ABSTRACT Bromodomains are highly conserved acetyl-lysine binding domains found mainly in proteins associated with chromatin and nuclear acetyltransferases. The Trypanosoma cruzi genome encodes at least four bromodomain factors (TcBDFs). We describe here bromodomain factor 3 (TcBDF3), a bromodomain-containing protein localized in the cytoplasm. TcBDF3 cytolocalization was determined, using purified antibodies, by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses in all life cycle stages of T. cruzi. In epimastigotes and amastigotes, it was detected in the cytoplasm, the flagellum, and the flagellar pocket, and in trypomastigotes only in the flagellum. Subcellular localization of TcBDF3 was also determined by digitonin extraction, ultrastructural immunocytochemistry, and expression of TcBDF3 fused to cyan fluorescent protein (CFP). Tubulin can acquire different posttranslational modifications, which modulate microtubule functions. Acetylated α-tubulin has been found in the axonemes of flagella and cilia, as well as in the subpellicular microtubules of trypanosomatids. TcBDF3 and acetylated α-tubulin partially colocalized in isolated cytoskeletons and flagella from T. cruzi epimastigotes and trypomastigotes. Interaction between the two proteins was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and far-Western blot assays with synthetic acetylated α-tubulin peptides and recombinant TcBDF3.


Developing an accessible curriculum of laboratory courses for undergraduate students is vital to progress in human language technology. In this article, we describe means to provide students with access to leading-edge language technologies, and tools to combine these technologies in spoken dialogue systems of their own design. The tools and technologies used in the proposed laboratory courses will enable students to build interactive dialogue systems for new and exciting applications and to research and perhaps improve the core language technologies. By making them freely available (via the Internet or CD-ROM) with documentation and support, our community can remove some of the main entry barriers to developing new programs in human language technology in our colleges and universities. In this way, students are not only exposed to new technology, they become involved in the process of creating it.


This study aims to determine the role of distance education in teachers' work-life balance. The population of the study consisted of 65 teachers working in public schools in the center of Bolu, Turkey in the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021 in primary, secondary, and high schools. Data was collected using interview questions which were prepared by the researchers. The phenomenological method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study, and the data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis and content analysis. The study concluded that distance education, in general, hurts teachers' family relationships and leads to role conflict among teachers. In addition, distance education negatively affects teachers' school-family balance, interferes with their family duties and responsibilities, and negatively affects their social relationships and those of their families in general. Based on the findings, suggestions were made such as conducting in-service training seminars for teachers to ensure effective work-life balance and reducing teachers' responsibilities, especially in the area of stationery.


In competitive electricity market, congestion is a serious economic and reliability concern. Congestion is a common problem that an independent system operator faces in open access electricity market. This project presents a reliable and efficient meta-heuristic based approach to solve congestion problem. The proposed approach of the present work employs Firefly algorithm (FFA) for alleviation of transmission network congestion in a pool based electricity market via active power rescheduling of generators. FFA is a new meta-heuristic approach based on flashing patterns and behaviour of fireflies. Various important security constraints such as load bus voltage and line loading have been taken into account while dealing with congestion problem. The proposed methodology may help in removing the congestion of line with minimum rescheduling cost. The numerical results of modified IEEE 30-bus test power systems are illustrated. Keywords—Firefly algorithm, Particle swarm optimization,


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is among other things characterized by specific impairments in emotion processing. It is not clear, however, to what extent the typical decline in affective functioning is related to the specific autistic traits. We employed The Autism Spectrum-Quotient (AQ) to quantify autistic traits in a group of 500 healthy individuals and investigate whether we could detect similar difficulties in the perception of emotional expressions in a broader autistic phenotype. The group with high AQ score was less accurate and needed higher emotional content to recognize emotions of anger, disgust, and sadness. Our findings demonstrate a selective impairment in identification of emotional facial expressions in healthy individuals that is primarily related to the extent of autistic traits.


SUMMARY Multifactorial experiments at Rothamsted Experimental Station in two contrasting seasons, 1985/86 and 1986/87, tested the effects of treatment combinations that varied the supply of nitrogen at important stages of crop development in autumn and spring on the grain yield and nitrogen content of September- and October-sown winter wheat. Treatments that altered the nitrogen supply in autumn were an application of winter fertilizer N and sowing the wheat after rape or oats, which left different amounts of residual N. These were combined with treatments which tested the effects of 200 kg N/ha in spring applied as early or late dressings and as single or divided dressings. The effect of applying an additional 50 kg N/ha in summer was also tested in 1985/86. In both experiments, larger yields were obtained from sowing in September than in October. The September-sown wheat grew better over winter in 1986/87 than in 1985/86 but the early advantage in size and N uptake resulted in enhanced production of straw rather than grain. Residues of N from previous crops were smaller after oats than rape in both years. This difference in soil N did not affect the over-winter growth and N uptake of the October-sown wheats. Neither this difference in residual N nor an application of fertilizer N in winter affected the yield of the following September-sown wheat in 1985/86 because autumn growth and N uptake were restricted by adverse weather. In 1986/87, however, wheat that followed oats yielded 0·42 t/ha less grain than wheat that followed rape, and the deficit in yield was removed by an application of fertilizer N equivalent to the deficit in soil N. Yields were decreased when the spring N was applied as a delayed, single dressing in April especially if the wheat was sown in September after oats, or was not given winter N. Yields were not affected by any of the other combinations of single v. divided dressings or early v. late applications of spring N, despite these being given at very different stages of apical development. The percentage of N in the harvested grain was greatly increased by winter applications of fertilizer N, especially to wheat grown after oats, by applying the spring N as a late, single dressing and, in 1986, by applying N in summer.


We analyze the long term behavior of a system involved in cyclic competition similar to the rock-paper-scissors game. Previous studies have used cellular autonoma simulations to model the stochastic interactions and mean field equations to approximate this stochastic model. However, mean field approximation does not properly account for spatial correlations, leading to loss of spatial significance. We use pair approximations to model the local interactions with a system of differential equations. We then investigate the outcome of various initial conditions of the pair approximation model using numerical integration. Three categories of initial conditions are found that lead to three distinct behaviors: one species is present, all three species oscillate around the fixed point resulting in a heteroclinic cycle, or convergence to an interior fixed point. We also explore the relative importance of initial conditions and lattice size on fixation probabilities for each species. We finally discuss the implications of these results in a biological context.


Modeling, which is the process of constructing, testing, and refining models, is an important skill in experimental physics, and thus a learning goal of many physics laboratory classes. One promising approach to help students develop modeling skills is to incorporate multiweek student-designed projects into lab courses. In order to assess the potential benefits of these projects in enhancing students ' modeling abilities, we analyzed projects from three upper-division lab courses at different institutions. By looking at written student coursework and student interviews, we investigated which parts of the modeling process the students from each project undertook, and how this engagement in modeling differed depending on features of the projects. The projects in our dataset varied widely, showing evidence of different ways students engaged with model construction and revisions. We observed that the features of the projects, such as the goal of the project and the complexity of the required apparatus, were associated with the ways in which the students constructed models and enacted revisions. This has implications for how instructors may choose to frame and structure courses with student-designed lab projects. iterative nature of the modeling process.


© 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Purpose: Lack of competition in procurement processes may affect the sustainable procurement due to overpriced and low-quality infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current practices in Malaysian public-private partnership (PPP) in handling unsolicited proposals within PPP and to suggest ways in which the practices can be improved to achieve sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Case study was conducted within which 13 semi-structured interviews were carried out with different groups: the policy makers, the practitioners and the experts. The study also scrutinised published guidelines and relevant regulations used by in management of unsolicited proposals in Malaysian PPP. Findings: The Government of Malaysia welcomes unsolicited proposals from the private sector, even though it does not publish any established mechanisms to handle such proposals. Lack of competition in unsolicited proposals is a major concern in achieving sustainable goals of procurement. This could be addressed by introducing a competitive element to unsolicited proposals. Originality/value: There are limited study and reports on the implementation of unsolicited proposals by the Malaysian Government. Besides adding to the literature, this paper reveals the management of unsolicited proposals. Most importantly, it is useful in assisting potential Malaysian PPP stakeholders and investors in what to expect, based on findings from the actual practice.


Background: Frequently, hypertension (high blood pressure) or its disorder occurs during pregnancy, and it remains one of the major causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity associated with pregnancy, as well as the risk of pregnant women with hypertension during pregnancy to cardiovascular disease later in life. However, contrary to the general hypertension guidelines, the reasons for this report include the benefit of normalizing treatment of high blood pressure in pregnant women and potential risks related to decreased prenatal chorionic perfusion, and exposure of the uterus to antihypertensive drugs. This approach is based on a review of previous reports and literature and includes a taxonomic review of the types of blood pressure during pregnancy, the physiological changes in pregnancy that affect blood pressure disorders, the immediate and long-term consequences of hypertension, and the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia that are related to the disturbance of proteinuria  in the body, and the goals of hypertension treatment may reduce  meternal severe effects without increased risk of pregnancy loss or neonatal care at a high level. The critical need to investigate the social and economic variables that contribute to the inequities in maternal health care is discussed in our final discussion on the field's research future.
so it is necessary to know the pressure and treat it immediately. Failure to treat high blood pressure can lead to maternal morbidity and mortality, especially during childbirth, or the loss of the fetus significantly.
   Therefore, in this mini review, we will try to discuss high blood pressure in pregnant women and determine the goals of treatment and preeclampsia caused by high blood pressure.
   The aim of the review is a quick scientific summary of this disorder that has become common at the present time.Conclusions : Medical consultation should be done in order to improve the health of the mother, as well as the use of optimal medication and pre-pregnancy management in women with or threatened with high blood pressure, and we consider it necessary to inform them of the increased risks to her health and the health of the fetus.
Strategies must be in place to predict those most at risk and to determine optimal drug therapies to minimize adverse pregnancy outcomes


In this paper we report our studies on the effects of menadione in cultured fibroblasts treated with rotenone to block complex I. A normalization of the lactate to pyruvate ratio after incubation with glucose, an increased production of 14CO2 from [6-14C]glucose and an increased intra-cellular concentration of ATP was observed in the presence of micromolar concentrations of menadione. These results not only demonstrate the potential value of menadione in complex I deficient patients but also suggest that this system can be used advantageously for the in vitro assessment of therapeutic agents for disorders of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.


