This masters thesis presents the results of tracking ship heave motion with a heave prediction model-predictive controller (MPC) in the experimental actuation of a nonlinear, unloaded, full-scale active-heave compensation (AHC) hydraulic testbed. Implementing the MPC involves determining a system model for the AHC testbed and correcting for the nonlinear behavior of the AHC testbed. Multiple tuning parameters exist for MPC and so a single set of parameters was acceptably tuned and chosen to use for all experiments within this thesis work. The experimental heave tracking results collected are compared to an AHC testbed simulator developed in MATLAB Simulink. A load is applied within the simulator to determine the AHC testbed response to operating under load conditions. For the experimental unloaded case, as well as the simulator loaded and unloaded cases, the MPC results are compared to a tuned PID controller in tracking of sine waves as well as four heave motion test cases. The heave prediction MPC controller is found to track the test cases and sinusoidal references well while, additionally, outperforming the tuned PID controller in real-world experiments for all test cases and sine wave tracking. Two of the test cases introduced relatively high frequency components to the reference signal which the MPC is able to track, while the PID performance decreases dramatically with the addition of these high frequency components. Maintaining constant tuning parameters for each, the MPC is shown to be more robust for a range of operating conditions when compared to PID. Within the simulator the MPC controller performance is reduced compared to the experimental testbed performance while the PID controller is able to better track two of the four test cases. The loss in MPC performance is attributed to different implementations of MPC between the simulator and the experimental setup. Applying a load within the AHC testbed simulator shows two important results: first, that a counter-balance valve is necessary for the AHC testbed system under load conditions, and second, a parallel integral controller may be needed with the MPC controller to ensure motor leakage does not affect performance.


An orally bioavailable, semi-synthetic lipophilic analogue of camptothecin, a quinoline alkaloid extracted from the Asian tree Camptotheca acuminate, with potential antineoplastic and antiangiogenic activities. Gimatecan binds to and inhibits the activity of topoisomerase I, stabilizing the cleavable complex of topoisomerase I-DNA, which inhibits the religation of single-stranded DNA breaks generated by topoisomerase I; lethal double-stranded DNA breaks occur when the topoisomerase I-DNA complex is encountered by the DNA replication machinery, DNA replication is disrupted, and the tumor cell undergoes apoptosis. Although the mechanism of its antiangiogenic activity has yet to be full elucidated, this agent may inhibit endothelial cell migration, tumor neovascularization, and the expression of proangiogenic basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020


The article analyzes the experience with the application of rigid bronchoscopes and bronchofibroscopes for bronchological examinations of children. Bronchofibroscopy was shown to be less traumatic and to give a great volume of diagnostic information on the morpho-functional state of the bronchial tree, localization of the pathological process.


The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was calculated by using monthly air temperature and precipitation data in China during the period 1960 to 2007 Based on the monthly PDSI of 614 stations in China from 1960 to 2007, we theoretically study the statistics of record-breaking monthly PDSI (RBMP) in recent 48 years. According to the theory of record-breaking event, we have developed the universal mathematical formula to evaluate the record-breaking events. Based on the existing Gaussian distribution of monthly PDSI and the RBMP as the initial conditions, we compute the universal mean of the RBMP. Compared with the results of iterative calculations using the theoretical value, the values computed using the former method are closer to the real values. Then the next possible RBMP in the future are evaluated and predicted by the former method. The results show that the changes of extreme drought differ much in different regions of China and have obvious regional features. The drought trend in North China will continue, and the degree of extreme drought event of these regions are rising fast, extreme drought events more likely happen again in nearly two decades in the future. On the other hand, in South area, it is very improbable for more serious occurrence of extreme drought events in recent decades. The polarization trend in China will be further enhanced.


This study assessed the hydrogeological characteristics of 59 boreholes from the Osun Drainage Basin, Southwestern Nigeria with a view to examining the sustainability of its groundwater resource. Data on borehole parameters (depth of hole, static water level and yield) were acquired from Osun State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency and Bayowa (2013). Likewise, hydrogeological parameters (longitudinal unit conductance, hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity) were extracted from Akinwumiju (2015). The techniques of descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted to analyze these data while the relationship between yield and other hydrogeological parameters was also modeled. Results revealed that aquifers are generally shallow, thin and less porous across the study area; indicating relatively low groundwater yield potentials. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity and longitudinal unit conductance were factors influencing borehole yield in the study area. However, all the four parameters examined in this study were observed to have their individual influence on borehole yield at varying degrees. It was concluded that the basin's groundwater resource might not be able to sustain her population in the process of time as indicated by the low mean yield (0.98 l/s) computed for the study area but for the continuous recharge from seasonal precipitation.


Automated perimetry is the most important functional test in glaucoma patients. This course will teach which programs and strategies to use, how to instruct patients and avoid artifacts, and how to use the available software to interpret worsening of visual field defects and calculate rates of change. Finally, consensus statements will be provided on the usefulness of non‐conventional perimetric tests.


We propose the application of a modified radial basis function neural network in the context of software fault localization, to assist programmers in locating bugs effectively. This neural network is trained to learn the relationship between the statement coverage information of a test case and its corresponding execution result, success or failure. The trained network is then given as input a set of virtual test cases, each covering a single statement. The output of the network, for each virtual test case, is considered to be the suspiciousness of the corresponding covered statement. A statement with a higher suspiciousness has a higher likelihood of containing a bug, and thus statements can be ranked in descending order of their suspiciousness. The ranking can then be examined one by one, starting from the top, until a bug is located. Case studies on 15 different programs were conducted, and the results clearly show that our proposed technique is more effective than several other popular, state of the art fault localization techniques. Further studies investigate the robustness of the proposed technique, and illustrate how it can easily be applied to programs with multiple bugs as well.


BACKGROUND
Individuals with Down syndrome have an accelerated process of ageing which is thought to be associated with oxidative stress.

AIM
Since Zn/Cu superoxide dismutase is increased by about 50% in children with Down syndrome, glutathione and other less known antioxidant mechanisms were studied to determine whether there were changes in reactive oxygen species.

METHODS
Plasma reduced and oxidised glutathione and red blood cells enzymes including acid phosphatase, methemoglobin reductase and transmembrane reductase were evaluated in Portuguese children with Down syndrome and their siblings, who were used as a control group.

RESULTS
No significant differences were found between the study and control groups. A negative correlation was noted between total glutathione and acid phosphatase in the siblings without Down syndrome, but not in the children with Down syndrome.

CONCLUSION
Although it is claimed that the production of hydrogen peroxide is enhanced in children with Down syndrome, their antioxidant mechanisms do not seem to be significantly different compared with their siblings. This may result in an excess of reactive oxygen species that could help to explain accelerated ageing in children with Down syndrome. Further studies will be needed to shed light on these mechanisms.


The northern wetlands are one of the major sources of methane into the atmosphere. We measured annual methane emission from a boreal minerotrophic fen, Siikaneva, by the eddy covariance method. The average wintertime emissions were below 1 mg m-2 h-1, and the summertime emissions about 3.5 mg m-2 h-1. The water table depth did have any clear effect on methane emissions. During most of the year the emission depended on the temperature of peat below the water table. However, during the high and late summer the emission was independent on peat temperature as well. No diurnal cycle of methane flux was found. The total annual emission from the Siikaneva site was 12.6 g m-2. The emissions of the snow free period contributed 91% to the annual emission. The emission pulse during the snow melting period was clearly detectable but of minor importance adding only less than 3% to the annual emission. Over 20% of the carbon assimilated during the year as carbon dioxide was emitted as methane. Thus methane emission is an important component of the carbon balance of the Siikaneva fen. This indicates need of taking methane into account when studying carbon balances of northern fen ecosystems.


This Article addresses the circuit split over whether Title VII prohibits discrimination based on an employer's misperception of an employee's religion. This is an especially critical issue because misperception-based religious discrimination is likely to increase as the United States experiences unprecedented religious diversification. Some courts read Title VII narrowly to preclude such claims, reasoning that the statutory text only prohibits discrimination based on an individual's actual religion. Other courts interpret the statute more expansively in concluding such claims are cognizable because the employer's intent is equally malicious in misperception and conventional discrimination cases. I argue that the statutory text is ambiguous, but the legislative history, EEOC guidance, and broader consideration of the federal antidiscrimination regime all support recognition of misperception-based religious discrimination claims under Title VII. The Supreme Court's recent decision in EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc. further confirms the validity of such claims, as the Court held that Title VII liability is premised on an employer's discriminatory motive, not its actual knowledge of an individual's religious practices. Thus, if an employer's motive is the touchstone for liability, it matters not whether an employer accurately perceives an employee's religion, so long as religion motivates the adverse employment decision.


Third-party actors who mediate or monitor peace often strive to uphold an image of neutrality. Yet, they commonly face accusations of partiality. The Nordic engagement in the Sri Lankan peace process is an illustration of this puzzle: despite the efforts to uphold an image of being neutral mediators and monitors, they have been seen as favoring one side or the other. This article suggests that part of the explanation for their failure to be seen as neutral lies in the fact that armed conflicts are characterized by certain asymmetries between the main antagonists – in capabilities, status and behavior. These imbalances pose particular challenges to the third party aspiring to act in a neutral manner. We suggest that third parties have two strategies available to deal with imbalances in the relationship between the contenders: 1) they can choose to disregard the asymmetrical relationship and act in an even-handed manner or 2) they can seek to counterbalance the lopsidedness. This article explores the dynamics of these strategies by analyzing the Nordic involvement in Sri Lanka's peace process that began in 2002.


