Horizontally transferred elements such as plasmids can, at times, burden host cells with various metabolic and fitness costs. Our previous work demonstrated that acquisition of the Pseudomonas syringae megaplasmid pMPPla107 causes sensitivity to a growth inhibiting substance that is produced in cultures during growth under standard laboratory conditions. After 500 generations of laboratory passage of P. stutzeri lines containing pMPPla107, two out of six independent lines displayed resistance to this inhibitory agent. We therefore sequenced the genomes of isolates from each independent evolutionary line to identify the genetic basis of this resistance phenotype through comparative genomics. Our analysis demonstrates that two different compensatory mutations on the megaplasmid ameliorate the sensitivity phenotype: 1) a large deletion of approximately 368kb in pMPPla107 and 2) a SNP in the gene we name skaA for Supernatant Killing Activity. These results provide further evidence that costs associated with horizontal gene transfer can be compensated through single mutational events and emphasize the power of experimental evolution and resequencing to better understand the genetic basis of evolved phenotypes.


Abstract Small numbers of Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys, breed on Campbell Island, New Zealand. Their dark brown irises had previously been used to distinguish them from the more numerous Campbell Albatross, T. impavida, which has light irises. Blood samples were collected from dark-eyed birds and their partners on Campbell Island to determine their provenance and whether a sex imbalance caused them to breed with Campbell Albatrosses. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA revealed that dark-eyed birds were of three genetically distinct groups: T. melanophrys, Falkland Islands T. melanophrys and T. impavida. The majority of both types of T. melanophrys on Campbell Island were male, hence none was paired with the same taxon, but most of the more widespread form chose dark-eyed mates. Other individuals had a succession of light-eyed partners over several years. Dark-eyed T. impavida may have been hybrid progeny of female T. impavida x male T. melanophrys pairings. One of these birds was banded as a chick in 1970, suggesting that hybridisation has occurred on Campbell Island at least as early as that date. Their presence suggests a low rate of interchange between the island groups or recent immigration of T. melanophrys to Campbell Island and neighbouring island groups.


We examine the possibility of detecting mode-coupling -correlator behaviour in the time dependence of correlation functions of supercooled liquids. We compare the theoretical scaling predictions with several translational and rotational correlation functions calculated from molecular dynamics trajectories as well as with correlation functions evaluated by solving the mode-coupling equations for hard spheres. We find that while the ideal glass transition point can be unambiguously determined by studying the evolution of correlators on approaching the glass point, the pure -correlator dynamics is hardly measurable. Information on the -scaling is important for a proper determination of the MCT critical exponents.


0Cr16Ni5Mo steel is the most popular material used for fasteners and bolts in the marine engineering equipment. With the light weight trend of equipment, the strength grades of the steel become higher. 0Cr16Ni5Mo steel combines high strength, high hardness and high fracture toughness with good ductility. However, high strength steel is prone to degradation by hydrogen, resulting in the loss of its excellent mechanical properties. And the presence of diffusible hydrogen near a notch tip is easily to cause crack propagation. The susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement of steel is largely determined by the hydrogen diffusivity and the behaviors of hydrogen trapping in the steel. Therefore, the hydrogen trapping behaviors of 1000 MPa grade 0Cr16Ni5Mo steel have been investigated by means of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Meanwhile, the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of the notch and smooth specimens was evaluated by slow strain rate tests (SSRT), and the fracture morphology was also observed. The results showed that the main hydrogen traps of experimental steel was contained dislocations and grain boundaries. The elongation of hydrogen charged specimens was decreased obviously rather than tensile strength. With the increase in hydrogen concentration, the fracture surfaces of hydrogen charged specimens was displayed a transition from ductile microvoid coalescence to a mixed morphology of dimples, quasicleavage and intergranular features. The steel had little irreversible hydrogen due to less C content, and had much susceptibility with reversible hydrogen contained. The model of hydrogen induced stress was calculated on basis of *收到初稿日期: 2015-01-12,收到修改稿日期: 2015-05-16 作者简介:孙永伟,男, 1986年生,博士生 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2015.00033 第1315-1324页 pp.1315-1324


BACKGROUND
Increased oxidative stress (OxSt) as well as inflammation are risk factors for cardiovascular events and determinant of cardiovascular disease which remains the most common cause of excess morbidity and mortality for end-stage renal disease ESRD patients. Haemodiafiltration with on-line regeneration of ultrafiltrate (HFR) has been shown to have a positive impact on markers of inflammation while its effect on OxSt is not known.

METHODS
This study evaluates in haemodialysis patients the effect of HFR on the plasma level of oxidized LDL (OxLDL), a marker of OxSt, and mononuclear cell gene and protein expression of OxSt-related proteins such as p22phox (subunit of NAD(P)H oxidase), PAI-1 (induced by OxSt and atherothrombogenetic) and haeme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) (induced by OxSt). Fourteen patients were randomized into two groups in a crossover design, treated for 6 month periods with HFR (SG8 Plus-Bellco, Mirandola, Italy) or low-flux bicarbonate dialysis (HD) using a polysulphone dialyser 1.8 m2. Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the study, after 6 months (crossover) and after 12 months.

RESULTS
ANOVA analysis of the data performed to rule out any crossover effect in either sequence was not significant and thus data from both sequences were combined and then analysed further statistically. HFR reduced mRNA production and protein expression of p22phox and PAI-1 compared with HD (-9+/-5 vs 2+/-6 Delta%, P<0.0001 and -15+/-20 vs 3+/-17 Delta%, P<0.05 for p22phox; -19+/-6 vs -5+/-5 Delta%, P<0.0001 and -24+/-12 vs 9+/-15 Delta%, P<0.0001 for PAI-1). HO-1 was unchanged (-12+/-8 vs -10+/-8 Delta% and -21+/-12 vs -14+/-8 Delta%) while plasma OxLDL was reduced (-14+/-19 vs 1+/-14 Delta%, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study indicate that HFR treatment, compared with standard dialysis, has a lower impact on OxSt. Given, the strong relationship between OxSt and inflammation and their impact on the long-term cardiovascular complications in end-stage renal disease patients, HFR might have a more beneficial impact in reducing the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients.


Academic Advisory System (ACADS) is a web-based information system. It Academic Advisory is a system that provides assistance and guidance to the students in the aspects of education, teaching, learning and assessment to ensure academic excellence. Several steps involved in producing Academic Advisory System. The steps include registration, determining students' progress coursework, examination, and reporting. The main user of this system is academic advisor. The methodology used is System Analysis and Design (SADM). For the initial finding, this project cover As-Is business process and data model, To-Be business process and data model, user requirements, database design, system architecture, and user interface design. From the problem analysis of current business process, there are weaknesses and constraints in the implementation of academic advisory system. Consequently, this system requires long time and lots of efforts because several support functions for ACADS has to develop first. Hopefully, the implementation of ACADS can help organizations in organizing and maintaining students' performance.


We introduce a new scheme of buffer management to handle packet queues in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) for fixed and mobile nodes. In this scheme, we try to achieve efficient queuing in the buffer of a centrally communicating MANET node through an active queue management strategy by assigning dynamic buffer space to all neighboring nodes in proportion to the number of packets received from neighbors and hence controlling packet drop probabilities. Our simulation study reveals that the proposed scheme is a way to improve the buffer management for packet queues in MANET nodes in terms of packet loss ratio, transmission efficiency, and some other important system parameters.


The patriarchal gender division of private-public dichotomy assigned to particular gender for different roles and sphere is generally viewed as an "ancient" practice in the West. However, this "ancient" gender conception that can be traced from its Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian roots can frequently be pertinently visible in modern Western world as exemplified in the notion of "Woman's place" and; it becomes the dominant gender discourse. Consequently, this discourse continually creates hierarchical and unequal power relation that marginalizes women in accessing education and their full participation in public spheres. This limited accessibility to education (including language and literacy) also shapes the roles and status of women as writers in Western critical and literary tradition. Writing as a profession is traditionally men's domain; therefore, the production and contribution of women writers have less privilege and space in the Western canon. Women writers from time to time have to struggle to reclaim their rights and place in it. This research attempts to re-examine how this (re)production of the binary opposition of private-public sphere operates in language and literature of the Western critical literary tradition by scrutinizing the selected poems by the selected women writers in this research. Furthermore, this research also studies and locates how women writers employ particular strategies in gendering and degendering their writings as both aesthetic and ideological expressions. In conclusion, this research argues that women writings are not "deficient" and "inferior" to their male counterpart; and instead their status and difference as writers are the result of patriarchal dominance and power relation that historically have subordinated and denied them equal public access to education, language, literacy, and literary production.


We propose the concept of two-dimensional (2D) non-Abelian topological insulators which can explain the energy distributions of the edge states and corner states in systems with parity-time symmetry. From the viewpoint of non-Abelian band topology, we establish the constraints on the 2D Zak phase and polarization. We demonstrate that the corner states in some 2D systems can be explained as the boundary mode of the one-dimensional edge states arising from the multiband non-Abelian topology of the system. We also propose the use of the off-diagonal Berry phase as complementary information to assist the prediction of edge states in non-Abelian topological insulators. Our work provides an alternative approach to study edge and corner modes and this idea can be extended to three-dimensional systems.


