Online Social Networks (OSNs) have become one of the most popular applications of the daily life of users in the worldwide. Today, the number of Social Media users is more than 4 billion, and this trend increases year after year with a high impact on the privacy issue. During the last years, decentralization of social services has been considered as a big opportunity to overcome the main privacy issues in OSNs, and not only (fake news, censorship, etc.). Blockchain technology represents today the most well-known decentralized technique, which has been taken into account to develop the new generation of decentralized social platforms. Blockchain-based Online Social Media (BOSMs) are decentralized Social Media platforms that use the blockchain technology as the underlying technology or as a tool in order to provide rewarding strategies. In this tutorial, we will highlight the BOSMs scenario by presenting their main characteristics and how data could be collected and analysed.


textabstractUp to 50 % of the world's population is infected with Helicobacter pylori. Colonization of
the mucus layer of the human stomach by H. pylori, is lifelong unless treated with antibiotics
(26). H. pylori, which is a neutralophilic bacterium, survives in the mucus layer of the human
stomach with the help of the enzyme urease. Urease is an enzyme that converts urea into
ammonium and carbon dioxide, thereby keeping the intracellular and periplasmic pH at
neutral. It is estimated that up to 10% of the whole cell protein consists of this nickelcofactored
enzyme (19). The nickel necessary to activate the urease is thought to come from
foodsources, such as nuts, tea and cereals, which are rich in nickel (1).

Metal ions like nickel or iron can be dangerous for bacteria, as they can react with oxygen
in order to create reactive oxygen species that in turn can destroy macromolecules like
nucleic acids, proteins and cell wall components (27). Therefore, the bacterial metal
metabolism has to be tightly regulated. In H. pylori, regulatory proteins are scarce. Only two
metal-regulatory proteins are known, the ferric uptake regulator Fur (4), and the nickel
responsive regulator NikR (31). Fur is a regulatory protein that can sense and bind
intracellular ferrous ions, and subsequently displays iron-dependent binding to conserved
promoter sequences (Fur boxes) of its target genes (17). The classical regulation is repression
of iron uptake genes in iron-replete conditions (15, 17, 33). Unlike all other Fur homologs
known so far, H. pylori Fur can also bind to Fur-boxes in an iron free form (apo-Fur), as was
shown for pfr (16) and sodB (Chapter 3).

The second metal-dependent regulatory protein is NikR, the nickel responsive regulator,
which belongs to the family of Ribbon-Helix-Helix regulatory proteins (9). NikR is directly
involved in the regulation of acid resistance via urease and nickel-uptake (Chapter 4), and
was previously demonstrated to mediate regulation of the ferric uptake regulator Fur (7, 12,
29).

The aim of this thesis was to gain further insight into the transcriptional regulation the
ferric uptake regulator Fur and the nickel responsive regulator NikR.


Most contemporary models of disease development consider the interaction between genotype and environment as static. The authors argue that because time is a key factor in genotype–environment interaction, this approach oversimplifies the pathology analysis and may lead to wrong conclusions. In reviewing the field, the authors suggest that the history of genotype–environment interactions plays an important role in the development of diseases and that this history may be analyzed using the phenotype as a proxy. Furthermore, a theoretical and experimental framework is proposed based on the assumption that phenotypes do not change from one to another randomly but are interconnected and follow certain phenotype trajectories. It then follows that analysis of such phenotype trajectories might be useful to predict the future phenotypes including the onset of disease. In addition, an analysis of phenotype trajectories can be subsequently used to choose better control subjects in comparative studies reducing noise and bias in studies investigating disease mechanisms.


Distantly supervised relation extraction (DSRE) aims to identify semantic relations from massive plain texts. A broad range of the prior research has leveraged a series of selective attention mechanisms over sentences in a bag to extract relation features without considering dependencies among the relation features. As a result, potential discriminative information existed in the dependencies is ignored, causing a decline in the performance of extracting entity relations. In this article, we focus on going beyond the selective attention mechanisms and propose a new framework termed interaction-and-response network (IR-Net) that adaptively recalibrates the features of sentence, bag, and group levels by explicitly modeling interdependencies among the features on each level. The IR-Net consists of a series of interactive and responsive modules throughout feature hierarchy, seeking to strengthen its power of learning salient discriminative features for distinguishing entity relations. We conduct extensive experiments on three benchmark DSRE datasets, including NYT-10, NYT-16, and Wiki-20m. The experimental results demonstrate that the IR-Net brings obvious improvements in performance when comparing ten state-of-the-art DSRE methods for entity relation extraction.


. We generalize Bestvina's notion of a Z -boundary for a group to that of a "coarse Z -boundary." We show that established theorems about Z -boundaries carry over nicely to the more general theory, and that some wished-for properties of Z -boundaries become theorems when applied to coarse Z -boundaries. Most notably, the property of admitting a coarse Z -boundary is a pure quasi-isometry invariant. In the process, we streamline both new and existing definitions by in-troducing the notion of a "model Z -geometry." In accordance with the existing theory, we also develop an equivariant version of the above—that of a "coarse E Z -boundary."


Hand hygiene is central to the prevention of healthcare-associated infection. In low-income settings, barriers to health worker hand hygiene may include inconsistent availability of hand hygiene supplies at the point of care. However, there is a lack of knowledge of interventions to improve and sustain health worker hand hygiene in these settings. This pilot study evaluates acceptability and feasibility of a personally-worn hand hygiene holster device for improving point-of-care access to alcohol-based handrub (ABHR). Holsters were distributed to clinical staff at a hospital in Liberia in July–September 2021. Data collection included 2,066 structured observations of hand hygiene behavior, six spot checks of supply availability, and focus group discussions with 13 clinical staff. The Integrated Behavioral Model for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (IBM-WASH) provided a framework for study design and qualitative analysis. Acceptability of the intervention was high, with users reporting that holsters were comfortable, easy to use, and aligned with their professional identities. Feasibility depended on consistent ABHR availability, which may diminish sustainability of this intervention. The hand hygiene holster is a promising tool for improving health worker hand hygiene behavior, but solutions to ABHR supply chain and distribution constraints are necessary to support sustainability of this intervention.


Mobile positioning technology has become an important area of research, for emergency as well as for commercial services. Mobile positioning in cellular networks will provide several services such as, locating stolen mobiles, emergency calls, different billing tariffs depending on where the call is originated, and methods to predict the user movement inside a region. The evolution to location-dependent services and applications in wireless systems continues to require the development of more accurate and reliable mobile positioning technologies. The major challenge to accurate location estimation is in creating techniques that yield acceptable performance when the direct path from the transmitter to the receiver is intermittently blocked. This is the Non-Line-OfSight (NLOS) problem, and it is known to be a major source of error since it systematically causes mobile to appear farther away from the base station (BS) than it actually is, thereby increasing the positioning error. In this paper, we present a simple method for mobile telephone tracking and positioning with high accuracy. Through this we will discuss some technology used for mobile positioning and tracking.


We develop a theoretical model of charge equilibrium in modulation-doped GaAlAs/GaAs heterojunctions in which the presence of donor-like interface states is considered. Assuming that the electrons occupy the first and second electronic subbands we calculate the charge transfer in the heterojunction as a function of the temperature, taking into account the metastable character of the Si donors in the GaAlAs-doped layer. We show that interface states, the density of which depends on the growth process and on the sample quality, play an important role in the temperature dependence of the charge equilibrium and allow us to explain the variation of the density of the 2D electrons with the temperature. On this basis we investigate in detail the scattering mechanisms, in order to account for the mobility limitation in the low-temperature range (T<10 K). In this case too the role of interface states is found to be crucial. All the calculations are performed within the generalized variational subband wavefunction model.


Fire is one of the major disturbance factors in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, where since long time man has deeply modified the natural fire regime. To know how woody species recover after fire is of prominent importance for understanding vegetation dynamics, as well as for the management of Mediterranean plantations, especially where broadleaved and coniferous trees coexist. Our research was carried out at Monte Petroso (Sicily), within an historical afforestation intervention in the Mediterranean basin. We assessed the post-fire response of mixed oaks and oak-pine afforestations within six experimental plots (two plots per homogeneous sector) differing in dominant tree species (Quercus ilex or Pinus pinea), time since last wildfire (1954 or 1982), and post-fire management (understory cleaning and removal of dead biomass or no management). Dendrometric surveys and phytosociological releves were carried out to characterize the tree layers, the regeneration by woody species plus Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, as well as plant species richness. Our field surveys have confirmed a notably high resilience to fire by Mediterranean woody species, regardless of post-fire management practices. The dominant tree species played a significant role as Quercus ilex seems to foster stand development and the regeneration dynamics in the understory, especially that of Quercus pubescens. By contrast, Pinus pinea seems to slow down the regeneration by woody species, especially at higher stand density. Post-fire management practices seemed to favor mantle shrubs (Prunetalia spinosae) and grassland species (Hyparrhenietalia hirtae), while negatively affecting shrub species (Cisto-Ericetalia multiflorae). In presence of sufficient propagules of native woody species, the option of no management after fire has to be considered. The results of our research may be useful to improve the management of fire-prone Mediterranean plantations, taking into account the differences in plant strategies to cope with fire, as well as the dominant canopy.


