In India, traditionally some plants were used for dyeing the fabrics. According to dye yield and fastness properties the plant was chosen for fabric dyeing. Most of the synthetic dyes showed strong allergy and pollutant to the environment. So, for the current need we are chosen the plant Lawsonia inermis to colour the fabrics in this work. First, the dye was obtained through the extraction methods and studied the physicochemical properties of the dye. The dyeing properties were optimized for colouring the cotton and cotton thread. Different colour fastness parameters were also noted. In this work, we found the red dye obtained through alkaline extraction has better colour strength i.e. the maximum colour intensity at 3M NaOH. The peak at 1.907 from HPLC result confirmed the lawsone compound present in the dye. During dyeing the fabrics showed brighter colour after 24 hours. In fastness studies while washing with soap and dried under sunlight for a day and 2 days later, the colour was slightly faded in all fabrics. Still, due to its nontoxic and eco-friendly features the henna dye can be an effective natural dye for clothing.


A radioimmunoassay was used to determine the presence of the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and anti-HBe in the serum of 12 hepatitis B patients, who were follofed from an early phase of the illness into convalescence. The duration of detectable HBeAg in serum from these patients, in all ow whom the disease ran a normal course, was compared with the persistence of HBeAg in serum of nine patients with a protracted course and persistence of HBsAg in serum for more than 1 year. None of the hepatitis B patients with a normal course of the disease had HBeAg demonstrable for more than 9 weeks after the onset of illness (mean 5.4 weeks), whereas all patients developing chronic hepatitis had HBeAg in serum for more than 1 year after the onset of illness. These findings indicate that the detection of HBeAg in serum by radioimmunoassay for 10 weeks or more after the onset of illness implies a great risk of progression of the hepatitis B infection to chronic liver disease.


This research was performed under CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2013) funded by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. The authors also acknowledge the support of MYTOX-SOUTH network.


The physical size of inductors in resonant converters was examined in terms of inductor to transformer size ratio. Following the general discussion of the issue, the inductor size in a series resonant DC-DC converter is examined in detail. It is shown that the inductor to transformer size ratio is a function of the peak voltage of the inductor to the RMS voltage of the transformer and is independent of the inductance. The physical size of the inductor could be much larger than the transformer when the converter operates near resonance. Away from resonance, the inductor size becomes close to, and even smaller, than the transformer. Leakage inductance of the transformer can be used as the resonant inductance but if the leakage is associated with the secondary windings of the transformer, it will increase the peak reverse voltage of the rectifier diodes when a center-tapped rectifier topology is used. To solve this problem, an integrated transformer-inductor element with high primary leakage inductance and low secondary leakage is proposed and tested. The experimental unit was built for a power level of 1 kVA and switching frequency range 30-60 kHz.


The concept of 'corporate social responsibility' has become popular in recent years particularly in the developing countries. The present paper is aimed to examine the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and financial performance of companies in India. This paper is based on the analysis and findings of 27 empirical studies conducted by various researchers and related literature in India. The paper seeks to answer the question how financial performance is affected by the corporate social responsibility. An attempt has been made to find out whether corporate social responsibility has either a positive impact, a negative impact or no impact on financial performance of a corporate. It has been observed that there is positive relationship between the corporate social responsibility and financial performance of companies.


The paper presents the dynamic model of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) including the mechanical model, the generator model and the PWM voltage source converter model. The mechanical model uses two-mass model, and the generator model includes both the stator side and the rotor side dynamics. The PWM voltage source converter is modeled as an average model in which the action of power electronic switches is neglected. The paper features vector control of DFIG. On the rotor side converter, the control scheme enables the independent control of speed and reactive power from the stator. On the grid side converter, the control scheme is implemented to regulate the DC voltage and reactive power from the grid as well. In order to study the influence of the grid disturbances on the DFIG, grid voltage dip and quick frequency change are simulated with the engineering software, MATLAB/Simulink. Meanwhile, in the paper the pole-placement method and internal model control method are implemented for designing the PI controllers


Properties of genes underlying variation in complex traits are largely unknown, especially for variation that segregates within populations. Here, we evaluate allelic effects, cis and trans regulation, and dominance patterns of transcripts that are genetically variable in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster. Our results indicate that genetic variation due to the third chromosome causes mainly additive and nearly additive effects on gene expression, that cis and trans effects on gene expression are numerically about equal, and that cis effects account for more genetic variation than do trans effects. We also evaluated patterns of variation in different functional categories and determined that genes involved in metabolic processes are overrepresented among variable transcripts, but those involved in development, transcription regulation, and signal transduction are underrepresented. However, transcripts for proteins known to be involved in protein–protein interactions are proportionally represented among variable transcripts.


Five nominal species of braconid wasps that parasitize nymphs of five mirid species were studied on farms. The biological data obtained indicate that Peristenus pallipes (Curtis) is likely two (and possibly three) distinct species. In alfalfa and alfalfa-forage grass fields, there were clear parasite:mirid host associations: P. pallipes "A": Leptopterna and Trigonotylus; P. pallipes "B": Adelphocoris; P. pallipes "C": Lygus; P. digoneutis: Lygus; P. conradi: Adelphocoris; P. pseudopallipes: Lygus; and P. howardi: Lygus. Diapausing adults of these parasite species do not emerge from their cocoons immediately after the cocoons are removed from cold storage; this delay is referred to here as diapause "duration". Average diapause duration varied from 8 to 61 days, depending on the parasite species, and each duration was statistically different from that of the other species. These durations corresponded to the temporal sequence of appearances of nymphs of the appropriate mirid host species during the growing season, and serve to synchronize the emergence of parasite adults with the hatching of their preferred hosts. All parasites studied except P. digoneutis and P. howardi are univoltine. The latter two species produce some non-diapausing progeny in their first generation, which emerge promptly, enabling these species to parasitize second generation mirids. The unusually prolonged emergence period of P. howardi suggests that the second generation of this species may be partly produced by late-emerging (long-duration) parasites from the previous year, or perhaps by a very similar (sibling) species. Diapause rapidly increased in both P. digoneutis and P. howardi collected in hosts within two weeks after the maximum photoperiod occurred (June 21) in the field.


This book is a step-by-step, tutorial-driven guide to game or application development using Panda3D that follows the process used in professional development. You will learn through first-hand experience how a Panda3D developer goes from literally nothing to a finished product. Along the way there are illustrations to explain difficult topics and to display the results of progress, as well as a complete archive of thoroughly explained code for every tutorial. Every single code file the reader saves is mirrored in the example code, finished and explained. In addition, every art and audio asset required by the tutorials is provided, so the user need not provide any assets of their own. If you are an independent developer interested in creating your own video games or other 3D applications using Panda3D for personal or commercial distribution at minimal expense, this book is definitely for you. A basic understanding of general programming, such as familiarity with the concept of a variable, is necessary. Some familiarity with object-oriented programming and the Python language is expected, but not essential. This book does not cover the creation of three dimensional models or similar art assets, nor does it cover the creation of two dimensional art assets or audio assets.


Charged with being the true cause of...the credit crisis, over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives have received considerable flack and regulatory attention since 2008. This attention is in stark contrast to the pre-2008 regulatory world, where calls to police the OTC derivatives market were rejected as unnecessary and OTC derivatives were hailed as utopian financial instruments. The crisis soon shattered such exaltations as the highly interconnected nature of the OTC derivatives market exposed its dark side: enormous systemic risk, reckless leverage, and opacity. Recognizing these issues, global leaders agreed, post-2008, that a co-existing national and international framework was necessary to successfully regulate OTC derivatives. Five years later, however, no adequate regulatory framework has been implemented by the G-20. Following the G-20's proposed regulatory reforms, much has been written on the specific, technical aspects of OTC derivative regulations. However, very little — aside from calls for an international framework — has been written on how countries should proceed in coordinating their regulatory reforms and rules. This paper seeks to fill that void and suggests that focusing on global coordination is a mistake: While global goals, harmonization, and macro-level policy statements are informative for directing domestic regulatory reforms, focusing on a gold-standard global governance regime for the OTC derivatives market diverts attention away from where real progress can be made: at the bilateral and regional level. International financial institutions and organizations should focus on facilitating information about the domestic regulatory frameworks of their Members (through production and dissemination), rather than trying to facilitate actual rule-specific global coordination. Further, because the vast majority of OTC derivatives dealers are based in just a few countries, the goal of reducing systemic risk and contagion in the OTC derivatives market can be largely achieved by focusing coordination efforts in just these few markets.


Reading comprehension is thought to be a very challenging skill for L2 (second language) learners, and definitely the role that feedback has in enhancing reading achievement is undeniable. To shed more light on the issue, this study aimed to investigate the types of feedback utilized by EFL teachers in L2 reading comprehension classes at the intermediate level. The study took a step forward and explored the role of years of teaching experience in the provision of feedback. The study also examined the frequency of different types of errors that EFL learners committed in reading comprehension classes. To this end, an observational and descriptive study was conducted. Six EFL teachers along with their L2 learners at the intermediate level participated in the study. Three of these teachers were novices and the other three were experienced. The data were drawn from transcripts of audio recording of the selected teachers' reading comprehension classes. Following the analysis, the corrective feedback types and the errors were coded using the coding categories identified in Lyster and Ranta's (1997) model. Two other corrective feedback types were added translation and multiple feedback. The frequency count and percentage were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that recasts were the most frequently used feedback type in both groups of teachers. Moreover, both experienced and novice teachers preferred to use varied corrective feedback types at different distributions which may suggest that there is a significant difference between novice and experienced teachers' use of corrective feedback types. Regarding the error types, the analysis of the data showed that among four types of errors, the phonological errors were the most commonly errors committed by EFL learners in reading comprehension classes. The implications are discussed in the study.