The present corpus-based study deals with eight sets of rivalling prepositions in verb-dependent prepositional phrases. The two or three members of these sets, though equivalent in specific uses, differ in terms of functional explicitness. For instance, in directional uses, into can be regarded as more explicit than in. The main objective is to demonstrate for each of these sets that, in line with the Complexity Principle, the more explicit items are favoured in more complex grammatical environments. The contexts under scrutiny include those produced by passivisation, Heavy NP Shift, object relativisation, the use of full object NPs rather than personal pronouns, and preposition stranding. Thus, we observe that – compared with basic active clauses – preposition stranding in the active induces increased shares of the more explicit prepositions in question. Predictably, even higher degrees of prepositional explicitness are found with the combination of preposition stranding and passivisation. Also, it is shown that Heavy NP Shift tends to trigger greater proportions of the more explicit prepositions than object relativisation. The observed tendencies hold for Present-day English and earlier stages of English as well as for morphologically related and unrelated rival prepositions.


24 experimental birds were fed the same basal ration containing 74% high-protein wheat, 4% extracted soya bean meal, 7% extracted groundnut meal, 2% feed yeast, 1.75% dried green meal, 1.25% mixed vitamins and 10% of a mineral mixture. The birds were placed in 4 groups each comprising 6 hens. The first two groups received an optimum of lysine (0.68%) added to the ration. The rations for the two other groups contained 0.55% lysine. 6 birds of each group receiving either the lysinesupplemented or the unsupplemented rations were colostomated to investigate in which way the hydrolysed urine would affect the true amino acid digestibility. 8.3% of urinary N from the total amount of faecal N were precipitated as uranyl acetate in the faeces of hens fed the lysine-supplemented ration as compared with 7.3% urinary N in birds receiving the unsupplemented ration. The corresponding figures for non-precipitable faecal N were 8.9% and 8.2%. A comparison was made between the levels of amino acids excreted by colostomated and non-colostomated hens showing that 12.4% +/- 3% and 11.7% +/- 3% more amino acids (figures for the supplemented and unsupplemented rations) were excreted in the presence of urine. On the basis of these results the authors recommend that only colostomated hens should be used in digestibility and total metabolism trials.


HISTORIA: Jurnal Kajian Sejarah di Nusantara dan Dunia will provide a peer-reviewed forum for the publication of thought-leadership articles, briefings, discussion, applied research, case and comparative studies, expert comment and analysis on the key issues surrounding the History Education, Historical, and Cultural studies in general, not only in Indonesia but also in Southeast Asia and around the world, and its various aspects. Analysis will be practical and rigorous in nature. The HISTORIA journal, with ISSN 2621-8011 (print), ISSN 2621-802X (online), was firstly published on December 27, 2018, in the context to commemorate the Recognition of the Republic of Indonesia Sovereignty by the Ducth Colonial Government. The HISTORIA journal has been organized and published by Minda Masagi Press as a publisher owned by ASPENSI (the Association of Indonesian Scholars of History Education) in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The HISTORIA journal is published twice a year i.e. every Desember and June.  Bandung, Indonesia: December 30, 2018. Sri Redjeki Rosdianti, M.M.Pd. Director of Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.


The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the flipped classroom (FC) studies conducted in Turkey. The review reported on 38 studies- 27 research articles, 9 master's theses and 2 PhD dissertations- published from 2014 till 2017 in ERIC, Science Direct, Web of Science, ULAKBIM, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, CoHE, and DOAJ. The results showed FC related studies conducted in Turkey have four major focuses: achievement, attitudes, motivation and perspectives of the students in FC and traditional classrooms. As a results, the majority of the studies concluded that students taught in FC increased their achievement, are reported to be more motivated, and developed positive attitudes.


Background: The quality of scientific literature is judged by study design, validity, and applicability to unique patient populations. Methods: We searched the available literature to explore the hierarchy of evidence, explain research fundamentals such as sample size calculation, and discuss common study designs employed in surgical research and the interpretation of trial designs. Results: Each unique study design has restraints created by some degree of systematic errors and bias. This article provides definitions for the scientific boundaries of case control, retrospective, before-and-after, prospective observational, randomized controlled designs, and meta-analyses. Conclusion: Critical thinking and appraisal of the literature is a skill that requires lifelong training and practice. Clinical research education and design need to garner more attention in the medical community.


Mammalian predators are known to be sensitive to relatively low levels of habitat perturbations, and disturbances to these species are underway due anthropogenic development and climate change in the Sierra Nevada Foothills (SNF) of California. This was the first study to use motion-activated cameras to detect these target species in oak woodland habitat of the central SNF. From February 2014 to February 2015 seven mammalian predators were detected on the Sierra Foothill Conservancy's McKenzie Preserve at three different elevations: coyote (Canis latrans), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), raccoon (Procyon lotor), American badger (Taxidea taxus), and black bear (Ursus americanus). Occupancy models indicated that the bobcat, coyote, gray fox, and raccoon were using the preserve with 100% probability, and were widely distributed throughout the preserve. Habitat use was patchy for the American badger, black bear, and striped skunk. Generalized linear models showed interactions between the gray fox, raccoon, bobcat and coyote to suggest coexistence on the preserve is being maintained through resource partitioning and not temporal or spatial separation. This newly established baseline of mammalian predators is informative for future monitoring, management, and development plans in the SNF.


Blockchain technology is one of the most widely acclaimed technologies of recent years. It enables the creation of distributed applications involving multiple actors or organizations in which transactions and data are not under the control of a central authority. Transactions are stored in a distributed public ledger in an immutable format in such a way that they can be verified by participants. This disintermediation promises to remove much of the "friction" (and lower costs) from distributed transactions by cutting out the intermediary party, thus enabling a variety of applications in finance, government, health, etc. This paper provides an overview of recent research in the application of blockchain technology to higher education for those who are interested in working in this area or just understanding how higher education may be positively impacted in the future by blockchain.


The quality of life of society as a whole is to a considerable extent determined by the role of government. South African society is characterised by the presence of a wide gap between the rich and the poor. This is exacerbated by the presence of poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, corruption and exploitation. Governments attempt to address these contradictions are encapsulated in various policies that detail in accurate form, the needs of the majority of South Africans. Whilst policies depict the needs of the majority of South Africans, these needs remain undelivered. The void between the formulation of policy and service delivery has been most severely felt by the poor. Policy implementation is the responsibility of central, provincial and local government. The policy on tourism has been identified as one of the major players in resolving the impasse that is experienced by government. According to South Africa's National Tourism Sector strategy (2011 & 2016) the country's tourism's economic contribution is set to increase from R318, 16 billion by 2015 to R499 billion by 2020. The challenge however, remains in harnessing Tourism policy in a way that addresses the past and current contradictions. Legislative provisions, policies and plans have set the tone in terms of the direction that tourism should be heading. Public sector institutions at national, provincial and local levels have equipped themselves to develop and enhance the tourism industry in such a way that it resonates with the South African tourism imperatives. This places within context the role of public organisations and its capacity to deliver in terms of government's national imperative. The tourism industry is complex with a range of different stakeholders. There is an inextricable link between the tourism and hospitality industries. This paper attempts to improve on the South African tourism competitiveness with the expressed intention of enhancing growth and sustainability.


Information theory is increasingly invoked by physicists concerned with fundamental physics, including black hole physics. But to what extent is the application of information theory in those contexts legitimate? Using the case of black hole thermodynamics and Bekenstein's celebrated argument for the entropy of black holes, I will argue that information-theoretic notions are problematic in the present case. Bekenstein's original argument, as suggestive as it may appear, thus fails. This example is particularly pertinent to the theme of the present collection because the Bekenstein-Hawking formula for black hole entropy is widely accepted as 'empirical data' in notoriously empirically deprived quantum gravity, even though the laws of black hole thermodynamics have so far evaded empirical confirmation.


The Boeing 777 high lift control systems (HLCS), a state-of-the-art microprocessor-based system that provides fly-by-wire control, protection, and built-in-test and maintenance access functions for the leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps drive and actuation systems, is discussed. This system is designed to take advantage of technologically proven concepts as well as judicious application of new concepts in response to market demands, airline customer input, and a thorough review of lessons learned from previous aircraft programs. The purpose of the HLCS, the wing high lift devices it controls, the HLCS components, its three modes of operation, automatic functions, and system failure protections are described. The use of the EASY5 engineering analysis program developed by the Boeing Company to model dynamic systems in both the time and frequency domains for modeling mechanical and hydraulic portions of the high lift system is discussed.<<ETX>>


We describe the design, construction and testing of a miniature, solid state laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) for measurement of the velocities of gases, liquids and solid surfaces, especially using photon correlation techniques. Detailed comparative tests with standard LDV equipment are presented.