Presents the results of a study in the former Yorkshire region to discover the effect of the changes in the NHS on relationships between Community Health Councils (CHCs) and health service authorities. Respondents were asked to comment on how the changes had affected these relationships in six aspects; interaction with the public, accountability, independence, effectiveness, representativeness and prioritization of work. Identifies a number of questions about the relationships which can be grouped under four headings: CHCs' identity problem; the effect of the greater discretion which health service authorities have in their relationships with CHCs; the balance between independence and co-operation in these relationships; and the influence of superior bodies on the relationships. Suggests that answers to these questions will help to release the potential of CHCs to contribute to the quality and effectiveness of the NHS, in accordance with the priority given in the reforms to obtaining the views of the public.


The authors report a new thermal annealing technique for Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson devices based on laser heating. This technique allows to "locally" modify the Josephson critical current density. In fact, it is possible the heating of a single circuit element with a good spatial resolution using a focused Ar+ laser beam which is aligned by an optical system on a selected junction of the sample. During the procedure, performed at room temperature, a thermal camera provides a monitoring of the temperature distribution on the whole chip. A continuous reduction of the critical current density up to about 40% has been observed on high quality Josephson junction measured in liquid helium. Neighbouring junctions have not exhibited any measurable change ensuring the effective capability to locally modify the Josephson critical current density. The new technique has been employed to recover noisy dc SQUID magnetometers with non optimal critical current values obtaining a reduction of the spectrum density of magnetic field noise from about 30 to 2.5 fT/Hz1/2.


Smallholder farmers' banana orchards in Western Uganda were used to study the spatio-temporal factors influencing the distribution of banana weevils and parasitic nematodes in tissue culture and non-tissue culture banana types using Nested case control design. Nematodes were extracted from randomly collected composite banana root samples from 20 banana orchards. The banana weevils were trapped in the rainy and dry seasons. A total of 1,280 banana genets were surveyed to determine weevil and nematode densities. Interactions between season and locations with high banana weevils and nematodes densities significantly negatively influenced the distribution of tissue culture and non-tissue culture banana in space and time. Both tissue culture and conventional bananas are prone to banana weevil and nematode infestations. Infestation with weevils and nematodes were higher for tissue culture banana in the dry season. Kiruhura district had a higher density for banana weevils (Cosmopolites sordidus [germar]) while Ibanda district had higher nematode densities. Helicotylenchus multicinctus and Radopholus similis were found most prevalent.  This knowledge is not only important in shaping the adoption and sustenance of the adopted banana types, but also can form a basis for developing affordable strategies to lower the occurrence of banana weevil and nematodes below the threshold level in smallholder banana farms of Uganda.

 Key words: Spatial, temporal, distribution, nematodes, weevil, tissue culture banana, nematodes, infestation.


Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is an emerging transport protocol for IP networks, which can be successfully adopted to transport both signaling messages and multimedia data. Moreover, SCTP provides reliability to communications, by means of multihomed hosts (i.e. host equipped with multiple IP addresses) and failover mechanism. A proper use of these two features enables an increase of the effective throughput during communications, realizing an end-to-end load sharing, which enables endpoint applications to split source data to transmit over all available paths. In this paper, we summarize some problems arising in order to achieve this goal. These problems are tied both to protocol implementation and to the availability of general techniques to infer path characteristics, such as the location of the points of congestion, which affect system fairness and load sharing efficiency.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Karyotype is one of the most important prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

DESIGN AND METHODS
To assess the diagnostic value of molecular cytogenetics in AML patients older than 60 years, we compared the results of chromosome banding with those of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) applying a comprehensive DNA-probe set for the detection of the most relevant AML-associated chromosome aberrations in a prospective series of 283 patients registered for the multicenter treatment trial AML HD98-B.

RESULTS
Four cases of inv(16)/t(16;16) and 2 cases of t(11q23) were only detected by FISH. Molecular cytogenetic analysis was also more sensitive for the detection of genomic imbalances, in particular 7q-, +11q, 17p-, and 20q-, but virtually all cases of aneuploidy or deletions that were missed on banding analysis were identified in patients without assessable metaphases, in patients with normal karyotypes but poor chromosome morphology, in patients with a leukemia-specific balanced rearrangement, or in patients with complex karyotypes.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the use of FISH as a complementary method for the detection of inv(16)/t(16;16) and t(11q23) in all older AML patients eligible for intensive therapy. Molecular cytogenetics should also be considered in cases with insufficient yields of metaphase cells, poor chromosome morphology, or both. Routine screening for chromosomal imbalances by FISH does not improve cytogenetic risk assessment in patients with adequate pretreatment karyotype information.


The nuclear medicine uses of short-lived positron emitters, such as 15O and 11C, rely primarily on the cyclotron production of these radionuclides. This paper presents an alternate approach to production of 15O by the use of photonuclear reactions on 16O, using bremsstrahlung radiation produced by an electron linear accelerator. Methods are described which produce useable quantities of relatively high specific activity 15O (25.1 mCi/4 min at 27.9 Ci/g), using a reboiling H2O target, with an electron linear accelerator having an electron beam energy of 26 MeV and a beam current of 100 microamperemeter. Results of this target system are compared to those of a target system developed recently by other investigators.


The video descrambling portion of IS- 15, EIA MULTIPORT, can be compatible with present day RF Sync Suppression schemes. Industry consensus seems to indicate that for this standard to survive, a "phasing- in" period will be required. During this time, compatibility with RF Sync Suppressed scrambling is imperative. This scheme, in one form or another, is presently used by a majority of CATV plants. As a result, millions of RF descramblers are currently in use. Furthermore, as bandwidth in existing systems is at a premium, duplication of service, for IS-15 compatibility, is economically prohibitive.


Cyclic nucleotides inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation but the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. We studied the role of S-phase kinase-associated protein-2 (Skp2), an F-box protein of SCFSkp2 ubiquitin ligase responsible for polyubiquitylation of and subsequent proteolysis of p27Kip1, a key step leading to cell cycle progression. Skp2 mRNA and protein were upregulated in mitogen-stimulated VSMCs and after balloon injury in rat carotid arteries, where the time course and location of Skp2 expression closely paralleled that of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Skp2 small interference RNA (siRNA) reduced Skp2 expression, increased p27Kip1 levels, and inhibited VSMC proliferation in vitro. cAMP-elevating agents prominently inhibited VSMC proliferation and Skp2 expression through inhibiting Skp2 transcription as well as decreasing Skp2 protein stability. Consistent with this, activation of protein kinase A, a downstream target of cAMP, was shown to negatively regulate focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation and Skp2 expression. Adenovirus-mediated Skp2 expression reversed cAMP-induced p27Kip1 upregulation and rescued cAMP-related S-phase entry inhibition up to 50%. 8-Bromo-cGMP also moderately reduced Skp2 and cell proliferation when VSMCs were incubated with low serum concentration. Interestingly, we showed that 8-bromo-cGMP inhibited Skp2 expression also through activation of protein kinase A, not protein kinase G, which conversely enhanced FAKY397 phosphorylation and Skp2 expression. After balloon injury of rat carotid arteries, local forskolin treatment significantly reduced FAKY397 phosphorylation, Skp2 expression, VSMC proliferation, and subsequent neointimal thickening. These data demonstrate for the first time that Skp2 is an important factor in VSMC proliferation and its inhibition by cyclic nucleotides.


Abstract The Hiltaba Suite intrusive rocks and penecontemporaneous Gawler Range Volcanics (GRV) comprise the 1590 Ma Gawler silicic large igneous province in the Gawler Craton, South Australia. Zircon is principally associated with Fe–Ti oxides and clusters of touching crystals in these rocks, including in the Roxby Downs Granite (RDG), host of the Olympic Dam iron oxide–copper–gold deposit, and in other intrusive rocks that comprise the Olympic Province. There has been no explicit evaluation and explanation of potential origins published for concentrations of zircon with Fe–Ti oxides (herein zircon-rich clusters) found in these and similar rocks of western North America and elsewhere. Here we use U–Pb geochronology, mineral morphologies and compositions, and insights from surface chemistry and liquid-bound particle interaction studies to investigate zircon-rich clusters and provide a model for their formation. U–Pb geochronology does not reveal any concordant zircon populations older than ca 1590 Ma, so it is unlikely that there are significant xenocrystic zircon grains or that the zircons include significant inherited cores. The lack of pre-magmatic zircon, consistent intra-grain and inter-grain zircon compositional trends, the predominance of oscillatory zoned zircon with morphologies indicating growth from hot, evolved silicate melts, and the lack of evidence for zircon recrystallisation, indicates that zircon crystallised in the host GRV and RDG magmas. Variable zircon compositions within individual clusters does not support epitaxial nucleation of zircon on Fe–Ti oxides, but it is likely that some zircon grains grew from seed crystals formed by exsolution of Zr from Fe–Ti oxides. Aggregation of isolated, liquid-bound crystals is energetically favourable, and the grainsize discrepancy between larger crystals (Fe–Ti oxides, pyroxenes) and smaller accessory minerals (zircon, apatite) maximises the disparity in particle velocities and hence enhances the opportunities for collisions and adhesion between these crystals. We propose that zircon adheres to Fe–Ti oxides with greater ease and/or with greater bond strengths, than to other phases present in the parental magmas. It is possible that this association is related to interactions between zircon and Fe–Ti oxide surface sites with opposing charges, presuming the distance between phase surfaces is sufficiently small. The occurrence of small zircon grains within Fe–Ti oxides and both euhedral zircon and zircon with asymmetric growth zonation in contact with Fe–Ti oxides indicates that several processes are responsible for the high concentrations of zircon crystals in some Fe–Ti oxide clusters. Zircon is principally associated with Fe--Ti oxides in 1.59 Ga Gawler Range Volcanics (GRV) and Roxby Downs Granite (RDG) U–Pb geochronology does not reveal any concordant zircon populations older than ca 1590 Ma Zircon compositions and morphologies indicate that zircon crystallised in the host RDG and GRV magmas and suggest recharge, reheating and mixing occurred in these magmatic systems Seed crystals, aggregation and surface chemical affinities contributed to the strong association of zircon and Fe–Ti oxides


Hermann Hesse had communicated with Thomas Mann and Romain Rolland for a long time.However,the connection has hardly been carefully studied.This essay tries to clarify that their friendship is based on true cordiality and esteem.The reason is obvious through the study of their beliefs and letters.


