The purpose of this study was to determine whether substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), and neurokinin B (NKB) induce the release of neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) from bovine bronchial epithelial cells (BBEC) and whether neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that hydrolyzes tachykinins, modulates these effects. BBEC monolayers were exposed to SP, NKA, and NKB in the absence or presence of phosphoramidon (10(-6) M), a selective NEP inhibitor, for 72 h. Using a modified blind-well in vitro neutrophil chemotaxis assay, we found that tachykinin-exposed BBEC culture supernatant fluids induced significant neutrophil chemotaxis compared with supernatants obtained from unstimulated BBEC. Maximal effect was observed after 48 h of incubation and at SP concentration of 10(-13) M [92 +/- 3 (SP) vs. 64 +/- 2 (media) cells/high-power field (HPF), mean +/- SE, n = 7, P less than 0.05]. Release of NCA was mediated by the COOH-terminal of the SP molecule. The rank order of potency of tachykinins in inducing release of NCA was SP greater than NKA = NKB. SP-induced response was significantly potentiated by phosphoramidon (109 +/- 3 vs. 92 +/- 3 cells/HPF, n = 7, P less than 0.05), whereas other proteinase inhibitors had no effect. The released NCA was composed of protein and lipid-soluble components. These data indicate that mammalian tachykinins induce the release of NCA from BBEC and that NEP modulates these effects. We suggest that tachykinins regulate neutrophil recruitment into the lower respiratory tract, in part, by inducing the release of NCA from airway epithelial cells.


The borophagine canids were bone-cracking scavengers in the Miocene-Pleistocene of North America. In this they parallel the Recent hyenas. This paper analyzes the borophagine adaptation in relation to that of hyaenids, using Osteoborus cyonoides as an example. The emphasis during canid evolution on the posterior molars, which is a derived condition, created a constraint on the adaptation of borophagines. This constraint meant that the borophagines used P4/4 as bone-cracking teeth, whereas hyaenids use P3/3. The latter adaptation has the advantage of separating the bone-cracking teeth from the meat-cutting portion of the dentition, thereby allowing a dual purpose dentition in hyaenids. In borophagines, no such dual purpose was possible, and it is suggested that they were closer to obligate bone-cracking scavengers than Recent hyaenids. Other than the evolution of a specialized bone-cracking tooth, the borophagines adapted to bone cracking by evolving a vaulted and strengthened skull for the dissipation of the strong forces generated during bone cracking. In this they again parallel the hyaenids. Evolution within borophagines involved an elaboration of patterns already set at the group's inception, creating an evolutionary trend which was mediated by the constraint on the bone-cracking morphology. This trend may be due to selection or sorting, or may, under certain assumptions, be stochastic. Other evolutionary trends may also be epiphenomena of constraints that lock morphological evolution.


EGFR mutation analysis of exons 18, 19 and 21 is a standard analysis in routine molecular pathology for prediction of response of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutation detection using two widely used mutation analysis systems. For this purpose we analyzed exons 18, 19 and 21 of EGFR in 718 NSCLC with both nested PCR followed by direct Sanger sequencing and the EGFR RGQ PCR Kit (Qiagen). 694/718 samples were amplifiable and 676 samples allowed interpretable results by both methods. We found mutations in 74/676 (10,1%) samples by Sanger sequencing and in 91/676 (13,0%) using the RGQ Kit. There were 10/676 (1,5%) cases showing mutations only by Sanger Sequencing but not by the RGQ Kit. These mutations comprised four common EGFR-TKI sensitivity mutations in Exon21 (p.L858R (n = 2) and p.L861Q (n = 2)) as well as a complex deletion-insertion in exon 19 (n = 1). The other 5 mutations detected only by Sanger sequencing were uncommon and very rare mutations located in exon 18 and 21 which cannot be detected by the RGQ Kit due to its primer design. Vice versa, we found mutations in 21/676 samples using the RGQ Kit but not with Sanger sequencing. 20 of these mutations were common EGFR-TKI sensitivity mutations in exon 19 (deletions or complex delins, n = 15) and in exon 21 (p.L858R, n = 5) as well as a "p.G719X" mutation (n = 1) in exon 18. According to these data which includes mutations only in exons 18, 19 and 21 but not in exon 20 the mutation detection rate is higher using the RGQ-Kit than using the Sanger sequencing method (13,0% vs. 10,1%) especially in detecting common EGFR mutations associated with EGFR-TKI sensitivity. However the RGQ Kit fails in detecting uncommon and rare EGFR mutations for that this Kit is not designed and may produce non-informative results in some cases when ΔCT values are out of valid ranges whereas nested PCR followed by Sanger sequencing may still work. Citation Format: Wolfgang Dietmaier, Irene Schardt, Petra Rummele, Eva Geissinger, Arndt Hartmann, Robert Stohr. Evaluation of EGFR mutation analysis performed by Sanger sequencing versus real-time PCR (EGFR RGQ PCR Kit). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 563. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-563


Thin (2 mm) and thick (10 mm) slice X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed in 49 and 31 patients, respectively, to assess the morphology of solitary pulmonary nodules or masses and to determine the relationship between the tumor and surrounding vasculature. When the pulmonary vein passed singly into the tumor or was larger than the artery (pattern I), 38 of 40 nodules (95%) were malignant (p less than 0.001). When the pulmonary artery passed singly into the tumor or was larger than the vein (pattern II) and when no pulmonary vessel passed into the tumor but when a pulmonary vessel was compressed by the tumor or passed through it (pattern III), only 11 of 19 nodules (58%) were malignant. Based on the morphology and vasculature patterns the accuracy of diagnosis with thin slice CT was 80.9% while that of thick slice CT was 67.7%. Thin slice CT can increase the diagnostic accuracy of primary lung cancer.


Over the last ten years, the demand for data has been increasing exponentially. To meet this demand, there are three ways to proceed: increasing the number of antennas, enhancing spectrum efficiency, enlarging bandwidths. This paper is focused on the last option, enlarging the bandwidth, and more precisely on the reuse or secondary use of frequencies through Licensed Shared Access and TV white spaces. This work aims at determining the potential development of these two new regulatory regimes and the potential impact on the telecom ecosystem and business.There is a common understanding of TVWS and regulators are implementing similar frameworks. The industry and regulators have launched plenty of trials and developed many standards. There are even some examples of commercial releases. However, the amount of channels available for TVWS activities is still uncertain since regulators have not stated their positions on the balancing between TVWS and digital dividend (refarming). Their decision will influence the market size and consequently the market take-up.Similarly to TVWS, national and international coherent regulatory frameworks are being developed around LSA. There is also a common view on uses among actors. Indoor coverage is one of the most mentioned uses. This will enhance the actors' confidence in LSA, and might consequently increase investment. However, standardization is needed to bring the necessary economies of scale. The incumbents' willingness to share their spectrums and the fees level are still unclear. These last parameters will have large impact on LSA take-up.The second part of the thesis tries to determine what ecosystems might develop. With TVWS, there are no licence fees or coverage requirements included in licence, which lowers the entrance barriers. This paper presents strategies where other players than MNOs provide connectivity. These strategies, which were built through group exercises done by Telecom workers, bring opportunities to these new connectivity providers and also values for its potential clients. Moreover, these new connectivity provider strategies possess real strengths and only limited weaknesses. However, the MNOs' reluctance to support this new ecosystem is the most dangerous threat to its development.To a slightly lesser extent, LSA also lowers the entrance barriers into the connectivity-providing business. This is a game-changer for indoor coverage since LSA might enable the development of scenarios and ecosystems which were previously considered as hypothetical. Thus, scenario where a Managed Service Providers or a Network Equipment Providers offers connectivity (without MNOs) to a premise or a MVNO has the potential to take up. This strategy is valuable for connectivity providers and their clients. Here, financing this strategy is also a challenge, but the most important risk might arise from the MNOs' pressures on the ecosystem's actors to prevent this strategy from developing.


The AmpliType PM Field Trial was designed to assess the ability of forensic laboratories to obtain the correct results from samples commonly encountered in forensic casework. The seven forensic laboratory participants of the AmpliType PM Field Trial each performed four studies. Samples were analyzed using components of the AmpliType PM PCR Amplification and Typing Kit. Laboratories were also provided with DNA probe strips to type the DQA1 locus. Of the 381 PM and 325 DQA1 DNA probe strip results obtained from DNA-containing and non-DNA-containing samples, 98.2% and 95.7% showed the correct result for PM and DQA1 types, respectively. No samples were typed incorrectly. The remaining small percentage of samples were either uninterpretable due to the presence of a mixture, or no result was obtained due to insufficient DNA. The Field Trial demonstrated that laboratories can easily implement the AmpliType PM system to analyze DNA-containing samples and controls successfully for forensic casework applications.


Objective: To give the levels of antioxidant nutrients in relation to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Pathologies Oculaires Lie´es a` l'Age is a popu-lation-based study on cataract and AMD and their risk factors, carried out on 2584 inhabitants of Se`te, France. Age-related macular degeneration was defined by find-ings from fundus photographs according to an international classification. Biological measurements were taken from fasting blood samples. Results: After multivariate adjustment, plasma a -to-copherol levels showed a weak negative association with late AMD ( P = .07). Lipid-standardized plasma a -tocoph-erol levels showed a significant negative association with late AMD ( P = .003): the risk of late AMD was reduced by 82% in the highest quintile compared with the low-est. Similarly, lipid-standardized plasma a -tocopherol levels were inversely associated with early signs of AMD (odds ratio, 0.72 [95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.98]; P = .04). No associations were found with plasma retinol and ascorbic acid levels or with red blood cell glutathione values. Comment: These results suggest that vitamin E may pro-vide protection against AMD. Only randomized interventional studies could prove the protective effect of vitamin E on AMD. Ophthalmol.