In 7 acromegalic patients in whom plasma hGH concentrations had dropped acutely after a single dose of 2-B r-alpha-ergocryptine (CB-154, 2.5 mg orally) chronic CB-154 treatment (10 mg orally for 30 days) was also accompanied by a significant and stable reduction of hGH. Withdrawal of the drug was followed by a rapid return of hGH to pretreatment values. Reinstatement of oral CB-154 treatment resulted again in suppression of hGH levels measured 30 and 60 days later. In 5 patients, unresponsive to acute administration of CB-154, no appreciable variation in hGH levels was present after 30 days of treatment. These results suggest that 2-Br-alpha-ergocryptine offers a new approach to the medical treatment of acromegaly.


An estimated 1 in every 182 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Providing them safe care has inherent challenges, such as reaching an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible, differentiating between disease progression and treatment side effects, and addressing broader systemic risks. Managing editor, Caitlyn Allen, sat down with medical
oncologist and former chief quality officer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Joseph O. Jacobson, to discuss the evolution of oncology care and what the future may hold.


This thesis explores pluralist perspectives on literacy in the context of the Literacy and Numeracy (LITNUM) Strategy of the Western Cape Education Department. My argument is that we need to move beyond functional or technical conceptions of literacy towards a recognition of its transformative potential. That is, the concept of literacy needs to be stretched to incorporate pluralist perspectives in order to achieve developmental aspirations. Following a literature review approach, I construct three constitutive meanings of literacy, namely "cognitive skills", "social context" and "development", and I investigate how the LITNUM Strategy conforms to these constitutive meanings of literacy. My finding is that LITNUM is based on a constructivist learning theory. I caution that when understandings of learning theories are viewed exclusively from one perspective, literacy becomes "compacted", and we miss out on important considerations of literacy and its transformative potential. I show that LITNUM discusses several social contextual factors related to literacy; a recognition of the impact of social issues on literacy. Regarding LITNUM's concern with development, I conclude that both functional and critical literacy as important aspects of development are not sufficiently addressed. In a nutshell: LITNUM focuses on technical skills, which need to be balanced with the notion that literacy is a social act, and that it has the potential to transform societies. I propose a "literacy of thoughtfulness", based on compassion, love and care. This proposition forms the basis for possible future research.


The tuākana-teina (older-younger sibling) relationship is one of reciprocity that empowers leadership and support (Amopiu 2019). In response to the struggles of Māori and Pasifika students within educational institutions, the tuākana-teina relationship has been incorporated to enhance their cultural and academic well-being (Bishop and Glynn 2003; Callaghan et al. 2018; Oetzel et al. 2021; Parr 2016). In 1991, based upon this philosophy, Professor Michael Walker began the Tuākana programme within the School of Biological Sciences at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. This paper examines the role of the Tūakana Biology programme in the recruitment, development and retention of Māori in Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau. Drawing from data and experiences of the programme from its inception to current day students, a secondary data analysis was conducted. Here we identify key components that make Tuākana Biology a success and challenges that restrict its implementation. We found the cultural space and community provided by Tuākana enhances Māori and Pasifika recruitment, development, and retention, positioning Tuākana Biology as a potential solution to Māori and Pasifika success within academia. Lack of funding, staffing capacity, and access to student data are the challenges the programme looks to overcome to realise its full potential.


Background; Viral hepatitis causes devastating health issues to everyone globally and specifically the most vulnerable groups like pregnant ladies. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for hepatitis B and C virus infection with univariate association of virus seropositivity among pregnant women and comparison of public with private hospital data.Study Design; An Unmatched Case Control Pilot Study.Place and Duration; Gynaecology wards of Two Public Tertiary Care Hospitals of Peshawar and equal number of Private clinics, from September- 2018 to February- 2019.Methods; This study enrolled 21 cases and controls as 1:1 ratio via consecutive sampling. A validated questionnaire was used. Cases included were HBsAg and ELISA positive HCV females, while anti HBsAg and Anti HCV ELISA negative were the controls. The collected data was entered and analysed in SPSS version- 19. Descriptive statistics were computed by frequency and percentages while inferential statistics through Odd ratio and 95% confidence interval. P value cut of limit was set at <0.05. Results; The mean age was 37±9 for the cases and 28±6 years for controls respectively. The risk factors with increase occurrence of disease were past history of abortion OR=1.23 (95% Cl=0.34-4.35), past hospitalization OR=2.90 (Cl=0.77-10.8), past surgical procedure OR=3.69 (Cl=0.81-16.6), dental extraction OR=1.25 (Cl=0.33-4.63), delivery in hospital OR=4.26 (Cl=1.13-16.05), injection in hospitals OR=1.47 (Cl=0.43-5.04), household contact with jaundice OR=5.66 (Cl=1.41-22.7). Normal vaginal delivery OR=1.96 (Cl=0.51-7.48) and history of sexually transmitted infections OR=2.23 (Cl=0.36-13.7) were independently associated with HBV, HCV.Conclusion; Iatrogenic exposures of injections, blood transfusions, tooth extractions, home deliveries with past history of sexually transmitted infections, abortion, hepatitis infection and hospital admissions were the risk factors among the pregnant women.


The changing patterns of utilization of home hemodialysis (HHD) are reviewed with special reference to the factors responsible for its decline and recent revival. Equipment and monitoring systems dedicated to HHD have been recently introduced in response to the demand for more frequent therapies at home. The advantages and disadvantages of novel technology versus time-tested, reliable and versatile platforms are discussed. Despite the significant technological progress achieved, much remains to be done in our quest to make HHD a simple, cost-effective and very safe renal replacement therapy.


This work aims to realize identity recognition using images from one Database [1]. This facial database is composed of 3D dynamical images or 4D considering the time component as the fourth dimension, where the head movements are removed and only the facial dynamism is considered. The identity recognition is done by an Artificial Intelligence method based on Artificial Immune System of Negative Selection. The performance of the Immune system is satisfactory and encouraging. The obtained results are efficient, robust, precise and reliable to recognize the facial identity.


PurposeThe purpose of this study primarily is to investigate the heterogeneous effect of leverage on performance of the listed nonfinancial joint stock companies in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachA large panel sample of 165 listed nonfinancial firms under different industries of Bangladesh studied for the period 2007–2016 employing the dynamic panel approaches, namely, differenced generalized method of moments (GMM) and system GMM. The asymmetric relationship between leverage and performance is also examined by quantile regression approach.FindingsGMM showed that the leverage indicators have the negative impact on the performance of the firms in terms of return on equity and return on asset while the quantile regressions revealed the heterogeneous relationship between leverage and profitability. It showed that greater negative impact of leverage on performance in high-profitable firms than low-profitable firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is confined to only the listed nonfinancial joint-stock companies of Bangladesh.Practical implicationsThe asymmetric relationship between leverage and financial performance identified in this study would be the helpful tool for financial managers for optimal capital structure decisions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first in-depth attempts to find the nonlinear heterogeneous effect of leverage on firms' performance.


Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) often develops in patients with cancer treated with commonly used anti-cancer drugs. The symptoms of CIPN can occur acutely during chemotherapy or emerge after cessation, and often accompany long-lasting intractable pain. This adverse side effect not only affects the quality of life but also limits the use of chemotherapy, leading to a reduction in the survival rate of patients with cancer. Currently, effective treatments for CIPN are limited, and various interventions are being applied by clinicians and patients because of the unmet clinical need. Potential approaches to ameliorate CIPN include traditional Eastern medicine-based methods. Medicinal substances from traditional Eastern medicine have well-established analgesic effects and are generally safe. Furthermore, many substances can also improve other comorbid symptoms in patients. This article aims to provide information regarding traditional Eastern medicine-based plant extracts and natural compounds for CIPN. In this regard, we briefly summarized the development, mechanisms, and changes in the nervous system related to CIPN, and reviewed the substances of traditional Eastern medicine that have been exploited to treat CIPN in preclinical and clinical settings.


There are 2 purposes about the study of rice cultivation process with activity costing system.
          1) Study the cost of rice cultivation process of farmers with Activity-based costing (ABC) system.
          2) Study the activities that effect to the high production cost in rice cultivation process of farmers.
For this study will survey by questioning 300 farmers in Boet subdistrict Rattanaburi district Surin Province and analysis by using methodology of quantitative data analysis and qualitative data analysis.
According to the analysis, there are farmers is male accounting for 72.33% and farmers is female accounting for 27.67%. Range of age of 61 above accounting for 37.67%. Graduation in school at grade 4 is accounting for 58.34%. The average area of rice cultivation is 6 to 10 rai, accounting for 34.34% that consists of 5 main steps
     Preparation area
     Maintenance of productivity
     Maintenance of agricultural machinery and equipment
     Harvesting and post-harvest.
     Transportation
By analyzing the cost of rice cultivation of farmers with the Activity-based costing (ABC) system of all five activities, Cost per unit (Baht per rai) showed that the area of rice cultivation of 16 to 20 rai had the lowest cost per unit, the total cost is 1,756.86 Bath per Rai. And the results also found the high cost production activities in rice cultivation process is the cost of harvesting and post-harvesting. The cost is around 690 to 875 baht per rai.
Therefore, to reduce the unnecessary costs that may occur during rice cultivation. Farmers should include areas and groups of farmers, to use the rice cultivation area 6 – 10 Rai. This will allow farmers to have the cost of the rice cultivation process with Activity-based costing (ABC) the most effective.


Adhesion forces of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membrane in the gel phase are investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In the simulations, individual DPPC molecules are pulled out of DPPC membranes with different rates and we get the maximum adhesion forces of DPPC membrane. We find that the maximum adhesion forces increase with pull rate, from about 400 to 700 pN when pull rates are from 0.001 to 0.03 nm/ps. We analyze the relationship between pull rate and adhesion forces of different origins using Brownian dynamics and notice that viscosity of solvent plays an important role in adhesion forces. Then we simulate the motion of a single DPPC molecule in solvent and it elucidates that the maximum drag force is almost linear with respect to the pull rate. We use Stokes' relation to describe the motion of a single DPPC molecule and deduce the effective length of a DPPC molecule. Conformational analyses indicate that the free energy variation of a DPPC molecule inside and outside of the DPPC membrane is an essential part of adhesion energy.