Archaeological data on the long history of interaction between indigenous people and salmon have rarely been applied to conservation management. When joined with ethnohistoric records, archaeology provides an alternative conceptual view of the potential for sustainable harvests and can suggest possible social mechanisms for managing human behavior. Review of the ~7,500-year-long fish bone record from two subregions of the Pacific Northwest shows remarkable stability in salmon use. As major changes in the ecological and social system occurred over this lengthy period, persistence in the fishery is not due simply to a lack of perturbation, but rather indicates resilience in the ecological-human system. Of several factors possibly contributing to resilience, low human population size and harvesting pressure, habitat enhancement, and suppression of competing predators do not appear to be of major importance. Flexible resource use, including human use of a range of local resources, many of which are linked in a food web with salmon, likely contributed to resilience. Most important were the beliefs and social institutions (including ownership, regulation, rituals, and monitoring) that placed restraints on salmon use as a common pool resource. In contrast, only a small fraction of our modern society relies economically on or has direct interaction with the fish, which limits our concern and willingness to fundamentally change behaviors that contribute to habitat degradation and loss, the main challenges facing salmon populations today. Salmon recovery efforts may benefit substantially from investing more resources into establishing links between community groups and actual fish populations, which would create a sense of proprietorship, one of the keys to resilience in the indigenous salmon fishery.


This study is an extension of the previous study, which presents the rotation effects of casing on syngas combustion. When syngas was applied to achieve the power output of proposed micro gas turbine, high temperature flame moves towards the exit of the combustor. Consequently, the temperature and temperature fluctuation at combustor exit increases. In this study, geometry of the can combustor is modified for the syngas application. In modified design, diameter of the fuel injector, length of the primary zone, configuration of primary and dilution holes is modified. To perform the numerical calculation, computational model which consists of three-dimension compressible k-ε realizable turbulent flow model and presumed probability density function for combustion process invoking a laminar flamelet assumption generated by detailed chemical kinetics from GRI 3.0 is used. Two typical composition of syngas are used namely: H2-rich (H2:CO = 80:20) and equal molar (H2:CO = 50:50). The combustion characteristics and NOx emissions were investigated to understand the rotating effects of syngas combustion in the modified design of the can combustor. In the modified design, the high-temperature flame gets stabilized along the wall of the combustor for both composition of syngas. Unlike in the previous design, the high-temperature flame moves towards the exit of the combustor. The exit temperature and pattern factor dropped and reached the design requirements after the modification. The rotation of casing enhances the swirling strength, which benefits proper mixing of fuel and air and leads to reduction in pattern factor and NOx emissions.


Curing HIV-1 Infection via in vitro ultra-sensitive modification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) uninfected CD4 + cells is a promising hypothetical procedure that links different established clinical/laboratory tools (methods) and channeling them towards a clinical trial to achieve the ultimate goal of curing HIV-1 infection. The In vitro ultra-sensitive chemical modification of HIV-1 uninfected CD4 + cells using selected antiviral agents towards curing HIV-1 infection entails a six step clinical/laboratory procedure. Isolation/purification of HIV-free CD4 + cells is the first step of this therapeutic procedure. In vitro CD4 + cell expansion/culture, ultrasensitive chemical modification, inhibition/suppression of CD4 + cell proliferation, administration of chemically modulated cells to HIV-infected patient, monitoring/maintaining the physiological/biochemical processes under intensive care make up the other steps of this procedure consecutively. The milestones in this therapeutic method include increased bioavailability, minimum dosage, minimal or no side effects, shorter duration of treatment, mop-up of free plasma virions. The principal reason for this adopted method is that, the therapy overcomes the limitations posed by the current methods of managing HIV-1 infection using anti-retrovirals.


ABSTRACTIntrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy is a common treatment used to reduce spasticity due to neurologic disorders and injuries. A variety of factors can increase the difficulty of ITB pump refill. Excess subcutaneous fat overlying the pump, spasticity, suboptimal positioning, pump rotation or inversion, and scar formation over the reservoir fill port can create challenges during pump refill. As a result, multiple unsuccessful attempts at accessing the reservoir fill port can be painful and increase the risk of infection, particularly when repeat skin puncture is required. Blind attempts to refill a pump in challenging cases may also result in subcutaneous injection or pocket fill, resulting in a potentially fatal baclofen withdrawal syndrome. We describe 3 successful ITB pump refills in technically challenging cases when using ultrasound guidance. This represents an innovative approach to using ultrasound guidance to facilitate ITB refill in adults with intractable spasticity. We present these new clinical data with a literature review of potential complications related to inaccurate pump refill procedures and discuss the utility of ultrasound guidance for preventing such adverse events.


To be able to secure a safe and reliable power supply is becoming increasingly important since society depends on services and functions that need continuous power supply. The delivery rate in Swedish power supply is 99.98 % which insists on a high availability. During the past decade several storms has passed Sweden which resulted in large amount of tree felling leading to extended power outages. During these storms many socially critical activities, such as electric utility company Fortum, experienced disruption in mobile communication which affected the crisis management. This paper has investigated Swedish mobile operators' crisis management at Hi3G, Tele2 and TeliaSonera with a case study of the storm Dagmar that hit Sweden during December in 2011. Furthermore this paper has investigated if 4G-communication (LTE) is appropriate to use in the next generation power grid, also known as smart grid. The study is based on literature studies and interviews with respondents from companies such as Hi3G, Tele2, TeliaSonera, Fortum and Ericsson. It has shown that the mobile operators have well developed crises management. The availability in mobile communication is dependent on power supply why it is critical to have backup power supply during extended power outages. Backup power supply varies between mobile operators. Interaction between mobile operators and electric utility companies during crisis should increase the availability in power grids and mobile communication. The LTE technology is well developed and could be used in smart grids to collect information. To use LTE for critical processes, such as controlling breakers, is not suitable with todays performance.


Schizophrenia is clinically heterogeneous but it is not known whether this is due to the existence of discrete subtypes. For the purpose of explication, 'indicators' of schizophrenia are divided into three levels: phenomenology, pathophysiology, and aetiology. Five heterogeneity models and a number of quantitative approaches are described. It is imperative to apply rigorous methods of study to the comparison of unitary models and competing heterogeneity models of schizophrenia.


Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are one type of helical repeat protein that are widespread in eukaryotes. In particular, there are several hundred PPR members in flowering plants. The majority of PPR proteins are localized in the plastids and mitochondria, where they play a crucial role in various aspects of RNA metabolism at the post-transcriptional and translational steps during gene expression. Among the early land plants, the moss Physcomitrium (formerly Physcomitrella) patens has at least 107 PPR protein-encoding genes, but most of their functions remain unclear. To elucidate the functions of PPR proteins, a reverse-genetics approach has been applied to P. patens. To date, the molecular functions of 22 PPR proteins were identified as essential factors required for either mRNA processing and stabilization, RNA splicing, or RNA editing. This review examines the P. patens PPR gene family and their current functional characterization. Similarities and a diversity of functions of PPR proteins between P. patens and flowering plants and their roles in the post-transcriptional regulation of organellar gene expression are discussed.


The exponential family is well known in machine learning and statistical physics as the maximum entropy distribution subject to a set of observed constraints, while the geometric mixture path is common in MCMC methods such as annealed importance sampling. Linking these two ideas, recent work has interpreted the geometric mixture path as an exponential family of distributions to analyze the thermodynamic variational objective (TVO). We extend these likelihood ratio exponential families to include solutions to rate-distortion (RD) optimization, the information bottleneck (IB) method, and recent rate-distortion-classification approaches which combine RD and IB. This provides a common mathematical framework for understanding these methods via the conjugate duality of exponential families and hypothesis testing. Further, we collect existing results to provide a variational representation of intermediate RD or TVO distributions as a minimizing an expectation of KL divergences. This solution also corresponds to a size-power tradeoff using the likelihood ratio test and the Neyman Pearson lemma. In thermodynamic integration bounds such as the TVO, we identify the intermediate distribution whose expected sufficient statistics match the log partition function.


This paper provides a review of twenty-five years of IBM sponsored research at universities intended to advance basic heat transfer technology for application in cooling computers. The research discussed covers a broad range of heat transfer topics, including natural convection and forced convection air cooling. Liquid forced convection, pool boiling, falling films, flow boiling, and liquid jet impingement. Examples of actual IBM cooling applications related to some of the research are given. In addition, some of the development activities conducted within IBM to advance computer cooling technology are highlighted. Specific topics covered are direct liquid cooling, thermal conduction module (TCM) cooling, low temperature cooling, and special cooling technology.


A life in pain is something no one should have to face but a new report from Help the Aged shows how many older people are doing just that. Giving dignified, high quality care should be the first priority of all working in the care sector. The role pain management plays in delivering this goal is essential.


The development of electrical insulators that are thermally conducting is critical for thermal management applications in many advanced electronics and electrical devices. Here, we synthesized polymer nanocomposite (PNC) films composed of polymers [polyethylenimine, poly(vinylamine), poly(acrylic acid), and poly(ethylene oxide)] and dielectric fillers (montmorillonite clay and hexagonal boron nitride) by layer-by-layer technique. The cross-plane thermal conductivity [Formula: see text] of the film was measured by the 3ω method. The effect of various factors such as film growth, filler type, filler volume fraction, polymer chemical structures, and temperature on the thermal conductivity is reported. The [Formula: see text] of PNCs with thickness from 37 nm to 1.34  μm was found to be in the range of 0.11 to 0.21 ± 0.02 W m−1 K−1. The [Formula: see text] values were found to be lower than the constituent polymer matrix. The experimental result is compared with existing theoretical models of nanocomposite systems to get insight into heat transfer behavior in such layered films composed of dielectrics and polymers.


Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic materials able to selectively rebind a target molecule in preference to other closely related compounds. Molecular imprinting technology involves the synthesis of MIPs in the presence of a template with the aim of introducing complementary and selective binding sites into the polymeric matrix. This synthetic approach allows us to obtain stable polymeric materials characterized by significant molecular recognition abilities, as well as low cost and easy preparation, and, at the same time, resistance to a wide range of conditions such as pH, organic solvents, temperature and pressure. Currently, MIPs are attracting considerable research interest due to their potential applications in several fields including separation sciences, solid-phase extraction (SPE), biotechnology, catalysis, chemo/biosensors and drug delivery. Stimuli-responsive polymers can be defined as intelligent materials able to respond to specific environmental stimuli, such as the presence of another molecule, pH, temperature, magnetic field and irradiation, with consequent changes in their properties. Stimuli-responsive MIPs combine the selective recognition properties for a template molecule with the ability to respond to external stimuli. Therefore, this chapter aims at an overview of molecular imprinting technology, the design of MIPs and the synthetic approaches with particular attention devoted to the field of stimuli-responsive MIPs.


Pediatric brain tumors are substantially represented by neuroepithelial neoplasms. If intraventricular tumors are excluded, diagnostic imaging can be referred to 3 main types: gliomas, neuronal and mixed tumors, embryonal tumors. Following a short review of the various neuroimaging procedures, CT and MRI findings of most common pediatric hemispheric neoplasms, are described. Neuroradiologic findings supply a satisfactory "characterization" of the neoplasm. They are at times so specific as to achieve a univocal diagnostic hypothesis. More frequently, only a likely histologic hypothesis is achieved based on the combination of neuroimaging and clinical findings. Finally, the role of diagnostic imaging is underlined, being important in the definition of the relationships between hemispheric tumors with some "critical" areas, because of "functional" relevance, and in the identification of the site and pattern of infiltration which impact on prognosis and treatment.


The operation of a multilayered microtransformer composed of planar zig-zag coils and amorphous magnetic film is described. The transformer has a maximum efficiency of 77.5%. Its equivalent circuit is approximated by the parallel connection of the winding inductance and of the stray capacitance. Variable magnetic coupling is obtained between the primary and secondary windings by shifting the relative position of the two coils. The microtransformer is used in a magnetically controlled multilayered switching regulator. The regulator has an output of 1.4 W and an efficiency of 24%. The magnetization loss in the circuit is the same as that of the semiconductors. A two-output-type multilayered switching regulator is also proposed that has an acceptably good output characteristic at each port even though a common magnetic film is used. >


Designing proteins to self-assemble DNA has been used as a nano building material since the 1980s. Protein nanostructures have the potential to give greater geometric control and shape variability. Gonen et al. describe the computational design of proteins that self-assemble into two-dimensional arrays. These programmable protein lattices should enable new approaches in biomolecular structure determination and molecular sensing. Science, this issue p. 1365 A computational approach allows the design of proteins that self-assemble into two-dimensional lattices. We describe a general approach to designing two-dimensional (2D) protein arrays mediated by noncovalent protein-protein interfaces. Protein homo-oligomers are placed into one of the seventeen 2D layer groups, the degrees of freedom of the lattice are sampled to identify configurations with shape-complementary interacting surfaces, and the interaction energy is minimized using sequence design calculations. We used the method to design proteins that self-assemble into layer groups P 3 2 1, P 4 21 2, and P 6. Projection maps of micrometer-scale arrays, assembled both in vitro and in vivo, are consistent with the design models and display the target layer group symmetry. Such programmable 2D protein lattices should enable new approaches to structure determination, sensing, and nanomaterial engineering.


Say you wish to process collections. Some may be collections of bytes, others collections of strings, and yet others collections of collections of strings. The Java programming language supports such variation by allowing you to form a collection of Object, so the elements may have any reference type. In order to keep the language simple, you are forced to do some of the work yourself: you must keep track of the fact that you have a collection of bytes, and when you extract an element from the collection you must cast it to class Byte before further processing. This situation is becoming more common as the Java platform evolves, notably with the addition of collection classes to JDK 1.2. Other languages provide additional support for this situation: in C++, it is supported with templates; in Ada, it is supported with generics; and in ML and Haskell, it is supported with parametric polymorphism. This note proposes GJ, an extension to the Java programming language that supports types with parameters. GJ programs look much like the equivalent Java programs, except they have more type information and fewer casts. The semantics of GJ is given by a translation into the Java programming language. The translation erases type parameters, replaces type variables by their bounding type (typically Object), adds casts, and inserts bridge methods so that overriding works properly. The resulting program is pretty much what you would write if generics weren't available. The translation is designed so that new GJ code will work with existing Java libraries, even when the libraries are available only in binary class file form. GJ comes with a cast-iron guarantee: no cast inserted by the compiler will ever fail. (Caveat: this guarantee is void if the compiler generates an unchecked warning, which may be necessary in certain cases for purposes of compatibility.) Furthermore, since GJ translates into Java virtual machine (JVM) byte codes, all safety and security properties of the Java platform are preserved. (Reassurance: this second guarantee holds even in


Positioning through wheelchair seating allows many severely physically disabled individuals to use their motor skills to access technical aids. In the last 10 years, many products relating to wheelchair seating have been developed and are now being used. This article outlines evaluation and prescription guidelines that lead to the accompanying recommendations for seating. Categories for matching disability type/severity to seating methods are presented.


Source of material: In the course of our investigation towards synthesis, characterisation and caibocation rearrangement of some of the members of the adaman tane family we prepared the title compound, as an intermediate by [2+2]photocycloaddition of bicyclo[2,2,0]oct-l-en-2-one and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene. Literature survey revels that compounds of this series have insectisidal properties (see ref. 1). X-ray analysis shows the chlorine atoms of cyclobutane ring are trans to each other. The successive carbonyl bonds, stacked in the ¿»-direction, occur at an interval of 3.678(1) Â and are approximately parallel (angle between them being 171.5(3)°). The carbonyl oxygen atom makes several contacts with the adjacent molecules. Table 2. Final atomic coordinates and displacement parameters (in Â)


Herein, we present the crystal structure, NMR J analysis, and conformational and natural bond order analyses of tricyclic oxocane (1), resulting in the discovery of a long-range Perlin effect at C4 and C5. The normal Perlin effect (NPE) of Δ(1)JC-H = 18.38 Hz at C5 is the largest to date for a nonanomeric methylene due to an unprecedented through-space n → σ* stabilizing interaction. The NPE at C4 where Δ(1)JC-H = 6.91 Hz is nearly double those found in cyclohexanone.


This Book of Abstracts "Pre-breeding – fishing in the gene pool" includes the summary for each of the invited keynotes, volunteer talks and posters presented at the EUCARPIA Genetic Resources Section Meeting held at the campus of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Alnarp from 10 to 13 June 2013. This meeting gathers various members of the gene bank community of practice as well as users of the genetic resources from all around Europe and the World. The selected overall theme for the meeting is "Pre-Breeding - fishing in the gene pool" because we want to discuss how we better can use our genetic resources to cope with the issues being faced today by humankind. Germplasm enhancement or pre-breeding refers to the transfer or introgression of genes and gene combinations from non-adapted sources into breeding materials. It should therefore be understood as an early component of sustainable plant breeding that deals with identifying a useful character, capturing its genetic diversity, and putting genes into usable forms that will be further used in population improvement or line development. During this gathering we will address the role of genomics for adding value to genebank holdings and facilitating their management, the conservation and use of crop wild relatives in germplasm enhancement, how plant genetic resources serve multifunctional agriculture and what traits gene banks can offer to address climate change. We will also learn more about the role of gene banks for ensuring food and feed, and how genetic diversity contributes to human health and nutrition. Last but not least we will assess how genetic endowments can be used in crop breeding to reduce agriculture´s footprints, as well as on the management of intellectual property for plant genetic resources, particularly in the light of increasing public-private partnerships on pre-breeding. The book content follows the order indicated in the program of this conference.


Background: Various surgical techniques can be used to repair acute distal biceps tendon (DBT) tears; however, it is unknown which type of repair or implant has the greatest biomechanical strength and presents the lowest risk of type 2 failure. Purpose: To identify associations between the type of implant or construct used and the biomechanical performance of DBT repairs in a review of human cadaveric studies. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-regression. Methods: We systematically searched the EMBASE and Medline (PubMed) databases for biomechanical studies that evaluated DBT repair performance in cadaveric specimens. Two independent reviewers extracted data from 14 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The pooled data set was subjected to meta-regression with adjusted failure load (AFL) as the primary outcome variable. Procedural parameters, such as number of sutures, cortices, locking stitches, and whipstitches, served as covariates. Adjusted analysis was performed to determine the differences among implant types. The alpha level was set at .05. Results: When using no implant (bone tunnels) as the referent, no fixation type or procedural parameter was significantly better at predicting AFL. Cortical button fixation had the highest AFL (370 N; 95% CI, −2 to 221). In an implant-to-implant comparison, suture anchor alone was significantly weaker than cortical button (154 N; 95% CI, 30 to 279). Constructs using a cortical button and interference screw were not stronger (as measured by AFL) than those using a cortical button alone. The presence of a locking stitch added 113 N (95% CI, 29 to 196) to the AFL. The use of cortical button instead of interference screws or bone tunnels was associated with lower odds of type 2 failure. Avoiding locking stitches and using more sutures in the construct were also associated with lower odds of type 2 failure. Conclusion: Cortical button fixation is associated with greater construct strength than is suture anchor repair and a lower risk of type 2 failure compared with interference screw fixation or fixation without implants. The addition of an interference screw to cortical button fixation was not associated with increased strength. The presence of a locking stitch added 113 N to the failure load but also increased the odds of type 2 failure.


