Lightpath bundling (LB) technique consists of grouping a set of lightpaths between two nodes so that they appear to the IP layer as a single pipe of aggregated capacity. Anycast switching (AS) technique makes a per-packet granularity balancing of the traffic among the lightpaths bundled. LB+AS combination requires seamless changes in the switching nodes and no changes in the optical infrastructure. This paper evaluates by means of simulation the improvements in TCP performances when LB+AS paradigm is applied to the network. In our results, LB+AS improved TCP throughput (up to 18%), decreased average drop rates and reduced the average queuing delay in the bottleneck link (up to 15%).


We consider a wireless sensor network made of sensor nodes capable of sensing and communication, relay nodes capable of communication, and base stations responsible for collecting data generated by sensor nodes, to be deployed in sensor field. We address the problem of placing the sensor nodes, relay nodes and base stations in the sensor field such that (i) each point of interest in the sensor field is covered by a subset of sensors of desired cardinality (ii) the resulting sensor network is connected and (iii) the sensor network has sufficient bandwidth. We propose several deployment strategies to determine optimal placements of sensor nodes, relay nodes and base stations for guaranteed coverage, connectivity, bandwidth and robustness. We study several different objectives such as minimizing the number of sensor nodes deployed, minimizing the total cost, minimizing the energy consumption, maximizing the network lifetime and maximizing the network utilization. The placement problems for reliable as well as unreliable/probabilistic detection models are formulated as integer linear programs (ILPs). The practicality, effectiveness and performance of the proposed strategies are illustrated through simulations.


In the 1990s the German MILOS projects examined the suitability of an automatic linguistic indexing technique for library OPACs. Following this approach, an empirical investigation was conducted that aimed at assessing and evaluating the use of automatic indexing for the OPACs of the Austrian Library Network. As most users prefer to do their OPAC searches in the basic index the study focused on the effects of enriching this index with automatically generated terms. For this purpose an Aleph 500 OPAC consisting of a representative random sample of records drawn from the Austrian Union Catalogue was used for searching 100 queries in the basic index before and after adding the new index terms. The results include an increase of relevant hits at only moderately lower precision, the reduction of zero-hit results and insights into the role of existing subject headings.


The apoptotic effect of fluoxetine (FLX), an antidepressant, against human epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines OVCAR-3 and SK-OV-3 was investigated in relation to the mitochondria-mediated cell death process and nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation. FLX-induced mitochondrial membrane permeability change and formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to cell death. FLX-induced increase in mitochondrial Bax levels, decrease in cytosolic Bid and Bcl-2 levels, loss of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and up-regulation of p53. Oxidant scavengers and Bay 11-7085 [an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation] prevented the FLX-induced cell death, increase in phosphorylated inhibitory kappaB-alpha and NF-kappaB p65 levels, and binding of NF-kappaB p65 to DNA. Results from this study suggest that FLX may exhibit apoptotic effect against ovarian cancer cell lines by inducing the mitochondrial membrane permeability change, which leads to cytochrome c release and subsequent caspase-3 activation, through reactive oxygen species-dependent activation of NF-kappaB.


This paper presents the University of Southampton Multi-Biometric Tunnel, a constrained environment that is designed with airports and other high throughput environments in mind. It is able to acquire a variety of non-contact biometrics in a non-intrusive manner. The system uses eight synchronised IEEE1394 cameras to capture gait and additional cameras to capture images from the face and one ear, as an individual walks through the tunnel. We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a 99.6% correct classification rate and a 4.3% equal error rate without feature selection using the gait data collected from the system; comparing well with state-of-art approaches. The tunnel acquires data automatically as a subject walks through it and is designed for the collection of very large gait datasets.


Seven fungal species (1237 colonies/g dry soil) belonging to three genera were isolated from soil sample (pH 8.7, total soluble salts 0.81 mS/cm, organic carbon 0.25%) located in the industrial city at Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah. Such soil receives a long-term application of untreated industrial effluents. The isolated species were Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus carneus, Aspergillus flavipes, Aspergillus flavus var columnaris, Aspergillus unguis, Cephalosporium curtipes and Cylindrophora hoffmannii. Genus Aspergillus , the most dominant, accounted for 95.1% of the total count and was represented by five species. A. candidus was the most prevalent species on the isolation plates (37.2% of the total count) followed by A. flavipes and A.unguis . The isolated fungi were investigated for their potential to remove heavy metals from wastewater effluent of tanning leather industry. Such effluent was alkaline (pH, 8.2) with high content of total soluble salts (30.6 mS/cm) and heavy metals including Pb +2 , Cu +2 , Fe +3 , Mn +2 , Cr +6 and Sr +2 . The isolated fungi showed significant metal sorption capacity which was species and metal dependent. Almost all the fungi showed more affinity to Pb +2 than Cr +6 and Sr +2 . The most dominant A. candidus on the isolation plates exhibited the highest activity for biosorption of heavy metals. The results indicate that fungi of contaminated soils have high level of metal biosorption capacities. Keywords : Fungi, industrial wastewater, biosorption, heavy metals. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(27), pp. 4351-4355


Recently, various types of robots have been researched and developed for supporting our life. Also, the perceptual system for the robot is researched. Visual perception includes a lot of valuable information and it is useful for all intelligent robot system. In this paper, we discuss intelligent robot vision in order to detect multiple object and human. There are many visual sensors and we use the range-imaging camera to detect distance and image data. We propose a method for perceive moving target by using growing neural gas and Genetic algorithm. In the experimental results, we show the potency of our method.


The paper deals with the results of the study 'Governance in the field of spatial development and quantitative soil protection in the EUSALP region'. The aim of the network analysis was to identify and understand the significant networks and spatial planning systems that influence quantitative soil conservation at different levels, with a focus on the national/cross-border level. The study area was the Alpine macro-region, based on the corresponding EU-Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP). The study was carried out using a participatory approach, involving numerous experts on spatial planning and soil conservation from all Alpine countries. In the present paper, the case of Austria is shown as an example. The project has revealed that instruments dealing with soil conservation issues are available, but implementation is lacking, and binding definitions and quantitative guidelines are missing.


This work was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of Cryotop (CTP) and Solid Surface Vitrification (SSV) cryodevices in cryopreserving in vitro-matured buffalo oocytes and to study the influence of cumulus cells on viability of vitrified oocytes. Cumulus cell-free and -enclosed oocytes were exposed to an equilibration solution (ES) consisting of 7.5% (v/v) ethylene glycol (EG) and 7.5% (v/v) DMSO in TCM 199 + 20% FCS (base medium), for 5 min and then to a vitrification solution (VS) consisting of 15% (v/v) EG and 15% (v/v) DMSO with 0.5 M sucrose for 40 sec. The oocytes were then cooled in liquid nitrogen (LN2) using either a metal surface for SSV or Cyrotop sheets. Warming was performed in base medium with 1.0 and 0.5 M sucrose solutions, respectively. In experiment I, buffalo oocytes were exposed only to ES and VS for chemical toxicity. No significant differences were observed in cleavage, development to morula and blastocyst between the solution-exposed and unexposed groups. The cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes however, yielded significantly higher developments than cumulus cell-free oocytes after IVF. In Experiment II, oocytes were exposed to ES and VS and cooled in LN2. In vitro developments of cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes were not significantly different between SSV and Cryotop cryodevices. The present study demonstrated that buffalo MII oocytes can be cryopreserved successfully using CTP or SSV cryodevices with similar efficiencies and that the presence of cumulus cells was beneficial for their in vitro development. Key words: cryodevices, Cryotop, in vitro matured buffalo oocytes, minimum-volume cooling, solid surface vitrification


Pigeonpa ir wrtly conamed in the form of cooked dhal (decorticatad dry split aeture aeada) along with carads: In many countries pigeonpe 1Un garden pa ia c0mWed am grun meed collected 25 to 30 day. dter flaering (Singh etal 1984). In general, large seeded varieties are preferred for this purpose. In some Caribbean end ktin American countrier green piponpa ir procarred by canning or freezing. At ICRISAT nine genotyper differing in pod end seed coat colour were studied for the nutritional quality of green end mature meed.