Although a trichilemmal cyst is a relatively common benign cutaneous condition and ossification has been observed within many cutaneous lesions to our knowledge, the association between ossification and trichilemmal cyst has not been previously reported. We describe for the first time the case of a trichilemmal cyst with marked osseous metaplasia arising on the scalp of a 46 year-old woman. Microscopically the lesion showed the typical features of a trichilemmal cyst with the finding of intra-extraluminal foci of calcification and the exceptional feature of mature bone formation. No areas of mature cartilage were observed near the focus of ossification. The cutaneous bone may have been directly formed from osteogenic stromal elements without a cartilaginous precursor (membranous or mesenchymal ossification). The dystrophic calcification might also contribute to the bone-forming process.


The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between family social support for anxiety entering menopause. The research method used is quantitative Research subjects are women or mothers in Rt 007 Rw 06 Klender, East Jakarta 45-50 years old who have not experienced menopause as many as 40 people. Sampling technique is a saturated or census sampling. Data collection methods used are anxiety scale and social support scale. Data analysis technique used is Bivariate Correlation method. Based on the results of the data analysis, obtained rxy -0.451, which proves that there is a significant relationship to the negative between social support family with anxiety in the face of pre menopause in women in Rt 007 Rw 06 Klender, East Jakarta. High social support from families will reduce anxiety in pre menopausal women.


In C. elegans, an X-chromosome-wide regulatory process compensates for the difference in X-linked gene dose between males (XO) and hermaphrodites (XX) by equalizing levels of X-chromosome transcripts between the sexes. To achieve dosage compensation, a large protein complex is targeted to the X chromosomes of hermaphrodites to reduce their expression by half. This repression complex is also targeted to a single autosomal gene, her-1. By silencing this male-specific gene, the complex induces hermaphrodite sexual development. Our analysis of the atypical dosage compensation gene dpy-21 revealed the first molecular differences in the complex that achieves gene-specific versus chromosome-wide repression. dpy-21 mutations, shown here to be null, cause elevated X-linked gene expression in XX animals, but unlike mutations in other dosage compensation genes, they do not cause extensive XX-specific lethality or disrupt the stability or targeting of the dosage compensation complex to X. Nonetheless, DPY-21 is a member of the dosage compensation complex and localizes to X chromosomes in a hermaphrodite-specific manner. However, DPY-21 is the first member of the dosage compensation complex that does not also associate with her-1. In addition to a difference in the composition of the complex at her-1 versus X, we also found differences in the targeting of the complex to these sites. Within the complex, SDC-2 plays the lead role in recognizing X-chromosome targets, while SDC-3 plays the lead in recognizing her-1 targets.


The inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-α) is considered an essential factor in the treatment of diseases as diverse as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and some forms of diabetes, as well as other diseases that involve selective immunologic attack on a particular organ or system. 1 In autoimmune disease, interleukin-1 (IL-1) acts by stimulating other cells to produce cytokines or enzymes that then act on the target tissue. 2 In addition, TNF-α can stimulate the production of IL-1; hence, both molecules are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of septic shock and other diseases. The cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α are often grouped together and called proinflammatory cytokines . The biochemical changes induced by TNF-α and IL-1β include increased synthesis of nitric oxide and endothelial cell adhesion molecules. Once TNF-α and IL-1β are secreted, the cascade of inflammation erupts with secondary secretion


Bacterial membranes are composed of fatty acids (FAs) ester-linked to glycerol-3-phosphate, while archaea possess membranes made of isoprenoid chains ether-linked to glycerol-1-phosphate. Many archaeal species organize their membrane as a monolayer of membrane-spanning lipids (MSLs). Exceptions to this 'lipid divide' are the production by some bacterial species of (ether-bound) MSLs, formed by tail-tail condensation of fatty acids resulting in the formation of (iso) diabolic acids (DAs), which are the likely precursors of paleoclimatological relevant branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether molecules. However, the enzymes responsible for their production are unknown. Here, we report the discovery of bacterial enzymes responsible for the condensation reaction of fatty acids and for ether bond formation, and confirm that the building blocks of iso-DA are branched iso-FAs. Phylogenomic analyses of the key biosynthetic genes reveal a much wider diversity of potential MSL (ether)-producing bacteria than previously thought, with significant implications for our understanding of the evolution of lipid membranes.


Abstract Exploring two major books on the visual and performance histories of the ongoing and historical AIDS crisis in the US and beyond—Brian Getnick's edited volume Final Transmission and Avram Finkelstein's firsthand account, After Silence—this review asks how we have come to contemplate and understand the intensities, losses, and absences of the AIDS catastrophe. Drawing on theories on death, dying, and the cultural expressions around them, the review puts pressure on the particular offerings of these two very different books, ultimately pulling out passionate moments of vulnerability and self-reflexivity in each book as the most effective and powerful ruminations on global crises such as the AIDS pandemic.


According to general relativity, a binary consisting of spinning bodies will precess due to spin-orbit and spin-spin coupling. The corresponding modulation of its gravitational waves might be a serious problem for detecting such waves with simple post-Newtonian templates. A new family of templates that takes into account the complications arising from the orbital precession is proposed and its application and performance are discussed.


Despite impressive progress in the economic performance of many African countries in recent years, youth unemployment remains one of the continent's main socioeconomic and political problems. This study employs panel data covering 49 African countries for the period 2000–2017 to provide the first attempt to explicitly examine the dynamic relationship between quality foundational skills, measured by basic education quality (teacher-pupil ratio), and youth unemployment, while considering the conditional role of institutional capacity, measured by control of corruption, regulatory quality, and financial development. The empirical estimation in this paper is based on a two-step system generalized method of moments (SGMM), in order to control for unobserved heterogeneity and potential endogeneity of all the explanatory variables. The following are the main findings: First, youth unemployment is persistent in Africa. Second, quality of basic education exerts a negative impact on youth unemployment. Third, greater control of corruption, improved regulatory quality, and better structured financial sectors strengthen the effect of quality basic education in reducing youth unemployment. These findings provide a clear policy pathway for reducting youth unemployment. In particular, we recommend that better quality basic education, a well-structured financial structure, and institutional quality should constitute a fundamental component of the policy mix to reduce youth unemployment in Africa.


COMPUTER GAMESIn the virtual world of most computer games, a programmer has carefully scripted each potential event long before you tear the shrink-wrap off your new game. While this approach worked well enough when Pong was the state of the art in video games, many game designers think it is becoming too restrictive. Their attempts to exploit advances in computer technology and inject more natural behavior into gaming have given birth to a whole new form of interactive entertainment: physics-driven computer games, in which the movement of objects depends on the forces they would be subjected to.


We present a 3D stylization algorithm that can turn an input shape into the style of a cube while maintaining the content of the original shape. The key insight is that cubic style sculptures can be captured by the as-rigid-as-possible energy with an ℓ1-regularization on rotated surface normals. Minimizing this energy naturally leads to a detail-preserving, cubic geometry. Our optimization can be solved efficiently without any mesh surgery. Our method serves as a non-realistic modeling tool where one can incorporate many artistic controls to create stylized geometries.


Seedlings of 'Babygold 5' peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were grown for 50 days in nutrient solutions with 0.4, 21, 42, 125, 250, 500 μm Mg. Magnesium deficiency symptoms were observed 19 days after initiation of the Mg treatments in the seedlings in 0.4 μm Mg solutions. The relative growth rate was significantly increased for the first increment of Mg concentration with no further increases at higher Mg concentrations. Increasing Mg in the nutrient solution significantly increased Mg concentration in the leaves, stems, and roots, but Mg tissue concentration decreased at all levels of Mg in the nutrient solution as physiological age increased. Visible Mg deficiency symptoms were observed on mature leaves at the 125 μm Mg treatment, but when the Mg concentration exceeded 250 μm, Mg concentration in mature leaves was increased above the threshold for appearance of Mg deficiency symptoms. No Mg deficiencies were observed on 'Babygold 5' seedlings when the Mg concentrations in the leaves exceeded 2000 μg/g dry weight and Mg uptake rate was 2.5 μmoles/g fresh wt./day.


A new class of peptide materials is introduced, integrating orthogonal aspects of peptide, nucleoside, and amphiphile chemistry. In solution, species such as rod-like or helical micelles are formed, which can lead to nanoribbons under lateral or longitudinal hierarchical growth regimes. Gelation of a wide range of solvents can be induced, including water and aqueous buffer, providing new avenues for nucleobase-specific electrophoresis, oligonucleotide delivery and bioactive cell growth media.


During the Twentieth Century, foreign travel underwent a process of democratisation. Increasingly, through the development of package holidays to ever more far-flung destinations, leisure tourism for the first time allowed ordinary people to experience different cultures first hand. With the increased availability and affordability of foreign travel, actively promoted by travel agencies with strong left-wing political affiliations and supported and facilitated by international friendship societies, the number of western tourists visiting Eastern Europe multiplied through the 1960s and 1970s despite the Cold War. This paper will explore western tourism in Eastern Europe during the Cold War in a Scottish context through the material culture of travel collected during this period, focusing on the collection of Miss Eileen Crowford (1913 - 1990) held by National Museums Scotland. Miss Crowford was a life-long Edinburgh resident and an avid collector. Her collection spans the 20th century and includes a significant collection of costume jewellery, mass-produced decorative arts and travel souvenirs. Drawing upon previously unresearched material in the archive and objects acquired on her travels, both items that she bought and things that she was given or obtained as part of the travel experience, provides a case study through which to explore engagement with communist culture and politics in a Scottish context. This paper discusses how these trips were being marketed to prospective Scottish travellers, and how souvenir production and distribution, as well as conditions of access, reflect an often-mediated experience of the Soviet East.


