Gardner and Rosenbaum discuss the "Collections of Information Antipiracy Act," which is currently before the U.S. Senate. If enacted into law, the Act would significantly increase the property rights of database owners. Proponents argue that pervasive networking of computers and weaknesses in U.S. law mandate increased protection of the rights of information owners. Opponents of the Act believe that the Antipiracy Act9s expansion of property rights in data could make information vital to science prohibitively expensive or inaccessible.


This paper presents an instance of a web-based stand-alone simulation game aimed at teaching electricity market subjects. The main objectives of this version of the electricity markets game (EmGA) platform are to introduce players/students to the short-term electricity market structure and to highlight the importance of forecasting tools in decision-making. A hypothetical situation has been carefully designed using historical data, where each player takes the role of a wind farm owner willing to participate in the day-ahead electricity market to maximize its economic profit. Players are asked to submit hourly energy bids which are then compared to the wind farm's actual energy production and mapped to revenue by basic market rules for price-taker participants. Preliminary student feedback reinforces the potential of the EmGA platform for improving the teaching of electricity market subjects, showing a general acceptance and a perception of improved knowledge reception of more than 77%.


In this paper we prove that the four-point function of massive -theory is continuous as a function of its independent external momenta when posing the renormalization condition for the (physical) mass on-shell. The proof is based on integral representations derived inductively from the perturbative flow equations of the renormalization group. It closes a longstanding loophole in rigorous renormalization theory in so far as it shows the feasibility of a physical definition of the renormalized coupling.


The diamond film has been drawn attention for the electronic devices used in higher temperature or the coating of cutting bytes used for the super hard aluminum because high quality diamond film has recently been able to be synthesized cheaply from the gas phase, using the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Diamond thin film has been confirmed to be connected to the substrate at the place around the nuclei grown at the beginning of deposition. In this paper, in order to solve fundamental process of the nucleation of the diamond based on quantum mechanics, ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation of the nucleation of the diamond on the silicon substrate is conducted. Only one carbon atom is used for the simulation aiming to show the fundamental process of the nucleation. A model that consists of a silicon substrate and a carbon atom is provided. The Car-Parrinello method is used for ab-initio molecular dynamics calculation. The action of the carbon atom on and in the silicon substrate in the simulation, and the situation of the combination between the silicon atoms in the substrate and the carbon atom are shown.


The aim of this project is face recognition from constraint environment. In this constraint environment various occlusion, different pose variation are exist. Robust Face recognition is needed today, for constrained environment because it used in ATM access, personal identification, Reliable face recognition system mainly depend upon method used for feature extraction and classification. The method used for feature extraction is Eigen Faces and also Sparse Representation based Classification is used .In this Sparse Representation based classification, l1 minimization algorithm is used. Sparse Representation based classification, represent the testing sample as the linear combination of all training sample B=AX, then classify the test sample by evaluating which class leads to minimum sparse representation error. This Sparse Representation based Classification gives best performance for constraint environment with 98% acceptance ratio. SRC based classification is robust to occlusion and gives high recognition rate.


There is little information about propagation of the cutting and seed, and management after propagation. To investigate the effective propagation method, cuttings of Clematis were collected and cutting experiment was performed at the greenhouse. Stem cutting lengths were 1 node and 2 nodes and peatmoss, perlite, and vermiculite were used as rooting media. IBA (4,000 mg·L-1 soaking for 5 seconds and 500 mg·L-1 soaking for 30 minutes) and RootoneTM were used as rooting promoter. Rooting rate of clematis cuttings usually took about 10 weeks. The 1-node cuttings increased the rooting rate by about 43% compared to 2-node cuttings. Rooting percentage of 1-node cuttings increased in the RootoneTM treatment about 7% more than in the control group. Using 1-node cutting is more effective in terms of the amount and management of the cuttings. Meanwhile, the rooting rate, and number and length of adventitious roots were largest in vermiculite and IBA 4,000 mg·L-1 soaking for 5 seconds. Thus, when 1-node cuttings were stuck in vermiculite, rooting rate increased to about average 80-83%. Also, rooting rate in vermiculate is 25-29% and 13-39% higher than in peatmoss and perlite, respectively. Cutting in vermiculite increased by 9-13% after soaking into IBA 4,000 mg·L-1 for 5 seconds and was found to be the most effective media and rooting promoter.


A small prototype of a finely granulated digital hadron calorimeter with Resistive Plate Chambers as active elements was exposed to positive pions of 1–16 GeV energy from the Fermilab test beam. The event selection separates events with mostly non-interacting particles and events with hadronic showers which initiated in the front part of the calorimeter. The data are compared to a Monte Carlo simulation of the set-up. The paper concludes with predictions for the performance of an extended digital hadron calorimeter.


Improvised explosive devices such as pipe bombs are prevalent due to the availability of materials and ease of construction. However, little is known about how these devices actually explode, as few attempts to characterize fragmentation patterns have been attempted. In this study, seven devices composed of various pipe materials (PVC, black steel, and galvanized steel) and two energetic fillers (Pyrodex and Alliant Red Dot) were initiated and the explosions captured using high‐speed videography. The video footage was used to calculate fragment velocities, which were represented as particle velocity vector maps. In addition, the fragments were weighed. The results demonstrate a correlation between the type of energetic filler and both the size and velocity of the fragments. Larger fragments were produced by Pyrodex filler indicating a less complete fragmentation, compared with smaller fragments produced by double‐base smokeless powder. Additionally, higher fragment velocities were seen with Alliant Red Dot filler.


Strategic fit is a crucial criterion for screening strategically important projects. However, this aspect is vague and unquantifiable to employ with conventional quantitative analysis. This study suggests a method to assess strategic fit as relevance of a project to a set of organisation strategic goals in the context of multi-criteria project evaluation. The assessment is done subjectively by means of linguistic values, which are translated into numerical ones by employing a fuzzy logic.


Reclamation is an emerging technology that uses to clean up pollutants (metals and organics) from the contaminated soil. In this field of reclamation the utilization of earthworm is a new approach, to remove the metals from the polluted soil. The present work has been carried out for the reclamation of sugar mill effluent contaminated soil with earthworm. The physico-chemical analysis of sugar mill effluent and the polluted soils revealed that they are toxic in nature because they contain higher amount of micronutrients and macronutrients, organic and inorganic chemicals and heavy metals. The presence of pollutants in the soil mainly affected the plant metabolism which leads to growth and yield reduction. In order to enrich the soil quality, earthworm was cultured upto 60 days in polluted soil. After that, the various soil properties were analysed and good percentage of pollutant reduction was observed. Germination studies were conducted in bioreclamated soil and best germination was noticed under bioreclamated soil when compare with polluted soil.


The main site of dust formation is believed to be the cool envelopes around AGB stars. Nearly all AGB stars can be identified as long-period variables (LPVs) with large amplitude pulsation. Shock waves produce by the strong pulsation and radiation pressure on newly formed dust grains drive dusty stellar winds with high mass-loss rates. IR observations of AGB stars identify various dust species in different physical conditions. Radio observations of gas phase materials are helpful to understand the overall properties of the stellar winds. In this paper, we review (i) classification of AGB stars; (ii) IR two-color diagrams of AGB stars; (iii) pulsation of AGB stars; (iv) dust around AGB stars including dusty stellar winds; (v) dust envelopes around AGB stars; (vi) mass-loss and evolution of AGB stars; and (vii) contribution of AGB dust to galactic environments. We discuss various observational evidences and their theoretical interpretations.


Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HSNCC) is a debilitating disease with a poor 5-year survival rate. The use of in vivo models to study tumorigenesis and to identify potential targeted therapies, especially those that work in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, is essential in improving overall patient care. However, the overall number of HNSCC transgenic models with recurrent genetic lesions identified by the HNSCC TCGA project has been limited. For example, TCGA data has shown both Notch1 loss of function mutations and PIK3CA activating mutations as some of the most common in HNSCC, but bi-genic models of these lesions do not yet exist. Here, we have designed a model which utilizes K14-CreERT to drive a bi-genic model with Notch1flox and PIK3CAH1047R mutations in epithelial compartments. Characterization of this line both in the context of spontaneous and carcinogen induced tumor formation is a tool which can be utilized to better understand common mutations in HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry confirms the overexpression of PIK3CA in tamoxifen induced mice. Furthermore, early characterization of this model with chronic treatment of the smoking analogue 4-Nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO) in drinking water shows tumor formation on the tongue and surrounding head and neck regions in as little as 12-16 weeks. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining confirmed the squamous tumor formation, while Ki67 staining showed enhanced proliferation of the transformed cells. In the future, this model can be used to study tumor formation over time and in response to targeted inhibitors and common therapies that are being advanced as companion diagnostic strategies for either NOTCH1 deficient or PIK3CA aberrant HNSCC tumors. Further detailed characterization of this model will allow for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms which drive HNSCC and will translate to improved patient care. Citation Format: Samantha N. Devenport, Nicole L. Michmerhuizen, Elizabeth Leonard, Brittany Jewell, Jacob Swanson, Sunny Wong, Thomas E. Carey, J Chad Brenner. Development of a NOTCH1 loss of function and PIK3CA mutant transgenic model of HNSCC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1850. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1850


Baghdad Metro is a vital project to fulfill the rapidly increased traffic volume requirements. The proposed metro will connect both sides of Baghdad City, passing under the Tigris River. This study is employed finite elements software (PLAXIS 3D) to evaluate the seepage force developed around the sub-river segment during different construction stages and for other water levels of Tigris. The study found that when the water level changes from maximum to minimum, the developed seepage force decreases by (8 to 13%) and (22 to 27%) respectively. The seepage forces were found to be maximum during the excavation stage. The concrete lining process led to a noticeable reduction in seepage forces at all locations. The study also implemented the strength reduction theory to assess the overall stability of the tunnel. The study shows that the overall stability factor was minimum during the concrete lining process. As the water level decreased, the overall stability factor increased by (5% - 8%).


