. Severe hailstorms cause substantial damages to buildings and vehicles, necessitating the quantification of associated risks. Here, we present a novel open-source hail damage model for buildings and cars based on single-polarization radar data and 250'000 geolocated hail damage reports in Switzerland from 2002 to 2021. To this end, we conduct a detailed evaluation of different radar-based hail intensity measures at 1 km resolution and find that the maximum expected severe hail size (MESHS) outperforms the other measures, despite a considerable false alarm ratio. Asset-specific hail damage impact functions for 5 buildings and cars are calibrated based on MESHS and incorporated into the open-source risk modelling platform CLIMADA. The model successfully estimates the correct order of magnitude for the number of building damages in 91%, their total cost in 77%, the number of vehicle damages in 74%, and their total cost in 60% of over 100 considered large hail events. We found considerable uncertainties in hail damage estimates, which are largely attributable to limitations of radar-based hail detection. Therefore, we explore the usage of crowdsourced hail reports and find substantially improved spatial representation of severe 10 hail for individual events. By highlighting the potential and limitations of radar-based hail size estimates, particularly MESHS, and the utilization of an open-source risk modelling platform, this study represents a significant step towards addressing the gap in risk quantification associated with severe hail events in Switzerland.


Purpose: To evaluate the choriocapillaris flow deficits (CCFD) on swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) in eyes with unilateral polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), fellow unaffected eyes, and to compare them with age-matched healthy controls. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study which included treatment-naïve eyes with unilateral PCV (group 1), fellow unaffected eyes of patients with PCV (group 2), and normal eyes (group 3). Using the SS-OCTA, the Choriocapillaris (CC) slab was segmented from the structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the corresponding flow map was multiplied after signal compensation. The resultant image was evaluated for CCFD in equidistant squares measuring 1 × 1 mm, 1.5 × 1.5 mm, 2 × 2 mm, 2.5 × 2.5 mm, 3 × 3 mm, and 6 × 6 mm centered on the fovea. Results: The percentage of flow deficits were significantly increased (one-way ANOVA, P = 0.003 and P = 0.049) in the eyes with PCV as compared to the fellow eyes, and age-matched healthy controls. In the multiple pairwise comparison using post hoc Bonferroni, CCFD of 1 mm in group 1 and 2 (P = 0.019), group 1 and 3 (P = 0.003), and CCFD of 1.5 mm in group 1 and 3 (P = 0.044) were statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between CCFD, age, Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), foveal thickness (FT), and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in our study. Linear regression analysis showed that the CCFD was negatively correlated with the distance from the foveal center in group 1 (β = −0.613, P = 0.046). Conclusion: Eyes with PCV demonstrated a significant flow impairment in the choriocapillaris layer as compared to the fellow unaffected eyes and age-matched healthy eyes.


Abstract Approximately half of all adolescents aged 9-16 are exposed to pornography. Research has indicated that parents often try to employ various mediating strategies (negative active, restriction and co-use) in order to regulate their children's exposure to undesired content, and that most of these strategies are ineffective or have the opposite effect. In the present study, we investigated whether parental psychopathology (depression, anxiety, stress) promotes the adoption of less optimal parenting styles and an ineffective mediating strategy to regulate their child pornography exposure. The sample comprised 1,070 Jewish-Israeli parents to 10-14-year-old adolescents. Results indicated that for parents who characterized with mild anxiety and/or stress tend to adopte more authoritarian and less authoritative parenting style, which were linked with more ineffective mediating strategies with their child regarding pornography exposure – restrictive and negative active. These findings provide an opportunity for therapists as well as parents to gain a better insight into the link between psychopathology, parenting styles and the ability to regulate pornography exposure among children.


Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease with symptoms including limb-onset muscle wasting, difficulties swallowing and breathing, leading to death. Sporadic ALS occurs in 90% of patients, while 10% of cases are familial (FALS). Twenty percent of FALS cases are a result of mutation in the copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene, leading to the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Meanwhile, a prominent cause of sporadic ALS is exposure to neurotoxins, such as β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). BMAA has been suggested to induce selective motor neuron death, which is observed in ALS patients. While research has been done to how BMAA may impacts organisms on the cellular level, not much has been performed on the genetic or epigenetic level. This research investigates how BMAA and mutations in the SOD1 gene affect the regulation of wellknown neurological genes. Within the year, zebrafish from four different genotypes were subjected to three different BMAA concentrations, and spinal samples from these fish were collected. RNA was extracted from these and cDNA was produced from the resulting RNA. RNA concentrations varied significantly in concentration and purity, while cDNA concentrations were more pure and higher in concentration. The spinal samples also displayed that fish exposed to 2.5 μg/L of BMAA had the lowest levels of actin transcripts, reflected in previous work that these fish would have the shortest motor neuron axons. These samples can now be used to perform transcriptome analysis to detect the regulation of neurological genes depending on BMAA concentration and SOD1 mutation.


Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an essential component of the cellular immune response, occupying a key role in maintaining immunological tolerance and present an attractive therapeutic target in a range of immunopathologies. Comprehensive analysis of the human Treg compartment has been restricted due to technical limitations. The advent of mass cytometry enables simultaneous assessment of vastly increased phenotypic parameters at single-cell resolution. In this study, we used mass cytometry to examine the complexity of human Tregs using an extensive panel of surface markers associated with Treg function and phenotype. We applied unsupervised clustering analysis, revealing 22 distinct subpopulations of Tregs, representing previously identified and novel subpopulations. Our data represent the most in-depth phenotypic description of the human Treg compartment at single-cell resolution and show a hitherto unrecognized degree of phenotypic complexity among cells of the regulatory lineage.


Film modeling has been used to aid in individual stress reduction. It has been successful in reducing stress in children and their parents prior to surgical intervention as well as reducing stress in preparing children for dental procedures. This article focuses on the application of film modeling in developing orientation videotapes for baccalaureate nursing students to reduce anxiety in potentially stressful pediatric patient care settings. The process of producing videotapes using a film modeling format is explored, and the application for the promotion of a more positive experience for student learning is discussed. Areas for research using this type of teaching tool are suggested.


Vitamin deficiencies are frequent in children suffering from malaria. The effects of maternal multivitamin supplementation on the risk of malaria in children are unknown. We examined the impact of providing multivitamins or vitamin A/beta-carotene supplements during pregnancy and lactation to HIV-infected women on their children's risk of malaria up to 2 years of age, in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Tanzanian women (N = 829) received one of four daily oral regimens during pregnancy and after delivery: 1) vitamins B, C, and E (multivitamins); 2) vitamin A and beta-carotene (VA/BC); 3) multivitamins including VA/BC; or 4) placebo. After 6 months of age, all children received 6-monthly oral vitamin A supplements irrespective of treatment arm. The incidence of childhood malaria was assessed through three-monthly blood smears and at monthly and interim clinic visits from birth to 24 months of age. Compared with placebo, multivitamins excluding VA/BC reduced the incidence of clinical malaria by 71% (95% CI = 11-91%; P = 0.02), whereas VA/BC alone resulted in a nonsignificant 63% reduction (95% CI = -4% to 87%; P = 0.06). Multivitamins including VA/BC significantly reduced the incidence of high parasitemia by 43% (95% CI = 2-67%; P = 0.04). The effects did not vary according to the children's HIV status. Supplementation of pregnant and lactating HIV-infected women with vitamins B, C, and E might be a useful, inexpensive intervention to decrease the burden of malaria in children born to HIV-infected women in sub-Saharan Africa.


The nonlinear wave-wave interaction between unstable drift modes of different wave numbers existing in an rf heated, magnetized plasma is studied experimentally by means of capacitive probe measurements during the evolution of the discharge towards steady state. The results are compared with theoretical calculations. Special interest is attached to the unstable growth of multiple modes arising out of the noise level, where strong suppressive interaction between different modes is observed, finally leading to a single mode spectrum.


The article presents the results of the tectonophysical approach to the analysis of stress fields and the structure of gas–condensate deposits with the complex platform cover. The discussed case is the Kovykta license area (LA) in Eastern Siberia, Russia. In the upper part of the cross section, the network of fault zones was identified from the relief lineaments and structural data. The dynamic conditions for faulting (compression, extension, and strike-slip) were reconstructed by the paragenetic analysis. The state of crustal stresses in the study area was studied by tectonophysical modeling using gelatin as an optically active material. The applied method was successful in distinguishing between the zones of faults in the platform cover, which differ in the degree of their activity in the specified stress fields. The lower part of the cross section in the NE segment of the Kovykta LA is considered as an example of the tectonophysical interpretation of the electrical and seismic survey data in order to identify the fault zones and reconstruct the corresponding stress fields. Based on the synthesis of the analyzed data, it is revealed that the deposits like the Kovykta gas condensate field (GCF) show the zone-block structure of the platform cover formed under the influence of several stress fields closely associated with the stages of tectogenesis in the adjacent mobile belts. The next objective is to enhance the tectonophysical approach in order to develop a hierarchical model of the GCF zone-block structure, which details need to be known for improving the prediction of sites with the complicated stress-strain state of rocks and mitigating the risks associated with drilling exploration and production wells.