Since the prevalence of virtual worlds in society has grown exponentially in recent years and virtual worlds have demonstrated an incredible power to engage participants in ways in which traditional education has not, virtual worlds provide us an excellent opportunity to create engaging, collaborative, and academically challenging learning situations. Also, given the new media literacy of many of younger students, we in higher education are in many ways meeting them where they already are …or should be. By integrating virtual worlds into instruction, the Virtual Education Research Group (VERG) at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts provides students with these collaborative experiences. Through a sustained community of practice and experimentation with a variety of virtual world platforms including ActiveWorlds, World of Warcraft, Warhammer, City of Heroes Architect, Forbidden City, and Second Life, some general principles and specific learning activities emerge for instructors integrating virtual worlds into the classroom. The basic concepts of connecting with technical and administrative support, choosing a world with thematic connections to your subject, creating scheduled opportunities to play and learn together, and committing to providing a strong online presence have been expanded upon to create a flexible model that can be applied across disciplines. Through the work of VERG at Middlesex Community College, virtual worlds are now used in a variety of instructional disciplines, ranging from humanities to psychology to business. Several case studies illustrating unique and effective practices are provided.


Placement of an implant is a complex procedure in maxillary posterior region where the bone height is not adequate with close proximity of the sinus. These situation demands an attempt to lift the sinus lining to avoid any injury to maxillary sinus during implant placement. Magnetic mallet is one of the most innovative surgical device which are able to improve working standards in sinus lift procedure with negligible chances of perforating a mucosa of maxillary sinus. In this case report magnetic mallet has been used to lift the sinus during implant placement which was a non-invasive and non-traumatic procedure. It is comparatively easier and faster than other methods of lifting a sinus.


This paper demonstrates that certain notions of young people in the HIV and AIDS response reveal an overly generalised understanding of 'youth' that does not reflect a realistic view of young people's identity and lives. Faulty stereotypes of 'youth' – such as the perceptions that young people are necessarily victims or risk-takers – result in many HIV programmes based on generalisations about young people, rather than their actual needs and realities. These stereotypes and generalisations dominate million dollar prevention programmes that have little effect on HIV incidence rates amongst young people. To create a different future for young people and achieve real and lasting change, this paper recommends three discrete but interrelated actions for the international HIV community to undertake now; to base programmes on definitions of young people that emerge from the setting in which the programme will be implemented; to ensure HIV prevention programming is targeted at specific groups of young people, rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' package; and to incorporate structural approaches into AIDS programming to address the underlying factors that make younger age groups more vulnerable to HIV – including age-related stigma, discrimination and human rights abuses.


The expansion of the trinucleotide repeat (CGG)n in successive generations through maternal meiosis is the cause of fragile X syndrome. Analysis of CA repeat polymorphisms flanking the FMR-1 gene provides evidence of a limited number of "founder" chromosomes and predisposing high-risk haplotypes related to the mutation. To investigate the origin of mutations in the fragile X syndrome in the Hellenic populations of Greece and Cyprus, we studied the alleles and haplotypes at DXS548 and FRAXAC2 loci of 16 independent fragile X and 70 normal control chromosomes. In addition, we studied 191 unrelated normal X chromosomes for the distribution and frequencies of CGG alleles. At DXS548, 6 alleles were found, 2 (194 and 196) of which were represented on fragile X chromosomes. At FRAXAC2, 6 alleles were found, 4 of which were present on fragile X chromosomes. Sixteen haplotypes were identified, but only 5 were present on fragile X chromosomes. The highest number of CGG repeats (> or = 33) were associated with haplotypes 194-147, 194-151, 194-153, and 204-155. The data provide evidence for founder chromosomes and high-risk haplotypes in the Hellenic population.


Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are broadly divided into naive-like and activated Treg cells, however recent studies suggest further Treg cell heterogeneity. Treg cells contribute to impaired T cell responses in chronic infections, but the role of specific Treg cell subpopulations in viral infections is not well defined. Here, we report that activated Treg cells are separated into two transcriptionally distinct subpopulations characterized by low or high expression of the transcriptional regulator Id3. Id3lo Treg cells are a highly suppressive Treg cell subpopulation, expressing elevated levels of immunomodulatory molecules and are capable of broadly targeting T cell responses. Viral infection and interleukin-2 promote the differentiation of Id3hi into Id3lo Treg cells and during chronic infection Id3lo Treg cells are the predominant Treg cell population. Thus, our report provides a framework, in which different activated Treg cell subpopulations specifically affect immune responses, possibly contributing to T cell dysfunction in chronic infections.


Protonation of the Os(IV) amido complex TpOs(NHPh)Cl(2) (1) to give the aniline complex [TpOs(NH(2)Ph)Cl(2)]OTf (2) requires excess triflic acid (HOTf). Complex 1 is unreactive with HCl and other moderately strong acids. Consistent with the low basicity of 1, the aniline complex 2 is extremely acidic and is deprotonated by stoichiometric addition of weak bases such as Cl(-) or H(2)O. No reaction is observed between 1 and methyl triflate (CH(3)OTf) at ambient temperatures. Upon heating, CH(3)OTf removes the chloride ligands from 1 to give CH(3)Cl and the amidobis(triflate) complex TpOs(NHPh)(OTf)(2) (3). Attack at the amido nitrogen is not observed. Complex 1 is thus very inert to protonation and electrophilic attack at nitrogen. A deprotonated form of 1, TpOs[NPh(MgBr)]Cl(2) (4), is generated on reaction of PhMgBr with TpOs(N)Cl(2). Complex 4 is extremely basic and will protonate to 1 with weak acids such as CH(3)CN, DMSO, and acetic anhydride. Thus, 1 has a low acidity as well as a low basicity; it is both less acidic and less basic than aniline. The inertness of 1 is ascribed to partial Os-N pi bonding and to the oxidizing nature of the Os(IV) center.


Early angiosperm evolution, beginning approximately 140 million years ago, saw many innovations that enabled flowering plants to alter ecosystems globally. These included the development of novel, flower-based pollinator attraction mechanisms and the development of increased water transport capacity in stems and leaves. Vein length per area (VLA) of leaves increased nearly threefold in the first 30-40 million years of angiosperm evolution, increasing the capacity for transpiration and photosynthesis. In contrast to leaves, high water transport capacities in flowers may not be an advantage because flowers do not typically contribute to plant carbon gain. Although flowers of extant basal angiosperms are hydrated by the xylem, flowers of more recently derived lineages may be hydrated predominantly by the phloem. In the present study, we measured leaf and flower VLA for a phylogenetically diverse sample of 132 species from 52 angiosperm families to ask (i) whether flowers have lower VLA than leaves, (ii) whether flowers of basal angiosperm lineages have higher VLA than more recently derived lineages because of differences between xylem and phloem hydration, and (iii) whether flower and leaf VLA evolved independently. It was found that floral structures had lower VLA than leaves, but basal angiosperm flowers did not have higher VLA than more derived lineages. Furthermore, the independent evolution of leaf and petal VLA suggested that these organs may be developmentally modular. Unlike leaves, which have experienced strong selection for increased water transport capacity, flowers may have been shielded from such selective pressures by different developmental processes controlling VLA throughout the plant bauplan.


Large scalp defects pose a challenge for the surgeon. Here, we present a 31-year-old male patient with a soft tissue defect on the temple with exposed bone. To allow reconstruction, we placed a self-filling osmotic expander in the subgaleal pocket for 12 weeks. The final volume of the tissue expander was 300 mL. In the last step, a rotational flap was created after removal of the tissue expander from its pocket. Thereby, a tension-free suturing was possible. The post-surgical healing was uncomplicated. Osmotic tissue expanders are a valuable tool for the closure of large tissue defects without the necessity of repeated filling procedures.


Ferruccio Busoni is most widely known today as the composer of such works as the Second Violin Sonata, the incidental music for Gozzi's Turandot, and the most monumental piano concerto in the repertory (some eighty minutes long, with male chorus in the finale). But Busoni was also renowned in his day as an author and pedagogue and, most especially, as a pianist. Busoni's recordings of pieces by Chopin and Liszt--and of his own arrangements of keyboard works by Bach and Beethoven--are much prized and studied today by connoisseurs of piano playing. Yet even his most important biographers have cast only a cursory glance at the pianistic aspect of Busoni's fascinating career. Grigory Kogan's book Busoni as Pianist (published in Russian in 1964, and here translated for the first time) was and remains the first and only study to concentrate exclusively on Busoni's contributions to the world of the piano. Busoni as Pianist summarizes reviews of Busoni's playing and his own writings on the subject. It also closely analyzes the surviving piano rolls and recordings, and examines Busoni's editions, arrangements, and pedagogical output. As such, it will be of interest to pianists, teachers and students of the piano, historians, and all who love piano music and the art of piano playing. Grigory Kogan (1901-79) was a leading Soviet pianist and music critic. A conservatory professor at the age of twenty-one, Kogan created the first-ever course in Russia dealing with the history and theory of pianism. Through his brilliant lectures, his concert performances, and his many books, articles, and reviews, Kogan influenced an entire generation of Soviet pianists. Svetlana Belsky is a teacher and performer, and is coordinator of Piano Studies at the University of Chicago.