High-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is an emerging technique for preparative purification of a wide variety of solutes. Retention of the stationary phase is a crucial variable which is used for the derivation of the column efficiency, peak resolution, and solute retention. A mathematical model was proposed to describe the influences of operation conditions (flow rate, rotation speed), physical properties (density difference, viscosity, and interfacial tension), and instrument parameters (tube diameter, revolution radius) on the retention of the stationary phase, by building on the flow behavior of the two phases in the coiled column, laminar flow or droplet flow. The model parameters, together with the critical value at which the transition between the laminar flow and droplet flow occurs, were determined by the analysis of experimental data of the retention of the stationary phase measured in this work. Furthermore, the proposed model was used to predict the literature data of retention of the stationary phase for seven HSCCC apparatuses including preparative, semi-preparative, and analytical types, with the coiled column material of PTFE and stainless steel, and for 16 two-phase systems with 151 data points. The agreement between the predicted and the literature data is quite good with the total absolute deviation (AAD%) of 2.96% and the maximum deviation of 12.8%.


Many emergent nations are currently embroiled in the dynamics of what may well be termed 'the dilemma of independence'. Cutting loose from the colonial umbilical cord has forced a confrontation with the complications and exigencies of nation-building. Economic growth and the firm extablishment of these new societies are the beacons towards which national courses are being charted. In this connection, Harbison's thesis, which highlights the role of education in national development, argues that human resources are the 'wealth of nations', because true development means development of the people, not merely the development of the economy, implying education and the quality of it as the main link. (Haribson, 1973).


One of the tasks of science of the constitution, along with the definition of a human's somatotype, is to identify the characteristic typological features of a body region, morphological and functional system or an individual organ, which, in combination with new morphological and clinical research methods, is of great scientific and practical importance. Interest in morphological and functional studies of the thyroid gland has been steadily growing over the past thirty years, which is associated with an increase in oncological diseases of this organ in young women and is caused by the deterioration of the environment and radiation pollution of the environment as a result of technological disasters. In addition, the development of iodine-deficient conditions increases, which affect the function of the thyroid gland. The purpose of the review is a descriptive meta-analysis of modern scientific data on the structure of the thyroid gland depending on the parameters of the neck and constitutional and typological characteristics of women. It was found that despite the large number of publications devoted to the morphology of the thyroid gland, most of the parameters of this organ were obtained only by standard ultrasound examination; insufficiently studied tissue organization of the gland at the macro-microscopic level; there is no unified classification of forms of the thyroid gland and data on the distribution of their frequency in persons of different sex; the relationship of the anatomical characteristics of this organ with the size of the neck, as well as with the somatotype, has not been sufficiently studied. It is noted that the majority of authors who carry out somatotyping prefer one scheme of constitutional diagnostics and rarely use a set of methods. Obviously, due to the increase in the incidence of the thyroid gland in young people, the objects of research should be people of young age. The increase in the frequency of oncological diseases of the thyroid gland and the success of endocrine surgery require a new approach to patients and dictate the need for a comprehensive study of this organ, taking into account the local and general constitution in women of a mature age period. Until now, researchers do not have an exact answer to the question of what constitutionally determined features can be identified in the neck area and whether there is a connection between the main morphological parameters of the thyroid gland with the somatotype and physical development of a person. Comprehensive studies of the thyroid gland, taking into account the parameters of the neck and constitutional variability of a person, may have new theoretical and practical significance.


The work is dedicated to problems of diagnostic oncologic diseases by a spectroscopic-optical method and is prolongation of long-term examinations held earlier by Vovk S.M, Naumov S.A. and Pushkarev S.V. The actual spectra of a diffuse reflection removed in vivo and in vitro are given, is angry- and good-quality neoplasms, healthy tissue and blood of breast and other organs. Problems of a clinical oncology are in a center of attention in medicine because the cases of disease malignant swellings increase, which is stipulated by an irregularity of present methods of diagnostic.


We propose a new methodology for modeling and estimating time-varying downside risk and upside uncertainty in equity returns and for assessment of risk--return trade-off in financial markets. Using the salient features of the binormal distribution, we explicitly relate downside risk and upside uncertainty to conditional heteroskedasticity and asymmetry through binormal GARCH (BiN-GARCH) model. Based on S&P 500 and international index returns, we find strong empirical support for existence of significant relative downside risk, and robust positive relationship between relative downside risk and conditional mode. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.


Boys in children's literature and popular culture: Masculinity, abjection, and the fictional child by Annette Wannamaker. New York: Routledge Falmer, 2007, 200 pp. Since the publication of John Stephens' (2002) Ways of Being Male: Representing Masculinities in Children's Literature and Film, a pioneering collection of edited works on boyhood/masculinity studies in the field of children's literature, the boy subject(s), whether in literary, historical, or social contexts, have become a significant source of academic attention and research inquiry in children's literature scholarship. Kenneth Kidd's (2004) Making American Boys: Boyology and the Feral Tale and Lorinda Cohoon's (2006) Serialized Citizenships: Periodicals, Books, and American Boys, 1840-1911 are two prominent examples of such scholarly endeavor. In line with the earlier critical works to mark out the complexity of boy culture as well as boy issues, Annette Wannamaker's Boys in Children's Literature and Popular Culture constitutes a timely and crucial response to the growing interests and concerns of boys as gender(ed) subjects, in particular, in contemporary children's and young adult novels, popular films, comic books, as well as television programs that appeal to boys and young men. With careful examinations of those cultural artifacts for boys, she offers readers a critical insight into the complex connection, contradiction, and contestation of boyhood discourses. In the Prologue, Wannamaker presents a detailed discussion of the current "boy crisis" discourses. The so-called boy crisis, as Wannamaker and other scholars point out, depends largely on the political or ideological position the authors of the boy books hold. Child psychologists, such as Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson in Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and William Pollack in Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood, specifically affirm that boys need allowance for emotional expressions to be what they truly are and/or to maintain a healthy life. Speaking for the Political Right's concern over boys' feminization, Christina Hoff Sommers in The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men however asserts that what is at stake with boys is not a lack of emotional outlet but a denial to the traditional view and value of boys will be (tough) boys. Seeing the discrepancy between the converse discourses on boy crisis, Wannamaker astutely argues that boys in both cases are often taken as "a blank slate for adult fears and desires" (p. 4). Part of the reason she contextualizes her discussion of boys in children's and adolescent literature within current controversial debates about boys in crisis is to raise our attention to the way "such public discourse makes its way into the texts" written for children and young adults and how such discourse "affects the ways we read and understand those texts" (p. 3). With an aim to explore the variety and multifaceted dimensions of boy subjects fabricated in children's literature and popular culture, she incorporates and scrutinizes a wide range of "boys' texts" (i.e., texts that are for and about boys and that boys love to read or watch), including "Disney films, television programs, video games, manga, anime, comic books, adventure stories, and novels" (p. 16). Refusing to see that "popular, commercially successful texts are inherently negative, amoral, or the causes of illiteracy and violence among America's boys and young men" (p. 23), she argues instead that those texts popular among children and young adults are actually significant cultural sites or artifacts for critical scrutiny, because those texts might substantially shape or mirror boy readers (viewers) in ways that form their positions and perceptions as gendered subjects. Drawing upon feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and sociology among others, she particularly looks into the nuances of how dominant versions of masculinity are often constructed as such against an abjected Other (the feminine or the queer) in popular children's texts. …