Background YKL-40 or gpl-39 is a surface glycoprotein of connective tissue cells in particular of monocytes, fibroblasts, synoviocytes and chondrocytes. According to some Authors, being augmented in serum of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and, to a lesser extent, of osteoarthritis (OA) it may correlate with the degree and the speed of cartilage degradation. Objectives To better evaluate if this is true or if this marker is mainly an inflammation index, we have investigated a group of RA patients correlating YKL-40 serum values with some of the clinical parameters of the disease most widely used in literature (swollen or painful joint count, HAQ, PCR, Ra-test, ESR, Rx score of the hands, DAS 28). Methods We have evaluated 52 consecutive patients (43 F, 9 M) with RA according to the ACR criteria mainly in the 2nd (22) or 3rd (25) functional class of Steinbrocker. Their mean age was 59.7 years (33–86) and the mean disease duration 13.6 years (1–35). The YKL-40 was determined in serum according to the ELISA sandwich method of Harvey et al, 1998 (normal range: 25–95 ng\ml); all the patients (pts) were previously visited and all the parameters listed above measured. Moreover the Rx score of the hands was calculate according to the method of Kaye, 1987, slightly modified. The significance of the correlations were evaluated with the Spearman test. Results The mean (± SD) serum values of YKL-40 was 147.84 (± 97.47) ng\ml (normal range: 25–95 ng\ml). The correlations with the parameters listed above were those shown in the following Table 1. Swollen joint count, Rx score and Ra-test showed a still less significant correlation with the marker investigated.Abstract THU0060 Table 1 r p PCR 0.531 < 0.001 DAS 28 0.358 = 0.010 PAINFUL JOINT COUNT 0.322 = 0.020 HAQ 0.260 = 0.056 ESR 0.243 = 0.083 Conclusion Since YKL-40 in RA serum seems to better correlate with PCR, DAS 28 and painful joint count respectively, in our opinion it behaves more like an activity marker of the disease (perhaps of synovitis) rather than of cartilage degradation as claimed by some Authors. Despite this limitation, further studies are needed to evaluate its potential prognostic activity as predictor of joint lesions in RA. References Harvey S, et al. Chondrex: a new marker of joint disease. Clin Chem. 1998;44:509–16 Wollheim FA. Markers of disease in RA. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2000;12:200–4


In this paper, four-wave mixing in photorefractive media for the case of a reflection geometry is investigated. The exact solutions of appropriate nonlinear equations for a zero phase shift between the refractive index grating and interference pattern of the optical beams have been found. The existence of multistability in the process has been shown. In addition, numerical evidence of the effect is included.


Inadequacy of reliable data on the rate and extent of forest conversion remains a major problem threatening sustainable forest management in Nigeria. In this study, we examined land use change pattern in Omo Biosphere Reserve, Nigeria, between 1987 and 2011. Landsat TM imagery for 1987 and Landsat ETM + imagery for 2011 were analyzed for land use change detection using Erdas Imagine 9.2 and ArcGIS 9.2.  The results showed that farmlands, disturbed forests, settlements and rivers increased in area while the areas covered by the natural forests, plantations, and roads decreased from the 1987 figures. The farmlands had the highest increase in area (19025 hectares) from 1987 figures, followed by disturbed forests (10917 hectares), settlements (4262 hectares), and rivers (235 hectares). The highest reduction in area was observed for plantations (22699 hectares), followed by natural forest (10803 hectares) and roads (937 hectares). As at 1987, the natural forest was the most extensive land cover type, occupying 39.32% of the reserve. However, the disturbed forest is now the most extensive of all the land use types covering 36.34% of the reserve, followed by the natural forest (32.05%), farmland (14.78%), plantation (10.62%), settlement (4.11%), roads (1.22%), and rivers (0.87%). There was a drift in the abundance of the natural forest cover from the northeastern part of the reserve in 1987 to the northwestern part in 2011 due to unsustainable exploitation in the former and various conservation projects in the later. It is expected that the information provided in this study will aid decisions that will enhance sustainable management of the reserve.


A spatial-encoding scheme for the one-step implementation of the optical hit-miss transform (HMT) is presented. The rank-order HMT, which yields better performance in the presence of noise and clutter, can also be carried out by the use of this scheme. Numerical simulations and experimental results have proved the scheme to be feasible.


Spark chambers with digitized read-outs offer distinct advantages in spatial resolution and coverage over other gamma -ray imaging devices. While these chambers usually require external logic signals for triggering, in this paper a method is described that provides self-triggering spark chambers. Initial tests of a 45*45 cm externally triggered spark chamber with 60Co and 198Au samples are also described and future developments are mentioned.


Cardio-renal syndrome (CRS) is a rapidly recognized clinical entity which refers to the inextricably connection between heart and renal impairment, whereby abnormality to one organ directly promotes deterioration of the other one. Biological markers help to gain insight into the pathological processes for early diagnosis with higher accuracy of CRS using known clinical findings. Therefore, it is of interest to identify target genes in associated pathways implicated linked to CRS. Hence, 119 CRS genes were extracted from the literature to construct the PPIN network. We used the MCODE tool to generate modules from network so as to select the top 10 modules from 23 available modules. The modules were further analyzed to identify 12 essential genes in the network. These biomarkers are potential emerging tools for understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms for the early diagnosis of CRS. Ontological analysis shows that they are rich in MF protease binding and endo-peptidase inhibitor activity. Thus, this data help increase our knowledge on CRS to improve clinical management of the disease.


We present an image retrieval method based on the accumulated user relevance feedback records. Our method conducts the semi-supervised fuzzy clustering on the records, and the subsequent information filtering within the target cluster is performed to guide the refinement of query parameters. During information filtering, both the user's relevance evaluation and the corresponding query image of the records are used to predict the semantic correlation between the current retrieval query sample and the database images. Experiment results show that our method outperforms the traditional ones in both efficiency and effectiveness.


Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOAc extracts of the epiphytic fungus Emericella nidulans resulted in the isolation of a mixture of two fatty acids. This mixture showed 98% binding affinity to human δ opioid receptor. These two fatty acids were identified as palmitic (PAM), 1, and linoleic acids (LNA), 2, by 1D NMR as well as by GC/MS analysis, after their methylation. We found that different ratio mixtures of 1 and 2 showed variations in selective binding activities to human δ opioid receptors. Five more fatty acids, arachidonic acid (ARA), 3, cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexanoic acid (DHA), 4, cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 5, linolenic acid (ALA), 6, and γ-linolenic acid (GLA), 7, were evaluated for their binding affinity for opioid receptors. ARA, 3, displayed affinity to δ and μ human opioid receptors with 68% and 80%, respectively. GLA, 7, showed selective binding affinity to μ receptor with a value of 55%. These findings provide fascinating insight into the use of foods with high concentrations of fatty acids.


Structural analysis of the defect on {113} in Si has been carried out by transmission electron diffraction and microscopy. A proposed atomic model shows that interstitial Si atoms aggregate on {113} and form a reconstructed structure in the interior of a Si crystal. The model is characterized by 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-membered atomic rings and has no dangling bond. The 6-membered rings constitute the tiny rods of the hexagonal structure, and the 8-membered rings are related to the {113} surface structure.


There is a lack of systematic data on primary care which can be used for purposes of planning and evaluation. Ordinary data from computer-based journals in general practice were collected in four municipalities. 25 general practitioners participated for four months in 1992. The validity and reliability of the data have been investigated. The computer-based journal provides accurate information on the number and kind of contacts, and on who uses the primary health services. It also tells the nature of each contact, whether it leads to a referral, a prescription or a laboratory test. It does not give exact data on illness rates in the population, but there is a relatively stable relationship between illness and the number of contacts in general practice. This makes it possible to compare the diagnoses made in different areas. The data from the computer-based journal is also a convenient way of comparing effectiveness and costs in general practice.


In Canada, foreign-born older adults (FBOAs) have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and poorer self-reported physical and mental health than their Canadian-born peers. However, very little research has explored FBOAs' experiences of health care after immigration. This review aims to understand the patient experiences of older immigrants within the Canadian health care system. Employing Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, we searched six databases and identified 12 articles that discussed the patient experience of this population. Although we sought to understand patient experience, the studies largely focused on barriers to care, including: communication difficulties, lack of cultural integration, systematic barriers in health care, financial barriers, and intersecting barriers related to culture and gender.This review provides insight into new areas of research and advocates for strengthened policy and/or programming. Our review also highlights that there is a paucity of literature for an ever-growing segment of the Canadian population.


Communication abilities of a wireless network decrease significantly in the presence of a jammer. This paper presents a reactive technique, to detect and locate the position of a jammer using a distributed collection of wireless sensor devices. We employ the theory of autonomic computing as a framework to design the same. Upon detection of a jammer, the affected nodes self-configure their power consumption which stops unnecessary waste of battery resources. The scheme then proceeds to determine the approximate location of the jammer by analysing the location of active nodes as well as the affected nodes. This is done by employing a circular curve fitting algorithm. Results indicate a high degree of accuracy in localizing a jammer has been achieved.