Case-based discussion has been a key element of the assessment programme for psychiatrists in training under the guidance of the Royal College of Psychiatrists since 2007. Its incorporation within systems for recertification and thus revalidation for psychiatrists in established practice has now been piloted. This article discusses the origins of the instrument in Canada and the USA before describing its use in the UK. Case-based discussion is placed within the context of contemporary postgraduate medical education and the curricula of the College, offering practical guidance on how best to use this method for the assessment of reasoning and judgement. Finally, some questions are posed regarding the potential use of case-based discussion in the proposals for revalidation.


The estimated annual incidence of malignant pleural effusions in the United States is 150,000 cases. Patients most commonly present with dyspnea, initially on exertion and later at rest. Chemical pleurodesis is the most common modality of therapy for patients with recurrent, symptomatic, malignant pleural effusion. Talc is the most successful pleurodesis agent, and talc poudrage and slurry have equal efficacy. Although a number of cases of acute respiratory failure have been associated with talc pleurodesis, the incidence is < 1% and many of these episodes cannot be clearly attributed to talc alone. Although a low pleural fluid pH is associated with a decreased survival and less successful pleurodesis, pH should not be the sole criterion for recommending or withholding pleurodesis. Other factors that need to be considered before recommending pleurodesis include relief of dyspnea after therapeutic thoracentesis, general health of the patient, performance status, presence of trapped lung, and the primary malignancy. Pleuroperitoneal shunt or chronic indwelling catheter should be considered for patients who fail pleurodesis or who have a trapped lung.


Abstract. Energetic electrons (E≥30 keV) travelling along and perpendicular to the magnetic field lines have been observed in the magnetotail at L~17:00 and 22:00 MLT during the recovery phase of a storm-time substorm on 7 October 2002. Three-dimensional electron distributions of the full unit sphere obtained from the IES/RAPID sensor system demonstrated a rather complicated and random behavior of the energetic electrons. Occasionally these electrons were appearing to travel parallel, perpendicular, or in both directions, relative to the magnetic field direction, forming in this way bi-directional, perpendicular-peaked, and mixed distributions. The electron enhancements occurred while the Cluster spacecraft were on closed field lines in the central plasma sheet approaching the neutral sheet from the northern tail lobe. Magnetic field and energetic particle measurements have been used from geosynchronous and Cluster satellites, in order to describe the general context of the event and then give a possible interpretation regarding the occurrence of the electron anisotropies observed by the IES/RAPID spectrometer on board Cluster. According to geosynchronous measurements an electron dispersionless ejection is very well correlated with a dipolar re-configuration of the magnetic field. The latter fact supports the idea that electrons and, in general, particle ejections at geosynchronous altitude are directly related to electric fields arising from field dipolarization caused by current disruption. Also, having as a main objective the understanding of the way 3-D electron distributions are formed, we have analyzed electron energy spectra along and perpendicular to the magnetic field direction, demonstrating the fact that the electron population consists of two distinct components acting independently and in a random manner relative to each other. This leads to the conclusion that these two electron populations along and perpendicular to the field are generated at different remote locations at different rates. The main conclusion of the present paper is that the perpendicular-peaked electron enhancements (electrons with pitch angle around 90 degrees, subjected mainly to curvature drift) observed by Cluster are produced in a remote location duskward of the satellite location, due to the longitudinal and tailward expansion of a current disruption region, and subsequently transported to the Cluster location by means of curvature drift. On the other hand, bi-directional electrons (electrons with pitch angle around 0 and 180 degrees, bouncing mainly along the field lines) are believed to be generated in the vicinity of the neutral sheet or around an X-type region, as suggested by a plethora of previous studies. Finally, in the Discussion section, we make an attempt to present in a more thorough way the substorm model developed by Vogiatzis et al. (2005), which is intimately related to the importance of X-line formation for the initiation of a substorm.


Arthritis can affect physical, psychological, social, sexual and role function. Nurses need to enter into a therapeutic relationship with patients to address coping strategies. Care must be placed within the context of the patient's and family's life for it to be meaningful and relevant.


We developed a computer-based tailored risk presentation and risk communication aid for colorectal cancer prevention. To evaluate the effectiveness of the tool, we randomized 353 participants to receive different risk presentation formats (relative plus absolute risk vs. absolute risk only vs. none) and different levels of engagement with the risk communication (active vs. passive). Findings suggest the tool to be useful for correcting misperceptions about personal risk. Of those with inaccurate risk perception at baseline, more than half of the participants in intervention groups had corrected risk perceptions at post-test, compared to only 12% in the control group.


Fibronectin is a component of the extracellular matrix of developing microvessels whose role in angiogensis is poorly understood. This study evaluated the effect of plasma fibronectin on angiogenesis in serum‐free collagen gel culture of rat aorta. Aortic explants embedded in collagen gels generated microvascular outgrowths. Fibronectin incorporated in the collagen gel promoted a selective dose‐dependent elongation of the newly formed microvessels without stimulating vascular proliferation. The fibronectin‐treated microvessels were longer due to a proportional increase in the number of microvascular cells. However, fibronectin had no effect on microvascular DNA synthesis and mitotic activity. Fibronectin stimulated microvascular length also in cultures in which mitotic activity was suppressed and angiogenesis was markedly reduced by pretreating the aortic explants with mitomycin C. The synthetic peptide Gly‐Arg‐Asp‐(GRGDS), which competes for the binding of fibronectin to its cell receptors and inhibits the adhesion of endothelial cells to substrates, arrested the elongation of developing microvessels causing regression and inhibition of angiogenesis. Conversely, Gly‐Arg‐Glu‐(GRGES), which lacks the RGD sequence, had no inhibitory effect. These data support the hypothesis that fibronectin promotes angiogenesis and suggest that developing microvessels elongate in response to fibronectin as a result of an adhesion‐dependent migratory recruitment of endothelial cells that does not require increased cell proliferation. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Background The patient perspective in guideline development is of vital importance. To find out what this perspective entails, different methods may be considered, such as participation of patients or their representatives in guideline development groups or in focus group discussions, or by conducting patient surveys addressing specific problems and needs. In addition, a review of the literature in the early stages of guideline development can provide relevant information. Literature search filtres for patients' perspectives and preferences applicable for Medline (OVID), PubMed, and Embase were developed and validated in 2012. The specificity was 98% but the sensitivity was only 90%. Objectives To verify the sensitivity of the filtres by means of a newly available 'gold standard'. Methods We re-estimated the sensitivity of the search filtres by using the references of a recent Cochrane Review, Interventions for providers to promote a patient-centred approach in clinical consultations 2012;(12):CD003267, as a gold standard. Results The search filtres for patients' values and preferences retrieved 72 (Medline (OVID/Pubmed) and 67 (Embase) titles, respectively, out of 73 references included in the Cochrane Review (mean sensitivity 96%). Discussion Applying filtres for patients' perspectives and preferences retrieved almost all references. Minor adaptations to the Embase filtre were needed to enhance the sensitivity without compromising the specificity. Validation of filtres is an iterative process, illustrating that filtres are dynamic tools. Implications for Guideline Developers/Users Availability of a validated tool for retrieving literature on patients' values and preferences can support integration of the patient perspective in guideline development.


Chordomas are rare neoplasms originating along the neuraxis. Although they do not usually show cytological atypia, metastases have been reported in 30 per cent of cases. Survival rates in cases of skull base locations are low, and local recurrence is common after local excision. Radiation therapy is used in post-operative treatment and proton radiation therapy as the primary treatment. In the present paper we present the case of a 50-year-old Caucasian man affected by chordoma of the clivus, with liver and chest metastases, relapsed after several surgical local excisions, to discuss improvements in therapeutic and imaging techniques. Indium111 (In111) pentetreotide single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was employed to assess the presence of somatostatin receptors and to treat the tumour with radiolabelled Y90-DOTA-lanreotide. Imaging, performed 2 months afterwards, showedstable disease in the lungs but a local progression in the metastases, in comparison with pre-treatment uptake. These data suggest the usefulness of radiolabelled somatostatin analogues in the diagnosis and therapy of chordomas.


Gallstone lithotripsy (LITHO) was performed on 52 patients who underwent 107 procedures. Two hundred sixty-seven gallstone patients were screened and 215 (81%) were excluded. Excessive stone burden and nonvisualization by oral cholecystogram (OCG) were the most common reasons for exclusion. The hospital course of 100 excluded patients who later underwent elective cholecystectomy was evaluated for length of hospital stay (2.3 days) and total cost of treatment ($3685.00). Successful fragmentation to less than 5 mm was achieved in 43 LITHO patients (83%). Five LITHO patients (10%) required conversion to operative management. Complications of LITHO included acute cholecystitis (1 of 52 patients) and biliary colic (17 of 52 patients, or 33%). Multiple procedures in one patient were common. Costs for LITHO were calculated in two ways: first the individual cost for each of the 52 candidates; second the cost for successful LITHO was calculated by excluding five patients who required operation as well as five patients (10%) who are predicted failures of LITHO. Including the preoperative evaluation, treatment, recovery room, and follow-up, the individual LITHO cost for 52 patients was $8275.00. If the same total expenditure is calculated after excluding patients who required operation and those predicted to fail, the cost per 'successful' LITHO procedure was $10,245. The cost of 1 year of bile acid therapy is $1949.00 or $2413.00 per 'successful' procedure. Follow-up costs were $1232.00 per patient or $1525.00 per 'successful' procedure. The added LITHO cost incurred by screening eventual noncandidates was $904.00 per successful procedure. The sum of these individual costs was $15,087.00 per success, as compared to $3685.00 for cholecystectomy. No allowance was made for cost of stone recurrence. Lithotripsy costs appear to be sufficiently high to render the procedure unlikely to emerge as the treatment of choice.


