgia is a malaise—a combination of paranoia and melancholy that idealizes the past, while denigrating the present. This epidemic of mythicizing national history is shaping politics in risky ways, fueled by ageing populations, shifts in the global order, and technological disruption. When deployed in the political debate, collective nostalgia is used as an emotional weapon, capable of mobilizing a nation towards illusory goals. Drawing on psychology, political science, history and popular culture, Anglo Nostalgia analyses the rapid spread of this global phenomenon, before focusing on Brexit as a case study. With the detachment of informed outsiders, Campanella and Dassù expose nostalgia's great danger: the oversimplification of reality, leading to unprecedented political miscalculations and rising geopolitical tensions.


Islam is the final divine religion and its teachings are natural and justice based. One of its teachings is the right of inheritance. Inheritance is very important in every human life. After the death of a Muslim man or woman, his/her decedents and other relatives become entitled the inheritance. In Surah Al-Nisa, the division of inheritance has been briefly described. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) implemented this divine rule in his life and the Khulafa-e-Rashidin also followed and implemented this rule in their period very well. So there is no conflict among the Muslims about the law of inheritance. In subcontinent, after British rule, some social and ethical problems and issue regarding law of inheritance appeared. To violate this law some greedy people made different ways to deprive their relatives from the inheritance e.g. marriage with Quran, forced marriage, agricultural land deceiving, usurper on trade and business, divorce and late decision of honorable courts made a social role in deprivation of inheritance. This paper aims to diagnose the reasons of these problems and make suggestions to control these issues by the implementation of law of inheritance in the light of Quran o Sunnah and the constitution of Pakistan.


The effects of conducting glasses on photovoltatic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using nanocrystalline TiO2 were studied. The ITO substrate showed low ability to withstand heat during the sintering process, leading to an increase in sheet resistance. The heat stability of ITO conducting glass was improved by depositing metal oxide such as ATO, AZO, and SnO2, on ITO layer. The IPCE spectra of thin MP-TiO2 cell were higher than that of thick P25 cell in the region between 400-475 nm but lower than that of thick P25 cell in the red region, because the thickness of MP-TiO2 film was not enough to scatter the light leading to low absorbed spectra in red region. IPCE spectra can be improved by using the cell made from blend MP-TiO2 with P25. The efficiency of the MP-TiO2+P25 cells using ITO/SnO2 conducting substrate remarkably increased comparing with that of the cells using ITO.


Rhabdomyolysis is a rare complication that emerges in a variety of infectious diseases, such as tsutsugamushi infection. In this study, we report a 71-year-old female patient with tsutsugamushi infection who exhibiting rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. On admission, an eschar, which is characteristic of tsutsugamushi infection, was found on her right flank area. Moreover, her tsutsugamushi antibody titer was 1:40960. The elevated values of serum creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), aldolase, creatinine and dark brown urine secondary to myoglobinuria are consistent with indications of rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure due to tsutsugamushi infection. Her health improved without any residual effects after treatment with doxycyclin and hydration with normal saline.


Despite many studies of Holocene paleoclimate records from small lakes in the mid-continent of North America, direct estimates of lake-level changes associated with mid-Holocene aridity are rare. Varved sediments from Elk Lake, Clearwater County, Minnesota, are among the best studied in terms of paleoenvironmental proxies, yet the sedimentary architecture of those sediments has not been previously studied and the hydrological responses of the lake – changes in level and volume – are poorly known. High-resolution seismic-reflection (CHIRP) profiles of Elk Lake reveal complex sedimentary basins in the lake, a pattern of nearshore onlap of sediments onto older substrates, and the focusing of sediments into several deep basins. Biogenic gas obscures sediments in the deepest parts of the basins, but beneath the rest of the lake, a three-part Holocene sequence is clear. The transitions between these parts are correlated with lithological changes defined in earlier core studies. Sediments of the modern stage are less focused than those of the prairie lake stage. A prominent erosional unconformity occurs within the Holocene sequence, separating sediments from the prairie and modern stages of the lake. Erosion associated with this unconformity extends to a depth of 18.2 m below the modern water surface, at which point the unconformity grades into a conformable horizon within the sequence in the deep basins of the lake. This transition is an analog of the onlap of modern sediments onto older substrates, which occurs at a depth of about 8.2 m. The configuration of the erosional unconformity and its modern analog indicates a lake-level fall in the mid Holocene of 10.0 m. At its mid-Holocene minimum, the lake was 39% of its present size and 30% of its present volume, providing quantitative evidence to aid in constraining and evaluating reconstructions of mid-Holocene aridity in the mid-continent of North America.