We study a general social choice environment that has multiple agents, a finite set of alternatives, and independent and diffuse information. We show that for any Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism, there exists a deterministic mechanism that i) is Bayesian incentive compatible; ii) delivers the same interim expected utilities/allocation probabilities for all the agents; and iii) delivers the same ex ante expected welfare. Our result holds in settings with a rich class of utility functions, multi-dimensional types, interdependent valuations, and non-transferable utilities. More importantly, the result recovers the optimality of deterministic mechanisms (whether in terms of revenue or efficiency), which sharply contrasts with the existing results in the screening literature. To prove our result, we develop a new methodology of "mutual purification", and establish its link with the literature of mechanism design.


Gas compressibility factor or Z-factor for natural gas system can be determined from Standing-Katz charts using the pseudocritical gas pressure and temperatures. These charts give accurate values for Z-factors. Reservoir simulation softwares need accurate correlations to estimate the values of Z-factor; one of the well-known correlations is Dranchuk and Abou-Kassem (DAK) Correlation. This correlation gives large errors at high gas reservoir pressures, this error could be more than 100%. The error in estimating Z-factor will lead to big error in estimating all the other gas properties such as gas formation volume factor, gas compressibility, and gas in place. In this paper a new accurate Z-factor correlation has been developed using regression for more than 300 data points of measured Z-factor using matlab in addition to other data points at low pressure and temperature from Standing-Katz charts and DAK correlation. Old correlations give good estimation of Z-factor at low gas reservoir pressures below 41.37 MPa (6000 psia), at high pressures the error started to appear. The developed correlation is a function of pseudoreduced pressure and temperature of the gas which makes it simpler than the existing complicated correlations. The new correlation can be used to determine the gas compressibility factor at any pressure range especially for high pressures the error was less than 3% compared to the measured data. The developed correlation is very simple to be used, it just needs the gas specific gravity that can be used to determine the pseudocritical properties of the gas and at last the Z-factor can be determined. A new formula of reduced gas compressibility was developed based on the developed Z-factor correlation which in turn can be used to determine the gas compressibility.


Background : The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly is increasing in Korea and in the developed countries due to the increased elderly population and their predispositions to chronic disease, poverty and decreased immunity. To define the characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly, we evaluated the clinical spectrum of pulmonary tuberculosis. Method : We analyzed 92 patients retrospectively that were diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis over the age of 65. The analysis involved patient's profiles, clinical manifestations, coexisting diseases, diagnostic methods, anti-TB medications and their side effects, and treatment outcomes. Results : The results were as follows : - 1) The ratio of male to female was 2.1:1(62:30 cases) 2) Chief complaints were a cough (47.8%), dyspnea (40.2%), sputum (38.0%), chest pain (12.0%), anorexia (10.9%), and fever (9.8%). 3) 38 (41.3%) of cases had a past history of pulmonary tuberculosis. 4) The coexisting diseases were : -COPD, 25 cases (27.2%); pneumonia, 17 cases (18.5%); DM. 13 cases (14.1%); and malignancy, 10 cases (10.9%). 5) The positivity of Mantoux test (5 TU, PPD-S) was 82.7%. 6) Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed using the following methods : sputum AFB (Acid Fast Bacillus) smear 42.4%, sputum TB (M. Tuberculosis) culture 15.2%, sputum TB PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) 10.9%, bronchial washing AFB smear 2.1%, chest radiology only 25.0%. 7) Locations of radiologic lesions were RULF, 50 cases; RLLF, 50 cases, mostly, then LLLF ; 26 cases were leastly involved. 8) The coexisting tuberculosis were endobronchial TB(8.7%), TB pleurisy(7.6%) miliary TB(5.4%), intestinal TB(2.2%), renal TB(1.1%) 9) The proportion of treatment regimen with 1st line drug and 2nd line drug were 92.3% and 7.6%, respectively. 10) The outcome of treatment were as follows : cured 31.5%, expired 13.0%, no return 47.8%, follow-up now 7.6%. Conclusion : The pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly has atypical patterns with chronic coexisting diseases. Therefore, the possibility of pulmonary tuberculosis should be considered in elderly patients with pulmonary symptoms.


Most studies on the diversity of amphibians in northeast India were based on classical morpho-taxonomy, which have a high probability of errors in species identification. DNA barcoding of amphibians using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene has been used successfully for the identification of species and detection of cryptic species. In the present study, we carry out DNA barcoding of two rhacophorid species of the genus Raorchestes and Kurixalus that are not readily identifiable to the species level based on their morphology. Our analysis on the 16S rRNA gene revealed that these species were Raorchestes cangyuanensis and Kurixalus yangi, species which were recorded for the first time and second time from India respectively. We discuss on the records of R. longchuanensis from Bangladesh and India, which were based on the misidentification of R. cangyuanensis. We therefore propose to delist this species from the faunal list of Bangladesh and India. We further raise a question as to why the population of Kurixalus from Motuo, Xizang province of China was assigned as K. naso and not the population described as K. yangi, which is morphologically similar to K. naso and is also recorded from a locality close to the type locality of K. naso.


UV light was investigated for the decontamination of raw chicken, associated packaging, and contact surfaces. The UV susceptibilities of a number of Campylobacter isolates (seven Campylobacter jejuni isolates and three Campylobacter coli isolates), Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis ATCC 10376 in liquid media were also investigated. From an initial level of 7 log CFU/ml, no viable Campylobacter cells were detected following exposure to the most intense UV dose (0.192 J/cm(2)) in liquid media (skim milk subjected to ultrahigh-temperature treatment and diluted 1:4 with maximum recovery diluent). Maximum reductions of 4.8 and 6.2 log CFU/ml were achieved for E. coli and serovar Enteritidis, respectively, in liquid media. Considerable differences in susceptibilities were found between the Campylobacter isolates examined, with variations of up to 4 log CFU/ml being observed. UV treatment of raw chicken fillet (0.192 J/cm(2)) reduced C. jejuni, E. coli, serovar Enteritidis, total viable counts, and Enterobacteriaceae by 0.76, 0.98, 1.34, 1.76, and 1.29 log CFU/g, respectively. Following UV treatment of packaging and surface materials, reductions of up to 3.97, 4.50, and 4.20 log CFU/cm(2) were obtained for C. jejuni, E. coli, and serovar Enteritidis, respectively (P < 0.05). Overall, the color of UV-treated chicken was not significantly affected (P ≥ 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that Campylobacter is susceptible to UV technology and that differences in sensitivities exist between investigated isolates. Overall, UV could be used for improving the microbiological quality of raw chicken and for decontaminating associated packaging and surface materials.


A new flooring system has been developed to reduce peak impact forces to the hips when humans fall. The new safety floor is designed to remain relatively rigid under normal walking conditions, but to deform elastically when impacted during a fall. Design objectives included minimizing peak force experienced by the femur during a fall-induced impact, while maintaining a maximum of 2 mm of floor deflection during walking. Finite Element Models (FEMs) were developed to capture the complex dynamics of impact response between two deformable bodies. Validation of the finite element models included analytical calculations of theoretical buckling column response, experimental quasi-static loading of full-scale flooring prototypes, and flooring response during walking trials. Finite Element Method results compared well with theoretical and experimental data. Both finite element and experimental data suggest that the proposed safety floor can effectively meet the design goal of 2 mm maximum deflection during walking, while effectively reducing impact forces during a fall.


1. A blade-plate is presented for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures and those of the upper femoral shaft.

2. The length and shape of the appliance may be altered, and the principle of treatment may be applied to a variety of conditions.

3. By this means of treatment, convalescence is shortened, expense of hospital and nursing care is reduced, and a full functional recovery may be expected.


ABSTRACT Performance assessment is a key issue of the development of self-organizing systems. To this end, both analysis and simulation techniques, augmented by physical experiments, can be used. These approaches have their specific challenges, but are in fact complementary. In this paper, we use design models of self-organizing systems specified with SDL directly for performance simulations. To obtain accurate performance assessments, our approach is to simulate all resource bottlenecks influencing system performance simultaneously. For this purpose, we have devised PartsSim, a component-based simulator that is capable of evaluating the performance of SDL system models, taking limitations of both hardware platform and network into account. We assess the credibility of simulation models by real-world experiments. Several performance simulations of a simple, self-organizing MicaZ network scenario show the value of the additional accuracy achieved with PartsSim. Finally, we discuss how this approach scales to larger systems.


The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of leptospires in field rats in and around laboratory animal facilities in Bangalore. 34 rats were trapped alive in and around the laboratory animal facilities in Bangalore. Urine and serum samples from theses field rats were collected. Serum samples were tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test, while urine samples were subjected for dark field microscopy and polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of leptospiral antigens. Serology revealed the presence of antileptospiral antibodies in 19 (61.29 percent) field rats and dark field microscopy revealed the presence of leptospiral antigens in 3 (8.82 percent) and 6 (17.65 percent) of urine samples of these field rats. Among the serovars, Icterohaemorrhagiae was predominant followed by Autumnalis and Pyrogens. Serology dark field microscopy and polymerase chain reaction reveals that field rats are major natural carriers and shedders of leptospires.