Background: The scope of medical student knowledge may differ by the student's future intended specialty. Aim: To determine whether medical student knowledge of and confidence with anticoagulation differed by perceived likelihood of managing anticoagulation in future practice. Methods: One hundred and twenty-three third- and fourth-year medical students (41% response rate) participated in a cross-sectional web-based survey. We assessed whether perceived likelihood of managing anticoagulation in future intended practice was associated with anticoagulation knowledge and confidence with managing anticoagulation. Results: Out of 24 questions assessing anticoagulation knowledge, the mean percentage correct was 58% (SD 29%). Anticoagulation knowledge did not differ by perceived likelihood of managing anticoagulation as part of their future practice. However, students predicting higher likelihood of managing anticoagulation in their future practice were significantly more confident about their abilities to manage anticoagulation (p = 0.005). Conclusion: Using anticoagulation as a model, we did not find evidence that medical student knowledge differed by perceived scope of future practice. Future study will need to confirm whether range and depth of medical knowledge differs by medical students' intended future practice and specialties.


Increasing demand of high-speed data rate is leading to a challenging task to provide services to the users within exponentially growing market for wireless multimedia services. Subsequently, the available radio resources are becoming scarce because of different factors such as spectrum segmentation and dedicated frequency allocation to existing wireless standards. Exploring new techniques for enhancing the spectral efficiency in wireless communication has been an important research challenge. In this study, the enhancement of spectral efficiency of wireless communication systems is considered. A framework is proposed to implement the concept of compressive sampling (CS) for compressing the natural random signals. The performance of proposed framework is evaluated in the context of multiple input multiple output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system. Simulation-based results show that 25% of resources can be saved by marginal trade-off with the quality of service (QoS) requirement applying CS to the natural random signals. Furthermore, it can be claimed that this QoS trade-off can be optimised with dynamic selection of random measurement matrices.


Several studies have demonstrated an increased local recurrence rate with sublobar resection (SR) when compared with lobar resection for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, lobectomy has remained the gold standard therapy for NSCLC with lesser resection reserved as a compromise operation for high-risk patients. The increased identification of small NSCLC tumors by CT scan is leading many surgeons to question the appropriateness of lobectomy for these tumors. There has been increasing interest by many surgeons to use SR as intentional therapy for patients with small peripheral NSCLC. This article reviews the recent literature and evidence supporting intentional SR for NSCLC. Although lobectomy should continue to be regarded as the procedure of choice for NSCLC, we believe that a subset of patients with favorable characteristics may be appropriately treated with intentional SR as long as good assessment of nodal involvement is made. Future investigation is required to better define when SR is appropriate.


Abstract The 2013 Python Challenge® provided an opportunity to learn more about the ecology and management of Python molorus bivittatus (Burmese Python). Goals of the 2013 Python Challenge were to raise awareness about Burmese Pythons, remove pythons, increase public participation and agency cooperation in removal and reporting of pythons, increase knowledge of python ecology, and examine effectiveness of incentives to increase public participation in invasive wildlife management. Over 1500 participants registered for the competition. Sixty-eight Burmese Pythons were removed during the Challenge. Thirteen females (19%), 54 males (79%), and 1 young-of-the-year (1%) python of undetermined sex were captured. More pythons—73 (68 from the Challenge and 5 incidental)—were removed during the 2013 Python Challenge period than during similar time periods during 2008–2012. We found no evidence of unintended consequences such as removal of native species. We identified 13 prey species: 6 mammals (46%), 6 birds (46%), and 1 alligator (8%). The potential of recreational-harvest incentive programs to impact python populations is uncertain. Incentive programs are potential tools in invasive-species management programs, but they should be managed diligently and evaluated for effectiveness.


Summary Aim: Organotypic slice cultures (OSC) of human brain specimens represent an intriguing experimental model for translational studies addressing, e.g., stem cell transplantation in neurodegenerative diseases or targeting invasion by malignant glioma ex vivo. However, long-term viability and phenomena of structural reorganization of human OSC remain to be further characterized. Here, we report the use of 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) for evaluating the viability of brain slice preparations obtained either from postnatal rats or human hippocampal specimens. Methods: Anatomically well preserved human hippocampi obtained from epilepsy surgery and rat hippocampus slice cultures obtained from six day old Wistar rats were dissected into horizontal slices. The slices were incubated with FDG in phosphate buffered saline up to 1 h, either with or without supplementation of glucose at a concentration of 2.5 mg/ml. Radioactivity within the medium or slice cultures was measured using a gamma-counter. In addition, distribution of radioactivity was autoradiographically visualized and quantified as counts per mm2. Results: In rat hippocampal slices, FDG accumulated with 1 300 000 ± 68 000 counts/mm2, whereas the incorporation of the radioactive label in human slices was in the order of 1 500 000 ± 370 000 counts/ mm2. The elevation of glucose concentration within the medium led to a significant three-fold decrease of FDG accumulation in rat slices and to a 2.4-fold decrease in human specimens. Conclusions: FDG accumulated in organotypic brain cultures of human or rodent origin. FDG is thus suited to investigate the viability of OSC. Furthermore, these preparations open new ways to study the factors governing cerebral FDG uptake in brain tissue ex vivo.


Software-Defined Networking (SDN) provides a highly flexible flow management platform through a logically centralized controller that exposes network capabilities to the applications. However, most applications do not natively use SDN. An external entity is thus responsible for defining the corresponding flow management policies. Usually network operators prefer to control the flow management policies, rather than granting full control to the applications. Although IP addresses and port numbers can suffice to identify users and applications in ISP networks and determine the policies applicable to their flows, such an assumption does not hold strongly in cloud environments. IP addresses are allocated dynamically to the users, while port numbers can be freely chosen by users or cloud-based applications. These applications, like computing or storage framework, use diverse port numbers which amplifies this phenomenon. This paper introduces higher-level abstractions for defining user- and application-specific policies. These policies are then automatically mapped to OpenFlow rules by retrieving flow-based information of active users and applications in real-time. We implemented this framework and evaluated its practicality by measuring the underlying overhead.


We consider growing random recursive trees in random environment, in which at each step a new vertex is attached according to a probability distribution that assigns the tree vertices masses proportional to their random weights.The main aim of the paper is to study the asymptotic behavior of the mean numbers of outgoing vertices as the number of steps tends to infinity, under the assumption that the random weights have a product form with independent identically distributed factors.


The aim of the study was to assess the impact of motor abilities and morphological characteristics on junior judoka performance. A set of 14 morphological parameters and a set of 14 motor tests as predictor variables, and 3 variables evaluating judo performance as criteria were applied in a sample of 40 judoists aged 17 years +/-6 months. Three factors were isolated by factor analysis in morphological area: factor of muscle mass and bone volume (muscle and bone mass mesoectomorphy), factor of longitudinal skeleton dimensionality, and factor of subcutaneous adipose tissue (endomorphy). Four factors were isolated by factor analysis in motor area: factor of coordination and strength (regulated force), factor of movement frequency (speed), factor of muscular and cardiovascular endurance (endurance), and factor of tonus regulation and synergy regulation (flexibility/balance). Canonical correlation analysis between latent morphological and motor variables, and variables for assessment of competitive performance of junior judoists yielded two linear combinations, i.e. two pairs of canonical factors. Correlation in the first pair of canonical factors was underlain by the favorable impact of coordination/strength, speed, flexibility and balance, along with above-average muscle mass and bone volume, and above-average skeleton longitudinality on performance in judo. Correlation in the second pair of canonical factors was based on positive determination of above-average endurance along with moderate coordination/strength and speed, and below-average muscle mass and bone volume and skeleton longitudinality upon judo performance as expressed by the fight winning score.


Microporous polyamide membranes were first modified by acid hydrolysis and subsequently bound with hydroxy-ethylcellulose to amplify reactive groups and reduce nonspecific interactions with proteins. Then 1,6-diaminohexane as space arm and phenylalanine as ligand were immobilized onto the nylon membranes by s-triazine trichloride activation. Affinity membranes thus obtained were set in a stack and used to adsorb gamma-globulin. The adsorption capacity (qm) of the affinity membrane is 53 micro gamma-globulin per m2 membrane and the desorption constant (Kd) is 2.35 x 10(-6) mol/l. The effects of feed, washing and elution rates on adsorption and desorption behavior were investigated. The results showed that affinity purification through these membranes could not be operated at very high flow-rates. A stack of 20 membranes with 47 mm diameter can adsorb 7.8 mg gamma-globulin with a purity of 91.6% from 4 ml of human plasma in a single-pass mode.


A great drawback to guinea pigs as experimental material lies in the difficulty of intravascular injections. Direct cardiac puncture is, of course, readily performed, but much of an injected fluid may escape into the pericardial sac, or the pleural cavity, and the operator be none the wiser. Dosage is well controlled when the jugular vein is used, but this must be bared by incision, and day to day injections are well nigh impossible. To meet the requirements of such work a technique has been devised whereby repeated injections may be made into an ear vein. Most guinea pigs have relatively large ear veins, and those near the margin are extemely superficial. They lie, indeed, so close to the surface that in the attempt to get into them with a needle the vessel is usually transfixed or so torn that hemorrhage obscures .the field. A greater obstacle to the injections is encountered in immobilizing the animal. To accomplish this, the guinea pig is placed in a small wooden box with a U-shaped opening in one end through which the head i~ thrust (Text-fig. 1). Extra space in the box is packed with towelling, and the lid brought down and secured, with a flexible wire, as closely as the #espiration will permit. Fixed firmly to the lid are two thin plates of bone which ~roject horizontally above and to either side of the guinea pig's head. These are platforms to which the ears may be fixed during injection. When needle and syringe are ready, the head is pressed firmly up against the phtforms by an assistant, and one of the ears is drawn over and fastened lightly with a ~ubbercovered spring clamp (Text-fig. 1). Then the injection is made, away from the clamp, into a marginal vein (Text-figs. 2 and 3).