Recent attempts to revitalize Hegel's social and political philosophy have tended to be doubly constrained: firstly, by their focus on Hegel's Philosophy of Right; and secondly, by their broadly liberal interpretive framework. Challenging that trend, Arash Abazari shows that the locus of Hegel's genuine critical social theory is to be sought in his ontology – specifically in the 'logic of essence' of the Science of Logic. Mobilizing ideas from Marx and Adorno, Abazari unveils the hidden critical import of Hegel's logic. He argues that social domination in capitalism obtains by virtue of the illusion of equality and freedom; shows how relations of opposition underlie the seeming pluralism in capitalism; and elaborates on the deepest ground of domination, i.e. the totality of capitalist social relations. Overall, his book demonstrates that Hegel's logic can and should be read politically.


The precipitation of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles is induced on the surface of Escherichia coli, and the biological hydrogen production efficiency under visible light (VL) irradiation is investigated. When endogenous [Ni–Fe]‐hydrogenase is anaerobically induced, an additional 400 µmol of hydrogen gas is generated within 3 h from the hybrid system suspension (50 mL) under VL irradiation (2000 W m−2), corresponding to an increase in hydrogen production of ≈30%. The apparent quantum efficiencies of the hybrid system under 470 and 620 nm VL irradiation are 7.93% and 9.59%, respectively, which are higher than those of many photoheterotrophic bacteria. Furthermore, the mechanism of the enhanced hydrogen evolution is investigated. The interaction between photogenerated electrons and cells of E. coli is confirmed by heat‐treatment, electron‐scavenger, and separation studies. The acceleration of pyruvate generation, inhibition of lactate fermentation, increase of formate concentration, stimulation of hydrogenase activity, and elevation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)H/NAD ratio in the hybrid system are responsible for the enhanced hydrogen production. A feasibility study is also conducted using wastewater and natural sunlight for the hydrogen production by the hybrid system. An additional 120 µmol of hydrogen is generated from the hybrid system within 3 h under these conditions using natural resources.


Abstract Based on recently published mean maps, the torques upon the atmosphere owing to pressure differences between the west and east faces of mountain ranges are computed for the whole earth, for four midseason months. Considering the year as a whole, mountain torques are eastward in high and low latitudes, and westward in middle latitudes. Individual mountain complexes have mixed effects; the greatest drain of momentum is by the relatively low mountains of eastern Siberia while the average effect of the Himalayas is small. The momentum drain by the Andes is greatest in summer, while in winter their influence is overcome by the eastward torque of Africa. Seasonal variations are greatest near latitudes 15°, where in the winter of each hemisphere there is an eastward pressure torque that reverses to westward in summer. Relative to frictional torques, mountain torques are greatest in middle northern latitudes in April and July, when they approach the same magnitude.


In this paper, we consider a cognitive relaying network in which the secondary user accesses the channel with a certain access probability that depends on the feedback information sent by the primary destination. In addition, the secondary user is granted relaying capabilities by which it can relay primary traffic that was unsuccessfully transmitted by the primary user. We show that this proposed scheme enhances the performance of the secondary user as well as the primary user, while the QoS requirements of the primary user is unviolated. The secondary user can avoid sure collisions with the primary transmissions exploiting the feedback information from the primary user. Also, due to the fact that relaying the unsuccessfully transmitted primary traffic increases the availability of the channel for its own packets, the secondary throughput is increased and the primary delay is decreased.


Almost every automated system has an embedded OS, and so there is an increasing demand for embedded OS. No single vendor dominates the marketplace. A growing number of companies have released open-source embedded OS, primarily those based on BSD Unix and Linux. These OS have the same appeal that open-source software has in other markets: they are relatively inexpensive and users have access to and can customize the source code. It is thought that they will become the accepted standards. Developments from Windows are also outlined. Developments of new architectures are also considered.


The formation of extensive peri-urban regions around Australia's cities as sites of population growth and land use change has resulted in a critical divergence in agricultural production patterns over several decades. Unlike more distant agricultural regions where farm numbers have typically declined, peri-urban areas have experienced a proliferation of small and sub-commercial farm businesses and the continued presence of fewer large operations. Despite this, agricultural production has not collapsed in these regions. This article reviews changes in farm output and structure occurring in some example peri-urban regions with a view to exploring the nature of viability and vulnerability of the agricultural systems in these areas. It concludes that farming in these regions is changing in significantly different ways to other agricultural regions. The key components of peri-urban farming productivity centre on a few high value activities, and some, such as intensive poultry, face significant constraints to growth through population and landscape pressures in an effectively post-productive environment. This presents consequent risks to ongoing food production in the regions closest to our largest cities. The majority of peri-urban farming has the potential to provide important landscape services functions, but is unable to adjust to changing productivity regimes creating vulnerabilities for peri-urban farming systems.


Effect of different level of protein in the diet on the toxicity of erythrosine, carbofuran and nickel was studied.
The present study with nickel sulphate has shown that the effect of nickel sulphate at 1000 ppm level in the diet affected the growth of weanling rats more at low protein diet than at high protein diet. A decrease in weight of kidney and liver of rats fed with low protein diet and nickel sulphate indicated that the effect of nickel sulphate is more at low protein diet and decrease in
weight may be related to the accumulation of nickel in these organs which had affected the normal synthesis of tissue protein. Histopathological examination of the kidney and liver of the experimental animals
indicated the level of toxicity of nickel at different percentage of protein in the diet. Changes in the level of serum constituents like total protein, albumin and globulin
and cholesterol is due to nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the metal. Significant increase in creatinine with decrease in urea content of
serum shows the effect of nickel on protein metabolism in kidney and liver. Increase in activity of enzyme GOT and GPT in the serum with decrease in activity of enzyme in the liver indicates the malfunctioning of the liver
due to damage caused by nickel in the diet. Increase in nitrogenous end product of protein metabolism in urine shows the severity of neptrotoxicity of nickel sulphate in the body at different levels of proteins. Decrease in level of protein in liver with increase in cholesterol level of liver reveals the toxic effect of nickel sulphate on protein synthesis, and degeneration of the hepatocytes resulting in accumulation of cholesterol. Level of micronutrients in serum indicate the effect of nickel sulphate is more on minerals at low protein diet than at high protein diet. Decrease in the level of minerals in the urine of rats fed with low protein diet with nickel sulphate confirms that the oxicity of nickel sulphate is more at low protein diet and protein plays an important role in altering the toxicity of xenobiotics. Excretion of nickel is more in faeces compared to urine and the excretion of nickel is more at low protein diet compared to high proteins diet indicating the effect of protein in
nickel toxicity. Nickel sulphate in the diet at 1000 ppm had altered the level of vitamin in the urine indicating the effect of nickel on vitamin.


Background: In England, between 2007/8 and 2009/10, the rate of unplanned hospital admissions of
people aged 85 years and above rose from 48 to 52 per 100. There was substantial variation, with some
areas showing a much faster rate of increase and others showing a decline.
Objectives: To identify system characteristics associated with higher and lower increases in unplanned
admission rates in those aged 85 years and over; to develop recommendations to inform providers and
commissioners; and to investigate the challenges of starting to implement these recommendations.
Design: Mixed-methods study using routinely collected data, in-depth interviews and focus groups.
Data were analysed using the framework approach, with themes following McKinsey's 7S model.
Recommendations derived from our findings were refined and prioritised through respondent validation
and consultation with the project steering group. The process of beginning to implement these
recommendations was examined in one 'implementation site'.
Participants: Six study sites were selected based on admission data for patients aged 85 years and above
from primary care trusts: three where rates of increase were among the most rapid and three where they
had slowed down or declined. Each 'improving' or 'deteriorating' site comprised an acute hospital trust, its
linked primary care trust/clinical commissioning group, the provider of community health services, and
adult social care. At each site, representatives from these organisations at strategic and operational levels,
as well as representatives of patient groups, were interviewed to understand how policies had been
developed and implemented. A total of 142 respondents were interviewed. Results: Between 2007/8 and 2009/10, average admission rates for people aged 85 years and over rose
by 5.5% annually in deteriorating sites and fell by 1% annually in improving sites. During the period
under examination, the population aged 85 years and over in deteriorating sites increased by 3.4%,
compared with 1.3% in improving sites. In deteriorating sites, there were problems with general
practitioner access, pressures on emergency departments and a lack of community-based alternatives to
admission. However, the most striking difference between improving and deteriorating sites was not the
presence or absence of specific services, but the extent to which integration within and between types of
service had been achieved. There were also overwhelming differences in leadership, culture and strategic
development at the system level. The final list of recommendations emphasises the importance of issues
such as maximising integration of services, strategic leadership and adopting a system-wide approach
to reconfiguration.
Conclusions: Rising admission rates for older people were seen in places where several parts of the system
were under strain. Places which had stemmed the rising tide of admissions had done so through strong,
stable leadership, a shared vision and strategy, and common values across the system.
Future work: Research on individual components of care for older people needs to take account of their
impact on the system as a whole. Areas where more evidence is needed include the impact of improving
access and continuity in primary care, the optimal capacity for intermediate care and how the frail elderly
can best be managed in emergency departments.


The design of a multimedia interactive conferencing system based on widearea networks as a communication infrastructure is discussed. Co-operation activities take place by sharing application packages installed in remote servers and workstations. The necessary upgrades to the existing communication protocols which make them support multicast connections are described in detail.


As one of several hospital team members involved in the management of care for older adults with delirium, hospital aides (HAs) are often relied on to provide direct patient care in the role of a sitter. Yet, many HAs have not received training about delirium, its associated behaviors, or appropriate interventions. As a consequence, there are gaps in quality of care for older adults with delirium and potential missed opportunities for HA sitters to contribute to the interdisciplinary team (IDT) care of these patients. In the current study, a quality improvement project at an urban hospital provided an educational session on delirium to HAs. Accuracy of HA delirium knowledge, delirium behavior recognition, and delivery of care to patients with delirium significantly increased across three postintervention measures (p = <0.001 to 0.016). HAs also reported increased confidence in caring for patients with delirium and in their perceived role on the IDT. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(6), 20-26.].


