ABSTRACT Wheat plants were grown in nutrient solution with or without 100 ÂμM iron (Fe) under controlled environmental conditions. Two wheat genotypes were chosen as two extremes in seed Fe content (Z181 with 1.18 Âμg Fe seed−1 and N85021 with 2.21 Âμg Fe seed−1) from a field screening-experiment that showed a significant difference in seed Fe contents among 26 wheat cultivars. Under 0 ÂμM Fe supply, N85021 showed better seedling vigor, and had greater dry matter production-dates printpubdate="07/01/2002" in root and shoot, chlorophyll concentration in fresh fully expanded leaves and Fe uptake in both root and shoot in comparison with Z181. However, there was no significant difference for the two genotypes when 100 ÂμM Fe was supplied. For the 0 ÂμM Fe treatment, the genotype N85021 with high seed Fe had a higher Fe concentration in plants than Z181. Most of seed Fe was transported into the seedling tissues due to the absence of external Fe supply. The difference in Fe concentration between the two genotypes was greater in roots than shoots. On day 13 after germination, the percentage of Fe translocated from seed to plant was 82% for N85021 and 86% for Z181. The rate of phytosiderophore release was higher for Z181 than N85021 only on day 5 after germination due to Z181 being more sensitive to Fe deficiency stress than N85021. The release of phytosiderophores by N85021 increased sharply with the duration of treatment and surpassed Z181 after day 6. The highest release of phytosiderophores by wheat plants was observed on day 11 for Z181 and day 12 for N85021. Compared with Z181, N85021 exuded a higher amount of phytosiderophores under Fe deficiency till day 17 after treatment. N85021 had higher chlorosis resistance than Z181; this genotypic difference in Fe efficiency between N85021 and Z181 could have resulted from both a higher rate of phytosiderophore release and a higher seed Fe content. The pattern of phytosiderophore release, as an important factor related to tolerance to Fe deficiency was mainly controlled by the genotype, while seed Fe content showed only a modifying effect via changing the dynamics of phytosiderophore release over time. The higher Fe content in seed may also be an important factor related to chlorosis resistance in wheat because it improves the early establishment of seedlings. Sowing high-Fe seed combined with growing Fe-efficient genotypes may be an effective measure to solve the Fe-deficiency-related chlorosis in wheat. Thus, the effect of seed Fe content should be taken into account when comparing genotypes for resistance to Fe deficiency


A convergent total synthesis of khafrefungin, a novel inhibitor of fungal sphingolipid syntheses isolated from the fermentation culture MF6020, has been developed. Alkenylboronic acid 5 and alkenyliodide 6, key fragments for the total synthesis, were prepared from the corresponding achiral aldehydes using tin(II)-catalyzed and Zr(IV)-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions, respectively. The Suzuki coupling reaction of these two fragments was successfully performed to give 17 in good yield. Through the total synthesis, epimerization of the C4 position having a rather highly acidic proton did not occur, indicating that khafrefungin was under strict conformational constraints to prevent the epimerization process. This characteristic stability of khafrefungin has also been discussed using semiempirical calculation and synthesis. Finally, khafrefungin derivatives have also been synthesized, and their antifungal activities have been measured to obtain information on the structure--activity relationships.


This article explores whether there is empirical support for the assertion that enforcing liability waivers signed by parents increases participation in youth sports. To the authors' knowledge, it is the first and only article to do so.

This inquiry is critically relevant to a sharp split in contract law. Youth sports providers typically condition a minor's participation on a signed parental waiver of the minor's ability to sue for negligence. There are many reasons to doubt the enforceability of such releases. They are contracts of adhesion, their terms might be unconscionable, and they expose minors to increased risk of injury. Nevertheless, states do not consistently invalidate these releases. Of states that have explicitly considered the question, roughly one-third enforce youth sports releases, and they do so for a very specific reason, namely a professed belief that enforcing youth sports releases increases youth sports participation. Thus, if enforcing youth sports releases does not actually increase youth sports participation, then the primary reason given for doing so evaporates.

Our article searches for empirical evidence by statistically analyzing a database constructed from a fifty-state survey of the law covering 1988-2014, high school sports participation numbers reported by the National Federation of State High School Associations over the same years, data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and data from the United States Census. We found no statistically significant relationship between enforcing youth sports releases and increased participation in high school youth sports.


The main goal of our system is to provide the end user with information about an approaching disaster. The concept is to ensure information access to adequate data for all potential users, including citizens, local mayors, governments, and specialists, within one system. It is obvious that there is a knowledge gap between the lay user and specialist. Therefore, the system must be able to provide this information in a simple format for the less informed user while providing more complete information with computation adjustment and parameterization options to more qualified users. One system feature in high demand is the ability to display reliable and understandable graphical and textual information. Information for various types of users must be adapted to a desired format which is understandable to a particular group of people. For example, a specialist can ask for all available results from different simulation models in text format. This type of information may be useless, however, to the user who only wants to find out whether or not his house will be flooded. Another important feature is the open structure and modular architecture that enables the usage of different modules. Modules can contain different functions, alternative simulations or additional features. Since the architectural structure is open, modules can be combined in any way to achieve any desired function in the system.


The term post traumatic stress is routinely used to describe the psychological experiences of
soldiers returning from war. It is used here to describe the effects it has on the families of PTS
victims, in particular children.
Hunting Captain Henley is a novel which explores the long term effects of a father's post
traumatic stress on a son's (intellectual) development. It tracks the progress of the narrator
from childhood to adulthood as he sets about tracking down the (English) Royal Signals
Captain who allegedly bullied his dad into shooting Arab civilians during the Ismaelia police
uprising at Suez in 1951. In his 1919 book Scottish Literature: Character and Influence G.
Gregory Smith first coined the phrase Caledonian Antisyzygy to spotlight the zigzag of
contradictions at the heart of Scottish Literature, especially under the stress of foreign (in
particular English) influence. The term has since been used to point at the schizophrenia at
the heart of Scottishness. The novel considers the dual influences of the English (language) on
Scottish writing and families.
As a prologue to the book a commentary is provided. Scotland's Fascist Voice addresses the
unexplored area of the present-day fascist consciousness in Scotland. It does so by firstly
acknowledging Scotland's role in the creation of the British Empire then delineates a
developing contemporary identity borne out of that imperial experience. It examines the
significance of The Raucle Tongue, hitherto uncollected prose by Hugh MacDiarmid, in
particular his Plea for a Scottish Fascism. The remaining chapters of the commentary explain
the significance of a form of cultural repression at work in Scottish society and showcase the
fascist style mindset and its incumbent voice. It is concluded that as both victims and
perpetators of Empire Scots must now acknowledge this duality of experience and carry forth
its impact on both our language and identity into the 21st century.


The problem of providing an adequate definition of a stochastic system is addressed and motivated using examples. A stochastic system is defined as a probability triple. The specification of the set of events is an essential part of a stochastic model and it is argued that for phenomena with as outcome space a finite dimensional vector space, the framework of classical random vectors with the Borel sigma-algebra as events is inadequate even for elementary applications. Models very often require a coarse event sigma-algebra. A stochastic system is linear if the events are cylinders with fibers parallel to a linear subspace of a vector space. We address interconnection of stochastic systems. Two stochastic systems can be interconnected if they are complementary. We discuss aspects of the identification problem from this vantage point. A notion that emerges is constrained probability, a concept that is reminiscent but distinct from conditional probability. We end up with a comparison of open stochastic systems with probability kernels.


The two major requirements of future cellular mobile and personal communication systems are: the support of multi-rate services and operation in multi-cell environments. This paper is concerned with the identification and development of efficient and flexible methods of mapping logical traffic and control channels onto physical channels at the air interface for future multi-rate CDMA systems. We also address how a GSM 900/DCS 1800 fixed network may be evolved to support such systems.


Whereas corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been considered as the most potent epileptogenic neuropeptide in the brain, its action site and underlying mechanisms in epilepsy have not been determined. Here, we found that the entorhinal cortex (EC) expresses high level of CRF and CRF2 receptors without expression of CRF1 receptors. Bath application of CRF concentration-dependently increased the frequency of picrotoxin (PTX)-induced epileptiform activity recorded from layer III of the EC in entorhinal slices although CRF alone did not elicit epileptiform activity. CRF facilitated the induction of epileptiform activity in the presence of subthreshold concentration of PTX which normally would not elicit epileptiform activity. Bath application of the inhibitor for CRF-binding proteins, CRF6-33, also increased the frequency of PTX-induced epileptiform activity suggesting that endogenously released CRF is involved in epileptogenesis. CRF-induced facilitation of epileptiform activity was mediated via CRF2 receptors because pharmacological antagonism and knockout of CRF2 receptors blocked the facilitatory effects of CRF on epileptiform activity. Application of the adenylyl cyclase (AC) inhibitors blocked CRF-induced facilitation of epileptiform activity and elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) level by application of the AC activators or phosphodiesterase inhibitor increased the frequency of PTX-induced epileptiform activity, demonstrating that CRF-induced increases in epileptiform activity are mediated by an increase in intracellular cAMP. However, application of selective protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors reduced, not completely blocked CRF-induced enhancement of epileptiform activity suggesting that PKA is only partially required. Our results provide a novel cellular and molecular mechanism whereby CRF modulates epilepsy.


The covariation of growth and maturation in male Atlantic salmon parr, Salmo salar, produces a relationship characterized by a size threshold below which individuals generally do not mature. The threshold of 70–72 mm fork length is evident both within and among populations. Parr maturation can reduce growth during the second year of life by an average of 4.0%. Among-year variation in growth rate affects the yearly incidence of maturation for males at age 1 + but has no detectable effect on the total proportion of male parr maturing in a population. Increases in the proportion of mature parr in the Matamek River, Quebec, can be explained by variation in growth alone; there is no evidence for genetic changes in this population.