A volume on Atlantic-Mediterranean deep-sea and cave sponges dedicated to Klaus Rützler and Jean Vacelet to celebrate the publication, sixty years ago, of the first works on the biodiversity of marine caves (Laborel Vacelet 1958; Russ Rützler 1959).


Due to the emergence of social media and web 2.0 applications within the last few years, tourists' travel behaviour and decision-making changed. This study investigates tourists' behavioural intentions to use Facebook for travel planning purposes. To address this objective, a combination of survey and 19 interviews provided qualitative and quantitative data. Results indicated that Information search, Sharing travel experiences and Trust were the main determinants of intention to use Facebook. In particular, travellers view Facebook as a tourism information source, they are more willing to share their experiences on their own profile rather than a providers page and that they trust other tourism related sites more than Facebook. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.


Introduction: Two person having identical fingerprints is about one in 64 thousand millions. A reliable personal identification is critical in the subject of forensics as is faced with many situations like civil, criminal, commercial and latest in financial transaction frauds, where the question of identification becomes a matter of paramount importance. In this study we have made an effort to "study a relationship between pattern of fingerprint, gender and blood group". Materials and methods: This study was carried out in 2012 on 89 medical students (62 male & 27 female), randomly chosen belonging to the age group 17- 21 at B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad Gujarat, India. The finger-prints were taken of all ten fingers over unglazed white paper using printer's ink. Pattern of fingerprints were observed by powerful hand lens and recorded. Note was made of the sex, age, ABO blood groups. Results: Results show that whorls occur more frequently in males, whereas, loops occur more frequently in females. Loops are predominant in blood group B + and whorls are predominant in blood group O + (p < 0.05). We see an association between fingerprint patterns, blood group and gender. Conclusion: From our study we may conclude that there is an association between distribution of fingerprint patterns, blood group and gender and thus in our opinion, prediction of gender and blood group of a person is possible based on his/her fingerprint patterns.


An improved procedure for the extraction of benzoylecgonine from urine is described. The method uses Drug-Clean GC/MS Benzoylecgonine solid-phase extraction tubes and a simple extraction protocol to provide high recoveries of the analyte while simultaneously decreasing the preparation time.


Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a breast cancer subtype comprising 10% of breast tumors. The majority of ILC (90%) are estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and therefore candidates for endocrine therapy. Unfortunately, de novo resistant to endocrine therapies occurs in 33% of women and a further 40% will relapse on treatment. Therefore, novel therapeutic targets are required for ILC. Deregulated transcription is a recurring theme in cancer, which can be due to epigenetic events. The bromdomain & extra-terminal domain (BET) family of proteins (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, BRDT) function as chromatin readers that bind acetylated lysine residues on histones and regulate transcription. We performed RNA-Sequencing analysis on 61 primary ILC samples and found that high expression of BRD3 is associated with poor survival in ILC (log rank test, p=0.037). We validated this finding, that high expression of BRD3 is associated with poor survival, in a second cohort of 99 ILC primary samples from the METABRIC dataset (log rank test, p=0.0157). Next, we tested if ILC cell lines were sensitive to BET inhibition using the small molecule inhibitor JQ1, which inhibits all BET family proteins. JQ1 downregulates growth and survival genes in ILC cell lines including MYC, ER and BCL-XL. Pathway analysis following RNA sequencing revealed that JQ1 targets the apoptotic and Wnt signalling pathways in ILC cell lines. Interestingly, JQ1 inhibited the cell growth in all ILC cell lines tested, however apoptosis was only induced in two ILC cell lines. Furthermore, ILC cell lines which were relatively resistant to JQ1-induced apoptosis expressed both the BCL-2 and BCL-XL anti-apoptotic proteins. This led us to assess the combination of JQ1 and the BH3 mimetics, ABT-199 and ABT-263. ABT-199 is a selective small molecule inhibitor of BCL-2, whereas ABT-263 is an inhibitor of BCL-2, BCL-XL and BCL-W proteins. We found the combination of JQ1 and ABT-263, but not the combination of JQ1 & ABT-199, to be synergistic and enhance apoptosis in ILC cell lines. This is in accordance with BH3 profiling of ILC cell lines which indicated that ILC cell lines are dependent on BCL-2/ BCL-XL proteins for cell survival. As JQ1 is a pan-BET family inhibitor, we also wish to determine which BET protein is responsible for sensitivity to JQ1. Following knockdown of each BET protein in the CAMA-1 cell line we found that BRD3 and BRD4 were responsible for loss of cell viability. Future work will include determining the specific role of BRD3 in ILC and the effectiveness of the JQ1 and ABT-263 combination in vivo. Our work suggests that inhibition of BET proteins in combination with BH3 mimetics may be a rational therapeutic combination for ILC. Citation Format: Louise Walsh, Bruce Moran, Sudipto Das, Finbarr Tarrant, Philip Schouten, Suet-Feung Chin, Rene Bernards, Carlos Caldas, William Gallagher, Triona Ni Chonghaile*, Darran O9Connor*. Epigenetic modulators for the treatment of invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4674. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4674


Current evidence indicates that rotating night shift workers have an increased risk of developing breast and prostate cancers, which have been associated with light at night (LAN)-induced circadian disruption as the principal risk factor. Previously, we demonstrated that animal room dark phase light contamination with as little as 0.20 lux (0.08 μW/cm2) suppressed the nocturnal production of the circadian oncostatic neurohormone melatonin and stimulated human breast tumor growth and metabolism. The circadian melatonin signal suppresses tumor growth and metabolism via an MT1 melatonin receptor-mediated signaling mechanism involving inhibition of aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) and linoleic acid (LA) uptake and conversion to the mitogen 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) culminating in down-regulation of the epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 pathways. We developed a new tissue-isolated androgen-receptor positive (AR+), castration-sensitive VCaP prostate tumor model in adult male athymic nude rats (Crl:NIH-Foxn1rnu), to test the hypothesis that nocturnal melatonin levels inhibit, while dim LAN (dLAN)-induced suppression of nocturnal melatonin production stimulates, tumor signaling, metabolic and growth activity. VCaP xenograft-bearing rats (n = 6/group) maintained on either a control light/dark cycle (LD, 12:12; 300 lux light phase intensity) or an experimental light/dark cycle (LD, 12:12dLAN (0.2 lux; dark phase intensity) for 6 weeks resulted in a 2.5-fold decrease in latency-to-onset (time of implant to first palpable mass) and 2-fold increase in tumor growth rates in experimental animals lacking a nocturnal circadian melatonin signal as compared to control animals with an intact melatonin signal. In control animals, plasma melatonin levels were high in the mid-dark phase (183.4 ± 12.8 pg/mL) and low (2.2 ± 0.4 pg/mL) in mid-light phase, while they were low throughout the 24-hr period in dLAN-exposed animals. Tumors harvested during the mid-dark phase (2400 h) revealed that cAMP levels, Warburg effect (increased glucose uptake and lactate production), LA uptake, 13-HODE production, and DNA [3H]Thymidine incorporation were all significantly elevated (P Citation Format: Robert T. Dauchy, Melissa A. Wren, Erin M. Dauchy, Steven M. Hill, Lin Yuan, Shulin Xiang, Yan Dong, Victoria P. Belancio, David M. Blask. Light exposure at night influences host/cancer circadian regulatory dynamics, Warburg effect, and human prostate cancer progression in nude rats. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 36.