Despite growing evidence that biofilm formation on plastic debris in the marine environment may be essential for its biodegradation, the underlying processes have yet to be fully understood. Thus, far, bacterial biofilm formation had only been studied after short-term exposure or on floating plastic, yet a prominent share of plastic litter accumulates on the seafloor. In this study, we explored the taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal communities on polyethylene plastic sheets and dolly ropes during long-term exposure on the seafloor, both at a harbor and an offshore location in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We reconstructed the sequence of events during biofilm formation on plastic in the harbor environment and identified a core bacteriome and subsets of bacterial indicator species for early, intermediate, and late stages of biofilm formation. Additionally, by implementing ITS2 metabarcoding on plastic debris, we identified and characterized for the first time fungal genera on plastic debris. Surprisingly, none of the plastics exposed to offshore conditions displayed the typical signature of a late stage biofilm, suggesting that biofilm formation is severely hampered in the natural environment where most plastic debris accumulates.


Understanding how the brain computes eye position is essential to unraveling high-level visual functions such as eye movement planning, coordinate transformations and stability of spatial awareness. The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) is essential for this process. However, despite decades of research, its contribution to the eye position signal remains controversial. LIP neurons have recently been reported to inaccurately represent eye position during a saccadic eye movement, and to be too slow to support a role in high-level visual functions. We addressed this issue by predicting eye position and saccade direction from the responses of populations of LIP neurons. We found that both signals were accurately predicted before, during and after a saccade. Also, the dynamics of these signals support their contribution to visual functions. These findings provide a principled understanding of the coding of information in populations of neurons within an important node of the cortical network for visual-motor behaviors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02813.001


The objective of this study is to determine the direct and indirect economic impacts of the 2010-2011 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in Korea using a supply-driven input-output (IO) model. The supply-driven model is better than a standard demand-driven IO model in situations where the event alters sectoral production not the final demand. Obviously, the FMD outbreak is a supply reduction question and the standard IO approach may not completely reflect all the economic impacts. Both backward linkage (upstream sectors) and forward linkage (downstream sectors) effects of the FMD outbreaks are measured. The study shows that backward linkage effects in feed and manufacturing sectors and forward effects in dairy and livestock processing sectors are strong. Total direct and indirect economic impact is estimated to be 7.6 trillion Korean Won which is much larger than the economic impact from the standard final demand-driven IO analysis.


This paper deals with global dispersive properties of Schr\"odinger equations with real-valued potentials exhibiting critical singularities, where our class of potentials is more general than inverse-square type potentials and includes several anisotropic potentials. We first prove weighted resolvent estimates, which are uniform with respect to the energy, with a large class of weight functions in Morrey-Campanato spaces. Uniform Sobolev inequalities in Lorentz spaces are also studied. The proof employs the iterated resolvent identity and a classical multiplier technique. As an application, the full set of global-in-time Strichartz estimates including the endpoint case is derived. In the proof of Strichartz estimates, we develop a general criterion on perturbations ensuring that both homogeneous and inhomogeneous endpoint estimates can be recovered form resolvent estimates. Finally, we also investigate uniform resolvent estimates for long range repulsive potentials with critical singularities by using an elementary version of the Mourre theory.


This paper describes how urban renewal and inner city regeneration have become serious issues for the South African government which has invested in several structures to stem the tide of decline in its nine major cities. Commitment to the alleviation of poverty has become very high on the government agenda and will stay one of the focal points of government. This is motivated by the fact that currently around 24% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, below the poverty line defined by the World Bank. The Central Government has made numerous public commitments to development, a part of it concerning extensive infrastructure investment and service delivery. Communities are supposed to participate fully in the planning and implementation of urban renewal projects. Participation is a process through which stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives, and the decisions and resources which affect them. Participation may be a means or an end, but in reality it is usually both. Involving people in order to increase awareness, empower, build capacity, or expand rights and duties may be an end in itself, but it may also function as an instrumental means for accomplishing a specific task. Similarly, working with people to accomplish a specific task may enable them to expand their confidence and ability to address other issues in their lives. Community participation should be aimed at empowering people by ensuring that skills are developed and that employment opportunities are created. The paper first explores the concept of community participation. The paper will then look at some past experiences in relation to community participation in urban renewal projects. Furthermore the paper outlines the challenges and problems of community participation in urban renewal projects in Johannesburg. Finally the paper closes with some recommendations for the future.


To secure favorable installation workability while reducing the effect of vibrations caused by robot movement. One embodiment of this industrial robot is equipped with a robot main body, a first frame, a second frame, and a coupling frame. The first frame has: a first top-end section that supports the robot main body; and a first bottom section installed at the ground surface. The second frame has: a second top-end section that carries a plurality of workpieces processed by the robot main body; and a second bottom section installed at the ground surface. The coupling frame couples the first bottom section and second bottom section to each other.


En The paper focuses on the securitization of longevity risk through mortality-linked securities. Alternative mortality-linked securities have been proposed in literature (see Cairns-Blake-Dowd (2006)) and among these we considered the longevity bond as the most appropriate to hedge longevity risk. The paper aim at comparing two different approaches developed in the actuarial literature for the pricing of mortality linked securities: the one based on a distortion operator as the Wang transform and the other based on the arbitrage-free pricing framework used for financial derivatives. We underline drawbacks and advantages of each method, with reference to the Italian population. Each approach is applied to the case study adopting a Lee-Carter log-bilinear model to represent the evolution of mortality. Later on, we calculate the risk adjusted market price of a longevity bond with a constant fixed coupon.


This work explores the new low power approaches for VLSI logic. While designing a VLSI system power dissipation is one of the major concerns. Up to a certain time dynamic power was the single largest concern; however as the technology feature size shrinks static power has become an important issue as dynamic power. A well-known previous technique called the sleep transistor technique cuts off Vdd and/or Gnd connections of transistors to save leakage power consumption. However, when transistors are allowed to float, a system may have to wait a long time to reliably restore lost state and thus may experience seriously degraded performance. Therefore, retaining state is crucial for a system that requires fast response even while in an inactive state. The two common approaches are sleepy stack and sleepy keeper. Both methods are excellent in this regard. The static and dynamic power of sleepy stack is considerably low. But it has a delay penalty and its area requirement is maximum compared with other processes. Again the sleepy keeper process possesses excellent speed criteria but it requires more static and dynamic power than sleepy stack. Our goal is to trade off between these limitations and thus propose new methods which reduce both leakage and dynamic power with minimum possible area and delay trade off.


The basic biological principle for 131I treatment of patients with thyroid cancer is the ability of well-differentiated tumor cells to uptake iodine. The absorption of adequate activities of radioiodine may sterilize primary tumor cells and the metastatic deposits. The basic factors which determine the effectiveness of radioiodine treatment include the effective half-life of 131I, the discrete energy of its beta decay, the effective range of emitted beta-rays, the activity of individual therapeutic doses, the intrinsic ability of tumor to uptake radioiodine, and the absorbed total radiation dose. The biological factors, which contribute to the effectiveness of radioiodine treatment, can be referred to "five Rs" of radiobiology: radiosensitivity, repair, redistribution, reoxygenation, and repopulation. The theoretical radiobiological considerations suggest that improvements in therapeutic indexes of radioiodine treatment are possible, e.g. by unconventional fractionation of 131I, or by combining the radionuclide therapy with external-beam irradiation. The net effect of such strategies in the clinic is, however, often unpredictable, and remains investigational and controversial. This illustrates the need for improved design of new research in clinical and experimental radiobiology of radioiodine treatment.


This paper describes a 2.0-V 1.9-GHz silicon down-conversion mixer with an LC phase shifter in a 20-GHz bipolar process. In this circuit, the lower emitter-coupled pair in a Gilbert cell mixer is removed to enable low voltage operation, and instead an LC phase shifter is inserted between two current sources. The time constant of the LC phase shifter has to be optimized, because the phase shifter acts as a low-pass filter and the lower cutoff frequency results in the loss of signal power. By this optimization, it can keep both high conversion gain and low distortion. The experimental results show conversion gain of 7.0 dB and the input third-order intercept point of -1.0 dBm are realized at 2.0 V.


One of the main issues in the OS security is to provide trusted code execution in an untrusted environment. During executing, kernel-mode drivers allocate and process memory data: OS internal structures, users private information, and sensitive data of third-party drivers. All this data and the drivers code can be tampered with by kernel-mode malware. Microsoft security experts integrated new features to fill this gap, but they are not enough: allocated data can be stolen and patched and the drivers code can be dumped without any security reaction. The proposed hypervisor-based system (MemoryRanger) tackles this issue by executing drivers in separate kernel enclaves with specific memory attributes. MemoryRanger protects code and data using Intel VT-x and EPT features with low performance degradation on Windows 10 x64.


Introducing consumer choice was one of the key motivations underpinning the various public utility privatisations of the 1980s and 1990s, along with enhancing the quality of service provided to consumers. This was especially the case in electricity supply, where a timetable for the introduction of competition was included in the original legislation. However, evidence from the industry regulator suggests that consumers are proving reluctant to exercise choice, despite the intensity of the supply companies' preparation and marketing campaigns. Indeed, a recent poll by MORI suggests that the number of consumers who have changed suppliers is approximately half that predicted by the industry. This paper, drawing on consumer behaviour theory, seeks to explain the reasons behind the apparent reluctance of consumers to change electricity provider, utilising market research data from both the UK and Germany.