Recently a portable apparatus, the Vibra-Bath1has been developed which has proved a dependable therapeutic adjuvant for dermatology. This apparatus makes possible any combination of medicated or cleansing baths with gentle mechanical cleansing, effleurage, and percussion and compression massage, with or without heat, in an easily available manner through the utilization of closely packed air bubbles delivered through varying water depths. The physiological principles and mechanical benefits of hydromassage have been understood and utilized in physical therapy clinics for many years. The application of hydromassage in the management of certain dermatological conditions has been limited only by the availability of this means of treatment to the dermatologists. The unit, operating on normal house current and weighing less than 19 lb. (8.6 kg.), consists of a power unit, air-flow tube, and a Vibra plate. A control panel, located on the power unit, consists of three switches—power, heat, and


Abstract:As organizations and corporations construct an international reach, they become influential actors in foreign relations between sovereign countries. Particularly, while Major League Baseball continues to recruit players and build a large fan base across the globe, it increases its ability to facilitate civil relations between the United States and other nations. An exploration of how professional baseball provides a useful platform to improve diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba best exemplifies how the League can promote change. Although the United States and Cuba have had a rather tumultuous relationship in recent history, a coordinated effort to improve the treatment of Cuban baseball players through changes in League rules and federal laws has the ability to spark a unified commitment to improved diplomacy. The proposed changes to improve relations with Cuba, can also be used by Major League Baseball and the United States to increase diplomatic success with other nations who have a vested interest in the success and fair treatment of their native baseball players.


The article provides insights on the current tax dispute resolution mechanisms in Vietnam including administrative review procedure, court proceedings and the Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) under applicable tax treaties. It analyses the current regulations in Vietnam and practical implementation on these dispute resolution mechanisms and compares with relative provisions of other international instruments. The findings of this study suggest that the remedies under the administrative review and MAP currently do not offer effective and satisfactory means for resolution of tax disputes; whereas the court proceeding is the most effective mechanism for protecting taxpayers. The article recommends that apart from considering court proceedings as their first choice, taxpayers also need to apply other preventive measures to minimise potential tax disputes. On the other hand, Vietnamese government should improve the current legal mechanisms including: specialising judges in tax dispute settlement both in domestic and international tax disputes; providing a prescribed timeframe for steps to be taken by the General Department of Taxation to resolve disputes under MAP; adding compulsory arbitration procedure as a part of MAP; revising the inter-relation between domestic legal remedies and MAP and improving the Advanced Pricing Agreement (APA) review process to make it more effective and efficient for taxpayers.


As is well known, one of the most important social obligations of industrial enterprises is to be responsive to the environment. Protection of the environment and keeping it unpolluted for the future are among the social responsibilities and duties of both states and all enterprises. Therefore, all countries, notably the European Union (EU) have established a number of laws regarding the protection of environment. During the process of integrating Turkey into the EU, the precautions our enterprises must take regarding adaptation to environmental laws are as important as improving their production processes.


The practice of extension in improving forest and natural resource management around the world is increasing. In 2003 an international symposium of extensionists working in forestry and natural resources was convened in Troutdale, Oregon. Thirty-five papers from 11 countries focused on successful strategies that have been employed in extension work around the globe. Twenty-two strategies were highlighted that relate to educational approach or programming. Members of the Extension Working Party of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (500 members from 70 countries) were surveyed to see if they used these strategies often or sometimes, or if they did not use them but would like to, or if they don't feel the strategy is relevant to them. Results were compiled by three constructed regions: U.S. and Canada; Europe and Australia; and Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and differences were tested using Pearson's χ 2 . In general, the strategies were consistently and widely used around the world. Typically from 70 to 95% of the survey respondents indicated that they use the strategy often or sometimes. Regional differences occurred with only six of the 22 strategies. For example, the strategy develop collaborations with associations of learners, such as forest owner associations was used often or sometimes by 90% of respondents from the U.S. and Canada, 83% of respondents from Europe and Australia, and only 47% of respondents from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Reasons for these significant (p < 0.0001) differences are proposed. Additionally, some barriers to use of some of the strategies are reported.


In 1993 the Law Concerning Social and Medical Aid for People Asking for Political Asylum in the Federal Republic of Germany (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) was promulgated. In so far the main political aims of the new law are concerned it is to say that in the case of dental treatment they have failed at least in the first year. The author believes it to be more serious from a medical point of view that there is a tendency towards a medicine having two different «classes»


The poor egg-laying performance and short peak egg-laying period restrict the economic benefits of enterprises relating to the Taihe black-bone silky fowl. Ovaries are the main organ for egg production in poultry. Unlike that of mammals, the spawning mechanism of poultry has rarely been reported. As a prominent local breed in China, the reproductive performance of Taihe black-bone silky fowls is in urgent need of development and exploitation. To further explore the egg-laying regulation mechanism in the different periods of Taihe black-bone silky fowls, the ovarian tissues from 12 chickens were randomly selected for transcriptome analysis, and 4 chickens in each of the three periods (i.e., the pre-laying period (102 days old, Pre), peak laying period (203 days old, Peak), and late laying period (394 days old, Late)). A total of 12 gene libraries were constructed, and a total of 9897 differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified from three comparisons; the late vs. peak stage had 509 DEGs, the pre vs. late stage had 5467 DEGs, and the pre vs. peak stage had 3921 DEGs (pre-stage: pre-egg-laying period (102 days old), peak-stage: peak egg-laying period (203 days old), and late-stage: late egg-laying period (394 days old)). In each of the two comparisons, 174, 84, and 2752 differentially co-expressed genes were obtained, respectively, and 43 differentially co-expressed genes were obtained in the three comparisons. Through the analysis of the differential genes, we identified some important genes and pathways that would affect reproductive performance and ovarian development. The differential genes were LPAR3, AvBD1, SMOC1, IGFBP1, ADCY8, GDF9, PTK2B, PGR, and CD44, and the important signaling pathways included proteolysis, extracellular matrices, vascular smooth muscle contraction, the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and the phagosome. Through the analysis of the FPKM (Fragments Per Kilobase of exon model per Million mapped fragments) values of the genes, we screened three peak egg-laying period-specific expressed genes: IHH, INHA, and CYP19A1. The twelve genes and five signaling pathways mentioned above have rarely been reported in poultry ovary studies, and our study provides a scientific basis for the improvement of the reproductive performance in Taihe black-bone silky fowls.


The cellular retinoic acid binding protein is thought to be involved in the retinoic-acid-mediated signal transduction pathway. We have isolated the mouse cellular retinoic acid binding protein cDNA from an embryonal-carcinoma-derived cell line by using differential cDNA cloning strategies. In situ hybridization on sections of mouse embryos of various developmental stages indicated that the cellular retinoic acid binding protein gene, which we localized on mouse chromosome 9, is preferentially expressed in a subpopulation of neurectodermal cells. This restricted expression pattern suggests an important role for cellular retinoic acid binding protein in murine neurogenesis.


In this study, a subset of the downscaled simulations of the Southeast Asia Regional Climate Downscaling/Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment—Southeast Asia (SEACLID/CORDEX‐SEA) was analysed to examine the representation of tropical cyclone (TC) climatology over Southeast Asia, in terms of pattern, intensity, frequency, and lifetime. A modified vortex tracking algorithm is used to detect TCs over the SEACLID/CORDEX‐SEA domain in the historical simulations from 1986 to 2005. Sensitivity tests for the detection method criteria, including vorticity, outer core wind strength, sea level pressure anomaly, and temperature anomaly at 300, 500, 700, and 850 hPa, were conducted to determine the optimum threshold configuration for each SEACLID/CORDEX‐SEA simulation used in the study. Comparison with the best track data of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center showed that model simulations underestimated the total number of TCs east of the Philippines for the 1986–2005 period but captured the annual cycle of the total number of TCs. This underestimation of TCs is possibly due to the domain used, which does not extend further east to cover most of the TC genesis area in the Western North Pacific. The structure of a typical TC from the regional climate model simulation is comparable to observed TC structure. However, results indicate that the resolution of the simulations is still not sufficient to capture the fine details of the observed TC structure, which could explain in part the lower intensification rate of TCs in the model output.


It is well known that developing countries are facing a lot of shortage of medical expertise in medical science. Due to this, they are unable to provide good medical services to their country people . Peoples are not doing proper care of their health they are getting many health disease problems. Patients also find a huge queue in hospitals. Nowadays common diseases like Malaria, Typhoid, Plague, and Typhus etc. are becoming more dangerous problems for the people t hat living in this world. Now these problems become a big challenge for the developing countries that how to provide a good medical services their country people. Also how can avoids the patients queue from the hospitals. In this paper, author proposed a model of Adoptive Medical Diagnosis System (AMDS) using Expert System (ES). The AMDS using ES system is very helpful for the patients that infected with common diseases and this system will give a prescription as a medical expert also this system is very helpful for rural areas where we have young medical expert or don't have medical expert.