Background Familial hypercholesterolaemia increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. The primary aim of the present study was to describe sex differences in incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease leading to hospitalisation in a complete cohort of genotyped familial hypercholesterolaemia patients. Design and methods In this registry study data on 5538 patients with verified genotyped familial hypercholesterolaemia were linked to data on all Norwegian cardiovascular disease hospitalisations, and hospitalisations due to pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, congenital heart defects and diabetes. Results During 1994–2009 a total of 1411 of familial hypercholesterolaemia patients were hospitalised, and ischaemic heart disease was reported in 90% of them. Mean (SD) age at first hospitalisation and first re-hospitalisation was 45.1 (16.5) and 47.6 (16.3) years, respectively, with no sex differences (P = 0.66 and P = 0.93, respectively). More men (26.9%) than women (24.1%) with familial hypercholesterolaemia were hospitalised (P = 0.02). The median (25th–75th percentile) number of hospital admissions was four (two to seven) per familial hypercholesterolaemia patient, with no sex differences (P = 0.87). Despite having familial hypercholesterolaemia at the time of hospitalisation, the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia was registered in only 45.7% of the patients at discharge. Conclusion Most cardiovascular disease hospitalisations were due to ischaemic heart disease. Familial hypercholesterolaemia patients were first time hospitalised at age 45.1 years, with no significant sex differences in age, which are important novel findings. The awareness and registration of the familial hypercholesterolaemia diagnosis during the hospital stays were disturbingly low.


Answer Set Programming (ASP) is a well-known declarative AI formalism for knowledge representation and reasoning. State-of-the-art ASP implementations employ the ground&solve approach, and they were successfully applied to industrial and academic problems. Nonetheless there are classes of ASP programs whose evaluation is not efficient (sometimes not feasible) due to the combinatorial blow-up of the program produced by the grounding step. Recent researches suggest that compilation-based techniques can mitigate the grounding bottleneck problem. However, no compilation-based technique has been developed for ASP programs that contain aggregates, which are one of the most relevant and commonly-employed constructs of ASP. In this paper, we propose a compilation-based approach for ASP programs with aggregates. We implement it on top of a state-of-the-art ASP system, and evaluate the performance on publicly-available benchmarks. Experiments show our approach is effective on ground-intensive ASP programs.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Human runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) gene was a new candidate tumor suppressor gene involved in the TGF-β signaling pathway. We evaluated the diagnostic role of RUNX3 gene methylation in serum DNA of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODOLOGY
Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to determine the promoter methylation status of RUNX3 gene in serum DNA. The combination of RUNX3 hypermethylation and conventional tumor markers was further analyzed.

RESULTS
Hypermethylation of RUNX3 was detected in 51.4% (36/70) of ESCC, 45.2% (28/62) of GC and 41.5% (27/65) of CRC patients, which was significantly higher than that of benign gastrointestinal diseases and healthy donors (p<0.001). Interestingly, aberrant RUNX3 methylation in serum DNA was associated with advanced stage (p=0.027) and lymph metastasis (p=0.032) in ESCC, but not in GC and CRC. Furthermore, the combinational analysis of CEA, CA19-9 and RUNX3 methylation showed a higher sensitivity and no reduced diagnostic specificity than CEA and CA19-9 combination in the three cancers.

CONCLUSIONS
The serum RUNX3 promoter hypermethylation may be a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis of ESCC, GC and CRC, which was further confirmed by combining with CEA and CA19-9.


Blood glutamine is hydrolyzed by glutaminase; the resulting ammonia is dialyzed out and measured by use of a continuous-flow colorimetric microassay. Concentrations in the range of 10 to 1300 micromol of glutamine per liter can be determined in a 40-microliter sample. With slight modifications, higher concentrations, up to 5 mmol/liter, can be measured. Assay conditions and the qualities of the microtechnique were made optimal. Usual values obtained with this method for arterial and venous blood in man are, respectively, 443 +/- 140 and 466 +/- 142 micromol/liter (mean +/- 2 SD). Corresponding values for rats are 320 +/- 92 and 340 +/- 108 micromol/liter. Fasting causes a decreased blood glutamine.


A 17 year old girl was brought into the emergency department by her mother with a 24 hour history of left sided abdominal pain, rigors, and vomiting. The pain was a dull constant ache, with intermittent left sided sharp exacerbations radiating from loin to groin. She had no urinary symptoms and her bowels had been normal. She was otherwise fit and well and took no regular drugs. She had no known allergies.

On examination, she had a temperature of 39.3°C. Her abdomen was soft but diffusely tender. She had no masses, guarding, or organomegaly, and her bowel sounds were normal. Blood tests showed a white cell count of 3.7×109/L with mild neutropenia, haemoglobin was 124 g/L, and platelets were 259×109/L. Liver function tests showed an isolated raised alanine aminotransferase of 87 U/L, urea and electrolytes were within normal limits, and C reactive protein was 16 mol/L. A urine dipstick test was negative for leucocytes, nitrites, blood, and protein. A midstream urine sample and blood cultures were sent for analysis. Abdominal radiography showed no abnormalities, but an abdominal ultrasound showed a left sided duplex kidney. No stones or collections were noted.

A working diagnosis of pyelonephritis was made and she was started on intravenous piperacillin (penicillin) and tazobactam (Tazocin) in accordance with the trust's policy for complicated urinary tract infection. After taking antibiotics for 48 hours, her condition did not improve and she developed a maculopapular rash on the anterior aspect of her chest.

### 1 In light of the rash, what alternative diagnoses would you consider?

#### Short answer

The fever and rigors suggest infection, and viral illnesses should be considered in the absence of …


This article describes the results of the research work called "The neighborhood committee, experience to form the new figures of social representation in the federal district: nature, development and redefinition". Said research was conducted in seven colonies of the western part of the delegation Alvaro Obregon. For the fieldwork two instruments were developed. The research ponders citizen representation and local representation specifically as mechanisms that strengthen civil society and establish conditions and space for greater inclusion in decision making on population activities and issues concerning them, and they are crucial in people's life and development; therefore, it points out the necessity of generating a larger political power from reforms on the legal frameworks as well as on the local representation figure. This work is also linked to the necessity of generating public construction process with emphasis on an imaginary dimension which sets the standard for the reconfiguration of visions, practices and expectations horizons operating as activators for a more inclusive and empowered citizen participation with a high commitment with its environment, its local area and with society.


In this paper we introduce a new comprehensive six-parameter distribution called the modified beta generalized linear failure rate distribution. One of the interest of this distribution is to generalize some well-known flexible distributions discussed in the literature, such as (i) the beta linear failure rate distribution, (ii) the generalized linear failure rate distribution, (iii) the beta exponential distribution, (iv) the beta Rayleigh distribution and (v) the generalized exponential distribution, among others. We derive some of its statistical properties, including the moments, the moment generating function, the quantile function, the order statistics and the mean deviations. We propose the method of maximum likelihood for estimating the model parameters. A simulation study is performed in order to investigate the performance of the maximum likelihood estimators. A real data set is used to illustrate the importance and the flexibility of the new distribution.