Abstract : With the advent of WWW, there is considerable interest in programs that can migrate from one host to another and execute. For instance, Java programs are increasingly being used to add dynamic content to a web page. When a user accesses the web page through a browser, the browser migrates the Java program and executes it at the user's site. Mobile programs are appealing because they support efficient utilization of network resources and extensibility of information servers. However, since they cross administrative domains, they have the ability to access a host site's protected resources. For instance, they can potentially read a user's private files, access and modify personal information, and steal proprietary information. In this paper, we present a novel approach for allowing a site to protect and control the local resources that external Java programs can access. In this approach, a site uses a declarative policy language to specify a set of constraints on accesses to local resources and the conditions under which they apply. A set of code transformation tools enforce these constraints on a Java program by integrating the code for checking access constraints into the program and the site's resource definitions. Executions of the resulting modified mobile program and resources satisfy all access constraints, thereby protecting the site's resources. Because this approach does not require resources to make an explicit call to a reference monitor, as implemented in the Java runtime system, the approach does not depend upon a particular runtime system implementation.


Teaching is a noble profession which requires special skills for the transformation of knowledge from teaching domain to the learning domain. This profession requires deep knowledge, dedication in teaching, encouragement, and control over the activities of the learning domain, providing the knowledge to the learning domain, teaching the discipline, behavior and smart skills as out of box teaching subjects. The teacher has to continuously upgrade himself in discharging the knowledge because whatever he has learned in his learning domain might be outdated. The Knowledge is always updating and it is the responsibility of all the teachers to update their knowledge so that they can effectively transform the same to the learning domain. The knowledge transformation in technical subject needs a rather different methodology than the traditional classroom based teaching. The subject like Software Engineering needs a different method of teaching than the traditional classroom based teaching. In this subject the learning domain should be active in looking into the various aspects of the software development. In this subject, the traditional classroom based teaching does not transform the knowledge to the learning domain because the learning domain cannot follow the subject since the domain does not have any idea about the subject. This paper explains the need for active teaching in software engineering where in the learning domain has to be active than the teaching domain. The teaching domain has to concentrate on various concepts which are supposed to be given to the learning domain and guide the learning domain how to get the knowledge, effective use of the available technology and its adoption at the right place. The objective of this paper is how to convert the learning domain into smart learning domain. This paper strongly recommends the case study based teaching and learning practice than the traditional unidirectional classroom teaching.


BACKGROUND
 The proliferation of wearable devices that collect activity and heart rate data has facilitated new ways to measure sleeping and waking durations unobtrusively and longitudinally. Most existing sleep/wake identification algorithms are based on activity only and are trained on expensive and laboriously annotated polysomnography (PSG). Heart rate can also be reflective of sleep/wake transitions, which has motivated its investigation herein in an unsupervised algorithm. Moreover, it is necessary to develop a personalized approach to deal with interindividual variance in sleep/wake patterns.

 OBJECTIVE
 We aimed to develop an unsupervised personalized sleep/wake identification algorithm using multifaceted data to explore the benefits of incorporating both heart rate and activity level in these types of algorithms and to compare this approach's output with that of an existing commercial wearable device's algorithms.

 METHODS
 In this study, a total of 14 community-dwelling older adults wore wearable devices (Fitbit Alta; Fitbit Inc) 24 hours a day and 7 days a week over period of 3 months during which their heart rate and activity data were collected. After preprocessing the data, a model was developed to distinguish sleep/wake states based on each individual's data. We proposed the use of hidden Markov models and compared different modeling schemes. With the best model selected, sleep/wake patterns were characterized by estimated parameters in hidden Markov models, and sleep/wake states were identified.

 RESULTS
 When applying our proposed algorithm on a daily basis, we found there were significant differences in estimated parameters between weekday models and weekend models for some participants.

 CONCLUSIONS
 Our unsupervised approach can be effectively implemented based on an individual's multifaceted sleep-related data from a commercial wearable device. A personalized model is shown to be necessary given the interindividual variability in estimated parameters.


This thesis is divided in three main parts. In the first part, we study equivariant forced systems of ODEs. We focus on periodic behaviour in equivariant forced systems and determine the H/K Theorem for forced systems of ODEs. This theorem classifies all possible symmetry pairs (H,K) of periodic solutions in such systems. We also analyze the possible periods to occur in these systems. In the second part, we study animal locomotion. Although many work has been done in this area, most is based on the mathematical assumption that locomotor CPGs should be modelled as autonomous systems of ODEs. We present a novel approach to this study by considering locomotor CPGs as forced systems of ODEs. By applying the results obtained in the first part, we show that a forced 4-cell system can exhibit the desired patterns of locomotion depending on the forcing to which it is subjected. The final part of this thesis is focused on the study of patterns in coupled cell networks. We divide our study into two different classes of networks: coupled cell networks with an internal symmetry group and general coupled cell networks. For the former type of network, we show that all isotropy subgroups of the internal symmetry group may occur as symmetry groups of some steady-state, and prove necessary conditions for a pair (H,K) to be the symmetry pair of some periodic solution in such networks. In the latter type of network, we analyze patterns of synchrony in such networks. We prove that rigid patterns of synchrony correspond to balanced equivalence relations. This result is known as the Rigid Synchrony Theorem.


The Sayed Case in the District Court of Western Australia required the court to decide on the issue of a witness in niqab. The defendant, in this case a Muslim man, said that a prosecution witness wearing niqab created a disadvantage for the defense and wanted her to provide her testimony without a face veil. While this is a narrow characterization of the issue for the court, the case sparked much controversy including calls for the government to regulate forms of Muslim women's dress as was the case in France and Belgium. At present, while many Muslim women in Australia do not cover either their hair or face, the common law and statute do not prescribe or proscribe any form of dress for Australians. The call by some Muslims, such as in the Sayed Case, for the imposition of limits on Muslim dress, employs the scholarship of foreign Muslims who they support. This paper calls for the rejection of such prescriptive formulations of both Australian law and the local expressions of Islamic law. Others such as Katherine Bullock, an Australia Muslim academic, support women's choice in the broadest terms ‒ and this paper supports the primary sources of Islam, the traditional Islamic scholarship, and is deeply acculurated in the Australian ethic of personality autonomy and choice for all, including Muslims women. While they are both independent works, both Bullock's work and the common law as articulated by the judge in the Sayed Case are strongly supportive of allowing women the choice of covering themselves. This paper contends that Australian common law, as confirmed in the Sayed Case, is reflective of a broader Muslim consensus and should be retained as the status quo.


Abstract Currently, application of lampricides and installation of low-head barriers are the only proven means of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Great Lakes. While sea lamprey cannot climb or jump over low-head barriers, many desirable migratory species also cannot traverse barriers and are unintentionally blocked. Recently, there has been a push to reduce reliance on chemical controls as well as increase stream connectivity and flood conveyance. In response, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) continues to seek alternative methods of control. Great Lakes basin resource managers often request consideration of alternatives to both lampricide use and low-head barriers. Seasonal operation and alternative barrier designs (e.g. velocity barriers and electrical barriers) that incorporate additional features such as selective fish passage or flood conveyance are among the most commonly requested options. To date, alternative barrier technologies have been intermittently successful in the sea lamprey control program directed by the GLFC, yet continue to be proposed as alternatives to conventional low-head barriers. This document provides a comprehensive review on the current state of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of current and alternative barrier technologies and their historical use in the sea lamprey control program. This synthesis provides resource managers and sea lamprey control agents a reference and some tools to facilitate decision making around barriers that balance the critical need for invasive species control and fishery restoration.


The emergence of digital music in the Internet calls for a reliable real-time tool to analyze and properly categorize them for the users. To incorporate content or genre queries in Web searches, audio content analysis and classification is imperative. This paper proposes a set of audio content features and a parallel neural network architecture that addresses the task of automated content based audio classification. Feature sets based on signal periodicity, beat information, sub-band energy, mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and wavelet transforms are proposed and each of the feature sets are individually analyzed for their pertinence in the proposed task. A parallel multi-layered perceptron network is proposed which offers a classification accuracy of 84.4% to distinguish between 6 different genres. The proposed architecture is compared with a support vector machine based classifier and is found to perform superiorly than the later.