Minorities may define themselves at a superordinate (e.g., national) level and also at a subgroup (minority) level. However, others' recognition of such dual identifications cannot be guaranteed. This paper investigates how members of a minority (Muslims in the UK) constructed their superordinate and subgroup identities in such a way as to assert a commonality with British non-Muslims whilst asserting their religious subgroup's distinctiveness. Reporting qualitative data obtained through interviews (N = 28), the analysis explores how British Muslims negotiated concerns over commonality and distinctiveness through describing themselves as being British in a Muslim way. The implications of these self-definitions for the theorization of dual identities, their recognition, and intergroup relations are discussed.


We introduce "fractalization", a procedure by which spin models are extended to higher-dimensional "fractal" spin models. This allows us to interpret type-II fracton phases, fractal symmetry-protected topological phases, and more, in terms of well understood lower-dimensional spin models. Fractalization is also useful for deriving new spin models and quantum codes from known ones. We construct higher dimensional generalizations of fracton models that host extended fractal excitations. Finally, by applying fractalization to a 2D subsystem code, we produce a family of locally generated 3D subsystem codes that are conjectured to saturate a quantum information storage tradeoff bound.


Fogo selvagem, or endemic pemphigus foliaceus, is an organ-specific disease, where IgG autoantibodies, especially from the IgG4 subclass are directed against the ectodomains of desmoglein 1, culminating in acantholysis. Genetic and environmental influences modulate this specific autoimmune response; individuals with a determined sequence of alleles (LLEQRRAA) in the positions 67-74 of the third hypervariable region of the HLA-DRB1, or those exposed to hematophagous insects, especially Simulium nigrimanum, are more susceptible to develop the disease. A possible explanation for the development of the autoimmune process would be antigenic mimicry, initiated by environmental stimuli in those genetically predisposed individuals.


Despite the proliferation of alcoholism treatment research over the past 2 decades, there is a continued gap between what has been shown to be promising in the extant literature and what is commonly practiced by clinicians in the alcohol treatment field. The present article is an effort to bridge this gap by examining findings from the broad body of alcoholism treatment outcome research to determine how these findings may optimally be used by treatment providers. To this end, the authors provide clinicians with a succinct review of the current alcoholism treatment outcome literature and identify hallmarks of the most empirically supported treatments. Clinical implications of this literature for practitioners working with client with alcohol use disorders are discussed, with a focus on factors underlying effective treatments and on how these factors can be transferred from research to practice.


This paper seeks to assess the distributional implications of the power sector reforms in the Philippines to residential consumers of electricity. First, we estimate the demand for electricity, taking into consideration the difficulties that arise from block pricing of electricity. Second, we simulate the impact of power reforms in terms of increasing the prices of electricity, assuming a linear budget set, and using the elasticities from the demand equation. This exercise draws heavily from the duality in consumer theory, which allows us to recover the utility function of individuals and to assess welfare in terms of compensating variation. This paper concludes that an increase in price of electricity will result in higher welfare loss as income increases. However, welfare loss of the poorest is highest among the lower-income groups.


This study evaluated the impact of a debate intervention on students' critical thinking. The design-based research project included a quasi-experimental, one group pre-test, post-test design. Results indicated small effect sizes on critical thinking using the Cornell Critical Thinking Test-Level X (d = 0.40) and an assessment of argument analysis (d = 0.41). High-ability students en-tered the project with stronger critical thinking than general-education stu-dents (d = .82; d = .41), and high-ability students appeared to benefit more from the intervention as the performance gaps increased in the post-test phase (d = 1.08; d = .80) suggesting possible aptitude-treatment interactions or the Matthew effect. Qualitative data indicated that students learned to (a) think on the spot, (b) analyze arguments, (c) see other perspectives, and (d) construct counter-arguments. This study corroborates previous research that indicated a relationship between high ability and critical thinking.


Summary. Investigations were conducted on the in-vitro metabolic activity of rabbit testicular tissue after exposing the testis to abdominal temperatures for 2, 6 or 24 hr. Metabolic activity increased with the shorter exposure and then significantly decreased as compared with that of normal testicular tissue. Tissue treated in this way recovered its normal metabolic activity when subjected for 30 min to an ice-cold glucose solution. Tissues exposed to abdominal temperature for 24 hr were found to contain 12 % less glucose and 27 % less lactic acid than control tissues. This study suggests that spermatogenic arrest which results from exposure of the testis to elevated temperatures may be caused by reduced levels of substrate in the tissue.


Atlantic cod were fed five different diets consisting of a plant protein mixture replacing fishmeal in a regression design up to total replacement. Growth was high and maintained equal up to 75% plant protein inclusion, while a total plant protein diet resulted in significantly reduced appetite, feed conversion, and growth. To reveal if the transcription of stress responsive genes or any metabolic pathways were affected by plant proteins, a microarray consisting of 744 EST library-clones from cod was used on liver samples after the fish doubled its weight. Liver mRNA-expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), insulin-like growth factor receptors I and II (IGF-IR, IGF-IIR), genes coding for proteolytic enzymes; cathepsinD (CatD), cathepsinF (CatF), calpain 2, and seven proteins involved in protein-biosynthesis and energy-turnover, were studied by means of quantitative real-time PCR. Transcriptional levels of IGF-IIR and CatD were reduced in the plant fed fish. With few exceptions, dietary inclusion of plant protein did not affect the expression of genes related to cellular stress, protein-biosynthesis or energy turnover when the fish was fed up to 75% plant protein inclusion. The data on down-regulation of the IGF receptors and CatD coincided with the reduced growth in the high plant inclusions, indicating that IGF and CatD responses were closely related to protein turnover.


This study evaluates the performance of widely-used remotely sensed- and model-based soil moisture products, including: The Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA-CCI), the Antecedent Precipitation Index (API), and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS-NOAH). Evaluations are performed between 2008 and 2011 against the calibrated station-based soil moisture observations collected by the General Directorate of Meteorology of Turkey. The calibration of soil moisture observing sensors with respect to the soil type, correction of the soil moisture for the soil temperature, and the quality control of the collected measurements are performed prior to the evaluation of the products. Evaluation of remotely sensed- and model-based soil moisture products is performed considering different characteristics of the time series (i.e., seasonality and anomaly components) and the study region (i.e., soil type, vegetation cover, soil wetness and climate regime). The systematic bias between soil moisture products and in situ measurements is eliminated by using a linear rescaling method. Correlations between the soil moisture products and the in situ observations vary between 0.57 and 0.87, while the root mean square errors of the products versus the in situ observations vary between 0.028 and 0.043 m3 m−3. Overall, according to the correlation and root mean square error values obtained in all evaluation categories, NOAH and ESA-CCI soil moisture products perform better than all the other model- and remotely sensed-based soil moisture products. These results are valid for the entire study time period and all of the sub-categories under soil type, vegetation cover, soil wetness and climate regime.


In reviewing the American and British literature on tonsils and adenoids for the year beginning Oct. 1, 1941 one finds a notable decrease in the number of articles published on this subject. However, in spite of the scarcity of material, several interesting and worth while articles have appeared. Several papers have been published on the relation of tonsillectomy to poliomyelitis. Postoperative complications and infections attracted considerable attention, and benign tumors of the tonsils have been discussed by a few authors. The adenoid was largely neglected; it was mentioned only casually in connection with the tonsils and the nasopharynx. TONSILS: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Unger 1 calls attention to the fact that analyses have been made by many students in recent years which have caused considerable doubt concerning the value of tonsillectomy in alleviating or curing such conditions as heart disease, rheumatism, nephritis, pulmonary disease and gastrointestinal trouble. He then states: ... It behooves


This paper presents a Case-Based Reasoning application for individualized experience management. We describe how such intelligent technologies can be used for implementing applications in small and medium sized enterprises by introducing a realized application. The application is called dinerplus and organizes guests and menus for a hobby chef, restaurant or catering service. Further we discuss related work on the aspect of experience management in SMEs using intelligent systems.


Background: The purpose of this study is to explore changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) function and volumetry associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) levodopa-induced-dyskinesia (LID).
Methods: Twenty-six PD patients [matched pairs, 13 with LID (LID+) and 13 without (LID-)], performed high resolution 3D FSPGR MRI, applying a novel methodology developed for calculating delayed- enhancement-subtraction-maps, representing BBB function. Segmentation software calculated volumes of pre-determined brain structures and the mean BBB function was calculated for each structure. Comparisons between the LID+ and LID- paired patients and within patient, between the more and less affected hemisphere (MAH, LAH) and correlation tests with lateralized UPDRS motor scores were performed.
Results: There were no significant differences in volumetric or BBB map characteristics between the matched LID+ and LID- patients regarding most brain areas except for the inferior parietal cortex (IPC) of the MAH that displayed a higher BBB disruption in LID+ vs. LID- patients. A positive correlation was found with the motor score of the side contralateral to the MAH(r = 0.58, p<0.038) among the LID+ patients.
Conclusions: We demonstrated an association between slight BBB disruption in the IPC and LID in patients with PD using a new MRI methodology. As currently there is no known straightforward biological explanation for this positive finding, it might be genuine and novel, or spurious. Further studies to explore BBB functioning in the various stages of PD and its motor complications are needed, as well as further investigation of the IPC clinical importance and correction for epiphenomenon.


Nine hundred and fifty-one persons aged 60 years and over, living at home in four locations in southwestern Nigeria were studied. The cohort representing urban and rural dwellers, constituted 7.8% of the total population. Female residents had higher widowhood rates and lower levels of educational attainment than males. Multigenerational living arrangements were popular. Ninety-five percent of the cohort had no physical impairment on assessment of activities of daily life. Only 6.4% were on a regular pension (males more than females, P < 0.001) and income for 75% was less than the estimated poverty line (females more than males P < 0.001). Estimated crude death rate was also higher than the national average. The effects of these socio-demographic factors on health are diverse. Comparisons were made with similar studies in other cultures.