A potential zero emission combined power generation plant fired by liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been investigated. A mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2)-steam is used as the working fluid of a gas turbine cycle, which replaces the normal combustion-in-air products and air, notably as the thermal ballast for the control of flame temperature. Oxygen (O2) is used as the fuel oxidant and is obtained from an air separation unit (ASU). The excess CO2 due to combustion is extracted by a simple flow separator and liquefied ready to be reused and/or sequestered. The plant configuration and thermodynamics of the cycle are discussed first and then the optimised overall efficiency of the plant is calculated with a comparison of 100% and 120% stoichiometric combustion. The overall net efficiency, optimised to pressure and temperature levels complying with the material and cooling techniques currently available, is around 56% (LHV basis), including the energy penalty of the ASU and the CO2 separation.


A one-dimensional compressible flow model is used in the description of actual flow through ducts. This model serves well in the explanation and prediction of the characteristics towards signal distortion, noise, mass flow rate and influence on dead-time behavior of end-restrictors as used in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with post-column detection. It was experimentally verified that tapered restrictors have a better performance than constant diameter restrictors at relatively low detection temperatures (200°C).

The mass flow rate of a tapered restrictor is found to be linearly proportional to applied inlet pressure, implying the same linear dependence of the product of linear velocity and on-column density. A more than proportional rise of density will, therefore, lead to a decrease in linear velocity and vice versa. Since thermostat temperature fluctuations are directly translated into linear velocity variations, a very temperature stable thermostat has to be used.

As will be discussed, this complicated dead-time dependence on applied pressure has a large effect on the chromatographic results.


Given the current abundance of waste plastics and the new technology to convert them into highly marketable products, waste plastics are projected as an alternative feedstock for producing some key organic products such as profitable alpha-olefins and paraffins through thermal cracking. This work was carried out to investigate the kinetics and to model the thermal cracking of waste plastics derived oil in a downer reactor by means of computer simulation. Attention was focused on the formation of the model for the waste plastic oil conversion, taking into account the process reaction kinetics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer in the gas-solid downflow system, and the subsequent investigation of the model predictions under various conditions. Simulation results show that the downer reactor can achieve a high yield of the desired Medium Ends (ME) containing significant amount of alpha-olefins under a short residence time for a given conversion of liquefied waste plastics.


Ash formation mechanisms are summerized for combustion and gasification processes in this review. The effects of elements such as Na, S, Fe, Si, Al and the corresponding compounds contained in ash on the ash melting, sintering or agglomeration and slagging are discussed. Some attentions are emphasized in investigating the ash behaviors in combustion and gasification processes.


It has been observed that the regional innovation environment (RIE) affects the innovation activities in firms. Studies focusing on innovation systems have increased our understanding of the interaction between the main actors that participate in the innovation activities and the systemic nature of these interdependent relationships. In addition to that the roles and functions of various organizations are now better identified and understood than earlier. The assumption here is that in the future the ability to manage the birth and development of regional innovation environments will become more important; the importance of leadership has always been central in the development of RIEs, but the point of departure here is that it will become even more important in the network society. The nature of power and influence is changing, affecting also the nature of leadership. Therefore the ability to understand the dynamic nature of different innovation environments, management and leadership may turn out to be crucial in the development of RIEs, as the structures and visible elements (structures, institutions etc.) do not always have significant differences between regions. Leadership and management in the creation and development of RIE differ in nature from conventional modes of leadership, because the means to influence are mainly indirect. In practice, influence builds on different forms of power, but first and foremost, on interaction and social skills. In order to be able to influence events, leaders have to act in the riptide of several different interests and aims, and find a totally new range of means that can be applied in different events. Processes can be lead for instance by creating new institutions, by creating and renewing interpretations that guide the practices of different people, by activating new actors in the networks and by improving the quality of interaction in the policy process. In order to be able to influence events, leaders have to act in the riptide of several different interests and aims, and find a totally new range of means that can be applied in different events. The objective of this paper is to identify conceptually the characteristics of leadership and management in the creation and development of innovation environment - in other words: how to manage the process between several organizations with different competencies in order to support innovation.


The surface structure of Cement is more or less a symmetrical fold with two well defined domes. Since the early development which followed the drilling of the discovery well in 1916, exploration has been guided mainly by subsurface geological work. The discovery well, located on the crest of the anticline, was a producer from the Garber sandstone of Permian age. Most of the nomenclature of the Cement field took partial form in 1939 and 1940 when production was developed in the Rowe and Marchand sandstones. Though the correlations and identifications of the lithologic units involved have been generally known and accepted, it is obvious that the nomenclature now being used should be standardized. The boundaries of the Cisco, Missouri, Des Moines, and the Atoka are herein established on the basis of fusulinid determinations. The oil field, about 16 miles in length, is a structural accumulation of a northwest-southeast-trending anticlinal axis. An interesting structural feature of the field is the well defined fault on the north flank. Structurally high and low fault blocks are fundamental features of the axis.


CdS thin films have been deposited by using very simple SILAR method in an aqueous alkaline medium at room temperature. Thin films of CdS were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, EDAX, UV–visible spectrophotometer techniques and electrical conductivity measurement. X-ray diffraction studies showed that CdS thin films are polycrystalline in nature; average particle size of the material was calculated by using Scherrer's formula and found to be 18 nm. The lattice parameters were found to be a = 4.11 and c = 6.76 A. Optical studies showed that, it has a high absorption coefficient, and the band gap of the CdS thin film were found to be 2.39 eV.Electrical conductivity measurement indicates that it has semiconductor in nature, the specific conductance was in the order the of 10-4 to 10-2 (I cm)-1.


The concept of relative valuation has been studied taking into account the equity and value multiples and other factors that affect the under- and overvaluation of stocks in the market. Relative valuation is based on the assumption that the value of an asset equals its market value. To do relative valuation, the prices of similar or comparable assets are taken as variables to estimate the value of an asset and to control possible differences. The relative valuation is based on two fundamental principles. First, the intrinsic value of an asset cannot be estimated by any valuation method, as it is always equal to what the market is willing to pay for the asset depending on its unique characteristics. And second, markets are inefficient and assets are not priced perfectly, but because assets are comparable, errors in pricing can be identified and corrected more easily. Because absolute market prices cannot be compared, they need to be converted into standardized values so that price multiples are created.


Like living things, robotic tadpoles called Tadros evolve, changing from generation to generation in response to a form of survival-of-the-fittest selection. They are the brainchildren of John Long, a Vassar College biologist. He and his team believe that experiments with robots can lay bare the nuts and bolts of evolution in ways that observations with living things cannot. Long has used Tadros to study the evolution of backbones, testing the idea that by making ancient fish stiffer, backbones made them faster and hence better at collecting food or evading predators. Now, his group is gearing up for an even more ambitious effort. They plan to use Tadros to probe the font of all life9s diversity: the ability to evolve, or evolvability. One key to that ability, Long and his collaborators think, may be modular design, especially in the brain. In animals, for example, distinct neural circuits control different functions, such as vocalization and vision. If they are right, modularity itself should evolve within the Tadro9s control circuits, under the right conditions.


This paper carries out first principles calculation of the structure, electronic and optical properties of BexZn1−xO alloys based on the density-functional theory for the compositions x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0. The lattice constants deviations of alloys obey Vegard's law well. The BexZn1−xO alloys have the direct band gap (Γ-Γ) character, and the bowing coefficients are less than the available theoretical values. Moreover, it investigates in detail the optical properties (dielectric functions, absorption spectrum and refractive index) of these ternary mixed crystals. The obtained results agree well with the available theoretical and experimental values.


Thermography is becoming more and more relevant method in industry and as a research tool. It is an accepted method in many fields where non-destructive testing is carried out. In this paper focus was on evaluation of stress concentrations and fatigue of metal structures. Three thermographic methods: Thermoelastic stress analysis, Risitano method and acquisition of plastification zone and fracture propagation, are addressed and compared with results of classical cyclic testing of Al2024 alloy specimens. Specimens with three types of stress concentrator are used; 3 mm triangular notch, R3 mm circular notch, and a hole with 6 mm diameter. All thermographic methods showed high level of coincidence with classical fatigue tests. Thermoelastic stress analysis provides first stress invariant field for cyclic loaded sample, revealing stress concentrations near notches. Risitano method, from thermal dissipations at various levels of cyclic load, estimates dynamic strength of materials. Fast cooled middle-wave infrared cameras enable locating and tracing material plastification and fracture propagation. The outcomes of all evaluated methods are in accordance with each other.


Abstract A new analytic solution to the lidar equation is presented, which realistically considers the scattering properties of the aerosols and the molecular atmosphere individually. With this solution, it is shown, in turbid atmospheres where the aerosols dominate the scattering properties, that accurate vertical profiles of the volume extinction cross section can be obtained with an uncalibrated lidar, provided that the total transmittance of the atmospheric layer being investigated is known. This solution is applied to data samples collected under very clear and under very dusty conditions.


According to the anthropopathic characteristics of the robot, this paper puts forward a central nervous system model based on the basal ganglia, and studies the working cooperation among cerebellum, basal ganglia, cerebral cortex and other nerve apparatus, so that the perceive model about a central nervous system is established. The perceive model mostly consists of cerebellum, basal ganglia and cerebral cortex, therein to, the cerebellum realizes sensori motor mapping from states to actions by supervised learning, and the basal ganglia implements probabilistic choice based on operant conditioning principle to actions using action forecast evaluation results, moreover, the cerebral cortex receives and sends useful information to the basal ganglia and cerebellum, consequently, the closed feedback loop of a central nervous system is formed. This paper describes the concrete structure, function and arithmetic about the central nervous system model based on the basal ganglia, and performs some simulation experiments on the two-wheeled robot. The results reappearance the self-learning ability and movement balance skill of the robot like human, and indicate that this model has the better perceive characters and robustness.