Eight male and female physically active students performed bicycle ergometer exercises for 100min in cool(9.5*), neutral (22.0*) and hot (34.5*) environments. Relative humidity was 55-65% and air velocity was 20 cm/sec. Work load for each subject was based on 40% Vo2 max as determined in neutral environment. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), rectal temperature (Tre), pulmonary ventilation (Ve), oxygen uptake (Vo2) and sweat rate (SR) were measured during exercise. There were no sex differences in the magnitudes of HR and Tre increases in cool and neutral environments. However in hot environment, the final exercise HR and Tre for the males were significantly higher than those for the females. While SBP of male subjects tended to decrease after 80 min exercise in hot environment, this trend was not observed for female subjects. Significant increases in Ve during exercise in hot environment were only shown in male subjects, and the increases in Vo2 through the exercise time were more severe for the male than for the female subjects. The male had significantly more SR per degree increase in Tre than did the female subjects, indicating that evaporative cooling in the males was not as effective as in the females in the humid heat environment.


New security features, constantly decreasing prices, solid-state Flash disks are becoming a popular alternative for replacing failure-prone mechanical Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in PXIbus-based military systems. The key component in high-capacity solid-state Flash disks is NAND Flash, but with a specification that shows only 100,000-300,000 write/erase cycles, engineers may be concerned that the lifetime of Flash disks cannot meet their application requirements. With the right Flash management, Flash disks are able to provide the reliability and endurance that military applications need.


In April 2015, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Italian legislation is inadequate to criminalise acts of torture (Cestaro v. Italy). Following the ECtHR's decision, the Italian Parliament approved the bill A.C. 2168 which aimed to introduce the crime of torture (Article 613-bis) in the Italian Criminal Code. The bill does not seem to comply with the definition of torture provided by international law, and also neglects the legislative guidelines outlined by the ECtHR in Cestaro v. Italy. The purpose of this article is twofold. On the one hand, it will assess the ECtHR's decision focusing on Italy's structural problem and its duty to enact and enforce efficient criminal provisions under Article 3 of the European Convention. On the other hand, it will analyse the normative content of Article 613-bis in order to highlight its weaknesses and propose, on each of them, suggestions for amendment.


Fermi has resolved several star-forming galaxies, but the vast majority of the star-forming universe is unresolved, and thus contributes to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB). Here, we calculate the contribution of star-forming galaxies to the EGB in the Fermi range from 100 MeV to 100 GeV due to inverse-Compton (IC) scattering of the interstellar photon field by cosmic-ray electrons. We first construct one-zone models for individual star-forming galaxies assuming that supernovae power the acceleration of cosmic rays. We develop templates for both normal and starburst galaxies, accounting for differences in the cosmic-ray electron propagation and in the interstellar radiation fields. For both types of star-forming galaxies, the same IC interactions leading to gamma rays also substantially contribute to the energy loss of the high-energy cosmic-ray electrons. Consequently, a galaxy's IC emission is determined by the relative importance of IC losses in the cosmic-ray electron energy budget ("partial calorimetry"). We calculate the cosmological contribution of star-forming galaxies to the EGB using our templates and the cosmic star formation rate distribution. For all of our models, we find that the IC EGB contribution is almost an order of magnitude less than the peak of the emission due to cosmic-ray ion interactions (mostly pionic pcrpism → π0 → γγ); even at the highest Fermi energies, IC is subdominant. The flatter IC spectrum increases the high-energy signal of the pionic+IC sum, bringing it closer to the EGB spectral index observed by Fermi. Partial calorimetry ensures that the overall IC signal is relatively well constrained, with only uncertainties in the amplitude and spectral shape for plausible model choices. We conclude with a brief discussion on how the pionic spectral feature and other methods can be used to measure the star-forming component of the EGB.


Background and Objectives Primitive human hematopoietic cells contain higher levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity than their terminally differentiating progeny but the particular stages at which ALDH levels change have not been well defined. The objective of this study was to compare ALDH levels among the earliest stages of hematopoietic cell differentiation and to determine whether these could be exploited to obtain improved purity of human cord blood cells with long-term lympho-myeloid repopulating activity in vivo. Design and Methods ALDEFLUOR-stained human cord blood cells displaying different levels of ALDH activity were first analyzed for co-expression of various surface markers. Subsets of these cells were then isolated by multi-parametric flow cytometry and assessed for short-and long-term repopulating activity in sublethally irradiated immunodeficient mice. Result Most short-term myeloid repopulating cells (STRC-M) and all long-term lympho-myeloid repopulating cells (LTRC-ML) stained selectively as ALDH+. Limiting dilution analysis of the frequencies of both STRC-M and LTRC-ML showed that they were similarly and most highly enriched in the 10% top ALDH+ cells. Removal of cells expressing CD2, CD3, CD7, CD14, CD16, CD24, CD36, CD38, CD56, CD66b, or glycophorin A from the ALDH+ low-density fraction of human cord blood cells with low light side-scattering properties yielded a population containing LTRC-ML at a frequency of 1/360. Interpretation and Conclusion Elevated ALDH activity is a broadly inclusive property of primitive human cord blood cells that, in combination with other markers, allows easy isolation of the stem cell fraction at unprecedented purities.


Many biochemical processes are accomplished by multiple enzymes, so it is important to develop nanocomposite microspheres with multiple enzyme mimetic ability. Here, well-designed nanozyme engineering (termed dSCS-Au NPs) was established for dual nanozymes with dendritic silica spheres (dSs) used as a carrier. The carbon dots (C-dots) were covalently immobilized into the interior surface of amino-terminated dSs, while gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) were linked to the surface of the dSs through activating agents of EDC/NHS. The dSCS-Au NPs exhibited excellent compatibility for two nanozymes, maintaining the superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of C-dots and improving the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-like activity of Au NCs. In addition, the HRP-like activity of dSCS-Au NPs could be regulated by changing the amount of loading of Au NCs. It has promising applications in biocatalysis with multiple enzyme reactions in the future.


In the spring of 2019 a major peace exhibition took place at Higashi Honganji temple in Kyoto. The exhibition was entitled "No War – Peace" with the subtitle: "Tragic — Human Beings — How Brutal They Are!" While sectarian leaders admitted their own sect's war culpability, the exhibition's focus was almost exclusively on Japan as a victim of war, thereby, at least implicitly, avoiding an examination of both Japan's role as war victimizer and their own sect's unconditional support of Japan's wartime aggression. The historical reality is, of course, that not only Higashi Honganji but all traditional sects in Japan were united as one in their support of Japan's war effort. This reality raises the question of how to deal with the longstanding Buddhist practice that clerics who intentionally broke one of the four pārājika rules, including killing, were declared to have been "defeated" and barred from the Sangha for life. In light of the massive loss of life resulting from Japanese aggression abroad, are postwar Buddhist peace exhibitions focused on Japan as a victim of war sufficient to restore the Buddhist affiliation of their sects?


Membrane with a type module has been expressed one of the key area of interest in dairy industry. Although recent publications have given a chance academics and practitioners to prove successful applications of membrane processes to the vast areas; a small number of publications have been devoted attention to the problem of capital equipment decision-making. To facilitate decision-making process in the membrane separation, this report focuses on the application of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), from a group decision-making viewpoint; it uses the Delphi technique to evaluate available alternatives according the criteria elicited from expert's opinions. A real case study on the ultrafiltration membrane area is put forward to determine the best module design based on the five criteria expressed by decision-makers: sanitation design, clean–in-place, packing density, resistance to fouling and shear stress, and relative cost. Finally, the paper utilizes Expert Choice and DECISION LAB software's to facilitate calculations.


The integration of a small fraction of the information present in the Web of Documents to the Linked Data Web can provide a significant shift on the amount of information available to data consumers. However, information extracted from text does not easily fit into the usually highly normalized structure of ontology-based datasets. While the representation of structured data assumes a high level of regularity, relatively simple and consistent conceptual models, the representation of information extracted from texts need to take into account large terminological variation, complex contextual/dependency patterns, and fuzzy or conflicting semantics. This work focuses on bridging the gap between structured and unstructured data, proposing the representation of text as structured discourse graphs (SDGs), targeting an RDF representation of unstructured data. The representation focuses on a semantic best-effort information extraction scenario, where information from text is extracted under a pay-as-you-go data quality perspective, trading terminological normalization for domain-independency, context capture, wider representation scope and maximization of textual information capture.