The northern Madison Mountains consist of at least three east-west-trending, elongate fault blocks that achieved most of their elevation by Eocene time. The blocks were either (1) initially downfaulted, eroded of all Mesozoic and most Paleozoic strata, and then uplifted, or (2) uplifted without downfaulting, but varied in relative rates of uplift. A subdued topography developed on metamorphic rocks. Fault blocks were buried by a northward-sloping plain of Oligocene-Miocene sediment. Consequent streams on the plain were diverted by highlands of the central fault block. Stream courses were influenced by the slope of the plain, barriers to northerly drainage, exhumed Tertiary valleys, and lowering of base level brought about by the Madison River. Tertiary topography was partially exhumed.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the perception of patients visiting a dental OPD in Karachi regarding cross infection control measures that should be taken in dental practice. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the OPD of Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine from January to August 2020. A total of 546 patients aged 20-75 years of either gender coming for routine dental check-ups were included in the study using non-probability convenience sampling. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of patients regarding cross infection measures that should be present in dental practices. SPSS-25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics was used to calculate frequency and percentage of qualitative (gender, socioeconomic and education status, knowledge attitude and practice levels of patients) and quantitative variables (age groups). Chi-square test was used to detect the relation of patient's knowledge levels with potential factors like the age groups, gender, socioeconomic and education status. The p-value of (< 0.05) was considered as significant. RESULTS: Out of the total participants, 79.1% had good knowledge about cross infection control measures in dental practice. Majority of the patients (84.6%) agreed that dentists should wear gloves during treatment, though majority were of the opinion that a dentist can treat several patients with the same set of gloves. About 4.9% of the patients said that they ask the dentist to wear face mask and gloves while treating them, and only 3.3% said that they ask the dentist about sterilization of instruments. The knowledge level of patients showed variation with their education status but not with respect to socioeconomic status, age and gender. CONCLUSION: Although overall the patients visiting dental clinics had good perception and showed positive attitudes towards cross infection control, the dental health practitioners need to disseminate basic technical information about the infection-control practices required for safe dental practice to dental patients and the community at large. KEYWORDS: cross infection, knowledge, dentist, dental patients, perception


Peat is an unconsolidated deposit of semi-carbonized plant matter. Peat is usually found in water-saturated environments and has certainly high moisture content. Haors are peat-dominated areas in Bangladesh, which hold the largest peat reserves of the country. Peat is one of the most important mineral resources worldwide. For the utilization of peat similar to other countries, it is necessary to know its energy and fertility potential and develop a sustainable management strategy for peatlands in Bangladesh. This study mainly focused on the heating and fertility potentials of peat in Bangladesh and on strategies to sustainably manage these peatlands. This study was carried out in the haor-based Katiadi and Mohanganj upazilas in the Kishoreganj and Netrokona districts of Bangladesh, respectively. These two haor areas are appropriate for collection of peat samples and people in those areas use peat as fuel and fertilizer. After peat samples were collected, they were tested in several laboratories such as the Agrivarsity Humboldt Soil Testing Laboratory of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and Institute of Fuel Research and Development (IFRD), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh. These laboratories are suitable to find out the physical and chemical properties of peat. Based on the physical and chemical analysis of the collected peat, it has heating and organic fertility potentials. In this study, the pH; organic matter; N, P, K, and S contents of the peat were analyzed. The calorific value of peat (2638 kcalkg-1) is higher than that of cow dungs (1797 kcalkg-1) and rice husk briquettes (2546 kcalkg-1).Minor-scale rural haor communities use peat as domestic cooking fuel and supply for small agrofarms. In some agrofarms, ingredients, such as animal manure, are mixed with the peat to balance organic fertilizer. Our analysis indicates that peat might be used for different purposes, especially for brick fields, which reduces deforestation and saves the environment. The Government of Bangladesh should design a major peat development program to determine systematic approaches for the sustainable use of peat and peatlands in Bangladesh.


A thin-film multiple-electrode probe for measuring DC potentials at eight sites with interdistances of 1 mm was constructed for the investigation of slow potential changes in deep regions of the human brain during surgery. The thin-film electrodes had to be placed on curved cylinder-shaped surgical instruments with dimensions of 2-mm diameter and 33-cm length used with the Freiburg stereotactic equipment. Several technological steps had to be introduced for solving the problems encountered. Structuring of the metal layers on curved substrates was accomplished by using flexible masks. Special feed-through technologies had to be invented in order to obtain reliable connections between the thin-film sensors and the copper wires inside the stereotactic instrument. Thin-film Ag-AgCl electrodes had to be formed in order to obtain satisfying recordings of slow potential changes below 10 Hz. Slow potential changes were recorded form different depths in interdistances of only 1 mm with the new miniaturized thin-film Ag-AgCl electrodes, and bipolar recordings with an electrode interdistance of only 3 mm clearly showed the appearance of Bereitschafts potentials.<<ETX>>


Summary Random noise attenuation always played an important role in seismic data processing. This study introduces an effective deep learning approach for seismic noise attenuation. The method design a deep feed forward denoising convolutional neural networks with residual learning approach. It learns the noise from the noisy images instead of the latent clean images and obtains the denoised images by subtracting the learned residual from the noisy image. Moreover, the new representative achievements integrated with the residual learning include rectified linear unit and batch normalization. Then, we train the CNN model with poststack field datasets and use the model to suppress the random noise. The results of the field data reveal that the algorithm can remove the random noise and highlight the locally continuous reflectors without losing the resolution of these features.


Our study aimed to examine genetic variability, heritability, and correlation coefficients among different characters when rice varieties were grown under saline conditions. We estimated the genetic parameters of seven quantitative characters in 20 rice genotypes grown under saline conditions. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design and replicated three times during 1995-96 on saline soils (4-5 dS m -1 ) at the Rice Research Station "Jucarito," Granma Province, Cuba. Hills were spaced 20 x 10 cm, with a single seedling hill -1 . Observations were recorded on five randomly selected plants replication –1 . The mean, standard deviation, phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), broad-sense heritability (h 2 ), and genetic advance as a percentage of mean (GA%) were calculated for seven traits. Path coefficient analysis was used to partition the genotypic correlation coefficient into direct and indirect effects.


Zn-25Al and Zn-50Al coatings were prepared by arc spray in mild carbon steel Q235. The corrosion behaviors of these coatings were studied by potentiodynamic polarization test in natural seawater, corrosion potentials and electrochemical impedance spectrum. The results show that the Ecorr of Zn-25Alcoating is -1.025V (SCE) and the Ecorr of Zn-50Al coating is -0.997V (SCE) at the beginning of the immersion. The Ecorr of the Zn-50Al coating is not stable as the Zn-25Al coating. Self-corrosion potential of Zn-25Al coating is lower than Zn-50Al coating. Zn-25Al can provide lower protection potential and promising current to protect the substrate from corrosion than Zn-50Al. The EIS of these two coatings reveal single capacitive loop. The anti-corrosion properties of Zn-25Al coatings are better than that of Zn-50Al coatings.


This article provides an overview of flow and congestion control in communication networks. After emphasizing the importance of these mechanisms for performance and fairness, a taxonomy of flow and congestion control mechanisms is provided. Most common congestion control mechanisms that are being used in today's networks are discussed. Finally, recent developments that yield a mathematical framework for the design and analysis of flow and congestion control mechanisms are summarized. The statements are supported with simple examples and intuitive arguments to improve clarity.

Keywords:

congestion control;
flow control;
transport control protocol (TCP);
fairness;
window-based congestion control;
network utility maximization;
cross-layer design;
scheduling-routing-congestion control


During sweating, bacteria from the skin enter the worn textile along with the sweat. Once inside the clothes, the bacteria produce sweat malodor and form colonies that are extremely hard to remove by washing. ABSTRACT Colonization of textiles and subsequent metabolic degradation of sweat and sebum components by axillary skin bacteria cause the characteristic sweat malodor and discoloring of dirty clothes. Once inside the textile, the bacteria can form biofilms that are hard to remove by conventional washing. When the biofilm persists after washing, the textiles retain the sweat odor. To design biofilm removal and prevention strategies, the bacterial behavior needs to be understood in depth. Here, we aim to study the bacterial behavior in each of the four stages of the bacterial life cycle in textiles: adhesion, growth, drying, and washing. To accomplish this, we designed a novel in vitro model to mimic physiological sweating in cotton and polyester textiles, in which many of the parameters that influence bacterial behavior could be controlled. Due to the higher hydrophobicity, polyester adhered more bacteria and absorbed more sebum, the bacteria's primary nutrient source. Bacteria were therefore also more active in polyester textiles. However, polyester did not bind water as well as cotton. The increased water content of cotton allowed some species to retain a higher activity after the textile had dried. However, none of the textiles retained enough water upon drying to prevent the bacteria from adhering irreversibly to the textile fibers. This work demonstrates that bacterial colonization of textiles depends partially on the hydrophobic and hygroscopic properties of the textile material, indicating that it might be possible to direct bacterial behavior in a more favorable direction by modifying these surface properties. IMPORTANCE During sweating, bacteria from the skin enter the worn textile along with the sweat. Once inside the clothes, the bacteria produce sweat malodor and form colonies that are extremely hard to remove by washing. Over time, this leads to a decreasing textile quality and consumer comfort. To design prevention and removal mechanisms, we investigated the behavior of bacteria during the four stages of their life cycle in textiles: adhesion, growth, drying, and washing. The bacterial behavior in textiles during all four stages is found to be affected by the textile's ability to bind water and fat. The study indicates that sweat malodor and bacterial accumulation in textiles over time can be reduced by making the textiles more repellant to water and fat.


This is a case report of twoo patients how have uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis with different clinical manifestations. Progressive abdominal pain after menarche, anuria or obstipation with the existing paravaginal tumor indicates this rare anomaly. Initially, the anomaly remains unrecognized, while patients most frequently refered to surgeons for assistance. The method of choice for diagnosis is clinical examination, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Transvaginal excision of the septum is appropriate mode of treatment.