The composition of chromite is commonly used to interpret the petrogenesis and the geodynamic setting of its host ultramafic rocks. Its high resistance to alteration compared to the primary silicates has made this oxide particularly useful as a petrogenetic indicator in ultramafic rocks in which metamorphic alteration has obliterated other primary fingerprints. However, a great body of work, based on the study of chromitites from ophiolites, layered complexes, Alaskian-Ural complexes and komatiites, have shown that the chemistry and structure of chromite can be also significantly modified during both prograde and retrograde metamorphism. One of the main targets of the scientific community working on chromite in ultramafic host rocks is to know what processes may produce the alteration of chromite, and more importantly, what are the implications for the petrogenetic interpretations derived from them. Of particular interest is to develop a general alteration model to constrain the processes, mechanisms and conditions (temperature, pressure and chemical potential of the species) able to alter the chromite and to test if the alteration occurs during the prograde and/or retrograde metamorphism. In this work I will use a combination of petrological and geochemical tools to model the mechanisms that produce the alteration of chromite during metamorphism. A set of chromite-bearing ophiolite complex showing variable metamorphic pathway were selected to undertake this study. The chromitite samples were selected from chromite deposits of three ophiolite complexes: i) the Eastern Rhodope in Bulgaria (retrograde metamorphism from eclogite- to amphibolite-facies), ii) Tehuitzingo serpentinites in Mexico (retrograde metamorphism from eclogite- to greenschist-facies), and iii) Los Congos and Los Guanacos ultramafic massifs in Argentina (prograde metamorphism up to granulite-facies with amphibolite-facies overprint). Additionally, chromitite samples of unmetamorphosed ophiolites from Mercedita (Eastern Cuba) and Dyne (New Caledonia) were used as examples of unaltered chromites for comparison. Chromite in the metamorphosed chromitites from Eastern Rhodope and Tehuitzingo exhibits up to four textural types: i) partly altered chromite, with primary cores surrounded by porous chromite enriched in Cr2O3 and FeO and depleted in Al2O3 and MgO; ii) porous chromite, with a well-developed porosity and chlorite filling the pores; iii) zoned chromite, characterized by primary cores surrounded by non-porous chromite enriched in Fe2O3 (i.e. ferrian chromite), occasionally rimmed by magnetite; and iv) non-porous chromite, with polygonal mosaic-like texture. The different pattern of zoning are interpreted as a consequence of two-stage processes associated with the infiltration of reducing and SiO2-rich fluids which evolve to more oxidizing and SiO2-rich conditions. P-T-X diagrams performed for these chromitites predict that the first alteration stage took placed as a result of the reaction of primary chromite with highly reducing SiO2-rich fluids. This would result in the formation of porous chromite in equilibrium with chlorite. The theoretical model reproduces well the changes of Cr# and Mg# observed from primary to porous chromite in the natural samples. It suggest that porous chromite take place from ca. 700 to 450oC in Eastern Rhodope while its occurs from ca. 700 to 250oC in Tehuitzingo, during the retrograde metamorphism from eclogite- to amphibolite- and greenschist-facies, respectively. T-?SiO2 pseudosection suggests that the addition of highly reducing SiO2-rich fluids was crucial for the alteration of chromite. I suggest that such kind of fluids could emanate from the surrounding peridotite during serpentinization when silica minerals (olivine and pyroxene) were hydrated and dissolved. The temperatures for the second stage were estimated using isotermal Al3+-Cr3+-Fe3+ sections and range between 450 to and 600oC. These overlap the range of temperatures estimated for the first stage. This suggests that oxidizing fluids evolved from previous reducing fluids, stabilizing magnetite and form non-porous ferrian chromite by infiltration through the network of pores in the porous chromite. The analysis of a suite of minor and trace elements (Ga, Ti, Ni, Zn, Co, Mn, V, Sc) in the chromite grains from Eastern Rhodope and Tehuitzingo using LA-ICP-MS in this work is revealed as a powerful tool to identify metamorphic fingerprints. Thus when the distribution of these elements in the altered chromite grains is compared with those from unmetamorphosed chromitites, I observed that partly altered chromites after primary high-Cr chromite are enriched in Zn, Co and Mn (ZCM-anomaly) but strongly depleted in Ga, Ni and Sc. This distribution of minor and trace elements is related to a decrease in Mg# [Mg/(Mg+Fe2+)] and Al2O3, produced by the crystallization of chlorite in the pores of porous chromite. Non-porous chromite is enriched in Ti, Ni, Zn, Co, Mn and Sc but depleted in Ga, suggesting that fluid-assisted processes have obliterated the primary magmatic signature. Zoned chromites have cores depleted in Ni, (Ga) and Sc but are progressively enriched in Zn and Co as Mg# and Al2O3 decrease toward the rims. They have overall lower concentrations in Ga, Ni and Sc and higher Zn and Co than the non-porous rims of ferrian chromite. Magnetite rims of zoned chromite from Tehuitzingo are strongly depleted in all minor and trace elements, denoting their subsequently formation. The complex variation of the minor and trace elements vs Fe3+/(Fe3++Fe2+) in the different types of chromite suggests a complex interplay of substitutions, linked with the ability of fluids to infiltrate the chromite and the extent of the re-equilibration between pre-existing cores and newly-formed rims. The results demonstrate that metamorphism can seriously disturb the original magmatic distribution of minor and trace elements in chromite. The abundances of these elements, and by inference the major elements, can be strongly modified even in the cores of grains that appear ?unaltered? in terms of major elements. In the samples from Los Congos and Los Guanacos (Argentina) there are different textural types of chromite: i) Type I homogeneous Fe2O3-rich chromite in contact with relicts of clinopyroxene; ii) Type II, with spinel grains hosting a complex intergrowth of blebs and very fine lamellae of magnetite; iii) Type III, with symplectic texture composed of variable proportion of magnetite and spinel. Isochemical phase diagrams (pseudosection) computed for chromitite samples from Los Guanacos predict that the formation of non-porous ferrian chromite take place as a result of the infiltration of more oxidizing fluids through porous chromite probably, during seafloor metamorphism (ca. 300oC and 4 kbar). According to the calculated phase relations, prograde metamorphism produces the reaction of non-porous chromite with chlorite to form a homogeneous chromite with higher Al2O3, Fe2O3 and MgO at ca. 780oC and 10kbar, which according to regional studies can be associated with the granulite-facies peak conditions. The blocking temperature obtained in Type III chromite from Los Guanacos (ca. 600oC) suggests that the exsolution of non-porous chromite in Type II and Type III chromite grains, which have higher Fe2O3 and lower Cr2O3 than those from Type I take place during the amphibolite-facies metamorphism. Partition coefficient of major, minor and trace elements (Ga, Ti, Ni, Zn, Co, Mn, V, Sc) in the equilibrium pair spinel-magnetite in Type III chromite grains from Los Guanacos indicate that Ga3+, Co2+ and Zn2+ are compatible, while Ti4+, Ni2+, V3+, Sc3+ and, lesser extent Mn2+ are incompatible in spinel. I suggest that such distribution is the consequence of the affinity of these metal ions for an octahedral or tetrahedral coordination site in the spinel structure and, therefore, their preference to form normal or inverse spinel structure. The ideal behavior of minor and trace elements in the equilibrium pair spinel-magnetite explains why the formation of non-porous chromite rims, with inverse spinel structure, modified the composition of cores from zoned chromite, with normal spinel structure.


As machine learning (ML) systems take a more prominent and central role in contributing to life-impacting decisions, ensuring their trustworthiness and accountability is of utmost importance. Explanations sit at the core of these desirable attributes of a ML system. The emerging field is frequently called ``Explainable AI (XAI)'' or ``Explainable ML.'' The goal of explainable ML is to intuitively explain the predictions of a ML system, while adhering to the needs to various stakeholders. Many explanation techniques were developed with contributions from both academia and industry. However, there are several existing challenges that have not garnered enough interest and serve as roadblocks to widespread adoption of explainable ML. In this short paper, we enumerate challenges in explainable ML from an industry perspective. We hope these challenges will serve as promising future research directions, and would contribute to democratizing explainable ML.


In this paper, a new family of multiplier-less two-channel low-delay wavelet filter banks using the PR structure in [3] and the SOPOT(sum-of-powers-of-two) representation is proposed. In particular, the functions α(z) and β(z) in the structure are chosen as nonlinear-phase FIR and IIR filters, and the design of such multiplier-less filter banks is performed using the genetic algorithm. The proposed design method is very simple to use, and is sufficiently general to construct low-delay wavelet bases with flexible length, delay, and number of zero at π (or 0) in their analysis filters. Several design examples are given to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method.


Networks researchers have been learning the prominent role geographic/physical proximity plays in
network dynamics. In this paper, we examine spatial distance in the context of two distinct social
networks differing in size, geographic boundaries, and relation types. The first network comprises egonetworks of Dutch farmers and permeates across a rural region of roughly 1600 square kilometers in the southwest of the Netherlands. The interpersonal, information-gathering contact list of each respondent is right censored and is accompanied by several similarity relations as well as self-reported spatial distances between the respondent and their contacts. The second network is whole and contains collaboration activity among faculty in a single academic department whose offices are physically proximal within tens of meters (i.e., walking distance). While physical distance is generally negatively correlated to tie existence and their weights (i.e., co-authorship and interpersonal contact), its effect is differently mediated by homophilous relations depending on the context: 1) regional cultural heterogeneity affects the impact of distance in the network of farmers and 2) both direct similarity (in research agendas) and meta-similarity interact with distance in predicting co-authorships. We also discuss some complications in employing spatial distance in network analysis, e.g., the identification of a null-hypothesis for distances in drawing inferences from ego-networks.


316 Background: Gender differences for disease course and survival in various cancers exist. Gender disparity for both stage at diagnosis and overall survival (OS) has been observed in urothelial cancer (UC). We report a single institution analysis of UC patients treated with chemotherapy to further investigate gender differences in outcomes.

METHODS
We identified 198 bladder cancer pts treated with chemotherapy since 2002. Chemotherapy was either given as adjuvant or palliative and the most common regimens used were gemcitabine and cisplatin, gemcitabine and carboplatin or gemcitabine alone. Age and stage at diagnosis, sex, smoking status, radiation exposures, bloodwork as a measure of organ dysfunction and overall survival info was collected. Outcomes were compared using Chi Square Statistic.

RESULTS
Age at diagnosis, smoking status and prior pelvic radiation were not significantly different (females 66.1 yrs vs males 63.6 yrs; 54% smokers in both groups; 8.3% females vs 7.6% males exposed to radiation). Significantly more females were diagnosed with advanced disease than men (70.8% vs 58.7%, p=0.049) vs earlier stages (stage 0-I) (12.2% vs 35.9%, p=0.03). For patients deceased, OS was not significantly different between genders when analysed for all stages combined (deceased 41.5 vs 39.9 mos), or for those diagnosed only at Stage IV (deceased 12.4 vs 8.6 mos). Of patients still alive at time of review, a survival advantage was apparent for men at all stages (54.8 vs 38.7 months), as well as with stage IV disease (35.9 vs 19.7 months). Gemcitabine-cisplatin was given more often to men with stage IV disease than females (93% vs 63%, p<0.02) despite no difference in organ dysfunction, or ECOG performance status in females.