In the present paper for the first time, a Lattice Boltzmann Simulation is performed to analyze the simultaneous effects of a hot rotating elliptic cylinder and the magnetic field on the mixed convection flow in a square enclosure. Complicated flow patterns and isotherms plots are found and analyzed in the concentric annulus between the internal elliptic cylinder and the outer square enclosure. Results indicate that increasing the Reynolds number, instantaneous averaged Nusselt number of the enclosure and its oscillation amplitude increase, while decrease with increasing the Hartmann number especially at its lower values. Furthermore, response surface method is adopted to find the optimal location of the elliptic cylinder. Response surface optimization results reveal that the average Nusselt number shows a decreasing-increasing trend with increasing both non-dimensional parameters of cylinder center (Xc,Yc) Finally, the optimal location of the elliptic cylinder for the maximum heat transfer rate is obtained as Xc=0.65 and Yc=0.35. Moreover, a comparative study is performed to evaluate the heat transfer effects of the elliptical cylinder rotation as compared to circular cylinder. It was found that the elliptical cylinder rotation has a significant effect on the heat transfer enhancement, especially at high values of Re and Ha. As an example, the heat transfer rate for the elliptical cylinder at Re=200 is increased by 13 % and 34% as compared to the circular cylinder at Ha=50 and 100, respectively.


AIMS
To investigate whether acute dental pain due to pulpal or periapical inflammation is associated with increased expression of cortisol and inflammatory markers and mediators in the saliva, as well as changes in salivary flow rate.

METHODS
Patients experiencing pain (n = 42) were recruited when seeking emergency dental treatment. A 0 to 10 numeric rating scale (NRS) was used as a measure of the severity of pain, and the number of days with pain sensation was also recorded. Unstimulated saliva was collected for 3 minutes (salivary flow measured in mL/minute) and stored at -80°C. Saliva was analyzed for the biomarkers cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6. In addition, the participants completed a simple questionnaire about stress-inducing factors such as insomnia, dental anxiety, or home/workplace stress. Patients received a dental examination and diagnosis (eg, symptomatic pulpitis/apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess), which was confirmed during dental treatment. The control group (n = 39) consisted of participants without any pain and no known medical or dental problems.

RESULTS
Patients experiencing acute pain due to pulpal or periapical inflammation had a mean NRS score of 7.0 ± 2.59. The mean duration of pain was 6.5 ± 7.9 days. There was no significant difference in pain level between male and female subjects, tooth type affected, or diagnosis. Higher levels of cortisol, IL-1β, and IL-6 and increased salivary flow were detected in patients with pain when compared to controls (P < .05). CRP was higher in patients with acute pain compared to control participants without pain, but this difference was not statistically significant. Stress at home or the workplace was reported by 79% of patients experiencing pain and by 28% of control participants.

CONCLUSION
Acute dental pain due to pulpal or periapical inflammation was associated with an increase in salivary cortisol, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels and in salivary flow rate. Stress arising from home or the workplace may aggravate a symptom-free pulpal or periapical inflammation to an acute phase. Inflammation in the pulp and periapical region can have effects in regions remote from the disease site.


This document describes the Asynchronous Layered Coding (ALC) protocol, a massively scalable reliable content delivery protocol. Asynchronous Layered Coding combines the Layered Coding Transport (LCT) building block, a multiple rate congestion control building block and the Forward Error Correction (FEC) building block to provide congestion controlled reliable asynchronous delivery of content to an unlimited number of concurrent receivers from a single sender. This document obsoletes RFC 3450. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License. Luby, et al. Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 5775 ALC Protocol Instantiation April 2010 This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF Contributions published or made publicly available before November 10, 2008. The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process. Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other than English.


This study argues that the biological environment is properly a part of environmental history. The microorganisms— bacteria, viruses, protozoa—that cause infectious disease were the principal cause of mortality in ancient societies, but the particular array of pathogens was both locally specific and unstable over time. Pathogenic microbes are ecologically sensitive, so the background of local climate, and the influence of climate variability and climate change, determined patterns of disease and mortality. The connections between climate variability and climate change, on the one hand, and the disease profile of a population, on the other, are complex, and this paper traces some of the main pathways of influence, with specific reference to a few of the best known diseases and epidemic events in the later Roman period.


Autonomic nerves control many aspects of airway function, including smooth muscle tone, epithelial cell function, mucus secretion, bronchial flow and permeability, and inflammatory mediator release. There is considerable evidence that there may be abnormalities of autonomic function in asthma, perhaps as a result of airway inflammation. Inflammatory mediators might stimulate bronchial afferent receptors (irritant receptors and C-fibre endings) to produce reflex cholinergic bronchoconstriction. Anticholinergic drugs have not proved to be very effective in controlling clinical asthma, however, suggesting that cholinergic reflex mechanisms may not play a major role. Adrenergic abnormalities have been described in asthma. There is no direct sympathetic neural control of airway smooth muscle, suggesting that circulating catecholamines may regulate airway tone, and counteract the effect of inflammatory mediators in asthma. Surprisingly, the concentration of adrenaline in plasma does not rise in asthmatic subjects with induced bronchoconstriction, or even during an acute asthma attack. The function of beta-adrenoceptors in asthma is uncertain, but there is some evidence that beta-receptor function may be impaired, possibly as a result of inflammatory mediator release. alpha-Adrenoceptor function may be enhanced in asthma; inflammatory mediators may 'turn on' bronchoconstrictor alpha-adrenergic responses in airway smooth muscle, and alpha-agonists may have a bronchoconstrictor effect in asthmatic subjects. But specific alpha-blockers have little effect on airway function, and the role of alpha-receptors in asthma is questionable. Non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic nerves are the only neural bronchodilator mechanism in human airways. The neurotransmitter has not yet been identified but vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a possible candidate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Research comparing patient and caregiver perceptions suggests that caregivers tend to be negatively biased in their assessment of patients. That is, they are more likely to judge the patients' status more negatively than the patients themselves. The data analyses, however, have not always been as informative about the extent of disagreement. Our data on the extent to which patients who had a myocardial infarction and their nurses' assessments differed suggest that, in the case of the patients' current status, there were no differences in the aggregate between patients' and nurses' assessments. Examination of the discrepancies between the pairs, however, suggests that in some cases nurses are more negative in their assessments than their patients. In the case of beliefs about the future, nurses were significantly more negative, in the aggregate, than patients, and the extent of this difference is further elaborated in the examination of the discrepancies. Nevertheless, with respect to both current and future status, the correlations between patients and nurses were low, indicating little, if any, shared variation. Because this study did not examine the relationship between either patients' or nurses' perceptions of recovery status, and the patients' actual recovery status, further research is needed to further determine the implications of this work. The meaning of these results for clinical nurse specialists (CNS) is discussed.


Abstract Soft-tissue defects overlying the Achilles tendon are common complications after bicycle or motorcycle spoke injuries in children and usually require surgical management by various flaps. There is no apparent consensus on the optimal choice of flaps for these injuries. We designed a novel step-advanced rectangular flap to reconstruct small to moderate soft-tissue defects around the Achilles tendon. This study was performed to review our experience and evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the step-advanced rectangular flap. From May, 2014 to September, 2016, 12 consecutive children with soft-tissue defects overlying the Achilles tendon caused by spoke injuries were treated with the step-advanced rectangular flap. The patients' general information, surgical details, and postoperative complications were recorded. The Mazur evaluation system was used to assess clinical outcomes. All patients were followed up for ≥12 months (range 12–38 months). All flaps survived completely. Superficial infection occurred in 2 patients and healed by second intention after dressing changes; the other patients' surgical wounds healed by primary intention. The scars around the flaps in 2 patients were remarkable, and all others showed good results in terms of flap color and texture. Ankle function was normal, and satisfactory results were obtained in all cases. According to the Mazur evaluation system, the results were excellent in 9 patients and good in 3, with an excellent and good rate of 100% at 12 months postoperatively. The rectangular advancement flap appears to be a simple and reliable method for small to moderate soft tissue defects overlying the Achilles tendon in children.


In 74 cases of acute leukaemia and of the blastic phase of chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CML), monoclonal antibodies of the "VI" series and a few commercially available antibodies proved to be of valuable help in establishing a definite diagnosis. In 4 out of 35 cases of AML (FAB-M 1-5), and in 2 out of 16 of the blastic phase of CML only the use of monoclonal antibodies secured the diagnosis. In the group of acute lymphoid leukaemias subtypes corresponding to various levels of differentiation, were defined. The blasts of 3 patients out of the 74 did not express any of the markers studied. Two additional cases were investigated for platelet peroxidase and studied with the antiplatelet antibodies VIPL 1, 2 and 3 by the electron microscope. These cases proved to be acute megakaryoblastic leukaemias (acute myelofibrosis).