Structural features of phospholipids provide a unique opportunity for utilizing these amphiphilic species to stabilize the synthesis of colloidal dispersion particles by controlling concentration levels relative to dispersion synthesis components. 1,2-Bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DCPC) phospholipid was utilized as cosurfactant in the synthesis of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (SDOSS) stabilized methyl methacrylate/n-butyl acrylate (MMA/nBA) colloidal dispersions. Aqueous dispersions containing various concentration levels of DCPC result in the formation of cocklebur particle morphologies, and when prepared in the presence of Ca2+ and annealed at various temperatures, stimuli-responsive behaviors of coalesced films were elucidated. The formation of surface localized ionic clusters (SLICs) at the film-air (F-A) and film-substrate (F-S) interfaces is shown to be responsive to concentration levels of DCPC, Ca2+/DCPC ratios, and temperature. These studies show that it is possible to control stratification and mobility to the F-A and F-S interfaces during and after coalescence. Using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and internal reflection infrared imaging (IRIRI) spectroscopies, molecular entities responsible for SLIC formation were determined. These studies also show that stimuli-responsive behaviors during film formation can be controlled by colloidal solution morphologies and synergistic interactions of individual components.


PURPOSE
To test the hypothesis that the robust expansion of bovine corneal endothelial cells (BCECs) in vitro is due to the presence of individual endothelial cells with various levels of proliferative potential.

METHODS
BCECs and bovine vascular endothelial cells (ECs) derived from aorta, coronary artery, and pulmonary artery were cultivated in optimized medium. These cell populations were confirmed by morphologic features, functional assays, and gene expression profiles. Moreover, ECs were plated in a single-cell clonogenic assay to evaluate colony-forming ability.

RESULTS
Both corneal and vascular ECs were confirmed to be pure populations of endothelium uncontaminated with hematopoietic cells. A complete hierarchy of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) was identified in BCECs by a single-cell clonogenic assay. The distribution of the various types of ECFCs was similar to the control ECs removed from the systemic vessels.

CONCLUSIONS
Cultured BCECs display clonal proliferative properties similar to those of vascular ECs.


The M3M4,5M4,5 Auger transition from a Cu(111) surface is studied using Angular Resolved Auger-PhotoElectron Coincidence Spectroscopy (AR-APECS). In the experiment two different geometrical configurations of the electron analyzers allow us to sample different emission angles of the ejected electrons leading to different weights of the singlet and triplet contributions in the studied transition. The experimental spectra are modeled within a two-step approach using the Cini theory for the closed band case so as to properly consider the spin-orbit interaction and the hole-hole correlation energy. Ingredients for the theory, like density of states, are obtained fully ab-initio in the framework of density functional theory by performing all-electron calculations. The obtained results confirm the recently discovered selectivity of AR-APECS in the final spin-state.


Sera from 28 untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease and from 120 healthy controls were investigated for the presence of circulating immune complexes using a modified 3% polyethylene glycol precipitation method with subsequent quantification of the precipitated protein. Elevated levels of precipitable protein were found in 79% (p <0. 005) of Hodgkin's disease sera. The degree of elevation was associated with disease activity including the presence of B‐symptoms. Constant and pronounced increase of precipitable protein was found in six patients with stage‐III B nodular sclerosis subtype, thus exceeding the average amount of precipitable protein in healthy controls by a factor of 3–4. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 20 patients correlated with the amount of precipitable protein (r = 0. 79). Additionally, partial component analysis of the precipitates was carried out by laser nephelometry. Immunoglobulins and complement components were identified as being major components of the precipitated material in sera both from patients and healthy controls, thus confirming the probability of the immune complex nature of the precipitates. Significant differences between patients and healthy controls concerned the amount of precipitable components. Elevation of precipitable IgM was found to be the most sensitive parameter (86% above X̄ + 2 sd of normal controls, p <0. 005). Increased amounts of precipitable IgG, C4, and Clq were found in 57‐46% of patients' sera. Elevation of precipitable IgA and C3c were identified less often. The results suggest the quantification of precipitable immune complexes and their components to be of value as adjuncts in determining disease activity in Hodgkin's dis‐ease.


Committee Members: Performance of program analysis expressed as traversals over graphs like control flow graph (CFG) heavily depends on the order of nodes visited during the traversals: {the traversal strategy}, more so in case of BigCode analysis that performs analysis over a large collection of input graphs. While, there exists several choices for traversal strategy, like depth-first, post-order, reverse post-order, etc., there exists no technique to choose the most time-efficient strategy for traversals. In this paper, we propose hybrid technique that utilizes the static properties of the analysis, and the dynamic properties of the input graphs to select a most time-efficient strategy for each traversal on a graph. Our contributions are: a system for expressing program analysis as traversals, a set of static and dynamic properties that influence the traversal strategy selection, a set of static analyses to compute the properties, and a decision tree that checks the properties to select and optimize the most time-efficient traversal strategy. Our evaluation shows that the hybrid technique successfully selected the most time-efficient traversal strategy for 99.99%--100% of the time and using the selected traversal strategy, the running times of the analyses on BigCode in our evaluation were considerably reduced by 23%--79%. The overhead imposed by collecting additional information for our hybrid approach is less than 0.2% of the total running time for a large dataset and less than 0.01% for an ultra-large dataset. A Hybrid Approach for Selecting and Optimizing Graph Traversal Strategy for Analyzing BigCode


Assessment of population structure provides necessary information about the status and disturbance of the forest key supporting indicator for forest management and conservation interventions. In this study, current Acacia tortilis community status in Makkah Region was assessed in term of population structure and regeneration pattern. To carry out vegetation survey we selected three main areas (Al-Qunfudah, Al-Leith and East Makkah) in Makkah Region. Further, within each area the data was collected from three different sites. Population structure was analyzed and classified according to tree height and crown area size class distribution. In order to determine the potential effects of other factors in the population we evaluated status of new regeneration, stand density, tree diameter, height, crown area, canopy cover percentage, associated trees and shrubs in addition to fluctuations in Emberger Aridity Index. The results of individual trees frequency distribution based on height size classes produced a bell-shaped curve in all the three populations with the highest density in 2-4 meters class. In regards to crown area the three populations revealed a reverse J-shaped pattern with most of the individuals falling in 0–20 m class. In Al-Leith the combination of poor natural regeneration, low stand density, higher proportion of big trees and invading of exotic Prosopis juliflora indicating deterioration in this community. While in East Makkah the higher density of smaller trees and lowest canopy cover percentage may reflect the presence of selective cutting of big trees. Despite the good natural regeneration, nevertheless, the arid climate and very high year to year variation in dryness recorded as well as land use change may highlight the vulnerability of this species in Makkah region.


The operation and design of 500-stage charge-coupled device (CCD) transversal filters are described. The filters have been mask programmed for implementing two spectral analysis techniques: 1) bandpass filtering and 2) Fourier analysis using the chirp z transform (CZT) algorithm. The bandpass filter has a measured fractional 3 dB bandwidth of 0.0108 and 38 dB sidelobe rejection. The dynamic range is 75 dB with less than 45 dB total harmonic distortion. A sliding transform is defined which is useful for calculations of the power spectral density and is shown to be particularly advantageous in a CCD-CZT implementation. Using the sliding transform, a 500-point spectrum is calculated using CCD's with resolutions which can be varied from 1-200 Hz. The dynamic range of the power spectral output was measured to be 80 dB. A discussion is given of the performance limitation of a general CCD filter due to the inherent characteristics of the device. The results are evaluated for the 500-stage devices described above and indicate that sample rates from 25 Hz to 10 MHz are possible with a dynamic range approaching 100 dB while retaining high linearity.


This study aims to find out the legalization status of a central Shariah regulatory authority for the Islamic banks in Bangladesh. In this regard, the central bank can legalize the existing Centralized Shariah Board for Islamic Banks of Bangladesh (CSBIB) or form a new Centralized Shariah Supervisory Board (CSBB) under the management of the central bank in Bangladesh. Based on the data obtained by the semi-structured interviews, this research finds diversified opinions regarding the legalization of CSBIB or the formation of a new CSBB. Initially, without the law, it would be difficult to form CSSB under the central bank as the Islamic banks and banking environment are still not ready. In addition, it is difficult to legalize the existing CSBIB because the format of its structure is different from the CSSB structure in Malaysia and Bahrain. The existing banking company act authorizes the central bank to provide circulars regarding banking issues and it will be considered as an act. The central bank can legalize the existing CSBIB or form a new CSSB through a circular which will be helpful to monitor the overall Shariah issues. The presence of a CSSB will fulfill the expectations of all Islamic banks, and the concerned stakeholders.


The fourth component of complement (C4) has been demonstrated on the cell membrane of guinea-pig B lymphocytes isolated from blood, lymph nodes and spleen. In lymph nodes, at least, the C4-positive cells also carry receptors for C3 and most bind IgG-Fc. Few, if any, T lymphocytes have detectable C4. Resynthesis of cell-surface C4 could not be shown following in vitro culture of lymphocytes stripped of C4 by proteolytic enzymes, and it is likely that the C4 is passively acquired in vitro from tissue fluids, possibly by a mechanism similar to that involved in the binding of C4 (Chido and Rodgers determinants) to human erythrocytes.