The text searches for the differences and similarities between the theories of Paulo Freire and Edgar Morin about education, more particularly, about science that is considered as necessary to the educational process in the next century. For their propositions, the author of this article concludes that both belong to the universe of "dialetical-dialogical" philosophers.


The efficient extraction of light from silicon is one of the longstanding challenges of modem engineering and physics. The difficulty mainly arises from silicon's indirect bandgap and the short lifetime of non-radiative processes such as Auger recombination. Nonetheless, the realization of an energy efficient silicon-based photon source could find broad applicability in areas such as ultra-large scale integration (ULSI), optoelectronic displays and lighting. Every practical solution proposed thus far to this fundamental, yet technologically critical problem, relies on the physical patterning or chemical modification of silicon substrates, most of these transformations requiring high annealing temperatures or fabrication steps that are not compatible with conventional ULSI processes. In this thesis, we experimentally demonstrate the generation of tunable radiation in the near-infrared (800 to 1600 nm) from a simple periodic silicon grating. The light emission is generated by spontaneous emission from these gratings interacting with low-energy free electrons (as low as 2 keV) and is recorded in the silicon transparency window. We develop time-domain numerics that confirms our experimental results and our evaluatation of the output radiation power. In addition, we theoretically investigate the feasibility of an allsilicon compact tunable radiation source at telecommunication wavelengths comprised of a silicon Field Emitter Array (FEA) integrated with a silicon periodic structure. Our results pave the way towards the realization of a CMOS-compatible electrically-pumped silicon light source. Thesis Supervisor: Marin Soljacid Title: Professor of Physics


To model unsteady airfoil aerodynamics in forward and reverse flows in a simple and robust manner requires a strong understanding of the complex flow dynamics and their relation to first-order concepts. The current work explores the relation between the leading-edge suction force, represented nondimensionally by the leading-edge suction parameter (LESP), and the flow physics of forward and reverse dynamic stall as a function of freestream Reynolds number, airfoil thickness, and motion kinematics for the NACA 0012, 0015, and 0018 airfoils using computational tools. The relation between the LESP and critical events associated with leading-edge vortex (LEV) shedding was found to be independent of flow direction barring the signature to identify LEV initiation. Leading-edge suction was observed to continue to increase after LEV initiation in reverse flow and could be attributed to the combined effect of a weak LEV and strong trailing-edge vortice. While LESP, forces, and moments were found to be moderately dependent on airfoil thickness and strongly dependent on the Reynolds number in forward flow conditions and the critical LESP, in addition, was weakly dependent on motion kinematics, the aerodynamics were observed to be largely independent of said parameters in reverse flow. This allows for a single critical LESP value to be used for symmetric airfoils to indicate LEV initiation when the blunt edge is experiencing reversed flow, a finding which serves to largely reduce the empirical dependencies while modeling unsteady reverse dynamic stall in low-order methods.


Injecting drug users are not only driving blood-borne transmission of HIV and hepatitis C virus but also likely drive sexual transmission of HIV in large parts of the world. Mathematical and statistical modeling can provide important insights in these epidemiological processes and on the potential impact of interventions but have been little used to date. This review aims to discuss the potential areas of application of modeling in the field of viral infections in injecting drug users. After reviewing key examples of published modeling work on HIV and hepatitis C virus in injecting drug users, we discuss recent developments in the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these infections. In particular, new methods for the diagnosis of early HIV infection, new antivirals for a more effective treatment of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections, new concepts in design and surveillance of interventions for drug users and increasing possibilities of molecular typing of pathogens are changing the questions and decisions for public health policy makers who deal with drug-related infectious diseases. Research including mathematical modeling is needed to understand the impact of new diagnostic tools, new treatment options and combined intervention strategies on the epidemiology of viral infections in injecting drug users. Methodological advances in mathematical modeling are required to adequately approach some of the ensuing research questions. Modeling has much to offer for solving urgent policy questions, but current levels of funding in modeling research are insufficient and need to be scaled up to make better use of these possibilities.


Indoor radon investigation was carried out in offices of three university campuses located in South-Western part of Nigeria; Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ekiti State University (EKSU) and Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) using CR39 detectors. The mean activity concentration of indoor radon for the investigated offices of all three university campuses was estimated to be 222 ± 44 Bq m-3, which was below the reference level of 300 Bq m-3 recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 115). For the three institutions, the probability of lung cancer induction at age 70 years with respect to age of exposure (40, 50, and 60 years) ranged between 1.06 × 10-7 and 6.24 × 10-5. The expected mortality rate due to exposure to a radon activity concentration ranging from 7 to 1358 Bq m-3 was estimated to range from 0 to 44 deaths among a population of 10,000 persons.