Thirty‐one patients with aplastic anaemia were treated with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) followed by anabolic steroids. All patients were reviewed at least 1 year after receiving treatment. Twenty‐one patients were considered to have a severe form of aplasia. ALG from three sources was used during the trial. Sixteen patients were alive at the time of analysis, eight who had had severe aplastic anaemia (38%) and five of these no longer require blood support. No difference in response was found according to type of ALG used. Patients with a long history of aplasia before treatment fared worse than those with a short history. These results were better than those obtained with anabolic steroids alone in historical controls. It is concluded that ALG treatment is worth giving to patients with aplastic anaemia but that the optimum way of giving this immunosuppression may be different from that used in this presentation.


Abstract Objective To compare micronutrient intakes and status in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with those in other European countries and with reference values. Design Review of the micronutrient intake/status data from open access and grey literature sources from CEE. Setting Micronutrients studied were folate, iodine, Fe, vitamin B12 and Zn (for intake and status) and Ca, Cu, Se, vitamin C and vitamin D (for intake). Intake data were based on validated dietary assessment methods; mean intakes were compared with average nutrient requirements set by the Nordic countries or the US Institute of Medicine. Nutritional status was assessed using the status biomarkers and cut-off levels recommended primarily by the WHO. Subjects For all population groups in CEE, the mean intake and mean/median status levels were compared between countries and regions: CEE, Scandinavia, Western Europe and Mediterranean. Results Mean micronutrient intakes of adults in the CEE region were in the same range as those from other European regions, with exception of Ca (lower in CEE). CEE children and adolescents had poorer iodine status, and intakes of Ca, folate and vitamin D were below the reference values. Conclusions CEE countries are lacking comparable studies on micronutrient intake/status across all age ranges, especially in children. Available evidence showed no differences in micronutrient intake/status in CEE populations in comparison with other European regions, except for Ca intake in adults and iodine and Fe status in children. The identified knowledge gaps urge further research on micronutrient intake/status of CEE populations to make a basis for evidence-based nutrition policy.


PurposeThe current study aims to investigate the impact of various types of motivational factors on consumers' behavior regarding the purchase and consumption of organic food. A favorable attitude among consumers may translate into positive purchase intention and actual buying behavior. For this, variables have been extracted from well-established theories, i.e. self-determination theory (SDT) and theory of planned behavior (TPB), to address the issue more proficiently.Design/methodology/approachA self Administered close-ended questionnaire was distributed to twelve hundred and sixty-five consumers using purposive sampling technique. Seven hundred and eighty-seven responses were retained after preliminary analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied using SmartPLS 3 to analyze validity and reliability. Furthermore, 5,000 boot-strapping method was used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe findings of the study suggested that two of the SDT variables [external regulations (ER) and integrated regulation (IR)] lead to a significant impact on "consumers" attitudes, while the effects of intrinsic motivation (IM) and introjected regulation (INR) appeared to be insignificant. All the variables extracted from TPB (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, purchase intention, and buying behavior) appeared to have a significant impact, while the trust was found to moderate the relationship between attitude (ATT) and purchase intention (PI). Moreover, the values of Q-square depicted that the combined model had more predictive relevance (BB = 0.153; PI = 0.211), as compared to the TPB model (BB = 0.147; PI = 0.186).Originality/valueMarketers can make use of the study's findings to develop marketing strategies by considering particularly extrinsic motivational influences. Hence, advertising could be used to emphasize extrinsic benefits such as increasing individual self-esteem through social status (positive consequences) and appealing to consumers' desire for communal or societal approval. Such campaigns should also consider external regulatory factors, such as the fear of having hazardous effects on the individual's health due to the use of inorganic and processed food. Furthermore, policymakers can develop a sense of trust in the legitimacy of organic labeling by educating consumers about various organic certifications.


Historians have beliefs as much as other people. But they are too prone, perhaps, to cram their credos under narrow decks of 'objectivity' in the hope, conscious or unconscious, that the directions in which they are sailing will escape notice. Dr Walter Rodney, however, is not afraid to nail his colours to the mast. The concluding sentence of his History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545 to 1800 (Oxford, 1970) shows something of the direction in which he is moving: 'In the wider sphere of race relations, some of the wounds inflicted during that epoch are still festering.' How much they rankle is made very clear in The Groundings with my Brothers. This is a collection of six lively addresses on Jamaica, Black Power and African history and politics, which were given by him in 1968 to popular audiences in Jamaica and to the Congress of Black Writers in Montreal. To professional historians of Africa and the African diaspora they are of value mainly as documentation of the trend of thought of significant elements in the new generation of black scholars. Individual scholars may, however, find in them items of interest to their studies. I was delighted to note the long-overdue tribute (p. 51) to the black schoolmaster from Guyana, Mr Norman E. Cameron, the first volume of whose Evolution of the Negro, with its indication of the achievements of African states in the pre-European period, was written in 1929. And, as one resident in Scotland during the Mungo Park Bicentenary, with its inevitable exaggerations, I was pleased to read that 'The Senegalese Djola. . . were described by Mungo Park as "barbarous", but he found he could leave his personal possessions among the Djola for months on end without suffering any losses' (p. 53).


Researches about domestic violence are neither many nor reflect the seriousness of the ailment. Despite this, some papers on that issue have been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care [1,2]. Being one of the leading cause of deaths by killing, this problem warrants more attention. How common is it? How are general practitioners prepared to both diagnose and deal with it? Do medical students get a adequate education about this? By definition domestic violence is a psychological, sexual and physical abuse of one partner in relationship by the other, most commonly the male are the batterers. Sometimes referred to as intimate-partner violence (IPV) the reported prevalence is unbelievably high. In USA as much 36% of women are raped, assaulted, or stalked by intimate partners at some point during their lives [3]. In UK more than one in four women experience IPV at some time in their lives and 38% of all murdered women are murdered by their partners. In Iceland 20% of women report that they have at some time in their live been the victim of IPV. Even pregnant women are the victims of IPV, with reported prevalence as high as 16% among women attending antenatal care in the primary health care setting in Iceland [1]. Some studies even claim that IPV increases during pregnancy [4]. It is therefore extremely important that those who provide antenatal care are well awake for any signs that might indicate IPV and they may even have to screen for it. Failure to attend antenatal care should arouse suspicion and warrants further enquiry. Women who suffer IPV, and their children, are at increased risk of several health consequences. A study from Norway has indicated that IPV could be a risk factor of pelvic inflammatory disease. Furthermore, a history of pelvic pain and gynecological surgery may be indicators of sexual abuse in childhood [2]. So how are we prepared as general practitioners to detect and assist these women? There are of course barriers for the victims to overcome to report IPV and the importance of gaining trust and encouraging these women to seek help cannot be overemphasized. A research done in UK regarding formal teaching about domestic violence and abuse in medical schools revealed that the education was not adequate [5]. Without doubt all medical school should in their medical curriculum include a thorough formal teaching on IPV, how to detect and how to support and know what resources are available to assist the victims. Screening for IPV has not been generally accepted but Cochrane systematic review acknowledge that IPV is an important health problem and the question about screening is still debatable [6]. However, primary care providers should be alerted by certain signs that could indicate IPV. The victims of IPV can present with symptoms that are not obvious and these symptoms are often somewhat ambiguous. These signs can be dental trauma, any injury to the head and neck and defensive injuries of the forearms. Injuries to multiple areas should also raise suspicion. Chronic pain and chronic gynecologic symptoms may be a sign of abuse. Psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic disorders may also suggest IPV. Other thinks that may imply IPV are when women delay seeking treatment or are inconsistent in their explanation of injuries. It is very important to increase education on IPV, both among medical students as well as amongst health care providers. Those who are working with accidents such a emergency rooms and fracture clinics should know when and what to look for. General practitioners, in particular, should expand their knowledge on IPV and be on the alert. Furthermore, they need to know how they and the health care and social service providers work in the best way for supporting these women with referral to the necessary channels when needed. The question about prevention is obviously very valid but a good solid evidence based proved answer is not clear. Though education and open and straightforward discussion about IPV is without doubt part of that solution. Combined effort from health authorities, communities, social workers and the police are one way of both preventing and increase and facilitate reporting of domestic violence. Despite high prevalence numbers, IPV is without doubt still a hidden and underdiagnosed problem and neither we as general practitioner nor our communities are as well prepared as we should be.


In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of video-based
content distributed across the Internet; with this growth forecast to continue. A
range of distribution approaches have been developed in response to this demand,
including Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Content Distribution Network (CDN). These
technologies are now vital to deliver content across the Internet, in order to keep
pace with user expectations and the ever growing number of video-on-demand and
video streaming services now on offer.
In spite of this growth in video-based services; Internet access in many parts
of the world remains a challenge. This phenomenon is known as the 'digital divide',
which expresses the connectivity gap between those with and without high
quality access to the Internet. In response to this issue, community groups have
built their own infrastructures (which we refer to as 'Community Networks' within
this thesis), using technologies such as 'Wireless Mesh Networks', which involves
combining wireless networking technology and ad-hoc routing protocols in order to
create self-managing networks that can deliver Internet access to residents. Ordinarily
these networks will have good network connectivity within the community,
but may share a limited connection to the wider Internet.
The use of video delivery technologies, such as P2P, within these Community
Networks introduces some key challenges. The shared connection to the wider
Internet may reduce the probability of successfully connecting clients with remote
clients and potentially creates network bottlenecks at the backhaul connection.
The use of P2P localisation strategies, which would encourage clients to connect
with local clients, could also result in issues with the availability of content.