Metals from Population III (Pop III) supernovae led to the formation of less massive Pop II stars in the early universe, altering the course of evolution of primeval galaxies and cosmological reionization. There are a variety of scenarios in which heavy elements from the first supernovae were taken up into second-generation stars, but cosmological simulations only model them on the largest scales. We present small-scale, high-resolution simulations of the chemical enrichment of a primordial halo by a nearby supernova after partial evaporation by the progenitor star. We find that ejecta from the explosion crash into and mix violently with ablative flows driven off the halo by the star, creating dense, enriched clumps capable of collapsing into Pop II stars. Metals may mix less efficiently with the partially exposed core of the halo, so it might form either Pop III or Pop II stars. Both Pop II and III stars may thus form after the collision if the ejecta do not strip all the gas from the halo. The partial evaporation of the halo prior to the explosion is crucial to its later enrichment by the supernova.


The aim of this study was to assess attitudes of preinitiates towards traditional Male Circumcision (MC) in the context of HIV. The sample included 350 Xhosa preinitiates recruited from 3 different recruitment sites during the preparation prior to MC in the Eastern Cape province. Results indicated that: 10% were to be circumcised before their sexual debut and reported a great deal of sexual risk behavior; 9% had been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past 12 months; 20% reported that they had had 3 or more sex partners in their lives; and 47% had not used a condom the last time they had sex. Reasons and attitudes, including barriers, towards MC as well as risky sexual behavior found in this study need to be considered in MC programming.


In this study, the polysulfone (PSF) capsules containing graphite nanosheets (GNS) were successfully prepared by a phase inversion precipitation method. Scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry were employed in the characterization of the as-prepared PSF/GNS composites capsules. Meanwhile, the adsorption properties of the composites capsules for the phenol in aqueous solution were investigated by batch methods. The results showed that the phenol adsorption uptake would be increased with the enhancement of initial concentration and adsorption time, and the adsorption of phenol should be more favorable at pH value less than 9. The composites capsules would be a kind of promising alternative adsorbent with high adsorption capacity for the phenol from aqueous solutions at a low concentration. The adsorption kinetics of the capsules for phenol accorded with pseudo-second-order model, and the best fits of adsorption isotherms followed the Freundlich equation. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. (C) 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers


Given a collection of document groups, a natural question is to identify the differences among them. Although traditional document summarization techniques can summarize the content of the document groups one by one, there exists a great necessity to generate a summary of the differences among the document groups. In this article, we study a novel problem, that of summarizing the differences between document groups. A discriminative sentence selection method is proposed to extract the most discriminative sentences which represent the specific characteristics of each document group. Experiments and case studies on real-world data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.


1. The authors believe that pes cavus is caused by imbalance of the intrinsic muscles of the foot and feel that the abductor hallucis, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digitorum brevis, and quadratus plantae should be particularly studied. The long muscles are seldom involved in the development of this deformity. 2. Cavus deformity of the foot is usually progressive. 3. The preliminary results in the authors' series suggest that selective plantar-muscle denervation may prevent the progressive increase of pes cavus. This prevention will result in improvement in foot balance, performance, stability, and position, and these improvements in turn will stimulate better growth. 4. If the most favorable results are to be obtained, the operation should be performed as soon as possible, for, otherwise, as growth occurs, the bones will be molded into a shape that conforms with the deformed position of the foot. 5. The results to date suggest that the operation is indicated when the deformity is congenital or when it results from either infantile paralysis or congenital club-foot. 6. No ill-effects from the operation have been noted.


Two kinds of Ni/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method or by coprecipitation method. A laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor was employed to investigate the catalyst performance in hydrogen production by steam reforming bio-oil aqueous fraction. Effects of reaction temperature, and the different preparation methods of the catalyst on the hydrogen production performance of Ni/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts were examined. The obtained results were compared with commercial nickel-based catalysts (Z417). Ni/CeO2-ZrO2 catalyst by co-precipitation method showed the best catalytic performances. At W/B=4.9, T=800 oC, H2 yield reaches the highest of 72.9 % and H2 content of 70.0 % were obtained., these values were higher than Ni/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and commercial nickel-based catalysts (Z417).


A regional key comparison APMP.AUV.A-K3 has been carried out for the pressure sensitivity of laboratory standard microphones. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) was the pilot laboratory for this project. Two LS2P microphones were circulated through ten national metrology institutes and calibrated in the frequency range from 31.5 Hz to 25 kHz (31.5 kHz was optional). Deviations from the mean value for all participants are within their declared expanded uncertainties for all frequencies except the optional 31.5 kHz. The results will be linked to the CIPM key comparison CCAUV.A-K3 in a separate report. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCAUV, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).


This study aims to determine the effect of e-learning readiness on learning engagement and to find out which aspects have the greatest influence. The design of this research is correlational research, conducted via a questionnaire. The research sample was comprised of 125 students from the Faculties of Psychology, Law, Education, and Teacher Training at the Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Indonesia. Measuring e-learning readiness consists of 3 dimensions: computer / internet self-efficacy; online communication self-efficacy; and self-directed learning abilities. The dimensions of measuring learning engagement are cognitive, affective, and behaviour. Data were analysed using regression models. The results indicate that learning readiness contributed to the variance of learning engagement by 26%. The biggest contribution from each dimension of e-learning readiness to engagement is self-directed learning, then internet self-efficacy, and online communication self-efficacy. However, the study also obtained anecdotal evidence that the subjects were not satisfied with e-learning because they did not get data about the material.
Keywords: learning enggagement, e-learning readiness, covid19


Leptin is a product of the ob gene and is secreted by the adipose tissue. It takes part in regulation of nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine system and renal functions. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of short term moderate exercise on serum leptin levels in patients with arterial hypertension. The study group consisted of 34 patients with essential hypertension: 15 women (48.9 +/- 12.1 years old) and 19 men (43.5 +/- 14.6 years old). There were 7 patients with stage I of hypertension, 17 patients with stage II of hypertension and 10 patients with stage III of hypertension. The blood samples were taken before and after the exercise test. Serum leptin levels were assessed by radioimmunoassay. Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in women then in men. The logarithm of serum leptin levels after the exercise was significantly lower than before (0.8 +/- 0.4 and 0.9 +/- 0.5 respectively). The moderate, short term exercise decreases serum leptin levels in the hypertensive patients.


We analyzed LTβR mRNA expression in piglets from birth to weaning and compared the differential expression between Escherichia coli F18-resistant and sensitive populations to determine whether this gene could be used as a genetic marker for E. coli F18 resistance. Sutai piglets of different age groups (8, 18, 30, and 35 days; N = 4 each) and piglets demonstrating resistance/sensitivity to E. coli F18 were used. LTβR expression levels were determined by real-time PCR. The LTβR expression levels in the lymph node, duodenum, and jejunum were significantly higher in 8-day-old piglets than in the other age groups (P < 0.01), and the expression levels were significantly higher in the lungs of 8-day-old piglets than in 35-day-old piglets (P < 0.01) and 30 day-old piglets (P < 0.05). In liver tissue, the expression level was significantly higher in the 35-day-old piglets than in other age groups (P < 0.01). In the stomach tissue, the expression level was significantly higher in 35-day-old piglets than in 18-day-old piglets (P < 0.05). LTβR expression in the lymph nodes was significantly higher in the resistant group than in the sensitive group (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference in the other tissues (P > 0.05). These results indicate that 8 days after birth is a crucial stage in the formation of mesentery lymph nodes and immune barriers in pigs, and increased expression of LTβR may be beneficial for developing resistance to E. coli F18.


Abstract Since the 20th century, health care institutions have used morbidity and mortality conferences (MMCs) as a forum to discuss complicated cases and fatalities to capitalize on lessons learned. Medical technology, health care processes, and the teams who provide care have evolved over time, but the format of the MMC has remained relatively unchanged. The present article outlines 5 key areas for improvement within the MMC along with prescriptive and actionable recommendations for mitigating these challenges. This work incorporates the contributions of numerous researchers and practitioners from the educational, training, debrief, and health care fields. With the best practices and lessons learned from various domains in mind, we recommend optimizing the MMC by (1) encouraging a culture that leverages expertise from multiple sources, (2) allocating ample time for innovative thinking, (3) using a global approach that considers individual, team, and system-level factors, (4) leveraging learnings from errors as well as near misses, and (5) promoting communication, innovative thinking, and actionable planning. The 5 evidence-based recommendations herein serve to ensure that MMCs are structured learning events that promote, encourage, and support safe, reliable care. Furthermore, the outlined recommendations seek to capitalize upon the MMC's opportunity to engage early discovery as well as proactive risk assessment and action-oriented solutions.


Background: Emergency contraception is a type of modern contraception which is used after unprotected sexual intercourse, following sexual abuse, misuse of regular contraception or non-use of contraception. University students fall under sexually active age group and form a high-risk group for unintended pregnancy because a large percentage of them engage in sporadic pre- marital sex, which could be prevented by using emergency contraception.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency contraceptives among female students in Mizan-Tepi University, South West Ethiopia. Methods: For the study, a cross-sectional, Institution based study was conducted from March 10-30, 2014. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were cleaned, coded and entered in to Epi-data 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20:-00. Logistic regression was used to identify the association between variables and emergency contraceptive knowledge, attitude and practice.
Result: Of the total, respondents, 188(38.4%) of them were sexually active, only 24.1% had good knowledge about emergency contraceptives, 229(46.8%) of the students had favorable attitude towards it and among sexually active participants, only 68(36.2%) had used emergency contraceptive methods.
Conclusion: The study shows lack of awareness, knowledge and utilization of emergency contraceptives among Mizan-Tepi University female students. Therefore, designing specific strategies to enhance emergency contraceptive utilization by increasing female students' level of awareness on emergency contraceptive is recommended.