Gamma ray spectroscopy of neutron deficient nuclei close to the doubly magic nucleus Sn-100 has been performed using a heavy-ion reaction and the NORDBALL Ge-detector array. Evaporation residues were identified by means of charged particle and neutron detection. Transitions in 31 different evaporation residues were identified. New results on Cd-102 are presented.


Although photovoltaic cells have great potential for supplying carbon-free energy, they suffer from the lack of an efficient and cost-effective energy storage process that can supply energy for transportation and nighttime use. A direct way to convert solar energy into chemical fuels would solve this problem. Of several possible schemes, the photon-driven electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen has been studied most. Photoelectrolysis of water can be achieved with either self-supported catalysts or with photoelectrochemical cells. This article will introduce the basic principles of solar water splitting and highlight recent developments with semiconductor light absorbers and co-catalysts. The role of combinatorial approaches in identifying new metal oxide visible light-absorbing semiconductors will be briefly described, and the potential of using nanomaterials for more efficient devices will be discussed. Separate articles in this special issue will focus on recent developments in water-splitting concepts.


The importation of products of animal origin from states that don't belong either to the European Union nor to the signatory states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area is subject to European and national law. The examination of these products on import has to be carried out at the approved and published border control points at the external borders of the European Union (including border control points at airports). Although there wasn't any exception of these regulations during the World Exhibition EXPO 2000 sometimes it occurred that foods of animal origin passed a border control point and reached the EXPO site without veterinary import controls. Numbers of cases are mentioned and exemplary cases are described. Further steps by the responsible supervisory authority (Department of Trade and Veterinary Matters of the Federal State Capital of Hannover) to secure the consideration with legislation on prevention of epizootic disease are also explained.


The flipped classroom has recently become a popular method used in both higher education and K-12 classrooms, yet research has not consistently demonstrated clear benefits of flipping a classroom. Also, any benefits seen might not be from the flipped design itself, but instead from the individual aspects of a flipped classroom (e.g., more active learning in class, more feedback on homework). This suggests that research focused on how to develop the activities and components of the flipped classroom, instead of simply flipping the traditional in-class and out-of-class activities, is critical to flipped pedagogy. These activities (both in and out of the classroom) should be designed based on a theory of learning. We draw upon the Practicing-Connections (PC) hypothesis, supported by contemporary theories and research in the cognitive sciences, to design instructional activities to promote learning by having students practice making connections between concepts and situations. This paper examines the theory-driven-design approach, PC hypothesis, versus a basic flipped classroom. The results of this work offers suggestions as to what dimensions of flipping may be important and how to design and evaluate flipped classrooms based on theories of learning.


Topographic feature maps are low dimensional representations of data, that preserve spatial dependencies. Current methods of training such maps (e.g. self organizing maps - SOM, generative topographic maps) require centralized control and synchronous execution, which restricts scalability. We present an algorithm that uses $N$ autonomous units to generate a feature map by distributed asynchronous training. Unit autonomy is achieved by sparse interaction in time \&space through the combination of a distributed heuristic search, and a cascade-driven weight updating scheme governed by two rules: a unit i) adapts when it receives either a sample, or the weight vector of a neighbor, and ii) broadcasts its weight vector to its neighbors after adapting for a predefined number of times. Thus, a vector update can trigger an avalanche of adaptation. We map avalanching to a statistical mechanics model, which allows us to parametrize the statistical properties of cascading. Using MNIST, we empirically investigate the effect of the heuristic search accuracy and the cascade parameters on map quality. We also provide empirical evidence that algorithm complexity scales at most linearly with system size $N$. The proposed approach is found to perform comparably with similar methods in classification tasks across multiple datasets.


PURPOSE
The aim of this work is to evaluate the geometric accuracy of a prerelease version of a new six degrees of freedom (6DoF) couch. Additionally, a quality assurance method for 6DoF couches is proposed.

METHODS
The main principle of the performance tests was to request a known shift for the 6DoF couch and to compare this requested shift with the actually applied shift by independently measuring the applied shift using different methods (graph paper, laser, inclinometer, and imaging system). The performance of each of the six axes was tested separately as well as in combination with the other axes. Functional cases as well as realistic clinical cases were analyzed. The tests were performed without a couch load and with a couch load of up to 200 kg and shifts in the range between -4 and +4 cm for the translational axes and between -3° and +3° for the rotational axes were applied. The quality assurance method of the new 6DoF couch was performed using a simple cube phantom and the imaging system.

RESULTS
The deviations (mean ± one standard deviation) accumulated over all performance tests between the requested shifts and the measurements of the applied shifts were -0.01 ± 0.02, 0.01 ± 0.02, and 0.01 ± 0.02 cm for the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axes, respectively. The corresponding values for the three rotational axes couch rotation, pitch, and roll were 0.03° ± 0.06°, -0.04° ± 0.12°, and -0.01° ± 0.08°, respectively. There was no difference found between the tests with and without a couch load of up to 200 kg.

CONCLUSIONS
The new 6DoF couch is able to apply requested shifts with high accuracy. It has the potential to be used for treatment techniques with the highest demands in patient setup accuracy such as those needed in stereotactic treatments. Shifts can be applied efficiently and automatically. Daily quality assurance of the 6DoF couch can be performed in an easy and efficient way. Long-term stability has to be evaluated in further tests.


A new species of caridean shrimp of the family Rhynchocinetidae, Rhynchocinetes rathbunae Okuno, is described and illustrated based on six males, an ovigerous female, a second female, and a juvenile from the Hawaiian Islands. It is closely related to R. brucei Okuno from the tropical western Pacific and R. rugulosus Stimpson from southern Australian waters, but is readily distinguishable from the two latter species by absence of a podobranch on the second maxilliped, the longer rostrum, forms of the stylocerite and endopod of male first pleopod, meral dentition of the ambulatory pereiopods, and the color in life. IN THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION of Rhynchocinetes brucei Okuno, 1994, it was suggested that another Hawaiian rhynchocinetid shrimp in the collections of the B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i, might be an undescribed species. Through the courtesy of L. G. Eldredge, I examined the specimens in question during a short visit to the museum. In addition, John Hoover, an underwater photographer in Honolulu, kindly sent me some specimens of the shrimp captured at Waimea Bay and Hanauma Bay, O'ahu. This shrimp resembles R. brucei and R. rugulosus Stimpson, 1860, but differs in morphology and the life color, and I describe it here as new to science. Abbreviations are as follows: CL: postorbital carapace length; BPBM: Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i; CBM: Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, Japan; NSMT: National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan; NTM: Northern Territory Museum, Darwin; USNM: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Rhynchocinetes rathbunae Okuno, n. sp. Figures 1-3, Tables 1,2 1 Manuscript accepted 25 October 1995. 2 Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, 955-2 Aoba-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260, Japan. Rhynchocinetes rugulosus: Rathbun, 1906, 911, fig. 64; Edmondson, 1952,70 (in part), fig. 2 (not Stimpson, 1860). ? Rhynchocinetes rugulosus: Edmondson, 1925, 6; Hiatt, 1948, 79 (not Stimpson, 1860). TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: Male (BPBM S11275, 7.0 rom CL), Hawaiian Islands, O'ahu, Waimea Bay, 21 0 38.0' N, 158 0 04.0' W, 29 November 1994, colI. J. Hoover and J. Earle. Paratypes: 1 male (BPBM S11276, 11.6 rom CL) and 1 ovigerous female (BPBM SI1277, 8.0 rom CL), Hawaiian Islands, O'ahu, Kahe Pt., 21 0 20.0' N, 158 0 11.0' W, 4 February 1977; 3 males (NSMT Cr 2420, 11.3, 6.9, and 6.3 mm CL), same data as holotype; 1 female (CBM ZC 1964, 4.7 mm CL), Hawaiian Islands, O'ahu, Hanauma Bay, 21 0 16.3'N, 15]0 42.0' W, 25 June 1995, colI. J. Hoover; ajuvenile (USNM 31008, 2.4 rom CL), French Frigate Shoals, 17-17~ fathoms (3132 m) depth, colI. Steamer Albatross. OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: male (NSMT Cr 11104, 8.6 rom CL), Hawaiian Islands, exact collection site unknown, colI. aquarium traders. DESCRIPTION: Body subcylindrical, typical form of Rhynchocinetes. Carapace (Figure lA) covered with fine transverse striae, armed with two acute spines on median carina, anterior spine just behind rostral articulation, posterior spine feebly articulated with car-


© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd This study analyses an implementation of a government accounting reform in Benin directed at redressing fraudulent and corrupt practices. Although reforms to improve public administration and to mitigate corruption in Africa often have disappointing outcomes, our case study involving systems for payment of supplier invoices, payroll matters, and debt certificates had encouraging findings. The systems reduced inefficiencies and corrupt practices. An "enabling environment" (its main elements being emancipatory space, empowered participation, and ethical leadership) encouraged the deeper involvement of committed, expert, and ethical local civil servants in establishing effective financial controls. In the context of anticorruption reforms, this illustrates that public sector organizations in Africa should not invariably be regarded as monolithic bureaucratic top-down entities, staffed by civil servants who are either passive "bystanders," purely self-interested "players," or insufficiently expert, and hence in need for more training, and of imported, expensive, accounting systems implemented by foreign consultants. In contrast, the paper argues that, within a suitable environment, granting indigenous experts enough latitude to enact incremental yet substantive accounting changes at the local level may be more effective.


A strategy for designing asymmetric neural networks of associative memory with controllable degree of symmetry and controllable basins of attraction is presented. It is shown that the performance of the networks depends on the degree of the symmetry, and by adjusting the degree of the symmetry the spurious memories or unwanted attractors can be suppressed completely.