CONCLUSIONS
We observed that while both genders are similar with respect to age at UC diagnosis, risk factors exposures (smoking, radiation) and pathological variants, females were diagnosed at later stages, and receive standard first line therapy less often. Our data suggest that this impacts negatively on OS in females diagnosed in earlier disease stages. Further research is needed to identify if we can improve outcome by promoting earlier diagnosis and more aggressive management in earlier disease in females.


Surviving 1,000 Centuries. Can We Do It?. By Roger-Maurice Bonnet and Lodewijk Woltjer. Springer, Berlin, in association with Praxis, Chichester, UK, 2008. 442 pp. $39.95, £20. ISBN 9780387746333. The authors discuss the challenges to life on Earth and how we might meet them.


Continuous scaling in the technology feature size and hence the supply voltage, has directed analog designers to change the signal representation from voltage domain to current domain. That is why the high performance current-mode building blocks have received a great deal of interest. The current-mode is better than the voltage-mode in such aspects like: lower voltage supplies, lower power consumption, wider dynamic range and higher bandwidth. The current-mode circuits offer higher frequency capabilities than corresponding voltage-mode circuits due to the constant bandwidth irrespective of the closed loop gain. The objective of this thesis is to introduce differential and single ended high performance CMOS analog mixed voltage-current-mode building blocks suitable for analog signal processing applications. Moreover, a fair comparison criterion is adopted throughout the thesis while designing all the old and new circuits.


OBJECTIVE
This study examines the hypothesis that infant-driven oral feeding leads to earlier achievement of oral feeding and reduces the length of hospital stay compared with provider-driven oral feeding in premature infants METHODS: We used a retrospective chart review to compare 2 groups of premature infants born at ≤35 weeks of gestation. The control group (CG) received the Provider-Driven Oral Feeding model and the intervention group (IG) received the Infant-Driven Oral Feeding model. Postmenstrual age (PMA) upon achieving full oral feeding, PMA at first oral feeding, discharge weight, and length of hospital stay were compared between the groups.

RESULTS
There are 208 infants in CG and 170 infants in IG. Infants in IG were born, on average, at a lower gestational age and birth weight than infants in CG. The median PMA at full oral feeding of 35 2/7 weeks (interquartile range [IQR], 34 2/7-36 2/7) for IG is significantly lower than the median of 35 5/7 weeks (IQR, 35-36 5/7) for CG, P-value < 0.001. Median PMA at first oral feeding is 34 1/7 weeks for both groups. Median PMA at discharge was 36 6/7 weeks for both groups. Median discharge weights of 2509 g (IQR, 2175-2964) for IG and 2459 g (IQR, 2204-2762) for CG are not statistically different.

CONCLUSION
Implementation of the Infant-Driven Feeding guideline led to earlier achievement of full oral feeding by 3 days on average while maintaining the same discharge weight but did not lead to earlier hospital discharge.


Abstract Cinnamomum tamala and Cinnamomum verum are known for their folk medicinal usage in treating gastrointestinal ailments. The spasmolytic activity of essential oils was studied using isolated rat ileum. The results indicate that C. tamala, despite having a lower content of eugenol (60%), shows a spasmolytic potential of 68.01 ± 2.63% (EC50 = 110.12 ± 13.58 μg/mL) while C. verum with rich eugenol (80%) shows lesser spasmolytic potential (38.96 ± 0.63%) and fails to attain an EC50 value. Upon comparison with standard eugenol's percentage of spasmolytic (35.68 ± 2.57%), it is evident that the action of these essential oils does not solely rely on the major component but the synergistic role in association with other components of the mixture influences the pharmacological action of the essential oils. In silico docking of phytochemicals of leaf essential oils with M2 (M2AChR) and M3 muscarinic (M3AChR) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) was carried out to determine the type of receptors through which the essential oils had spasmolytic potential. The binding affinity for eugenol with nAChR shows a better docking score than M2AChR and M3AChR.


Nucleotide variation was assessed from the mitochondrial control region of North American moose (Alces alces) to test predictions of a model of range expansion by stepping-stone dispersal and to determine whether patterns of genetic variation support the current recognition of 4 subspecies. Haplotypes formed a star phylogeny indicative of a recent expansion of populations. Values of nucleotide and haplotype diversity were low continentwide but were greatest in the central part of the continent and lowest in peripheral populations. Despite low mitochondrial diversity, moose exhibited a high degree of differentiation regionally, which was not explained by isolation by distance. Our data indicate a pattern of colonization consistent with a large central population that supplied founders to peripheral populations (other than Alaska), perhaps through rare, long-distance dispersal events (leptokurtic dispersal) rather than mass dispersal by a stepping-stone model. The colonization scenario does not account for the low haplotype diversity observed in Alaska, which may be derived from a postcolonization bottleneck. Establishment of peripheral populations by leptokurtic dispersal and subsequent local adaptation may have been sufficient for development of morphological differentiation among extant subspecies.


Taking into account that it is in the nature of the modern corporat ion that risks are distributed over several agents, we discuss in this paper the organisational behaviour as it results from such dispersal of responsibilities for both the principal and the agent. We explore the hypothesis that dispersal of responsibilities could be the result or a cause of a lack of consensus between the principal and the agent. Our findings suggest that a dispersal of responsibilities has a negative impact on the principal-agent relationship and that it represents a foundation for theoretical and empirical approaches to organisational behaviour. We find that agent perceptions of a dispersal of responsibilities are linked to his/her resistance to the principal's interests, but this relationship is deeper than was suggested by previous research. However, if the sharing of responsibilities does not run parallel to that, we may have as a result what we call an agency problem.


Brain Computer Interface is the communication channel between the brain and the computer for recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. The brain signals which are also known as Electroencephalography (EEG) can be used to direct and control some external activity. This work reports a methodology for acquisition and detection and of EEG signals, and extraction of useful information in order to differentiate the signals related to particular type of movement. A modified Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) algorithm has been used at preprocessing stage. Logarithmic transform along with the information theoretic feature extraction has also been used for feature extraction. KNN, SVM and Artificial Neural Networks are employed for classification. The proposed methodology is tested on publically available data sets and the results are found to be comparable with the published approaches.


This paper attempts to answer the question: Would global budgeting control hospital costs in the United States? It reviews the development of health insurance and the growth of specialization in the United States, as well as the experience of Canada in attempting to control costs in a fee-for-service national medical care program. It concludes that the main causes of cost escalation in the U.S. are fee-for-service and overspecialization, and urges adoption of the NAPHP proposal for payment of physicians in a national program, i.e. global budgeting for the entire package of ambulatory and institutional services. It also presents a nine-point program for immediate State action to lower costs.


Transportation planning is one the most important problems of urban management systems. Meanwhile, modeling trip flows between metropolitan zones is vital to a successful transportation planning. Due to importance of the problem, different models have been developed in recent years but because of the complex nature of the problem that deals with human behavior and existence of different independent variables that affect number of trips, it is always hard to develop a model with acceptable forecasting error that is computationally efficient. In this paper a three phases fuzzy inference system (FIS) proposed to map social and demographic variables to total number of trips between origin-destination (OD), pairs. Fuzzy rule bases in the model are in fact the exploration of transportation experts' subjective patterns.


Objective: The total prostate specific antigen (TPSA) test is still widely used in Ghana for PCa screening due to its simplicity and logistical challenges in the healthcare sector. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of TPSA in PCa screening in Ghana. Results: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted at the Department of Urology of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019. The study involved 69 male patients with histologically confirmed BPH or PCa. The study population was between 45 to 104 years. BPH patients constituted 74% (51/69) while 26% (18/69) were PCa patients. Venous blood samples were collected before the prostate examination and analysed for TPSA. The BPH group was statistically compared with the PCa group in terms of age and TPSA levels. The TPSA was significantly elevated in PCa (P=0.001). Univariate [OR: 8.684(1.757-42.927)] and multivariate [aOR:10.544(2.001-55.562)] analysis showed that TPSA was positively associated with PCa; but this association was only moderate (AUC:0.78, P<0.001) with a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity 64.0% at a cut-off value of 20.0ng/ml. The TPSA test has only moderate performance in PCa screening and should always be complemented by a second screening test.


Polyethyleneglycolmethacrylate [PEG-MA] gel beads (100-120 µm in diameter) carrying Cibacron Blue F3GA (42.6 µmol g−1 polymer) were prepared for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions containing different amount of these ions (10-600 mg l−1) and at different pH values (2.0-6.4). Pb(II) adsorption capacity increases with the time during the first 20 min and then levels off toward the equilibrium adsorption capacity. Adsorption of Pb(II) ions on the unmodified PEG-MA gel beads was zero. Cibacron Blue F3GA-immobilisation significantly increased the Pb(II) adsorption (23.3 mg g−1 polymer). Langmuir adsorption model was found to be applicaple in interpreting lead adsorption by Cibacron Blue F3GA-immobilised PEG-MA gel beads. The adsorption of Pb(II) ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value at around pH 5.0. The optimal pH range for Pb(II) adsorption was shown to be from 5.0 to 6.0. PEG-MA gel beads can be regenerated by washing with a solution of nitric acid (0.1 M). The maximum regeneration value was as high as 98%. These PEG-MA gel beads are suitable for repeated use for more than three adsorption-desorption cycles without considerable loss of adsorption capacity.