Purpose Recent evidence suggests that early repolarization (ER) is related with myocardial ischemia. Compression of coronary artery by a myocardial bridging (MB) can be associated with clinical manifestations of myocardial ischemia. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of MB in patients with ER. Materials and Methods In consecutive patients (n=1303, age, 61±12 years) who had undergone coronary angiography, we assessed the prevalence and prognostic implication of MB in those with ER (n=142) and those without ER (n=1161). Results MB was observed in 54 (38%) and 196 (17%) patients in ER and no-ER groups (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, MB was independently associated with ER (odd ratio: 2.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.98–4.24, p<0.001). Notched type ER was more frequently observed in MB involving the mid portion of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) (69.8% vs. 30.2%, p=0.03). Cardiac event was observed in nine (6.3%) and 22 (1.9%) subjects with and without ER, respectively. MB was more frequently observed in sudden death patients with ER (2 out of 9, 22%) than in those without ER (0 out of 22). Conclusion MB was independently associated with ER in patients without out structural heart disease who underwent coronary angiography. Notched type ER was closely related with MB involving the mid portion of the LAD. Among patients who had experienced cardiac events, a higher prevalence of MB was observed in patients with ER than those without ER. Further prospective studies on the prognosis of MB in ER patients are required.


Suboptimal growth in children, known as stunting, is a serious problem affecting the health and development of children in Indonesia, particularly in Papua. According to the Ministry of Health's Survey on the Status of Nutrition in Indonesia (SSGI), the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia reached 21.6% in 2022. However, in Papua Province, the situation is more critical, as the prevalence of stunting reached 34.6% in the same year, making it the third highest in the nation. To tackle this challenge, the government and various stakeholders have adopted a collaborative approach to prevent stunting in Papua. This study aims to explore the challenges and opportunities that arise when using collaborative governance to address stunting in Papua. The research method used is a literature review, involving the analysis of various literature sources, including scientific journals, government reports, and publications related to stunting in Papua. These sources provide in-depth insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of collaborative governance to address stunting in the region.
Keywords: collaborative governance, stunting, Papua


The relative stability of α-helix and β-sheet secondary structure in the solid state was investigated using poly(L-alanine) (PLA) as a model system. Protein folding and stability has been well studied in solution, but little is known about solid-state environments, such as the core of a folded protein, where peptide packing interactions are the dominant factor in determining structural stability. 13C cross-polarization with magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the backbone conformation of solid powder samples of 15-kDa and 21.4-kDa PLA before and after various sample treatments. Reprecipitation from helix-inducing solvents traps the α-helical conformation of PLA, although the method of reprecipitation also affects the conformational distribution. Grinding converts the secondary structure of PLA to a final steady-state mixture of 55% β-sheet and 45% α-helix at room temperature regardless of the initial secondary structure. Grinding PLA at liquid nitrogen temperatures leads to a similar steady-state mixture with 60% β-sheet and 40% α-helix, indicating that mechanical shear force is sufficient to induce secondary structure interconversion. Cooling the sample in liquid nitrogen or subjecting it to high pressure has no effect on secondary structure. Heating the sample without grinding results in equilibration of secondary structure to 50% α-helix/50% β-sheet at 100°C when starting from a mostly α-helical state. No change was observed upon heating a β-sheet sample, perhaps due to kinetic effects and the different heating rate used in the experiments. These results are consistent with β-sheet approximately 260 J/mol more stable than α-helix in solid-state PLA. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 64: 246–254, 2002


The routing cost of a spanning tree in a weighted and connected graph is defined as the total length of paths between all pairs of vertices. The objective of the minimum routing cost spanning tree problem is to find a spanning tree such that its routing cost is minimum. This is an NP-Hard problem that we present a GRASP with path-relinking metaheuristic algorithm for it. GRASP is a multi-start algorithm that in each iteration constructs a randomized greedy solution and applies local search to it. Path-relinking stores elite solutions and to find better solutions explores the paths between different solutions. Experimental results show the performance of our algorithm on many benchmark problems compared to the other algorithms.


Due to growing market demands, quality standards, and more stringent automotive standards, component manufacturers are placing increasing emphasis on extensive testing of their products and therefore use an increasing variety of test equipment. Programming new PLC-controlled test machines requires specialized knowledge, which is most often a serious challenge for test engineers. In this article we have presented a software application supporting the existing product testing processes of Starters E-Components Generators Automotive Hungary Kft. In addition to the time-based testing processes used so far, the new software application also supports the programming of event-based processes. The article is an excerpt from Alex Pal Kovacs's BSc diploma work entitled "Esemény vezérelt tesztelési folyamat informatikai támogatásának megvalósítása".


Two-dimensional molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) nanosheets have been explored for their use as photothermal agents in tumor therapy although several biocompatibility and stability issues have hindered their use. Herein, a facile strategy to prepare PLGA–MoSe2 mixture coated with a folate (FA)modified PEG-lipid shell led to the synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles (FA–PL–MoSe2). The PEGlipid shells endowed the insoluble MoSe2 nanosheets with excellent colloidal stability. FA–PL–MoSe2 nanoparticles did not only exhibit good photothermal properties, but also excellent photothermal stability. The FA conjugation promoted a high nanoparticle specificity to target human lung cancer SPCA-1 cells as well as tumor tissue. In vitro cellular experiments demonstrated that FA–PL–MoSe2 had minor cytotoxicity, great biocompatibility, and could efficiently kill tumor cells under near-infrared laser (NIR, 808 nm) irradiation. Following about 1 month of treatment, FA–PL–MoSe2 showed good hemo-/ histocompatibility combined with NIR irradiation and an improved tumor inhibition effect compared to PL–MoSe2, with no relapse and no significant systemic in vivo toxicity.


Purpose The strabismus in adult patients could be either the persistence of misalignment since the infancy before the age of visual maturation, or as a consequence of neurological, traumatic or orbital pathology. The aim of this study is to characterize the patients population undergoing strabismus surgery at adult age.

Methods In this retrospective and monocentric study were reviewed 221 patients aged of 18 years and above ; the time frame was 3 years. For each patient we analyzed different parameters : age, sex, the treated deviation, the performed surgery, the etiology of the deviation and the presence of diplopia or amblyopia.

Results Our patients, aged of 18 to 82 years, reported an onset of strabismus during childhood in 62% (50% with no previous surgical treatment, 20% with a recurrence of already treated strabismus and 30% with a consecutive deviation); 75% of them suffered of amblyopia. The cause of strabismus in 32% of our patients was a secondary deviation due to cranial nerve palsy (55%), traumatism (30%) or orbital pathology (20%). Exotropia was more frequent in our population than esotropia (40% versus 30%). Diplopia was reported in 12% of the patients. The surgery was performed on one eye in 90% and the most frequent operation was on horizontal rectus muscles (64%).

Conclusion Adult patients are most frequently suffering of infancy strabismus. When the strabismus onsets at adult age, the most common causes were paralytic strabismus followed by traumatic strabismus. Exotropia was the most prevalent deviation. Surgery could be a simple monocular intervention on rectus muscles or more complex in some cases. The adult patients undergoing strabismus surgery represent a heterogeneous population.


Abstract : The rapid advancement in semiconductor technology continues to change the environment in which computers are designed. As hardware costs decline, systems with multiple processors become an interesting alternative to conventional single processor system. An analytic model has been developed to describe the performance of a wide range of multiprocessor system configurations and workloads. This model deals specifically with P tightly-coupled, identical processors with shared primary and secondary memory. Secondary memory consists of a paging drum with S sectors. The workload consists of J independent, identically-distributed jobs whose faulting or I/O behavior is described by both a mean (lambda faults/sector-time) and a squared coefficient of variation (K). In addition, the processing overhead for each I/O request is added to a job's execution time at a processor (C) sector-times/fault). The model developed provides an estimate of system throughput for various numbers of processors, jobs, and drum sectors, and for various workloads. The model can be used to examine the behavior of multiprocessor systems, including the sensitivity of system throughput to each of the system parameters and parameters trade-offs related to system performance. In particular, in a system with a fixed amount of memory, the addition of jobs to the system causes a change in the memory allocation for each job and thus modifies each job's faulting behavior. The above formula for throughput is useful to examine the desirability of adding or subtracting jobs in such a system.


Analysis of the locomotion of a structure or an organism moving in a fluid field is a multi-disciplinary subject involving hydrodynamics, structure analysis, biological engineering, and medical devices' design. Because of their highly non-linear characteristics, fluid-related problems cannot be fully solved with analytical methods. Even though soft-body motions can be described using certain advanced approaches such as the user-defined function (UDF) in FLUENT (ANSYS) and the user defined subroutine (USDFLD) in ABAQUS, there are still many challenges, especially the computational cost. For conventional CFD methods, the topological coordinates' transformation from the geometry-based local coordinate to the domain-based global coordinate in every time step of a dynamic process makes the computation extremely expensive and inaccurate. To overcome this issue, several alternative CFD methods have been explored and developed. A widely used example is the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM), which separates the fluid domain mesh from the mesh of moving objects. This strategy could make the domain mesh fixed, which would reduce the computation of the re-meshing process and the corresponding computation of coordinate transformation. Some commercial software programs have implemented the IBM module, but their limitations remain, for example, the IBM module in CFX (ANSYS) can only handle rigid body motion (six-DOF problems). In this study, codes to simulate soft-body motion were developed. These are modified based on the original codes from Foam-extend 3.2 (OpenFOAM, an open-source software) where only the rigid body motion of IBM has been implemented. For applications, firstly, normal cylindrical models were tested using IBM of OpenFOAM and verified with FLUENT (ANSYS). Then, models of harmonic wave motion and rotation were tested and compared to benchmark results from OpenFOAM, FLUENT, and CFX. Finally, the simulation results of harmonic wave motion using OpenFOAM were compared with the analytical models of narrow slender swimming motion reported in Taylor [1]. All these comparisons showed that the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) using open-source codes can work effectively in modeling and in solving problems of fluid-structural interactions. For future work, this code will be used to simulate the complex-structured soft-body motion of Polychaeta (a paddle-aided harmonic body wave motion).


Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous DNA damaging agent, with human exposures occuring from both exogenous and endogenous sources. Formaldehyde can also form DNA-protein crosslinks and is representative of other such DNA damaging agents including ionizing radiation, metals, aldehydes, chemotherapeutics, and cigarette smoke. In order to identify genetic determinants of cell proliferation in response to continuous formaldehyde exposure, we quantified cell proliferation after siRNA-depletion of a comprehensive array of over 300 genes representing all of the major DNA damage response pathways. Three unrelated human cell lines (SW480, U-2 OS and GM00639) were used to identify common or cell line-specific mechanisms. Four cellular pathways were determined to mitigate formaldehyde toxicity in all three cell lines: homologous recombination, double-strand break repair, ionizing radiation response, and DNA replication. Differences between cell lines were further investigated by using exome sequencing and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia genomic data. Our results reveal major genetic determinants of formaldehyde toxicity in human cells and provide evidence for the conservation of these formaldehyde responses between human and budding yeast.


Research competencies are adopted in higher education, however, little is known about the role of these competencies in the virtual environment.  This research is one of the first to describe research competences in postgraduate students in virtual learning environments. An observational design study using the research competences questionnaire was conducted with 89 students. The findings indicate that cognitive and teamwork competences are the most predominant (58.4% and 71.9%) and that the weakest areas are related to technological competences 33.7%, methodological competences 39.7% and project management 22.5%. These findings highlight the need to improve curricula in postgraduate schools where research competences are strengthened by prioritising technological, methodological and project management aspects so that students obtain the necessary skills and abilities and can improve their research processes.

Keywords: research competences, virtual learning environments, research training.


Background Since 2002, the European American Consensus Group criteria required the presence of 4 criteria among whom the presence either anti-SSA/anti-SSB antibodies or a focus score upper or equal to 1 at the labial salivary gland biopsy for the diagnosis of pSS. The direct consequence of such classification criteria is the constitution of two different immunological patterns in pSS: one with positive anti-SSA or anti-SSB antibodies, representing 60 to 70% of patients (called seropositive pSS) and the second with negative anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies (seronegative pSS). Objectives To analyze the clinical and biological differences between anti-SSA seropositive patients and seronegative patients from a cohort of 176 pSS patients. Methods We included 176 patients fulfilling 2002-AECG criteria for pSS and retrospectively analyzed their clinical and biological features according to the presence or absence of anti-SSA antibodies. Results The median age at pSS diagnosis was 54 years; 79% were female; 68% Caucasian and 13% Black. The median follow-up time was 41 months. pSS criteria included xerostomia for 89% of patients, xerophtalmia 96%; a positive minor salivary glands biopsy 83% of 151 patients and anti-SSA antibodies 62% (109 patients) and anti-SSB antibodies 32%. Cumulative extraglandular manifestations included arthralgia in 66%, purpura 13%, lung involvement 10%, peripheral neuropathy 36%, central nervous system involvement 6% and B-NHL 6%. Peripheral neuropathy was small fiber neuropathy (24%), large fiber sensory neuropathy (6%) and sensorimotor neuropathy (4.5%). Seropositive patients (109 patients, 62%), when compared to seronegative patients (67 patients, 38%), were younger at pSS diagnosis (49 vs 58 years; P=0.00015), more frequently Black (18% vs 4.5%; P=0.010) and had less frequently xerostomia (84% vs 97%; P=0.006), peripheral neuropathy (28% vs 51%; P=0.002), mainly small fiber neuropathy (16% vs 39%; P=0.001) but more often purpura (20% vs 3%; P=0.01). There was no significant difference regarding, articular or lung involvement or B-NHL. Biologically, they were hallmarked by a higher prevalence of 1) B-cell chronic activation markers which included hypergammaglobulinemia (61% vs 25%; P<10–5), rheumatoid factor (65% vs 32%; P<10–5), and abnormal FLC ratio (31% vs 0%; P<10–5), 2) peripheral cytopenia including anemia (27% vs 8%; P=0.003), leucopenia (17% vs 5%; P=0.03) and lymphopenia (50% vs 29%; P=0.01). There was no difference regarding mixed cryoglobulin (11% vs 6%) and monoclonal gammopathy (16%vs 16%). Conclusions Our results showed that the presence or the absence of anti-SSA antibodies are associated with two distinct clinical and biological faces of the "same disease". Anti-SSA positive patients are younger at diagnosis with a higher prevalence of purpura and B cell activation markers and cytopenia; inversely, anti-SSA negative patients are older at diagnosis with a lower prevalence of B cell activation and are more prompt to develop sensory neuropathies mainly small fiber neuropathies. These findings question the pSS clinical and biological homogeneity and the selection of patients for B cell targeting therapies. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The thyroid is an endocrine gland composed of two lateral lobes connected by a strip of thyroid tissue called an isthmus. The thyroid gland is usually associated with extensive morphological variations and developmental anomalies. During the 4th intrauterine week, the thyroid gland begins to develop mainly from the invagination of the endodermal cells of the ventral floor of the primitive pharynx. One of the anomalies of the thyroid gland is the agenesis of the isthmus of the thyroid. It is a rare condition and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Another rare developmental abnormality is the presence of ectopic thyroid tissues, which are characterised by the presence of thyroid tissue in locations other than the anterolateral region of the second and fourth tracheal cartilages. Ectopic thyroid tissues are most commonly found in the lingual region but are also found in the other head/neck localisations as well. In this present case report, a 54-year-old female patient with the agenesis of the isthmus of the thyroid gland with accompanying tissues of multifocal and multicentric papillary thyroid carcinoma will be discussed. When an agenesis of the isthmus of the thyroid is detected, the agenesis of the thyroid lobes or the presence of an ectopic thyroid tissue must be considered. Especially in the patients who will undergo a thyroid surgery, it should not be forgotten that the identification of an agenesis of the isthmus as well as the other thyroid anomalies during the preoperative examination, will make a remarkable contribution in deciding the strategy of the surgery and will help in preventing the development of surgical complications. However, it is not always possible to detect the presence of these anomalies, during the preoperative examinations of the patients who will undergo thyroid surgeries; therefore, one must be careful with regard to these type of anomalies in the perioperative examinations. To the best of authors' information, the present case is considered to be the first in the literature in English, presenting with an agenesis of the isthmus of the thyroid gland in the presence of ectopic thyroid tissues associated with papillary carcinoma.


This article aims to identify and describe problems regarding the implementation of local government in concurrent affairs of the basic services in Serang. Basic services based on Law Number 23 of 2014, include: a. education; b. Health; and c. Social. This article formulates the following problems: 1. What are the problems in Serang?, 2. What factors that influence the implementation of local government in education, health, and social affairs in Serang?. The author identifies four main problems: a. The condition and availability of regional infrastructure is not optimal; b. lack of innovation and low competitiveness of the regional economy; c. The implementation of governance is not yet optimal; and d. The implementation of local government in education, health and social affairs is not yet optimal. This research uses analytical descriptive research. Based on the four problems mentioned earlier, the local government should immediately design and reorganize priority scale programs in the Regional Development Work Plan (RKPD). It is hoped that it will have good impact toward the community and the implementation of local government based on the principles of good governance.


In medical science, few areas hold as much promise and excitement as gene therapy. It is a cutting-edge field that aims to harness the body's own genetic machinery to combat diseases at their root cause. While gene therapy has shown potential across various diseases (notably in rare monogenetic disease areas), here we dive into the latest advancements specifically focused on the heart. With cardiovascular diseases remaining a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, researchers are tirelessly exploring innovative ways to tackle rare and common heart-related ailments. In this article, we discuss the fascinating world of gene therapy, exploring recent breakthroughs as well as remaining challenges and their implications for cardiovascular health.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a widespread class of regulatory noncoding RNAs with key roles in physiology and development, conferring robustness to noise in regulatory networks. Consistent with this buffering function, it was recently suggested that human miRNAs coevolve with genes in copy number regions (copy number variation [CNV] genes) to reduce dosage imbalance. Here, I compare miRNA regulation between CNV and non-CNV genes in four model organisms. miRNA regulation of CNV genes is elevated in human and fly but reduced in nematode and zebrafish. By analyzing 31 human CNV data sets, careful analysis of human and chimpanzee orthologs, resampling genes within species and comparing structural variant types, I show that the apparent coevolution between CNV genes and miRNAs is due to the strong dependency between 3'-untranslated region length and miRNA target prediction. Deciphering the interplay between CNVs and miRNAs will likely require a deeper understanding of how miRNAs are embedded in regulatory circuits.


The problem of this research was students' speaking anxiety seems high. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to know "what teachers' strategy in minimizing students' speaking anxiety at the second grade of SMAN 2 Tembilahan are". This research was descriptive quantitative research. The researcher was distributing questionnaires and interviewing two English teachers as samples to know their strategies in reducing students' speaking anxiety. The sample was taken by using total sampling because there are only two English teachers there. After collecting the data, the researcher found that teachers use many teaching activities to help students' anxiety problems. They used many teaching activities, such as small group work, pair work, simulations, and structure exercises. Besides, the teachers also motivate students to be positive thinking in learning English.


