To reduce harmonic distortion of the input current, multipulse rectifiers are used. They require the presence of phase-shifting transformers or auto transformers. Elimination of electromagnetic phase-shifting devices while maintaining small harmonic distortion of the input current and obtaining a power factor close to unity is possible with the use of electronic phase shift. The electronic phase shift is realized by means of the rectifier itself: the introduction of positive and negative control angles in the pairs of rectifiers' modules. At present, 12-pulse rectifiers with electronic phase shift are known. Unlike classic rectifiers, they do not use phase-shifting transformers and have a unit power factor. Increasing of the rectifier's pulse makes it possible to improve the harmonic composition of the input current. The use of the principle of electronic phase shift in 18-pulse rectifier leads to different levels of constant voltage at the output of the rectifiers. In this case, to equalize the currents of rectifiers' modules, one can use both an increase the voltage at the input of rectifiers operating with large control angles and a decrease the input voltage of the rectifiers operating with smaller control angles. The principles of constructing of matching auto transformers for the 18-pulse rectifier with an electronic phase shift are considered in the article. Comparison of 18-pulse rectifiers with use of step-up and step-down auto transformers is made. Data on the installed capacity of auto transformers, power losses are obtained. The results of thermophysical modeling are presented. When comparing the parameters of the matching magnetic elements, it can be concluded that it is more appropriate to use a step-down autotransformer.


Daddy long-legs spiders are common inhabitants of tropical and subtropical caves around the globe. Numerous species have evolved troglomorphisms, including the loss of body pigments and eyes. Here we describe the first troglomorphic pholcids from Australia and Réunion. Belisana coblynau Huber & Clark, sp. nov. was extracted from mining boreholes in the arid West Australian Pilbara region. It represents a genus that is widespread in tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, reaching the tropical north and east of Australia. Belisana coblynau is thus presumably a relict whose epigean ancestor lived in the area before the aridification of Australia starting in the early Cenozoic. Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove, sp. nov. was collected in Grotte de La Tortue on Réunion, one of the oldest lava tubes on the island (~300,000 years). Congeneric species are known from East Africa, and the genus does not seem to have reached Madagascar. Since Pholcidae do not balloon, the now extinct epigean ancestor of Buitinga ifrit probably reached the island by highly accidental means (such as rafts or storms).


This study examines the relationships between alcohol taxation, drinking during pregnancy, and infant health. Merged data from the US Natality Detailed Files, as well as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1985–2002), data regarding state taxes on beer, wine, and liquor, a state- and year-fixed-effect reduced-form regression were used. Results indicate that a one-cent ($0.01) increase in beer taxes decreased the incidence of low-birth-weight by about 1–2 percentage points. The binge drinking participation tax elasticity is −2.5 for beer and wine taxes and −9 for liquor taxes. These results demonstrate the potential intergenerational impact of increasing alcohol taxes.


In order to evaluate potential scale-up issues associated with the fabrication of highperformance complex-shaped SiC/SiC engine components, high-modulus Sylramic-iBN SiC fiber tows were used to form nine different tubular architectural preforms with 13 mm (0.5") inner diameter and lengths of ~ 75 and 230 mm (~3 and ~9"). The thin-walled preforms were then coated with a BN interphase and densified with a hybrid SiC matrix using nearly the same process steps previously established for slurry-cast melt-infiltrated Sylramic-iBN/BN/SiC flat panels. The as-fabricated CMC tubes were microstructurally evaluated and tested for tensile hoop and flexural behavior, and some of the tubes were also tested in a low-pressure burner rig test with a high thru-thickness thermal gradient. To date, four general tube scale-up issues have been identified: (1) greater CVI deposits on outer wall than inner wall, (2) increased ply thickness and reduced fiber fraction, (3) poor test standards for accurately determining the hoop strength of a small-diameter tube, and (4) poor hoop strength for architectures with seams or ply ends. The underlying mechanisms and possible methods for their minimization are discussed. INTRODUCTION SiC/SiC composites are excellent candidate materials for high temperature structural applications where the components need to sustain long times in extremely hostile environments, such as those that exist in the hot-sections of advanced gas turbine engines [1] and in reusable space propulsion systems [2]. NASA has demonstrated fabrication of simple-shaped flat SiC/SiC panels that display state-of-the-art thermo-mechanical properties, such as as-fabricated proportional limit and ultimate tensile strengths of ~200 and 500 MPa, respectively; creeprupture lives up to 1000 hours at 1315°C in air; and the highest thru-thickness thermal conductivity currently available for any SiC/SiC panel [3, 4]. The thin-walled panels were formed by the balanced lay-up of 8 plies of two-dimensional (2D) 0/90 fabric produced by textile weaving of high-modulus high-performance Sylramic-iBN multi-fiber tows [5]. The flat architectural preforms were then chemically vapor infiltrated through the thickness with a BN interphase and a partial SiC matrix of pre-selected volume content. Remaining porosity in the partial matrix was then filled with slurry-cast SiC particulates followed by the high-temperature melt-infiltration (MI) of elemental silicon, resulting in a hybrid SiC matrix with ~2 vol. % intertow porosity. NASA is currently scaling up this MI SiC/SiC system by fabrication of more complex shaped hot-section engine components using the same fiber and nearly the same interphase and matrix processes, but different fiber architectures to best conform to the shape and NASA Resident Research Associate at Glenn Research Center.


The operational management of risk and internal controls (RIC) makes increasing use of visual representations to support tasks such as risk assessment and control activity definition. The strengths and weaknesses of different representations are typically assessed by cognitive theories that assume an analytical and an intuitive mode of information processing. Previous research has focused mainly on the analytical risk assessment while intuitive information processing has largely been neglected. We develop a theoretical argument based on dual-process theory, which explains why RIC representational alternatives influence different levels of information processing. We test our hypotheses with the help of an online experiment using accountants and operation managers recruited via MTurk (N = 166). Our results suggest that highlighting risk and controls in business process modeling and notation (BPMN) by using color improves risk understanding, control understanding, and the identification of control improvements, which help reduce the risk in a given process. Furthermore, we do not find evidence that the inclusion of color leads to perception biases. This has implications for information systems research, which has primarily addressed the analytical processing of conceptual models. Our findings extend cognitive research on such models by adding an intuitive processing path that can improve the user's risk management performance. For practitioners, our findings are particularly relevant because colors can be easily added as a secondary notation element without disguising the factual risk situation in processes.


This paper presents lightweight and flexible sensors for conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD). CTD sensors are heavily used in oceanography to determine the salinity, which is a critical factor in the determination of mixingdensity, currents, weather and more. The graphene sensors are fabricated by laser printing on flexible polyimide. They combine corrosion resistance with a good conductivity and piezoresistivity in a robust platform, enabling the detection of conductance, temperature, and pressure. The performance of the graphene sensor was demonstrated in harsh environments with pressures up to 12 MPa and prolonged exposure to highly saline seawater. The printed sensors are durable and lightweight, making ideal for use as stationary monitory sensors or attached to a wide range of marine animals.


It is a great honour and a formidable challenge to have been invited to deliver the 2013 Simon Brand Memorial Address to this gathering of the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa. The more I read about Simon Brand in preparation for this address, the more humbled I quickly became. His professional achievements, and more importantly his character, have provided inspiration in preparing this address.
Having chosen the commemoration of South Africa's 1913 Natives Land Act as its theme for the 2013 Annual Meeting, the AEASA Organising Committee has encouraged me to touch on the major land-related challenges in the broader region of sub-Saharan Africa. As complex and unique as South Africa's land issues are, I increasingly conclude that the same can be said for many if not most African countries, each with their own historical and political peculiarities. Generalisations therefore often invite trouble. However, one of the contributions of our profession derives from being able to identify underlying trends and patterns emerging out of apparent idiosyncrasies that are influencing the trajectory of economic development and which can guide public and private sector stakeholders. Hence, generalise I will - but not without considerable trepidation.


In Jakarta, the e-Business adoption has not only captured the interest of large organizations but has also been acknowledged and adopted by small, medium and micro sized enterprises. Mostly, these small and medium e-commerce-adopted companies are called Home-Based Business. The object of this research is a family home-based business which is adopted e-commerce system.  The commonly used software development method is System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), and The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is generally accepted as the standard modeling notation for the analysis and design of the object that oriented on software systems. This research concludes that a web-based system can addressed the need of home-based business to expand the market scope by the internet penetration as one alternative to do the business expansion.


The next generation of small form factor (SFF) microsystem technologies can only keep up with increased functionality and performance demands by using the third dimension. 3D integration technologies can be grouped into following distinct technology approaches: (i) 3D-monolithic IC integration, (ii) 3D stacking of IC-dies, wafers and packages, and (iii) 3D integrated packaging. This paper provides an overview on the various 3D integration and enabling technologies as well as the associated challenges that exist for SFF wireless system implementation with optimum cost and performance.


A gene cluster encoding enzymes responsible for the mevalonate pathway was isolated from Streptomyces griseolosporeus strain MF730-N6, a terpenoid-antibiotic terpentecin producer, by searching a flanking region of th 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase gene, which had been previously isolated by complementation. By DNA sequencing of an 8.9-kb BamHI fragment, 7 genes encoding geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS), mevalonate kinase (MK), mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDPD), phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK), isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) isomerase, HMG-CoA reductase, and HMG-CoA synthase were suggested to exist in that order. Heterologous expression of these genes in E. coli and Streptomyces lividans, both of which have only the nonmevalonate pathways, suggested that the genes for the mevalonate pathway were included in the cloned DNA fragment. The GGDPS, MK, MDPD, PMK, IPP isomerase, and HMG-CoA synthase were expressed in E. coli. Among them, the recombinant GGDPS, MK, and IPP isomerase were confirmed to have the expected activities. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, about eubacterial MK with direct evidence.