The musical staff notates Pitch Value Vectors whereas tablature, using fret numbers on string lines, denotes Position Value Vectors, forming a commuting algebra of Hilbert Spaces. In 2001 I demonstrated that music is semi-algebraic (Allen and Goudessenue). Pitch Value Space is undefined without a connection to pitch, and when connected to pitch by a barycenter, becomes defined and complete. A defined musical system must have at least 2 functions, the chromatic f(x) and the harmonic function g(x) that form a composite function with at most 1 common center (Music Multicentricity Theorem). Thus tonality is defined by the line of tonal projection that marries pitch to position to make a musical tone. Since musical systems must have a tone generator (instrument or device) the music topos must be the triple composite function f⋅g⋅h where f(x) is a + b + c = 0 and g(x) > 0 is a scale center and h(x) > 0 an instrument center. A music cipher as defined here as an affine projection that marries R:Z pitch to position to compose a note [tone point as an orthonormal pair (position value, pitch value)]. The harmonic message is embedded in a musical system by the cipher which defines tonality, so that (harmony, tonality) is another orthonormal pair. A cipher can also make a new note from one already known in a system. The only algebraic operation in a musical topos is vector additions to a single barycenter according to a difference function defined by the complete lattice of the musical system, and according to the Boolean Arithmetic Operator of the Music Cipher which forms the geometry of tone value spaces by its prime ideals. The cipher model is therefore simple and natural compared to current music topology requiring two centers and several algebraic operators. Music is composed by the finite union of notes and open intervals defined by the composite functions of the fundamental, the key, and the intonation algorithm. Tonality, the sum total of every function, relation, and element in a musical system, is the same as the algebraic-logic interface (numeric key) of the pitch-position intonation algorithm that is precisely the triangle of cipher vectors formed between one logic and at least two algebraic sub lattices. The cipher vector defined by a complete musical lattice is also the same as the arithmetic tone values closure operator that defines tonal geometry. Specifically, the cipher is precisely the projection between the logic sub lattice and at least two algebraic sub lattices in the musical system, where the sub lattices all share the fundamental as 1 common center. Therefore the cipher is equivalent to a point, a line, a triangle, and a sphere, reflections resulting from line-point duality in geometry. Without a common center for the R: Z cipher the musical clock is undefined: Euler's donut is dead. The new model is a clock: the fundamental is the hour hand, the instrument position is the minute hand, and scale position is the third hand. Tonality, like time on the clock, is a vector as a composite of three functions with 1 fundamental in common. Therefore, tonality has at least two functions but at most one center.


Alistair Cooke was the greatest of all twentieth century reporters of life in America to the rest of the world. Published to celebrate the centenary of his birth, this book presents the cream of his writings on the events that shaped modern American history, from the end of the Second World War through to the assassination of John Kennedy and of Bobby Kennedy (Cooke was actually present), the moon landings and the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Almost all the material is previously unpublished in book form - transcripts of his legendary Letters from America, long-forgotten reports in the Guardian (whose correspondent in New York he was for 25 years) and other freshly discovered writings. The book will be illustrated throughout in full colour with iconic photographs of the events Cooke is describing.


Background. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of soil conditioners on grass quality, assessed by determining lawn appearance and grass colour. Material and methods. The field experiment was conducted in Poland between 2013 and 2015. The research was carried out in the split plot design with three replications. The following grass species were used in the experiment (factor B): Lolium perenne cv. Stadion, Festuca rubra cv. Corail, and Poa pratensis cv. Ani. The other experimental factors tested in the research were three soil conditioners (factor A): Humus Active Papka (HAP), Eko-Uzyźniacz (EU),  UGmax (UG) and one fertilizer Substral (S). In each year of the experiment, among other things, colour and general appearance of the lawn were assessed with a 9-point scale. This assessment was conducted in three seasons (spring, summer, autumn). Results. The results showed that lawn appearance ratings varied throughout the research, both in terms of the season, species of grass, and soil conditioners. Comparing the effects of soil conditioners, grass treated with UGmax had the best colour, but that treated with Substral had the best appearance. Conclusion. The overall appearance of the lawns and the intensity of greenness were largely dependent on the soil conditioner, the species of grass and the season. The turf of kentucky-bluegrass had the best durability of both general appearance and colour during the experiment although, on average, the highest value of the general appearance was scored by perennial ryegrass and the best colour by red fescue.


(BGaO) single crystals have been grown, oo. Thermal conditions enabling growth oft uniform [110] sillenite single crystals with totally flat (110) interface have been found. Influence of composition on spectral characteristics of the BTO mixed crystals has been investigated. Keywords: sillenites, BTO, top seeded solution growth, optical absorption (Received November 6, 2002; Accepted May 14, 2002)


OF THE THESIS The Nature of Stories: Colonization and Disintegration in Mexican History by Greg Daniel Rainoff Master of Arts in Latin American Studies San Diego State University, 2011 The economic history of Mexico has been accompanied by a parallel history of consequential biological events that have vastly enabled the intentions of colonization and development. These events created conditions that ruined local economies, instituted wage dependency and class disparity, destroyed the environment and forced of millions of indigenous people into migration. Extreme economic asymmetry remains the status quo in Mexico, at the precise moment in history when the exponential effects of climate change and economic globalization stand to recreate this history on a vast scale. Precedent would suggest that culturally and economically, the United States is positioned more to exploit this perpetual disaster than we are to mitigate or even acknowledge it. This thesis examines these parallel histories and argues that over time the disparity created by these events evolved from unintended consequence to engineered goal. Policies and language concerning trade, immigration, security and the environment have evolved to re-enforce and naturalize that asymmetry. I argue that laws and their contextualization constitute an authorized ideological re-telling of our national stories that criminalizes dependency and punishes dissent, and in so doing validates necessary imposition as beneficence or protection. Militarization of US immigration and border policies then serve not to mitigate against trafficking in drugs and laborers, but rather to capitalize on their illegality so as to perpetuate a message that re-validates the imposition. Finally, I make the case for small-scale agriculture, education, food and water sovereignty and protection of natural systems in Mexico as a tactical approach to mitigating the effects of climate change via basic poverty reduction and social re-integration. The United States and Mexico could be supporting immigration, labor and border policies that help migrants to "stay home." This concept serves as well to contradict the ideological framing of labor migration as criminal and its production as beneficent. This contradiction then offers Americans an opportunity to re-claim our own story of freedom and democracy and so negate the popular perception that climate change is a political hoax and migrants are terrorists.


Anonymization is commonly seen as useful only for people that have something to hide. Tor exit nodes are therefore associated with malicious behaviour and especially the so-called "darknet". While the Tor network supports hidden services, and a large share of these serve illegal purposes, most of the traffic in the Tor network exits to the normal Internet and could be, and probably is, legal. We investigate this by taking a look at the DNS requests of a high-bandwidth exit node. We observe some malicious behaviour (especially DNS scans), questionable targets (both widely seen as immoral as well as very likely illegal in most countries), and careless usage. However, all these, while undoubtable undesirable, make up only a small share of the exit traffic. We then propose some additions to reduce the detected malicious use.


It was the aim of the present study to characterize the hemodynamic, biochemical and morphologic effect of angiotensin II receptor blockade on hypoxia-induced right ventricular hypertrophy in rats. Isolated right ventricular hypertrophy was induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats by intermittent hypoxia (IH; 10% O2, 8 h/day, 5 days/week, 20 days of exposition, n=15). After completion of IH, left- (LV) and right-ventricular (RV) hemodynamic parameters were measured under room air conditions in the intact, thiopental-anesthetized animals with special Millar ultraminiature tipcatheter-manometers. Cardiac output was determined using the thermodilution method. Cell volume (CV) of isolated cardiomyocytes was measured with a Coulter Channellyzer after collagenase cell isolation. The specific activities of the myocardial pentose phosphate pathway enzymes glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase (6-PGD) were determined using a spectrophotometric assay. IH caused a rise in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) from 38.1+/-0.83 to 58.1+/-1.42 mmHg and an increase in the RV weight/body weight ratio (RVW/BW) from 0.884+/-0. 053 to 1.166+/-0.049 mg/g. The activities of G-6-PD and 6-PGD were significantly increased after IH in the RV, but not in the LV. CV was increased from 24 248+/-1193 to 29 541+/-1765 micrometer 3, myocardial cell length was unchanged. IH had no influence on the LV parameters or cardiac output. Co-infusion of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist losartan (LO; 12 mg/kg/d i.p., n=14) during the IH period reduced the rises in RVSP (49.4+/-2.06 mmHg), RVW/BW (0. 99+/-0.072 mg/g), G-6-PD and 6-PGD significantly, but not completely. The increase in CV, however, was prevented (24 524+/-2370 micrometer 3) entirely. We conclude from these data that the IH-induced RV-hypertrophy was primarily of the concentric type. LO attenuated the hypoxia-induced isolated RV hypertrophy and significantly reduced the metabolic response of the RV. The LO effect was most potent with regard to the increase in cardiomyocyte volume.