The Cu2GeSe3 compound and phases based on it are of interest as environmentally friendly thermoelectric and photovoltaic materials. This paper presents the results of a thermodynamic study of this compound by the method of electromotive forces. We measured the EMF of concentration cells concerning copper electrode with solid Cu+ conductive electrolyte Cu4RbCl3I2 in the 300-450 K temperature range. Based on the obtained experimental data, the partial molar functions of copper in equilibrium alloys from the three-phase region of the Cu2GeSe3 -GeSe2-Se phase diagram, as well as the standard thermodynamic functions of formation and the standard entropy of the Cu2GeSe3 compound, are calculated. A comparative analysis of the obtained results with the available literature data was carried out


Using a random block design with factorial arrangement (3x3) with five replications, the quality of Brachiaria decumbens , Brachiaria brizantha and Brachiaria decumbens x Brachiaria ruziziensis cv. Mulato I at different regrowth ages (21, 42 and 63 days) were evaluated in Guayas area, Ecuador. The yields of total dry matter, biomass, leaves and stems were determined; as well as the plant height, length and width of leaves, the contents of DM, CP, NDF, ADF, ADL, cellulose (Cel), hemicellulose (Hcel), cellular content (CC), P, Ca, ash, OM, DMD, OMD, ME, LNE and relations leaf-stem, NDF-N and ADF-N. There was significant interaction (P <0.0001) between the varieties and the regrowth age for all the studied indicators. The highest DM and biomass yields were obtained in Mulato I at 63 days of regrowth (1.59 and 5.23 t/ha, respectively).The CP and CC decreased with the maturity of the plant and the best values were obtained in Mulato I at 21 days of regrowth (15.74 and 73.45 %, respectively), while the components of the cell wall increased with age and Brachiaria decumbens showed the highest values. There was variability in terms of the varieties in the studied indicators, with the best general performance for Mulato I. In this study the variability of the nutritional quality was showed by the interaction between the variety and the forage maturity, determined, among other aspects, by the decrease of digestibilities and the energy contribution, as well as increases of the relations NDF/N, ADF/N, it is important to highlight that the biomass production, total yields of leaves and stems, in addition to the morphological indicators height, number of leaves, length and width showed the best results in Mulato I at 63 days. Key words: quality, regrowth age, Brachiaria, digestibility, energy


This study compared the learning of words represented in traditional orthography (T.O.) and in the logographic symbols of Rebus, Bliss, and Carrier. Subjects, 36 preschool children ages 4.3 to 5.4, were presented a short task requiring the learning of 15 words in one of the four graphic conditions, Rebus, Bliss, Carrier, to T.O. The results showed that the logographic symbols as a group were significantly easier to learn than T.O., the partially iconic systems of Rebus and Bliss were significantly easier to learn than the Carrier symbols, and Rebus symbols were significantly easier to learn than Bliss symbols. Implications for the instructional use of logographic systems are discussed.


Point-like excesses have been alternately claimed and refuted in the direction of Cygnus X-3, BL-Lacertae objects, and others. We conduct a search for point-like deviations from isotropy in the arrival direction of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in the monocular data set collected by the High-Resolution Fly's Eye. We find no evidence for point-like excesses and place a 90% c.l. upper limit of 0.8 hadronic cosmic rays/km×yr with energies greater than 10 eV for the northern hemisphere. We place tighter limits as a function of position in the sky.


The paper presents the " Thomas A. Swift electric rifle". The Taser electronic control device uses microprocessor control. The device temporarily and harmlessly immobilizes the suspect with a carefully engineered electric signal that is specifically designed with human physiology in mind. The operation of this device was also presented in the paper.


Herbicides of the triazine class block electron transfer in the photosynthetic reaction centers of purple bacteria and PSII of higher plants. They are thought to act by competing with one of the electron acceptors, the secondary quinone, QB, for its binding site. Several mutants of the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis resistant to terbutryn [2-(methylthio)-4-(ethylamino)-6-(tert-butylamino)-s-triazine] have been isolated by their ability to grow photosynthetically in the presence of the herbicide. Sequence analysis of the genes coding for the L and M subunits of the reaction center showed that four different mutants were obtained, two of them being double mutated: T1 (SerL223----Ala and ArgL217----His), T3 (PheL216----Ser and ValM263----Phe), T4 (TyrL222----Phe), and T6 (PheL216----Ser). The residues L223 and L216 are involved in binding of QB, whereas L217 and L222 are not. M263 is part of the binding pocket of the primary quinone, QA. The affinity of the reaction centers for terbutryn and the electron transfer inhibitor o-phenanthroline, determined via the biphasic charge recombination after one flash, is decreased for all mutants. The affinity for ubiquinone 9 is also decreased, except in T1. Characterization by EPR spectroscopy showed that the QB.-Fe2+ signal of T4, having a g = 1.93 peak, is different from the signals obtained with the wild type and the other mutants but very similar to those of Rhodospirillum rubrum and PSII. The results obtained by the combination of these different techniques are discussed with respect to the three-dimensional structure of the wild type and the mode of binding of ubiquinone, terbutryn, and o-phenanthroline as determined by X-ray structure analysis.


The H(2)-receptor antagonist cimetidine is efficiently excreted by the kidneys. In vivo studies indicated an interaction of cimetidine not only with transporters for basolateral uptake of organic cations but also with those involved in excretion of organic anions. We therefore tested cimetidine as a possible substrate of the organic anion transporters cloned from winter flounder (fROAT) and from human kidney (hOAT1). Uptake of [(3)H]cimetidine into fROAT-expressing Xenopus laevis oocytes exceeded uptake into control oocytes. At -60-mV clamp potential, 1 mM cimetidine induced an inward current, which was smaller than that elicited by 0.1 mM PAH. Cimetidine concentrations exceeding 0.1 mM decreased PAH-induced inward currents, indicating interaction with the same transporter. At pH 6.6, no current was seen with 0.1 mM cimetidine, whereas at pH 8.6 a current was readily detectable, suggesting preferential translocation of uncharged cimetidine by fROAT. Oocytes expressing hOAT1 also showed [(3)H]cimetidine uptake. These data reveal cimetidine as a substrate for fROAT/hOAT1 and suggest that organic anion transporters contribute to cimetidine excretion in proximal tubules.


A technique for improving the dynamic range of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is presented. The technique consists of summing outputs of several parallel N-bit ADCs to reduce the uncorrelated excess noise introduced by each ADC. This increases the number of effective bits of resolution and is most useful to regain bits lost after dithering to reduce spurious harmonics for spectral analysis applications. The sensitivity of this approach to uncertainties in component gain and delay is discussed.<<ETX>>


In the present paper, design and economics of the novel type of thermal control system for data center cooling using heat pipe based cold energy storage system has been proposed and discussed. Two types of cold energy storage system namely: Ice storage system and cold water storage system are explained and sized for datacenter with heat output capacity of 8800 KW. Basically, the cold energy storage will help to downsize the chiller and decrease its runtime that will save electricity related cost and decrease green house gas emissions from the electricity generation. The proposed cold energy storage system can be connected in the existing datacenter facilities without major design changes. Out of the two proposed systems, ice based cold energy storage system is mainly recommended for small to medium size datacenters which are located in very cold locations and offers long term seasonal storage facility. Water based cold energy storage system provides more compact size with short term storage (hours to days) and is potential for both small to large size datacenters with yearly average temperature below the cold storage water temperature (~ 25°C). The cold water storage system is sized on the basis of metrological conditions in Poughkeepsie, USA. As an outcome of the thermal and cost analysis, an optimum size of cold energy storage system should be designed to handle 60% of the yearly datacenter load. Preliminary results obtained from the experimental system design to test the ice formation potential of the heat pipe based cold energy storage system has shown good result and validated the proposed concept.


The current research paper is an attempt to investigate the effect of teachers' competencies on academic achievement and satisfaction of MPhil students. Effect is a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause. Obtaining students' satisfaction and academic achievement as a result of teachers' competencies is one of the prime objectives of higher educational institutions. Institution failing to get the desired competencies among the learners effect their reputation and students' intake in future. The academic performance of low performer scholars resulted in quitting the degree. This study employed quantitative approach to test the hypotheses. Forty MPhil scholars from GC University Faisalabad were the sample of the study using census survey. Self-developed research instrument, Teachers' Competencies and Scholars' Satisfaction Scale (TCSSS) with Alpha value .954 were used for survey to collect data. The achievement score was scholars' final test score in the semester. The teachers' competence indicators were teacher's content knowledge, presentation skills, students' teacher interaction and modes of assessment. T-test, Pearson r, and ANCOVA were used for data analysis. The results showed that teacher's knowledge of subject contributed to scholars' satisfaction and achievement. Female scholars rate the teachers more competent than their male fellows. It was recommended that the scholars' performance may be improved by using additional class tests and worksheets.


Robust controllers ensure stability in feedback loops designed under uncertainty but at the cost of performance. Model uncertainty in time-invariant systems can be reduced by recently proposed learning-based methods, which improve the performance of robust controllers using data. However, in practice, many systems also exhibit uncertainty in the form of changes over time, e.g., due to weight shifts or wear and tear, leading to decreased performance or instability of the learning-based controller. We propose an event-triggered learning algorithm that decides when to learn in the face of uncertainty in the LQR problem with rare or slow changes. Our key idea is to switch between robust and learned controllers. For learning, we first approximate the optimal length of the learning phase via Monte-Carlo estimations using a probabilistic model. We then design a statistical test for uncertain systems based on the moment-generating function of the LQR cost. The test detects changes in the system under control and triggers relearning when control performance deteriorates due to system changes. We demonstrate improved performance over a robust controller baseline in a numerical example.


This study mainly uses the move and step analysis to conduct a contrastive genre analysis on the selected 20 Chinese ad-mission brochures(CABs) and 20 American admission brochures(AABs).Differences in moves,move sequences and step arrange-ments have revealed themselves in this comparison.Firstly,Chinese university admission brochures cast more focus on basic infor-mation about the university,the application procedure and admission criteria,while American universities,besides offering such in-formation,also emphasize the promotional function of the admission brochures.They use appealing and creative moves to commer-cially'sell'advantages of the university to the potential applicants.Secondly,based on Kress van Leeuwen's visual grammarsymbolic meaning,images and colors in admission brochures are also explored and analyzed as language.For one thing,after count-ing the frequency of the four categories of images,namely portrait,campus scenery,campus life pictures and graphs,it is foundthat,compared with CABs,AABs have a highly more obvious tendency in using images.The images are used as an effective tool toincrease the sense of credibility,identity-recognition,attract reader's attention,and help understanding,making the facts and in-formation more intuitive.For another thing,the main colors used in the brochures are yet another noticeable feature.Especially inAmerican brochures,universities tend to use their'traditional colors' in the brochure to achieve a sense of consistency.Some Chi-nese brochures also follow this promotional strategy,yet a large percentage of them do not use any recognizable colors other thanthe printed black and white.Based on these differences,suggestions are put forward from perspectives including choice of movesand steps to improve the quality of CABs,hopefully raising their acceptance in the international level.