In the United States, black mothers are dying four times as often as white mothers. To understand this phenomenon, a model was created using deductive reasoning and the Social Ecological Model to develop the many factors that attribute to the drastic death of black mothers. There are five areas of analysis for black maternal mortality: social determinants, adversely affected health, institutional biases, compounding national issues, and culture identity, and they are all divided into subsections that analyze these factors in greater detail. While this is an incredibly complex and deeply rooted problem within the United States, solutions are presented that serve as a spring board to make a difference, so that black mothers can stop fearing that death can come as soon as she gives life.


This project investigates the potential of varying haptic shape resolution using linear splines approximation of high order polynomial curves in the x-z plane to measure spatial resolution of Phantom Omni users. Therefore, optimization of smooth curve approximation can be performed to minimize computational requirements. Generation and rendering of the trajectory, and methodology followed during the test experimentation phase are described in this paper. A total of 16 subjects participated in experimental phase of the study. After a smooth curve was displayed, subjects were asked to indicate whether the subsequent random rendered path trajectories were the same smooth curve or a linear spline approximation of it. The collected data for each subject include their binary choice whether the rendered trajectory was a linear spline approximation or not, time spent interacting with each rendered curve, age, sex and preferred hand. Statistical analysis including multivariable analysis of variance test (ANOVA) of the data was performed using MATLAB. Accordingly, the results demonstrate that users start to perceive a smooth curve when a linear approximation of 24 splines is rendered in the Phantom Omni.


This paper presents the deformation behavior of SUS304 specimens during partial diameter-enlarged process in a rotation speed region higher than the rotation speed region of conventional diameter-enlarged processing methods. The deformation behavior of the specimen diameter during the process was measured at various axialcompressive forces, bending angles, and rotation speeds. Next, the effect of rotation speed on the deformation behavior was analyzed based on the concept of deformation-induced martensitic transformation and thermallyactivated process associated with plastic deformation. The reduction of axial-compressive force and temperature rise during processing in high rotation speeds were investigated. Finally, the time constant of diameter-enlarged was obtained for the above parameters. By increasing the rotation speed, it is possible to shorten the processing time and perform processing at a low axial-compressive force with little temperature rise, which improves the processing efficiency. The time constant of the diameter-enlarged deformation process can be expressed as a function of the effective rotation parameter.


Abstract Background and Objectives: For Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) learning journal clubs are recommended, but these are not common practice. How participants discuss and learn about applying evidence in other group meetings is unknown. We examined different types of group meetings and explored the use of, and discussions about, clinical research evidence. Methods: A mixed-methods study design was adopted. After distribution and analysis of a questionnaire about types of group meetings, interviews were conducted to better understand the most frequently occurring type. Results: GPs have different types of meetings, but the most common group meetings where evidence wass discussed were so called quality circles, i.e. pharmacotherapy audit meetings in which GPs discuss drug prescription figures or preferred treatment together with pharmacists. Interviews showed that the source of evidence used mostly are the recommendations in the national GP guidelines. The underlying evidence or new research did not play an important role in the discussions. Conclusions: Quality circles seem to be more goal-oriented than learning oriented. Learning discussions about controversies in clinical research or about the integration of evidence, patient values and clinical expertise occurred infrequently. To harvest the potential value of group meetings for EBM learning, quality circles in their present design are not optimal.


Neil is a sporty, outdoorsy sort of bloke. He spends very little time at home, preferring to golf, surf, go to the footy and hang out with his mates: You can tell just by looking inside his house—a huge TV in the darkened lounge, and golf equipment, surfboards and motorbike gear fill up the room. That was before last October. Now, in June, Neil is a paraplegic, his house is inaccessible and his boys-toys are in the way. For Neil, his home, previously an inwardly focused place to sleep and store, will become the centre of his world (when he can eventually get into it). Initially, accessibility is the key problem to be solved. To this end the architectural advisor from the rehabilitation unit proposed formulaic adjustments to the bathroom to allow for wheelchair access. However, accessibility is only one facet of the problem. This environment, relatively unimportant before, now needs to enable and inspire the occupant both physically and emotionally. As physical abilities dramatically change the spatial practices of everyday life also change. The home environment is ever more important to support and help heal emotional scarring after a life-changing event. In the context of shorter hospital and rehabilitation stays, the home provides a vital extension to the healthcare system. Therefore it is important that architectural advice given to enable this move considers the holistic qualities of design thinking rather than be restricted to short-term solutions.


The President said that the new evidence provided by the boreholes presented a number of features of stratigraphical and palaeogeographical interest, notably the occurrence of Middle Llandovery rocks, and the non-sequential gaps in the sequence. In their chronostratigraphical range the Pentamerus Beds are now expanded if they are to retain their lithostratigraphical connotation with possible dangers of confusion should there be in Shropshire, as in the Llandovery district, a discontinuity at the base of the Upper Llandovery. In structural terms a restlessness in mid-Llandovery times is repeatedly indicated in the Neritic facies from Pembrokeshire into the Builth country, and the new evidence of it in Shropshire is concordant. A non-sequence, becoming major unconformity, at the base of the Wenlock stage in mid-Wales is also not surprising in Shropshire although there are classificatory difficulties then in defining any stratotypic base of the Wenlock. If the Buildwas beds lack the murchisoni zone at the base and are themselves regarded as definitive of the lowest member of the stage at the locus typicus, it becomes difficult then to allocate the murchisoni zone to the Wenlock. In reply, the Authors stated that the graptolites necessary to establish the centrifugus and murchisoni Zones beyond doubt were absent from the Buildwas Beds. However, as argued in the main body of the paper, the authors believed that, on balance, strata representing these two zones were probably present within the Buildwas Beds, and that the best evidence available suggested that the base of the Buildwas Beds, which defines


Purpose
Micro corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an emerging concept in management that relates to the examination of employees' reaction to CSR initiatives. In this stream of literature, this study aims to investigate the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of CSR and employees' organizational identification relationship.

Design/methodology/approach
The data of middle managers (n = 187) were collected from a large hospitality and real estate organization actively involved in CSR activities in Pakistan. The authors conducted two surveys using the self-administered questionnaire with a temporal break. Structural equation modeling was run using AMOS to analyze the data.

Findings
The authors found that organizational pride meditates while desire to have a significant impact through work (DSIW), gender and organizational tenure moderates the relationship between CSR and organizational identification.

Practical implications
The study implies that the management can take the opportunity to make use of the positive response of the employees by investing in social and environmental causes.

Originality/value
The study contributes to CSR, organizational behavior literature, and person-organization fit theory by explaining the complete path of CSR and identification. It unfolds the underlying mechanism and contingencies of CSR-Identification link that are overlooked in the literature .


Tree parsing is an important problem in statistical machine translation. In this context, one is given (a) a synchronous grammar that describes the translation from one language into another and (b) a recognizable set of trees; the aim is to construct a finite representation of the set of those derivations that derive elements from the given set, either on the source side (input restriction) or on the target side (output restriction). In tree-adjoining machine translation the grammar is a kind of synchronous tree-adjoining grammar. For this case, only partial solutions to the tree parsing problem have been described, some being restricted to the unweighted case, some to the monolingual case. We introduce a class of synchronous tree-adjoining grammars which is effectively closed under input and output restrictions to weighted regular tree languages, i.e. the restricted translations can again be represented by grammars in the same class; this enables, e.g. cascading restrictions. Moreover, we present an algorithm that constructs these grammars for input and output restriction.


Intercultural traffic and mingling have been vital to economic innovation, past and present, witness the role of travellers, migrants and diasporas as cultural brokers. While intercultural exchange is a prominent theme in cultural studies, studies of ethnicity have often been more occupied by group boundaries and antagonisms than cross-group relations. In relation to social capital a central notion has been the ethnic economy. Here this notion is rejected because in effect it refers to national origin rather than ethnicity and diverts attention from social and economic relations across cultural differences and boundaries. While immigrant groups may play a large part in national and transnational enterprise, formal and informal, this is not conceivable without considerable and extensive crosscultural relations. In the interstices of studies of migration and ethnic economies there are sporadic references to interethnic economies. The shift of emphasis to crosscultural enterprise means taking into account bonding, bridging and linking social capital within and across cultural boundaries. Much literature and reporting on ethnicity is fraught with friction, tension, antagonism. Virtually per definition we only hear of ethnicity when it generates problems, oppression, conflict, in line with the media principle "When it bleeds it leads". But what of the situations when ethnicity does not entail conflict or when conflict is only minor? Here the distinction between bonding social capital (strong ties among close relations), bridging social capital (weak ties among people from different backgrounds but similar socioeconomic status) and linking social capital ("friends in high places'") takes on cultural dimensions: each apply within and across cultural settings. The question of cultural difference and social capital arises in three different contexts: immigration and migration, transnational enterprise, and ethnically diverse societies.


We use vector space projection (VSP) methods to design wide-band adaptive and self-healing arrays. Rectangular arrays are assumed but the VSP algorithm can be applied to any configuration. In the VSP method, we formulate a set of design constraints and then iteratively improve on a trial solution by operations known as "alternating projections". When all of the constraint sets are convex and the intersection of these sets is not the empty set, we can meet the design specifications in a finite dimensional setting. In our simulations, we show that reasonable design constraints are readily met. We demonstrate that VSP is useful for broad-band self-healing, i.e., the reconfiguration of the array when some broad-band elements fail to operate. Finally we compare our results with a known design procedure for broadband antenna arrays.