Australia's northern coastline is home to many coastal freshwater wetlands of international significance. They are high in biodiversity, are a large carbon store and have economic significance to tourism and pastoral production. In recent decades they have been degraded and transformed to different degrees due to sea level rise, severe storms and buffalo activity. The Mary River estuary is modelled using 2D finite volume MIKE 21 software to assess its resilience to sea level rise and the effectiveness of engineering intervention to mitigate sea level rise of up to 0.8m. The Mary River was chosen for its long history of channel extension and widening leading to extensive saltwater intrusion. Coastal wetlands of the Northern Territory are very expansive and low-lying. The area between 0 and 5m above mean sea level is over 10,000km 2 , and a significant amount of that land is below the spring high tide level. Small thresholds in elevation are then critical to the inundation of very large areas. The Mary River is extremely vulnerable to small rises in sea level (0.3m), while a 0.8m rise will create expansive salt water environments in previously freshwater wetlands. Submerged weirs were tested for their effectiveness in reducing the environmental consequences of sea level rise. Floodplain inundation and channel salinity levels are marginally affected by the simulation of submerged weirs in present day scenarios. As sea levels rise, weirs serve to increase both the floodplain inundation extent and salinity concentrations, relative to sea level rise scenarios without weirs. Weirs are very effective at reducing flow velocity peaks as wet season floods initiate and recede, due to dampening of the hydraulic potential. Velocities were reduced to levels below the critical entrainment velocity of 0.4ms -1 for the silt/sand sediment found in these areas. This would result in a reduction in channel widening and headwater extension, both key factors in sea level rise mitigation. Although weirs can reduce erosion potential, their negative properties related to inundation and increased salinity makes them a counterproductive sea level rise management tool. It is concluded that submerged weirs may not be effective in reducing the impacts of sea level rise on wetlands of the Northern Territory.


The younger generation is an integral part of the church so it needs to be given attention and its character is formed and developed, especially the character of service responsibility. Not a few of the younger generation of the church are not involved in ministry because they feel neglected and not given a role so they stay away from church fellowship. The method used in this research is literature research with a descriptive qualitative approach to describe the church as a place for the reconstruction of the character of responsibility for today's young generation with Milles and Huberman's analytical theory. The research results show that the church and education are closely related, the church is a place for the reconstruction of the character of responsibility, the younger generation is an integral part of the church that needs to be served and empowered, and the church reconstructs the character of the younger generation through various productive and creative activities. This paper is expected to contribute thoughts and development for character education for community members, especially the younger generation in carrying out ministry in the congregation


Activity of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is rate-limiting for Na+ (re)absorption across electrically tight epithelia. ENaC is a heteromeric channel comprised of three subunits, α, β, and γ, with each subunit contributing to the functional channel pore. The subunit stoichiometry of ENaC remains uncertain with electrophysiology and biochemical experiments supporting both a tetramer with a 2α:1β:1γ stoichiometry and a higher ordered channel with a 3α:3β:3γ stoichiometry. Here we used an independent biophysical approach based upon fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between differentially fluorophore-tagged ENaC subunits to determine the subunit composition of mouse ENaC functionally reconstituted in Chinese hamster ovary and COS-7 cells. We found that when all three subunits were co-expressed, ENaC contained at least two of each type of subunit. Findings showing that ENaC subunits interact with similar subunits in immunoprecipitation studies are consistent with these FRET results. Upon native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, moreover, oligomerized ENaC runs predominantly as a single species with a molecular mass of >600 kDa. Because single ENaC subunits have a molecular mass of ∼90 kDa, these results also agree with the FRET results. The current results as a whole, thus, are most consistent with a higher ordered channel possibly with a 3α:3β:3γ stoichiometry.


Aspects of nursing students' clinical experiences are anxiety provoking. High anxiety may contribute to decreased learning. The purpose of this study was to identify potentially anxiety-producing clinical experiences for student nurses. Thirty-nine junior and 53 senior nursing students from a BS degree program completed the "Clinical Experience Assessment Form," a 16-item Likert scale. The items included communication and procedural aspects of patient care, interpersonal relationships with healthcare providers, and interactions with faculty. An open-ended question asked students to identify the most anxiety-producing aspects of their clinical practice. The students expressed the highest anxiety for the initial clinical experience on a unit and the fear of making mistakes. Faculty evaluation and observation were also anxiety-producing. The results of the student t-test indicated that juniors were significantly higher in their expression of anxiety was that students's anxiety was increased in the clinical setting by their perceptions of nonsupportive faculty.


Natural antibody (NAb) levels and survival rates were evaluated in 4 breeds of laying hens in Ethiopia: indigenous, improved indigenous, exotic layer, and crossbred. Titers of NAb isotypes IgG and IgM binding keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) in serum were measured at 20, 26, 35, and 45 wk age. Repeated-measure ANOVA showed that IgG and IgM levels vary with time within each breed (P < 0.05). Indigenous chickens had significantly (P < 0.05) higher NAb levels at all ages. The Cox proportional hazard analysis showed increased hazard with increased levels of NAbs in the exotic layers (P < 0.05). However, the reduced hazards with increased levels of NAbs were not significant in the improved indigenous and crossbred chickens. Indigenous chickens showed increased hazard with increasing levels of NAb (P > 0.05). We concluded that not only the NAb levels but also the effect of Nabs on survival vary between indigenous and improved breeds. The results indicate that NAb levels are associated with survival in elite (improved) breeds, but are associated with increased hazard in indigenous chickens.


Motion control algorithms in the presence of pedestrians are critical for the development of safe and reliable Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). Traditional motion control algorithms rely on manually designed decision-making policies which neglect the mutual interactions between AVs and pedestrians. On the other hand, recent advances in Deep Reinforcement Learning allow for the automatic learning of policies without manual designs. To tackle the problem of decision-making in the presence of pedestrians, the authors introduce a framework based on Social Value Orientation and Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) that is capable of generating decision-making policies with different driving styles. The policy is trained using state-of-the-art DRL algorithms in a simulated environment. A novel computationally-efficient pedestrian model that is suitable for DRL training is also introduced. We perform experiments to validate our framework and we conduct a comparative analysis of the policies obtained with two different model-free Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms. Simulations results show how the developed model exhibits natural driving behaviours, such as short-stopping, to facilitate the pedestrian's crossing.


Gliomas, the most common form of brain cancer, can range from relatively slow-growing low-grade to highly aggressive glioblastoma that has a median overall survival of only 15 months despite multimodal standard therapy. Although immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has significantly improved patient survival for some cancers, to date, these agents have not shown consistent efficacy against malignant gliomas. Therefore, there is a pressing need to better understand the impact of host inflammatory responses on the efficacy of emerging immunotherapy approaches for these resistant tumors. RAGE is a multi-ligand pattern recognition receptor that is activated in various inflammatory states such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and cancer. Low levels of RAGE can be found under normal physiological conditions in neurons, immune cells, activated endothelial, and vascular smooth muscle cells, but it is over-expressed under chronic inflammation due to the accumulation of its ligands. RAGE binds to a range of damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) including AGEs, HMGB1, S100s, and DNA which mediate downstream cellular responses that promote tumor growth, angiogenesis, and invasion. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that inhibition of RAGE signaling can disrupt inflammation and cancer progression and metastasis. Here, we will review our current understanding of the role of RAGE pathway on glioma progression and how it could be exploited to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy approaches.


The monad of convex sets of probability distributions is a well-known tool for modelling the combination of nondeterministic and probabilistic computational effects. In this work we lift this monad from the category of sets to the category of metric spaces, by means of the Hausdorff and Kantorovich metric liftings. Our main result is the presentation of this lifted monad in terms of the quantitative equational theory of convex semilattices, using the framework of quantitative algebras recently introduced by Mardare, Panangaden and Plotkin.


Pulse-width modulation (PWM) inverters should be applied with special consideration for low-voltage induction motor operation. The power supplied to the motor by a PWM inverter has some adverse effects, which are described. These effects include increased heating, high peak voltages, and increased audible noise. The impact these effects have on a given application is presented. Specific areas discussed include: motor noise caused by different power transistor types and switching strategies; additional motor heating produced by PWM invertor power and the operating speed-torque range; the effects of PWM inverter-produced harmonics on the low-voltage induction motor; PWM inverter designs and their effect on motor insulation systems; and voltage transients generated by semiconductor switching technologies employed in PWM inverters.<<ETX>>


Previous studies have examined lipoprotein metabolism by macrophages following prolonged exposure (>24 h) to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Because M-CSF activates several signaling pathways that could rapidly affect lipoprotein metabolism, we examined whether acute exposure of macrophages to M-CSF alters the metabolism of either native or modified lipoproteins. Acute incubation of cultured J774 macrophages and resident mouse peritoneal macrophages with M-CSF markedly enhanced low density lipoproteins (LDL) and β-migrating very low density lipoproteins (β-VLDL) stimulated cholesteryl [3H]oleate deposition. In parallel, M-CSF treatment increased the association and degradation of 125I-labeled LDL or β-VLDL without altering the amount of lipoprotein bound to the cell surface. The increase in LDL and β-VLDL metabolism did not reflect a generalized effect on lipoprotein endocytosis and metabolism because M-CSF did not alter cholesterol deposition during incubation with acetylated LDL. Moreover, M-CSF did not augment β-VLDL cholesterol deposition in macrophages from LDL receptor (−/−) mice, indicating that the effect of M-CSF was mediated by the LDL receptor. Incubation of macrophages with pertussis toxin, a specific inhibitor of Gi/o protein signaling, had no effect on cholesterol deposition during incubation with β-VLDL alone, but completely blocked the augmented response promoted by M-CSF. In addition, incubation of macrophages with the direct Gi/o protein activator, mastoparan, mimicked the effect of M-CSF by enhancing cholesterol deposition in cells incubated with β-VLDL, but not acetylated LDL. In summary, M-CSF rapidly enhances LDL receptor-mediated metabolism of native lipoproteins by macrophages through activation of a Gi/o protein signaling pathway. Together, these findings describe a novel pathway for regulating lipoprotein metabolism.