Abstract The circular mitochondrial genome of Yellow-bellied Tit Parus venustulus is 16,778 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and a putative control region. All of the genes are encoded on the H-strand, except for one PCG (nad6) gene and eight tRNA genes (tRNAGln, tRNAAla, tRNAAsn, tRNACys, tRNATyr, tRNASer(UCN), tRNAPro and tRNAGlu). All of these PCGs are initiated with ATG, except for cox1, which began with GTG, while stopped by six types of stop codons. All tRNA genes have the potential to fold into typical clover-leaf structure, with exception of the tRNASer(AGY) which lacks the DHU stem.


Black-blood late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) techniques are increasingly being used to uncover myocardial scar patterns that may be otherwise confused with blood signal on conventional bright-blood LGE, especially when involving the subendocardium. With signal-attenuated blood and dark muscle representation, these techniques may however be hampered by a lack of anatomical information, making spatial localization of myocardial injuries a challenging task. Here we aim to assess the clinical performance of a novel LGE technique that combines both bright- and black-blood imaging in a single time-efficient free-breathing exam to obtain LGE images with unprecedented scar contrast and localization.


To determine the role of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)·FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling in chondrogenesis, we analyzed the gene expression of alternatively spliced FGFRs during chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells in vitro. Two isoforms of FGFR3 were expressed in these cells. One was the complete form of FGFR3 (FGFR3) already reported, and the other was a novel one that lacks the acid box domain (FGFR3ΔAB). The gene of FGFR3ΔAB was expressed in undifferentiated ATDC5 cells. In contrast, the transcripts of FGFR3 were not detectable in undifferentiated cells but increased during cellular condensation, which is an obligatory step for chondrogenic differentiation. FGFR1 and FGFR2 expression was higher than that of FGFR3 in undifferentiated cells. The gene expression of cell cycle inhibitor p21 was induced during cell condensation and correlated best with the expression of FGFR3 among the FGFR isoforms expressed. The differential expression of FGFR3 isoforms during chondrogenesis suggests that these isoforms may play different roles in the regulation of growth and differentiation in chondrocytes. To define the mitogenic response of FGFR3ΔAB and FGFR3 to FGFs, their cDNAs were stably transfected into mouse BaF3 pro-B cells. FGFR3 preferentially mediates the mitogenic response to FGF1 and poor response to FGF2. In contrast, FGFR3ΔAB mediated a higher mitogenic response to FGF2 as well as to FGF1. In addition, FGFR3ΔAB responds to FGF1 at lower concentrations of heparin than FGFR3 does. These results suggest that the acid box plays an important role in the regulation of FGFR3 to mediate biological activities in response to FGFs.


Successful stimulation fluid placement in extended reach wells (ERW's) through coiled tubing (CT) is primarily dependent on the depth reached for maximum reservoir contact. Well configurations of minimum bypass (2.4 in.) and openhole sections (6 1/8 in.) are the main challenges for CT reach in these ERW's. Implementation of a CT slim tractor along with fiber-optic enabled cable were applied to overcome the challenges and set a new record for CT reach.
 CT lockup is the phenomenon that occurs due to friction forces and helical buckling, which limits the CT reach. To tackle these challenges, an accurate simulated lockup depth is estimated using historical data to identify the required pull force. The CT slim tractor (2 1/8-in.) was chosen as the optimum tool to provide the required pull force, as well as pass through the minimum ID restriction of the well. Specially designed tapered CT with fiber-optic enabled cable acquired real-time data from the downhole tension-compression (TC) sub to confirm both the activation and lockup depth of the tractor.
 The expansion ratio of the tractor from 2 1/8-in. to 6 1/8-in. OH section opens a new era for CT reach in restricted ERW's. The world slimmest tractor passed the 2.44-in. minimum ID restriction and provided more than a 3,000 lbf pulling force, allowing the CT to cover the entire openhole section. Along the way, two new records were recorded for the longest section tractored by a slim CT tractor and the furthest distance travelled in a producer well reaching a TD of 24,706 ft. Increased reservoir contact during stimulation through engineered solutions has set a new standard enabling the implementation of a full stimulation campaign.
 These engineered solutions demonstrate the potential for CT interventions in extended-reach horizontal wells with completion restrictions, where the main challenge is to maximize the reach for optimum stimulation. As a direct result of several innovative solutions applied simultaneously, a new record for CT reach was set, surpassing the previous record by nearly 5,000 ft.


Social media has emerged as a prominent element in the current digital landscape and its widespread use reflects how Web 2.0 technologies have become embedded in our lives. Use of social media technologies for learning signals a departure from the use of purely educational or institutional technologies, where educators or the institutions control the technology and the content and impose the rules. This development brings unique and fundamental opportunities, alongside challenges, for rethinking learning in museums. In a museum context, social media tools may make it possible for people to situate objects within contextual information, enable users to make links with other objects or topics and initiate discussions among them. These processes highlight the social aspect of museum experience, advocated by Falk and Dierking (1992; 2000), and it is thus hypothesised that use of social media will lead to - and enhance - a shared understanding around objects, which will facilitate the meaning-making process and thus, learning. The study presented in this paper (part of a PhD research project) is concerned with the potential of Web 2.0 technologies for enhancing young people's museum learning experience and facilitating their meaning-making process.


Dysregulation of the cholinergic transmitter system is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and contributes to an age-associated decline in memory performance. The current study examined the influence of carbachol, a cholinergic receptor agonist, on synaptic transmission over the course of aging. Extracellular excitatory postsynaptic field potentials were recorded from CA3-CA1 synapses in acute hippocampal slices obtained from young adult (5-8 mo) and aged (22-24 mo) male Fischer 344 rats. Bath application of carbachol elicited a transient depression of synaptic transmission, which was followed by a long-lasting depression (CCh-LTD) observed 90 min after carbachol cessation in both age groups. However, the magnitude of CCh-LTD was significantly larger in senescent animals and was attenuated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade in aged animals. Blockade of L-type Ca(2+) channels inhibited CCh-LTD to a greater extent in aged animals compared to young adults. Finally, the expression of CCh-LTD was dependent on protein synthesis. The results indicate that altered Ca(2+) homeostasis or muscarinic activation of Ca(2+) signaling contribute to the enhanced CCh-LTD during senescence.


Considerable confusion arises in distinguishing between software as a service (SaaS) and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Zachman's framework can help to try to make sense of the alphabet soup of Web services and utilities that form the basis for both SOA and SaaS. The difference between SaaS and SOA is that the former is a software-delivery model whereas the latter is a software-construction model. A better way to illuminate the differences between these two concepts is to use the well-known Zachman architectural model. In this article, we briefly examine the concepts of SaaS and SOA, followed by a brief history of software architectural models. We use the Zachman model to differentiate the two architectural approaches to building software. Because the Zachman model is so intuitive, the approach we take to describe the differences between SaaS and SOA works well even with non-IT professionals.


Subjects heard two lists of 4 items each presented simultaneously to the two ears at a rate of four pairs of items per sec. A recall cue presented immediately after the test list signalled report of 4 of the 8 items. In recall by spatial location, the cue indicated whether the items on the right ear on left ear should be recalled. In recall by category name, the cue indicated the superset category (e.g., letters or words) of the items to be recalled. Recall by spatial location was not significantly different than recall by category name. This results argues against the idea of a preperceptual auditory storage that holds information along spatial channels for 1 or 2 sec. The final experiment showed that recall by spatial location is significantly better than recall by category name when the report cue is given before, not after, the list presentation. These results show that spatial location can be used to enhance semantic processing and/or memory of 1 of 2 simultaneous items, but only if the relevant location is known at the time of the item presentation.