A superior-order curvature corrected bandgap reference (BGR) is proposed. The BGR features itself by adding only an extra NMOS transistor to a first-order BGR. The extra transistor generates a piecewise nonlinear corrected current to reduce its temperature coefficient (TC) and forms a negative feedback to decrease the variation of offset and TC caused by mismatch. Measurement result shows the proposed BGR achieves most optimal TC of 2.8ppm/°C in the temperature range of -40∼125°C. The variation of offset and TC among different samples are reduced by the negative feedback effectively.


The deviation of financial returns from normal distribution is a well‐documented stylized fact. Nonetheless, finance professionals and investors alike pay attention to these deviations almost only when a crisis erases years' worth of gains. And despite decades' worth of literature, the culprit for non‐normal distribution of financial returns is still not determined with certainty. In this research, I address the non‐normality of return distributions and financial crashes together. Specifically, I aim to identify the
determinants of non‐normality in a high frequency setting and utilize these variables to forecast financial crashes. To this effect, multiple instruments and time horizons are considered.

The contribution of this thesis is multifold. The "natural time" approach introduced here, uses order book variables to achieve normally distributed high frequency returns via subordination. In its essence, natural time is a two‐step procedure which uses high frequency order book variables as a gauge for variance while sampling in transaction time. Natural time provides the reader with a new lens to view the financial markets and underscores two important aspects of the high frequency world; sampling frequency
affects the distributions we observe and order book variables such as liquidity are the key to heteroscedasticity in asset returns. So much so that subordination with order book variables under transaction time achieves the normal return distribution which underlies numerous financial theories we use today.

I further extend the use of these order book variables by introducing the "market heat" metric. Market heat generates successful binary flash crash predictions and its success adds support to the claim that liquidity concerns may be the primary driver of price formation processes. Finally, I expand the findings of this research on high frequency asset returns to a macroeconomic setting by producing currency devaluation predictions
for G10 currencies. The early warning systems produced here demonstrate that not only debt related macroeconomic variables but also liquidity related market variables are at play when it comes to currency fluctuations.


One orbit flip and two inclination flips bifurcation is considered with resonant principal eigenvalues. We introduce a local active coordinate system to establish bifurcation equation and obtain the conditions when the original homoclinic orbit is kept or broken. We also prove the existence and the existence regions of double 1-periodic orbit bifurcation. Moreover, the complicated homoclinic-doubling bifurcations are found and expressed approximately, and are well located.


ABSTRACT Urban sustainability in low and middle income countries is rarely studied from a sustainability transitions perspective, though 90% of projected population growth between 2018 and 2050 will be in cities of the Global South. Using principles from grounded theory, this paper explores the relevance of the multi-level perspective (MLP) – a prevalent analytical framework in sustainability transitions theory that has primarily been applied in the Global North – for the study of infrastructure in the Global South. It draws on empirical data collected through case study research in the cities of Ahmedabad, India, and Jinja, Uganda, which have adopted innovative socio-technical approaches to service delivery that respond to the challenges presented by urbanization, climate change and inequality. Applying the MLP to these cases shows how niche innovations by non-state actors in waste management (Ahmedabad) and solar energy (Jinja) can increase access to services, reduce ecological footprints and empower socially excluded groups, in spite (or because) of landscape pressures such as poverty, informality and limited institutional capacity. The observed benefits are attributable not only to technological but also to organizational innovation. These findings may help to develop a more flexible understanding of the types of urban transitions needed and the ways in which those transitions could be achieved. Lessons from alternative socio-technical configurations in the South could be informative for any city looking for service delivery models that better serve contemporary environmental and societal needs.


Polymyxin B has resurfaced as a last-line treatment for multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Accurate characterization and quantification of polymyxin B components is necessary to optimize this therapy. We developed and validated a robust, straightforward LC–MS/MS method to quantify polymyxin B1 and B2, the primary polymyxin B components, in various matrices (cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB), human and rat plasma). Of sample preparation approaches investigated, two protein precipitation/extraction methods were developed as part of an analytical strategy based upon reverse-phase LC–MS/MS using electrospray ionization in positive multiple-reaction monitoring mode. Both methods were validated over therapeutically and experimentally relevant concentration ranges (CAMHB: 0.1–8.0μg/mL, rat and human plasma: 0.05–4.0μg/mL). Quality control samples spanning a relevant concentration range were employed to assess intra- and inter-day accuracy (relative error (%RSD)) and precision (coefficient of variation (CV%)). For polymyxin B1 and B2 in CAMHB, inter-day standard deviations were 1.18–4.59% and 0.777–1.23%, respectively, and accuracies were 94.2–99.3% and 94.4–99.1%. For rat plasma, inter-day standard deviations were 1.53%–5.64% and 4.07%–8.26%. Accuracies were 100.6–108.9% and 96.1–108.1%. For human plasma, inter-day standard deviations were 2.77–7.32% and 1.55–7.29%. Accuracies were 89.6–96.4% and 92.9–102.0%. Extraction recoveries for all matrices were >93.5%. Adsorption, storage, and long-term stability were assessed and were acceptable. Accuracy, precision, and cost-efficiency make this an ideal approach for quantifying polymyxin B in in vitro and in vivo samples including those from rat and human subjects.


Ossifying fasciitis is a very rare disease of reactive character; however, it can mimic malignant lesions, especially osteosarcoma. We report a case of a 30-year-old woman, who experienced a rapidly growing painful lesion of the left knee joint, preceded by a trauma. The tumor was resected, and the histopathological image suggested a malignant lesion with features of an osteosarcoma. A detailed correlation with a clinicopathological and radiological analysis led to the final diagnosis of ossifying fasciitis at an extraordinary site of patellar retinaculum. Our case shows that the close similarity between ossifying fasciitis and osteosarcoma may be challenging.


An emperor, a writer and an artist. Even though their stories played out in completely different epochs and under completely disparate conditions, they are united by historical analogy. The trans-epochal cross-fading of their biographies visualizes how Napoleon, Victor Hugo and Max Ernst were forced into exile by the caesuras of history and by the new rulers in their native countries. They experienced this as a kind of wilderness, as etre d'ailleurs. In the pictorial understanding of the three protagonists, the crossing of the water as well as the wild rock by the sea, mark their dislodgment from, but also their longing for the lost homeland. They are symbols of dislocation respectively identification. At the center of this narrative we find the painting Napoleon in the Wilderness (1941, MoMA, New York) by Max Ernst, in which the painter comes to terms with a long wait, a dramatic passage, his arrival on foreign soil and his love affairs. His statement that he had already begun with the picture before his departure in France and, after his arrival, came to a new solution of the picture by turning it 180°, metaphorically describes not only the artistic new beginning on the other side of the Ocean, but also marks the turning point in his life.


The organization of controlled clinical trials requires well-defined clerical procedures which, with large-scale studies, are so monotonous that it is difficult to attract and keep staff of a sufficiently high calibre. In a large-scale trial of pulmonary tuberculosis, a computer is being used to undertake much of the routine clerical work, including (1) the preparation of an appointments diary, which also specifies the exact requirements for the trial, and (2) the storage of all the data on magnetic tape so that periodic checks can be made for missing data and interim and final analyses can be produced rapidly. These arrangements reduce the time spent by clerical and statistical staff to a minimum. Although a strict evaluation of the effect of introducing the computer has not yet been made, this approach does appear to be sufficiently promising to warrant further investigations of a similar type.


Nitrogen (N) in agricultural fertilizers is denitrified by soil bacteria when oxygen is limited, which effectively removes plant-available N from the soil to the atmosphere. Reported denitrification rates range from 0 to 239 kg N ha−1 yr−1, and, depending upon environmental conditions and management, may reduce the amount of N available for crop growth by 27%. Denitrification in soils also results in emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a recognized pollutant that contributes to stratospheric ozone destruction and radiative forcing in the troposphere. Practitioners of sustainable agronomy aim to improve plant N-use efficiency and reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases by synchronizing N application and plant nutritional requirements. However, it is difficult to predict denitrification rates during and after the growing season based on current knowledge. High rates are consistently reported in irrigated cropping systems following heavy applications of fertilizer-N, but few studies report denitrification during the dormant season. Denitrification in winter may represent a significant sink for fertilizer-N in cropping systems, but further research at sub-zero soil temperatures is needed. Here, the three factors required for microbial denitrification: limited O2 availability, electron donors and electron acceptors, are reviewed based on soil research performed both above and below 0 °C. Gaps in the knowledge of denitrification rates in cropping systems, particularly when soils are frozen, are identified. Sustainable management of N in cropping systems such as greater N-use efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions could be advanced by greater understanding of denitrification in winter.


Abstract This article describes a semiautomated workflow for cataloging electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). A perl script is used to query the metadata in an institutional ETD database and create a machine-readable cataloging (MARC) record for each ETD. The MARC records are imported into the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat database using the Connexion service, proofread, updated, and exported to the local catalog. Topics discussed are the cataloging decisions that were made prior to the creation of the script, the benefits, and limitations of this workflow, future applications of the workflow, and future opportunities for research.