Knowledge management is a process that effectively creates, captures, shares and uses knowledge to improve the organization's performance. The success of libraries depends on their ability to utilize or share the information and knowledge especially for its staff to better serve the needs of the organization and users. Partnerships open up opportunities for organizations to gain knowledge and leverage strengths. Knowledge partnerships are associations and networks of individuals or organizations that share a purpose or goal and whose members contribute knowledge, experience, resources, and connections and participate in two-way communications. The lead users are providing new product concept and design. Knowledge is of limited value if it is not shared. As a result, libraries are beginning to implement information systems designed specifically to facilitate the generation, integration, sharing and dissemination of organizational knowledge.


In February 2014, 1200 researchers from 60 countries assembled in Paris for the third Writing Research Across Borders conference. Although this book cannot convey fully the rich diversity of the gathering, it attempts nonetheless to highlight key questions which are shaping the current state of research in the field of writing studies. The contributors to this collection engage in a wide-ranging conversation about writing, a conversation made possible through a shared focus on improving learning and language usage. The chapters fall at various points, as a result, along a line extending from straightforward expressions of pedagogical concerns to focused analysis of how writing and texts work.


Drawing from 63 reports from journalists and non-governmental agencies spanning 25 countries, we qualitatively examine regressive trends that erode freedom of information laws. We elaborate on elements associated with FOI policy transfer successes and failures using Dolowitz and Marsh's framework for policy transfer. We also identify factors limiting the effectiveness of FOI laws and elaborate on the enactment of other laws that undermine FOI, which we interpret using Ericson's (2007) notion of counter-law (laws that undermine other laws). We reflect on what these findings mean for transparency, and we contemplate other strategies for gaining access to government records to foster public engagement in civic affairs.


This paper (SPE 113492) was accepted for presentation at the SPE/DOE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, 20–23 April 2008, and revised for publication. Original manuscript received for review 12 February 2008. Revised manuscript received for review 18 August 2008. Paper peer approved 21 August 2008. Summary We generalize the compositional space parameterization (CSP) approach, which was originally developed for immiscible twophase multicomponent problems, to multicontact miscible displacements. The tie-line based parameterization method improves both the accuracy of the phase-behavior representation as well as the efficiency of equation of state (EOS) computations in compositional flow simulation. For immiscible compositional simulation, compositional space adaptive tabulation (CSAT) can be used to avoid most of the redundant EOS calculations. Because the supercritical region cannot be parameterized using tie-lines, the original CSAT approach is not effective for modeling multicontact miscible gas injection processes. To deal with supercritical compositions, a supercritical state criteria (SSC) algorithm based on adaptive tabulation of the minimal critical pressure (MCP) tie-lines is proposed. For general-purpose simulation of miscible and immiscible compositional displacement processes, we combined the adaptive CSAT strategy in the region of tie-line extensions and the adaptive SSC scheme; we refer to the overall framework as CSAT. Results of several challenging tests of practical interest indicate that the general CSAT strategy is quite robust and that it leads to an order of magnitude gain in computational efficiency. We also describe the extension of the CSP framework for mixtures that form more than two phases.


Microcapsules have been widely studied owing to their biocompatibility and potential for application in various areas, particularly drug delivery. However, the size of microcapsules is difficult to control, and the size distribution is very broad via various encapsulation techniques. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain microcapsules with uniform and tailored size for the construction of controlled-release drug carriers. In this study, emulsification and solvent evaporation methods were used to prepare a variety of ovalbumin-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microcapsules to determine the optimal preparation conditions. The particle size of the PLGA microcapsules prepared using the optimum conditions was approximately 200 nm, which showed good dispersibility with an ovalbumin encapsulation rate of more than 60%. In addition, porous microcapsules with different pore sizes were prepared by adding a varying amount of porogen bovine serum albumin (BSA) to the internal water phase. The release curve showed that the rate of protein release from the microcapsules could be controlled by adjusting the pore size. These findings demonstrated that we could tailor the morphology and structure of microcapsules by regulating the preparation conditions, thus controlling the encapsulation efficiency and the release performance of the microcapsule carrier system. We envision that this controlled-release novel microcapsule carrier system shows great potential for biomedical applications.


Abstract Based on his archaeological investigations in 1935 at the Hvalsey Fjord farm and church (ruin group Ø83) and at the neighbouring ruins (ruin group Ø83a), the Danish architect Aage Roussell linked the two sites together, stating that the Ø83a buildings had functioned as a subsidiary "dairy farm" to the main farm at Hvalsey (Ø83). Excavations in 2004 showed that the buildings at Ø83a had been in use for a short period only, and artifacts found in 1935 together with the layout and design of the houses point to a date in the early period of the Norse settlement. Roussell did not identify a dwelling at Ø83a, but we argue that one of the houses at Ø83a could have been a dwelling and that the two sites—the Hvalsey Fjord farm (Ø83) and Ø83a—were two individual farms. We suggest that the Ø83a-farm most probably was the predecessor of the Ø83 Hvalsey farm. For unknown reasons, the earlier farm was moved to the Ø83 site.


We studied in vivo transcription and gene expression directed by a series of synthetic sequences, bearing the consensus hexamer (CH) pair of E.coli promoters in various contexts. The results demonstrate that, for the contexts tested, the CH pair supports transcription activity and gene expression, whether the spacer linking them is AT or GC rich, or is as short as 14 bp or as large as 26 bp (standard size 17 bp). However, we find that the context influences transcription efficiency by as much as an order of magnitude, and is able to scatter transcription start sites over a region of as much as 30 bp, including start sites within a CH or even between the two sequences of the CH pair. The results demonstrate that, although the CH pair can be sufficient for directing transcription by E.coli RNAP, important determinants for promoter activity are at least in part contained in the context of the consensus sequences; they advocate a synergic interplay of signals borne by the CH pair and its context, extending over all parts of the promoter sequence. A two-step model is proposed, in which properly located consensus sequences provide RNAP with facilities required for stereospecific docking along the promoter sequence; the result would be a sharp change in the local environment of the double helix inducing local isothermal unwinding. The size of the loop (related to the AT constraint in the promoter) and the extend of the environmental change required for unwinding would determine the rate of transcriptionally competent complex formation, positioning and grouping of start sites.


The positive benefit–risk ratio of most drugs is decreasing in correlation to very old age, the extent of comorbidity, dementia, frailty and limited life expectancy (VOCODFLEX). First, we review the extent of inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy (IMUP) globally and highlight its negative medical, nursing, social and economic consequences. Second, we expose the main clinical/practical and perceptual obstacles that combine to create the negative vicious circle that eventually makes us feel frustrated and hopeless in treating VOCODFLEX in general, and in our 'war against IMUP' in particular. Third, we summarize the main international approaches/methods suggested and tried in different countries in an attempt to improve the ominous clinical and economic outcomes of IMUP; these include a variety of clinical, pharmacological, computer-assisted and educational programs. Lastly, we suggest a new comprehensive perception for providing good medical practice to VOCODFLEX in the 21st century. This includes new principles for research, education and clinical practice guidelines completely different from the 'single disease model' research and clinical rules we were raised upon and somehow 'fanatically' adopted in the 20th century. This new perception, based on palliative, geriatric and ethical principle, may provide fresh tools for treating VOCODFLEX in general and reducing IMUP in particular.


Pegaspargase, a long acting formulation of L-asparaginase, is an asparagine specific enzyme that selectively kills leukemic cells by depleting plasma asparagine. Pegaspargase is FDA approved for the first-line treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is a critical component of numerous multi-chemotherapeutic regimens. Pegaspargase is associated with well-described toxicities including hypersensitivity reactions, hepatotoxicity, and thrombosis. However, hypertriglyceridemia is a much rarer complication of pegaspargase and has only been described in a limited number of reports. We present a case of severe hypertriglyceridemia after a single dose of pegaspargase. The patient was re-challenged with pegaspargase and again developed hypertriglyceridemia which was complicated by pancreatitis. Here, we summarize published reports and a literature review describing the incidence of pegaspargase-induced hypertriglyceridemia in common acute lymphoblastic leukemia protocols.


The psychological conceptualisation of the character strength of citizenship as a trait ubiquitous across cultures is examined within the context of a diverse South African sample. The theoretically supposed elements common to the definition of citizenship as a dispositional trait (rather than a situational or cultural phenomenon) are examined by means of considering Peterson and Seligman's (2004) conceptualisation of citizenship as espoused in their work on character strength and virtues. Using the Rasch model of item response theory the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Value in Action Inventory (VIA) Citizenship scale was examined for fit and differential item functioning (DIF). A diverse sample of 902 South African university students who completed the Citizenship scale was examined for DIF as a function of self-asserted ethnicities and home language groups, which serve as indicators of culture within the South African context. The findings of the study suggest that while certain conceptual aspects of trait-based citizenship as espoused by Peterson and Seligman (2004) are common across the heterogeneous cultures (as defined by ethnicity and language group) examined, there is sound evidence that there are also qualitative distinctions that are exclusively a function of cultural grouping, suggesting difficulties with the exclusive conceptualisation of citizenship as an individual trait. The implications of these findings speak to the importance of considering citizenship as a nuanced and complex notion that requires further consideration in terms of the philosophical, theoretical and empirical qualification of its conceptualisation.