The aim of this study is to (1) investigate locals' perceptions of the positive and negative impacts of the XVII Mediterranean Games; (2) identify which perceptions of these impacts would predict locals' intention to support future sporting events and (3) discussing locals' support intentions towards future sporting events within the context of altruistic surplus phenomenon. The data was obtained through stratified sampling by gathering one on one questionnaire from 422 respondents, which were then analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results show that while locals mostly benefit from the XVII Mediterranean Games in the areas of "tourism infrastructure development" and 'image enhancementconsolidation', they are complaining about uncovered economic expectations. As a result of regression analysis "tourism resource development and urban revitalization" and "image enhancement and consolidation" variables have significantly predicted the locals' support intentions for the future sporting events. It is understood that the locals' positive perceptions far outweighed the effects of negative perceptions in terms of intentions to support hosting future sport events. When it comes to local's positive outlooks, effects of negative perceptions on support intention become insignificant which could be explained by the altruistic surplus phenomenon.


Hanson, ED, Srivatsan, SR, Agrawal, S, Menon, KS, Delmonico, MJ, Wang, MQ, and Hurley, BF. Effects of strength training on physical function: influence of power, strength, and body composition. J Strength Cond Res 23(9): 2627-2637, 2009-The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the effects of strength training (ST) on physical function and (b) the influence of strength, power, muscle volume (MV), and body composition on physical function. Healthy, inactive adults (n = 50) aged 65 years and older underwent strength, power, total body composition (% fat and fat free mass [FFM]), and physical function testing before and after 22 weeks of ST. Physical function testing consisted of tasks designed to mimic common physical activities of daily living (ADL). To improve internal validity of the assessment of mid-thigh intermuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, and knee extensors MV, a 10-week unilateral ST program using the untrained leg as an internal control preceded 12 weeks of whole-body ST. Strength, power, and FFM increased significantly with ST (all p < 0.05), whereas rapid walk, 5 chair stands, and get up and go time decreased significantly with ST in the overall group (all p < 0.05). Women improved significantly in both walking test times (both p < 0.05) but not in the stair climb test, whereas men improved in the stair climb test (p < 0.05) but not in walking test times. Multiple regression analysis revealed the highest R2 (0.28) for the change in chair stands time, followed by stair climb and usual walk at 0.27 and 0.21, respectively. ST improves performance in functional tasks important for ADLs. Changes in strength, power, and FFM are predictors of ST-induced improvements in these tasks.


Purpose: The CYP21A2 gene encodes the enzyme 21–hydroxilase, which is responsible for the production of steroids. These hormones are key mediators of sexual development and conception. Patients with 21–hydroxilase deficiency tend to be affected in different stages of life. The purpose of this study was to compare the genetic profiles of women with unexplained infertility problems with the genetic profiles of healthy controls. Furthermore, were analyzed associations between mutations of the CYP21A2 gene and various clinical and laboratory parameters.
Methods: We enrolled 300 women, diagnosed with unexplained infertility problems, into this retrospective study. For each subject, we recorded important clinical and laboratory parameters during different phases of the menstrual cycle. In the control group, we enrolled 100 samples. Each subject provided a blood sample, which was used to isolate DNA for subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results: In total, 11.6% of the test subjects exhibited significant hormonal deviations (HD) (estrogens and/ or progestins and/or total testosterone) and 5.3% were diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). We identified a significant association between the p.V281L mutation and the frequency of test subjects with significant HD (x2=6.99, p=0.01). A similar association was also observed between p.V281L mutation and the frequency of test subjects with PCOS (x2=16.78, p=0.00). However, we did not establish any associations between the frequency of mutations in test subjects when compared with controls. In addition, we did not find any significance in the frequency of CYP21A2 gene mutations and any of the laboratory parameters tested.
Conclusion: Our results identify a significant association of the p.V281L mutation in the CYP21A2 gene with the frequencies of both PCOS and significant HD.


Given the excessive power of Google and other large technology firms, transparency and accountability have turned into matters of great concern for organization scholars. So far, most studies adopt either a causal or critical perspective on the relationship between the two concepts. These perspectives are pitted against each other but share some basic assumptions – a fact which limits organization theory's ability to fully grasp the management of (digital) visibilities. To address these limitations, we therefore propose a third, constructive perspective on these concepts. A constructive perspective turns transparency and accountability from analytic resources into topics of inquiry, allowing organization scholars to study how people in and around organizations put them to work and with what consequences. We introduce sites of ethical contestation as a new methodological strategy to conduct surprising and unintuitive empirical research from a constructive perspective.


In this paper, the construction of digital representations of a terrestrial and celestial globe will be discussed. Virtual digital (3D) models play an important role in recent research and publications on cultural heritage. The globes discussed in this paper were made by Gerardus Mercator (1512 – 1594) in 1541 and 1551. Four techniques for the digital representation are discussed and analysed, all using high resolution photographs of the globes. These photographs were taken under studio conditions in order to get equal lighting and to avoid unwanted light spots. These lighting conditions are important, since the globes have a highly reflective varnish covering. Processing these images using structure from motion, georeferencing of separate scenes and the combination of the photographs with terrestrial laser scanning data results in true 3D representations of the globes. Besides, pseudo-3D models of these globes were generated using dynamic imaging, which is an extensively used technique for visualisations over the Internet. The four techniques and the consequent results are compared on geometric and radiometric quality, with a special focus on their usefulness for distribution and visualisation during an exhibition in honour of the 500 birthday of Gerardus Mercator.


Graphene electrodes provide a suitable alternative to metal contacts in molecular conduction nanojunctions. Here, we propose to use graphene electrodes as a platform for effective photon assisted tunneling through molecular conduction nanojunctions. We predict dramatic increasing currents evaluated at side-band energies ~ nħω (n is a whole number) related to the modification of graphene gapless spectrum under the action of external electromagnetic field of frequency ω. A side benifit of using doped graphene electrodes is the polarization control of photocurrent related to the processes occurring either in the graphene electrodes or in the molecular bridge. The latter processes are accompanied by surface plasmon excitation in the graphene sheet that makes them more efficient. Our results illustrate the potential of graphene contacts in coherent control of photocurrent in molecular electronics, supporting the possibility of single-molecule devices.


Considered technology functioning logistics center "frontier dry port" in handling frontier station. Developed the model of logistics technology, which will determine the optimal batch containers for shipment to the station of destination and time of its formation.


Climate change is fast becoming a global challenge, as most countries in the world have continue to increase their industrial capacities, resulting in increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Also, the increase in human population in Nigeria has caused increase in motor vehicles, thereby resulting to release of more gaseous pollutants to the atmosphere. This study examined contributions of vehicular emissions to climate change in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The concentration of air particulate matter and pollutants were monitored in three locations (Rumuokoro, Rumuola and Ada George) selected on the basis of traffic density. Air quality was monitored with MX6 Ibrid Multi gas monitors, MET ONE GT 321 for particulate matter, Davis Vantage Vue Weather Station for metrological parameters. Data on meteorological factors such as air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity were collected from the nearest weather station in Port Harcourt. Traffic records were taken at the designated locations using a close circuit television (Plate 5.1) in the morning, afternoon and evening respectively. All the parameters were monitored in each location, five days in a week every month for two years (2016-2017). The result of the analysis revealed that there was an increase in concentration of average air pollutants across the areas monitored between 2016 and 2017. The variation was attributed to increase in vehicular traffic volume and change in climatic conditions. This implies that emission rate from vehicles will continue to increase and contribute significantly to climate change, except measures are put in place to mitigate it.


Low cost, compact, electronically scanned antennas are needed for commercial as well as military applications. This antenna is being realized by constructing a Ka-band millimeter wave Rotman lens. Various lens designs were generated and input into a mathematical model. The core of the model is an integral equation formulation that relates the various field components in the waveguide apertures. The S-matrices output by the model were processed to provide beam patterns and insertion loss. The beam patterns, in turn, were evaluated to determine the sidelobe levels. Maximum sidelobe levels of the order of -30 dB and a one way insertion loss /spl les/3 dB were obtained with this modeling process.


Lake and reservoir ecosystems are regarded as heterotrophic detritus-based habitats which are dependent on both autochthonous and allochthonous organic matter for the majority of energy inputs. In particular, allochthonous detritus is in particular important for the trophic dynamics of microbial organisms, macroinvertebrates and benthic plants in freshwaters. Here, we assess macroinvertebrate colonisation, and quantify decomposition rates, of leaf litter from species of native and invasive plants in a small agricultural reservoir. Native fig Ficus sycomorus and silver cluster–leaf Terminalia sericea were compared to invasive tickberry Lantana camara and guava Psidium guajava, whereby macroinvertebrate colonisation was assessed over time. Leaf treatments had a significant, group-specific effect on abundances and composition among focal macroinvertebrates. Invasive leaves reduced Physidae and Oligochaeta abundances, yet Ostracoda were significantly more abundant in the presence of invasive P. guajava. Chironomidae relative abundances increased under invasive L. camara treatments, whilst differences among leaf treatment effects on Coenogrionidae abundances were not statistically clear. In turn, macroinvertebrate diversity did not differ significantly among plant treatment groups. The decomposition rate of the leaf litter demonstrated differences among the species, following a decreasing order of L. camara > F. sycomorus > T. sericea > P. guajava. The study results highlight that leaf litter species identity among invasive and native plants plays an important role in the colonisation of macroinvertebrates in small reservoirs, thereby differentially supporting aquatic environments and food webs. However, differences were not uniform across invader-native groupings. Nonetheless, certain invasive leaf litter decomposes faster than native litter, with possible implications for broader nutrient dynamics and subsequent community composition.