Background Lymphangiomatosis is an extremely rare disease with potential soft tissue, bone, and spleen involvement, which can be characterized by lymphangioma. Only a few cases of colon and mesenteric lymphangiomatosis have been reported. We report a case presenting with fatigue, periumbilical pain, and intermittent bloody stools. This patient underwent a series of examinations. Exploratory laparoscopy, in particular, yielded very valuable images and videos for this disease, which can provide evidence for the diagnosis of this disease. Case summary The current patient had fatigue, periumbilical pain, and intermittent bloody stools. Colonoscopy indicated numerous variable-sized hyaline cysts in the colon. Submucosal puncture was performed during colonoscopy. The patient was readmitted to the hospital due to periumbilical pain. B-ultrasound and abdominal CT showed multiple hypoechoic nodules in the mesenteric area. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed, and histopathology revealed that D2-40 was positive. Based on auxiliary examination and laparoscopic biopsy, surgeons and pathologists reached the diagnosis of mesenteric lymphangiomatosis. Conclusion Clinicians need to comprehensively improve their knowledge of lymphangiomatosis, and the combination of clinical symptoms, histological characteristics, and colonoscopy biopsy findings should be considered to improve lymphangiomatosis diagnosis, thereby reducing misdiagnosis. Core tip Colon and mesenteric lymphangiomatosis is an extremely uncommon benign condition of unknown etiology and pathogenesis in adult patients. We report a case of mesenteric lymphangiomatosis in a 37-year-old woman who presented with fatigue, periumbilical pain, and intermittent bloody stools, as well as lesions in the kidney, spleen, and bones. This case provides new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.


To evaluate disentangled representations several metrics have been proposed. However, theoretical guarantees for conventional metrics of disentanglement are missing. Moreover, conventional metrics do not have a consistent correlation with the outcomes of qualitative studies. In this paper we analyze metrics of disentanglement and their properties. We conclude that existing metrics of disentanglement were created to reflect different characteristics of disentanglement and do not satisfy two basic desirable properties: (1) assign a high score to representations that are disentangled according to the definition; and (2) assign a low score to representations that are entangled according to the definition.


This surveillance project was partially supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-PS18-1807). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.


In response to the growing demand for a visual capability to display and assimilate very large volumes of remote sensing data, a very fast browsing and animation system has been developed. The system can browse very large images (order of a few gigabyte) and animate through thousands of images in a very fast mode to support educational and decision-making purposes. It can be used by students in elementary and high schools, the general public in museums, and policy makers on their lap top computers. The system can be tailored to different applications. This presentation focusses on an educational application that displays many "layers" of data acquired at different scales; from regional to local. The data constitute sets of remote sensing images, GIS maps, photographs, text, etc.


T his study aims to investigate the effects of solvents of various polarities on the electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra of RhB and Rh6G. The singlet‐state excited dipole moments (me) and ground state dipole moments (mg) were estimated from the equations of Bakshiev -Kawski and Chamma‐ Viallet using the variation of Stokes shift along with the solvent's dielectric constant (e) and refractive indexes (n). The observed singlet‐state excited dipole moments were found to be larger than the ground‐state ones. Moreover, the obtained fluorescence quantum yield values were influenced by the environment of the fluorescing molecule. Consequently, the concentration of the dye solution, excited singlet state absorption and aggregate of dye molecules has been found to affect the values of the fluorescence quantum yield.


Lincoln's First Inaugural Address was not designed to coax the seceded states back into the Union, because he never conceded that they had left. Rather, he sought to define the situation so that, if war broke out, the seceders would be cast as the aggressors and the federal government as acting in self-defense. To this end, he presented a principled case against the legitimacy or even possibility of secession while applying the arguments to the exigence at hand. He identifies the cause of the trouble as "unwarranted apprehension" among the southern states, announces his policy as a minimalist assertion of national sovereignty, and urges that disaffected southerners not act in haste to threaten that sovereignty further. Not only does he explicitly call for slowing down the push to war but the speech itself enacts a slowing of time. In sum, the First Inaugural illustrates both Lincoln's philosophical grounding and his rhetorical dexterity.


This paper proposes a new semi blind equalizer structure for single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). SC-FDMA is currently adopted for mobile radio uplink communications in 3G long term evolution (3G LTE). In this system, a zero-forcing (ZF) equalization is performed thanks to the addition of a cyclic prefix (CP), as in OFDM system, and pilots regularly inserted for channel estimation which lead to the useful throughput degradation. To reduce this degradation we propose in this paper a new structure of semi blind equalizer in time domain based on. A ZF criterion and a simple minimum mean square error (MMSE) are combined to reduce the number of pilots inserted and to outperform the ZF optimum mean square error. This equalizer is shared in two parts: The filtering itself which is a linear time domain filtering performed before any demodulation device in the receiver side, and the criterion algorithm performed in the time domain after user selection and demodulation which is sometimes a ZF criterion and sometimes MMSE criterion. The results are very convincing both in terms of mean square error and in throughput gain compared to the performances of zero-forcing technique used in literature.


E. Jaba, A. Morosanu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iaşi, D. Şerban, M. Gruiescu, Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, Romania This paper presents some solutions to recruit staff for the Marketing Department of a metallurgical enterprise. Our goal is to present the psychological characteristics of a certain category of employees on a sample of 107 employees and to evaluate the relationship between the motivation to work and those characteristics. In order to realize such evaluation we used the linear mixed eff ects model in the statistical sof tware program R. The results showed that a signiĀ cant eff ect on work motivation have factors like work climate and the employee agreeability.


The functional elucidation of small unknown phage proteins ('ORFans') presents itself as one of the major challenges of bacteriophage molecular biology. In this work, we mined the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infecting phage LUZ24 proteome for antibacterial and antibiofilm proteins against its host. Subsequently, their putative host target was identified. In one example, we observed an interaction between LUZ24 gp4 and the host transcriptional regulator MvaT. The polymerization of MvaT across AT-rich DNA strands permits gene silencing of foreign DNA, thereby limiting any potentially adverse effects of such DNA. Gel shift assays proved the inhibitory effect of LUZ24 gp4 on MvaT DNA binding activity. Therefore, we termed this gene product as Mip, the MvaT inhibiting protein. We hypothesize Mip prevents the AT-rich LUZ24 DNA from being physically blocked by MvaT oligomers right after its injection in the host cell, thereby allowing phage transcription and thus completion of the phage infection cycle.


The hot summer of 2018 posed many challenges with regard to water shortages and yield losses, especially for agricultural production. These agricultural impacts might further pose consequent threats for the environment. In this paper, we deduce the impact of droughts on agricultural land management and on water quality owing to nitrate pollution. Using national statistics, we calculate a Germany-wide soil surface nitrogen budget for 2018 and deduce the additional N surplus owing to the dry weather conditions. Using a model farm approach, we compare fertilization practices and legal restrictions for arable and pig breeding farms. The results show that, nationwide, at least 464 kt of nitrogen were not transferred to plant biomass in 2018, which equals an additional average nitrogen surplus of 30 kg/ha. The surplus would even have amounted to 43 kg/ha, if farmers had continued their fertilization practice from preceding years, but German farmers applied 161 kt less nitrogen in 2018 than in the year before, presumably as a result of the new implications of the Nitrates Directive, and, especially on grassland, owing to the drought. As nitrogen surplus is regarded as an "agri-drinking water indicator" (ADWI), an increase of the surplus entails water pollution with nitrates. The examples of the model farms show that fertilization regimes with high shares of organic fertilizers produce higher nitrogen surpluses. Owing to the elevated concentrations on residual nitrogen in soils, the fertilization needs of crops in spring 2019 were less pronounced than in preceding years. Thus, the quantity of the continuously produced manure in livestock farms puts additional pressure on existing storage capacities. This may particularly be the case in the hot-spot regions of animal breeding in the north-west of Germany, where manure production, biogas plants, and manure imports are accumulating. The paper concludes that water shortages under climate change not only impact agricultural production and yields, but also place further challenges and threats to nutrient management and the environment. The paper discusses preventive and emergency management options for agriculture to support farmers in extremely dry and hot conditions.


Integrin αvβ3 expression is a marker of tumor progression for a wide range of histologically distinct cancers, yet the molecular mechanism by which αvβ3 influences the growth and malignancy of cancer is poorly understood. Here, we reveal that integrin αvβ3, in the unligated state on lung, breast and pancreatic cancer cells, recruits KRAS and RalB to the plasma membrane, leading to the activation of TBK-1/c-Rel. These events are both necessary and sufficient to promote tumor initiation, anchorage-independence, self-renewal, as well as resistance to nutrient deprivation and treatment with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitors such as erlotinib. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of RalB or its effectors suppress tumor initiation, self-renewal, and re-sensitizes tumors to RTK inhibition. These findings not only identify ανβ3 as a marker/driver of tumor stemness but also provide a strategy to overcome tumor resistance to RTK Inhibition. Citation Format: Laetitia Jocelyne Seguin, Shumei Kato, Aleksandra Franovic, Maria Fernanda Camargo, Katrhyn Elliott, Mayra Yebra, Jacqueline Lesperance, Ainhoa Mielgo, Jay Desgrosellier, Sudarshan Anand, Sara Weis, David Cheresh. β3 integrin/KRAS/RalB complex drives tumor stemness and resistance to EGFR inhibition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1916. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1916


Abstract Twenty of 21 health systems and network-based antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) who were invited participated in a questionnaire, a webinar, and focus groups to understand implementation strategies for system-wide antimicrobial stewardship. Four centralized ASPs structures emerged. Of participating organizations, 3 (15%) confirmed classification as collaborative, 3 (15%) as centrally coordinated, 3 (15%) as in between or in transition between centrally coordinated and centrally led, 8 (40%) as centrally led, 2 (10%) as collaborative, consultative network. One (5%) organization considered themselves to be a hybrid. System-level stewardship responsibilities varied across sites and generally fell into 6 major categories: building and leading a stewardship community, strategic planning and goal setting, development of validated data streams, leveraging tools and technology for stewardship interventions, provision of subject-matter expertise, and communication/education. Centralized ASPs included in this study most commonly took a centrally led approach and engaged in activities tailored to system-wide goals.