All previous behavioural studies of Temminck's ground pangolins (Smutsia temminckii) have focused on populations in mesic regions. We examined home range size, activity periods, habitat selectivity and refuge site selection of 13 individuals over three years in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, near the western edge of the species' range. Kernel home ranges of adults averaged 6.5 ± 5.9 km2, while juveniles had average home ranges of 6.1 ± 4.0 km2. Reliable prediction of 95% of the Kernel home range required 88 ± 67.7 tracking days. No significant habitat selectivity was observed. Earthen burrows were the most frequently used refuge type. The time at which activity commenced varied seasonally as well as among individuals, with an increase in diurnal activity during winter. Young pangolins also displayed more diurnal activity compared to adults. Individuals spent 5.7 ± 2.0 hours per 24–hour cycle outside of refuges, with no significant seasonal variation. Juvenile dispersal peaked during mid-summer, with individuals travelling up to 49 km from their natal areas. We estimate a breeding density of 0.16 individuals/km2 and a total density of 0.31 individuals/km2 for our study area. Our data suggest that activity patterns, movements and refuge selection is similar across the species' southern African range, but that densities may be higher in the Kalahari compared to populations in more mesic eastern areas.


HIV infection is reportedly associated with an increased permeability of the intestinal epithelium and can cause HIV enteropathy, which occurs independently of opportunistic infections. However, the characteristics of small bowel abnormalities attributable to HIV infection are rarely investigated. In the present study, we assessed the intestinal mucosal changes found in HIV-infected patients and compared them with the mucosa of healthy control subjects using capsule endoscopy (CE). Three of the 27 HIV-infected patients harbored gastrointestinal opportunistic infections and were thus excluded from subsequent analyses. The endoscopic findings of CE in HIV-infected patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects (55% versus 10%, P = 0.002); however, most lesions, such as red spots or tiny erosions, were unlikely to cause abdominal symptoms. After validating the efficacy of CE for the diagnosis of villous atrophy, we found that the prevalence of villous atrophy was 54% (13/24) among HIV-infected patients. Interestingly, villous atrophy persisted in patients receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy, though most of them exhibited reconstituted peripheral blood CD4+ T cells. Although we could not draw any conclusions regarding the development of small bowel abnormalities in HIV-infected patients, our results may provide some insight regarding the pathogenesis of HIV enteropathy.


: As exemplified with the reaction of well-known anticancer agent thio-TEPA with dGMP, the ability of ethylenimine derivatives to modify this DNA component under the conditions approaching the biological ones was demonstrated for the first time. Modification involves mainly the phosphate group alkylation. In addition, thio-TEPA alkylates the base in dGMP at position 7. The formation of dGMP 7-alkyl derivatives was confirmed by detecting the luminescent products generated in the course of this reaction.


Data-Centric Concurrency Control (DCCC) shifts the reasoning about concurrency restrictions from control structures to data declaration. It is a high-level declarative approach that abstracts away from the actual concurrency control mechanism(s) in use. Despite its advantages, the practical use of DCCC is hindered by the fact that it may require many annotations and/or multiple implementations of the same method to cope with differently qualified parameters. Moreover, the existing DCCC solutions do not address the use of interfaces, precluding their use in most object-oriented programs. To overcome these limitations, in this paper we present AtomiS, a new DCCC model based on a rigorously defined type-sound programming language. Programming with AtomiS requires only (atomic)-qualifying types of parameters and return values in interface definitions, and of fields in class definitions. From this atomicity specification, a static analysis infers the atomicity constraints that are local to each method, considering valid only the method variants that are consistent with the specification, and performs code generation for all valid variants of each method. The generated code is then the target for automatic injection of concurrency control primitives, by means of the desired automatic technique and associated atomicity and deadlock-freedom guarantees, which can be plugged-into the model's pipeline. We present the foundations for the AtomiS analysis and synthesis, with formal guarantees that the generated program is well-typed and that it corresponds behaviourally to the original one. The proofs are mechanised in Coq. We also provide a Java implementation that showcases the applicability of AtomiS in real-life programs.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Drug combinations are the hallmark of cancer therapy. Preclinical experiments on multi-drug combinations are important steps to bring the therapy to clinic. A statistical approach for evaluating the joint effect of the combination is necessary because even in vitro experiments often demonstrate significant variation in dose-effect. Such variation needs to be accounted for in the experimental design and analysis. Our research has developed a maximal power (MP) design and interaction index surface (IIS) analysis methods for in vitro and in vivo (e.g., xenograft) combination studies so that the joint effect of a combination can be estimated efficiently and the most synergistic combination can be identified. We demonstrate that these statistical methods and software have resulted in the identification of highly synergistic dose combinations that could have been missed with classic methods.

The first study is the combination of vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) combined with ara-C and with etoposide in leukemia cell lines. The doses in the experiment were generated by the MP design and the data analyzed using the IIS approach so that synergistic, additive and antagonistic interaction dose regions are identified. Cytotoxic antagonism resulted when vorinostat was combined concomitantly with ara-C; however, when vorinostat was given first followed by a drug-free interval before ara-C treatment, this sequential combination was mostly synergistic. Etoposide combined with vorinostat was additive to synergistic, and the synergism became more pronounced when etoposide was given post a drug-free interval after vorinostat. These findings are used in designing the CTEP trial (NCI 6829: Phase I trial of vorinostat in combination with cytarabine and etoposide in patients with advanced acute leukemia and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, PI: Gojo/Ross). The interim results on toxicity and response have been consistent with the model.

Another study utilized a novel thiazolidine compound plus Sorafnib where initial experiments using classic methods failed to identify synergistic combinations. Subsequent experiments using the MP methodologies demonstrated significant synergistic drug combinations. The SynStat R program for the design and analysis of drug synergy is available at http://www.umgcc.org/research/biostat_software.htm).

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5413.


In the Surveillance Report, bacteraemia was not defined specifically within the document. However, it was implied that bacteraemia was present if blood cultures were positive. No clinical information concerning the effect of bacteraemia on the patients or the degree of haemodynamic support required was described. Nor was the movement of patients between specialties indicated. This information would have been helpful to clinicians because it would demonstrate the increased severity of illness experienced by patients and the concomitant increase in services required to meet these needs, although of course prevention should be the key response to the data provided. It is evident from the two reports that infection of the bloodstream is described utilizing different terms, i.e. bacteraemia and catheter-related bloodstream infection. This is potentially confusing and efforts should be made to encourage the use of consistent terminology across specialties, e.g. infection control, critical care, oncology The potential for confusion also arises where evidence is pooled utilizing both CRI and CR-BSI as endpoints for the research reviewed. The recommendation associated with flushing the CVC with heparinized saline solution does not consider a patient's coagulopathy to be a contraindication, only the manufacturer's recommendations. This appears to be a limitation of the guidelines and may place the patient at risk. The recommendation also does not indicate if this is only to be performed when the catheter or lumen is not in use, or if heparin should be administered if it is in use. Finally, the categories used to denote the level of evidence are not defined in the document. It can be assumed that Category 1 relates to randomized controlled trials, which demonstrate homogeneity or/and narrow confidence intervals; whilst categories 2 and 3 relate to cohort studies and pooled data. It should be expected that a document of this nature should establish criteria or refer the reader to the primary source for categorization. Eggimann and Pittet (2000) have undertaken an excellent review of central venous catheter related infections in intensive care units. The evidence accrued and recommendations made mirrors the two reports outlined above. It is imperative we take action to reduce the incidence of CR-BSI and it is hoped that this Editorial has provided a basis for discussion and action; and will stimulate debate.