The application of cloud storage system has been deployed widely in recent years. A lot of electronic medical records (EMRs) are collected and uploaded to the cloud for scalable sharing among the authority users. It is necessary to guarantee the confidentiality of EMRs and the privacy of EMR owners. To achieve this target, we summarize a series of attack behaviors in the cloud storage system and present the security model against many types of unexpected privacy leakage. Privacy of unassailed EMRs is guaranteed in this model, and the influence of privacy leakage is controlled in a certain scope. We also propose a role-based access control scheme to achieve flexible access control on these private EMRs. One can access medical records only if his/her role satisfies the defined access policy, which implies a fine-grained access control. Theoretical and experimental analyses show the efficiency of our scheme in terms of computation and communication.


Considering the fact that authorship order plays such a significant role as a basis for scientific merit, this paper looks into the practices of authorship order from a research ethical perspective. We conclude that there is a wide variety of practices and no common understanding of what the different authorship positions signify. Authorship guidelines do not provide much help. We recognize that, regardless of what system for valuing authorship positions is used, it will be misleading and unfair in most applications because relative contributions vary in ways that are not captured by fixed value assignments to authorship positions. In theory, assigning percentage figures reflecting the relative contributions of the authors would solve that problem, but we argue that such a scheme is not likely to work in practice. It can also be questioned whether relative, rather than absolute, contributions should be the basis for scientific merit. Contributorship is discussed as an alternative, but is recognized to be insufficient both in communicating absolute and relative contributions, as standardly used. However, there may be a way forward with contributorship, but then, the level of detail needs to increase considerably and its application be standardized.


PROBLEM
We aim to determine whether peripheral blood T cell activation is associated with repeated implantation failures or recurrent pregnancy losses (RPLs).

METHOD OF STUDY
Women with a history of repeated implantation failure (n = 18) or RPLs (n = 17) comprise the study group. Normal fertile women (n = 11) are included as controls. Proportion of activated peripheral blood T cells (CD69(+), CD154(+)) and Th1/Th2 cell ratios are measured by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTS
Proportions (%) of CD4(+)/154(+) of CD4(+) and CD8(+)/154(+) of CD8(+) cells were significantly higher in study group than those of controls. Proportions (%) of CD3(+)/69(+) of CD3(+) cells and CD8(+)/69(+) of CD8(+) cells were significantly increased in study group compared to controls. Proportion (%) of CD4(+)/69(+) cells significantly correlated with % CD4(+)/154(+) cells (P = 0.003). Activated cytotoxic T cells (CD8(+)/154(+), CD8(+)/69(+)) inversely correlated with INF-gamma/IL-10 producing CD3(+)/4(+) T cell ratios. Proportion of activated CD3(+)/8(+)/69 and CD3(+)/8(+)/154(+) cells was inversely correlated with IFN-gamma/IL-10 expressing CD3(+)/4(+) T cell ratios.

CONCLUSION
Women with MIFs or RPLs have increased T cell activation in peripheral blood lymphocytes, and T cell suppressor activation seems to be associated with decreased Th1 immunity. Further studies on T cell activation may elucidate molecular mechanisms controlling Th1 effectors.


The analysis assessed the relative importance of production and consumption attributes to different wealth groups of households and tested the effect of attribute preference and that of other factors on common bean variety demand in the drought areas of Eastern Kenya. Variety demand was conceptualized within the agricultural household framework and attributes were incorporated into the model according to the Lancaster (1966) consumer theory. Empirical analysis was based on primary data collected from two districts of Eastern Kenya using the stated preference and revealed preference methods. A factor analysis was used to cluster a set of common bean variety attributes that are highly preferred by households into those related to consumption flavour and yield related characteristics. The effect of consumption and production attributes and those of other factors were estimated through applying ordinary least squares regression. The study findings reveal that varietal adaptation to environmental stresses should also strive to reduce the cooking time as well as enhance the keeping quality and grain colour for better benefits to the poor but trade-offs are feasible. Prioritizing the improvement of production attributes as a short term goal seems an efficient strategy when multi-attribute based breeding is a long process.

 Key words: Common bean, relative importance of variety attributes, variety demand, drought areas, Eastern Kenya.


In practical implementations of LC oscillators in which the quality factor of the tank is dominated by the quality factor of the inductor, due to dependence of the oscillation amplitude on the square of the oscillation frequency and the bias current of the LC tank, a stable amplitude control loop is essential to maintain a constant oscillation amplitude over the tuning range of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and to optimally bias the VCO over different conditions. In this paper, an enhanced loss control scheme incorporating an integral feedback to automatically tune the oscillation amplitude of LC oscillators is proposed. The proposed loss control feedback (LCF) loop is conditionally stable with an easy stability requirement to meet and its stability is examined: 1) by linearizing the system around the stable point using a perturbation method; and 2) by numerically solving the nonlinear differential equation of the LCF loop describing the transient behavior of the step response of the loop. A prototype including the LC VCO and the proposed LCF loop has been implemented in TSMC 0.35-mum CMOS process and occupies an area of 0.057 mm2 and consumes 8.1 mA from a 2.8-V power supply. The LCF loop, with respect to the VCO, has an overhead of 25% on the area and consumes only 1.3% of the total power. Measurement results of the proposed LCF loop show an 11 dBm amplitude tuning range from -16 dBm to -5 dBm at any frequency over the 2-2.5-GHz tuning range of the VCO. The step response of the loop has a settling time less than 0.5 ns


Immunologic abnormalities observed in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients consist of chronic mononuclear cell infiltration of affected tissues, dysregulation of lymphokine and growth factor production, and autoantibodies production. Expansion of CD4+T cells within the tissue seems to involve their activation that precedes this process. Therefore, CD4+T cells activation, as an early immune event, appears to be an important process in the development and maintaining of SSc. In SSc the disturbance of peripheral tolerance mechanisms could be also responsible for CD4+T cells activation. Consequently, we reevaluated CD4+T cells positive for CD25, GITR, CTLA-4, CD45RO, or Foxp3 in SSc patients, by comparison with healthy donors (HDs), and in correlation with clinical features of the disease. Our results reargued for activation of peripheral blood CD4+T cells in SSc patients. Thus, increased percentages of CD25+ and GITR+ CD4+T cells were found in SSc patients by comparison with HDs. Direct correlation between the percentage of GITR+CD4+T cells and disease activity recommended these cells as a good candidate for disease progression. In SSc patients, the negative regulators of T cells activation are also affected. Thus, CTLA-4+ and Foxp3+ CD4+T cell percentages were significantly reduced in SSc patients when compared to HDs. Indirect correlation between the percentage of CD152+CD4+T cells and autoantibodies (aScl70) presence or disease type highlighted the role of these cells in the disturbance of peripheral tolerance. The absence of the direct correlation between CD152+CD4+T cells and CD45RO+CD4+T cells, correlation observed only in HDs, raised the hypothesis that in SSc patients, memory T cells can be easily activated, and by consequence, they can enter within affected tissues. These data reconfirm the activation state of SSc CD4+T cells and point out some abnormalities in peripheral tolerance mechanisms that can contribute to SSc pathogeny.


We have obtained a general unstable chaotic solution of a typical nonlinear oscillator in a double potential trap with weak periodic perturbations by using the direct perturbation method. Theoretical analysis reveals that the stable periodic orbits are embedded in the Melnikov chaotic attractors. The corresponding chaotic region and orbits in parameter space are described by numerical simulations.


This paper presents a brief review of anode phenomena in vacuum arcs. It discusses in succession the transition of the arc into the anode spot mode; the temperature of the anode before, during, and after formation of an anode spot; and anode ions. Characteristically the anode spot has a temperature of the order of the atmospheric boiling point of the anode material and is a copious source of vapor and energetic ions. The dominant mechanism controlling the transition of the vacuum arc into the anode spot mode appears to depend upon the electrode geometry, the electrode material, and the current waveform of the particular vacuum arc being considered. Either magnetic constriction in the gap plasma or gross anode melting can trigger the transition, indeed a combination of the two is a common cause of anode spot formation.


The aim of the present study was to compare the membrane potential, Vm, of rat calvarium osteoblasts in situ and during primary culture using electrophysiological techniques. For osteoblasts studied in situ the Vm (mean +/- S.D.) was found to be -42.0 +/- 10 mV, n = 32. Comparable values (-46.8 +/- 9.n, n = 152) were found for cultured osteoblasts during the first week. Thereafter when cells began to form multilayers an increase in Vm negativity was observed (-58.6 +/- 12.8, n = 82). The Vm of osteoblasts in situ and during the first week of culture were highly dependent on the Na+ diffusion potential and slightly influenced by the increase in extracellular [K+]. In contrast, the more negative Vm of the cells cultured 2 weeks were highly dependent on the K+ diffusion potential and were not influenced by changes in external [Na+]. Parathyroid hormone (bPTH(1-34], 240 nM, in the external solution, induced a rapid membrane depolarization in situ (+10.2 +/- 5.0, n = 18) as it does in cultured cells. Additional investigation on the possible effects of Ca2+ and PO4(2-) (since, in situ, mineralized matrix prevents such an approach) showed that low external [Ca2+] only slightly hyperpolarizes the membrane, whereas cell Vm was highly sensitive to changes in external [PO4(2-)].


The dynamic localization of electrons induced simultaneously by DC and AC electric fields in the classical limit is investigated. Scattering processes are taken into account. It is shown that the localization induced by one field can be suppressed by another one when n Omega = omega ( omega is the Stark frequency and Omega is the AC field frequency). The localization is also effectively destroyed by scattering processes.