The magnetic phase diagram of CeSb, which has been determined by neutron diffraction and other experimental techniques, is briefly reviewed and related to some of the theoretical models that have been developed to account for it. The results of neutron diffraction studies of Nd metal are also summarized. The data is shown to be consistent with the theoretical prediction that between 9 K and TN there exist two magnetic phases (TN = 19.9 K; T2 = 19.3 K). A discussion is given of some of the difficulties that arise when trying to design a model of the magnetic structure that fully explains all the experimental data. Attention is paid to the prediction of renormalization‐group theory that two dimensionally modulated magnetic structures exist in Nd. It is suggested that although there is no direct experimental evidence for the existence of such structures in Nd, none of the existing experimental data preclude this possibility.


An ingenious system evolved to facilitate insulin binding to the insulin receptor as a monomer and at the same time ensure sufficient stability of insulin during storage. Insulin dimer is the cornerstone of this system. Insulin dimer is relatively weak, which ensures dissociation into monomers in the circulation, and it is stabilized by hexamer formation in the presence of zinc ions during storage in the pancreatic β-cell. Due to the transient nature of insulin dimer, direct investigation of this important form is inherently difficult. To address the relationship between insulin oligomerization and insulin stability and function, we engineered a covalently linked insulin dimer in which two monomers were linked by a disulfide bond. The structure of this covalent dimer was identical to the self-association dimer of human insulin. Importantly, this covalent dimer was capable of further oligomerization to form the structural equivalent of the classical hexamer. The covalently linked dimer neither bound to the insulin receptor, nor induced a metabolic response in vitro. However, it was extremely thermodynamically stable and did not form amyloid fibrils when subjected to mechanical stress, underlining the importance of oligomerization for insulin stability.


Magnetic properties and microstructure of melt-spun ribbons of RE60Fe30Al10 alloys with RE{} = {}Nd, Sm, Dy, Gd and Y were studied in detail. High coercivity values in the range of MA m-1 were observed at low temperatures for amorphous ribbons. Presence of Fe-rich clusters and nanoscale rare-earth crystallites in the amorphous matrix in the ribbons were revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies. The magnetic transition temperatures were estimated experimentally and compared with fitting results based on the cluster ferromagnetism model (Wang L et al 2001 Phys. Rev. B 64 214410). Possible mechanisms for the magnetic behaviour observed due to the presence of Fe-rich magnetic clusters are discussed.


Functional and inclusion dependencies are the most widely used classes of data dependencies in data profiling due to their ability to identify relationships in data such as primary and foreign keys. These relationships are equally important when dealing with nested data formats such as JSON. However, the definition of functional and inclusion dependencies makes use of a flat, unnested relational model which misses many useful types of dependencies on data which involve nested data models. In this work, we identify types of dependencies which are not captured by traditional functional and inclusion dependencies but which nevertheless capture meaningful relationships among nested data. We also demonstrate how algorithms for mining these traditional dependencies can be adapted to also mine nested dependencies. The first strategy simply flattens the input data and feeds into unmodified existing algorithms. We present a second strategy which instead adapts the algorithm to efficiently process JSON data as input which in some cases leads to a reduction in runtime by multiple orders of magnitude on real-world datasets. We further show how these algorithms can be adapted to produce useful results in the presence of a percentage of incomplete or invalid data.


Objective The aim of the study was to compare effects of a 100-kilovoltage (kVp) tin filtration (Sn100kVp) with Advanced Modeled Iterative Reconstruction (ADMIRE) protocol to an automated kVp selection and filtered back projection (FBP) protocol on radiation dose and image quality of in noncontrast-enhanced pediatric chest computed tomography (CT). Methods This retrospective study included 55 children (12 ± 6 years) undergoing baseline imaging using automated kVp selection with FBP on a second-generation dual-source CT scanner and follow-up CT using Sn100kVp with ADMIRE on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner. The volume CT dose index, dose length product, size-specific dose estimate, and milliamperage were compared. Image quality was calculated using signal-to-noise ratio and subjectively evaluated by 2 radiologists. Results Mean volume CT dose index, dose length product, and size-specific dose estimate were lower for the Sn100kVp protocol with ADMIRE (0.83 ± 0.18 mGy, 21.9 ± 7.5 mGy × cm, 1.28 ± 0.24 mGy) compared with the automated kVp protocol with FBP (2.17 ± 1.10 mGy, 65.1 ± 41.1 mGy × cm, 3.25 ± 1.44 mGy, P < 0.001), whereas milliamperage was and subjective image quality were higher for Sn100kVp (P < 0.001). Conclusions A Sn100kVp protocol with ADMIRE lowers dose while maintaining image quality in noncontrast-enhanced pediatric chest CT.


Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are increasingly promoted as green alternatives to petroleum-derived transport fuels. Scaling up feedstock production to produce enough biofuel to displace a significant portion of current petroleum demand will put pressure on land and water resources both domestically and internationally, however, and could potentially be accompanied by unacceptable changes in landscape-level land use patterns and provisioning of ecosystem services. Ensuring that feedstock production is sustainable and that biofuels provide the social and environmental benefits that are often attributed to them will require a carefully designed portfolio of agricultural, forestry, energy, and trade policies related to biofuels and feedstock production. Despite the difficulties associated with development and application of such policies, they should be in place before further policy incentive is provided for expansion of biofuel industries.


The content and effect of a new occupational therapy programme aimed for vocational training forming part of a research project named 'the Sollentuna Rehabilitation Project' are described for four patients (of 38) with musculoskeletal pain. In the programme, occupational therapy analysis and intervention alternated. Intervention was based on the model of human occupation, the rehabilitative, the biomechanical, and occupational adaptive frames of reference. Each patient participated in a structured interview and a job analysis. The programme was evaluated on five measurement occasions using the Goal Attainment Scale, self-assessments of patterns of daily occupation using an activity log, and self-estimation of pain using the 'Symtrack' instrument. On the fifth measurement occasion two of the patients had decreased their resting time and three were performing activities formerly avoided due to pain. Two patients' degree of assessed pain had decreased. Three of the four patients had attained their individual goals of occupational therapy (T= >50). The occupational therapy programme has proved to be applicable in primary health care for patients with musculoskeletal pain.


An alanine racemase (EC 22.214.171.124) mutant (Dal-) of Bacillus subtilis required small amounts of D-alanine to synthesize an osmotically stable cell wall in certain growth media. Investigation of the conditions which caused lysis in hypotonic media revealed that in addition to complex media, such as nutrient broth and acid-hydrolyzed casein, glycine inhibited stable cell wall formation. D-Alanine prevented the glycine inhibition. Up to 99% lysis occurred in both dilute and dense cell suspensions (optical densities up to 110) within 2.5 h after adding 1% glycine to late log phase cultures. Intracellular enzymes recovered from the lysate were as active as those from lysozyme-disrupted cells. No amino acid tested other than glycine induced lysis. Dal- mutants can be used for controlled lysis of bacterial cells to facilitate the isolation of normal intracellular constituents and bioengineered products from fermentation processes. Cell walls of most bacteria contain D-alanine; thus, this strategy should be applicable to a wide variety of microorganisms.