The adoption and diffusion of balanced scorecard (BSC) has relatively been addressed in Western countries. Nonetheless, there is scant evidence on how BSC is received by organisations in developing countries. So, we are not sure how Non-Western countries are receiving BSC in practice and whether the adoption of BSC is facing similar challenges (as in Western countries).Furthermore, while the diffusion of innovation theory suggests the significance influence of characteristics of an innovation on its adoption and diffusion, no study has been reported to examine this theory in relation to BSC. Deriving from contingency and diffusion of innovation theories, this study investigates the diffusion of BSC in New Zealand and the Sultanate of Oman and examines the significance of impact of characteristics of innovation on the adoption of BSC in both countries.


EuB6 is a magnetic semiconductor in which defects introduce charge carriers into the conduction band with the Fermi energy varying with temperature and magnetic field. We present experimental and theoretical work on the electronic magnetotransport in single-crystalline EuB6. Magnetization, magnetoresistance and Hall effect data were recorded at temperatures between 2 and 300 K and in magnetic fields up to 5.5 T. The negative magnetoresistance is well reproduced by a model in which the spin disorder scattering is reduced by the applied magnetic field. The Hall effect can be separated into an ordinary and an anomalous part. At 20 K the latter accounts for half of the observed Hall voltage, and its importance decreases rapidly with increasing temperature. As for Gd and its compounds, where the rare-earth ion adopts the same Hund's rule ground state as Eu2+ in EuB6, the standard antisymmetric scattering mechanisms underestimate the size of this contribution by several orders of magnitude, while reproducing its shape almost perfectly. Well below the bulk ferromagnetic ordering at TC = 12.5 K, a two-band model successfully describes the magnetotransport. Our description is consistent with published de Haas van Alphen, optical reflectivity, angular-resolved photoemission, and soft X-ray emission as well as absorption data, but requires a new interpretation for the gap feature deduced from the latter two experiments.


The aim of this thesis is to examine educational stratification in the context of out-of-home care (OHC; foster family care, residential care) and to place one of society's most vulnerable groups in the fields of social stratification and family complexity research. About 5% of the Swedish population experience OHC during childhood or adolescence. OHC is not only a matter of protecting children and youth; it is also intended to improve future opportunities and compensate for adverse childhood factors. However, a vast body of international research, including Swedish studies, shows that a substantial proportion of young people from OHC have poor school performance and low educational attainment as adults. Furthermore, this is strongly associated with their high risk of other adverse outcomes in life. To date there are no signs of improvement in this regard, and the disadvantage of having a low education is increasing in today's knowledge-based society. Many previous OHC studies have relied on small, local samples, and longitudinal data are often lacking. In this respect, Swedish researchers are well positioned to contribute to the field through research based on our high-quality population registers. The main data source in this thesis – the Child Welfare Intervention Register – covers half a century of OHC data. Based on these data, an overview of OHC prevalence in Sweden and patterns of educational outcomes are presented in the introductory chapter. The thesis further consists of five individual studies investigating different aspects of the transition through the educational system to adult life among children and youth from OHC. Two of the five studies focus on children who spent most of their childhood in OHC and for whom society has assumed a long-term commitment of parental responsibilities. The descriptive data show that patterns of poor educational outcomes in the OHC population have remained stable as long as they can be followed in the registers. Study I shows that youth who exited long-term care were disadvantaged as compared to youth without OHC experience, both in terms of educational attainment and regarding the strong association between poor school performance and other adverse outcomes in young adulthood. Up to 55% of their excess risks of later psychosocial problems were statistically attributable to dismal school performance. Study II shows that 54% of clients in substance-misuse treatment in the 1980s had been in OHC, half before their teen years and half as teenagers. In this group, OHC was associated with excess mortality during the 30-year follow-up from exit from treatment, with statistical significance mainly for females who had entered OHC before their teens. School failure was more common in the OHC population than for misuse clients without OHC experience, and was strongly associated with the excess mortality of females. Two Nordic comparative studies (Studies III and IV) show that the OHC population had a substantially higher risk of not completing upper-secondary education across countries, and that poor performance in primary school inflicted a greater risk in OHC youth of being NEET in young adulthood than for their peers without OHC experience. Study V shows that the intergenerational transmission of education was weak and inconsistent in the foster care setting, and that living in a highly educated foster family did not have a robust positive effect on foster children's educational outcomes.


In this paper, we deal with the problem of learning by demonstration, task level learning and planning for robotic applications that involve object manipulation. Preprogramming robots for execution of complex domestic tasks such as setting a dinner table is of little use, since the same order of subtasks may not be conceivable in the run time due to the changed state of the world. In our approach, we aim to learn the goal of the task and use a task planner to reach the goal given different initial states of the world. For some tasks, there are underlying constraints that must be fulfille, and knowing just the final goal is not sufficient. We propose two techniques for constraint identification. In the first case, the teacher can directly instruct the system about the underlying constraints. In the second case, the constraints are identified by the robot itself based on multiple observations. The constraints are then considered in the planning phase, allowing the task to be executed without violating any of them. We evaluate our work on a real robot performing pick-and-place tasks.


Hardness is an important wood property for several applications. Typically, it is necessary to use traditional methods, such as a universal test machine, to determine a wood's hardness value. This work reports the hardness of some wood species before and after heat treatment (ThermoWood method) using the Shore-D hardness method. The Shore-D hardness value of untreated wood ranged between 35.3 for Limba wood and 77.2 for Santos wood. With heat treatment, hardness decreased, and the decrease was greater for samples that underwent harsher treatment (2 h at 212 °C). The decrease of hardness was highest for Sipo wood (14%) and the lowest for Afrormosia wood (2.5%). Analysis of variance tests showed that there was a significant difference between wood species, heat treatment, and the interaction between both variables at the chosen level of significance (P ≤ 0.05). Results showed that Shore-D hardness could be used to measure hardness directly in a production line or in small wood companies without using a universal test machine.


We demonstrate that sample and hold state feedback control (possibly discontinuous with respect to the state) is robust when the closed loop system possesses an appropriate Lyapunov function. We first show that if a Lyapunov decrease over sampling periods exists for the nominal system, this decrease can be maintained with some degradation relative to a sufficiently small additive perturbation. We then proceed to catalog several applications of this robustness, e.g., robustness to measurement noise, computational delays, or fast actuator dynamics.


Normal chicken serum agglutinates both homologous RBC and sheep RBC sensitized with specific IgY, but does not agglutinate sheep RBC sensitized with rabbit IgG. This hemagglutination-enhancing (HE) activity indicates recognition of IgY by a component of chicken serum. The HE activity is greatly enhanced in serum that was previously frozen as compared to fresh serum, and when the former is used as a source for isolating macroglobulins with HE activity, gel filtration chromatography (Sephacryl S-300 HR) reveals tow distinct peaks of activity. The first fraction elutes with the column void volume and consists entirely of IgM, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-reducing conditions and Western blotting, while a lower mol. wt. fraction contains both IgM and a smaller macromolecule. It appears, therefore, that chicken IgM has the capacity to bind antigen-bound IgY, and that this activity is enhanced by the tendency of IgM to aggregate during experimental manipulation. While there is as yet no known functional role for this phenomenon, a number of reports have noted that target RBC undergo pronounced agglutination during the course of hemolytic complement tests in which avian serum is used as complement source. This raises the possibility that chicken IgM might modulate effector functions of IgY.


A psychophysical procedure, classical conditioning of respiration, was used to measure contrast sensitivity to positive- and negative-contrast discs (8-deg diameter) in goldfish after crushing one optic nerve intraorbitally. In five out of six fish, sensitivity recovered to normal. Recovery times for negative contrasts were significantly shorter than for positive contrasts. The average times postcrush of initial responding to negative and positive contrasts were 23.8 and 30.6 days, and for threshold to come within 0.5 log unit of control values was 29.8 and 39.8 days, respectively. Thereafter, recovery to normal sensitivity was significantly faster for positive contrasts. These results parallel prior observations of neural activity in tectum after optic nerve crush: an early phase of OFF responding followed by a more sudden recovery of ON responding.


We construct a new variational method for blind deconvolution of images and inpainting, motivated by recent PDE-based techniques involving the Ginzburg-Landau functional, but using more localized wavelet-based methods. We present results for both binary and grayscale images. Comparable speeds are achieved with better sharpness of edges in the reconstruction.


Learning the embeddings of knowledge graphs (KG) is vital in artificial intelligence, and can benefit various downstream applications, such as recommendation and question answering. In recent years, many research efforts have been proposed for knowledge graph embedding (KGE). However, most previous KGE methods ignore the semantic similarity between the related entities and entity-relation couples in different triples since they separately optimize each triple with the scoring function. To address this problem, we propose a simple yet efficient contrastive learning framework for tensor decomposition based (TDB) KGE, which can shorten the semantic distance of the related entities and entity-relation couples in different triples and thus improve the performance of KGE. We evaluate our proposed method on three standard KGE datasets: WN18RR, FB15k-237 and YAGO3-10. Our method can yield some new state-of-the-art results, achieving 51.2% MRR, 46.8% Hits@1 on the WN18RR dataset, 37.8% MRR, 28.6% Hits@1 on FB15k-237 dataset, and 59.1% MRR, 51.8% Hits@1 on the YAGO3-10 dataset.