Effect of Trypanosoma congolence and T. brucei mixed infection on ability of the bone marrow to respond to anemia was investigated in albino rats. This was with the view of assessing the possible impact on recovery rate from anemia following chemotherapy of African trypanosomosis. The investigation involved descriptive evaluation of packed cell volume and corresponding bone marrow cytological changes associated with single and mixed infection of T. congolense and T. brucei . It involved laboratory based experimental infection of albino rats as research models. A total of 32 adult albino rats of mixed sexes were used for this investigation. The rats were randomly grouped into three groups, A, B, C made up of 8 rats each, and infected with T. congolense , T brucei and mixed infection of these species.. Eight other rats served as the uninfected control group.Parameters measured included weekly packed cell volume (PCV) and differential bone marrow cytology of the different groups of infected and control rats at the end of 21 days post infection (PI). At the end of 21 days PI, the anemia characterized by drop in PCV was most severe in the mixed infection group, and least in T. brucei group with tendency for self-recovery from anemia. The bone marrow responses in the mixed infection group was however weak and inferior to that of T. brucei and T. Congolense groups. Poor erythropoietic response in the mixed infection group despite significant fall (P < 0.05) in PCV level was believed to arise from severe renal and hepatic pathology resulting to subnormal erythropoietin release and severe stem cell injury. This is believed would cause longer time to be taken by mixed infection animals to recover from anemia after chemotherapy. It is concluded that T. congolense and T. brucei mixed infection result to marked incapacitation of the bone marrow and ability for recovery from anemia. This suggests that supportive administration of synthetic erythropoietin may be required in trypanosome specie mixed infection situation due to severe pathological effects on the kidney and liver resulting to impaired erythropoietinbiosynthesis and slow recovery from anemia following chemotherapy in African trypanosomiasis. Keywords: Anemia, bone marrow, mixed infection, rats, trypanosomiasis, erythropoietin


Micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds, have tremendous impacts on human health. Much progress has been made in improving the micronutrient content of inbred lines in various crops through biofortified breeding. However, biofortified breeding still falls short for the rapid generation of high-yielding hybrids rich in multiple micronutrients. Here, we bred multi-biofortified sweet corn hybrids efficiently through marker-assisted selection. Screening by molecular markers for vitamin E and folic acid, we obtained 15 inbred lines carrying favorable alleles (six for vitamin E, nine for folic acid, and three for both). Multiple biofortified corn hybrids were developed through crossing and genetic diversity analysis.


Occupational lung diseases are well described as professional diseases, and are described in the Mexican Federal Labour law (LFT). Mining, quarrying, tunneling, stonecutting, and glass manufacturing are mainly the industries responsible for most of the cases. The present paper aims to point out the nessesity por specific protection, as prevention, since it is the best way to deal with this diseases. On the other hand, to point out on a rather new material, corian, that is being used for manufacturing kitchen furniture, due to its price and characteristics.


The sugar cane industry is one of the most water demanding industries in the world. In spite of the fact that the sugar cane itself contains enough water to supply the entire sugar manufacturing process, supplementary water from other sources is added. As a result, the sugar cane industry consumes and generates water in excess. The generated wastewater contains high amounts of organic compounds, which would cause pollution if it were directly discharged into nature.The sugar mill Carlos Balino is located in rural Cuba and is the only sugar mill in Cuba to produce organic sugar. Carlos Balino often experiences stops in production as a result from lack of cane supply. The wastewater management system at this particular mill is out of work and not suitable for the generated excess water. The aim of the study presented in this report is to determine the quality and quantity of the excess water from Carlos Balino and the possibility of reusing the excess water in the sugar manufacturing process as imbibition water and for irrigation. In order to use this excess water for irrigation, a wastewater management system have been suggested and an economic evaluation have been made. Three models have been constructed in order to find the mass flow of excess water, optimize the water used for imbibition and for irrigation by purification in a wastewater management system.Results showed that the optimum mass flow of imbibition water was 2.7 times the fiber amount and the mass flow of excess water, after adjusting the mass flow of imbibition water to its optimum, was 4 kg/s. It was concluded that a wastewater management system of a total area of 4 792 m2 and a retention time of 27 days would reduce the BOD5 concentration with 99%, which is sufficient for the given mass flow and the quality of the excess water. The increased irrigation requires investment in new equipment. The conclusion of the financial evaluation of the increased irrigation is that the investment is not economically profitable, since the new equipment is too expensive due to the economic situation in Cuba.For the implementation of the wastewater management system to be possible, some factors have to be further investigated. The proposal for future work therefore includes possible water storage for the purified water, further investigations of the financial aspects of the implementation and also the technical and financial aspects of leaching and equipment for decreasing the salinity in the excess water.


Hatching failure negatively impacts reproductive success in birds. One reason why eggs fail to hatch is that they are not fertilized, which may be because they receive insufficient sperm. In most passerines, copulation declines in frequency or ceases altogether after the laying of the first egg, so eggs laid late in the laying sequence may be more likely to remain unfertilized. We tested this prediction in the Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, a species in which late-laid eggs are particularly likely to be sperm-limited because it lays the largest clutch of any passerine. We assessed whether: (1) eggs laid later in the laying sequence are more likely to fail to develop, (2) larger clutches are more likely to contain undeveloped eggs, (3) the number of sperm present on the perivitelline layers of each egg decreases across the laying sequence and (4) the number of sperm present on the perivitelline layers of freshly laid eggs sampled from active clutches predicts the proportion of eggs that develop in the remainder of the clutch. The occurrence of undeveloped eggs was not related to their position in the laying sequence, nor was it related to clutch size. Within a clutch, sperm number did not differ between an egg laid early and an egg laid towards the end of the laying sequence. Moreover, there was no indication that the proportion of undeveloped eggs in a clutch correlated with the number of sperm in a subset of eggs from that clutch, or that females laying larger clutches had stored more sperm. In summary, we found no evidence that Blue Tit eggs fail to hatch because they receive insufficient sperm.


Several computationally efficient procedures for estimating the manufacturing yield of a given design are described. These methods employ a Monte Carlo analysis in the parameter space using a simplicial approximation to the region of acceptability and thereby avoid the usual multitude of circuit simulations. Thus these methods can provide significant savings over conventional Monte Carlo analysis, especially when used to determine digital integrated circuit yield in which a nonlinear and/or transient simulation can be quite costly.


Background: Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal-recessive disorder of copper deposition caused by pathogenic variants in the copper-transporting ATP7B gene. There is not a clear correlation between genotype and phenotype in WD regarding symptom manifestations. This is supported by the presentation of genetically identical WD twins with phenotypic discordance and different response behavior to WD-specific therapy. Case Presentation: One of the female homozygous twins (age: 26 yrs) developed writing, speaking, swallowing and walking deficits which led to in-patient examination without conclusive results but recommended genetic testing. Both sisters were tested and were heterozygous for the C.2304dupC;p(Met769Hisf*26) and the C.3207C>A;p(His1069Gln) mutation. Self-medication of the affected sibling with 450 mg D-penicillamine (DPA) did not prevent further deterioration. She developed a juvenile parkinsonian syndrome and became wheelchair-bound and anarthric. A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was applied. Her asymptomatic sister helped her with her daily life. Despite the immediate increase of the DPA dose (up to 1800 mg within 3 weeks) in the severely affected patient and the initiation of DPA therapy (up to 600 mg within 2 weeks) in the asymptomatic patient after the first visit in our institution, liver function tests further deteriorated in both patients. After 2 months, the parkinsonian patient started to improve and walk again, but experienced several falls, broke her right shoulder and underwent two necessary surgical interventions. With further consequent copper elimination therapy, liver dysfunction improved in both patients, without need for orthotopic liver transplantation (LTX) in the severely affected patient. Her excellent recovery of liver and brain dysfunction was only transiently interrupted by the development of a nephrotic syndrome which disappeared after switching to Cuprior®. Unfortunately, she died from fulminant pneumonia. Conclusion: Despite identical genetic disposition, WD symptom presentations may develop differently in monozygotic twins, and they may need to be placed on a very different therapeutical regimen. The underlying gene-environment interaction is unclear so far.


In 5 normal subjects we measured ventilation and P0.1, the pressure generated by the first 0.1 sec of inspiratory effort against a closed airway, in response to hypercapnia and hypoxia with and without added inspiratory resistance before and after oral meperidine (1.1 to 1.3 mg per kg). CO2 responses were studied in the steady state, whereas progressive hypoxia was used to elicit hypoxic responses. In general, resistance decreased ventilatory responses to hypercapnia but increased P0.1 responses to both hypoxia and hypercapnia. Meperidine depressed both ventilatory and P0.1 responses, more so in hypoxia than in hypercapnia. The combination of resistance and merperidine was additive in depressing responses to hypercapnia but in hypoxia produced little more depression than did meperidine alone. In both hypercapnia and hypoxia, meperidine decreased the augmentation of P0.1 that was associated with increased resistance. Normal subjects responded to acute increases of inspiratory resistance by increasing inspiratory motor output; this increase was distinctly blunted by meperidine.