Quantifying and understanding friction and wear behaviour of any type of material remains a challenge to this day. This is also true for polymers that are used frequently in sliding applications. This thesis focuses on the development of quantitative measurement techniques that can be used to understand friction and wear of polymers. To understand the influence of material properties on friction and wear behaviour it is necessary to zoom in on the relevant processes in a sliding contact. A macroscopic contact between two surfaces typically consists of multiple contacts between roughness peaks. These micro-contacts make up the real contact area which is usually a small fraction of the apparent contact area, and which depends on the mechanical properties of both surfaces as well as on the loading conditions. The friction force measured in experiments is the product of this real contact area and an average effective shear stress. Because the real contact area is difficult to control and measure for macroscopic contacts such contacts are not very useful in separating the contributions to the friction force. In contrast, single asperity techniques offer the possibility to control independently the contact area and normal load and therefore offer a way forward to a critical interpretation of measured friction forces. In the work described in this thesis microscopic tribological single–asperity experiments are used to study structure-property relations. These single asperity experiments are performed using the Lateral Force Apparatus that was drastically modified to better suit this purpose. A new driving system was developed that allows friction measurements in which the sliding velocity may be varied across 5 orders of magnitude with accurate position control. This combination makes it possible to perform single–asperity measurements at widely differing speeds which are shown to be important for the interpretation of sliding friction on polymers. Accurate position control is shown to be crucial in developing advanced wear measurement techniques. In sliding friction distinction between the contribution of contact area and effective xi xii SUMMARY shear stress to the friction force is a key issue. Depending on mechanical properties and loading conditions, all materials exhibit creep on a characteristic time scale. In polymers creep is especially relevant since the associated timescales are relatively short. In single asperity friction the asperity radius and sliding speed set a contact time, during which the contact area may evolve by creep. It is shown that the contributions of contact area and effective shear stress can be distinguished from one another using single–asperity measurements at widely differing sliding velocities. In the study of wear the interpretation of measurements on macroscopic multi– asperity contacts also pose problems since they consist of a collection of microcontacts between deformed asperities. Since the strain at failure of a polymer is expected to be an important factor in determining the wear of polymers the unambiguous strain distribution of a single asperity contact is an advantage in the study of structure-wear relations. In this thesis a novel single–asperity technique to measure wear rate is developed. In this method the wear rate is measured in real time. The method is fast, uses very little material, and yet gives good statistics and a strong correlation with macroscopically measured wear rates. In a study on PE it is found that the wear rate is related to the molecular weight. Quantitative single–asperity measurements are a critical step in understanding structure-tribology relations. While macroscopic tribological experiments can only scratch the surface of structure-tribology relations, single–asperity techniques probe the material properties lying underneath.


Today, Jernbaneverket uses GSM-R as their standard for cellular communication. However, this will change in the future and a proposed solution is to use LTE as the next generation standard. This work shall therefore investigate different implementation scenarios for LTE. It shall also shortly discuss the opportunities it brings to Jernbaneverket and other rail operators in general. Specifically, this means to explain different applications where LTE can be utilized and give extra benefits and features to Jernbaneverket.


High power density piezoelectrics are required to miniaturize devices such as ultrasonic motors, transformers, and sound projectors. The power density is limited by the heat generation in piezoelectrics, therefore, clarification of the loss mechanisms is necessary. This paper provides a methodology to determine the electromechanical losses, i.e., dielectric, elastic and piezoelectric loss factors in piezoelectrics by means of a detailed analysis of the admittance/impedance spectra. This method was applied to determine the piezoelectric losses for lead zirconate titanate ceramics and lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate single crystals. The analytical solution provides a new method for obtaining the piezoelectric loss factor, which is usually neglected in practice by transducer designers. Finite element simulation demonstrated the importance of piezoelectric losses to yield a more accurate fitting to the experimental data. A phenomenological model based on two phase-shifts and the Devonshire theory of a polarizable–deformable insulator is developed to interpret the experimentally observed magnitudes of the mechanical quality factor at resonance and anti-resonance.


Outlines a method of analysis that can be used to enhance the quality of software and reduce the cost of its development. The method is based on, and was applied to the analysis of, factors that influence software quality in the programming environment. Empirical data on software development are analyzed to show how such attributes of program development as human relations and the organization influence the quality of software. A fuzzy regression model was built to estimate the number of bugs in a software project.


Introduction Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is common, and increasing in older adults, in whom functional outcomes can be particularly poor. We studied post-TBI recovery using Minder, a remote home monitor- ing system that records sleep and activity data. Methods We installed Minder in recently discharged patients >60years with moderate-severe TBI. We present comparative descriptive analyses of early post-discharge recovery for two male patients, cross referencing observed data against verified activities and events. Both have similar socioeconomic back- grounds, non-neurological comorbidity burden and household set-up. One had prior cognitive impair- ment (PAT1), whilst the other did not (PAT2). Results We present 10 weeks of sleep and activity data. The data from PAT1 revealed extremely regular sleep-wake schedule, which remained stable. There was minimal time out of bed overnight, with corresponding bathroom activity, consistent with self-reported overnight toilet trips. Conversely, PAT2's data revealed highly irregular and fragmented sleep patterns, despite PAT2 reporting good sleep. There were significant periods out of bed overnight with activity detected in rooms throughout the house, con- sistent with carer reports of night-time wandering. A period of increased overnight activity coincided with a sequence of falls, necessitating increases in care. Discussion Our data suggests important interactions between cognitive comorbidity and injury on function after TBI. Our novel approach provides valuable 'real world' insights into TBI recovery, particularly in those with poor insight, and could also help guide clinical care.


The public enterprises have generally failed to provide the social and economic development needed by the post-independence era in Africa, hence privatization has been central to policy making since the mid eighties. Thispaper offers insight into the validity of the efficacy of privatization by investigating not only whether privatization has improved the financial (profitability) performance of firms but also whether such improvement has impact on the operational efficiency of privatized firms for the period 1990-2001 in Nigeria. Using a panel data for a sample of 20 privatized firms obtained from the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission, the result shows an increase in all the profitability ratios after privatization. However, only the return on assets and return on sales are significant in explaining the difference between preand post-privatization performance of firms in Nigeria. The result of the operational efficiency shows a significant increase in the mean (median) values of sale efficiency and income efficiency. Interestingly, while output (real sales) and employee income of firms significantly increase after privatization, the number of employees insignificantly decreases after privatization. The paper concludes that privatization in Nigeria has worked in the sense that it improves the financial and operational efficiency performance of firms.


The new standard IEEE 802.11e is specified to support quality-of-service in wireless local area networks. A comprehensive study of the performance of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA), the fundamental medium access control mechanism in IEEE 802.11e, is reported in this paper. We present our development of an analytical model, in which most new features of the EDCA such as virtual collision, different arbitration interframe space (AIFS), and different contention window are taken into account. Based on the model, we analyze the throughput performance of differentiated service traffic and propose a recursive method capable of calculating the mean access delay. Service differentiation functionality and effectiveness of the EDCA are investigated through extensive numerical and simulation results. The model and the analysis provide an in-depth understanding and insights into the protocol and the effects of different parameters on the performance.


Cancer is frequently considered to be a disease of the cell cycle. As such, it is not surprising that the deregulation of the cell cycle is one of the most frequent alterations during tumor development. Cell cycle progression is a highlyordered and tightly-regulated process that involves multiple checkpoints that assess extracellular growth signals, cell size, and DNA integrity. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and their cyclin partners are positive regulators or accelerators that induce cell cycle progression; whereas, cyclindependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) that act as brakes to stop cell cycle progression in response to regulatory signals are important negative regulators. Cancer originates from the abnormal expression or activation of positive regulators and functional suppression of negative regulators. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of the deregulation of cell cycle progression in cancer can provide important insights into how normal cells become tumorigenic, as well as how new cancer treatment strategies can be designed.


The color of a galaxy contains important information about its evolution. The aim of this thesis is to understand the physics of dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) more by studying their colors using high resolution photometric images to not only study the outer parts of these galaxies, but also to zoom into the very inner regions as small as a few parsec to investigate their center in nearby clusters as well. By calculating colors, we explore color-magnitude diagrams of dwarf early-type galaxies and investigate what information can be extracted from the position of a galaxy on the color-magnitude diagram. In addition, we use the color profile of each galaxy to find out how its color changes from the innermost part of a galaxy to its outer part. Besides color, we measure more photometric properties such as effective radius, magnitude, etc. For this study we used a sample of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Fornax cluster. To examine how the environment can affect the color of a dwarf early-type galaxy we compare our sample to similar ones in the Virgo and Coma clusters. The environmental differences between these clusters can guide us to find the effective processes responsible for the formation and evolution of these galaxies. Among the nearby clusters, Virgo is the most studied. After Virgo with a distance of 16.5 Mpc, Fornax, with a distance of 20 Mpc is the nearest and largest concentration of galaxies in the South (Blakeslee et al. 2009). The Fornax cluster is less massive, smaller and has a shallower potential well whereas Virgo is a very rich and active cluster with all kinds of galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-environment interactions such as ram-pressure stripping, tidal stirring, and galaxy harassment operating there. Comparing the cluster's environment, Coma is a relaxed, dense and rich cluster at a distance of 100 Mpc (Carter et al. 2008). The density of a galaxy's environment plays an important role in determining its star formation and quenching, and from there in determining its color. The major observations which are used in this study are the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) surveys. The HST observation of these clusters are called the ACS Fornax Cluster Survey (ACSFCS), the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS), and the HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey. The ACSVCS and ACSFCS Surveys targeted an unbiased sample of 143 early-type galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax clusters (100 in Virgo and 43 in Fornax). The images are available in HST Mikulski archive. For the Coma cluster, only a limited part of the cluster was observed, mostly in the central regions as the ACS camera failed during the later stage of the survey. We limited our samples to a specific magnitude range which is mostly refers to as the bright dEs. In addition, to understand whether the blue star formation and dusty regions on the color maps of a dE can predict the presence of molecular gas, we selected a sample of carbon monoxide (CO) detected galaxies in the Fornax cluster and study their colors. CO is the most commonly observed tracer molecule of hydrogen (H2) (Narayanan & Krumholz 2014). The galaxies with CO emission contain gas that can be used to form stars. To inspect their color maps and color profiles, the images of these galaxies in the Fornax Deep Survey (FDS) are used. The FDS is a new survey of the Fornax cluster which contains 573 galaxies in the optical bands using the ESO VLT Survey Telescope (VST). The imaging is done in the u, g, r and i-bands using the OmegaCAM instrument attached to the VST.