Cartilage damage caused by ageing, repeated overloading, trauma, and diseases can result in chronic pain, inflammation, stiffness, and even disability. Unlike other types of tissues (bone, skin, muscle, etc.), cartilage tissue has an extremely weak regenerative capacity. Currently, the gold standard surgical treatment for repairing cartilage damage includes autografts and allografts. However, these procedures are limited by insufficient donor sources and the potential for immunological rejection. After years of development, engineered tissue now provides a valuable artificial replacement for tissue regeneration purposes. 3D bioprinting technologies can print customizable hierarchical structures with cells. The objective of the current work was to prepare a 3D-printed three-layer gradient scaffold with lysine functionalized rosette nanotubes (RNTK) for improving the chondrogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs). Specifically, biologically inspired RNTKs were utilized in our work since they have unique surface chemistry and biomimetic nanostructure to improve cell adhesion and growth. Different ratios of gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were printed into a three-layer GelMA-PEGDA gradient scaffold using a stereolithography-based printer, followed by coating with RNTKs. The pores and channels (~500 µm) were observed in the scaffold. It was found that the population of ADSCs on the GelMA-PEGDA-RNTK scaffold increased by 34 % compared to the GelMA-PEGDA scaffold (control). Moreover, after three weeks of chondrogenic differentiation, collagen II, glycosaminoglycan, and total collagen synthesis on the GelMA-PEGDA-RNTK scaffold significantly respectively increased by 59%, 71%, and 60%, as compared to the control scaffold. Gene expression of collagen II α1, SOX 9, and aggrecan in the ADSCs growing on the GelMA-PEGDA-RNTK scaffold increased by 79%, 52%, and 47% after three weeks, compared to the controls, respectively. These results indicated that RNTKs are a promising type of nanotubes for promoting chondrogenic differentiation, and the present 3D printed three-layer gradient GelMA-PEGDA-RNTK scaffold shows considerable promise for future cartilage repair and regeneration.


We consider probability preserving maps with indifferent fixed points and prove distributional convergence to stable laws for observables measurable with respect to a dynamical partition.


Longitudinal data from 3 commercial dairy herds in the northeast United States, collected from 2004 to 2011, were analyzed to determine the effect of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection status and progression path on milk production. Disease status, as indicated by MAP test results, was determined through quarterly ELISA serum testing, biannual fecal culture, and culture of tissues and feces at slaughter. Milk production data were collected from the Dairy Herd Information Association. Animals with positive MAP test results were categorized, based on test results over the full course of the study, as high path (at least one high-positive culture) or low path (at least one positive culture or ELISA). The cumulative numbers of positive ELISA and culture results were recorded. The effects of both MAP infection path, status, and number of positive tests on milk production were analyzed using a mixed linear model with an autocorrelation random effect structure. Low- and high-path animals produced more milk before their first positive test than always-negative animals, especially high-path animals. Although mean production decreased after a first positive test, low-path animals were shown to recover some productivity. High-path animals continued to exhibit a decrease in milk production, especially after their first high-positive fecal culture. These results show that not all animals that test positive for MAP will have long-term production losses. Milk production decreased significantly with each additional positive test. Ultimately, production loss appeared to be a function of MAP infection progression.


Chromosomes readily unlink from one another and segregate to daughter cells during cell division highlighting a remarkable ability of cells to organize long DNA molecules. SMC complexes mediate chromosome folding by DNA loop extrusion. In most bacteria, SMC complexes start loop extrusion at the ParB/parS partition complex formed near the replication origin. Whether they are recruited by recognizing a specific DNA structure in the partition complex or a protein component is unknown. By replacing genes in Bacillus subtilis with orthologous sequences from Streptococcus pneumoniae, we show that the three subunits of the bacterial Smc complex together with the ParB protein form a functional module that can organize and segregate chromosomes when transplanted into another organism. Using chimeric proteins and chemical cross-linking, we find that ParB binds to the Smc subunit directly. We map a binding interface to the Smc joint and the ParB CTP-binding domain. Structure prediction indicates how the ParB clamp presents DNA to the Smc complex to initiate DNA loop extrusion.


Territorial reasoning is a basic topic of spatial archaeology. The ability to establish territorial ex- tents of political, religious or economic zones allows us to move from point to area-based observations and hypotheses. We present a substantially enhanced, GIS-based version of Renfrew and Level's classic Xtent algorithm. Our version offers various advantages over the original. It respects terrain properties, a priori physical movement constraints and hierarchical relations between sites, maximum territory sizes are easy to control and a measure of uncertainty is provided. The software implementation used in this paper was done within the framework of the open source GRASS geographic information system.


Nonlinear interaction of obliquely incident radition with surface waves (both of P-polarization) in an inhomogeneous plasma layer placed in a time-dependent magnetic field is investigated. Current velocities, electric and magnetic field components, and amplitudes of the generated waves at combination frequency are obtained. Two cases are considered for the applied magnetic field, when it oscillates with frequency equal to that of the surface wave, and when it oscillates with frequency equal to the sum of frequencies of the interacting waves. In the first case, the generated fields are amplified compared to the case of an unmagnetized plasma. On the other hand, the second case leads to the decrease of the amplitudes of the generated waves. The cases of a low density plasma and normal incidence of the radiation are also investigated.


Measurements on evaporated single layers and multilayers of silicon and germanium were carried out using a triple-crystal x-ray diffractometer with perfect Si(111) crystals as a monochromator and analyser. The very high resolution of the triple-crystal diffractometer allows a precise determination of the structural and optical parameters of the layers. The parameters were obtained by fitting a modified Parratt model to the experimental data.


Many movements use stretch-shortening cycles of a muscle-tendon unit (MTU) for storing and releasing elastic energy. The required stretching of medial gastrocnemius (MG) tendinous tissue during jumps, however, requires large length changes of the muscle fascicles because of the lack of MTU length changes. This has a negative impact on the force-generating capacity of the muscle fascicles. The purpose of this study was to induce a MG MTU stretch before shortening by adding a prehop to the squat jump. Eleven well-trained athletes specialized in jumping performed a prehop squat jump (PHSJ) and a standard squat jump (SSJ). Kinematic data were collected using a 3D motion capture system and were used in a musculoskeletal model to calculate MTU lengths. B-mode ultrasonography of the MG was used to measure fascicle length and pennation angle during the jumps. By combining the muscle-tendon unit lengths, fascicle lengths, and pennation angles, the stretch and recoil of the series elastic element of MG were calculated using a simple geometric muscle-tendon model. Our results show less length changes of the muscle fascicles during the upward motion and lower maximal shortening velocities, increasing the moment-generating capacity of the plantar flexors, reflected in the higher ankle joint moment in the PHSJ compared with the SSJ. Although muscle-tendon interaction during the PHSJ was more optimal, athletes were not able to increase their jump height compared with the SSJ. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study that aimed to improve the muscle-tendon interaction in squat jumping. We effectively introduced a stretch to the medial gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit resulting in lower maximal shortening velocities and thus an increase in the plantar flexor force-generating capacity, reflected in the higher ankle joint moment in the prehop squat jump compared with the standard squat jump. Here, we demonstrate an effective method for mechanical optimization of the muscle-tendon interaction in the medial gastrocnemius during squat jumping.


Recently, the authors developed a new method to construct a two-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for use in reduced-dimensionality quantum scattering calculations in chemical reactions. In this approach the minimum energy path of a reaction was utilized and the rest of the surface was fitted by a Morse function. Here we test this method on the H + HCF3 ↔ H2 + CF3 reaction. The geometry optimizations and frequency calculations are done at the MP2/cc-pVTZ level of theory, while the energies are calculated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level. An adiabatic energy barrier of 59.61 kJ mol(-1) for the forward direction is suggested by our calculations, and the reaction is endothermic by 10.55 kJ mol(-1) in the same direction. When compared to classical transition state theory, quantum scattering calculations suggest that a tunnelling effect can be observed in both forward and backward reactions. For the forward direction, the quantum tunnelling is important at temperatures typically lower than 300 K. It has a greater contribution to the backward reaction, and is over a wider temperature range from 200 K to 1000 K. We also conducted an analysis of the kinetic isotope effects on the backward reaction by replacing H2 with D2. These results also clearly demonstrate the significance of quantum tunnelling in the reaction.


BACKGROUND
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection causes substantial morbidity and mortality among infants, older adults, and immunocompromised adults. EDP-938, a nonfusion replication inhibitor of RSV, acts by modulating the viral nucleoprotein.

METHODS
In a two-part, phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge trial, we assigned participants who had been inoculated with RSV-A Memphis 37b to receive EDP-938 or placebo. Different doses of EDP-938 were assessed. Nasal-wash samples were obtained from day 2 until day 12 for assessments. Clinical symptoms were assessed by the participants, and pharmacokinetic profiles were obtained. The primary end point was the area under the curve (AUC) for the RSV viral load, as measured by reverse-transcriptase-quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction assay. The key secondary end point was the AUC for the total symptom score.