Stone machining by diamond disk is a widespread process to manufacture standard products, such as tiles, slabs, and kerbs. Cutting force and energy may be used to monitor stone machining. Empirical models are required to guide the selection of cutting conditions. In this paper, the effects of cutting conditions on cutting force and cutting energy are related to the shape of the idealized chip thickness. The empirical models developed in this paper can be used to predict the variation of the cutting energy. Therefore these models can be used to guide the selection of cutting conditions. The chip generation and removal process has been quantified with the intention of assisting both the toolmaker and the stonemason in optimising the tool composition and cutting process parameters, respectively.


Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity in human platelet sonicates was 13.6 u/g of protein (range: 7.9-25.0) in 13 healthy, non-smoking, female volunteers; corresponding values in 16 males were: 20.3 (10.1-26.0). These values Mered significantly (p = 0.034). Platelet and serum GGT activity correlated significantly (p > 0.04). Platelets seem to contain only the isoenzyme GGT 4. Part of this enzyme activity is in the form of aggregates or linked with membranes/proteins. This activity is released by Triton X-100 and trypsin and migrates as GGT 4. Serum GGT activity, a measurement in routine use, could be influenced by GGT released by platelets. It is therefore of interest that serum GGT activity can be increased in clinical conditions (e.g. myocardial infarction, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease) associated with platelet hyperactivity. Platelet GGT may influence intracellular S-nitrosoglutathione (a putative nitric oxide donor) levels. Potential associations between serum GGT activity and platelet function indices deserve investigation.


A new anti-windup scheme, whose structure stems from the model-following control (MFC), is developed in this paper for the linear system with actuator saturation. Under the proposed framework, the effect of actuator saturation is eliminated when parameters are chosen properly. Stability analysis is also provided on the basis of two different approximations for the saturation nonlinearity. As for two representative systems from industrial process viz. FOPDT and SOPDT with actuator saturation, it shows that the proposed scheme is an effective alternative for anti-windup design. And besides, it demonstrates robustness on the parametric uncertainties of the above systems as well as performance of disturbance rejection.


Wave rotors, used in a gas turbine topping cycle, offer a potential route to higher specific power and lower specific fuel consumption. In order to exploit this potential propedy, it is necessary to have some realistic means of calculating wave rotor performance, taking losses into account, so that wave rotors can be designed for good performance. This in turn requires a knowledge of the loss mechanisms. The experiment reported here was designed as a statistical experiment to identify the losses due to finite passage opening time, friction, and leakage. For simplicity, the experiment used a 3-port, flow divider, wave cycle, but the results should be applicable to other cycles. A 12" diameter rotor was used, with two different lengths, 9" and 18", and two different passage widths, 0.25" and 0.54", in order to vary friction and opening time. To vary leakage, moveable end-walls were provided so that the rotor to end-wall gap could be adjusted. The experiment is described, and the results are presented, together with a parametric fit to the data. The fit shows that there will be an optimum passage width for a given wave rotor, since, as the passage width increases, fdction losses decrease, but opening-time losses increase, and vice-versa. Leakage losses can be made small at reasonable gap sizes.


BACKGROUND
Use of a closed-incisional negative pressure therapy (ci-NPT) dressing is an emerging strategy to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) in spine surgery that lacks robust data.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of a ci-NPT, as compared with a standard dressing, on the development of SSIs after spine surgery.

METHODS
This was a prospective observational study over a 2-yr period. Indications for surgery included degenerative disease, deformity, malignancy, and trauma. Exclusion criteria included anterior and lateral approaches to the spine, intraoperative durotomy, or use of minimally invasive techniques. SSIs up to 60 d following surgery were recorded.

RESULTS
A total of 274 patients were included. SSI rate was significantly lower with ci-NPT dressing (n = 118) as compared with the standard dressing (n = 156) (3.4 vs 10.9%, P = .02). There was no statistical difference in infection rate for decompression alone procedures (4.2 vs 9.1%, P = .63), but there was a statistically significant reduction with the use of a negative-pressure dressing in cases that required instrumentation (3.2 vs 11.4%, P = .03). Patients at higher risk (instrumentation, deformity, and malignancy) had less SSIs with the use of ci-NPT, although this did not reach statistical significance. There were no complications in either group.

CONCLUSION
SSI rates were significantly reduced with a ci-NPT dressing vs a standard dressing in patients who underwent spinal surgery. The higher cost of a ci-NPT dressing might be justified with instrumented cases, as well as with certain high-risk patient populations undergoing spine surgery, given the serious consequences of an infection.


Ron Rodman Tuning In: American Narrative Television Music New York: Oxford University Press, 2010, 368 pp.review by orlene denice McMahonIn a witty article published earlier this year addressing the question of why we are watching more television, Guardian journalist Vicky Frost quotes a recent study from TV Licensing noting that the average Briton now settles down to watch a little more than four hours of television a day - an almost half-hour increase on 2006 viewing habits.1 Frost lists various reasons for this increase: better quality programmes; it is a cheap entertainment alternative during the economic downturn; we are bound less and less by the schedules; and our televisions are now better quality than ever, even though we don't actually need to be at home to watch them thanks to our phones, laptops, and tablets. And Britain is not alone in its telly-addiction. Worldwide, television watching is a favourite pastime. Indeed, in the US, television viewing is the most commonly reported activity after work and sleep, taking up just over half of all leisure time.2No wonder then that the subject of television music has become an increasingly hot topic of research in academia over the past few years. Like its predecessor film music, television music has garnered increased attention by media scholars and musicologists, resulting in a number of significant publications in recent times. Notable here are two collections of original essays published as part of the Routledge Music and Screen Media Series: the 2011 collection entitled Music in Television: Channels of Listening, edited by James Deaville, and the 2012 collection entitled Music in Science Fiction Television: Tuned to the Future, jointly edited by Kevin J. Donnelly and Philip Hayward. Both collections are testament to the increased critical awareness of the power and possibilities of music on the small screen as well being exciting entry-points into understanding culture in the twenty-first century.3 However, these collections are not the first to talk about television music. One book that is singled out by film music specialist Claudia Gorbman as having 'paved the way in establishing the field of television music criticism and for much thinking [on the subject since]' is Ron Rodman's Tuning In: American Narrative Television Music.4Referred to as 'arguably the first important academic monograph about television music', Rodman's Tuning In is certainly not an introductory overview of the subject.5 Rather, it offers a heavily theory-driven study of television as a medium of communication and how music functions (and of course signifies) therein. Drawing upon a wide variety of genres from the first fifty years of American television, encompassing westerns, science-fiction thrillers, police dramas, sitcoms, and commercials, the goal of Tuning In is to convey a theory of how meaning and mediation occurred in television music in the period from 1949-99. Rodman does so through the prisms of history, analysis, and existing theory, ultimately exploring how this music conveys meaning to American television viewing audiences.The book opens with an introduction outlining the development of television music during the first decade of broadcasting, providing a backdrop for the ensuing discussion of American television music since World War II. Chapter 1 sets out Rodman's methodological approach towards developing an associative theory of television music based on the audience's pre-established habits and beliefs about musical types or topics. In doing so, he leads the reader into an in-depth theoretical examination of television as a semiotic communications system, identifying music as an important component of television's technical codes, which interacts with many other codes to convey televisual meaning. By means of a brief analysis of the opening credits to the late 1950s Western show, The Rifleman, Rodman illustrates the multichannel communication and semiotic model that is television, emphasising the sensory channel of music as a significant contributor to the programme's communication of a meaningful message. …


Since the famous competition for the Park La Villette in Paris where the participants included Bernard Tschumi, Peter Eisenman and Gilles Deleuze, the relationship between building and landscape has been dramatically transformed. Concepts such as metamorphosis and interaction, layers and fields are becoming as much a part of architectonic discourse as the practical designs and the realization. Author Paola Gregory examines this interplay between buildings and landscapes present in today's architecture scene, illustrating her analysis with exciting examples including the ecological landscapes of James Wines and Greg Lynn, the virtual environments of Marcos Novak and Nox, buildings by Jean Nouvel and Toyo Ito which actively incorporate passers-by and surroundings by means of new media.