We consider stochastic point process models, based on doubly stochastic Poisson process, to analyse rainfall data collected in the form of raingauge bucket tip-times over a network of stations in a catchment. Multi-site doubly stochastic point process models are constructed whereby the arrival rate of the process varies according to a finite-state Markov chain thought to be representing the underlying environmental weather conditions. The tip-time series at a station is viewed as a univariate stochastic point process evolving in time and its multi-variate generalisation is studied to analyse data from multiple sites across the network. The likelihood function of this class of multi-site models, which is not usually available for most point process models, is derived by conditioning on the underlying Markov chain of the process. This allows us to make use of the likelihood approach for parameter estimation and inference. The application of the proposed class of multi-site models, a useful alternative to the well known Poisson cluster models based on either Bartlett-Lewis or Neyman-Scott processes, in rainfall modelling is explored. We use data from the Hydrological Radar Experiment (HYREX) project, supplied by the British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC), over a dense raingauge network in Brue experimental catchment in Somerset, South-West England. The models are used to make inferences about the properties of accumulated rainfall in discrete time intervals of equal length with the focus on fine time-scale. The proposed models and their variant that incorporate local covariate information such as elevation, temperature, sea-level pressure and relative humidity are utilised to study properties of rainfall time series from multiple sites. Results of the models that incorporate covariates are compared with the results of the model that does not take account of any covariates. The analysis shows the potential of this class of models in reproducing temporal and spatial variability of rainfall characteristics over the catchment area.


In this work, feasibility studies of using a natural and low cost adsorbent; saw dust for the removal of Cr(VI), Ni(II), Fe(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solution was carried out. The efficiency of the adsorbent was judged from the variation of the % adsorption with (i) contact time, (ii) adsorbent dose, (iii) initial metal ion concentration, (iv) effect of pH variation of the adsorbate solution, (v) activation of the adsorbents and (vi) particle size. Changes in the concentrations of the metallic ions after the adsorption process were monitored using Shimadzu AA650 Double-Beam Digital Atomic Absorption/Flame Spectrophotometer. Results suggest that the adsorbent employed in this work have the ability to remove the tested ions from their aqueous solutions with adsorption order onto the adsorbent varying according to Cr > Fe > Ni > Cd. Also for each ion there is an optimum pH for maximum adsorption beyond which the efficiency declined. Keywords: Saw dust, adsorption, adsorbent, metal ion, % removal


Mangroves function as a natural coastline protection for erosion and inundation, providing important environmental services. Due to their geographical distribution at the continent-ocean interface, the mangrove habitat may suffer heavy impacts from global climate change, maximized by local human activities occurring in a given coastal region. This review analyzed the literature published over the last 25 years, on the documented response of mangroves to environmental change caused by global climate change, taking into consideration 104 case studies and predictive modeling, worldwide. Most studies appeared after the year 2000, as a response to the 1997 IPCC report. Although many reports showed that the world's mangrove area is decreasing due to direct anthropogenic pressure, several others, however, showed that in a variety of habitats mangroves are expanding as a response to global climate change. Worldwide, pole ward migration is extending the latitudinal limits of mangroves due to warmer winters and decreasing the frequency of extreme low temperatures, whereas in low-lying coastal plains, mangroves are migrating landward due to sea level rise, as demonstrated for the NE Brazilian coast. Taking into consideration climate change alone, mangroves in most areas will display a positive response. In some areas however, such as low-lying oceanic islands, such as in the Pacific and the Caribbean, and constrained coastlines, such as the SE Brazilian coast, mangroves will most probably not survive.


This groundbreaking book addresses issues of the keenest interest to anthropologists, specialists on Africa, and those concerned with international aid and development. Drawing on extensive research among the Luo people in western Kenya and abroad over many years, Parker Shipton provides an insightful general ethnography. In particular, he focuses closely on nonmonetary forms of exchange and entrustment, moving beyond anthropology's traditional understanding of gifts, loans, and reciprocity. He proposes a new view of the social and symbolic dimensions of economy over the full life course, including transfers between generations. He shows why the enduring cultural values and aspirations of East African people--and others around the world--complicate issues of credit, debt, and compensation. The book examines how the Luo assess obligations to intimates and strangers, including the dead and the not-yet-born. Borrowing, lending, and serial passing along have ritual, religious, and emotional dimensions no less than economic ones, Shipton shows, and insight into these connections demands a broad rethinking of all international aid plans and programs.


Possibiliti es and prospects of ecumenical priestly ministry to the sick under hospitalization The paper shows the range of possibilities of ecumenical service of priests to the sick of other Christian denominations. In Poland it is a problem which has been growing in the face of contemporary migration movements. Nowadays the chaplain in his service in hospitals much more often encounters the faithful of other denominations. Also medical science clearer and clearer sees in patients care a whole range of determinants linked to their denomination, on which often depends their perception of the quality of medical services they are off ered. On the other hand, the knowledge on this subject continues to be little, and still quite often prejudices can be encountered which have been developing historically. Because of the peculiarity of the Polish conditions, where Catholicism is the predominant denomination, the starting point for developing the question will be determinants resulting from the canon law, which defi ne from the Catholic side the range of possible service to the sick of other denominations. Also a synthesis of respective possibilities from the Orthodox and protestant sides will be presented. Next, by means of an analysis of liturgical books, the most appropriate forms of the priest service to the sick which are possible on the ecumenical ground will be indicated and prospects of their development outlined.


The last decade has seen remarkable progress in the understanding of genomes, including those of farm animals such as the pig. The swine industry has played a significant part in these developments, both by providing direct research support and by its rapid uptake of the practical tools that have been generated. The genetic linkage map now contains over 2000 loci including several hundred genes. This information has enabled researchers to search for loci influencing traits of economic importance using genome scans (or quantitative trait loci, QTL, analysis) and candidate gene approaches. QTL for growth and backfat, meat quality traits and reproduction have been identified. The causative mutations for traits such as porcine stress syndrome (HAL or CRC1), acid meat (RN) and coat colour have all been identified. A mutation in the FUT1 gene confers resistance to a common E. coli associated with a postweaning scours. In addition, results obtained with polymorphisms in candidate genes have also been encouraging (e.g., ESR and PRLR for litter size; heart and adipocyte FABP for meat quality). The swine breeding industry is actively using this information to improve pork production using a combination of quantitative statistical and qualitative molecular techniques collectively referred to as marker assisted selection (MAS). Animal genomics will expand dramatically in the next few years, both in its own right and through the use of comparative methods, which will enable the exploitation of information from other species such as mouse and man including their genome sequences. New approaches such as high throughput gene expression analysis will supplement the DNA approaches used to date. The results obtained from molecular genetics will increasingly be combined with new reproduction techniques to change the way breeders produce and deliver genetic improvement to the global pork chain.


We present a miniaturized actuator for volumetric tissue imaging. The device consists of a hydraulically actuated accordion-like part for axial scanning (focus adjustment), and an electromagnetically actuated 2D scanner for lateral scanning. The device is manufactured using selective laser sintering, allowing for very low cost and rapid production. We demonstrate 3D scanning capability through observing the lateral scan pattern at different axial locations with a CMOS camera, and through scanning of a multi-layered phantom. We further investigate reliability of the electromagnetically actuated lateral scanner, as well as the hysteresis behavior of the hydraulic scanner.


ABSTRACT Musical Heritage, Alterity, and Transnational Migration: Wanda Landowska's Musical Lives In 1925 Wanda Landowska bought property in the genteel town of Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, northwest of Paris, and built, between 1926 and 1927, "a temple to music" in her garden. Famous across the musical world as a performer, composer, teacher, consultant and scholar, Landowska was ready to find a home for her gynocentric household after decades of cross-border movement. She had lived in Warsaw, Paris and Berlin, and was traveling extensively through Europe, the Middle East, Argentine and the United States. Throughout all her years of mobility, however, Landowska carried with her a constant sense of musical heritage to be preserved, cherished, and revived through performance and creation, through study and through joyful conviviality. She assembled a distinguished library and instrument collection that included such prized items as Chopin's upright piano that he had used in Mallorca in 1838. Yet what Landowska had envisaged as her " forever home" was overrun by Nazi plunderers in 1940 who stole her belongings as Landowska moved, once more, to save her life—this time across the Atlantic, to New York where she arrived on the day after Pearl Harbor. Here, too, her deep investment in a transnational musical heritage became a lodestone that guided her through exile. I address the complex issue of musical heritage in the musical lives of Wanda Landowska as it relates to matters of identity, gender, race, displacement, and creativity. By engaging caringly with the core values of a displaced woman-identified, queer musician of Jewish Polish descent, I propose to rethink how musical heritage might be thought from Landowska's unique and vulnerable positionality.