It has been suggested that Internet technologies can significantly change how businesses trade and also have the capacity to affect levels of profitability and success. However, leading business writers cannot agree on the level of influence ... So perhaps the crux of the debate is that on the one hand organisations should look at Internet and web technologies as being essential to support operations and improve services (in their chosen field of operations) or on the other hand organisations should consider the Internet as a new virtual world of opportunities, where there are few established rules and limitations. There are examples to substantiate both sides of the debate.


Flowering plants display diverse reproductive systems, including a variety of gender strategies and mechanisms of clonal propagation. Here, I investigate gender strategies, sex-ratio evolution, and sexual dimorphism in the North American clonal aquatic, Sagittaria latifolia (Alismataceae), which exhibits three sex phenotypes (hermaphrodites, females, males) and two modal sexual systems (monoecy, dioecy). This provides an outstanding opportunity to examine the costs and benefits of combined versus separate sexes. My research focused on the northern range limit in eastern N. America, and on disjunct populations in western N. America. I developed microsatellite (SSR) markers to investigate population genetic structure at several spatial scales, including the clonal structure of local populations to continental patterns. These analyses provided insights on the roles of historical, ecological and reproductive factors in the evolution and maintenance of sexual system diversity. Phenotypic sex ratios varied near continuously from monoecy through subdioecy (three sex phenotypes) to dioecy. A comparison of phenotypic and iii genotypic sex ratios in dioecious populations demonstrated close correspondence. The northern range limit was characterized by a decline in female frequency and an increased incidence of subdioecy. I evaluated two hypotheses to explain this pattern: (1) increased sex inconstancy in dioecious populations; (2) hybridization between monoecious and dioecious populations. I found support for both hypotheses, although hybridization appears to be the more common pathway to subdioecy. I parameterized a model predicting female frequency and hermaphrodite sex allocation; observed and predicted values were correlated suggesting that subdioecious populations are closer to equilibrium than expected for a clonal perennial. A comparison of eastern and western populations indicated genetic differentiation between monoecy and dioecy in the east, but in the west, due to habitat isolation, geography plays a more important role in genetic differentiation. Evidence from cpDNA haplotype variation indicated that the western range was established following long-distance colonization from the east involving a genetic bottleneck. The discovery of gynodioecious populations of S. latifolia in the west, and the absence of ecological and genetic differentiation between monoecious and dioecious populations, raise the possibility that dioecy may have evolved autochthonously in the west, and more recently than in the eastern range.


Purpose: Measuring myocardial strain using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography has emerged as a new tool to identify subclinical ventricular dysfunction. Abnormal strain has been shown to have superior sensitivity compared with dobutamine stress echocardiography for viability assessment; however, there is a paucity of data regarding the prediction of long-term major adverse cardiac events. We compared the prognostic ability of both global longitudinal strain (GLS) from resting echocardiograms to regional wall motion score index (WMSI) from stress echocardiograms in their ability to predict long-term major adverse cardiac events. Methods: Patients referred for stress echocardiography, who also underwent coronary angiography within 3 months of stress echo (n=122), were enrolled. Patients with reduced ejection fractions (<40%) were excluded. Patients were followed for a median of 3.4 years for major adverse cardiac events, readmissions and repeat cardiac testing. Results: Patients with abnormal GLS (GLS <16.8%) from the resting echocardiogram obtained as part of the exercise echocardiogram experienced a significantly shorter time to major adverse cardiac events (p=0.026), first cardiovascular hospitalization and repeat cardiac testing (p=0.0011) compared to those with normal GLS. Abnormal GLS appears to be a better predictor than abnormal WMSI in predicting major adverse cardiac events (p=0.174) and time to first cardiovascular hospitalization or repeat cardiac testing (p=0.0093). Conclusion: GLS may be a better predictor of long-term major adverse cardiac events, readmissions and repeat cardiac testing than WMSI in patients undergoing stress echocardiography.


Proponents of vehicle buyback programmes maintain that the earlier retirement of older vehicles will reduce pollution, increase income for lower income households and stimulate the automobile industry. This article provides a brief assessment of costs and benefits of vehicle buyback programmes. There are environmental benefits from the early retirement of automobiles and light trucks; however, some pollutants are not closely related to vehicle age. Moreover, vehicle buyback programmes are unlikely to reduce consumption of gasoline by a substantial amount and may even increase gasoline consumption in the short run because vehicle age is associated with an increase in miles travelled. Vehicle buyback programmes are not unambiguously progressive because they will increase the price of older vehicles, the only source of transportation for lower income groups. This analysis does not justify the creation of a national large-scale vehicle buyback programme. However, vehicle buyback programme targeting the highest emission vehicles and vehicles likely to fail emission inspections creates support for more stringent vehicle emission standards and systems, a proven method to reduce mobile source air pollution. It may be useful to expand subsidies for existing local vehicle buyback programmes and create incentives for the creation of these programmes by additional municipalities.


The research was aimed at determining the microorganisms that are responsible for the contamination of poultry water in Awka metropolis and to evaluate the susceptibility of these organisms to some antimicrobial agents in the case of infections arising from water given to poultry. Three (3) poultry water samples were collected from three different poultry farms all in Awka metropolis and were microbiologically analyzed using standard methods. The bacterial isolates include Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. Five fungal species were isolated which were identified as Aspergillus sp., Mucor spp., Fusarium spp., Cryptococcus spp., Candida spp. Using the standard disc diffusion method, the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolates was determined against antimicrobial agents. The effectiveness of the antimicrobials or the susceptibility of the isolates were defined in percentage as follows: Rocephin (7.7%), Pefloxacin (10.9%), Gentamycin (9.3%), Ciprofloxacin (8.8%), Streptomycin (10.4%), Ampiclox (9.5%), Septrin (11.0%), Zinnacef (10.7%), Erythromycin (11.8%), Amoxacillin (10.0%), Nitrofurantoin(12.0%) (for antibacterial) and Nystatin (37.0%), Fluconazole (27.0%), Ketoconazole (36.0%) (for antifungal). For the antibiotics, Isolate-1 was more susceptible to Erythromycin and Rocephin but resistant to Streptomycin. Isolate-2 was more susceptible to Nitrofurantoin, but resistant to SXT(0.0%), GET(0.0%) and AMC(0.0%),. Isolate-3 was more susceptible to Nitrofurantoin and Erythromycin but least susceptible to GET(10.9%). For the antifungals, Isolate-1 was more susceptible to FLU(51.0%) but least susceptible to NYS(21.5%). Isolate-2 was more susceptible to KET(42.8%) but least susceptible to FLU(23.7%). Isolate 3 was more susceptible to FLU(40.8%) but least susceptible to KET(28.7%). Isolate-4 was more susceptible to NYS(55.6%), resistant to FLU(0.0%) but least susceptible to KET(44.4%). Isolate-5 was more susceptible to NYS(50.5%) but least susceptible to KET(21.0%). Fungal resistance was seen among Fluconazole. Thus, Nitrofurantoin, erythromycin and Nystatin should be the first line of prescription in cases of poultry infections and diseases caused by bacteria and fungi respectively in the poultry houses.


PURPOSE
Normal epithelial cell specific-1 (NES1)/kallikrein 10 gene is expressed in normal mammary and prostate epithelial cells, but the expression of NES1 mRNA and protein is markedly reduced in established breast and prostate cancer cell lines although the NES1 gene is intact. Here, we wished to assess whether NES1 expression is down-regulated in primary breast cancers.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
We developed and used an in situ hybridization technique with an antisense NES1 probe to detect NES1 mRNA in sections of normal breast specimens, typical and atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, and infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

RESULTS
All of the 30 normal breast specimens showed high NES1 expression. Notably, 18 (75%) of 24 typical and atypical breast hyperplasia specimens showed high NES1 expression, with weak-to-moderate expression in 6 (25%). Significantly, 13 (46%) of 28 ductal carcinoma in situ specimens lacked NES1 expression, and the remaining 15 (54%) showed weak-to-moderate expression. Finally, 29 of 30 (97%) infiltrating ductal carcinoma grades I-III samples lacked NES1 mRNA, with weak expression in the remaining one sample.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that NES1 mRNA is expressed in normal breast tissue and benign lesions, with loss of NES1 expression during tumor progression. We suggest that NES1 expression may serve as a molecular tool in the study of breast cancer progression. Studies with larger series of specimens should help assess whether NES1 expression can be a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker in breast and other cancers.


Recently, the development of nanozymes with high catalytic performance is gaining more and more attention due to the ever-growing demands for their practical applications. The elaborate design of its morphology has demonstrated to be an effective approach to improve the performance of these nanozymes. Herein, a hybrid of iron disulfide nanoparticles (FeS2 NPs) encapsulated by two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets (NSs), denoted as FeS2@C NSs, demonstrates both superior peroxidase-like activity and excellent stability. The incorporation of 2D carbon sheets endows the proposed FeS2@C nanozymes with high specific surface area, providing abundant active sites to facilitate the contact with substrates. Moreover, the embedded FeS2 NPs are kept from aggregation due to the encapsulation and confinement of 2D carbon sheets, avoiding the conventional failure of single-component nanozymes. Based on glucose oxidase (GOx) and the elaborately designed FeS2@C nanozymes, a colorimetric method for glucose detection is then developed with excellent simplicity and sensitivity. The detection limit of the sensing platform is as low as 0.19 μM for a glucose assay. More notably, this method can be successfully employed for the glucose assay in some real samples, indicating the great potential of this FeS2@C NS-based nanozymes in the fields of biotechnology and clinical diagnostics.