During al-Qadir's reign, the political power was in the hands of the the Buwayhid's amir al-umara', Baha' al-Dawla. The latter was the strong supporter of the Shi'ites who flourished during this time. Realizing that he only held the religious power and wishing to be a champion of the Sunnites, the caliph embarked on a famous endeavor which can be called as the Sunnite Restoration. With this he tried to counter the increasing ascendancy of the Shi'ites and existing influence of the Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites. He took  up  a  leadership  of  politico-religious  party   against   the   Shi'ite, Mu'tazilite and Ash'arite movements. In addition, he issued the Risala al Qadiriyya (Al-Qadir's Epistle), containing the Sunnite creed based on the ideas of the Hanbalite scholars. The main issues he dealt in the Risala al Qadiriyya were the unity and absolute power of Allah, the uncreatedness of the Kalam (Word of Allah), Allah's real attributes and the acknowledgement of the excellence of the Khulafaur Rashidin according to the chronological enumeration. Finally, the Muslims should not discredit the companions of the Prophets.


In this study I reexamine some well-known generalizations about Islamic law prior to the impact of the West, e.g., the contention that Islamic law became increasingly closed, based more and more on blind imitation. My examination of the fatwā collection of the seventeenth-century Palestinian Muftī Khayr al-Dīn al-Ramlī suggests that increasing closure never took place. On the one hand al-Ramlī faithfully continues the tradition of his classical predecessors, or, in other words, he practices taqlīd by obligating himself to earlier authorities. On the other hand, his fatwās convey a sense of openness, flexibility, and liveliness. These characteristics are concretized in some of the major terms that he uses: ijtihād, or free discretion of the jurist in areas of the law that remained open; iṣtiḥsān, or relaxation of formal rules; and ʿurf, or local customary law, which, by definition, is changeable over time. In my view, the flexibility of Islamic law has been underemphasized in the scholarly literature, and hence it is on this factor in particular that I have chosen to concentrate.


The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is intricately involved in maintaining cocaine self-administration. Cocaine inhibits the firing of most NAc cells due to its ability to prevent the reuptake of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), both of which predominantly inhibit NAc cell discharge in vivo. The present studies investigated the roles of DA and 5-HT in the effects of iontophoretically applied cocaine. Most NAc cells exhibited negative/positive waveforms (Type I cells). These cells were significantly more sensitive to cocaine than Type II cells (positive/negative waveforms), apparently due to differences in the actions of 5-HT. Whereas DA was equipotent at inhibiting Type I and Type II cells, 5-HT inhibited Type I cells but, primarily excited Type II cells. Thus the ability of cocaine to potentiate the effects of both DA and 5-HT resulted in a pronounced inhibition of Type I cells, whereas the 5-HT-mediated excitation of Type II cells appeared to reduce DA-mediated inhibition. Combined administration of selective DA (GBR 12909) and 5-HT (fluoxetine) uptake inhibitors was required to mimic the effects of cocaine on Type I and Type II NAc cells. Acute depletion of DA (86%) produced by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) significantly reduced the inhibitory effects of cocaine on all NAc cells. Acute depletion of 5-HT (74%) produced by p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of cocaine on Type I cells, but it significantly enhanced the inhibition of Type II cells. Simultaneous reduction of DA and 5-HT levels produced a significantly greater reduction of cocaine-induced inhibition of Type I neurons than did AMPT or PCPA alone. These findings are discussed in relation to proposed roles of DA and 5-HT in cocaine self-administration.


We sampled understory bummingbirds in Amazonian forest fragments from before isolation through nine years after isolation. We recorded 377 captures of eight species in five 1-ba fragments and four 10-ha fragments. The three species netted before isolation, Phaethornis superciliosus, Phaethornis bourcieri, and Thalurania furcata, were nearly equally abundant at that time. After isolation abundance of P. bourcieri and T. furcata did not change, but P. superciliosus became nearly twice as common. Five additional species that were netted only after isolation represented about 10% of the post-isolation sample. The species recorded only after isolation were forest species usually found above the levels of nets; fragments were not colonized by nonforest species. Use of fragments did not differ between 1-and 10-ba fragments. The landscape surrounding the fragments included active cattle pasture, abandoned pasture, and Cecropia-dominated second growth, but this variation bad little effect on use of fragments by hummingbirds. The results suggest that these understory hummingbirds can persist in a matrix of fragments, secondary growth, and large forest patches. This response is much different than that of the insectivorous birds that dominate the understory bird community at the site, which are much more vulnerable to fragmentation. Efectos de la fragmentación del bosque sobre los colibrís de sotobosque en la Amazonia Brasileña.