The demand for football tickets in European top-leagues has been subject of several studies within the last years e. g. in France, England and Germany. These papers focussed mainly on single matches and the significance of factors like uncertainty, performance of the clubs or date and time of a competition. In contrast this paper tries to build up a simple model to estimate the average number of visitors in the course of a whole season. Moreover the market entrance of a second club is considered. While in stage one an old-established club represents a regional monopolist, in stage two another club qualifies itself for playing in the first division what breaks up the old monopolistic position. Finally the model assumptions are compared to empirical findings from Germany and its major league. JEL Classification: L, R


Recently, low-molecular-weight B-cell growth factor (LMW-BCGF) has been reported to stimulate growth of leukemic cells from B-cell precursor-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). We further investigated the effects of LMW-BCGF on proliferation of leukemic clonogenic (progenitor) and nonclonogenic (progeny) cells from children with BCP-ALL (28 patients) and B-cell ALL (two patients). Patients were either at diagnosis (n = 18) or in relapse (n = 12). Response of leukemic progenitor cells was determined by culturing cells (10(5) cells/mL) in methylcellulose with 0.1 U/mL LMW-BCGF. Colonies (greater than 20 cells) were counted at day 7. The response of the leukemic progeny population was determined by DNA synthesis studies using tritiated-thymidine and by DNA quantitation with propidiumiodide for determination of cell-cycle status. LMW-BCGF supported growth of leukemic progenitor cells from 20 of 28 (71%) BCP-ALL and two of two B-cell ALL patients. Colony numbers ranged from 7 to 2,400 (mean 145, median 45). A dose-response effect in colony growth was noted, with an apparent plateau at approximately 2.0 U/mL LMW-BCGF. Colony cells were primarily of leukemic phenotype (CD19+/CD10+/-). LMW-BCGF also induced significant increases in leukemic progeny cell proliferation as measured by both thymidine incorporation (stimulation indexes of 1.6 to 34) and by cell-cycle assay (percentage S+ G2/M stimulation indexes of 1.6 to 6). LMW-BCGF was more effective in stimulating leukemic proliferation than three recombinant interleukins (rIL-2, rIL-3, rIL-4), although rIL-3 was able to support colony growth in 4 of 11 patients. These results indicate that LMW-BCGF and, to a lesser degree rIL-3, are able to stimulate proliferation of BCP-ALL progenitor and progeny cells, whereas rIL-2 and rIL-4 do not support progenitor cell proliferation and have only marginal effects on leukemic progeny cell proliferation.


The kinetics of the cometabolism of trichloroethylene (TCE) by the ammonia-oxidizing soil bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea in short-term (<10-min) incubations were investigated. Three individual effects of TCE cometabolism on this bacterium were characterized. First, we observed that TCE is a potent competitive inhibitor of ammonia oxidation by N. europaea. The K(infi) value for TCE (30 (mu)M) is similar to the K(infm) for ammonia (40 (mu)M). Second, we examined the toxicity associated with TCE cometabolism by N. europaea. Stationary-phase cells of N. europaea oxidized approximately 60 nmol of TCE per mg of protein before ammonia-oxidizing activity was completely inactivated by reactive intermediates generated during TCE oxidation. At the TCE concentrations used in these experiments, ammonia did not provide significant protection against inactivation. Third, we have determined the ability of cells to recover ammonia-oxidizing activity after exposure to TCE. Cells recovering from TCE inactivation were compared with cells recovering from the specific inactivation of ammonia-oxidizing activity by light. The recovery kinetics were indistinguishable when 40% or less of the activity was inactivated. However, at increased levels of inactivation, TCE-inactivated cells did not recover as rapidly as light-inactivated cells. The kinetics of recovery appear to be dependent on both the extent of inactivation of ammonia-oxidizing activity and the degree of specificity of the inactivating treatment.


This paper investigates some semantic and syntactic properties of infinitival relative clauses in superlative expressions ("infinitival superlatives"). In the course of this investigation, more general theoretical issues pertaining to the syntax and semantics of relative clauses in general are addressed, as well as the semantics of superlatives and of tense. The semantics of infinitival superlatives is accounted for by the assumption that the superlative morpheme takes an event argument bound by the matrix tense. It is also observed that not all languages have infinitival superlatives, and that not all the languages that have them admit them in the same constructions. It is proposed that these cross-linguistic differences are due to a difference in the syntactic status of the superlative morpheme.


The electronic notebook is an integral part of a smart laboratory and is one of the main ways the laboratory record is generated. Triple stores containing RDF and other semantically-rich information provide a basis for recording this information in a flexible manner, and ultimately to allow automated semantic reasoning on the stored information. These automatic processes are essential not only for subsequent analysis but also to provide suitable context with which to place observations in their proper place in the experiment record, and to ensure that the electronic lab book adjusts itself to the context in which it is being used. Information flows from other sources, such as environmental monitors for temperature and humidity, or systems from tracking researchers' presence, contribute to and annotate the records generated as the experiments are run and are conveniently handled using middleware tools including data broker services. Examples of how these systems have been set up and the way they aid chemical investigations will be provided.


Conductive hearing loss (CHL) is caused by the disruption of the sound conductive chain that, in turn, may be due to diseases of the external and middle ear. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) is the imaging modality of choice to evaluate CHL because of its excellent spatial resolution. Along with clinical and otoscopic findings, CT also helps in the diagnosis and preoperative planning. This pictorial review aims to illustrate the CT features of common conditions causing CHL that may arise from the external and middle ear, as well as highlights some of the key imaging features that are helpful in management.


Integrated active antennas are of increasing interest as system designers require more complex functions to be implemented in reduced space. Many of these systems require very low levels of harmonic and spurious radiation in order to meet electromagnetic compatibility specifications. Active antennas introduce nonlinear devices directly into the antenna and thus they can exhibit high levels of harmonic radiation, moreover, due to size constraints, filters can not be easily added as in conventional systems. In the case of active receiving antennas it seems that by suppressing the harmonic resonances of the antenna the harmonic reception problem can be reduced. However, with patch oscillators, due to the interdependence of the active device and the patch, the solution to the problem of harmonic radiation is more complex. This work aims to investigate these problems, especially in the case of the patch oscillator since these devices seem to pose the greatest challenge. The final goal is to obtain closed form expressions for the level of harmonics in terms of physical circuit parameters. Although numerical methods could be used to solve this problem it is felt that greater physical insight can be obtained from closed form expressions, allied to this they will be useful for CAD of patch oscillators. Closed form expressions would allow designers to realise low levels of harmonic radiation either by modifying the patch geometry or by altering the active device configuration.


The world of education has changed. The latest developments in the networking technology and the Internet are allowing students to be more flexible as to the time and place of learning in ways that was unimaginable before. The growth in use of networked technologies provides educators with mechanisms to add value to learning experiences where learners and instructors are geographically separated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the student's perception and satisfaction of online learning course based on a course "Web Programming" course within Zarqa University. A questionnaire of 20 questions is delivered to 22 undergraduate students from the Internet Technology Department in Zarqa University. Three group interviews are undertaken with them to identify further issues. The results drawn from this study may help in better understanding of students' needs in an online course.


Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is recognized as one of the most resistant nosocomial pathogens. Clinical isolates of Acinetobacter are usually resistant to most beta-lactam antibiotics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of ceftazidime, a new broad spectrum highly potent beta-lactam antibiotic, able to inhibit especially Pseudomonas and Providencia. Its activity against 96 clinical strains of Acinetobacter was compared with the activity of 5 recent beta-lactam antibiotics which are resistant to beta-lactamase degradation (cefoxitine, Cefotaxime, moxalactam, cefotiam, cefamandole). The results of this comparative study of the in vitro activity of the 6 beta-lactam antibiotics exhibit a higher activity of ceftazidime: 50 p. cent of the strains were inhibited at a concentration of 4 micrograms/ml while the other drugs inhibited 50 p. cent of the strains at concentrations superior to 10 micrograms/ml; the geometric mean was 7 micrograms/ml for ceftazidime while for the other drugs it was more than 10 micrograms/ml and for 3 of them, the geometric mean was more than 40 micrograms/ml. Otherwise one could notice a bimodal distribution of the strains which suggests the presence of 2 populations of Acinetobacter, respectively inhibited with 4 micrograms/ml (susceptible) and 64 or 128 micrograms/ml (resistant). Finally this study shows that ceftazidime is one of the most active compounds against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus among the 3rd generation of cephalosporins.


Synopsis : The alkali fusion-coulometric titration method has been studied for the determination of nitrogen as nitride in steel. (1) The procedure, which has been established by using nitride reagent, is as follows. a) The nitride reagent is fused by molten alkali (450•Ž) containing water vapor. b) Nitrogen in the reagent is extracted as ammonia with carrier gas (Ar) and the ammonia is determined by the coulometric titration method. All nitrides excepting Cr2N, ZrN can be determined by this method. (2) This method was applied for the determination of nitrogen in the residues extracted by 15%I2-methanol decomposition method for steel. The results are as follows. a) The determination is completed within 20 min. b) Nitrogen blank of this method is very small. (0-2 ƒÊg) c) The trace amount of nitrogen as nitride can be determined with excellent precision. (N=7 ppm C. V.= 4 ~5%)


Life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis and relapsing Lemierre syndrome associated with Fusobacterium necrophorum septicaemia occurred in young adults with a moderate Chron's disease and a missed profound IgA deficiency. This unexpected association of a chronic bowel inflammatory syndrome with prominent IgA abnormalities and severe bacterial infection deserves careful attention by physicians faced with young patients with Chron's disease.


Introduction: People with progressive neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) not only experience speech production deficiencies but also language disorders. Inability in repetition of long sentences is a language difficulty. Ability in repetition of long sentence is a clinical marker of language and cognitive impairment and it can help speech and language therapists to design and implement treatment plans. Therefore, this study carried out with the aim of comparing repetition skill of long sentences in Persian-speaking MS patients and healthy people. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-epidemiologic study in which repetition of long sentences was carried out on 20 MS patients from the MS Society of Khuzestan (Iran). The age range of the participants was between 21-54 years (mean age 39.55) and 20 healthy people (mean age 39.50). Data including long sentence repetition skill, the number of errors in functional word omission, and content word omission, and number of spoken words were obtained and analyzed. Results: Results showed that there was a significant different between MS patients and the control group in the mean of long sentence repetition skill (P=0.0001), the number of errors in functional word omission (P=0.004) the number of errors in content word omission (P=0.005) and number of spoken words (P=0.001). Conclusion: Results of this study showed that repetition of long sentence skill and some of the syntactic skills have impaired in MS patients. The results can help speech and language therapists in clinical assessment and interventional programs for MS patients. © 2017, Semnan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.