Summary: Mechanical damage to hyphae of some A2 compatibility-type Phytophthora spp., by cutting with a cork borer or scalpel, can induce formation of pairs of gametangia followed by oospores. The A1 compatibility types examined did not respond significantly to damage. Two homothallic species of Phytophthora responded to mechanical damage by forming increased numbers of gametangia. Induction of gametangia in A2
Phytophthora cinnamomi following damage depends on the composition of the medium. Injury produced by H2O2 or ether also induced sexual reproduction in A2
P. cinnamomi. It is concluded that the mechanism by which gametangia are induced in A2 Phytophthora strains by Trichoderma viride may involve damage and that production of oospores in response to damage may be significant in the survival of Phytophthora.


The aim of this article is to present a modified kaldorian cumulative causation model in order to discuss the effects of changes in the monetary policy rules and on the degree of openness in capital account over dynamic trajectories of growth rate of GDP, nominal interest rate, nominal and real exchanges rates and the rate of inflation. The computational simulation of the theoretical model shows that the monetary policy rules are relevant only to the determination of growth rate of GDP if income elasticity of exports is a function of real exchange rate. In other words, a real exchange rate appreciation must cause an increase in the level of productive specialization of the economy in order to monetary policy be non-neutral in the long-run. In this setting we argue that a monetary policy that induces growth must seek to minimize the volatility of nominal interest rates and adopt a high speed of convergence of domestic inflation to the long-run inflation target, which must be set in accordance to international levels. We also show that the degree of openness in capital account is irrelevant over the determination of long-run growth either in the case where real exchange rate do not affect the productive specialization of the economy as where it affects.


After decades of the existence of algorithms in everyday use technologies, users have developed an algorithmic awareness, but they still lack the confidence to grasp them. This study explores how understandability as a principle drawn from sociology, design, and computing can enhance the algorithmic experience in music recommendation systems. The preliminary results of this Research-Through-Design showed that users had limited mental models so far but had a curiosity to learn. Further, it confirmed that explanations as a dialogue could improve the algorithmic experience in music recommendation systems. Users could comprehend recommendations the best when they were easy to access and understand, directly related to user behavior, and when they allowed the user to correct the algorithm. To conclude, our study reconfirms that designing experiences that help users to understand the algorithmic workings will make authentic recommendations from intelligent systems more applicable in the long run.


In this paper I attempt to connect several dots, specifically my research on African women's activism, environmental justice, and climate change. The book on which I am currently working is tentatively entided "'The Great Upheaval': Women, Taxes and Nationalist Politics in Abeokuta (Nigeria), 1945–1951." The study examines the struggles of Nigerian women to shape the nationalist agenda and their setbacks as the country moved decisively toward independence. At its core lies an analysis of a tax revolt launched by women in Abeokuta in 1947. The Abeokuta Women's Union (AWU), under the leadership of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (the mother of the late musician Fela Kuti), began a protracted protest against a tax increase. This revolt is well known in Nigerian popular history, and many people outside of Nigeria were introduced to it in Wole Soyinka's memoir, Ake: The Years of Childhood (1981:164–218).


This study investigated the prevalence of hyponatremia during the hospital stay, in a cohort of elderly patients with hip fractures who underwent surgery within 48 h from admission. Records data were retrieved from the database of the San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona Hospital of Salerno, Italy. All elderly patients (≥65 years old) with a documented hip fracture that underwent surgery within 48 h from admission, between 2016 and 2018, were included and divided in 4 subgroups according to their sex and type of fracture. Serum sodium concentration were monitored during the hospital stay and collected at admission, before surgery, after surgery and at discharge. The overall prevalence of hyponatremia was 23.99% (n=71/295), (24.3%, n=57/234 for female patients and 22.9%, n=14/61 for male patients). The percentage of hyponatremic patients with an intracapsular hip fracture was 27.17% (n=25/92), and 22.66% (n=46/203) in patients with an extracapsular hip fracture. The highest value of mean serum sodium concentration (139.2 mmol/L±4.4 SD) was found at the hospital discharge phase, and the lowest value (138.4 mmol/L±4.3 SD) was found during the pre-surgery phase. The lowest mean value of serum sodium was found before surgery, while the highest was after surgery. This could suggest that the early operative treatment and the accurate in-hospital monitoring are effective to treat or prevent this condition.


Max-plus based methods have been recently explored for solution of firstorder Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations by several authors. In particular, McEneaney's curse-of-dimensionality free method applies to the equations where the Hamiltonian takes the form of a (pointwise) maximum of linear/quadratic forms. In previous works of McEneaney and Kluberg, the approximation error of the method was shown to be O(1/(Nτ))+O( √ τ) where τ is the time discretization step and N is the number of iterations. Here we use a recently established contraction result for the indefinite Riccati flow in Thompson's metric to show that under different technical assumptions, still covering an important class of problems, the error is only of order O(e−αNτ ) + O(τ) for some α > 0. This also allows us to obtain improved estimates of the execution time and to tune the precision of the pruning procedure, which in practice is a critical element of the method.


Abstract. This master thesis presents the results from investigating usage patterns on portable devices and finding gamers attitudes towards different pervasive game elements. The main motivation of this project is to help developers create a better game experience with the use of pervasive elements and mobile technology, finding some pointers as to what players are likely to enjoy (or not). At the same time, the usage patterns will help us understand how players currently use games, which is important information creating games tailored to the players usage patterns. The results for usage patterns shows that game sessions are usually very short. We found that most people do not utilize multiplayer functionality in games on portable platforms. Investigating why players play games on portable devices, we found that quite many only use games as a secondary activity. Often, playing on portable devices are a result of some other main activity, like for example waiting for some form of transport in real life. To better understand what types of pervasive games users would be interested in, we proposed four concepts and asked the participants for their opinions of these concepts. Of the concepts proposed, the most popular concepts were one in which the game used the users geographic location to create questions from the nearby area and a concept where the game used proximity to other players as a part of the gameplay. Generally, we saw that players liked the idea of playing games with others in teams, and often as a planned event where people meet up to play. To understand what elements are likely to be successful, we studied attitudes towards the different categories of game elements. Some elements, like visual and sound feedback are staples of modern games, and therefore a necessity. Another popular output method is force feedback, in which the game shakes the controller or in other ways provide tactile feedback. Social elements were the most popular, competitive and cooperative game styles along with chat/communication abilities are important to players. Players also wish to be able to play anywhere and be able to start and stop playing at any time.


Purpose: CSA is associated with worse prognosis in CHF. ASV is more effective than CPAP for treating CSA and improves cardiac function in CHF. FACE study is a French prospective, multicentre, observational cohort that will provide long-term data on 300 CHF pts eligible for ASV. Methodology and baseline characteristics of the first enrolled patients are presented. Methods: Pts characteristics, cardiac function, quality of life and respiratory/sleep data are assessed. Primary outcomes will be all-cause or cardiovascular-related death and all-cause unplanned hospitalization or hospitalization for worsening HF over 2 years' follow-up. Event-free survival will be estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank test. Results: 106 CHF pts with CSA were enrolled by 31 Jan 2013. NYHA class was mainly II (46%) or III (48%). 92% male, age 70.2±10.0 y and BMI 27.3±4.4 kg/m2. LVEF was moderately or severely reduced in 52% and 22%, respectively; DBP 72.3±10.8 and SBP 128.0±20.3 mmHg. ESS 8.3±5.6, AHI 36.8±16 /hr, central AHI 24.4±13.9 /hr, and ODI 29.7±16.1 /hr. 79% had predominantly CSA. CHF aetiology was mainly ischaemic (61%). Comorbidities were diabetes (41%), hypertension (65%), dyslipidaemia (62%), cerebrovascular event (41%), COPD (14%), or AF (52%). 35% had a cardiac device. Drug treatment included βblockers (80%), ACE inhibitors (63%), diuretics (75%), ARBs (14%) and aldosterone antagonists (23%). Discussion: This ongoing cohort shows a high level of cardiovascular abnormalities in CHF pts with CSA in whom ASV treatment is intended. These first patients are mostly men with no subjective sleepiness.


Tick fauna in the Sudan comprises over 70 species prevalent in diverse ecological zones. Among these are the most economically important ticks in Africa, namely Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Amblyomma variegatum, Amblyomma lepidum, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus. Several factors determine the dynamic changes of tick distribution in the Sudan. These are animal movement either for trade, nomadism, or migration due to civil unrest etc., habitat modification such as deforestation, large-scale mechanized cultivation and urbanization; drought and desertification, and global climate change. The accelerated change in tick distribution results in outbreaks of several tick-borne diseases. Examples of these are East Coast fever, tropical theileriosis, malignant ovine theileriosis, heartwater and babesiosis by Babesia bovis. Emergence of these diseases in districts believed to be free is alarming and has adverse effects in the process of animal resources development. This communication discusses distribution patterns of the economically important livestock ticks in the Sudan and identifies new zones where ticks have established and the possible factors determining such distribution.


Abstract In this work we investigate four subjectivity and polarity tasks on spoken and written conversations. We implement and compare several pattern-based subjectivity detection approaches, including a novel technique wherein subjective patterns are learned from both labeled and unlabeled data, using n-gram word sequences with varying levels of lexical instantiation. We compare the use of these learned patterns with an alternative approach of using a very large set of raw pattern features. We also investigate how these pattern-based approaches can be supplemented and improved with features relating to conversation structure. Experimenting with meeting speech and email threads, we find that our novel systems incorporating varying instantiation patterns and conversation features outperform state-of-the-art systems despite having no recourse to domain-specific features such as prosodic cues and email headers. In some cases, such as when working with noisy speech recognizer output, a small set of well-motivated conversation features performs as well as a very large set of raw patterns.