It has been demonstrated by many experiments carried out over the last 60 years that in certain liquids a single millimetre-sized bubble will rise within an unstable path, which is sometimes observed to transit from zigzag to spiral. After performing several groups of direct numerical simulations, the present work gives a theoretical explanation to reveal the physical mechanism causing the transition, and the results are presented in two parts. In the first part, in which a freely rising bubble is simulated, equal-strength vortex pairs are observed to shed twice during a period of the pure zigzag path, and this type of motion is triggered by the amounts of streamwise vorticities accumulated on the bubble interface, when a critical value is reached. However, when the balance between the counter-rotating vortices is broken, an angular velocity is induced between the asymmetric vortex pairs, driving the bubble to rise in an opposite spiral path. Therefore, although there is no preference of the spiral direction as observed in experiments, it is actually determined by the sign of the stronger vortex thread. In the second part, external vertical magnetic fields are imposed onto the spirally rising bubble in order to further confirm the relations between the vortex structures and the unstable path patterns. As shown in our previous studies (Zhang & Ni, Phys. Fluids, vol. 26 (10), 2014, 102102), the strength of the double-threaded vortex pairs, as well as the imbalance between them, will be weakened under magnetic fields. Therefore, as the vortex pairs become more symmetric, the rotating radius of the spirally rising bubble is observed to decrease. We try to answer the question, put forward by Shew et al. (2005, Preprint, ENS, Lyon), 'what caused the bubble to transit from zigzag to spiral naturally?'


Statistical criteria are needed by which to evaluate the potential success or failure of applications of small area estimation. A necessary step to achieve this is a protocol—a series of steps—by which to assess whether an instance of small area estimation has given satisfactory results or not. Most customary attempts at evaluation of small area techniques have deficiencies. Often, evaluation is not attempted. Every small area study requires an external evaluation. With proper planning, this can be routinely achieved, although at some cost, amounting to some sacrifice of efficiency of global estimates. We propose a Routine External Evaluation Protocol to allow us to judge whether, in a given survey, small area estimation has led to accurate results and sound inference.


Updating and querying on a range is a classical algorithmic problem with a multitude of applications. The Segment Tree data structure is particularly notable in handling the range query and update operations. A Segment Segment Tree divides the range into disjoint segments and merges them together to perform range queries and range updates elegantly. Although this data structure is remarkably potent for 1-dimensional problems, it falls short in higher dimensions. Lazy Propagation enables the operations to be computed in $O(logn)$ time in single dimension. However, the concept of lazy propagation could not be translated to higher dimensional cases, which imposes a time complexity of $O(n^{k-1} \; logn)$ for operations on $k$-dimensional data. In this paper, we have made an attempt to emulate the idea of lazy propagation differently so that it can be applied for 2-dimensional cases. Moreover, the proposed modification is capable of performing any general aggregate function similar to the original Segment Tree, and can also be extended to even higher dimensions. Our proposed algorithm manages to perform range queries and updates in $O(\log^2 n)$ time for a 2-dimensional problem, which becomes $O(\log^d n)$ for a $d$-dimensional situation.


We investigate effects of the axial anomaly term with a chiral-diquark coupling on the phase diagram within a two-plus-one-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model under the charge-neutrality and $\beta$-equilibrium constraints. We find that when such constraints are imposed, the new anomaly term plays a quite similar role as the vector interaction does on the phase diagram, which the present authors clarified in a previous work. Thus, there appear several types of phase structures with multiple critical points at low temperature $T$, although the phase diagrams with intermediate-$T$ critical point(s) are never realized without these constraints even within the same model Lagrangian. This drastic change is attributed to an enhanced interplay between the chiral and diquark condensates due to the anomaly term at finite temperature; the u-d diquark coupling is strengthened by the relatively large chiral condensate of the strange quark through the anomaly term, which in turn definitely leads to the abnormal behavior of the diquark condensate at finite $T$, inherent to the asymmetric quark matter. We note that the critical point from which the crossover region extends to zero temperature appears only when the strength of the vector interaction is larger than a critical value. We also show that the chromomagnetic instability of the neutral asymmetric homogenous two-flavor color superconducting(2CSC) phase is suppressed and can be even completely cured by the enhanced diquark coupling due to the anomaly term and/or by the vector interaction.


: Automatic text generation are widely used in various type of natural language processing systems. It is crucial to capture correct grammar for these systems to work. According to the recent studies, neural language models successfully acquire English grammar. However, it's not thoroughly investigated why the neural language models work. Therefore, fine-grained grammatical or syntactic analysis is important to assess neural language models. In this paper, we constructed grammatical evaluation methods to assess Japanese grammatical ability in neural language models by adopting a target evaluation approach. We especially focus on case marker and verb match in Japanese case grammar. In experiments, we report the grammatical ability of neural language model by comparing n-gram models. Neural language model performed better even some information lacks, while n-gram performs poorly. Also, Neural language model exhibited more robust performance for low frequency terms.


vulaions. .Valerian produced violeut-agitation, acsompauied"by phenomena rea6emblin those wb thTiotdures in,pthe cat.. ,M hetics produced excitement, follo*ed, hy sleep. Phosplhorus -Droduced, trembling; cantharides a 4tte 9f, excitement which camphor calmed. Veratrine produces a pricking of the nostrils, with disturbed vision. Jaborandi and pilocarpin produce sweating, and a flow of-saliva, with saccharine re-action., 3orio t,ese. experimenl; have ee:nadein the wards of M. Chateqt Aid tumpAtpaUier'.It Qr*obld 1At' w proposed to M. Burot to repeat his experiments at the Congress, and a day was fixed, but it was ippossible to fLnd, A hysterical, patient. In the Hygienic Settion of the`meeting at 'Grenoble' of the Society for the Advancement of Science, M. Rochard, chief iiedlical &officei of the navy, surveyed the question of vaccination, -and demongtrated the necessity .'of effecting a completereorganisation d of tjis ervioe in France. Small-pox kills, in Europe, 60, 00 people annually; pf tUeee, 7,000 are contributed by France. The' civil .population, pays the tribute. The army is all but free from small-pox, in consequence of vao6ination and constant re-vaccination being efltected. M. Rochard observes that, before decreeing that vaccination sh!ll be compulsory, it mg,st be made amenable to evervy one, aad he asks that a vaccination service shall be in regular working order' from one eni of France to the other. He suggests that a vaccinator should be appointed to each arrondissemexit. Twice a year every commune in it should be visited, the ehildren vaccinated,' and the adtlts Te-vaccinated. The medical officers would inform the subprefects 'of their proposed route before starting. They could.c4dose the manner ofvaccinating, provided they observed the general, rules laid down and sanctioned by experience. -Four' inspectors 'should be 'appointed to overlook the medical 'vawinators, and institute an inquiry whenever an epidemic of smallpox broke out. The inspector should send in a yearly report to the Minister, and mentioni the medical vaccinators who deserved being distinguished for the manner in which they performed their duties. M. -Rochard believes that this organisation would effect a saiting of 4,'000,000 to 5,000,000 francs yearly (£160,000 to £200,000). Dr. Tholozan, at a recent meeting of the Academie de. Medecine, obser.ved that since 1817 much has been said and written about cholera, but it has not yet' been demonstrated in 'what respect endemic, sporadic,; and epidemic forms of cholera differ one from the other. According to Dr. Tholozan, the symptoms in each form are identical. -The accuracy of the term "invading," used by the disciples of the dualist doctrine to characterise the epidemic form, Dr. Tholozan conSiders-questionable. It is probably not the cholera which is invading but that the population are peculiarly' disposed to be attacked by the malady. Epidemics begin by being sporadic, and at their end isolated cases ocomr, so that it is difficult to say when the epidemic form ends 'r the sporadic'begins. M. Tholozan agrees with M. Jules Guerin concerning the identity of the fornms of choleria but, unlike M. Gn6rin, he believes that Indian cholera is 'contagious. Careful study of Acts can alone help to establish the identity. If exotic 'epidemics (epide'mies ezotiques) were compared 'with ordinary epidemics of European eountries, perhaps, ashas been suiggested by Mi. Letti6 in reference to cholera, it might be proved th'at they'all have one origin. It. Arloing, in a note forwarded to the Academie des Sciences,' states that the vitality of the spores 'of the bacillus anthracis is considerably weakened when submitted to the 'influence' of the sun's rays. The possibility of utilising this action of the sun as a c'urative agent is suggested. M. Bouley presented before the'Academie des Sciences a second tote from M. Koubassoff on the migration of pathogenic microbes from the mother to the ;foetus "and milk. Not on since, it was believed that the placenta constituted' an' impassable barrier between the mother and t-he fcetus. Experiments made by M. 'Koubass6of indicate that this is not' so. He has: recognised the preence of the )acilli of charbon, 'of tubercle, and 6f measles (pork), in the pelvis of thie auimal attacked'by these maladies. At a recent' meeting of the Municipal Council, M. Georges Berry again called attention,to the ba smells prevadent in some of the Paris daistricts. 'The' Director of Public.Works did not deny that every year, I':ring the 'hot weathex, some parts of Pa'ris were pervaded by intolerable, smells; but the'4gre, not, he maintained, dang,erous to public h'alth. 'T'ey proceecd from, factories of 'sulhate, of ammonia. 'Theinhabitants of Bondy,,'4,,b4hrb 'situated nort d' Paris, have for' some time eqplained' of the' !Ireadful smells which proceed fromrfac1tPries of a company where 'lpl,ate of ammoni_ and manure are ,uanufactured4from night-soil. M. Dor6, one of the sufferers, brought, an action againast the ,company fox,,Oamages, his house and land being 'rindered' u4inhabitable. The caTse. was tried before theSeven,h hamber, whichde6dd itwas not competent to judge the question. A' sad event has' just'taken place at a lunatic asylum at' Leyme, in' the Depe6rtment;of Lot. One of thieepatients walked about thd;oori* dors in a state of excitement, asking to be,killed He itnepfiddn froput of the cell of another patient, rhb took him at his.wbrd(and strangled him. .When the uightlkeeper went his rounds, heIoind th deed body hanging b.a bar of the cell. M. Remehard, the chemist-.attaohedi to thei St. Lonis Hospital, has been tried for manslaughter frobiimprudeuce It appears that each hospital dispenser h a& certain quantity af medicinal substances in his custody. When he !fequires .any not in his possession, he procures it from a reserve-store near thlechief pharmdie&ns case of medicines. Not having eMu, de vie, Allemardein his -own case, he took it frogm .the .reserve-store. Thebottle he withdrew was labelled goutt ?noves; but ihe believedd it was a mistake, and its contents to be eas de vto llemnahde. An assistant in Ithe dispensary confirmed his opi*iot. The jidge observed that he should have consulted thb pr?namcis e9t chef, and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment, ,and to pay a fine of fifty francs.