Since the discovery of raltegravir, the first FDA-approved integrase inhibitor, Merck and other pharmaceutical companies have continued their research programs in order to introduce novel molecules as second generation integrase inhibitors. Elvitegravir (Japan Tobacco/Gilead) and dolutegravir (Shionogi/GlaxoSmithKline) are in advanced stages of clinical development. Bristol-Myers Squibb has developed molecules leading to BMS-707035, which was stopped at the Phase II clinical trial stage. Herein is presented the last patent from this company where, in particular, new 3-hydroxy-6,7-dihydropyrimido[2,1-c][1,4]oxazin-4(9H)-ones are synthesized and their biological properties given.


PrCHBrCH2CHPrR (R = Br, F, or I) were converted into 1,2-dipropylcyclopropane by various metallic or organometallic reducing agents. Normally, cyclization occurred in a stereoconvergent manner, i.e. diastereomeric dihalides usually led to the same mixt. of cis-trans isomeric reaction products, indicating a nonconcerted cleavage of the 2 halogen atoms. The isomer ratios depended very strongly on the nature of the reducing agents and on possible salt additives, probably typical for reactions of short-lived intermediates and compatible with the assumed one-electron transfer mechanism. The qendo tendencyq was obsd. again: the cis-disubstituted cyclopropane though thermodynamically less stable than the trans isomer was formed predominantly in most cases. [on SciFinder (R)]


The landscape of cancer research and therapy has radically changed over the past decades in at least two major respects: Our ability to model cancer in the mouse has risen to an unprecedented level of accuracy at the same time that novel cancer drugs have been developed in record numbers. This has led to an explosion in genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) research, as GEMMs can potentially be used to test and optimize drugs in a variety of ways: preclinically (before testing in human patients), coclinically (in parallel with human testing), and postclinically (to optimize standard of care therapy). Thus the potential applications of faithful GEMMs of cancer have expanded from analysis of causal relationships between genetic aberrancies and tumorigenesis in preclinical efforts to a more comprehensive and systematic utilization of GEMMs for drug testing and clinical trial optimization. As GEMM research has grown, however, few standard protocols have been put in place regarding GEMM trials done in parallel with human trials (the "coclinical" approach), or in situations in which the available cohort of human patients is too small for valid statistical analysis. The success of such efforts will require an increased attention to the rigor with which mouse and human clinical efforts are designed, executed, and integrated.


Background: Faulty dietary habits in modern era hamper the nutritional health of adolescents. Trend of consuming fast food have worse effect on children and youth often more than adults. This is because most of the fast foods are targeted towards children and there is a sustained pattern of eating fast foods and eating out. The objective of the study was to study the association between fast food consumption and development of overweight in adolescents from an urban area . Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. 1500 students from 5 th -10 th class schools from urban area of Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal corporation area were selected for study. A study period was from July 2012-Sept 2014. Pre-designed and pretested questionnaire were used as study tools. Statistical analysis was done by using Chi-square test. Results: Among the 1500 children, overweight was seen more in boys, belonging to age group of 17 years and children living in nuclear families. The significant association was found between overweight & children consuming fast food always. Total 9.2% children found overweight. Conclusions: Increase consumption of dry snacks and fast food hamper the nutritional status of adolescents and may lead to overweight.


It has become apparent that change in organizations do not always produce desired outcomes and therefore this has led to increased efforts to implement change successfully. This study aims at surveying the Kenyan member's perspectives on implementing change at the East African Tea Trade Association. Literature was reviewed that covered both theoretical and published studies on the need for successful implementation of change and possible challenges in implementing change. Key factors identified by many scholars include leadership of change, organization culture, organization power and politics, role of change agents and resistance to change. Implementing change successfully is increasingly seen as an essential part of management that needs proper planning and involvement of stakeholders. An organization such as the East African Tea Trade Association draws membership from eleven African countries with diverse and multi-cultural base comprising tea producers, buyers, packers, brokers and warehouses. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a 30% sample of Kenyan member's population and further used disproportionate stratified sampling method. Structured questionnaires were administered to 40 senior managers of respective companies. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data using content analysis. The findings of this study demonstrated that members had a clear understanding of the change program, were well informed about the change but were not involved in planning. Further results indicate that most members felt that there was need to change but gradually. They favored change in technology notably electronic transmission of tea catalogues and the new tea payment system. Most members however felt that the organization resource and characteristic needed to be maintained was the old auction system as opposed to change towards electronic auction. Notable challenges that members expressed include resistance to change, lack of involvement during planning, inability to align organization culture and change, organization power and politics. Members responded to challenges positively with the understanding that change was inevitable. However, some of the members resisted change while others requested for more consultative forums so as to collectively chart the way forward. In
conclusion, for successful implementation of change, there is need to inform stakeholders about intended change, the need to involve them during planning, having a clear understanding about the underlying power and politics of an organization, leading change by communication and involvement and appreciating organization culture to reduce on delays and resistance to change. Time factor was a limitation to this study and given the nature, the unwillingness of some respondents to divulge their views on implementation of change.
KEY WORDS: Management of Change, Implementation, Kenyan Members, EATTA


The kinetics of phase ordering in binary mixtures in the presence of amphiphilic impurity molecules has received a certain amount of attention in the literature. Examples of such complex fluids include ternary microemulsions and micellar solutions. All the models proposed so far are extensions of the models used for the study of phase ordering in pure binary mixtures, e.g., binary alloys. We review the essential features of the models proposed by various groups, including ours, and summarize the main results. We compare these models and the results with the corresponding experimental observations to establish the merits and limitations of these models. We also mention the challenging open questions and the possible future directions of work in this frontier area of interdisciplinary research.


How does new media art conceive its relation to the technological infrastructure that surrounds and enables it? Specifically, how does software art reflect upon the phenomenon of the 3D games engine? This paper considers a range of tactical responses to the dilemmas of scale, encapsulation and conventional aesthetics that the game engine raises for software art. The main focus is on the strategy of anachronism. Anachronism resists the rhetoric of technological novelty, working instead to discover areas of creative purchase within the detritus of industrial (commercial gaming) progress.


Objectives The prevalence of drug-resistant TB in Shaanxi Province is higher than other areas. This study was aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strains in Shaanxi Province, China. Methods From January to December 2016, a total of 298 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were genotyped by Mcspoligotyping and 15-locus VNTR. Results We found that the Beijing family strains was the most prominent family(81.54%, 243/298). Other family strains included T family(9.06%, 27/298), U family(0.67%, 2/298), LAM9 family(0.34%, 1/298) and Manu family(0.34%, 1/298). The rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) M.Tuberculosis, age, type of case and education between Beijing and non-Beijing family strains were not statistically different, while the distribution in the three different regions among these was statistically significant. VNTR results showed that strains were classified into 280 genotypes, and 33 (11.07%) strains could be grouped into 14 clusters. 11 of the 15-VNTR loci were highly or moderately discriminative according to the Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index. Conclusions We concluded that the Beijing family genotype was the most prevalent genotype and 15-locus VNTR typing might be suitable for genotyping of M. tuberculosis in Shaanxi Province. There was less association between Beijing family genotypes and drug resistance in our study area.


Describes how RCHME carries out surveys of old buildings in order to explain not only their present state, but the past stages of their development, and how this helps in understanding the past. Outlines how the archetypal stages of any survey (client's requirements; inspection; documentary research; survey report) apply to surveys of this type. Describes how documentary research, vital in this type of survey, is used and explains the extent to which modern technology contributes; includes case examples. Concludes with some brief relevant anecdotes.


Peptide ligands presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on the cell surface represent the immunopeptidome that could be utilized for identification of antigenic peptides for immunotherapy and prevention of autoimmune diseases. Although T-cells are well-known key players in the destruction of pancreatic beta-cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D), increasing evidence points toward a role for B-cells in disease pathogenesis. However, as antigen presenting cells, little is known about the comprehensive immunopeptidome of B cells and their changes in the context of T1D. We performed HLA allele-specific quantitative immunopeptidomics using B lymphocytes derived from T1D patients and healthy controls. Hundreds of HLA-I and HLA-II immunopeptides were identified as differentially regulated in T1D per HLA allele for B cells sharing identical HLA alleles. The results were further validated using additional T1D and healthy B cells with partially overlapped HLA alleles. Differentially expressed immunopeptides were confirmed with targeted proteomics and for reactivity using known T-cell assays in the immune epitope database. Considering samples with identical HLA alleles are difficult to obtain for T1D and other similar HLA-restricted diseases, our work represents a viable approach to better understand HLA allele-specific antigen presentation and may facilitate identification of immunopeptides for therapeutic applications in autoimmune diseases. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD026184.