Ogan Komering Ulu Timur (OKUT) regency is a national rice-producing in South Sumatra Province. The use of modern agricultural technology has resulted in a significant increase in rice yields, namely: in 2019, 2.60 million tons of paddy dry milled grain will become 2.74 million tons in 2020. This number increases every year, which has an impact on increasing solids. Waste by paddy dry milled grain is husks straw. The percentage of husk is 20% by paddy dry milled grain. In 2020, OKUT produced 548,000 tons of husks. This husk is a potential source of biomass energy for power generation. This paper reviews the possibility of constructing a biomass power plant from rice husks in OKUT. In 2030, it is estimated that the amount of electricity that can be sold to PLN is 1.05 GW, equal to IDR. 1419.6 B or USD 97.903.


This research deals with the isolation policy against the intellectual elites and religious leaders opposing the Ayyubid rule. The importance of this topic lies in that the Arab Sunni historians refrain from dealing with such sensitive topic as they tend to avoid defaming the glories the Ayyubids era. This is based on their belief that the Ayyubid rulers lead the Islamic Jihād Movement against the Crusaders, especially the founder of the Ayyubids State, Sulṭān Ṣalāḥ Al-Dīn AlAyyūbī, who liberated Jerusalem from the Crusader occupation. The researcher applied the historical analytical method to explore the extent of the effect of this policy on the decline of the scholarly movement and the culture of the era. The rulers of Banī Ayyūb gave priority to the policy which protected their regime. Therefore, they eradicated any scholarly movement if scholars were among the opposition which aimed to eradicate their regime through spreading ideologies and thoughts that were contrary to their religious ideology and political orientations. The researcher consulted Arabic and European historical resources to review different opinions in an attempt to discover the historical approaches behind the objectives, motives and results of the isolation policy adopted by the rulers of Banī Ayyūb against the opposing intellectual elites and religious leaders. In addition, the researcher reached logical historical findings that changed the stereotype of religious theorizing for Banī Ayyūb, especially the founder of the Ayyubid State, Sulṭān Ṣalāḥ Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī. Most previous studies dealt with argumentative issues in the Ayyubid era. They were religious rather than historical, aiming to support the merits and advantages of the era. Those studies disregarded the disadvantages of the Ayyubid era which such studies referred to as an Islamic example for Al-Jihād and liberation.


Monocyte locomotion inhibitory factor (MLIF), a heat-stable pentapeptide, has been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory effects in ischemic brain injury. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective action of MLIF against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. MTT assay was used to assess cell viability, and flow cytometry assay and Hoechst staining were used to evaluate apoptosis. LDH assay was used to exam necrosis. The release of inflammatory cytokines was detected by ELISA. Levels of the apoptosis associated proteins were measured by western blot analysis. To identify the protein target of MLIF, pull-down assay and mass spectrometry were performed. We observed that MLIF enhanced cell survival and inhibited apoptosis and necrosis by inhibiting p-JNK, p53, c-caspase9 and c-caspase3 expression. In the microglia, OGD-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines was markedly reduced in the presence of MLIF. Furthermore, we found that eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A2 (eEF1A2) is a downstream target of MLIF. Knockdown eEF1A2 using short interfering RNA (siRNA) almost completely abrogated the anti-apoptotic effect of MLIF in SH-SY5Y cells subjected to OGD, with an associated decrease in cell survival and an increase in expression of p-JNK and p53. These results indicate that MLIF ameliorates OGD-induced SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma injury by inhibiting the p-JNK/p53 apoptotic signaling pathway via eEF1A2. Our findings suggest that eEF1A2 may be a new therapeutic target for ischemic brain injury.


Eight healthy men received a formula diet over a period of 12 days. The acceptance of the diet was good. Gastroenterological side-effects were rarely noticed. Stool frequency was 0.5/day. To keep weight constant a caloric need of 24 +/- 3 cal/kg/BW was necessary. The nitrogen balance was regulated by feeding 59 g protein, 53 g fat and 216 g carbohydrate. The average intake of nitrogen amounted to 8.9 +/- 1.7 g/day. A daily nitrogen loss of 6.96 +/- 1.87 g/day was noticed.


Water vapor intrusions (WVIs) explain a significant fraction of total moisture transport and its variability in the Arctic. WVIs can precondition the Arctic atmosphere for accelerated melting of sea ice through effects on surface longwave radiation. Using data from the NASA's A‐Train convoy of satellites to estimate the response of the lower troposphere to WVIs into the Arctic, we show that WVIs are associated with a surface warming of up to 5.3 K (±3.3 K) in winter and 2.3 K (±1.6 K) in summer, when averaged over the entire Arctic Ocean. The intrusions also lead to additional cloud radiative heating of up to 0.15 K/d via up to 30% increased cloudiness in the vertical and also cause a weakening of the stability in the lower troposphere. The lower tropospheric and surface warming during winter and spring highlights the importance of understanding contribution of preconditioning to accelerated ice melt in the Arctic.


— This document presents a detailed analytical and practical method for the estimation of battery life expectancy of a multi-hop mesh network. This network is composed by a set of MicaZ nodes using the XMesh routing protocol. The energy drawn for each of the tasks performed by the nodes is measured, and network topology and radio propagation are characterized in order to obtain accurate predictions of the lower bound for the battery duration of the nodes. This estimation is of paramount importance for field deployments, where energy is a scarce resource and replacing node batteries is a slow and costly process that can disable the network for relatively long periods of time.


Preclinical deficits in dementia have recently been investigated in the PAQUID cohort by means of a principal component analysis (PCA) performed from various test scores. According to the interpretation of the first PCA factor, which was found to be an independent predictor of dementia 2 years later, the authors suggested that cognitive deficits occurring in the preclinical phase of dementia may reflect the deterioration of controlled processes. Because this hypothesis relies essentially on the interpretation of PCA factors, the present study was designed to test it within the same cohort. The analyses were focused on one of the tests administered to the subjects, the Wechsler Paired Associate Test (WPAT) divided into two subscores in order to provide a measure of controlled processes of memory functioning (i.e. retrieval of unrelated pairs) as well as of more automatic processes (i.e. retrieval of related pairs). The results showed that the future demented subjects, although significantly impaired compared to elderly controls, were able to increase their performance across trials. More importantly, a new PCA including the subscores of the WPAT showed that the unrelated pair scores were strongly correlated to factor 1, which remained the only factor associated with subsequent dementia, whereas the related pair scores were rather correlated to factor 2. Therefore, these results confirm our previous PCA interpretation, lending more weight to our hypothesis of a preclinical impairment of controlled processes in dementia.


The phenomenon of change blindness (CB) has recently been investigated from a number of perspectives. Basically it entails the limited ability to perceive gross changes in one's visual environment. In a recent experiment, Simons and Levin (1998) showed that persons do not notice when a stranger asking them for directions is switched with another person when the switch is concealed briefly by two persons walking between them carrying a door. CB specifically pertains to limited ability to perceive disparity in scenes, changes between elements ('second-order information') and personal visual impressions (Rensink 2000:2). The rider is that the changes must occur during a flicker, saccade, blink, similar interruption or an eye movement (Simons & Levin 1997; Rensink 2000).


The design procedures for interdigital and comb-line filters are summarized and the theory of these filters extended to include various aspects of design and performance which are not covered in the literature. The basic design equations are modified to give unified sets of expressions relating the resonator capacitances directly to the filter specification, and the theory of these filters is extended to include group delay, high-power breakdown effects and precise centre-frequency synthesis. In addition, the factors contributing to in-band dissipation loss are considered, and a method of predicting this loss in terms of the unloaded-Q of a slab-line resonator is given. Finally, a method of suppressing unwanted harmonic responses is outlined.


Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease characterized by productive cough, dyspnea and chronic airway obstruction. Management of COPD is to reduce symptoms, and the way to achieve it with pharmacology and non-pharmacology therapy such as quitting smoking, pulmonary rehabilitation and prevent malnutrition. Method: This is a literature review of nonpharmacotherapy management for COPD. Result: Therapy that we can give to patients with COPD are to stop smoking, because smoking can disrupt pulmonary function. Pulmonary rehabilitation aimed at reducing breathing difficulties in cases of COPD. Adequate nutritional for COPD patients is expected to increase muscle weight and strength and quality of life for patients with COPD who are malnutrition. Recommendations: Non-pharmacotherapy management that can be given to COPD patients include recommendations for smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation and prevent malnutrition.


nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings consist of TiC crystallites embedded in an amorphous hydrogenated carbon matrix. Depending mainly on the chemical composition (ratio of Ti/C), the properties of these coatings can be tailored from hard coatings to tribological coatings, with low coefficients of friction and wear. However none of the major industrial coating centers offer this coating in their portfolio, probably because of the lack of the reliable deposition technology. In our research, we employed industrial PVD device of Platit equipped with a central titanium rotating cylindrical cathode. Titanium was sputtered in a mixture of argon and acetylene. When the acetylene supply was gradually increased, deposition process characteristics such as the cathode voltage and the total pressure in the deposition chamber underwent a sudden change. At critical acetylene supply, a sudden drop in the cathode voltage was observed, while before and after the drop, the cathode voltage evolved slowly. This sudden change in the plasma parameters was mirrored in chemical composition and mechanical properties of the deposited coatings. Close to critical acetylene supply, the highest coating hardness of 35 GPa was obtained. The critical acatylene supply shifts as the target gets eroded. In our work, we suggest the fully automatic, robust and reliable procedure to deposit hard nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings using the occurrence of the sudden plasma parameters change at critical acetylene supply to set the optimal deposition conditions. The procedure automatically controls the acetylene supply as a function of the cathode voltage and the pressure evolution. The process control was tested for different states of the target erosion and different chamber configurations.