The specific electrical, optical and acoustic properties of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) are important for semiconductor process which has many various applications. Piezoelectric ZnO films has been widely used for such as transducers, bulk and surface acoustic-wave resonators, and acousto-optic devices. In this study, we investigated etch characteristics of ZnO thin films in inductively coupled plasma etch system with BCl₃/Ar gas mixture. The etching characteristics of ZnO thin films were investigated in terms of etch rates and selectivities to SiO₂ as a function of BCl₃/Ar gas mixing ratio, RF power, DC bias voltage and process pressure. The maximum ZnO etch rate of 172 ㎚/min was obtained for BCl₃ (80%)/Ar(20%) gas mixture. The chemical states on the etched surface were investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).


Acute respiratory failure requiring the initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation remains commonplace in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Early recognition of patients at risk for respiratory failure may provide clinicians with the opportunity to intervene and potentially improve outcomes. Through the development of a random forest model to identify patients at risk for requiring unplanned intubation, we tested the hypothesis that subtle signatures of illness are present in physiological and biochemical time series of PICU patients in the early stages of respiratory decompensation. We included 116 unplanned intubation events as recorded in the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children in 92 PICU admissions over a 29-month period at our institution. We observed that children have a physiologic signature of illness preceding unplanned intubation in the PICU. Generally, it comprises younger age, and abnormalities in electrolyte, hematologic and vital sign parameters. Additionally, given the heterogeneity of the PICU patient population, we found differences in the presentation among the major patient groups – medical, cardiac surgical, and non-cardiac surgical. At four hours prior to the event, our random forest model demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.766 (0.738 for medical, 0.755 for cardiac surgical, and 0.797 for non-cardiac surgical patients). The multivariable statistical models that captured the physiological and biochemical dynamics leading up to the event of urgent unplanned intubation in a PICU can be repurposed for bedside risk prediction.


There have been studied educational activity planning and its technology. There has been made an attempt to define the nature and features of cadets patriotic military training technology planning in the system of higher military education. There have been suggested the stages of patriotic military training pedagogical technology planning.


To keep the attitude control of maneuvering reentry vehicle in reentry phase, the strict feedback attitude model of reentry vehicle with time-varying parameters is built. An adaptive robust controller is designed based on backstepping, which consists of backstepping adaptive control and robust control. The controller design method uses adaptive strategies to estimate the unknown parameters, introduces robust control to avoid the singularity in parameters estimation of gain matrix phase. Theoretical analysis shows that all signals of the closed-loop system are proved intimately uniform bounded. Simulation results of six-degree-of-freedom demonstrate that the proposed control method has strong robust performance.


Oat hull composites have been prepared by the free radical polymerization of regular or modified natural oils with divinylbenzene, n-butyl methacrylate, and maleic anhydride in the presence of dried, ground oat hulls. Parameters, such as cure time, filler load, cure temperature, and the fatty acid composition of the conjugated natural oil, have been investigated and related to the structure and properties of the composites. Structure–property relationships have been determined with the use of tensile tests, DMA, TGA, and Soxhlet extraction, followed by 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis of composite extracts. The best overall properties have been obtained for tung oil-based composites bearing 80 wt% of oat hulls cured at 160 °C for 4 hours.


Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) has recently been described after solid organ transplantation in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Typically, FCH is characterized by an ominous clinical course leading to progressive hepatic failure and death if liver transplantation is not performed. Two HCV-infected patients underwent cadaveric renal transplantation for end-stage renal disease resulting from membranous nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy. The time intervals between transplantation and the biopsy diagnosis of FCH for the two patients were 7 months and 10 years. Both patients presented with jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, and mild-to-moderate elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase. One patient was also found to have type II mixed cryoglobulinemia. Interferon-alpha therapy was begun after a diagnosis of FCH was established by liver biopsy. Liver test abnormalities normalized rapidly. When cholestatic hepatic deterioration develops in an HCV-infected organ allograft recipient, the diagnosis of FCH should be considered and a liver biopsy performed. Our observations indicate that FCH can respond to antiviral therapy.


Background: Diabetes describes a group of metabolic disorders characterized and identified by hyperglycemia without treatment. It includes defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both, and disturbances of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. The study aimed to assess fasting blood glucose level progression and its associated factors among diabetic patients attending insulin and metformin follow-up in fiche and Chancho hospitals.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to obtain secondary data among diabetic patients attending treatment from September 2016 to August 2018 in the hospital. The linear- mixed effects model for longitudinal data was employed to measure the changes in fasting blood glucose level.Result: The result of the study revealed that age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, marital status, regime, and education level were significantly associated factors for the progression of fasting blood glucose levels among diabetic patients. Conclusion: The study recommended that the progression of blood glucose level was higher among diabetic patients, and the health professionals, health sectors, and government should be paid an intervention on patients who had high systolic and diastolic blood pressure, who had high BMI, and older age patients.


Deep neural networks (DNNs) for supervised learning can be viewed as a pipeline of a feature extractor (i.e. last hidden layer) and a linear classifier (i.e. output layer) that is trained jointly with stochastic gradient descent (SGD). In each iteration of SGD, a mini-batch from the training data is sampled and the true gradient of the loss function is estimated as the noisy gradient calculated on this mini-batch. From the feature learning perspective, the feature extractor should be updated to learn meaningful features with respect to the entire data, and reduce the accommodation to noise in the mini-batch. With this motivation, we propose In-Training Distribution Matching (ITDM) to improve DNN training and reduce overfitting. Specifically, along with the loss function, ITDM regularizes the feature extractor by matching the moments of distributions of different mini-batches in each iteration of SGD, which is fulfilled by minimizing the maximum mean discrepancy. As such, ITDM does not assume any explicit parametric form of data distribution in the latent feature space. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed strategy.


This study considers whether the strategic decision to enter voluntary administration (VA) rather than to trade the company's business for a protracted period of declining performance is systematically related to the effective monitoring of management decision-making. Analysis that tests the association between strategic entry into VA and the likelihood that a company will reorganize in VA is also presented. We find about half of the companies in our sample entered VA as a strategic choice. The likelihood of strategic entry to VA increased with the proportion of independent board directors, the existence of an audit committee and a dual CEO/chair board structure. Subsequent analysis of reorganization outcomes suggests that strategic entry into VA improves prospects for a successful reorganization.


To be able to identify yourself have always been crucial, to be able to show aidentification form of some sort to prove your identity. This took a whole newturn when it came to the world wide web and when services on the web aremore frequent. The purpose of the essay have been to compare Web Serviceswith OpenID connect, a older protocol with a newer, examine their communication,define concepts within the area and develop a overall solution prototype ofa identity service with the help of the framework OpenID connect. The investigationhave been done by a study of litterature, both written and webbased, togetherwith contact with companies that offer the same type of service to get informationabout their charge of a similar service. The investigation have shownthat OpenID connect is a better alternative over Web Services, because it's morestandardized and easier to implement when it offers a well developed frameworkwhen programming a identityservice. The implementation shows a scenariowhen signing in on a homepage with the help of a identityserver. Thiswork have shown that a identity service is a big market when smaller and biggercompanies can use this instead of a internal network and IT-department, inthis way save money and to avoid redundant user accounts which saves adminstrativework, both for clients, companies and private individuals whichrents such a service.


Seafood is a popular food item and has been preserved by several ways. Curing is one of the simplest methods to preserve fish to meet out the need of the people.  In India fishes are washed, gutted and sun dried on ground, surface of rocks, wooden platforms, palm leaves and also on sandy beaches. The ex-port of Indian cured fishery products are reduced because of their poor quality. The nutritive quality of one of the commercially sun dried fish, Somberoides tol was assessed. The same species was sun dried hygienically by keeping on fish drying rack under the direct sun light and moving air and their qualities were assessed. The present study reveals that the fish was dried experimentally on fish drying rack that had good nutritional qualities and hygienic than the commercially sun dried fish from the same species.

 Key words: Fin fish, Scomberoides tol, commercially and experimentally sun dried, nutritive and microbial quality.


Abstract To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the effect of solvent (water, methanol, and ethyl acetate) upon phenolics extracted from Onosma mitis. The antioxidant capacities together with the enzyme inhibitory properties toward tyrosinase and α-amylase were also assessed. The yields of the extract were 2.62, 10.93, and 21.68% for ethyl acetate, methanol, and water, respectively. The concentrations of phenolic compounds were from 11.89 (ethyl acetate) to 2.66 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract (methanol). Twenty-five molecules were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography – electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Significant differences were present between the extracts; methanol presented the highest number of compounds (25) while ethyl acetate provided the lowest (18). Chlorogenic acid, luteolin 7-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, and apigenin 7-glucoside were the major compounds regardless of solvent. Antioxidant and inhibitory enzyme assays showed that O. mitis exhibited interesting biological properties. The results illustrate the use of O. mitis as a promising source of biomolecules for industrial applications.


This article considers photography's role as a visual technology and the consequent effects of expanded frames of knowledge. At the very moment human vision and memory were called into profound doubt, photography provided a mechanical, prosthetic extension to perceptual experience. However, as a technology, it contains the potential for both revelation and control. In this article, photography is considered as a technique that: expands human perception; inscribes its own mechanical operations into new visual forms, therefore enframing and encoding visible knowledge; and can be harnessed as a disciplinary instrument and technique of power. As a consequence, photography's revealing of hitherto invisible dimensions of reality unfolds within a history of revelation, spectacle and power.