AIM OF THE STUDY:
 1. To correlate the Surgical Apgar score with the patient's outcome in the form of complications (morbidity) including death within 30 days of surgery (30 day mortality).
2. To estimate other factors like age, sex, duration of injury, mode of injury, associated injuries, co-morbidities, and inter-relation of these factors in influencing the overall outcome of patient undergoing emergency laparotomy following trauma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
 108 randomly selected patients admitted at Madras Medical College & Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital, Chennai undergoing emergency laparotomy procedures following trauma. 108 randomly selected patients admitted at Madras Medical College & Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital, Chennai undergoing emergency laparotomy procedures following trauma
RESULTS:
 Road traffic accident appears to be the most common cause of trauma. Males are more affected than females. Spleen is the most commonly injured organ. Duration of injury was an important prognostic factor in prognosis of patient. Polytrauma patient had high morbidity and mortality.
CONCLUSION:
In our study, surgical Apgar score has proved to be an important tool in early detection of the complications and also in predicting mortality and morbidity with accuracy.
In our study, road traffic accidents was found to be the most common cause of trauma. Men were more affected than females. Incidence of injury was higher in age of 15-55 years.
10 point Apgar scoring system is superior in identifying the patients at risk of complications and 30 day mortality in Emergency surgeries.
Thus surgical Apgar score holds promise as both a prognostic measure and a clinical decision support tool based on this study.


Emotions seem to come and go as they please. However, we actually hold considerable sway over our emotions: We influence which emotions we have and how we experience and express these emotions. The process model of emotion regulation described here suggests that how we regulate our emotions matters. Regulatory strategies that act early in the emotion-generative process should have quite different outcomes than strategies that act later. This review focuses on two widely used strategies for down-regulating emotion. The first, reappraisal, comes early in the emotion-generative process. It consists of changing how we think about a situation in order to decrease its emotional impact. The second, suppression, comes later in the emotion-generative process. It involves inhibiting the outward signs of emotion. Theory and research suggest that reappraisal is more effective than suppression. Reappraisal decreases the experience and behavioral expression of emotion, and has no impact on memory. By contrast, suppression decreases behavioral expression, but fails to decrease the experience of emotion, and actually impairs memory. Suppression also increases physiological responding in both the suppressors and their social partners.


Markedly inhibitory effects of Ca(2+) on the growth of human tumor cells were attained through the induction of apoptosis in vitro. On the other hand, a good correlation between the growth inhibition effects of Ca(2+) and the amounts of phosphatidylserines (PS) in the cell membranes (plasma membranes) was obtained. Furthermore, the decrease of membrane fluidity and the localization of lipid microdomains "lipid rafts" in the cell membranes were observed in the presence of Ca(2+). The findings in this study suggest that Ca(2+) could induce apoptosis toward tumor cells through the localization of lipid rafts in plasma membranes by the specific interactions between extracellular Ca(2+) and PS.


Dihomogammalinolenic acid is derived from gammalinolenic acid, administration of which suppresses joint inflammation. It is reported here that interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) production by human monocytes is enhanced markedly when cells are incubated 18-24 h with the polyunsaturated fatty acids dihomogammalinolenic acid (DGLA) and arachidonic acid (AA), then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on IL-1beta production are minimal, and palmitic acid (PA) does not influence IL-1beta production.


Trends in Australian inequality across the twentieth century are now well documented and they closely replicate trends in every other advanced economy: from WWI to the 1970s, inequality fell steeply everywhere, and from the 1970s to the present, it rose just as steeply. Despite following a similar trajectory, Australia remained more egalitarian throughout. Why has it been exceptional and what are its origins? Our previous work has found plenty of evidence documenting a steep fall in Australian income and earnings inequality from 1820 to 1870 (Panza and Williamson 2019a). This paper answers two additional questions. First, what was the level of inequality around 1870 after the fall? While we cannot speak to income inequality in 1870, we do find that earnings inequality was much lower in Australia than in the United States, the United Kingdom, and presumably the rest of Europe. Second, we find that there was no rise in Australian earnings inequality over the half century 1870-1910, but rather a modest fall. These findings rely on the use of an array of primary sources – especially the underutilized government Blue Books reporting annual earnings of an impressive range of white collar occupations – as well as better known secondary sources reporting the earnings of manual workers and farm labor. These occupational (average) earnings data are merged with occupational employment data taken from the censuses to construct social tables for Australia's 1870 earnings distribution. We do the same for postfederation 1910 Australia. This exercise establishes that the source of modern Australia's relative egalitarianism is the middle third of the colonial nineteenth century. We also apply Goldin-Katz (2008) analysis to the half century 1870-1910 thus to identify the sources of slow skill demand and fast skill supply growth. Australia missed a rise up some Kuznets Curve before World War I, a rise so common in Europe and most of its offshoots.


O-Linked fucose is an unusual form of glycosylation recently shown to modify the hydroxyls of serine or threonine residues at a strict consensus site within epidermal growth factor-like domains of several serum proteins. Here we demonstrate that Chinese hamster ovary cells modify numerous proteins withO-linked fucose and that the fucose is elongated on specific proteins. We have identified at least two forms ofO-linked fucose elongation in Chinese hamster ovary cells: a disaccharide (Glcβ1,3Fuc) and a larger oligosaccharide of indeterminate structure. Interestingly, it appears that the level of monosaccharide accumulates in the cells over time whereas the disaccharide does not. Analysis of the O-linked fucose-containing saccharides on individual proteins revealed that some proteins are modified with the monosaccharide only, whereas others are modified with monosaccharide and disaccharide, or monosaccharide and oligosaccharide. These results suggest that elongation of theO-linked fucose monosaccharide is a protein-specific phenomena. The presence of elongated O-linked fucose moieties suggests that a novel glycosylation pathway exists in mammalian cells with O-linked fucose as the core.