Isatins 1 and their derivatives have been reported to possess wide variety of biological activities viz; cytotoxic 2-6 , antimicrobial 7-11 , antiviral 12 , antifertility 13 , amoebicidal 14 , anti-HIV 15 , antileukemic 16 , anticonvulsant 17 , CNS-depressant 18-20 , analgesic and antiinflammatory 21 . Recently two reviews 22,23 have been published on the biological potential of isatins. Keeping this biological activity profile in mind, a new series of Mannich bases is being reported here. 4-(4′-Nitrobenzyloxy)-benzohydrazide 2 was prepared by hydrazinolysis of methyl 4-(4′-nitrobenzyloxy)-benzoate 1 which in turn was obtained by O-benzylation of methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate with 4nitrobenzyl bromide. Benzohydrazide 2 on condensation with isatins in equimolar proportion, gave 3-[4′(4′′-nitrobenzyloxy)-benzohydrazono]isatins (Schiff base) 3-5. Compound 3 on being subjected to aminomethylation 24 with heterocyclic secondary amines in the presence of formaldehyde, gave 1aminomethyl-3-[4′-(4′′-nitrobenzyloxy)-benzohydrazono]isatins (Mannich bases) 6-14 (Scheme I). Antimicrobial activity


Arterial hypertension in blacks seems to present a few peculiarities in comparison to that of caucasians, whether it is from the epidemiological point of view: greater frequency of the disease, more severe prognosis; from the physiopathological point of view with especially a definite prevalence of HBP with low renin and inflation of the plasma volume and increased tendency to sodium retention, or finally from the therapeutic point of view, since randomized studies have demonstrated that black patients respond better to diuretics than to beta-blockers. Currently, it is impossible to explain these differences in a simple fashion: is it a genetic factor or, on the contrary, environmental factors? Perhaps the response lies between those two extremes.


All patients in the first group tolerated sampling of four transfusion units of autologous blood in the course of two weeks with subsequent erythropoietin administration very well. Erythropoietin was well tolerated, no local nor systemic undesirable side-effects or complications were observed. The mean transferrin and serum iron values remained during sampling of autotransfusions and erythropoietin administration within the range of normal values reported by our laboratory. The ferritin levels were above the norm. On the other hand in patients of the control group it was not possible--due to the decline of haemogram values--to sample in 45% the required amount of autologous blood before operation. For the same reason it was not possible to implement haemodilution as required. In similar blood losses administration of allogenic blood was necessary in 35% patients of the control group whereby in the group of patients with erythropoietin allogenic blood was administered in two cases (10%). Erythropoietin administration can effectively facilitate preoperative sampling of autotransfusion within a relatively short period. By its administration we can prevent a marked decline of red blood cells as a result of sampling of several preserves of autologous blood at a rapid rate. A satisfactory value of the haematocrit before the operation proper moreover makes it possible to collect a larger amount of blood in case of acute isovolaemic haemodilution. This enhances the patient's safety in relation to risks ensuing from administration of allogenic blood.


Customers' perception of service depends on service encounter. The purpose of this paper is to build and test a model of relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in a retail context. It also aims at understanding different factors that effect service quality. The subject is approached by a cross-sectional survey on a random sample of 230 customers after their service encounter with store employees in retail outlets. Structural Equation Modeling is used to test the model developed during the study. The findings indicate that responsiveness and assurance provided by the retail employees are the most important contributors of good service quality. Although competence is a better tool of customers' measurement of service quality, appeal of the employees' in terms of looks and personality are not found to effect customers' perception of service quality. Results suggest that good service quality contributes to development of customer loyalty through customer satisfaction. The study would give an insight into understanding the importance of positive service encounter along with the implications of employees' behavior for customer loyalty in service setting. This study contributes to marketing practice by offering an understanding to acquire customer loyalty. It also emphasizes the need to understand a positive service encounter which impacts the service quality.


The mutation had dramatic effect on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters inferring thermostability of endo-glucanase from Cellulomonas biazotea mutant 51 SM(r). The denaturation activation energies of native and mutated enzymes were 73.3 and 68.8 kJ/mol respectively. They showed compensation effect at 55 degrees C. Both enthalpy and entropy values of irreversible thermal inactivation for mutated enzyme were decreased suggesting that the mutation partly stabilized the enzyme.


Due to the complexity of electromechanical equipment and the difficulties in obtaining large-scale health monitoring datasets, as well as the long-tailed distribution of data, existing methods ignore certain characteristics of health monitoring data. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes a method for the fault diagnosis of rolling bearings in electromechanical equipment based on an improved prototypical network—the weight prototypical networks (WPorNet). The main contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) the prototypical networks, which perform well on small-sample classification tasks, were improved by calculating the different levels of influence of support sample distributions in order to achieve the prototypical calculation. The change in sample influence was calculated using the Kullback–Leibler divergence of the sample distribution. The influence change in a specific sample can be measured by assessing how much the distribution changes in the absence of that sample; and (2) The Gramian Angular Field (GAF) algorithm was used to transform one-dimensional time series into two-dimensional vibration images, which greatly improved the application effect of the 2D convolutional neural network (CNN). Through experiments on MAFAULDA and CWRU bearing datasets, it was shown that this network effectively solves the shortcomings of a small number of valid samples and a long-tail distribution in health monitoring data, it enhances the dependency between the samples and the global data, it improves the model's feature extraction ability, and it enhances the accuracy of model classification. Compared with the prototypical network, the improved network model increased the performance of the 2-way 10-shot, 2-way 20-shot, and 2-way 50-shot classification tasks by 5.23%, 5.74%, and 4.37%, respectively, and it increased the performance of the 4-way 10-shot, 4-way 20-shot, and 4-way 50-shot classification tasks by 12.02%, 10.47%, and 4.66%, respectively. Experimental results show that the improved prototypical network model has higher sample classification accuracy and stronger anti-interference ability compared with traditional small-sample classification models.


Postpartum thyroid dysfunction occurs in 5-10% of women within one year after delivery. Women with hypothyroidism antedating pregnancy are at high risk for postpartum thyroiditis and should be closely monitored during the first year post-partum. Here, we report a case of recurrent hyperthyroidism between two episodes of postpartum thyroiditis in a w oman diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism prior to pregnancy. It is of particular interest that spontaneously remitting hyperthyroidis m as a sequela of postpartum thyroiditis can occur.


Abstract  Ophiolites and high‐pressure (HP) metamorphic rocks are studied to test continuation of Paleozoic and early Mesozoic geological units from Japan to Primorye over the Japan Sea. The early Paleozoic ophiolites are present on both sides, and the late Paleozoic ophiolite of south‐western Japan may also have its counterpart in Primorye. The Shaiginskiy HP schist and the associated Avdakimov gneiss in Primorye, both tectonically underlying the early Paleozoic ophiolitic complex, yield a 250‐Ma phengite and hornblende K–Ar age, which is intermediate between those of the Renge (280–330 Ma) and Suo (170–220 Ma) blueschists in south‐western Japan. This age also coincides with that of the coesite‐bearing eclogites in the Sulu–Dabie suture in China and several medium‐pressure metamorphic rocks in East Asia. On the basis of these results and other geological data, the authors propose the 'Yaeyama promontory' model for an eastward extension of the Sulu–Dabie suture. The collision suture warps southward into the Yellow Sea and detours around Korea, turns to the north at Ishigaki Island in the Yaeyama Archipelago of Ryukyu, where it changes into a subduction zone and further continues toward south‐western Japan and Primorye. Most ophiolites from this area represent crust–mantle fragments of an island arc–back‐arc basin system, and the repeated formation of ophiolite–blueschist associations may be due to the repetition of the Mariana‐type non‐accreting subduction and Nankai‐type accreting subduction.


Abstract A taxonomic revision of the Central American genus Mesoamerantha I. Ramírez & K. Romero is here presented. Each species entry includes full nomenclature, a morphological description, distributional and phenological data, a discussion of affinities, illustrations, and a conservation assessment following IUCN guidelines. In addition, epitypes are proposed for M. dichroantha (Donn. Sm.) I. Ramírez & K. Romero, a species endemic to Guatemala, and for M. malvernii (Gilmartin) I. Ramírez & K. Romero, a species restricted to Honduras and Nicaragua, the holotypes of which represent a single sex and are not sufficient for unambiguous identification. An artificial key is also included in order to identify live as well as herbarium specimens of all taxa.


Mixed-linkage glucan (MLG) is a component of the cell wall (CW) of grasses and is composed of glucose monomers linked by β-1,3 and β-1,4 bonds. MLG is believed to have several biological functions, such as the mobilizable store of carbohydrates and structural support of the CW. The extracellular levels of MLG are largely controlled by rates of synthesis mediated by cellulose synthase-like (CSL) enzymes, and turnover by lichenases. Economically important crops like sorghum accumulate MLG to variable levels during development. While in sorghum, like other grasses, there is one major MLG synthase (CSLF6), the identity of lichenases is yet unknown. To fill this gap, we identified three sorghum lichenases (SbLCH1-3) and characterized them in leaves in relation to the expression of SbCSLF6, and the abundance of MLG and starch. We established that SbLCH1-3 are secreted to the apoplast, consistent with a role of degrading MLG extracellularly. Furthermore, while SbCSLF6 expression was associated with cell development, the SbLCH genes exhibited distinct development-, cell type-specific and diel-regulated expression. Therefore, our study identifies the sorghum MLG lichenases and highlights that MLG accumulation in sorghum leaves is likely controlled by the activity of lichenases that tune MLG levels, possibly to suit distinct cell and developmental needs in planta. These findings have important implications for improving the growth, yield, and composition of sorghum as a feedstock.