This review covers recent advances in conjugated polymers and their application in energy storage. Conjugated polymers are promising cost-effective, lightweight, and flexible electrode materials. The operating principles of conjugated polymers are presented within the framework of their potential for energy storage. Special focus is given to polyaniline electrodes. Recent advances are reviewed including new methods of synthesis, nanostructuring, and assembly. Also, covered are applications that take full advantage of the mechanical properties of conjugated polymers and future applications of these novel materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013


If the past thirty years in medical education and hospital standardization are briefly reviewed, the two features that appear outstanding are the decrease in medical schools and the tremendous increase in the number of hospitals. The significance of this increase from the point of view of the student is made plain in the following quotation from the report of the Committee on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association: The 624 approved hospitals provide 5,409 internships, more than enough for all graduates. Your committee believes that unless the investigations of the inspectors include the quality and quantity of clinical teaching by the staff, appraisal of the value of an internship in any hospital will be inadequate. Many large adequately equipped, well managed hospitals with excellent staffs offer very poor internships because the staff members cannot or will not give the interns sufficient clinical teaching. The essential to be


The deformation of undrawn polyester fibre has been studied using apparatus which simulates the conditions existing on a high-speed drawing machine. This apparatus was designed to apply a sudden tension to a fibre sample held in a controlled environment and then measure the extension produced as a function of time. When the load was applied there was an instantaneous small extension of a few percent only, followed by a relatively slow creep to 10% extension. At this point the fibre extended rapidly to between 200% and 300% at which level the rate of extension reduced again. The time to reach 10% extension ranged from a few milliseconds to several seconds, depending on the temperature and the applied tension. The effect of water in the sample and other fibre properties such as molecular weight, pre-orientation, and filament diameter were studied.


Radiology, as the field of expert image interpretation, has always been faced with questions about the trade-offs between the diagnostic quality of images and other issues related to the care of patients. Historically, image quality has been sacrificed somewhat to reduce the cost of imaging procedures or to reduce radiation exposure of patients, for example. More recently, in order to improve access to imaging information, radiology departments have begun to replace traditional film-based methods with digital techniques, which in some cases have reduced image quality. This again raises the question of how much diagnostic quality can be sacrificed to achieve a competing benefit for the patient (i.e., improved access to the image data).


The goal of this document is to present both the methods employed by the team in collecting useful information pertaining to homelessness, and the proposal for a possible solution that was arrived at after analysis of the results. Emphasis is placed by the authors on the process of information collection, the interpersonal interaction with the homeless subjects, and the subtleties of the problem space explored in defining a solution.


We present an experimental study of time refraction of spin waves (SWs) propagating in microscopic waveguides under the influence of time-varying magnetic fields. Using space- and time-resolved Brillouin light scattering microscopy, we demonstrate that the broken translational symmetry along the time coordinate results in a loss of energy conservation for SWs and thus allows for a broadband and controllable shift of the SW frequency. With an integrated design of SW waveguide and microscopic current line for the generation of strong, nanosecond-long, magnetic field pulses, a conversion efficiency up to 39% of the carrier SW frequency is achieved, significantly larger compared to photonic systems. Given the strength of the magnetic field pulses and its strong impact on the SW dispersion relation, the effect of time refraction can be quantified on a length scale comparable to the SW wavelength. Furthermore, we utilize time refraction to excite SW bursts with pulse durations in the nanosecond range and a frequency shift depending on the pulse polarity.


In this paper, we present an analytic model for evaluating the queueing delays at nodes using the IEEE 802.11 point coordination function (PCF) MAC for real time, delay sensitive traffic. We develop a queueing model to obtain closed form expressions for the expected delay at each node which accounts for arbitrary (but fixed) packet sizes, polling rates, channel rates and the order in which the nodes are polled. The model is then further extended to account for the delays when the nodes use power management, and for cases when not all nodes are served in a frame. Our analytical results are verified through simulations. The model is also extended to evaluate the number of nodes that can be supported by a base station while satisfying an arbitrary delay requirement at all nodes and can be used as a mechanism for admission control by the base station


Water needs, water sources, and means for recycling water are examined in terms appropriate to the water quality requirements of a small crew and spacecraft intended for long duration exploration missions. Inorganic, organic, and biological hazards are estimated for waste water sources. Sensitivities to these hazards for human uses are estimated. The water recycling processes considered are humidity condensation, carbon dioxide reduction, waste oxidation, distillation, reverse osmosis, pervaporation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, carbon sorption, and electrochemical oxidation. Limitations and applications of these processes are evaluated in terms of water quality objectives. Computerized simulation of some of these chemical processes is examined. Recommendations are made for development of new water recycling technology and improvement of existing technology for near term application to life support systems for humans in space. The technological developments are equally applicable to water needs on earth, in regions where extensive water ecycling is needed or where advanced water treatment is essential to meet EPA health standards.


The objective function of optimization is to choose the option that provides the max-imum growth rate of assets and the minimum period of the program with limited initial invest-ment resources. The number of options is reducing when assigning the main priorities to the ob-jects of the program - technological priority, a small payback period and an additional priority of communication. The communication priority is taking into account when two or more objects need to be launching simultaneously. A method of optimizing the business development program, which requires the formation of several development options by rearranging the sequence of ac-tivities, included in the basic program, has been proposed in the article. As an indicator of the ef-fectiveness and optimality of the program, it has been proposed to use the coefficient of innovation management, which characterizes the average growth rate of assets involved in the implementation of the program. The optimal program has been considered on the example of a trade organization.


Studies were performed in 6 patients during open heart surgery to correlate the relative sequence of atrial activation with the polarity of the retrograde P wave in electrocardiographic leads II, III, and aVF. Bipolar atrial electrograms were recorded from selected sites during threshold pacing from sites low on the right side of the atrial septum which when paced resulted in the inscription of either negative or positive P waves in electrocardiograph leads II, III, and aVF. When the atria were paced from a site just anterior to the coronary sinus ostium (negative P waves), the posteroinferior left atrium was activated early and Bachmann's bundle late during the inscription of the P wave. When the atria were paced from a site 2 cm anterior to the coronary sinus ostial site (positive P waves), Bachmann's bundle was activated early during the P wave and the posteroinferior left atrium was activated relatively later. These data from man are consistent with previous studies in the canine heart. Therefore, we deduced that in man during the inscription of negative retrograde P waves in leads II, III, and aVF, atrial activation occurs primarily in a retrograde fashion. However, during the inscription of positive retrograde P waves in man, activation occurs rapidly up the interatrial septum (we believe via the anterior internodal pathway) to Bachmann's bundle, from where it then spreads in a manner similar to that which occurs during normal sinus rhythm.


Spiking neural networks are a promising approach towards next-generation models of the brain in computational neuroscience. Moreover, compared to classic artificial neural networks, they could serve as an energy-efficient deployment of AI by enabling fast computation in specialized neuromorphic hardware. However, training deep spiking neural networks, especially in an unsupervised manner, is challenging and the performance of a spiking model is significantly hindered by dead or bursting neurons. Here, we apply end-to-end learning with membrane potential-based backpropagation to a spiking convolutional auto-encoder with multiple trainable layers of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons. We propose bio-inspired regularization methods to control the spike density in latent representations. In the experiments, we show that applying regularization on membrane potential and spiking output successfully avoids both dead and bursting neurons and significantly decreases the reconstruction error of the spiking auto-encoder. Training regularized networks on the MNIST dataset yields image reconstruction quality comparable to non-spiking baseline models (deterministic and variational auto-encoder) and indicates improvement upon earlier approaches. Importantly, we show that, unlike the variational auto-encoder, the spiking latent representations display structure associated with the image class.


Lake Naivasha, Kenya, is a fresh water lake currently experiencing severe environmental problems as result of pollution from agricultural effluents and urban water surface runoff, uncontrolled water abstraction, improper land use practices in the catchment area and proliferation of wetlands' invasive species. These problems are exacerbated and compounded by changes in climate and inadequate conservation interventions. To deal with the pollution problem, flower farms around the lake have adopted constructed wetland technologies to treat their wastes prior to release into the lake's ecosystem. In this study, we examined the efficiency of one of the largest and oldest constructed wetland, the Kingfisher constructed wetland, owned by Home Grown Ltd. The study was conducted between October 2009 and March 2010. Measurements of water quality parameters were carried out at 9 sampling stations along the constructed wetland system from inlet to outlet. The results showed that water quality significantly improved from inlet to the outlet, with conductivity declining from 722 μScm -1 to 514 μScm -1 while TDS declined from 569 to 186 mgl -1 . Other water quality parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), BOD, COD, total nitrogen and total phosphorous similarly declined significantly (P< 0.05) from inlet to outlet. Heavy metals generally occurred in low concentrations at the inlet, but still declined in their concentrations though not significantly. Results show that constructed wetlands are highly efficient in wastewater effluent treatment and can be used in amelioration of point sources of pollution into inland water bodies.


Abstract The partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling (SEM) appears across a wide array of business research publications, including those in operations management (OM). However, the authors' summary of PLS use in the OM literature suggests some concerns and issues. First, the debate on the use of PLS-SEM is intensifying instead of being mediated despite the increasing use of PLS-SEM. Second, a lack of clarity exists among OM researchers about the use of reflective and formative measurements for constructs. Third, the validation of formative measurement is not routinely conducted in studies, which supports the need to summarize and illustrate the validation procedure of formative measurement. Without addressing these questions, the rigor involved in selecting reflective versus formative measures, especially in the OM field, is compromised. This research summarizes the procedures for choosing and validating formative measurement. The authors provide an illustrative OM example to demonstrate how the specific steps are applied. Through proactive selection and judicious operationalization of the measurement model and appropriate comparisons of the overall research model effectiveness based on criteria such as the R2 of the dependent variable OM, researchers provide a tool to help them extend existing theoretical frameworks and explore new theories.