Urogenital trichomoniasis is a very common condition, the most frequent veneral disease in women. It is also the commonest cause of vaginal discharge. Nevertheless, it is often unrecognised since attenuated, latent, unusual forms are more numerous than acute forms which might lead to a suspicion of the diagnosis, and because the investigations which are necessary to make the diagnosis are not made often enough. Two types of investigation are available: laboratory studies to seek the parasite and colposcopy which reveals characteristic appearances. However, each may miss the diagnosis in some 25% of cases and should therefore not be seen as being mutually exclusive. Their combined use should ensure that few cases go undiagnosed.


4 As long as the return on levered funds exceeds the cost of using them, leverage will increase a bank's return on book equity. But what will happen to the price of its common stock? If the increased return on equity merely serves to compensate the investor for increased risk, the stock price will not benefit from leverage. By providing us with estimates of the rates of return normal for various risk levels, modern capital theory enables us to modify the question to read as follows: When a bank introduces additional leverage into its capital structure, does its common stock exhibit a positive abnormal return? Without exception, a sample of 10 levered banks experienced subnormal returns following the introduction of debt into their capital structures. Perhaps when banks issue debt, it raises questions in the investor's mind about the quality of bank management. >


Moxifloxacin is central to treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Effects of moxifloxacin on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis redox state were explored to identify strategies for increasing lethality and reducing the prevalence of extensively resistant tuberculosis. ABSTRACT Moxifloxacin is central to treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Effects of moxifloxacin on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis redox state were explored to identify strategies for increasing lethality and reducing the prevalence of extensively resistant tuberculosis. A noninvasive redox biosensor and a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive dye revealed that moxifloxacin induces oxidative stress correlated with M. tuberculosis death. Moxifloxacin lethality was mitigated by supplementing bacterial cultures with an ROS scavenger (thiourea), an iron chelator (bipyridyl), and, after drug removal, an antioxidant enzyme (catalase). Lethality was also reduced by hypoxia and nutrient starvation. Moxifloxacin increased the expression of genes involved in the oxidative stress response, iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, and DNA repair. Surprisingly, and in contrast with Escherichia coli studies, moxifloxacin decreased expression of genes involved in respiration, suppressed oxygen consumption, increased the NADH/NAD+ ratio, and increased the labile iron pool in M. tuberculosis. Lowering the NADH/NAD+ ratio in M. tuberculosis revealed that NADH-reductive stress facilitates an iron-mediated ROS surge and moxifloxacin lethality. Treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) accelerated respiration and ROS production, increased moxifloxacin lethality, and lowered the mutant prevention concentration. Moxifloxacin induced redox stress in M. tuberculosis inside macrophages, and cotreatment with NAC potentiated the antimycobacterial efficacy of moxifloxacin during nutrient starvation, inside macrophages, and in mice, where NAC restricted the emergence of resistance. Thus, NADH-reductive stress contributes to moxifloxacin-mediated killing of M. tuberculosis, and the respiration stimulator (NAC) enhances lethality and suppresses the emergence of drug resistance.


The control and removal of secondary phases is one of the major challenges for the development of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe)-based solar cells. Although etching processes have been developed for Cu(S,Se), Zn(S,Se), and CuSn(S,Se) secondary phases, so far very little attention has been given to the role of Sn(S,Se). In this paper, we report a chemical route using a yellow (NH4)2S solution to effectively remove Sn(S,Se). We found that Sn(S,Se) can form on the surface either because of stoichiometric deviation or by condensation. After etching, the efficiency of devices typically increases between 20 and 65% relative to the before etch efficiencies. We achieved a maximum 5.9% efficiency in Se-rich CZTSSe-based devices. It is confirmed that this feature is related not only to the removal of Sn(S,Se) but also to the unexpected passivation of the surface. We propose a phenomenological model for this passivation, which may open new perspectives for the development of CZTSSe-based solar cells.


We study the transport of ultracold impurity atoms immersed in a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) and trapped in a tight optical lattice. Within the strong-coupling regime, we derive an extended Hubbard model describing the dynamics of the impurities in terms of polarons, i.e. impurities dressed by a coherent state of Bogoliubov phonons. Using a generalized master equation based on this microscopic model, we show that inelastic and dissipative phonon scattering results in (i) a crossover from coherent to incoherent transport of impurities with increasing BEC temperature and (ii) the emergence of a net atomic current across a tilted optical lattice. The dependence of the atomic current on the lattice tilt changes from ohmic conductance to negative differential conductance within an experimentally accessible parameter regime. This transition is accurately described by an Esaki–Tsu-type relation with the effective relaxation time of the impurities as a temperature-dependent parameter.


An RF amplifier implemented by wafer-scale three-dimensional integration of three completely fabricated silicon-on-insulator wafers is demonstrated. The MOSFETs are on the top and bottom tier with middle-tier matching circuits. Measured amplifier performance agrees well with simulation and the footprint is approximately 40% smaller than the conventional 2D layout.


Abstract This research aims to improve the learning activity and achievement of a 10th grade class made up of 30 students in a vocational high school located in the city of Surakarta, Indonesia, by applying the Numbered Heads Together (NHT) approach. The experiment was divided into two stages of four activities each: planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. The comparative descriptive procedure was then used to analyze the data. Prior to the researach implementation, the learning activity was relatively low in the pre-stage of the experiment. However, after the NHT approach, the percentage of active students increased in stage 1 and stage 2. The result of the test also suggested a similar trend in student achievement. From this it can be concluded that the application of the NHT learning model improves engagement within the learning activity as well as the level of achievement.


For most of the world's languages, no primary data are available, even as many languages are disappearing. Throughout the last two decades, however, language documentation projects have produced substantial amounts of primary data from a wide variety of endangered languages. These resources are still in the early days of their exploration. One of the factors that makes them hard to use is a relative lack of standardized annotation conventions. In this paper, we will describe common practices in existing corpora in order to facilitate their future processing. After a brief introduction of the main formats used for annotation files, we will focus on commonly used tiers in the widespread ELAN and Toolbox formats. Minimally, corpora from language documentation contain a transcription tier and an aligned translation tier, which means they constitute parallel corpora. Additional common annotations include named references, morpheme separation, morpheme-by-morpheme glosses, part-of-speech tags and notes.


The aim of the paper is to evaluate the increa sing role of the Italian regions in the air transport sector. The more recent Italian laws delegate the governance of the main transport infrastructures in accordance to the Central Ministries of Transport and Infrastructures, while the policies concerning the start up aids for new air connections are decided at regional level in cooperation with the European Commissions. Sardinia and Pulia, two of the main region in Southern Italy, decided to intervene in the air transport sector with two completely differents approaches. Sardinia used the instrument of public services obligations in order to try to stimulate the air transport demand of the inhabitants, while Pulia used a rich regional fund for start-up aids, especially dedicated to the promotion of new low cost routes. Both the policies partially failed to reach their goals because they introduced too strict rules for a competitive market without ta king care of the economies of network that are the basis of air transport market. The complete absence of a coordination policy at central level produces not efficient use of regional funds and efforts.


Fast development of information technologies puts strict requirements to terms and costs of designing of computer devices and systems. These requirements may be fulfilled with help of virtual methods of designing, which are realized by means of virtual laboratories of computer-aided design.


Periodontitis is caused by bacterial biofilms results in devastation of periodontal tissues, including cementum, bone, and periodontal ligament (PDL), with ultimate tooth loss if left untreated. Studies targeted at understanding the disease at the cellular and molecular level as well as clinical investigations have resulted in improved therapies for arrest of disease progression. Moreover, beyond arrest of disease progression, substantial evidence exists indicating that regeneration of periodontal tissues is a viable treatment for selective situations. There is a need; however, to improve the predictability of regenerative therapies. A variety of regenerative therapies have been introduced, with some success in periodontal tissue regeneration. Growth factors are polypeptide molecules released by cells in the inflamed area that regulate events in wound healing. These are naturally occurring proteins that regulate various aspects of cell growth and development. Researchers are now exploring the potential applications and uses of growth factor in periodontal regeneration.


Driver behaviour can strongly affect fuel consumption, and driver training in eco-driving techniques has been shown to reduce fuel consumption by 10% on average. However the effects of this training can be short-lived, so there is an apparent need for continuous monitoring of driver behaviour. This study presents a driver advisory tool which encourages eco-driving, and its evaluation in the field. The system, developed by Ashwoods Automotive Ltd (UK) and the University of Bath (UK), is aimed at fleet operators of light commercial vehicles, where the driver is typically a company employee. A significant strength of the system is that it has been designed for easy integration with the vehicle CAN-bus, reducing complexity and cost. By considering the Inertial Power Surrogate (speed times acceleration) the core algorithm is able to identify behaviour which is likely to increase fuel consumption. The algorithm also enforces the advice of the Gear Shift Indicator to encourage earlier upshifting. Fuel saving is therefore encouraged both by reducing the power demand of the drive cycle and by operating the engine in a more efficient region. Instantaneous visual feedback to the driver is augmented by audible warnings, which avoids the need for the driver to concentrate on the display, reducing cognitive loading. Reports on driver performance are made available to the fleet manager so that fuel efficient and safe driving can be encouraged. Trials of the system ran for four weeks and included 15 vehicles from 7 companies; a total of 39 300 km of trip data were collected during more than 1 100 hours of real world driving. Results show an average fleet reduction in fuel consumption of 7.6%, with some vans showing savings up to 12%. Furthermore, reductions of over 10% in both average engine speed and throttle activation were observed. It was also noted that the system shows strong potential for synergetic use with a hybrid electric powertrain, where modifying driver behaviour may facilitate energy harvesting from regenerative braking.