This study focused on the determination of detailed grain morphology using SEM technology on some Athabasca oil sands samples obtained from the Upper McMurray Formation in the Manville Group which occurs in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The research was carried out using scientific techniques to understand grain morphology—being a major effect in discerning reservoir quality—a factor which is essential for in-situ bitumen recovery. After studying various grain size and shape parameters, results showed that Sample B is poorly sorted medium sand of relatively low porosity but high permeability. Sample C on the other hand is moderately sorted fine sand of relatively high porosity but low permeability. It was also found out that although both oil sand samples contain heavy oil which is essentially recoverable in-situ; Sample B proved to be more promising due to its higher permeability values. At the end of the study, it was recommended that further research be carried out on the oil sands samples by use of core analysis techniques; computer-based simulation for heavy oil recovery; and a general study of structural effects on oil sands such as weathering and fracturing, all of which are important in better-quality in-situ bitumen recovery.


Abstract Context. The conservation status of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, remains uncertain. Throughout their range, whale sharks are a focus for wildlife tourism and many identification photographs taken by tourists have become available online, presenting a potentially valuable source of data for monitoring populations using mark–recapture techniques. However, the suitability of these photographs for mark–recapture models has yet to be investigated. Aims. We explore the suitability of identification-photographs available from online databases to produce assessments of life-history parameters and conservation status of whale sharks in the Maldives. Methods. To test the validity of using publically sourced images, we used photo-identification images collected from both experienced researchers and tourists between 2003 and 2008 to construct two databases. Images taken by tourists were compiled from online databases. Researcher and public databases were analysed separately and the results of mark–recapture models then compared. Key results. The dataset constructed from online public databases did not violate the assumptions of mark–recapture modelling. Estimates of parameters and abundance obtained from models using these data were similar to those produced using data provided by experienced researchers. Conclusions. Publically sourced data allowed for the accurate estimation of abundance of whale sharks. These estimates were not confounded by the suitability of photographs, probably because of the high encounter rate in the aggregation, the high residency rate of sharks and the retrospective nature of photo-identification, which limited heterogeneity in capture probability between marked and unmarked sharks. Implications. Our findings support the use of publically sourced data for use in mark–recapture studies of whale sharks, at least in situations where sharks are resident to the location. This approach will be useful in regions where data collected by tourists are available online, and research funding is limited.


Abstract. This study investigates the applicability of a personal laser scanner (PLS) in surveying small creeks in urban areas. The surveying of the creek geometry can be done only with the PLS system or as a combination of terrestrial PLS measurement and airborne image sequence acquisition by an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV). For both methods, georeferencing is performed using RTK-GNSS. Based on the combination of the datasets and from additional terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) comparison, conclusions can be drawn about the accuracy of the PLS measurements. Point-to-mesh based distance calculations between the PLS and UAV measurement showed a variation of ± 0.10 m (96% of points) at selected naturally vegetated sites. The comparison of the PLS and TLS data set revealed differences with a standard deviation of 0.02 m at solid natural (tree trunk) structures and ground areas. The calculated differences grow with increasing distance to the PLS trajectory.


English is so global in the world. Teaching English as foreign language is not easy. It needs motivation, spirit and willingness. Especially young learners, they have no area to speak and practice. That condition makes serious effect. In order to improve students' speaking ability, teacher must ask them to memorize and learn Vocabulary. Unfortunately, it is a big problem to persuade students to read and memorize it. Vocabulary is the most important element in learning English. Teaching vocabulary is challenging to young learners. It will be boring without method, games and interesting technique. As an instructor, teacher or lecturer must find out a strategy to face this condition. We should create simple way but interesting to our students. In order to help young learners to learn vocabulary, we can use easy and simple game. So, Hot seat can be a solution to learn vocabulary. It is suitable to young learners and easy to use. Students can memorize the words and have fun in learning.


The manipulation of droplets on the microscale is a growing area of research for Lab-on-a-chip applications. The droplet represents a controlled reproducible volume for studying fast chemical reactions and performing parallel studies. One technique for manipulating droplets on a surface is electrowetting: a technique which uses applied electrical potentials to exert stress on the droplet and to produce deformation or movement. This paper presents a new design of an electrowetting based mixer intended to demonstrate a method for rapidly bringing together two droplets and mixing them. Preliminary measurements of mixing are also presented.


This experiment was conducted on the Bombax buonopozense plantation at the arboretum of the Forestry Institute of Nigeria during the wet planting season of year 2014. There were three treatments viz: maize planted within rows of trees under non pruned bombax trees, pruned bombax trees and the control which was an open space with no tree. Data were collected on the height, vigour score, leaf production and shoot dry matter of the maize planted in the different treatments from 3 to 12 weeks after planting. The data were subjected to Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means separated by Duncan Multiple range tests. It was observed from this study that there were significant differences in the height, crop vigour score, stem diameter, leaf production and shoot dry matter. Maize plants under control performed better than the maize plants under non-pruned and pruned trees but the growth of the maize plants from the three treatments are comparable. This study revealed that maize can be planted in a 5 years old bombax plantation. Farmers interested in timber production can plant trees alongside with their and apply pruning techniques to increase the duration of crop production. Keywords: Agroforestry, pruning, annual crop production, timber, light interception


We have conducted bioinformatic analyses of integral membrane transport proteins belonging to dozens of families. These families rarely include proteins that function in a capacity other than transport. Many transporters have arisen by intragenic duplication, triplication and quadruplication events, in which the numbers of transmembrane α‐helical hydrophobic segments (TMSs) have increased. The elements multiplied may encode two, three, four, five, six, 10 or 12 TMSs and gave rise to proteins with four, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 12, 20, 24 and 30 TMSs. Gene fusion, splicing, deletion and insertion events have also contributed to protein topological diversity. Amino acid substitutions have allowed membrane‐embedded domains to become hydrophilic domains and vice versa. Some evidence suggests that amino acid substitutions occurring over evolutionary time may in some cases have drastically altered protein topology. The results summarized in this microreview establish the independent origins of many transporter families and allow postulation of the specific pathways taken for their appearance.


In this paper, we show the following; (1) The periodic zeta function ${\rm{Li}}_s (e^{2\pi ia})$ with $0<a<1/2$ or $1/2<a<1$ does not vanish on the real line. (2) All real zeros of $Y(s,a):=\zeta (s,a) - \zeta (s,1-a)$, $O(s,a) := -i {\rm{Li}}_s (e^{2\pi ia}) + i{\rm{Li}}_s (e^{2\pi i(1-a)})$ and $X(s,a) := Y(s,a) + O(s,a)$ with $0<a<1/2$ are simple and only at the negative odd integers. (3) All real zeros of $Z(s,a):=\zeta (s,a) + \zeta (s,1-a)$ are simple and only at the non-positive even integers if and only if $1/4 \le a \le 1/2$. (4) All real zeros of $P(s,a):={\rm{Li}}_s (e^{2\pi ia}) + {\rm{Li}}_s (e^{2\pi i(1-a)})$ are simple and only at the negative even integers if and only if $1/4 \le a \le 1/2$. Moreover, the asymptotic behavior of real zeros of $Z(s,a)$ and $P(s,a)$ are studied when $0<a<1/4$. In addition, the complex zeros of these zeta functions are also discussed when $0<a<1/2$ is rational or transcendental.


1. Modern coffee-processing facilities that have been developed recently have provided the features of low equipment costs and reduced labor requirements, but are somewhat expensive to operate when electric power is used entirely to heat the drying air. 2. The use of solar energy as a heat source was considered, since previous research where solar heat was used to dry other crops indicates that solar heat-collectors could also be used successfully for drying coffee. 3. An experimental processing facility which employs a solar heat-collector was built and operated, and it has been demonstrated that worthwhile reductions in operating costs can be achieved through the use of solar energy. 4. It was concluded that other coffee producers could economically use solar heat-collectors to reduce electricity costs. Drying facilities should be designed using the following as guides: A. Provide 10 square feet of drying-bin area for each 100 hundred-weights of coffee produced yearly. B. Install a fan which will deliver 100 c.f.m. per square foot of bin area against a static pressure of 1-inch water gage. C. Construct the solar heat-collector according to the specifications presented in figure 1. D. Install electric heating elements which provide up to 5,000 w. for each 100 hundred-weights processed yearly.


Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) are indicators of an active process in the inner ear that enhances the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of hearing. They are particularly regular and robust in certain lizards, so these animals are good model organisms for studying how SOAEs are generated. We show that the published properties of SOAEs in the bobtail lizard are wholly consistent with a mathematical model in which active oscillators, with exponentially varying characteristic frequencies, are coupled together in a chain by visco-elastic elements. Physically, each oscillator corresponds to a small group of hair cells, covered by a tectorial sallet, so our theoretical analysis directly links SOAEs to the micromechanics of active hair bundles.


The observed large-scale alignment of polarization angles and galaxy axis have been challenging the fundamental assumption of homogeneity and isotropy in standard cosmology since more than two decades. The intergalactic magnetic field, and its correlations in real space, potentially seems as a viable candidate for explaining this phenomenon. It has been shown earlier that the large-scale intergalactic magnetic field correlations can explain the alignment signal of quasars over Gpc scale, interestingly they can also explain the radio polarization alignment observed in JVAS/CLASS data over 100 Mpc. Motivated with recent observations of galaxy axis alignment over several tens of Mpc, and Mpc scale, i.e. the cluster scale, we further explore the correlations of background magnetic field to explain these relatively small scale alignment observations. In particular, we explore two recently claimed signals of alignment in the radio sources in the FIRST catalog and in the ACO clusters. We find that the FIRST alignment signal is well explained in terms of the intergalactic magnetic field with a spectral index of −2.62 ± 0.03. Furthermore, the model also partially explains the very small scale alignment (alignment within clusters). Though the elementary model proposed in this work seems to have its limitations at very small scales, the large-scale magnetic field correlations potentially seem to explain the polarization and galaxy axis alignment from Gpc to Mpc scales.