Fatty acids have to be removed from non-mineral oil for several purposes. In the refining of edible oils and fats they have to be removed as a contaminant. In the enzymatic hydrolysis of oils, a high content in fatty acids results in a reduced conversion rate. In order to maintain a sufficiently high reaction rate they will have to be removed, preferably in-line. The conventional separation method is the caustic refining process, in which alkali is added to the fatty acid containing oil, resulting in the formation of the sodium salts of the fatty acids (soapstock). Then the soapsock is separated from the oil by centrifugation. However, this soapstock contains considerable amounts of triglycerides (about 50%), which have to be considered as a loss. For this reason, caustic refining of oils containing high concentrations of fatty acids is not an economical process. In this thesis two alternative processes for the separation of fatty acids from oil are presented, with the common feature that membranes are used in a two-phase environment. It is the aim of this thesis to study the engineering and physico-chemical phenomena that are relevant for the operation of these processes. In the first process, alkali is added to the oil in order to form the sodium salts of the fatty acids. Additionally, 2-propanol is added to solubilize the soapstock thus formed, resulting in a twophase system. The water phase contains the fatty acid salts dissolved in a water/2-propanol mixture and the oil phase merely contains triglycerides and a trace amount of 2-propanol. This two-phase system can be separated into its two phases by a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic membrane in series. In chapter 2 the nature of the two-phase system and the permeation behaviour of the water phase through the hydrophilic membrane have been investigated. It appears, that both the oil and the water phase are present as a continuous phase between 20 and 65% water phase in the dispersion. Above 20% water phase, the flux through the membrane is merely determined by the hydrodynamic membrane resistance, provided that the membrane is entirely wetted by the water phase. Below 20% water phase, the water phase is present as dispersed droplets in oil. At the transition from a continuous into a discrete water phase the permeation flux drops almost stepwise to a value close to zero. When in the system described in chapter 2, a concentrated NaCl solution is circulated at the permeate side of the cellulose membrane, initially a flux reversed to the normal permeation flux is observed. After some time the flux changes direction and becomes 2 to 10 times larger than it would be based on the pressure difference over the membrane. These effects cannot be accounted for using the classical Fickian diffusion theory. In chapter 3 it is shown that the flux changes can be explained qualitatively using the Maxwell-Stefan diffusion theory. It appeared, that commercially available hydrophobic membranes were incapable of separating the oil phase from this dispersion. As the preliminary requirement to solve this problem, chapter 4 describes a method that has been developed to measure hydrophobicities of membranes. When a piece of membrane is submerged in a liquid, air bubbles will adhere to the membrane when the surface tension of the liquid is high. Decreasing the surface tension of the liquid yields a transition from adhesion to non-adhesion. The surface tension of the liquid at which this transition occurs can be compared to the critical surface tension as is commonly used to characterize polymeric surfaces. In chapter 5 the adsorption is measured of a surfactant in water/2-propanol mixtures onto surfaces that vary in hydrophobicity. Adsorption appears to occur in three regions: "tail down" adsorption on hydrophobic surfaces, "head down" adsorption on hydrophilic surfaces, and a very small region in between, where adsorption is absent. A membrane that possesses a hydrophobicity belonging to this region appears to be capable of separating the oil phase from the dispersion selectively. The second system for the removal of fatty acids from oil consists of a membrane extraction step, using 1,2-butanediol as a selective extractant. When water is added to the fatty acid containing 1,2-butanediol, the system demixes in a fatty acid phase dispersed in a 1,2-butanediol/water mixture. After phase separation, water has to be removed from the 1,2-butanediol, which can be reused as extractant. In chapter 6 extraction of fatty acids from oil has been investigated. In order to obtain a stable system, it is necessary to use rather dense membranes. This results in relatively high mass transfer resistances and hence in large surface areas for extraction. Due to the fact that the mass transfer coefficients vary significantly with fatty acid chain length, it appears to be possible to fractionate a fatty acid mixture. In chapter 7 membrane cascades for the separation of binary mixtures have been investigated. Calculations based on a McCabe-Thiele diagram show that, for permeabilities and selectivities commonly found for reverse osmosis membranes, permeability is the parameter on which improvements have to be made when a minimum total membrane surface area is required. Finally, in chapter 8 some implications of the work described in this thesis have been discussed. The two systems descibed for the separation of fatty acids from oil are capable to perform this separation selectively and at mild conditions. Two future implications that require further investigations are discussed. The first one is the separation of emulsions using membranes. Secondly, tailoring membranes for special applications and in order to reduce fouling are possible applications that require further investigations.


Integral experiments can be used to adjust nuclear data libraries. Here a Bayesian Monte Carlo method based on assigning weights to the different random files is used. If the experiments are inconsistent within them-self or with the nuclear data it is shown that the adjustment procedure can lead to undesirable results. Therefore, a technique to treat inconsistent data is presented. The technique is based on the optimization of the marginal likelihood which is approximated by a sample of model calculations. The sources to the inconsistencies are discussed and the importance to consider correlation between the different experiments is emphasized. It is found that the technique can address inconsistencies in a desirable way.


Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are inflammatory diseases characterized by slow and progressive destruction of alveolar-capillary functional units, often leading to respiratory failure and death. A first stage of alveolitis and a following stage of fibrosis provoke an anatomical distortion of the peripheral airways and the interstitium, and for their smoldering evolution and non-specificity of symptoms ILDs may remain undiagnosed and untreated for a long time. In this review we exploited the immunopathogenetic aspects and the therapeutical approaches to this frequently unrecognized and severe disease.


The Merensky Unit, Bushveld Complex, is commonly described using genetic terms such as "cyclic unit", typically without careful consideration of the connotations. We suggest that this contributes to the debate on processes forming the unit. This study integrates an extensive field study with detailed petrographic and textural analyses of the Merensky Unit to determine whether it is a "cyclic unit" sensu stricto. The study indicates that the bulk of the platinum-bearing chromitite-feldspathic orthopyroxenite developed through heterogeneous nucleation and in situ growth during multiple replenishment events. The overlying leuconorite developed above a gradational boundary, reflecting mixing following replenishment by a relatively more evolved magma. The bulk of this unit also formed in situ. The uppermost poikilitic anorthosite formed above a distinct boundary through a subsequent injection of a plagioclase-saturated magma, which crystallised in situ. Processes of gravitational settling and local remobilisation of crystals cannot be discounted from contributing to the development of the unit. The final textures throughout the unit developed through pervasive textural equilibration, with extensive fluid-mediated textural equilibration forming the megacrystic feldspathic orthopyroxenite. The evidence for at least five replenishment events indicates that the Merensky Unit is not a cyclic unit; therefore, the genetic term, "Merensky Cyclic Unit", is misleading and its use should be carefully considered in future work.


Questions

We investigated some commonly held assumptions of community assembly theory needed to provide accurate predictions of changes in plant species assemblages across environmental gradients or following environmental change. Do (1) dominant and subordinate species respond in the same way to changes in environmental variables; (2) plant species assemblages show higher interspecific than intraspecific trait responses; and (3) co-existing dominant species differ in their responses to the same environmental variables?

Location

Islands in Lakes Uddjaure and Hornavan, northern Sweden.

Methods

We explored the responses of forest understorey vegetation assemblages to variation in environmental resources across a chronosequence of 30 lake islands that differ in fire history, above-ground and below-ground resource availability and species diversity. For one plot on each island, we measured specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and foliar N and P of all dominant and subordinate understorey plant species to assess species-specific and weighted and non-weighted community-level trait responses to variation across islands in all major local environmental drivers.

Results

Consistent with our expectations, we found that species responses to environmental conditions were not homogenous within assemblages, and that responses of dominant and subordinate species differed. Further, intraspecific variation was often an important component of local-scale plant community-level responses. Responses were often relatively consistent across species, but dominant species sometimes showed contrasting responses of the same trait to the same environmental factor. Finally, environmental factors that influenced community average trait values also affected functional diversity.

Conclusions

This study has shown that several common assumptions that underpin community assembly theory do not necessarily hold, and this can cause inaccuracies in predicting plant functional composition responses to changes in environmental variables. Because these assumptions are central to current models that predict vegetation responses to environmental change, it is crucial to further test in which particular environmental context and to what extent these assumptions are critical for model accuracy.


In recent years, the issue of socialization of people with hearing impairment is becoming more currently important. For adequate human communication in society, it is extremely important to the quality and quantity of information, which can be perceived, analyzed and reproduced by the auditory and communication sensory system. In specialized institutions, the process of training a category of people with a disturbed state of the auditory analyzer occurs in two languages: Sign language and Ukrainian. At the same time, the diagnosis of hearing through speech in most diagnostic centers in Ukraine is carried out in Russian language and according to the methodology developed in the Soviet Union. Pressing issue today is the creation of Ukrainian articulation diagnostic tables, taking into consideration the specifics of the modern Ukrainian language and the ability to upgrade them to different regions of the country. This will allow to carry out inspection on the state language, not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, where the Ukrainian-speaking immigrants live. Due to the lack of normative documents for the selection of speech material for diagnostic tables, there is a need to develop a unified methodology for the compilation of articulation tables. The approach should be based on objective data of checking the typicality of the selected dictionary material for a given language. The first step in solving this problem is to analyze the existing Ukrainian-language articulation tables and compare them with the currently known selection criteria, taking into account the specifics of the language. The article presents the results of the analysis of rhythmic-dynamic structure of the existing Ukrainian-diagnostic articulation tables created two groups of authors. The performed analysis serves as a primary assessment of the correspondence of the used speech material to the basic phonological characteristics of the Ukrainian language. Obtained comparative histogram of the frequency of the use of letters in the Ukrainian alphabetic in speech material, made comparison of the number of syllables in selected words, the ratio of stressed and unstressed syllables, open and closed syllables in the words endings. As well, as assay of the use in one of the variants of tables of words in arbitrary cases. As a result, there are significant differences, which confirms the need for a more objective approach to the tabulation of all of the parameters considered between the tables. An important conclusion is that all the analyzed material does not correspond to the typical phonological estimates of the Ukrainian language. The data obtained in the work can be used in further development of the criteria for selecting the speech material of diagnostic tests, particularly, actual for today DRT-tests for determining hearing loss in children. Ref. 13, fig. 2, tabl. 3.


A current loss happens in the load section of an X-pinch, and it most possibly results from a vacuum breakdown somewhere from the side top of the cathode outward to the anode. The current loss was avoided by shortening the a-c gap, which is the gap between the anode and the cathode. It was found that the shortening of the a-c gap has reduced the impedance of the a-c gap, leading to a reduced impedance of the load section. The smaller impedance has two effects. If the incident voltage wave to the load section is kept unchanged, the voltage applied to the load section is lowered due to the lesser reflection as a result of the smaller impedance of the load section. If the voltage applied to the load section is kept unchanged, the voltage applied to the a-c gap is reduced due to a decreasing percentage of the a-c gap impedance in the load impedance. Both effects work together to reduce, in turn, the voltage applied to a-c gap and the electric field in the region close to the side top of the cathode, which avoids the breakdown as well as the current loss.