High spatial resolution measurements of local flow velocities and temperature distributions are crucial for understanding turbulent, high-speed, and reacting flows. In this paper, we demonstrate that femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging, a recently developed molecular tagging velocimetry method, can also be used to simultaneously measure temperature. A 150 femtosecond pulse populates excited molecular nitrogen states, driving significant emission from the nitrogen second positive and first negative systems. Spectroscopy of this emission allows temperature to be determined from the distribution of rotational molecular energy. Temperature profiles are measured with better than 10% uncertainty and 500  μm spatial resolution between 300 and 650 K in heated jets. This method is expected to be valid up to at least 2000 K. Femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging temperature and velocity measurements involve separate nitrogen transitions and can be conducted simultaneously without interference.


Background
Many randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are available to support using different pharmacotherapy agents in the management of various neuropathic pain conditions. However, choosing these pharmacotherapy agents for neuropathic pain is challenging, due to the limited evidence-based knowledge to support the use of different pharmacotherapy agents in different neuropathic pain conditions.
Aims
The aim of this PhD is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral and topical pharmacotherapies for managing neuropathic pain by deriving placebo and active comparative efficacy and safety evidence from RCTs.
Methods
This research used three approaches to summarise and synthesise evidence from randomised controlled studies including: a systematic review of placebo and active control RCTs to summarise and criticise the current evidence in neuropathic pain; a meta-analysis and sequential analysis of eligible studies to provide a more precise estimate of the overall treatment effects; and a network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effectiveness of the most commonly used interventions in neuropathic pain.
Results
Systematic review
Two hundred placebo and active-controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. A wide range of different treatments were studied in these trials, including anticonvulsants, antidepressants, opioids and topical capsaicin and lidocaine.Most of the included studies were parallel placebo-controlled trials and commonly lasted for 3 to 12 weeks. In addition, the vast majority of the included RCTs were conducted in participants with painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, while only a few trials were conducted in participants with central neuropathic pain conditions.
Pairwise meta-analysis
Sixty seven trials were eligible for the pairwise meta analysis of efficacy outcomes. Of the anticonvulsants group pregabalin and gabapentin compared with placebo demonstrated efficacy for 50% and 30% pain reduction and global improvement in patients with neuropathic pain. The efficacy of anticonvulsants varied in different types of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin when compared against a placebo was better than a placebo in PHN and PDN, while pregabalin was significantly effective in patients with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) but not in patients with HIV associated neuropathic pain. Others anticonvulsant agents, such as lamotrigine, valproic acid, topiramate, levetiracetam and oxcarbazepine, were tested in a small number of trials. These did not provide useful benefits compared with a placebo for a 50% and 30% pain reduction.
Of the antidepressant group, duloxetine when compared to a placebo demonstrated efficacy for 50% and 30% pain reduction in diabetic neuropathic pain. A few active comparison trials failed to demonstrate superior efficacy of one drug over another for a 50% and 30% reduction in neuropathic pain.
Trial sequential analysis
To examine the reliability and conclusiveness of the available evidence, trialsequential analysis has been applied in this study. The results show convincing evidence of the efficacy of some interventions (e.g. pregabalin, gabapentin and duloxetine) to reduce pain by 50% in some neuropathic pain conditions (e.g. diabetic neuropathic pain and post-herpetic neuralgia). The continuation of RCTs of pregabalin and duloxetine in diabetic neuropathy and gabapentin in post-herpetic neuralgia is not necessary as there appears to be sufficient evidence of the efficacy of these treatments in the management diabetic neuropathic pain and post herpetic neuralgia. Further RCTs of duloxetine, pregabalin and gabapentin are however required for central neuropathic pain. In contrast, the analysis failed to provide evidence that opioids and high concentration capsaicin demonstrate a 50% pain reduction. Network meta-analysis Twenty-eight trials were eligible for the network meta-analysis. The results incorporating both direct-comparison and indirect-comparison evidence suggested that there is no superiority of duloxetine over amitriptyline, pregabalin and gabapentin in achieving at least a 30% and 50% pain reduction with a treatment duration of 7 to 12 weeks in patients with neuropathic pain conditions, such as diabetic neuropathic pain, postherpetic neuralgia and spinal cord injury.
Conclusions
In summary, this research has found that some good quality trials provide good evidence regarding the efficacy of duloxetine, pregabalin and gabapentin in a minority of patients with neuropathic pain. Until advancements in developing mechanism-based approaches and improved clinical trial design become available, the routine use of these medications is unlikely to be changed. This may support the hypothesis that traditional RCTs might not be a suitable method of choice to address provisional health questions in routine clinical practice.


Background: Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa Roxb.) is one of the imperative plants in Ayurveda reported to posses aphrodisiac property. The Loturine is one of the important markers of Lodhra. Aim: To develop simple, rapid, accurate RP-HPLC methods for estimation of Loturine from Polyherbal Formulation containing Lodhra extract. Methods and Materials: A simple RP-HPLC method was developed for estimation and quantitative determination of Loturine from extract and formulation. For this analysis the scanning wavelength was set on 288 nm. The % of Loturine content in extract and formulation were determined. The validation was done as per ICH guidelines. Statistical Analysis: The RSD and Correlation coefficient (r 2 ) were calculated by standard formulas. Results: The Loturine was satisfactorily resolved at Rt 5.3 minutes. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r 2 = 0.9992. The % RSD values for system precision, method precision and intermediate precision was found to 0.72 %, 0.89 % and 1.22 % respectively Conclusion: Statistical analysis of the data showed that the method is reproducible and selective for the determination of Loturine from Lodhra extract and formulation. © 2012 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved


Purpose: To evaluate the duration, treatment and prognosis of status epilepticus (SE) in relation to cause. Of particular interest was to examine how nonadherence to prophylactic medication contributed to SE in patients with established epilepsy, as demonstrated by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) at admission.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all episodes diagnosed as SE in the period from January 1999 through August 2012 at St. Olav's Hospital, TrondheimUniversity Hospital. Data were collected by review of the medical records of the identified patients. Treatment non-adherence was investigated by TDM at admission, and was considered probable when antiepileptic drug (AED) levels were between 25% and 50% lower compared to trough levels, and as definite when they were at least 50% lower. In addition, non-adherence by history was recorded.Results: A total of 174 SE-cases were identified. The most common acute causes of SE were AED- (33 %) and fever/infection related (15%), most of these cases were early phase or established SE, with a good prognosis. However, less prevalent causes like stroke and anoxia, more often led to refractory and superrefractory SE, resulting in death or serious sequelae. Cases diagnosed with pneumonia during the course of SE, had a significantly higher mortality. A previous history of epilepsy were found in 133 (76%) cases, and although the majority had an unknown acute cause of SE (52%), treatment non-adherence and low levels of AEDs were commonly seen. Among the cases with epilepsy,124 used prophylactic treatment. TDM was performed at admission in 65 (52%), subtherapeutic AED levels were found in 25 (38%) of these, and treatment nonadherence was identified in 24 (37%).Discussion: The course and outcome of SE are largely dependent on the underlying cause. Treatment non-adherence, subtherapeutic AED levels, fever/infection and alcohol related episodes are associated with a favorable outcomeand early treatment response, whereas SE in relation to brain insults like stroke and anoxia are more treatment resistant with higher mortality and morbidity. The fact that treatment non-adherence and low AED levels were among the most common causal factors of SE in patients with epilepsy, emphasizes the importance of TDM at admission. This is the first study to demonstrate the extent of non-adherence by TDM.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and loneliness, especially whether the discrepancies between explicit and implicit self-esteem was associated with loneliness. In the present study, UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Implicit Association Test were used to collect data, 113 undergraduates participated in it. Findings showed that individuals higher in explicit (but not implicit) self-esteem had lower loneliness. Furthermore, we found that the undergraduates' feelings of loneliness were significantly related to the direction of the discrepancy between explicit and implicit self-esteem. These results not only enriched the research about the loneliness, but also the discrepant self-esteem.


Crystal violet and Safranin are dyes in Gram staining, which are carcinogenic. Alternative safe materials are needed to minimize the use of carcinogenic properties. Purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) peels were the candidate of the alternative dye source because of its high anthocyanin pigment. The purpose of this study was to determine purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) peels extract as an alternative to Gentian violet in Gram staining of bacteria. Extracts obtained from purple sweet potato peels studied with varying concentrations of 50%, 60%, and 75% for 1, 3, and 5 min as a substitute for Gentian violet on Bacillus sp. The parameters observed from this study based on visual field clarity, glass slide cleanliness, contrast, bacterial shape, bacterial colour. Each extract concentration compared with a control group using Gentian violet. The results showed that optimum staining in 50% concentration for 5 min, 60% concentration for 5 min, 75% concentration for 3 min, and 5 min respectively. The present study exhibited the potency of Ipomoea batatas L. peels extract as an alternative staining agent.