RESULTS
In part 1 of the trial, 115 participants were assigned to receive EDP-938 (600 mg once daily [600-mg once-daily group] or 300 mg twice daily after a 500-mg loading dose [300-mg twice-daily group]) or placebo. In part 2, a total of 63 participants were assigned to receive EDP-938 (300 mg once daily after a 600-mg loading dose [300-mg once-daily group] or 200 mg twice daily after a 400-mg loading dose [200-mg twice-daily group]) or placebo. In part 1, the AUC for the mean viral load (hours × log10 copies per milliliter) was 204.0 in the 600-mg once-daily group, 217.7 in the 300-mg twice-daily group, and 790.2 in the placebo group. The AUC for the mean total symptom score (hours × score, with higher values indicating greater severity) was 124.5 in the 600-mg once-daily group, 181.8 in the 300-mg twice-daily group, and 478.8 in the placebo group. The results in part 2 followed a pattern similar to that in part 1: the AUC for the mean viral load was 173.9 in the 300-mg once-daily group, 196.2 in the 200-mg twice-daily group, and 879.0 in the placebo group, and the AUC for the mean total symptom score was 99.3, 89.6, and 432.2, respectively. In both parts, mucus production was more than 70% lower in each EDP-938 group than in the placebo group. The four EDP-938 regimens had a safety profile similar to that of placebo. Across all dosing regimens, the EDP-938 median time to maximum concentration ranged from 4 to 5 hours, and the geometric mean half-life ranged from 13.7 to 14.5 hours.

CONCLUSIONS
All EDP-938 regimens were superior to placebo with regard to lowering of the viral load, total symptom scores, and mucus weight without apparent safety concerns. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03691623.).


This paper attempts to understand the trajectories of  "designed artifacts", built or produced in the post war periods and its implications for the human body, material, ecology, and mimesis. Has Architecture gradually distanced itself from the body as an authoritative figure in its practice? Is it being seen more and more as an autonomous art, away from the complex web of social and political concerns? There seems to be a rationale to focus on the thinking and considerations that inform the production of architecture because it depends on the realm of conceptual philosophy; and both inhabit each other. The paper tries to address the association of humans with their artifactual environments. My interest stems from a long association of teaching in a college of architecture and design, and attempts to raise questions with regard to meaning and materiality. This paper also, in some sense, unlocks an environmental perspective on the relationship of the human body with the design that gives them shelter, affords actions, affords movement, and affords life in itself. Different patterns of the built environment afford different behaviors and aesthetic experiences. The perceptions of the environment thus limit or extend the behavioral and aesthetic choices of an individual depending on how the environment is configured, likened, imitated, or creatively reinterpreted. This article traverses, domesticity, tactile inhabitation, landscape, mythical realms of Indian architecture to the Postmodern architecture of "weak form".


Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a severe and chronic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, mania, and/or hypomania. Most BD patients initially present with depressive symptoms, resulting in a delayed diagnosis of BD and poor clinical outcomes. This study leverages electronic health record (EHR) data from the Clinica San Juan de Dios Manizales in Colombia to identify features predictive of the transition from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) to BD. Analyzing EHR data from 13,607 patients diagnosed with MDD over 15 years, we identified 1,610 cases of conversion to BD. Using a multivariate Cox regression model, we identified severity of the initial MDD episode, the presence of psychosis and hospitalization at first episode, family history of mood or psychotic disorders, female gender to be predictive of the conversion to BD. Additionally, we observed associations with medication classes (prescriptions of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants) and clinical features (delusions, suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, use of marijuana and alcohol use/abuse) derived from natural language processing (NLP) of clinical notes. Together, these risk factors predicted BD conversion within five years of the initial MDD diagnosis, with a recall of 72% and a precision of 38%. Our study confirms many previously identified risk factors identified through registry-based studies (such as female gender and psychotic depression at the index MDD episode), and identifies novel ones (specifically, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt extracted from clinical notes). These results simultaneously demonstrate the validity of using EHR data for predicting BD conversion as well as underscore its potential for the identification of novel risk factors and improving early diagnosis.


Many cereals accumulate hydroxamic acids involved in defense of plant against various fungi, bacteria, and insects. 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazine-3-one, commonly known as DIMBOA, is one of the principal cyclic hydroxamic acids in aqueous extracts of maize. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the isolated DIMBOA and its derivatives 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA), 6-chloro-2-benzoxazolinone (CDHB), and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) against Ralstonia solanacearum. MBT showed the strongest antibacterial activity, followed by CDHB and DIMBOA, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 50, 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively, better than the BOA with 300 mg/L. These compounds also significantly affect bacterial growth, reduce biofilm formation, and inhibit swarming motility within 24 h. This paper is the first to report the anti-R. solanacearum activity of DIMBOA from Z. mays. The bioassay and pot experiment results suggested that DIMBOA and its derivatives exhibit potential as a new matrix structure of designing target bactericide or elicitor for controlling tobacco bacterial wilt. Further studies must evaluate the efficacy of DIMBOA and its derivatives in controlling bacterial wilt under natural field conditions where low inoculum concentrations exist.


IN the last three years more interest was shown in district reorganization than during any previous comparable period. Noteworthy was the large number of investigations sponsored by state authorities, signifying a vastly increased and serious recognition of district organization as a state prob lem. Many reports of research at the state, county, and local levels adduced conclusive evidence on inequalities of financial resources, expenditures per pupil, and educational services. The inefficiency and wastefulness of current district administration were also indicated. Data on how reorgani zation could mitigate inequalities and promote efficiency and economy in the spending of school money were included in some reports in more or less detail, but generally speaking few studies showed what actually happens under reorganization. A need is apparent for more evaluative investiga tions like those of Cooper (12) and Cushman (13) . One more noteworthy trend besides the increased recognition of re organization as a state problem was the growing interest in enlarged intermediate units. The best example is the progress report on the study of the intermediate unit in New York State ( 9 ) , cited further below. This chapter is limited to a review of studies which specifically dealt, at least in part, with district reorganization as it bears on finance and business administration.


The Authors investigated on the main lipidemic parameters in vascular diseases after acute administration of glucuronyl-glucosamine-glycan sulfate (3GS). The study was carried out in 48 subjects, aged 33 to 78, of whom 38 males and 10 females so divided: 6 metabolically healthy controls (N), 10 with vascular cerebral disease (VCD), 15 with coronary heart disease, 17 with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Each subject, fasting and without drug treatment at least since 14 hours, after venous blood withdrawal, was given endovenous rapid bolus of 570 lipasemic units of glucuronyl-glucosamine-glycan sulfate (3GS); after 10', 20' and 30' other blood samples were taken; plasma NEFA (colorimetric method) triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-cholesterol (C-HDL) (enzyme method) were assayed; C-HDL/TC ratio was calculated and LDL-cholesterol value (C-LDL) according to the Friedwald-Fredrickson's formula was obtained. In controls NEFA increase after 20' (+ 57%) and triglycerides drop (-49%) were detected; TC significant fall (-13%, P less than 0,05) after 20' was found, preceded by both C-HDL marked increase and C-HDL/TC ratio, and followed (30') by C-LDL slight rise. In the 3 groups of vascular patients a striking NEFA increase (respectively + 50%, + 43%, + 26%) was found; in subjects with PVD/TG blunted drop was observed, whereas in VCD and in CHD TG percentage fall -41 and -44%) did not differ from that one of controls. Evident remarked in control, drop of total cholesterolemia, lacked in the 3 groups of vascular diseases; in patients with VCD and PVD C-HDL and C-HDL/TC ratio increasing profile was like normal, while in CHD both progressive reduction of C-HDL (-19% after 30') and C-HDL/TC ratio with C-LDL increase were appreciated. On the basis of their results the Authors believed that in PVD a striking deficit of total plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL), already in vitro documented, may occur, whereas LPL resulted normal in VCD and in CHD; on the contrary, in CHD an abnormally cholesterol-apo-VLDL affinity, like metabolic atherogenic derangement, was found; in the 3 groups of vascular diseases slow peripheral cholesterol removal was detectable.


Dendryphion penicil/atum (Corda) Fr. the conidial state of Pleospora papaveracea (De Not.) Sacc., is frequently isolated from opium poppy in Tasmania. This poppy, Papaver somniterum L., is now a major crop plant in Tasmania, where it is grown for alkaloid extraction from the dry harvested capsules. D. penicittetum has not been recorded on P. somniferum previously in Australia but has been isolated from the ornamental Iceland poppy P. nudicaule L. (2). D. penicllletum has been isolated from P. somniferum showing symptoms which include, (i) Damping-off of seedlings at the cotyledon stage of growth. (ii) Sunken dark lesions which encircle the roots of mature plants. (iii) Blue-black lesions at the point of attachment of senescing leaves on the lower stem, or lesions which encircle the stem near ground level where rosette leaves were originally attached. (iv) Capsule sports which increase in size as the capsule approaches maturity and senescence. Sporulation of the fungus is common on the outer wall of the capsule. Death of seedlings caused by seed-borne D. penicil/atum has been prevented in the field by applying a captan (48% w/w a.i.) seed dressing at 2g/kg and in laboratory germination tests on moist pads by lowering the incubation temperature from 20 to 15°C. Leaf and bud infection have not been recorded and epiphytotics of this type of infection ("poppy fir~") which have occurred in EiJrope following periods of high temperature and humidity (1) have not been observed..


This paper describes six projects, most of which are part of the research portfolio of the EERA JPNM, devoted to qualification, modelling and development of structural and fuel materials for advanced and innovative nuclear systems, with also two examples of projects addressing issues of cross-cutting interest through fusion and fission. The main conclusion is that the benefit of the coordination under the umbrella of, in this case, the EERA JPNM, is clearly felt in terms of better alignment of national programmes and subsequent leveraging of institutional funding, to integrate Euratom support. Likewise, the benefit of addressing specific issues of common interest for fusion and fission is not only beneficial because of cross-fertilisation, but also because it allows more rational use of human and infrastructural resources, avoiding duplications.