This thesis applies an international political economy perspective to explore the main factors and processes involved in the development of micro-regionalisation among the Guangdong province of China, Taiwan and Japan with specific reference to the electronics industry. The emphasis is on the inter-related dynamics of multi-level governance (involving in particular the increasingly important role of Chinese sub-national governments and their network relations with multinational corporations) and the spread of cross-border production networks and international commodity chains. This is the first study to integrate an analysis of economic and political-governmental factors in the development of this particular case of micro-regionalisation. The analysis focuses on three related research questions: (1) How should we define and characterise the key components of micro-regionalisation among Guangdong, Taiwan and Japan? (2) What kinds of policy environment and what actors in the host and home countries are needed to support cross-border economic relations? (3) How do networks of multi-level governance (MLG) operate to facilitate micro-regionalisation?

First, the phenomenon of micro-regionalisation among Guangdong, Taiwan and Japan is analysed in terms of three major components: the opening up of new political and economic spaces in Guangdong as a result of China's domestic reform movement and the emergence of a fluid and flexible system of multi-level governance; the strategic decisions by Japanese firms, especially in electronics, to invest in southern China; and the expansion of cross-strait production networks between southern China and Taiwan.

Secondly, the development of cross-border relations is examined from the viewpoint of the inter-relationships between key strategic actors (the state, sub-national governments and multinational firms) and the impact of a number of organisational variables, including commodity chains, network linkages, production networks, guanxi networks and organisational learning and conventional social factors). The analysis highlights the impact on firms' behaviour of both the home and host governance contexts.

Thirdly, the analysis shows that, with the dispersion of authoritative decision making in China, the multiple levels of local (sub-national) government have assumed more responsibility in responding directly to foreign investors. The case study of Dongguan and the electronics industry reveals the important roles of the provincial, city and sub-municipal governments in developing cross-border micro-regional network relations with multinational firms. It also highlights some of the major problems arising from an emergent, unplanned system of multi-level governance that lacks overall control and co-ordination.


This paper presents an original low-voltage CMOS, bipolar transistor free, sub-threshold voltage reference capable of operating with sub-1V supply voltages. Novel aspects of the proposed solution are (i) use of a bandgap core with a single MOSFET to avoid threshold voltage error terms and (ii) adoption of an high-gain, low offset inverter-like amplifier in the bandgap feedback loop. Relatively high output current sourcing capabilities are obtained by means of an output source follower stage based on native MOSFETs. The circuit potentiality is demonstrated by means of electrical simulations performed on a prototype designed with a standard 0.18um CMOS process. A reference voltage of 0.483 V, with a maximum variation of 4mV in a temperature range of -20/80°C, has been obtained with a supply voltage of 0.7 V. The maximum output current is 200μA with a quiescient current consumpion of only 9.8μA.


We analyze strategic delegation in a Stackelberg model with an arbitrary number, n, of firms. We show that n − 1 firms delegate their production decisions and only one firm (the one whose manager is the first mover) does not. The later a manager commits to a quantity, the higher his incentive rate. Letting ui denote the equilibrium payoff of the firm whose manager commits in the i-th stage, we show that un > u ∗ n−1 > · · · > u ∗ 2 > u ∗ 1. We also compare the delegation outcome of our game with that of a corresponding Cournot oligopoly and show that managers who commit late (early) are given higher (lower) incentive rates than managers in the Cournot market.


Image reconstruction from its projections is a necessity in many applications such as medical (CT), security, inspection, and others. This paper extends the 2-D Fan-beam method in to 3-D. The algorithm, called Pyramid Beam (PB), is based upon the parallel reconstruction algorithm in . It allows fast capturing of the scanned data, and in 3-D, the reconstructions are based upon the discrete X-ray transform . The PB geometries are reordered to fit parallel projection geometry. The underlying idea is to use the algorithm in by porting the proposed PB geometries to fit the algorithm in . The complexity of the algorithm is comparable with the 3-D FFT. The results show excellent reconstruction qualities while being simple for practical use.


In 2012, the European Process Safety Centre (EPSC) published Making the case for leading indicators in process safety which is a pamphlet on the selection, development, and implementation of leading indicators for process safety. The document contains details on the type and spread of indicators which EPSC members have established within their own companies. In addition, EPSC provided several practical tips for the do's and don'ts of successful implementation including presentation of data and engagement of staff. This article is to develop these aspects further while exploring the relationship between leading indicators on a plant, business unit, and corporate level. Additionally, the interaction between leading and lagging indicators is to be highlighted alongside the management space which process safety indicators now inhabit with respect to monitoring and audit/review activities. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 332–336, 2013


One of the many difficulties with medicines management in primary care is the information gap that exists between the primary and secondary care continuum with regard to the transfer of patients' medication details. This study describes the procedures and drawbacks involved in bridging this information gap, with a view to improving medication safety and its implications on seamless patient care. The accuracy of the information transfer across multidisciplinary teams was audited by an interface pharmacist. Data from 41 general practitioners were analysed. Interventions made included identification of inappropriate medications and adjustments to ensure accurate medicines and doses. Two-hundred and eight (66 patients and 142 emergency patients) were evaluated. Medication errors were detected in a total of 58.7% of hospital admissions. The outcome of this study showed that the presence of a primary care pharmacist working within the hospital setting ensured accurate medication histories were available for patients, and any unintentional prescribing changes made during episodes of inpatient care were quickly identified and addressed. Swift electronic transfer of accurate discharge medication and laboratory tests enabled primary care clinical records to be immediately updated and primary care rationalisation of treatment to be effected. This ensured the safe and accurate use of medication by reducing the likelihood of transcription errors and adverse consequences occurring across the interface, thereby ensuring seamless patient care.


Two-dimensional siloxene sheets are an emerging class of materials with an eclectic range of potential applications including electrochemical energy conversion and storage sectors. Here, we demonstrated the dehydrogenation/dehydroxylation of siloxene sheets by thermal annealing at high temperature (HT) and investigated their supercapacitive performances using ionic liquid electrolyte. The X-ray diffraction analysis, spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared, laser Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) studies, and morphological analysis of HT-siloxene revealed the removal of functional groups at the edges/basal planes of siloxene, and preservation of oxygen-interconnected Si6 rings with sheet-like structures. The HT-siloxene symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) operates over a wide potential window (0-3.0 V), delivers a high specific capacitance (3.45 mF cm-2), high energy density of about 15.53 mJ cm-2 (almost 2-fold higher than that of the as-prepared siloxene SSC), and low equivalent series resistance (compared to reported silicon-based SSCs) with excellent rate capability and long cycle life over 10 000 cycles.