A series of CuCeOx nanofiber catalysts with different Cu/(Cu + Ce) molar ratios were synthesized by an electrospinning method. The catalysts were evaluated for acetone oxidation at different temperatures (100–280 °C) with a GHSV of 79 000 ml g−1 h−1. The results showed that nanofiber catalysts possessed better catalytic performance than catalysts prepared by urea-nitrate combustion and sol–gel methods. An appropriate Cu/(Cu + Ce) molar ratio could greatly improve the activity of the nanofiber catalysts, and a significant improvement of the activity was obtained on the Cu0.50Ce0.50Ox nanofiber catalyst (∼100% acetone conversion at 270 °C). Characteristic analysis of prepared catalysts suggested (1) a special nanofibrous morphology with large specific surface area; (2) abundant oxygen vacancies and (3) cerium ions with unusual oxidation states were the main factors that would affect catalytic activity of CuCeOx nanofibers catalysts.


A hybrid numerical/experimental procedure for the characterization of radiated emissions from electronic devices at the system level from measurements at the unit level is presented in this work. The procedure is based on the characterization of the device in free space, the computation of equivalent currents for the equipment, followed by computation of the radiation of the device inside the satellite using the equivalent model as the source. The objective of this effort is to replace measurements at the system level to reduce cost. Related topics, such as numerical and experimental verification, electric and magnetic probe design, etc., are also described in the paper.


A hierarchical control architecture for balancing comfort and energy consumption in buildings is presented. The control design is based on a simplified, yet accurate model of the temperature within each room of the building. The model is validated against real measurements. The control architecture comprises a first level that regulates low level quantities such as air flow, and a second level that balances comfort (i.e. distance between the desired and actual temperature) and energy consumption (i.e. total energy consumed for the required level of comfort). We show the effectiveness of our approach by simulation using validated models.


1. Phenol red and neutral red are excreted by the perfused frog's kidney by different routes. 2. Phenol red is excreted chiefly through the glomerulus, neutral red through the tubules. 3. Some slight excretion of each of these dyes by the converse mechanism is possible, though there is no evidence in our experiments that necessitates such a conclusion. 4. The importance of methods leading to the production of a normal volume of urine by the perfused kidney is emphasized.


Toca dos Urubus is located in Baependi municipality, Minas Gerais State, and belong the Alto Rio Grande region. The vegetation comprised a mosaic with cerrado, rocky grassland and seasonally dry tropical forest. A floristic survey was undertaking, restrict to vascular plants, and a descriptive characterization of vegetation is presented. A total of 403 species distributed in 260 genus and 77 families were sampled. Angiosperms comprised 395 species, while pteridophytes comprised eight species. The richest families were Asteraceae (66 spp.), Poaceae (52 spp.), Fabaceae (32 spp.), Cyperaceae (19 spp.), Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae (16 spp.). Most of the species (322 spp.) occur on cerrado, while 247 occur on rocky grassland, and 71 species on seasonally dry tropical forest. Despite the small area studied, approximately 25 ha, high species diversity was found, and 10 of these are included at the Red List of Minas Gerais, strengthening the need for conservation planning within the region.


Publisher: Idea Group Publishing, Harrisburg, PA Year of Publication: 1993 Price: $84.95 (cloth) Length: 704 pages Intended Audience: Practitioners and researchers concerned with assessing the strategic organizational impacts of IT investment Summary: More focused than other anthologies in the series from the Idea Group, this work provides valuable outlines of alternative IT investment assessment approaches, along with numerous case studies in a variety of fields and nations. In spite of a summary essay and bibliography by the editors, this is not a work that resolves the thorny problems involved in assessing often intangible impacts of information technology as a moving target. Readers are, however, treated to lucid explanations of prevailing alternative approaches, such as case studies, is applications portfolios, marginal analysis of


Prof. Priyadaranjan Rˆay's contribution to inorganic chemistry and related disciplines is enormous. His work on the elucidation of valency and structure of coordination compounds through magnetic measurements, proposition of Rˆay–Dutt twist mechanism and the discovery of inner metallic complexes of higher than second-order made him internationally famous. He first reported the two ligand isomers of thiosulphate ion and designed several organic reagents for the detection and estimation of metal ions. Stabilization of unusual oxidation state of metal ions through coordination with suitable ligand was also his important work. Besides science, he was interested in its history. Scientific activities as well as a brief life-sketch of this Indian stalwart of science is summarized in this present endeavour.


In this paper we propose a Collaborative Mapping (CM) method based on the exploitation of the WLAN Received Signal Strength (RSS) measured from short-range ad-hoc links between neighboring devices. The estimated spatial proximity allows on-the-fly calibrations of heterogeneous clients for Location Fingerprinting (LF) applications. This method can avoid long time-consuming and battery-draining calibrations when implementing Fingerprinting Location applications running on heterogeneous mass market devices.


Britain's overseas Empire pre-eminently involved the sea. In a two-way process, ships carried travellers and explorers, trade goods, migrants to new lands, soldiers to fight wars and garrison colonies, and also ideas and plants that would find fertile minds and soils in other lands. These essays, deriving from a National Maritime Museum (London) conference, provide a wide-ranging and comprehensive picture of the activities of maritime empire.They discuss a variety of issues: maritime trades, among them the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Honduran mahogany for shipping to Britain, the movement of horses across the vast reaches of Asia and the Indian Ocean; the impact of new technologies as Empire expanded in the nineteenth century; the sailors who manned the ships, the settlers who moved overseas, and the major ports of the Imperial world; plus the role of the navy in hydrographic survey. BR Published in association with the National Maritime Museum. David Killingray is Emeritus Professor of Modern History, Goldsmiths College London; Margarette Lincoln and and Nigel Rigby are in the research department of the National Maritime Museum.


A 28-year (1982–2009) retrospective investigation was carried out for 3,102 fixed-wing agricultural aircraft involved in the aerial application (Part 137) of pesticides or fertilizers (crop dusting). In total, 64% of the pilots remained uninjured, while 10% of accidents were fatal. This type of aviation is unique as proportionally more accidents occurred during the maneuvering / aerial application and landing phases, involving low-altitude crashes. Collision with poorly visible obstacles in the landscape was involved in 27% of the crashes. These accidents were more likely to involve fatalities, occurred predominantly during maneuvering at the application site, and were often attributed to human error (inappropriate visual lookout and clearance). Recommendations discussed include markings on objects that may improve low-altitude navigation.


The Juno spacecraft crossed flux tubes connected to the Io footprint tail at low Jovian altitudes on multiple occasions. The transits covered longitudinal separations of approximately 10° to 120° along the footprint tail. Juno's suite of magnetospheric instruments acquired detailed measurements of the Io footprint tail. Juno observed planetward electron energy fluxes of ~70 mW/m2 near the Io footprint and ~10 mW/m2 farther down the tail, along with correlated, intense electric and magnetic wave signatures, which also decreased down the tail. All observed electron distributions were broad in energy, suggesting a dominantly broadband acceleration process, and did not show any broad inverted‐V structure that would be indicative of acceleration by a quasi‐static, discrete, parallel potential. Observed waves were primarily below the proton cyclotron frequency, yet identification of a definitive wave mode is elusive. Beyond 40° down the footprint tail, Juno observed depleted upward loss cones, suggesting that the broadband acceleration occurred at distances beyond Juno's transit distance of 1.3 to 1.7 RJ. For all transits, Juno observed fine structure on scales of approximately tens of kilometers and confirmed independently with electron and wave measurements that a bifurcated tail can intermittently exist.


During apoptosis, one of the first membrane changes that can be detected is exposure of phosphatidylserine residues at the outer plasma membrane leaflet, while early apoptosis is also accompanied by changes in the cytoskeletal organization. In this study we investigated the relationship between these two phenomena during olomoucine- and roscovitin-induced apoptosis in human lung cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines. Loss of membrane asymmetry was detected by biotin-labeled or FITC-labeled annexin V binding to negatively charged phosphatidylserine, while cytoskeletal components were visualized by immunocytochemistry. The apoptotic, annexin V-positive, cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, confocal scanning laser microscopy, and Western blotting. We report that cytokeratin and vimentin aggregation in early apoptosis occurs simultaneously with phosphatidylserine exposure and chromatin condensation. In contrast to these intermediate filament proteins, which were disassembled and proteolytically cleaved in early apoptosis, microfilaments and microtubuli were not proteolytically degraded but were found to be present as aggregated filaments in the apoptotic bodies. We also show that loss of membrane asymmetry and cytokeratin aggregation are independent processes, since N-ethylmaleimide-induced phosphatidylserine exposure does not cause cytokeratin disassembly. Vice versa, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced cytokeratin filament aggregation does not result in phosphatidylserine exposure.


GaAsSbN/GaAs strained-layer single quantum wells grown on a GaAs substrate by molecular-beam epitaxy with different N concentrations were studied using the photoluminescence (PL) technique in the temperature range from 9 to 296 K. A strong redshift in optical transition energies induced by a small increase in N concentration has been observed in the PL spectra. This effect can be explained by the interaction between a narrow resonant band formed by the N-localized states and the conduction band of the host semiconductor. Excitonic transitions in the quantum wells show a successive red/blue/redshift with increasing temperature in the 2–100 K range. The activation energies of nonradiative channels responsible for a strong thermal quenching are deduced from an Arrhenius plot of the integrated PL intensity.