A method is described for the fabrication of magnetic force microscopy tips via localized electrodeposition and focused ion beam milling departing from commercial tapping mode tips. Very high aspect ratios and interacting magnetic moments are possible without altering significantly the tapping resonant frequency of the cantilever. These tips can achieve high magnetic resolution at room temperature and open atmosphere. They can also be fabricated into any shape, with applications for ferromagnetic resonance measurements and nano-imprinting.


A design for a 100-nm bandwidth Raman amplifier is presented. The amplifier is pumped with eight, 130-mW lasers with wavelengths ranging from 1416 to 1502 nm. The peak-to-peak gain ripple is 1.1 dB. A new model was developed for this design that includes pump-to-pump and signal-to-signal interactions in addition to double Rayleigh scattering and amplified spontaneous emission. An understanding of the interactions among these various effects was essential to this design. These modeling results are based on measurements of the physical characteristics of the transmission fiber.


Abstract The paper reviews studies on prelinguistic infants' gestures and the evidence for deictic and for symbolic gestural communication before language. First, recent and new studies demonstrate that prelinguistic infants communicate in complex ways with deictic gestures, in particular pointing, and that pointing is closely related to the emergence of language. These ontogenetic findings thus support gestural origins and social-pragmatic accounts of human communication and show that human communication emerges first in deictic gestures and is based on social-cognitive and motivational skills that run much deeper than language alone. Second, however, a review of other, non-deictic gestures suggests that prelinguistic infants use these other gestures initially low-frequently, non-representationally, and with little or no direct relation to language. These findings qualify gestural origins accounts and suggest, based on the cognitive complexities underlying the symbolic use of manual actions, that fully representational gestures instead emerge after, or even because of language, and possibly as co-speech gestures. The review of the evidence both supports and challenges gestural origins accounts of language and provides a differentiated perspective on gestures in the ontogeny -and likewise evolution- of language.


A highly efficient thin-film luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) utilizing two π-conjugated polymers as antennae for small amounts of the valued perylene bisimide Lumogen F Red 305 is presented. The LSC exhibits high photoluminescence quantum yield, low reabsorption, and relatively low refractive indices for waveguide matching. A Monte Carlo simulation predicts the LSC to possess exceptionally high optical efficiencies on large scales.


This study compares foreign-born adolescents' psychological well-being with that of their native-born peers, and explores whether supports from family and school can contribute to the psychological well-being of this unique age group. Using the California Health Interview Survey's Adolescent Questionnaire 2003, this study finds that the additional risk factors stemming from the stresses of migration, resettlement, and assimilation do not necessarily lessen foreign-born adolescents' sense of psychological well-being. Foreign-born adolescents' unique family environment, life experiences, and/or cultural norms have a protective effect on them and support their development. Social services and interventions therefore should focus on strengthening immigrant families, building strong ties between families and schools, and developing cultural programs geared to the various immigrant groups.


Boron nitride (BN) thin films with cubic boron nitride (c-BN) phase were prepared on the (100)-oriented surface of n-Si (0.008–0.02 Ωm) by rf magnetron sputtering physical vapour deposition. The c-BN content is determined to be around 50% by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the BN thin films. The field emission characteristics of BN films were measured in an ultrahigh vacuum system. It is found that the field emission of the BN film with c-BN phase is evidently more excellent than that without c-BN phase. A turn-on field of 5 V/μm and a current of 460 μA/cm2 were obtained for the BN film with c-BN phase. The Fowler–Nordheim plots of emission characteristics of BN films indicate a straight line, which suggests the presence of the FN tunnelling.


The major purpose of this study is to justify construction method of a hybrid structure in core area with construction complexity due unsafe excavation conditions and tries to define its rigidity and strength. Both RCC and Frame structure transfer same load to ground through foundation but the transfer mechanism varies. In some practical condition, building construction should be carried out in compact areas with unsafe adjoining building where adequate excavation for foundation cannot be carried out. In such cases, one bay hybrid structure is proposed for construction with combined RCC frame structure and load bearing walls. In these combined cases, both structures works as same unit to transfer building load but the transfer pattern varies. The variable load transfer pattern is due to discontinuity in structural system which also effect on seismic response of the building. The placement of a masonry load bearing structure in RCC frame structure varies design of all structural components of the building. To study actual behavior of hybrid structure in various load condition and introducing cost minimization techniques of buildings structural analysis was carried using ETABS 2016 with composite structural arrangement and with induction of load bearing wall as structural component. By which seismic behavior of building in both cases was obtained as well as reduction in rebar percentage and dimensional reduction of structural components can be achieved.Journal of the Institute of Engineering, 2017, 13(1): 117-124


Due to the steep and changing fast rising edge of explosion shock wave signal, it asks for good dynamic characteristic of sensor and test system. As far as the development of the sensor level, they are difficult to achieve dynamic characteristic requirement of approximate distortionless transmission, so cause a large dynamic error in the actual test. This paper, aiming at providing theoretical support for technology guarantee and service of the shock wave testing system of national shooting range, conducts a research on the method of dynamic characteristic compensation of pressure sensor facing the power evaluation of the blast shock wave. The research proposes and studies the filter design method of dynamic compensation of pressure sensor based on PFQPSO (the progressive function quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization) algorithm, which belongs to inverse modeling. The dynamic compensation can be realized without knowing the model of sensor, so the extra error caused by dynamic modeling of sensors can be avoided. using 8510 series sensor can be used with lower natural frequency and lower measurement range from Endevco Company, this research has had experiment and modeling on the dynamic characteristics of shock tubes as well as design of dynamic compensation filter. Based on the analysis and confirmation, this study illustrates the possibility and effectiveness of this method.


This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Methodology). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness of design-based methods to influence the completeness of item response to self-administered questionnaires. This will be achieved by assessing the effects of aspects of style, appearance and layout of self-administered questionnaires on the proportion of items completed in returned questionnaires.


A simple model for the propagation of an exothermic reaction is proposed accounting for reactant depletion and for heat transport via advection (wind). To study travelling-wave solutions, we assume that the reactant ignites at a specified temperature. The speed of propagation of the resulting combustion wave depends on ambient wind conditions. This dependence on wind conditions is determined explicitly for simple reaction dependence on temperature, and stability is examined. An existence criterion is determined for general reaction dependence on temperature. It is shown that no travelling wave can exist if there is too great a headwind and that tailwinds do not cause such extinction. We also determine conditions on the reaction rate term for which only a single temperature maximum is allowed. Numerically obtained temperature profiles are included to demonstrate these results.


ABSTRACT The effects of two functional domains, the membrane-proximal YXXΦ motif and the membrane-distal inhibitory sequence in the long cytoplasmic tail of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope protein (Env), on immunogenicity of the envelope protein were investigated. Genes with codons optimized for mammalian expression were synthesized for the HIV 89.6 Env and a truncated Env with 50 amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain to delete the membrane distal inhibitory sequence for surface expression. Additional genes were generated in which the tyrosine residue in the YXXΦ motif was changed into a serine. Pulse-chase radioactive labeling and immunoprecipitation studies indicated that both domains can mediate endocytosis of the HIV Env, and removal of both domains is required to enhance HIV Env protein surface stability. Analysis of immune responses induced by DNA immunization of mice showed that the DNA construct for the mutant Env exhibiting enhanced surface stability induced significantly higher levels of antibody responses against the HIV Env protein. Our results suggest that the HIV Env cytoplasmic domain may play important roles in virus infection and pathogenesis by modulating its immunogenicity.


There are currently 580 million people worldwide considered to be of Hispanic origin. In the US Hispanics represent 17% of the population and its largest ethnic minority. Funded by NIH, Moffitt Cancer Center (Florida) and Ponce School of Medicine (Puerto Rico) initiated a partnership that conducts high-quality research, training, and community outreach focusing on cancer health disparities among Hispanics. A central component to this partnership is the establishment of the first cancer-focused biobank in the island, the Puerto Rico BioBank (PRBB). The PRBB has actively recruited cancer patients since 2009; over these years we have established essential collaborations and a functional infrastructure. Eligible cancer patients provide informed consent and agree to donate blood samples (for DNA) and solid tissue(fresh-frozen & paraffin embedded). Additionally, patients complete a comprehensive questionnaire related to clinical and lifestyle factors. Biospecimen collection at the PHSU follow standard operating procedures that mirror and often exceed NCI biobaking best practices for biospecimens and ensuring patient data confidentiality. Currently, the PRBB has over 1,100 consented patients (65.8% females, 34.2% males) all of Hispanic origin. The most common banked tumors are Breast, Prostate, Lung and Endometrium, although other tumors are represented. All the information and data are entered into a biospecimen management system (BMS) developed by the partnership, which allows for real-time biospecimen inventory management and reporting functionality. In conclusion, the Puerto Rican patient samples banked in the PRBB are a unique resource that can support multiple molecular and population studies. Also, a Hispanic-specific biobank can foster collaborations among local and international researchers that may facilitate the application of novel molecular techniques to solving cancer health disparities among Hispanics. Citation Format: Patricia Casbas-Hernandez, Idhaliz Flores, Edward Seijo, Domenico Coppola, Steve Eschrich, Rodrigo Carvajal-Pelaez, Sonia Abac, Dagmar Correa, Edna Gordian, Teresita Munoz-Antonia. Puerto Rico BioBank: The first cancer tissue biobank at a US Hispanic-serving institution. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1787A.