The decomposition of sounds into sines, transients, and noise is a long-standing research problem in audio processing. The current solutions for this three-way separation detect either horizontal and vertical structures or anisotropy and orientations in the spectrogram to identify the properties of each spectral bin and classify it as sinusoidal, transient, or noise. This paper proposes an enhanced three-way decomposition method based on fuzzy logic, enabling soft masking while preserving the perfect reconstruction property. The proposed method allows each spectral bin to simultaneously belong to two classes, sine and noise or transient and noise. Results of a subjective listening test against three other techniques are reported, showing that the proposed decomposition yields a better or comparable quality. The main improvement appears in transient separation, which enjoys little or no loss of energy or leakage from the other components and performs well for test signals presenting strong transients. The audio quality of the separation is shown to depend on the complexity of the input signal for all tested methods. The proposed method helps improve the quality of various audio processing applications. A successful implementation over a state-of-the-art time-scale modification method is reported as an example.


Objective: The aim of the study is a comprehensive retrospective assessment of the prevalence, features, course of treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus. Design and method: Our study is based on analysis of statistical data obtained from a retrospective study of 762 case histories and cases of MDR-TB in the register of tuberculosis patients for 2015-2019. Results: Depending on the type of TB case in our patients, we found that in both groups of the study the recurrence of TB prevailed – 49 cases (55.7%) against TB 39 cases (44.3%) of people in the main group; 363 cases (53.9%) against 311 (46.1%) in the control group (p < 0.05). The rate of successful treatment in gr.2 is probably higher than in gr. 1 (64.7% vs. 61.4%; (p < 0.05)). However, a more significant probable difference is characterized by the treatment rate, which in the main group is 27.3% versus 40.3% in the control group (almost 2 times; p < 0.05). The rate of ineffective treatment, which in patients with comorbidity was 27.3% (almost every third patient) against 17.6% in group 2 is also important for scientists and practitioners. Conclusions: There is a clear tendency to an increase the combined pathology and chemoresistance in the structure of the incidence of tuberculosis, the proportion of recurrences of tuberculosis in the presence of diabetes mellitus The pulmonary tuberculosis developed significantly more often in middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with moderate and severe states, the subcompensated form, with a complicated course. In patients with diabetes more often was registered a common tuberculous process in the lungs (79.5% of patients) and in all 100% of patients with syntropy bacterial excretion was registered, as well in all 100% of patients with syntropy bacterial excretion was registered. The rate of successful treatment for the presence of MDR-TB / diabetes syntropy is probably lower in the main group (61.4% vs. 64.7%; (p < 0.05)).


ABSTRACT The archives of the Australian Museum and the Macleay Museum are deployed to analyse the global trading networks of two important Australian natural history collectors in the mid-nineteenth century. The evidence reveals much about the challenges they faced transacting in heterogeneous specimens over long distances. It also uncovers some of the solutions they pursued, particularly in choosing the appropriate type of transaction, forging trust-based trading networks, obtaining up-to-date scientific information, and drawing on the infrastructure of existing, regular commodity trades.


The cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is usually due to a skull lesion and is potentially dangerous for the patient, as it can be followed by an ascending meningitis. The extracranial approach (external ethmoidectomy, osteoplasty of the frontal sinus) has substituted craniotomy, especially in cases where the cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is not due to intracranial lesions. In this study, we describe the surgical treatment of 9 patients treated in our clinic, and we make a brief review of the literature.


Summary A cross-sectional study of female condom awareness, usage and concerns among the female undergraduates of the University of Ibadan was conducted in September 2004. The results of 850 out of the 879 female students interviewed were used for analysis (96.6%). Over 80% had knowledge of the female condom as a form of modern contraception and the majority of them learnt about it through the mass media (39.9%) and health workers (34.4%). However, only 11.3% had ever used the female condom, with most (40%) using it to prevent both unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV (STI/HIV). The sexual partners' approval was appreciable, accounting for about 42.7% among those that had experience of the female condom usage. Major concerns mentioned such as difficulty of inserting it into the vagina and lack of sexual satisfaction, were not different from those in earlier studies. The result of this study looks promising judging from a high awareness level of the female condom, even though its usage is low. The female condom may be an alternative strategy to combat unsafe sexual practises and its sequelae in a country like Nigeria that is male dominated.


Objective: To investigate the effect of the Feldenkrais method versus core stability exercises on pain, disability, quality of life and interoceptive awareness in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. Design: A single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient, sports medicine clinic of Mazandaran medical university. Participants: Sixty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain randomised equally into the Feldenkrais method versus core stability exercises groups. Intervention: Intervention group received Feldenkrais method consisting of training theoretical content and supervised exercise therapy two sessions per week for five weeks. Control group received educational programme and home-based core stability exercises for five weeks. Outcome measures: All patients were examined by World Health Organization's Quality of life Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Questionnaire. All outcomes were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention Results: There were statistically significant differences between groups for quality of life (P = 0.006, from 45.51 to 60.49), interoceptive awareness (P > 0.001, from 2.74 to 4.06) and disability (P = 0.021, from 27.17 to 14.5) in favour of the Feldenkrais method. McGill pain score significantly decreased in both the Feldenkrais (from 15.33 to 3.63) and control groups (from 13.17 to 4.17), but there were no between-groups differences (P = 0.16). Conclusion: Feldenkrais method intervention gave increased benefits in improving quality of life, improving interoceptive awareness and reducing disability index.


Mobile wireless computing is changing the way in which people work, allowing work to occur in a broad range of environments on tasks that previously required fixed location-based, networked computing environments. Along with this greater work flexibility, it is also likely that these mobile work environments contain various types of distractions that could potentially affect the task performance of knowledge workers. Drawing on distraction-conflict theory, this research proposes a model of knowledge worker task performance within the context of a mobile wireless work environment. To test this model, a controlled laboratory experiment was conducted that contrasted task complexity and distraction levels on the task performance of individuals within a mobile wireless environment. Results indicate that regardless of task complexity, productivity losses will occur under both lower and higher levels of distraction. The implications of these results for future research and for the deployment of mobile technologies within organizations are discussed.


The characterization of the environmental conditions of forest species is important because it allows knowing part of their habitat; this information is useful for making decisions for an integral use of forests, including preventive measures that counteract habitat degradation or the risk of extinction of the plants. The main objective of this study was to identify the environmental variables that significantly affect the abundance of ten tree species growing in the temperate forests of Santiago Comaltepec, north of Oaxaca. Three analysis methods were used for this purpose: 1) principal component analysis, 2) non-parametric correlation coefficients, and 3) generalized linear models. A total of 23 climatic and physiographic variables were used: mainly records of average, minimum and maximum temperatures; rainfall during the summer, spring and winter, and rainfall during of the highest plant activity, as well as other attributes of each sampling plot including the slope, exposure and altitude. All the variables studied showed a significant correlation (p<0.001) with at least three species, several of them with correlation coefficients greater than 0.90. Of the ten species studied, three showed high sensitivity to temperature variables, mainly the minimum temperature, temperatures above 5 °C, and the aridity index; and three species showed high evidence of sensitivity to the precipitations registered in spring, in summer and in winter, and to the April-September precipitations.


The monthly admissions over the last 10 years (1972-1981) of children with common illnesses to the Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, were analyzed to ascertain if there were any significant seasonal patterns. The method used (developed by Walter and Elwood) consists of estimating the amplitude of seasonal variations and the time at which the maximum occurs in a postulated simple harmonic fluctuation. Six out of the 9 diagnostic groups studied were found to have significant seasonal variations in at least 5 out of 10 years or 3 out of the last 5 years: pharyngitis, bronchitis, broncho-pneumonia, bronchial asthma, gastro-enteritis, and febrile convulsions. Febrile convulsions showed the best correlation (in terms of the number of monthly admissions) with the other illnesses showing seasonal fluctuations. Admissions for bronchial asthma were negatively correlated with the others. No consistent pattern in the time of peak number of admissions was discernable. The seasonal variations demonstrated are probably related to outbreaks of viral infections which tend to occur round the year in the tropics.


HLA class I antigen expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was evaluated by flow cytometry in 21 HBeAg‐positive patients with chronic hepatitis B. Measurements were made before, during or after treatment with recombinant interferon‐α‐2b, either given alone or after a 6 wk course of prednisone. Immunohistochemical staining for human leukocyte class I antigen was also evaluated in 28 percutaneous liver biopsy specimens either obtained before or after therapy (N = 27) and during therapy in one instance. The amount of HLA class I antigen on peripheral blood mononuclear cells varied markedly among individual patients, but the overall results indicated that the level of inducible antigen did not correlate with increments of ALT during therapy or with a virological response to therapy. Hepatocyte staining for HLA class I antigen was observed in a minority of biopsy specimens (29%) and also did not appear to predict a response or correlate with the severity of histological disease. These data do not support current theories concerning pathogenetic mechanisms in chronic hepatitis B nor do they suggest that spontaneous display of HLA class I antigen on hepatocytes or interferon‐induced expression of these antigens on peripheral blood mononuclear cells is a critical determinant for a response to therapy. (HEPATOLOGY 1991;13:820–825.)