The purpose of this article is to explore the connection between ideology and issues in the minds of voters and the relationship between this connection and the electoral prospects of candidates engaged in two-candidate competition. Toward this end we examine the effects on electoral competition of either magnifying or collapsing the expected policy difference that voters associate with a fixed ideological difference. We find that magnifying this difference aids the incumbent, whereas collapsing it aids the challenger. We go on to point out how this second result provides an explanation for the electoral appeal of extremist candidates and an important insight into the question of state stability.


a sense of re3ponsibility. This may possibly be true of some of the youngest of them, though I should have thought that daily experience, during their long years of clinical training, of disease and death must surely by the end of their course have sobered the least responsible among even them. But how can it be true of the fine ex-Service types, with their war experience and their training in responsibility, of the many men with wives and families, and of the 30+, 40+, 50+, and occasionally even 60 + ancients who together form a considerable proportion of the total number of medical students ? Are all these irresponsible too ? If not, why should they all be treated as if they were ?-I am, etc.,


Compressor fouling is one of the main causes of gas turbine performance degradation. Microsized particles adhere to the blade surfaces increasing the surface roughness and modifying the airfoil shape. In this work, the contamination of the Allison 250 C18 multistage compressor engine with four sorts of micrometric dust has been provided. The tests were performed changing the relative humidity (RH) at the compressor inlet and the unit rotational speed. After each test, a photographic inspection of the internal fouled parts has been realized and the digital pictures have been analyzed employing an image processing package. The deposit's build-up of stator vanes and rotor blades has been postprocessed and the most affected regions of each compressor stage have been highlighted. Besides, a numerical simulation of the machine has been performed. The numerical flow field has been used to highlight the blade regions, which show the most favorable conditions for particle deposition. A theoretical model has been applied to the flow field to simulate the particle deposition. The combination of the deposition model with the results of the numerical simulations gives the chance to better understand the experimentally founded deposition patterns. Those results have been finally compared to the pictures of the patterns. The possibility to detect and measure the deposition patterns on a rotating test rig and the comparison with models and experiments gave the possibility to assess in detail the particle deposition phenomenon on a multistage axial compressor flow path.


SUMMARY: Bacillus cereus strain 569H became resistant to tetracyclines, arsenite and cyanide. The degree of resistance acquired was independent of the inducing concentration up to 2 × 10-5 M. Recovery from tetracycline and arsenite inhibition involved a change in the bacteria themselves; cyanide resistance involved also the destruction of this inhibitory agent. Although there were many similarities between the tetracycline and arsenite recoveries, two distinct mechanisms were involved. Adaptation to tetracycline was not observed with B. megaterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichia coli. Bacillus megaterium and E. coli did adapt to cyanide. Although polymyxin B was inactive by itself against B. cereus, lytic activity due to the antibiotic was seen when a tetracycline was also present in the medium. The lytic activity ceased when the bacilli recovered from tetracycline. Bacillus cereus did not adapt to other inhibitors of protein synthesis, RNA synthesis or oxidative phosphorylation.


Sentiment Analysis has been an interesting and popular research area encouraging researchers and practitioners to adopt this tool in various fields such as the government, health care and education.  In education, instruction evaluation is one of the activities that sentiment analysis has served.  Though, it is a common practice that educational institutions periodically evaluate their teachers' performance, students' comments which are rich in insights are not easily taken into account because of lack of automated text analytics methods. In this study, supervised machine learning algorithms were used. Experiments were conducted to evaluate base models employing naïve bayes, support vector machines and logistic regression in comparison to ensemble combining the three. Random forest, an ensemble learning algorithm was also experimented. Machine learning techniques such as term-frequency – inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) and ngram were also explored to devise a model with the highest possible accuracy. Results show that in this case, tf-idf vectorization does not show significant improvement in sentiment classification. On the other hand, ngram vectorization improve performance of base models and has potential to improve ensemble models. Random forest showed higher performance measures than base models and ensemble of the three base models. However, it did not outperform ngram combined with support vector machines. In future work the model with highest accuracy found can be embedded in a sentiment analysis tool for students' feedback on teaching performance. More advanced transformation techniques and other ensemble techniques may be explored to further improve accuracy in sentiment classification.


Abstract The objective of the presented work was to examine the optical properties of selected bio-fuel waste. Three independent optical methods: UV-Vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and chromametric measurements were applied to establish the possible quality control test for the obtained substances. The following by-products were tested: distilled glycerine, technical glycerine and matter organic non glycerine fraction from rapeseed oil bio-fuel production. The results show that analysis of UV-Vis spectra can give rapid information about the purity of distilled glycerine, while no direct information can be obtained concerning the concentration and kind of impurities. Transmission mode is more useful as compared to absorption, concerning the detection abilities of average UV-Vis spectrometers. Infrared spectroscopy can be used as a complementary method for determining impurities/admixtures in samples. Measurements of chroma give the quickest data to compare the colour of biofuel by-products obtained by different producers. The condition is, however, that the products are received through the same or similar chemical processes. The other important factor is application of well defined measuring background. All the discussed analyses are quick, cheap and non-destructive, and can help to compare the quality of products.


Aim: To examine the potential negative and positive impacts of, and reaction to, eight Australian National Diabetes Week campaign videos (originally broadcast between 2005 and 2015) among adults with and without diabetes.
 Method: Cross-sectional, quasi-experimental, 10-arm online study. A general population sample (n=1023, aged 41±14 years, 60% women) and a diabetes population sample (n=510, aged 52±12 years, 49% women, 78% type 2 diabetes) were recruited via an Australian research panel. Participants were randomly exposed to one of eight diabetes campaign videos (intervention) or allocated to one of two control groups (active or passive). Post-exposure, study-specific scales measured diabetes Misconceptions and Seriousness, General and Diabetes Risk-Reduction Motivation and Self-efficacy, and perceptions of video Stigmatization of diabetes. Scores were compared by condition (intervention vs. control), and by campaign Stigma (high vs. low), separately by cohort (general and diabetes).
 Results: Exposure to diabetes campaigns had no significant impact on diabetes perceptions, relative to control, with one exception: a modest effect on General Self-efficacy among the general cohort only (p=0.015; d=-0.19). Those perceiving high campaign Stigma (15%), relative to low Stigma (60%), reported significantly greater diabetes Misconceptions (general: d=1.5; diabetes: d=-1.9) and lower Seriousness (d=0.5; d=0.3), as well as lower General Motivation (d=0.2) but higher Diabetes Risk Reduction Motivation (d=0.3) for the general cohort only.
 Conclusion: Single exposure to diabetes campaign videos had seemingly little positive impact on public perceptions. The minority, who perceive them as stigmatising, have greater misconceptions about diabetes, and perceive diabetes as less serious. This novel study has implications for the design and evaluation of future diabetes campaign videos globally.

 E.Holmes-truscott: Research Support; Sanofi, AstraZeneca. J.Hateley-browne: None. E.M.Charalambakis: None. A.D.Ventura: None. A.G.Glenister: None. R.Scibilia: Advisory Panel; Ascensia Diabetes Care, Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Diagnostics, Employee; Diabetes Australia, Speaker's Bureau; diaTribe. J.Speight: Research Support; Sanofi, Medtronic, Abbott Diabetes, Lilly, Novo Nordisk A/S, Speaker's Bureau; Sanofi.

 Diabetes Victoria


Angle-resolved photoelectron (PE) spectra were recorded for IF and I. These were prepared as primary and secondary products of the F + CH2I2 reaction. PE spectra were recorded with different IF-to-I ratios to evaluate the relative intensities of IF and I photoelectron bands where their bands were overlapped. Improved values were obtained for the vertical and adiabatic ionization energies of the IF(+)(X(2)Pi(3/2)) <-- IF(X(1)sigma(+)) and IF(+)((2)Pi(1/2)) <-- IF(X(1)sigma(+)) ionizations and for the spectroscopic constants omega(e) and omega(e)ex(e) for the two IF ionic states X(2)Pi(3/2) and (2)Pi(1/2). Equilibrium bond lengths r(e) of these IF ionic states were derived from the experimental relative intensities of the vibrational components and calculated Franck-Condon factors. Threshold photoelectron (TPE) spectra were also recorded under the same reaction conditions. On comparing the TPE and PE spectra, the contributions from atomic iodine were much more intense in the TPE spectra. No difference was seen between the vibrational envelopes of the two observed IF bands, and no extra structure was seen associated with the TPE bands of IF as has been observed in TPE spectra of other diatomic halogens. The extra features that were observed in the TPE spectra can be assigned to contributions from autoionization of known I Rydberg states.


A legislative "breakpoint," the Cannon Revolt profoundly transformed congressional operation, spurring a series of reforms that ultimately led to the disintegration of traditional modes of partisan authority and the creation of new patterns of governance. In this article, I argue that the Cannon Revolt affords an opportunity to examine a crucial, but poorly understood, dynamic in congressional politics. Whereas spatial theories of Congress typically hold that legislators located at the floor median are decisive actors in chamber politics, the archival account presented here suggests that these legislators require the scaffolding of an intraparty organization to secure pivotal status. As I demonstrate, intraparty organization enabled a ragtag group of Republican reformers opposed to Cannon's "czar rule" to draft and unite behind a common proposal for parliamentary reform, and to build the cross-party coalition that scholars agree was critical to its passage. In this account, the influence of the so-called "Insurgent" Republicans hinged on their collective capacity to hang together in sufficient numbers to hold the balance of power in the chamber—in effect, organizing all potentially pivotal votes into one bloc essential to sustaining the majority party coalition.