Cost data on three high density orchard systems developed from focus group discussions in the winter and spring of 1998. The computer program utilized is available on the Fruit Area of Expertise web page at http://www.msue.msu.edu which will allow individuals to adjust this data and/or enter their own information. The staff paper includes 65 tables of consensus information from the focus group discussions. All three planting systems, vertical axe, central leader and slender spindle, took 9 years to break even under the assumptions utilized in this analysis.


The scope of this paper is to investigate if it is possible to use the OAIS Reference Model (Open Archival Information System, developed by US Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, CCSDS) as a tool to theoretically evaluate a digitization project. The empirical investigation is a qualitative study of a Digitization Project related to the Broadcast Industry, migrating Television Programmes stored on analogue videotapes, to digital files. This digitization will put those programmes as records into equal problems with Longt-term Digital Preservation as other Digital Records "born digital". Each activity in the Digitization Project has been compared by the six high level processes of the OAIS Reference Model. The evaluation criterion was made as an assessment of how the activities of the Digitization Project meet archival theory as the Principle of Provenance and Authenticity. One key role in the OAIS Reference Model– Management - has been evaluated according to economic incentives to finance a Digitization Project. The empirical Digitization Project has four different participants, each of them represented in the projects Steering Committee. During the empirical investigation it was also found that the four participants have different objectives of the digitization of Television Programmes. The conclusion is that it is possible to use the OAIS Reference Model as an evaluation tool. The assement shows low correspondence in important functional entities as Archive Storage and Preservation Planning.The responsibility of ownership in the empirical project is weak according to the criteria proposed in the role of Management in the OAIS Reference Model.


Concept of cloud computing relevant to smart city was started with understanding the information management in construction projects. This paper is an attempt to explore the potential applications of cloud computing in a smart cities project. Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis was carried out to find out the critical parameters which can be helpful to establish a framework for development of smart city. Amongst the identified critical parameters it has been observed that application of mobile phones or mobile apps can be very effective for real time monitoring of the work progress which is helpful to minimize the time and effort for monitoring an activity associated with the development of the smart city project. It helps Government organization in different tasks to reduce time and cost for development of smart cities. This application is run through cloud because daily huge data feeds in this application and data mining is easily done in different sectors of smart city. For a smart city project which may be primarily multidisciplinary in nature these applications are helpful to improve the project coordination, project collaboration, for generating accurate real time project data and also for identification of project specific information which might be useful in implementation of the project.


This essay explains how economics plays a key role in enhancing the value of publicly funded agricultural research. Economics provides research institutions with the tools they need to be accountable to society and better able to set research priorities and design research programs that are consistent with public policy objectives while meeting the standards of good science. We first describe a multidisciplinary approach to setting research priorities and assessing research impacts. A systematic framework is required, so that economic data and data from other scientific disciplines can be collected and integrated using common units of measurement. Second, we address research designs needed to meet the standards of good science while also satisfying the standards of accountability and policy relevance. As scientists become involved in the priority setting process, they become aware of the ways that their research can contribute to the mission of publicly funded research. Finally, we address the problems that arise in valuing the economic, environmental, and human health impacts of agricultural production systems for priority setting and impact assessment. As with the priority setting and design stages of research, multidisciplinary collaboration is also a critical element of the valuation stage of impact assessment.


The environmental uncertainty of medical industry was raised from the medical expenditure controlled by the government and the third party payers. This circumstance had forced hospital managers to learn management accounting. Budgeting control system was among the most popular mechanisms used by managers to contain costs and improve performance. However, budgeting control system could not achieve effectiveness in planning, motivating, negotiating, and controlling if there was no support from the organizational members. To obtain this support, careful attention must be given to the perceptive side of budgeting control system. In view of this, this study sought to explore the factors affecting the budgetary perceptions of hospital managers and the relationships of these perceptions with performance. The empirical study was based on a sample of 132 budgeting managers from a public hospital. Empirical results supported the proposed hypotheses that when the degree of budgetary feedback and budgetary participation were high, the budgetary motivation and budgetary attitude would be high, but the propensity to budgetary slack would be low, when the degree of budgetary motivation and budgetary attitude were high, the budgetary performance would also be high.

 Key words: Budgetary perceptions, budgeting control system, budgetary performance, budgetary participation.


We propose a holographic code for synthesis of fully-complex transmittance, which can be implemented employing a twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display, two linear polarizers, and a He-Ne laser. This simple setup provides a reduced phase range and amplitude modulation with significant variance. Our holographic code efficiently exploits this constrained modulation for the accurate encoding of arbitrary complex transmittance. Two experimental examples illustrate the good performance of the holographic code.


A 53-year-old woman presented with bone pain and was diagnosed with osteomalacia because of hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphatasemia, bone pain, and radiographic findings. Because her intact-fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels were high and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a mass in the anterior ethmoid sinus, FGF23-related osteomalacia was diagnosed. The tumor was resected, but she developed hypercalcemia and elevated blood parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) was diagnosed, and surgical resection was performed. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a FGF23-producing tumor complicated by PHPT. Because PHPT manifested after resecting the FGF23-producing tumor, FGF23 is thus considered to suppress PTH secretion in humans.


A machine learning approach to multicore resource management produces self-optimizing on-chip hardware agents capable of learning, planning, and continuously adapting to changing workload demands. Machine learning is the study of computer programs and algorithms that learn about their environment and improve automatically with experience.This approach thus contrasts with today's predominant approach of directly specifying at design time how the hardware should accomplish the desired goal. This results in more efficient and flexible management of critical hardware resources at runtime.


We characterized the pathologic spectrum of lesions in gastrointestinal and hepatic histoplasmosis by studying cases of disseminated disease in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients from endemic and nonendemic areas. We evaluated 56 specimens from 52 patients with H&E and silver stains. Of these patients, 43% presented with gastrointestinal rather than pulmonary symptoms. Thirty-one percent had gastrointestinal lesions, 10% had liver lesions, and 43% had both. Gross gastrointestinal features included ulcers (49% of patients), nodules (21%), hemorrhage (13%), obstructive masses (6%) and normal mucosa (23%). Microscopic gastrointestinal findings included diffuse lymphohistiocytic infiltration (83%), ulceration (45%), lymphohistiocytic nodules (25%), or minimal inflammatory reaction (15%) but only rare well-formed granulomas (8.5%). The most common hepatic finding was portal lymphohistiocytic inflammation; discrete hepatic granulomas were seen in less than 20% of involved livers. The pathologist must be aware of the broad range of gastrointestinal and hepatic lesions produced by histoplasmosis and, in particular, that well-formed granulomas are rare. Given the appropriate clinical context, histoplasmosis should be considered in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, regardless of pulmonary symptoms, in nonendemic as well as endemic areas.


Awareness and research on earthquake resistant building design has been intensively carried out after the fatal earthquakes in Indonesia in recent decades. However, less attention has been given to the phenomena of liquefaction due to lack of ground motion information and records at the hazard areas. In this paper, seismic ground response after two deadly earthquakes shocked Java and Sumatera (Indonesia) in 2006 and 2009 was evaluated based on the CPT data. Based on back-calculation results, the possible ground accelerations were expected to be about 0.48g and 0.14g in those liquefied areas at Yogyakarta (Southern Java) and Padang (West Sumatera) respectively. Those accelerations are likely to make 50% of the thickness of sand layer liquefied and induced about 1% ground settlement Keywords : liquefaction, peak ground acceleration, silty sand, CPT


The hippocampus is prone to epileptic seizures and is a key brain region and experimental platform for investigating mechanisms associated with the abnormal neuronal excitability that characterizes a seizure. Accordingly, the hippocampal slice is a common in vitro model to study treatments that may prevent or reduce seizure activity. The ketogenic diet is a metabolic therapy used to treat epilepsy in adults and children for nearly 100 years; it can reduce or eliminate even severe or refractory seizures. New insights into its underlying mechanisms have been revealed by diverse types of electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices. Here we review these reports and their relevant mechanistic findings. We acknowledge that a major difficulty in using hippocampal slices is the inability to reproduce precisely the in vivo condition of ketogenic diet feeding in any in vitro preparation, and progress has been made in this in vivo/in vitro transition. Thus far at least three different approaches are reported to reproduce relevant diet effects in the hippocampal slices: (1) direct application of ketone bodies; (2) mimicking the ketogenic diet condition during a whole-cell patch-clamp technique; and (3) reduced glucose incubation of hippocampal slices from ketogenic diet–fed animals. Significant results have been found with each of these methods and provide options for further study into short- and long-term mechanisms including Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT), pannexin channels and adenosine receptors underlying ketogenic diet and other forms of metabolic therapy.


Many of the rarer species of solitary and colonial rugose corals from the upper part of the Gaptank Formation [Pennsylvanian], Glass Mountains, are of particular interest because of their general similarity in part with the late Pennsylvanian and early Permian(?) coral faunas in the Rocky Mountain region of Canada and in part with those in the mid-continent region of the U.S. New species described from the Uddenites-bearing shale member of the Gaptank Formation include Amplexizaphrentis sp. B, Amplexizaphrentis? sp., Dibunophyllum uddeni and Amplexocarinia. sp. B; from the upper part the Gaptank Formation, Amplexocarinia delicata, Amplexizaphrentis sp. A and Lithostrotionella? sp.; and from loose material that may possibly include Permian (Wolfcampian) specimens, Amplexizaphrentis sp. A, Amplexizaphrentis sp. B, Dibunophyllum sp., Heritschioides sp. and Amplexocarinia sp. B.