Objective To describe weekly admission rates for affective and non-affective psychosis, major depression and other psychiatric disorders in the early and late postpartum periods. To assess the impact of socioeconomic status, age and parity on admission rates. Methods Scottish maternity records were linked to psychiatric hospital admissions. 3290 pregnancy-related psychiatric admissions were assessed. Weekly admission rates were calculated for the pregnancy period, early postpartum period (6 weeks after birth) and late postpartum period (up to 2 years after birth), and compared with pre-pregnancy rates (up to 2 years before pregnancy). Admission rates were generated by calculating the total number of admissions for each time period divided by the number of weeks in the period. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were generated for each time period, using deprivation, age, parity and record of previous psychiatric hospital care-adjusted Poisson regression models. Results Women from more deprived social quintiles accounted for the largest proportion of admissions across all time periods. Compared with pre-pregnancy period, admission rates fell during pregnancy, increased markedly during the early postpartum period, and remained elevated for 2 years after childbirth. Within the most affluent quintile, admission IRRs were higher in the early postpartum period (IRR=1.29, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.59) than in the late postpartum period (IRR=0.87, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.98). For the late postpartum period, there was a positive association between higher maternal age and admission IRRs (ages 20–35 years, IRR=1.35, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.54 and age>40 years IRR=1.72, 95% CI 1.41 to 2.09). Conclusions Rates of psychiatric admission fell during pregnancy and increased in the early postpartum period (particularly during the first 2 weeks after birth), and remained elevated above baseline during the 2-year late postpartum period. An understanding of how social deprivation, age and parity might influence risk of psychiatric admission at different time points could help to target perinatal mental health services more effectively.


Articular cartilage is the load-bearing connective tissue that covers the ends of long-bones in diarthoidal joints and provides low friction, wear resistant sliding during joint articulation. Cartilage has complex mechanical and surface properties that greatly complicate the biomechanics of contact between opposing cartilage surfaces. Focal damage to articular cartilage is common, and once initiated, shows limited capacity for repair. Furthermore, changes in the mechanical environment at a site of damage may make the tissue more susceptible to continued degeneration. The goal of this dissertation work was to contribute to the understanding of changes in the mechanical environment due to focal articular defects and to quantify the extent to which normal mechanical properties are restored following in vivo cartilage defect repair. Experimental methods were developed to allow in vitro mechanical testing of two contacting cartilage surfaces while tissue deformation was imaged; image analysis methods were introduced to automatically track fiducial markers within the tissue, and a mathematical framework was developed to describe the dynamic deformation and sliding between opposing surfaces from the movement of these discrete tissue markers. In vitro experiments on both bovine and human cartilage showed elevated axial compressive strains in the cartilage adjacent to a defect and sharp increases in shear and lateral strains in the region opposing the defect rim. Changes in intra-tissue strains arose early during compressive loading and were maintained following stress relaxation in the loaded state. Increased sliding was also observed between surfaces near a focal defect and was related to characteristics of the defect edge. Assessment of samples retrieved following in vivo defect repair showed that currently available cell-based therapies may result in greater integration strength than has previously been reported (1/2 normal tensile strength), but that the tensile modulus of the repair tissue remains orders of magnitude lower than that of normal articular cartilage after 9 months in vivo. Understanding the changes in mechanical environment near a focal defect that are likely to lead to continued degeneration, and the ability for repair strategies to restore normal biomechanical tissue function, may help to guide treatments to arrest or reverse the degenerative process


The Neurology of Vision is a recent addition to the Contemporary Neurology Series. The book is comprised of 20 chapters divided into six parts. Part 1 provides an overview of the anatomy and physiology of human visual system. It reviews basic optics, retinal physiology, anatomy of the visual pathways from optic nerve to visual cortex, and the anatomy underlying visual integrative function. This part provides a quick review of clinically relevant basic science of the visual system. Part 2 covers the symptoms of a failing visual system as manifestations of optical, retinocortical or visual integration disorders. Emphasis is placed on relating symptoms to anatomy and pathophysiology. Part 3 provides an overview of the tests used to assess visual function including clinical methods, interpretation of automated perimetry and electrophysiological testing of the visual system. The text explains the rationale for each test, reviews testing methods, and provides an approach to interpretation of the tests. Part 4 is concerned with specific disorders of the visual system and is organized topographically and subdivided according to etiology. The text provides a clear and concise overview of ocular and neurologic disorders that are important for the practicing neurologist and ophthalmologist to be aware of when assessing patients with visual symptoms. The signs and symptoms, pathophysiology and appropriate management of each disorder are reviewed. This section includes 60 color plates of fundus or fluorescein angiogram photographs with examples of common and important abnormalities. Boxes are used for rapid reference and summary as well as to emphasize important points. Tables provide important lists of information for rapid reference and are used effectively to contrast related disorders. Figures in this section include flow charts outlining suggested management of many of the disorders covered in this book. Text is complemented with examples of neuroimaging showing lesions of the visual system and figures illustrating relevant anatomy. Finally, this section also provides instruction in clinical methods used to assess for disorders of visual integrative function such as Balint's syndrome. Part 5 provides an overview of nonorganic visual disturbances. Symptoms suggestive of nonorganic visual disturbance are reviewed. Instruction is provided in clinical methods used to detect nonphysiologic deficits of the visual system. There is a brief overview of pertinent psychiatric disorders. The last section of the text provides multiple-choice questions based upon cases that allow readers to test their knowledge of the material present in the preceding parts. Answers are provided with adequate discussion. In summary, this book provides an excellent overview of common or important neurologic and ophthalmic disorders that result in visual disturbance. It provides a practical guide for clinicians. I highly recommend this book for practicing neurologists, ophthalmologists and residents training in these disciplines.


Home to some of the tallest buildings in the world, the urban landscape of Chicago announces itself long before visitors can reach it. This first impression is presently being contradicted by the implementation of an 80 937 ha ecological restoration in the city's greater metropolitan area. Using these projects as a case-study, the objective of this analysis is to understand the integration of environmental conservation efforts into urban life, exploring the viability of a model for combining urban renewal and environmental restoration. Controversies surrounding the Cook County Forest Preserve project familiarize us with some of the difficulties encountered in the science, policy and politics of urban ecological restoration projects. Though the city's urban and environmental history provides clues to precedents and structural opportunities for restorationists, it has not eliminated the doubts of those favouring conservation. However, the case shows that, while controversy may be a burden, it need not end initiatives for urban and environmental planning. Moreover, these controversies can be opportunities for an institutional learning and policy adaption process.


Video captioning aims to generate natural language sentences of an input video. Generating coherent natural language sentences is a challenging task due to the complex nature of video content such as object and scene understanding, extraction of object- and event-specific auditory information, and acquisition of relationships among objects. In this study, we address the problem of efficient modeling of object interactions in scenes, as they include crucial information regarding the events in the visual scene. To this end, we propose to use object features along with auditory information to better model the audio-visual scene appearing within the video. Specifically, we extract Faster R-CNN as the object features and VGGish as the auditory features and design a transformer encoder-decoder architecture in the multimodal setup. Experiments on MSR-VTT show encouraging results and object features better model the object interactions along with the auditory information in comparison to the ResNet features.


Abstract:The diagnostic revolution that culminated in the third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1980) began with the publication in 1972 of the Feighner criteria, a set of rules for the identification of 16 disorders. Although Feighner et al. claim that their diagnostic categories rest on solid data, the fact is that one was soon to be removed by the American Psychiatric Association from its classification of mental disorders: homosexuality. However, the anomaly of an extinct category in a list of supposedly validated diagnostic criteria never became a point of discussion, quite as if the topic were unmentionable. It was in fact even more of an embarrassment than either side in the homosexuality debate seems to have realized at the time. Upon examination, the evidence offered by Feighner et al. in support of the diagnosis of homosexuality proves to be nil. Had there not been an informal embargo on discussion of the status of homosexuality in the Feighner document, the makers of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III might have recognized that the diagnosis fails all Feighner tests of validity. Had they attached greater importance to these tests, the concept of a disorder that was built into Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III might have taken a different shape.


Nanofibrous biocomposite scaffolds of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) were prepared by using electrospinning method. The microstructure, crystallinity, and morphology of the scaffolds were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties were investigated by tensile testing. Moreover, Mouse Osteoblastic Cells (MC3T3-E1) attachment and proliferation on the nanofibrous scaffolds were investigated by MTT [3-(4,5-dimeth-ylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] assay, SEM observation and fluorescence staining. XRD and FTIR results verify the presence of GO in the scaffolds. SEM images show the three-dimensional porous fibrous morphology, and the average diameter of the composite fibers decreases with increasing the content of GO. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds are altered by changing the content of GO as well. The tensile strength and elasticity modulus increase when the content of GO is lower than 1 wt %, but decrease when GO is up to 3 and 5 wt %. MC3T3-E1 cells attach and grow on the surfaces of the scaffolds, and the adding of GO do not affect the cells' viability. Also, MC3T3-E1 cells are likely to spread on the PVA/GO composite scaffolds. Above all, these unique features of the PVA/GO nanofibrous scaffolds prepared by electrospinning would open up a wide variety of future applications in bone tissue engineering and drug delivery systems.