In this study, we report a development of a benchtop induction-based AC magnetometer to realize a simple, wideband, and sensitive AC magnetometer for bio-sensing applications and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). We investigate the inductance and parasitic capacitance of six different pickup coil geometries and compare their sensitivity and usable frequency range. In the pickup coil design, the number of turns and coil section separation are varied from 200 to 400 turns, and 1 to 4 sections, respectively. We find that the usable frequency range is greatly affected by the pickup coil's inductance due to the self-resonance phenomena compared to their parasitic capacitance. A low noise instrument amplifier circuit (AD8429, Analog Devices, USA) was integrated and fabricated on a printed circuit board to amplify the weak signal from the pickup coil. We also implement a generalized Goertzel algorithm to achieve fast signal amplitude and phase extractions at a frequency. The developed magnetometer shows a sensitivity of 10−8 Am2/√Hz at 6 Hz and a frequency range of up to 158 kHz. Using the developed AC magnetometer, we demonstrate the viscosity effect on the frequency response of thermally blocked, single-core nanoparticles (SHP30, Ocean Nanotech, USA) in glycerol solutions. The excitation frequency is swept from 5 Hz to 158 kHz at a field amplitude of 0.55 mTpp within the acquisition time of 5 min (51 points). As a result, the viscosity change is confirmed by the peak shifting in the imaginary magnetization curve towards lower frequency values when the wt/V% of the glycerol solution is increased. The hydrodynamic size and the average anisotropy energy ratio σ are estimated to be 60.6 nm and 25, respectively, from the complex AC magnetization. It can be expected that the developed AC magnetometer can be a valuable tool in providing a fast and reliable assessment of MNPs for bio-sensing applications.


This paper assesses the owner managers' perception of the impact of regulations on competitiveness of food processors in Tanzania. Specifically, the paper examines the perceived relevance of existing regulations in the food processing sector, the level of enterprises' satisfaction with the regulatory authorities in the sector and the extent to which competitiveness of food processors is affected by regulations. Based on review of the legislations directed to the food processing sector and the results of a survey of 115 firms, the findings reveal that even though most enterprises appreciate the value of regulating the food sector, they are relatively dissatisfied with the level of services offered by regulatory authorities. The study also shows that due to over-regulation, enterprises operating in the food processing sector incur significant compliance costs, and this cost is detrimental to their competitiveness. In view of the theory of regulation, the paper recommends the review of regulatory framework by ensuring that regulations in the food sector are implemented based on the principles of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). Further research is also recommended to advance the theory of regulation in a context of the developing economy, and to inform policy makers on how best to harmonise regulations in highly regulated sectors.


[1] Radiocarbon (14C) in the skeletal aragonite of annually banded corals track radiocarbon concentrations in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface seawater. As a result of nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s, oceanic uptake of excess 14C in the atmosphere has increased the contrast between surface and deep ocean 14C concentrations. We present accelerator mass spectrometric (AMS) measurements of 14C/12C ratios (Δ14C) in Porites corals from the Mentawai Islands, Sumatra (0°S, 98°E) and Watamu, Kenya (3°S, 39°E) to document the temporal and spatial evolution of the 14C zonal gradient in the tropical Indian Ocean. The rise in Δ14C in the Sumatra coral, in response to the maximum in nuclear weapons testing, is delayed by 2–3 years relative to the rise in coral Δ14C from the coast of Kenya. Kenya coral Δ14C values rise quickly because surface waters are in prolonged contact with the atmosphere. In contrast, wind-induced upwelling and rapid mixing along the coast of Sumatra entrains 14C-depleted water from the subsurface, which dilutes the effect of the uptake of bomb-produced 14C by the surface ocean. Bimonthly AMS Δ14C measurements on the Mentawai coral reveal mainly interannual variability with minor seasonal variability. Singular spectrum analysis of the Sumatra coral Δ14C record reveals a significant 3-year periodicity. These results lend support to the concept that interannual variability in Indian Ocean upwelling and sea surface temperatures is related to ENSO-like teleconnections over the Indo-Pacific basin.


Counseling concerns of highly able students may reflect characteristics associated with giftedness. Yet school counselor training programs give scant attention to this phenomenon and to the social and emotional development of these students. School counselors therefore may be unaware of and unequipped to respond to these concerns. Referencing scholarly literature related to giftedness as both asset and burden, the author explores school counselors' potential roles in responding to the needs of gifted students.


This paper discusses the introduction and use of a computer-based asset management system for power and building engineering services plant in British Telecom. Asset Management is a combination of engineering, management, and financial practices aimed at achieving an economic life-cycle, from specification through design, manufacture, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and disposal. for a specified performance. The system's primary purpose is the improvement of plant maintenance in the field and, from that, the acquisition and feedback of precise and comprehensive performance data for the interactive process of equipment development.


This article deals with the use of repetitive transcranial
magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of depressive
disorder. The method involves influencing the brain using
variable magnetic field. Repetitive TMS is safe, well-tolerated
and has very few adverse effects. It is the treatment of
depressive disorder where psychiatrists have most experience
with this method which, however, is starting to be used for the
therapy of other mental disorders as well. Repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation has been proven to influence
cortical excitability and the metabolic activity of neurons.
Many studies of its effectiveness in the treatment of
depressive disorder have been performed to date and can be
divided into three generations. The results of different
studies have been summarised in several meta-analyses; the most
recent ones in particular show that rTMS constitutes a
promising therapeutic method, although a number of questions
concerning mainly the exact mechanism of its action, the
setting of the most appropriate stimulation parameters and the
selection of the most susceptible patients remain unanswered.


Graph neural networks (GNNs) learn node representations by passing and aggregating messages between neighboring nodes. GNNs have been applied successfully in several application domains and achieved promising performance. However, GNNs could be vulnerable to structural noise because of the message passing mechanism where noise may be propagated through the entire graph. Although a series of robust GNNs have been proposed, they are evaluated with different structural noises, and it lacks a systematic comparison with consistent settings. In this work, we conduct a comprehensive and systematical comparative study on different types of robust GNNs under consistent structural noise settings. From the noise aspect, we design three different levels of structural noises, i.e., local, community, and global noises. From the model aspect, we select some representative models from sample-based, revision-based, and construction-based robust GNNs. Based on the empirical results, we provide some practical suggestions for robust GNNs selection.


The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data generated by the long-read sequencing platform Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) has been shown to provide reliable results for Salmonella serotype prediction in a previous study. To further meet the needs of industry for accurate, rapid, and cost-efficient Salmonella confirmation and serotype classification, we evaluated the serotype prediction accuracy of using WGS data from multiplex ONT sequencing with three, four, five, seven, or ten Salmonella isolates (each isolate represented one Salmonella serotype) pooled in one R9.4.1 flow cell. Each multiplexing strategy was repeated with five flow cells, and the loaded samples were sequenced simultaneously in a GridION sequencer for 48 h. In silico serotype prediction was performed using both SeqSero2 (for raw reads and genome assemblies) and SISTR (for genome assemblies) software suites. An average of 10.63 Gbp of clean sequencing data was obtained per flow cell. We found that the unevenness of data yield among each multiplexed isolate was a major barrier for shortening sequencing time. Using genome assemblies, both SeqSero2 and SISTR accurately predicted all the multiplexed isolates under each multiplexing strategy when depth of genome coverage ≥50× for each isolate. We identified that cross-sample barcode assignment was a major cause of prediction errors when raw sequencing data were used for prediction. This study also demonstrated that, (i) sequence data generated by ONT multiplex sequencing can be used to simultaneously predict serotype for three to ten Salmonella isolates, (ii) with three to ten Salmonella isolates multiplexed, genome coverage at ≥50× per isolate was obtained within an average of 6 h of ONT multiplex sequencing, and (iii) with five isolates multiplexed, the cost per isolate might be reduced to 23% of that incurred with single ONT sequencing. This study is a starting point for future validation of multiplex ONT WGS as a cost-efficient and rapid Salmonella confirmation and serotype classification tool for the food industry.


Wind energy curtailment has increasingly concerned the electric power industry. To absorb the surplus wind energy, a decentralised programme is presented via stochastically staggered dual tariffs for the coordination of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) chargers. The programme consists of two stages: day ahead and real time. In the day-ahead stage, two steps are performed. First, the dual-tariff schemes are identified at the transmission level based on a charging coordination integrated unit commitment (CCIUC) model. Second, they are adjusted at the feeder level via a security check and correction (SCC) algorithm to ensure bus voltages, feeder currents and losses within desired limits. The CCIUC model and SCC algorithm incorporate a novel aggregated charging load model to grasp the integrated knowledge of PEVs in reacting to dual-tariff signals in an ex ante manner, which avoids real-time iterations between PEVs and systems. In the real-time stage, the individual charging pattern is produced for cost minimisation at the charging device level by a novel local coordination model. Simulation results show that the proposed program enables: (i) enhanced efficiencies on absorbing surplus wind energy at the transmission level; (ii) well considerations on satisfying regulation requirements at the feeder level.


Objective: The aim of study is to perform the assay of brand and active of Pioglitazone HCL
 (piozer 15mg) by using UV visible spectrophotometer.
Methodology: Take brand of Hilton pharma Piogiltazone HCL (piozer 15mg) is compared with
 active of Piogiltazone HCL with brand (Piozer). Initially weighted 20 tablets of brand of
 Piogiltazone HCL (Piozer) then these tablets were uniformly grounded by using mortar and
 pestle and calculating the average weight of powder equivalent to 0.1006 gm of active i.e.
 Piogiltazone HCL was transferred into a volumetric flask containing 10mL of water. The
 solutions were sonication for 5-6 min and make up volume up to 50 ml with DI water.
Result: The data result shows that the absorbance is directly proportion to concentration, it
 obeys to Beers lambert law and assay of brand (Piozer) and active of Piogiltazone HCL are
 within range of USP and British pharmacopeia linearity. The correlation coefficient for active
 and brand of Piogiltazone HCL (PLH) were found to be 0.9998 for brand (Piozer), 0.9915 for
 active (PLH).
Conclusion: This method is easily used in routine Quality Control (Q.C) lab for the
 determination of the assay of any brand of Pioglitazone HCL by using UV spectrophotometer.
 This method is simple, accurate and economical.