This exploratory study examined the value of service, which has been implicitly present in the field for decades and is recognized as one of the pillars of the profession. However it seems that there is not a universal approach to it and it looks like it is taught inconsistently in LIS curriculum in the United States. This research sought to determine how the concept of service was viewed and treated in the Library and Information Science field, and based on the results, to make recommendations to information schools to improve librarians' education and training. The results reflected an unclear definition of the value of service at all levels (students, professionals and professors) and also suggested that Library and Information Science schools do not have a standard way to teach about this value.


The phase separation of an 80% B2O3–15% PbO–5% Al2O3 (weight %) glass after splat-cooling was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering. The wavenumber which receives maximal amplification and the scattering intensity corresponding to this wavenumber were determined as a function of the cooling rate of the glass. The experimental results qualitatively agree with the main features of previous calculations based on the linear theory of spinodal decomposition, but no quantitative agreement is obtained.


The results of surveys made of the invertebrate fauna of the Krakatau Islands in the 1980s, about 100 years since Krakatau's destructive eruption, are reviewed in the context of earlier surveys, and as a reference for future work on the islands as colonization continues. The possibility of invertebrates surviving the 1883 eruption is discussed and, on balance, rejected. Dispersal modes of invertebrate groups are related to their archipelagic distributions; prerequisites for successful establishment and the sequence of colonization are discussed. The present fauna of the young island of Anak Krakatau (emerged 1930) is discussed in relation to records of recolonization of the three older islands in the first fifty years after 1883. We identify three early pioneer animal communities that exploit energy sources outside the island system and thus are able to establish themselves before plants have successfully colonized. Invertebrate groups are at differing stages on the route towards an equilibrium number of species, and ecological changes involved in equilibration of the fauna as a whole should be the subject of future studies.


Transcription-factor binding to cis-regulatory regions regulates the gene expression program of a cell, but occupancy is often a poor predictor of the gene response. Here, we show that glucocorticoid stimulation led to the reorganization of transcriptional coregulators MED1 and BRD4 within topologically associating domains (TADs), resulting in active or repressive gene environments. Indeed, we observed a bias toward the activation or repression of a TAD when their activities were defined by the number of regions gaining and losing MED1 and BRD4 following dexamethasone (Dex) stimulation. Variations in Dex-responsive genes at the RNA levels were consistent with the redistribution of MED1 and BRD4 at the associated cis-regulatory regions. Interestingly, Dex-responsive genes without the differential recruitment of MED1 and BRD4 or binding by the glucocorticoid receptor were found within TADs, which gained or lost MED1 and BRD4, suggesting a role of the surrounding environment in gene regulation. However, the amplitude of the response of Dex-regulated genes was higher when the differential recruitment of the glucocorticoid receptor and transcriptional coregulators was observed, reaffirming the role of transcription factor-driven gene regulation and attributing a lesser role to the TAD environment. These results support a model where a signal-induced transcription factor induces a regionalized effect throughout the TAD, redefining the notion of direct and indirect effects of transcription factors on target genes.


This paper documents recent progress in WDM LAN standards that enable capacity upgrades for on-board aircraft networks to support growth in aggregate bandwidth of platforms and applications in the next 10-25 years. The projected growth is expected to be orders of magnitude greater than those supported by traditional avionics backbone buses. WDM systems and networks can result in substantial reduction in infrastructure complexity, improved mission flexibility, aircraft network reconfiguration, and security.


The goal of this research was to analyze how situational variables such as the tactical position and the direction of the serve, the return's direction, and the score affect the vertical trajectory (VT) of the return (straight or lob) in men's and women's professional padel. For this, a sample of 2752 points (1431 men and 1321 women) corresponding to 69 matches played in the 2021 season of the World Padel Tour circuit was used. The VT of the return (straight or lob), to which player it was oriented, how important the point was attending to the score, the tactical position of the serving players, and the direction of the serve by systematic observation were recorded. The results showed that situational variables had a significant influence on the type of vertical return trajectory. Men performed a significantly higher percentage of straight returns (three out of four returns) when returning to the player at serve, or at a nonkey moment, or Australian position, or when the serve was to the body or to the side wall. In contrast, women returned a significantly higher percentage of lob returns (three out of four returns) to the server's partner, or in golden point situations, or in serves to the "T" and to the body, regardless of the tactical position at serve. The return had not been analyzed considering the score, observing changes in the golden points. These results have a great impact both on carrying out specific return training and on improving pair's anticipation to serve in different return situations.


A wireless ad hoc network does not have an infrastructure, and thus, needs the cooperation of nodes in forwarding other nodes' packets. Reputation system is an effective approach to give nodes incentives to cooperate in packet forwarding. However, existing reputation systems either lack rigorous analysis, or have analysis in unrealistic models. In this paper, we propose FITS, the first reputation system that has rigorous analysis and guaranteed incentive compatibility in a practical model. FITS has two schemes: the first scheme is very simple, but needs a Perceived Probability Assumption (PPA); the second scheme uses more sophisticated techniques to remove the need for PPA. We show that both of these two FITS schemes have a subgame perfect Nash equilibrium in which the packet forwarding probability of every node is one. Experimental results verify that FITS provides strong incentives for nodes to cooperate.


This study investigates the effects of adding titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles to the negative electrode of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) on the battery's performance. Results show that TiO2 addition changes the wettability and electrical resistance of the electrode surface. The water contact angle on the electrode surface decreases with increased weight percentage of TiO2 particles in the electrode. The electrochemical performance of these electrodes with different loading amounts is studied by cyclic voltammetry and single-cell charge‐discharge measurements. Adding an adequate amount of TiO2 particles to the carbon electrode promotes the electrode specific capacitance and charge‐discharge efficiency of a single cell. An electrode with 20 wt% TiO2 loading at a scan rate of 0.04 V s −1 shows a high specific capacitance (Cs,t) of 156.2 F g −1 , which is 59.1% higher than that of pure carbon electrode (98.2 F g −1 ). Similarly, the energy storage efficiency (ηE = 72.5%) of a single TiO2/C cell with 20 wt% modified carbon felt is 30.4% higher than that of a cell with raw carbon felt (ηE = 55.6%). Thus, the TiO2/C electrode increases the cell energy storage efficiency. These results demonstrate the potential application of TiO2/C electrode in VRFBs.


The film is included in the mass communication media that are considered capable of being an effective media to persuade and persuade a broad audience. The film influences audiences through signs that appear in shows like in the Film Cahaya Cinta Pesantren. This research was conducted to determine the signs that represent identity in the film Cahaya Cinta Pesantren. This type of research is descriptive qualitative by using John Fiske's semiotic analysis model. The results of this study are the representations of santri's representations composed by John Fiske's semiotic code, namely appearance, expression, camera, setting, and action. In addition, this film also contained subcultural ideology, namely students are figures who come out of the dominant culture with daily activities that are more concerned with the afterlife.


The National Health Service (NHS) has called for the 'eradication of demarcation lines between healthcare professionals' in the UK. Educational institutions are therefore striving to achieve this outcome through integrative interprofessional initiatives. This article discusses the effects of an integrative training course for medical and nursing students in 'breaking bad news' to patients. Triangulation of the qualitative methods enabled the researchers to gather student perspectives on this experience. Data analysis revealed that the 34 student volunteers challenged misconceptions of professional roles through this interprofessional programmes. Questionnaire demonstrated that although most students had enrolled on the course to develop communication skills, the interprofessional aspect of the course was one of the main educational benefits. While outcomes were largely positive, some students were anxious about a holistic interprofessional curriculum. Undergraduate healthcare students may need to collaborate earlier, and for longer time-periods, to enhance professional understanding and relationships.


This paper applies Co-flow Jet (CFJ) active flow control airfoil to a NREL horizontal axis wind turbine for power output improvement. CFJ is a zero-net-mass-flux active flow control method that dramatically increases airfoil lift coefficient and suppresses flow separation at a low energy expenditure. The 3D Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with one-equation Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model are solved to simulate the 3D flows of the wind turbines. The baseline wind turbine is the NREL 10.06m diameter phase VI wind turbine and is modified to a CFJ blade by implementing CFJ along the span. The baseline wind turbine performance is validated with the experiment at three wind speeds, 7m/s, 15m/s, and 25m/s. The predicted blade surface pressure distributions and power output agree well with the experimental measurements. The study indicates that the CFJ can enhance the power output at the condition where angle of attack is increased to the level that conventional wind turbine is stalled. At the speed of 7m/s that the NREL turbine is designed to achieve the optimum efficiency at the pitch angle of 3°, the CFJ turbine does not increase the power output. When the pitch angle is reduced by 13° to −10°, the baseline wind turbine is stalled and generates negative power output at 7m/s. But the CFJ wind turbine increases the power output by 12.3% assuming CFJ fan efficiency of 80% at the same wind speed. This is an effective method to extract more power from the wind at all speeds. It is particularly useful at low speeds to decrease cut-in speed and increase power output without exceeding the structure limit. At the freestream velocity of 15m/s and the CFJ momentum coefficient Cμ of 0.23, the net power output is increased by 207.7% assuming the CFJ fan efficiency of 80%, compared to the baseline wind turbine due to the removal of flow separation. The CFJ wind turbine appears to open a door to a new area of wind turbine efficiency improvement and adaptive control for optimal loading.