Four water immiscible ionic liquids (ILs): 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-heptyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate have been synthesized. Polycarbonate (PC) films containing ILs were prepared by solvent casting from methylene chloride solutions. Scanning electron microscopy measurements showed the high homogeneity of PC/IL films with the IL content up to 4 wt %. The tendency to IL aggregation was observed for polymeric films with higher IL content (5%). PC/IL composites were found to have the reduced ther- mal decomposition temperature under both an air and a nitrogen atmosphere in comparison with the neat PC. The effect of IL con- tent on the antimicrobial activity of PC films against Escherichia coli bacteria was studied. Pronounced antimicrobial efficacy was revealed for PC/IL films for all studied ILs starting from 3 wt % of IL. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40050.


Cognitive ability in Mathematics has been widely discussed in various platforms. A total of 248 students from two schools in Tapah was selected in this study. The result showed that the cognitive level for of the students of SMK Sri Tapah and SMK Buyong Adil was found to be at moderate level where the score for each of the cognitive level lies between 20% to 50 %. Furthermore, this study identified the existence of a moderate relationship between all cognitive levels by using Correlation Analysis. Meanwhile, Mann Whitney test was used to test the differences of students performance from both schools and it showed that the students from SMK Buyong Adil were statistically greater for Knowing level (C1) SMK Buyong Adil (Mdn=0.5 marks), Understanding level (C2) (Mdn=0.5 marks), Applying level (C3) (Mdn=0.5 marks), Creating level (C6) (Mdn=1 marks) than students from SMK Sri Tapah. However, students from SMK Sri Tapah were found to be greater in Evaluating level (C5) (Mdn=1 marks) than students from SMK Buyong Adil. Overall this study found that the level of cognitive ability in both schools in Tapah is still at a moderate level and have to be improved.


Recent evidence suggests that Americans' beliefs about upward mobility are overly optimistic. Davidai & Gilovich (2015a), Kraus & Tan (2015), and Kraus (2015) all found that people overestimate the likelihood that a person might rise up the economic ladder, and underestimate the likelihood that they might fail to do so. However, using a different methodology, Chambers, Swan and Heesacker (2015) reported that Americans' beliefs about mobility are much more pessimistic. Swan, Chambers, Heesacker and Nero (2017) provide a much-needed summary of these conflicting findings and question the utility of measuring population-level biases in judgments of inequality and mobility. We value their summary but argue that their conclusion is premature. By focusing on measures that best tap how laypeople naturally think about the distribution of income, we believe that researchers can draw meaningful conclusions about the public's perceptions of economic mobility. When more ecologically representative measures are used, the consistent finding is that Americans overestimate the extent of upward mobility in the United States. To explain the divergent findings in the literature, we provide evidence that the methods used by Chambers et al. (2015) inadvertently primed participants to think about immobility rather than mobility. Finally, using a novel method to examine beliefs about economic mobility, we show that Americans indeed overestimate the degree of mobility in the United States.


Ultrasound imaging is widely used to probe the mechanical structure of tissues and visualize blood flow. However, the ability of ultrasound to observe specific molecular and cellular signals is limited. Recently, a unique class of gas-filled protein nanostructures called gas vesicles (GVs) was introduced as nanoscale (∼250 nm) contrast agents for ultrasound, accompanied by the possibilities of genetic engineering, imaging of targets outside the vasculature and monitoring of cellular signals such as gene expression. These possibilities would be aided by methods to discriminate GV-generated ultrasound signals from anatomical background. Here, we show that the nonlinear response of engineered GVs to acoustic pressure enables selective imaging of these nanostructures using a tailored amplitude modulation strategy. Finite element modeling predicted a strongly nonlinear mechanical deformation and acoustic response to ultrasound in engineered GVs. This response was confirmed with ultrasound measurements in the range of 10 to 25 MHz. An amplitude modulation pulse sequence based on this nonlinear response allows engineered GVs to be distinguished from linear scatterers and other GV types with a contrast ratio greater than 11.5 dB. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this nonlinear imaging strategy in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo.


This paper aims to describe the development and implementation of an embedded system applied to remote measurement of dynamic artificial magnetic fields using Zigbee, which is a set of specifications for wireless data communication (based on IEEE standard 802.15.4). In the implementation of this system, Arduino microcontrolled platforms were used integrated to a Hall effect sensor intended for measuring the strength of these dynamic magnetic fields. The Zigbee technology aims to enable the execution of real-time and in remote character of these measurements of magnetic field intensity, presenting them in a graphical view.


INTRODUCTION
We report on the technical and clinical validation of a system for real-time analytical control of patient position at simulation and treatment units in radiotherapy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The positioning control system uses a technology for motion analysis consisting of an optical component (a pair of TV cameras) and of a unit for real-time image processing. The system can provide real-time (up to 100 times a second) three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of a set of passive markers (small plastic hemispheres, 5 mm O) previously positioned on the patient and located within the field of view of the system's TV cameras. The method for positioning quality control is based on the analytical comparison between the current positions of the set of markers placed on the patient's skin and a corresponding reference pattern, the latter acquired at the end of the simulation procedure or at the first irradiation session. The system was used at the Radiotherapy Division of the European Institute of Oncology for the analytical control of repositioning in three patients submitted to irradiation after conservative surgery (quadrantectomy) for breast cancer. This showed the clinical feasibility of both the technology and the method, and permitted to quantify improvement in patient positioning relative to current repositioning procedures. In particular, the possibility to evaluate the patient's breathing phases allowed to distinguish the different factors (repositioning inaccuracies and cyclic and random patient movements) contributing to global localization errors.

RESULTS
This method is independent of physical and geometrical irradiation parameters and permits efficient real-time quantitative control of specific repositioning quality and of actual patient immobility during irradiation. Assessment of the accuracy of conventional repositioning methods based on laser alignment showed a fair performance of the optical centering procedure (with 3D displacements < 5 mm) only for the markers placed close to the skin landmarks used for laser alignment. On the contrary, the markers within the irradiation field but not directly controlled during the repositioning procedure exhibited localization errors > 5 mm; this happened even though the inaccuracies related to patient's breathing movements had been excluded from analysis. Moreover, quantitative assessment of global localization errors confirmed the high influence of breathing movements on the position repeatability and maintenance. In this case, even the markers which were on average well repositioned turned out to be significantly displaced during the radiation dose delivery.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm that real-time motion analysis based on opto-electronic techniques can play a crucial role as a means of improving patient positioning and assessing immobility. Thus, the system permits to quantify errors in target volume localization, which permits to adopt suitable countermeasures to reduce uncertainties during actual irradiation. This is a crucial requirement, particularly when the complexity of the irradiation geometry (conformal radiotherapy) or radiation type (hadrontherapy) calls for optimal application of the simulated treatment plan to each actual irradiation session.


Global outsourcing is a growing trend among independent software vendors. In these projects like other distributed work, distances have negative effects on communication and coordination, directly impacting performance. We present a normative model designed to address this issue by improving communication and knowledge exchange. The model consists of six distinct practices and a tool blueprint, each coming with practical guidelines. It is based in part on two case studies of Dutch software vendors who have successfully outsourced part of their activities to an Eastern European outsourcing vendor, and validated by a panel of six experts from industry and the scientific community. It is concluded that knowledge exchange in global software outsourcing is a by‐product of efforts to enhance communication and coordination, rather than specific technical solutions. By committing to sharing knowledge, emphasizing transparency and integrating the outsourcing team into their organizations, customers from the product software business can realize the benefits of global outsourcing.


Although static compiled instruction set simulators (ISSs) are much faster than the interpretive ISSs, they are barely used owing to the restrictions on flexibility and compile time overhead. In this paper, we present new techniques that reduce the compile time overhead and increase the flexibility of the static compiled ISS while keeping the advantages of the static compiled simulation. We remarkably reduce the compile and recompilation time using object format instead of binary format as simulator input "dynamic branch handler" solves the indirect branch problem without loss of simulation speed, and "dynamic code handler" enables to handle the dynamic code whose contents are determined at run-time. We implement those solutions in OBSIM, which is cycle-accurate static compiled ISS. OBSIM is able to perform the simulation at a speed of up to 50 millions of simulated instructions per second on Xeon 2GHz processor. We also achieve about nine times faster recompilation speed than the corresponding static compiled ISS for the embedded software whose code consists of 18 files and 199K lines of total C code.