Introduction: Physical educators have been trying to instil values of fitness for life in the mind of the children. The NASPE (2003) and Institute of Medicine's (2013) recommend that children should obtain a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a day.
Aim: This article will highlight the latest teaching strategies, age appropriate equipments, and health optimizing physical education curriculum used in the field of PE program for better teaching and learning process.
Methods: New physical education activities, equipments, physical education curriculum in the field of physical education obtained through Google search, with the keywords physical education curriculum, physical education equipments, age appropriate physical education program, assessment in physical education, Strategies in physical education, and curriculum guidelines for physical education; as well the experience by researchers were expressed in this article.
Discussion: A physical educator has a great role to play at the grass root level to groom a child into making a potential and highly skilled professional. Olympians are not born, but they are made through their lifetime participation in research based PE program from school.
Conclusions: A physical educator has a great role to play in the grass root level to groom a child into making a potential and highly skilled professional. New curriculum, age appropriate equipments, teaching techniques, etc should be introduce in all the schools to make the child engage in physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day. However, the use of innovative equipments, strategies and curriculum in PE classes must be research-based and need for the children.


OBJECTIVE
To prepare a thrombus-targeted ultrasonic contrast agent and to investigate its targeted ability to fresh blood clots.

METHODS
We first synthesized FITC-KGDS-Palm compound, and then prepared thrombus-targeted microbubbles using "ultrasound & high speed shearing method". Fluorescence labeling thrombus-specific peptides and KGDS, directed at the activated glycoprotein(GP)IIb/IIIa receptor of platelets were attached to the surface of lipid microbubbles. The concentration and size of TUCA were measured by Malvern Zeta Sizer Nano-ZS590 and Coulter counter. Immunofluorescence was applied to confirm the conjugation. The conjunct ratio was assessed by flow cytometer (FCM).

RESULTS
The KGDS-TUCA was straw yellow turbid liquor, and the concentration was 1.5 x 10(9)/mL, and the average size was 1.5 microm. The targeted microbubbles conjugated with the thrombus-specific peptides showed bright green rings by fluorescence microscope. FCM demonstrated that the wavelength of shell of KGDS-TUCA changed greatly, and the conjunct ratio was 90.04%. In vitro study showed KGDS-TUCA remained stable for 48 h at 4 degree C and target-attached to blood clots and showed good stability.

CONCLUSION
The ultrasound & high speed shearing method to prepare TUCA is easy and in favor of purification. KGDS-TUCA has high specific biological activity. The conjunct ratio and stability of KGDS-TUCA are excellent.


This paper discusses a performance of an ultra low-voltage / low-power voltage bulk-driven comparator, designed and fabricated in standard twin-well 130 nm CMOS technology. The proposed circuit topology can handle the input voltage within rail-to-rail range and is capable of working in industrial temperature range from −20 to 85 ° C and with power supply voltage as low as $V_{DD}=0.4$ V. It can also operate with three different levels of hysteresis, selected by 2-bit input digital code. The topology can be easily modified to contain enable feature and hence, mimic a behavior of dynamic (clocked) comparator. The measurement results obtained from fabricated prototype chips are presented and discussed as well. An excellent correlation between the post-layout simulations and the measured bench data has been observed. The presented novel silicon-proven topology has been successfully employed in power management unit and voltage regulation loop, voltage-to-frequency converter and opamp input offset calibration block.


We report a case of 'STEMI–like' presentation, with marked STE on ECG in a patient with lung cancer and cardiac catheterization showing no significant coronary obstruction. A 76y woman presented in the emergency room with dyspnea and chest pain.She had a history of hypertension, obesity, previous cerebellar ischemia and pulmonary neoplasia with involvement of left upper lobe and stenosis of main left bronchus and mediastinal infiltration, on palliative treatment.First ECG showed atrial fibrillation (AF) 150 bpm and marked convex STE in I and aVL leads with reciprocal changes, so urgent coronary angiography (CA) was performed. Initial therapy was BB, ASA and UFH. CA surprisingly showed no significant coronary obstruction. Transthoracic echo (TTE) showed a large mass involving pericardium and left atrium, with infiltration of left myocardial lateral wall with a fingernail shape. HS troponin reached 10xN. The STE persisted on subsequent ECGs. In conclusion the ECG changes are due to neoplastic infiltration of left ventricle lateral wall, while AF is due to atrial infiltration. Discharged on day3, the patient was maintained on palliative care plus BB but no antithrombotic therapy due to very high risk of pulmonary bleeding and hemorrhagic infarction of ventricular wall. In our case no Thoracic CT Scan was performed, so we cannot differentiate between cardiac muscular involvement by pericardial metastasis and infiltration by the primary tumor, which is more likely because of the anatomic relationship between left upper lobe and the heart.

 Cardiac metastases varies in incidence (2.3 –18.3%), decrease with age, and most frequently origin from respiratory system. They can involve any heart chambers, clinical patterns depend on degree and site of myocardial infiltration.When ventricular wall is infiltrated pseudo–ischemic ECG changes may be induced;persistency of STE suggests tumour compression and/or myocardial infiltration. Patients with known malignancy with chest pain and STE should be screened for cardiac metastases and treated with a single (and not double) antiplatelet agent until coronary stenosis are confirmed. If systemic thrombolysis is considered, a bedside TTE should be performed before therapy.


A new inductive plasma reactor has been developed for thin-film depositions using the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) process. This apparatus combines an inductive plasma generation at 13.56 MHz, plus a direct heating of the substrate by a supplementary inductive set-up at 100 kHz. The unavoidable coupling of the two coaxial coils allows one electrical generator to force power in the other, compromising the reliability of the system, unless rejecting filters are inserted. Therefore, an equivalent circuit of the double-coil set is needed to specify and design the necessary filters. The aim of this paper is to present and justify the electrical representation of this very special, high-frequency transformer which has been used successfully.


Purpose
The aim of the present study was to investigate dual-task performance in children who stutter (CWS) and those who do not to investigate if the groups differed in the ability to attend and allocate cognitive resources effectively during task performance.

Method
Participants were 24 children (12 CWS) in both groups matched for age and sex. For the primary task, participants performed a phoneme monitoring in a picture-written word interference task. For the secondary task, participants made pitch judgments on tones presented at varying (short, long) stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) from the onset of the picture.

Results
The CWS were comparable to the children who do not stutter in performing the monitoring task although the SOA-based performance differences in this task were more variable in the CWS. The CWS were also significantly slower in making tone decisions at the short SOA and showed a trend for making more errors in this task.

Conclusions
The findings are interpreted to suggest higher dual-task cost effects in CWS. A potential explanation for this finding requiring further testing and confirmation is that the CWS show reduced efficiency in attending to the tone stimuli while simultaneously prioritizing attention to the phoneme-monitoring task.


We have observed nonlinear optical and photoelectric responses in suspensions of microorganisms (different species of algae). Also we have seen a self-organization of the laser scattering in the circular rings for different tested wavelengths (633, 474, and 515 nm with power /spl sim/0.05-0.1 mW). A light beam from a He-Ne laser at 633 nm was used to look at special structures generated by a suspension of Chlamydomonas renhardtii. The incident power, 6 mW of unexpanded beam with a diameter of 2 mm, resulted in algae moving along helical trajectories away from the light spot. First, the algae began to move clockwise and then, after 1-2 min they moved counterclockwise. If a small spot was brought on the cuvette, the algae manifested negative phototaxis such that all the algae concentrated in the upper and bottom parts of the cuvette after moving away from the illuminated area. The transmission increased to about 1.3 times for the beam at wavelength 633 nm. No positive phototaxis was detected at any laser wavelength. A current of about 100-120 nA was detected under light illumination of 10 mW/cm/sup 2/ and without running fringes. After the grating began to move, there was a distinct change of electric current up to 900-1000 nA. The change of direction of running fringes resulted in the current changing its sign. The value of the current does not depend on the speed on the running fringes, which was varied from 0 to 10/sup 3/ /spl mu/m/sec. Further, there was a drop of of current with time. After 2-3 h of illumination of the cuvette with running fringes, there was a degradation of the current down to 100 nA corresponding to illumination without running fringes.


Temperature influence on the dielectric breakdown and charges retention of the nanocrystalline cadmium selenide embedded high-k dielectric thin film has been investigated. The embedding of nanocrystals in the high-k stack strongly enhanced the charge storage capability. Metal oxide semiconductor capacitors composed of this kind of dielectric structure showed the two-step breakdown phenomenon corresponding to failures of the interface and the bulk high-k layers, separately. The failure process was accelerated by the rise of temperature due to increases of defect states and defect effective conduction radii. The memory window was changed with the rise of temperature due to the competitive charge trapping and detrapping mechanisms. This paper provided important information on the practical application of this novel type of memory device.


MicroRNA (miR), a key molecule involved in endogenous RNA interference, is a promising therapeutic agent. In vivo delivery of miR, however, is a major factor limiting its application because its polyanionic nature and vulnerability to breakdown make delivery of miR to targeted lesions difficult. To overcome these challenges, we developed a self-assembled miR delivery system consisting of cholesterol-conjugated miR and polyethylene glycol-grafted polyethylene imine. Nanosized complexes of miR with polyethylene imine, which protected miR and its delivery into targeted lesions in vivo, were successfully synthesized by polyethylene glycol grafting. The hydrophobicity of cholesterol improved the structural stability of the complex, preventing the loss of miR. Here, we report the preparation of this self-assembled complex. We examined the delivery efficiency and validated the therapeutic efficacy of the complex. In conclusion, our miR delivery system shows considerable potential for effective in vivo delivery of miR.