Liu, S. B., Chai, Q. and Huang, G. B. 2013. Relationships among soil respiration, soil temperature and dry matter accumulation for wheat-maize intercropping in an arid environment. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 715-724. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) offers an opportunity to boost grain production in short-season areas, but little is known about the sustainability of the intercropping system. This study, conducted at an arid irrigation site in 2009 and 2010, determined water consumption and soil respiration (Rs) characteristics and their relationships to soil temperature (Ts) and above-ground dry matter (DM) accumulation for wheat/maize (W/M) intercropping compared with sole wheat and sole maize. The W/M intercropping had a co-growth period of 70-80 d, allowing the two intercropped species to complete their life cycles. Maximum DM rate for the wheat in the W/M system was significantly greater than that for sole wheat (57 vs. 51 g d-1), which occurred at around 72 to 77 d after sowing (DAS), whereas the maximum DM rate for the maize in the W/M system was between 31.6 and 44.9 g m-2 d-1, or 30 to 43% lower than that of sole maize. The ercroppedhe umulation of a thetime to reach maximum DM was 96 DAS in 2009 and 80 DAS in 2010 for sole maize, and the corresponding time for the intercropped maize was delayed by 6 to 10 d. Soil respiration and DM was a curvilinear relationship; with the increase in DM accumulation, Rs increased, reached a peak at the early flowering stage for wheat and at the silking stage for maize, and then declined. Soil respiration increased linearly with increases in soil temperature during the growth period for both sole and intercropping, suggesting that farming practices aimed at reducing soil temperature will be effective in reducing carbon emissions. Evapotranspiration during the co-growth period averaged 44.1 mm for sole wheat and 48.5 mm for the intercropped wheat and 57.0 mm for sole maize and 48.0 mm for the intercropped maize, but soil water status had little or no effect on Rs. Wheat/maize intercropping had greater grain yield with lower soil respiration over the corresponding sole plantings, and it can serve as a sustainable cropping system for arid irrigation areas.


This study examined how women's proportional representation in the upper echelons of organizations affects professional women's social constructions of gender difference and gender identity at work...


We propose that the semantic formal model for P3P and EPAL-based privacy protection policies can be enforced and expressed as a variety of ontologies and rules (ontologies+rules) combinations, such as DLP, SWRL, AL-log, DL- log, DL+log, and MKNF, etc. Based on P3P and EPAL's original expressions and their dictionaries, several ontologies+rules semantic enforcement of privacy protection policies will be proposed in this study that can be compared with existing others. Furthermore, we express privacy protection management policies as a set of ontology statements, rules, and facts for both information disclosure and rights delegation using one of the above ontologies+rules combinations for two specific use case scenarios. When verifying P3P/EPAL formal semantics, we exploit which ontologies+rules combination will be a feasible information disclosure control scenario under certain conditions. We hope that this study might shed some light on the study of future general information disclosure and rights delegation controlled on the open Web environment.


Anthropologists are increasingly called upon to assess trauma to the skeleton and contextualising the nature of this trauma. Blast injury is a type of trauma which is increasingly seen in a variety of contexts, such as terrorism, human rights violations, combat and accidents. The purpose of this study was to examine blast injury in the human skeleton and apply robust multivariate statistical methods, alongside morphological methods, to identify blast trauma based on the distribution of injury in the skeleton. The objectives of the study were to identify patterns in a sample of cases from mass graves in Bosnia and to determine differences between the blast injury cases and gunshot wound cases which can identify indicators of blast injury for future use. This was done using Pearson's χ2, cluster analysis and multiple correspondence analysis. Secondly, the identified indicators were applied to two methods of binary logistic regression model to test prediction of the presence or absence of blast injury in the sample, as well as assessing the results of the two methods. Lastly, the results of these analyses were subsequently compared with clinical literature to identify similarities and differences which can aid anthropologists in determining presence of blast injury in large assemblages. This also served to address the specific argument that the injuries seen in the Bosnia sample are combat related, as claimed in court proceedings in ongoing cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. It was found that cluster analysis was not useful for the sample examined in the research, however multiple correspondence analysis permitted graphical differentiation between the blast injury and gunshot cases, identifying variables which contributed to the variance and could be used as indicators of blast injury. Binary logistic regression was employed to test the significant contribution of these variables to a model predicting the presence of blast injury in a sample. It was found that presence of trauma to the right shoulder girdle, left forearm, vertebrae, right pelvis and left femur could indicate the presence of blast injury in an assemblage, with correct average classification in 74.86% of cases. The prevalence of trauma in the Bosnia sample was compared with examples from terrorist incidents and combat situations to identify similarities and differences between these and found that there significant differences in the prevalence of trauma in the Bosnia sample. This highlights that this sample does not resemble any combat patterns of injury, answering the question posed in ICTY court proceedings. This work contributes new knowledge to anthropology on the identification and differentiation of blast injury in assemblages as well as demonstrating the use of multivariate statistical methods for trauma analysis. These results can be applied to anthropological investigation of historical contexts as well the modern investigations which will require knowledge of blast injury currently and in the future.


Platelet activation that occur after tissue injury increases the expression of P-selectin. General anaesthesia and surgery may lead to peri-or post-operative hypercoagulability state that may lead to thrombotic complications, especially in high risk patients as diabetics. Administration of local anaesthesia was suggested to limit this hypercoagulability. The aim of this work was to evaluate the pre-, intra-and postoperative plasma levels of soluble P-selectin, as a predictor of thrombotic events, in diabetics receiving paravertebral block versus general anaesthesia during mastectomy operation for cancer breast. Forty type-2 diabetic females were included. They were randomly divided into two equal groups: group I received general anaesthesia and group II received thoracic paravertebral block. All females were subjected to preoperative thorough clinical examination, electrocardiography and laboratory investigations including complete blood picture, prothormbin activity, glycated hemoglobin A1c, fasting plasma levels of glucose, creatinine, lipid profile and alanine aminotransferase activity. Creatine kinase (CK), total and CK-MB, activities were also done preoperatively and six hours postoperatively. Plasma soluble(s) P-selectin levels were estimated preoperatively, 15 minutes after skin incision and one hour postoperatively. The results revealed that the preoperative plasma P-selectin levels did not significantly differ in the two groups. Its intra-and postoperative levels showed significantly higher levels in both groups than those preoperative, but the increase in group II is significantly less than those in group I. In conclusion, in high risk patients as diabetics undergoing major surgery, the use of paravertebral block is preferable as a good and effective alternative to general anaesthesia, to reduce the possibility of occurrence of thrombotic complications.


Objective To explore the effect of human placenta lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and dexamethasone (DXM) on spontaneous resorption of herniated intervertebral disc. Methods The animal model of intervertebral disc herniation was set up by placing the harvested disc into the epidural space at L4 or L5 of the same rahbit. Then the 24 rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. In human placenta LPS group, rabbits were intraperitoneally injected 2ml of human placenta LPS at the second, 6th and 10th days after surgery. In DXM group, rahbits were intravenously injected 1mg/kg of DXM at the second to 15th days after surgery. In control group, rubbits were intravenously injected 3ml/kg of normal saline at the second to 15th days after surgery. All rahbits were killed, and herniated intervertebral disc was removed for histological and immunohisto- chemical examination at the 12th weeks after surgery. Results A great amount of newly formed vessles and inflammation cells were founded in the disc tissues in the LPS group. In the control group, a lot of granular tissues were founded in the disc tissues. In the DXM group, small amount of granular tissues were founded in the disc tissues. The expression levels of bFGF, CD68 and VEGF in the LPS group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P0.05). The expression levels of bFGF, CD68 and VEGF were significantly higher in the control group than those in the DXM group (P0.05). There was significant difference in MVD between the control group and DXM group(P0.05), and between the LPS group and control group. Conclusion Autologous intervertebral disc grafted into the epidural space was penetrated by newly formed vessels and macrophages, and resolved as the result of inflammatory reaction. Human placenta LPS could accelerate the spontaneous resorption of herniated intervertebral disc by upregulating VEGF, bFGF expression and angiogenesis, whereas DXM could inhibit the resportion of herniated intervertebral disc by downregulating the expression of VEGF and bFGF.


The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced in mid-1999 the campaign to "Open Up the West" (xibu da kaifa) with the goals of reducing socio-economic disparities, encouraging economic growth, and ensuring social and political stability in the non-Han areas. For the village of Zhaoxing, located in the remote province of Guizhou and inhabited by the Dong minority nationality, the Chinese state ideal of modernization has been channelled in large part through the development of ethnic tourism. As a result, what an authentic Dong village should look like as well as the outward expressions of being Dong are increasingly fixed by delocalized agents of change driven by tourism profits. Far from being passive, villagers of Zhaoxing constantly negotiate to maintain or improve their livelihoods on their own terms. They selectively resist and indigenize elements of modernity according to the opportunities and constraints stemming from their unique and troubled place within the Chinese Nation. Based on extensive fieldwork in the village of Zhaoxing this thesis presents a diversity of local responses that vary according to local livelihood strategies. It demonstrates the local ingenuity of Zhaoxing villagers in negotiating and asserting their own modern subjectivity.


VCAM-1 is a member of the Ig superfamily of receptors the expression of which is up-regulated on human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells following stimulation with inflammatory mediators. The function of these receptors in adhesion is well known, but there is growing recognition that they also possess "outside-in" signaling functions, such as cytoskeletal reorganization, calcium mobilization, and cytokine release. The present study examined the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in ASM cells following VCAM-1 engagement. VCAM-1 ligation activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 and resulted in increased expression of cyclin D1, yet there was neither p27kip1 degradation nor an increase in smooth muscle cell DNA synthesis. VCAM-1 ligation, however, augmented the proliferative response to submitogenic concentrations of epidermal growth factor. VCAM-1 engagement also stimulated a rapid increase in PI3K activity. This was associated with phosphorylation of the adapter protein p120Cbl and an increase in Cbl-associated PI3K activity. These studies suggest that VCAM-1 is linked to multiple signaling pathways in human ASM cells and may function to augment growth factor-induced responses.