Anti-silencing factor 1 (ASF1) is a histone chaperone that contributes to the histone deposition during nucleosome assembly in newly replicated DNA. It is involved in chromatin disassembly, transcription activation and in the cellular response to DNA damage. In Leishmania major the ASF1 gene (LmASF1) is located in chromosome 20 and codes for a protein showing 67% of identity with the Trypanosoma brucei TbASF1a. Compared to orthologous proteins, LmASF1 conserves the main residues relevant for its various biological functions. To study ASF1 in Leishmania we generated a mutant overexpressing LmASF1 in L. major. We observed that the excess of LmASF1 impaired promastigotes growth rates and had no impact on cell cycle progress. Differently from yeast, ASF1 overproduction in Leishmania did not affect expression levels of genes located on telomeres, but led to an upregulation of proteins involved in chromatin remodelling and physiological stress, such as heat shock proteins, oxidoreductase activity and proteolysis. In addition, we observed that LmASF1 mutant is more susceptible to the DNA damaging agent, methyl methane sulphonate, than the control line. Therefore, our study suggests that ASF1 from Leishmania pertains to the chromatin remodelling machinery of the parasite and acts on its response to DNA damage.


SUMMARY: Orthophosphate accumulation by Tetrahymena pyriformis W was enhanced by stigmasterol, β-sitosterol or cholesterol and depressed by 2:4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to an extent determined by the concentration of DNP and hydrogen ion in the suspension medium. The depression of phosphate accumulation by DNP was mitigated by the addition of stigmasterol, the degree of annulment being dependent in part on the stigmasterol concentration. The distribution of accumulated phosphate was not significantly altered by the addition of sterol and/or DNP under the conditions used, indicating that these compounds may influence entry of ortho-phosphate by affecting a membrane phenomenon.


We show how to build an inductorless version of the classic Chua's circuit. The goal is to build Chua's circuit quickly and easily. To this end, only off-the-shelf components are used. A suitable inductor for Chua's circuit is often hard to procure. Here, the inductor is replaced by a single op-amp synthetic inductor circuit. The synthetic inductor is novel in the sense that it is not a gyrator, it is a one port device and thus a simple blackbox analogy to an inductor is possible. We illustrate the robustness of the synthetic inductor by synthesizing two different inductor values.


The World Summit on Physical Education, held in Berlin in November 1999, called attention to the serious decline in the state and status of physical education and school sport, all over the world. This report outlines the methods of the Sport in Education Project (SpinEd), an international research project, funded by the International Olympic Committee, which offers a response to some of the problems confronting Physical Education and School Sport. It aims to draw together evidence from around the world on the benefits of quality Physical Education and School Sport. The project involves the construction of a framework for evaluating the role of Physical Education and School Sport within the education system; the production of a research summary and annotated bibliography; the collection of examples of good practice from every continent of the world; and the collection of data regarding pupils' perceptions of the outcomes of Physical Education and Sport. Key words: Physical education, outcomes, school children, perception, good practice. AJPHERD Vol.11(1) 2005: 1-5


It is well known that hydrogen addition to spark-ignited (SI) engines can reduce exhaust emissions and increase efficiency. Micro plasmatron fuel converters can be used for onboard generation of hydrogen-rich gas by partial oxidation of a wide range of fuels. These plasma-boosted microreformers are compact, rugged, and provide rapid response. With hydrogen supplement to the main fuel, SI engines can run very lean resulting in a large reduction in nitrogen oxides (NO x ) emissions relative to stoichiometric combustion without a catalytic converter. This paper presents experimental results from a microplasmatron fuel converter operating under variable oxygen to carbon ratios. Tests have also been carried out to evaluate the effect of the addition of a microplasmatron fuel converter generated gas in a 1995 2.3-L four-cylinder SI production engine. The tests were performed with and without hydrogen-rich gas produced by the plasma boosted fuel converter with gasoline. A one hundred fold reduction in NO x due to very lean operation was obtained under certain conditions. An advantage of onboard plasma-boosted generation of hydrogen-rich gas is that it is used only when required and can be readily turned on and off. Substantial NO x reduction should also be obtainable by heavy exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) facilitated by use of hydrogen-rich gas with stoichiometric operation.


This study investigated the financial signals that have been ignored or have failed to be controlled by J. Crew Inc. from 2013 until 2019. Exploratory research is carried out with the help of secondary data which was collected from the downloaded formal documents submitted by J. Crew Inc. to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). Researchers analyzed these documents and prepared statements on vertical income statement, vertical balance sheet, horizontal income statement, horizontal balance sheet, trend analysis of income statement, and trend analysis of balance sheet, as well as ratio analysis on liquidity, long-term solvency, profitability, and turnover ratios with the help of excel. This paper has identified total of 15 alarming signs that companies either ignored, could not control, or did not act with alertness towards to stop the business being taken out of hands. In this research paper, the establishment of J. Crew Inc. was presented in four sections: Crew Retail Stores, Crew Factory Stores, Crew Mercantile Stores, and Crew Madewell Stores. The results of this study show that it was not the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed this retail giant into bankruptcy, but numerous reasons and financial turbulences. J. Crew's financial performance gave plenty of alarming signals that the showed the company was not on track, but these were ignored by the company. Right from net profit, operating expenses, total revenue, goodwill, return on assets, liquidity, and solvency, all 15 indicators were not meeting the industry ideal standard for a continuous period of 5 years. Whether or not the organization can rebuild and contend in a post-pandemic world, is not yet clear.


Public sector plays a significant role in the economy as well as in the labour market. Form one side the primary task of the civil servants is to ensure the conditions where business and society are able to create value. On the other hand their salaries becomes a significant financial line in the state's or municipality's budget. Effectiveness and efficiency of management of civil servants require clear principals, results based approach and control system. Performance measurement concept which leads to transparent results based management and is widely applied in private companies for decades could be a solution for public sector as well. However implementation of the principals of performance measurement for public sector has its peculiarities and limitations. This study aims to find out the main obstacles to effective performance mesurement applicability in municipalities and to propose recommendations for performance measurement implementation covering various peculiarities of municipalities. Theoretical findings let us claim that the key success factors of performance measurement in the municipalities are political will and support, methodological assistance and expertise, clear performance measurement application strategy, high control of selectable parameters and equivalent allocation of funding. Results of qualitative research lead to the conclusion that issues related to clear understanding about what is performance measurement, what is its purpose, what benefits it can provide to municipal activities as well as of motivation and interest from different municipality's administrative units are significant as well..DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.27.2.13480


Taxes over the years have played a very important role worldwide, as governments are not profitable and only through the revenues fail to develop programs that arise in issues of social investment and economic growth. In this paper the evolution that has taken the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the years in Colombia, the role in taxation and involvement to be presented with gradual clearing provisions of Law 1430 of 2010 is analyzed, gave an overview of the history of the financial system, the framework which is regulated by the GMF and finally an analysis on the economic impact in the country.


Chromosome substitution strains (also called consomic lines or strains) are strains in which a single, full-length chromosome from one inbred strain — the donor strain — has been transferred onto the genetic background of a second inbred strain — the host strain. Based on the results obtained from behavioural tests with the two parental strains, the minimum number of animals from each of the host and consomic strains that are required for a successful behavioural genetic analysis can be estimated. Correct application of statistical knowledge can lead to a further reduction in the number of animals used in behavioural genetic experiments using chromosome substitution strains.


The acronym PHACES is used to describe the association of posterior fossa malformations, hemangiomas, arterial anomalies (cardiovascular or cerebrovascular), coarctation of the aorta and cardiac defects, eye abnormalities, and sternal or ventral defects. We report a female patient with an uncommon variant of this neurocutaneous disorder who manifested a sternal cleft; supraumbilical raphe; hemangiomas of the face, chest, and extremities; micrognathia and cerebrovascular anomalies. A literature review of PHACES patients with both sternal cleft and supraumbilical raphe showed a marked female predilection. Taken together with cases of sternal cleft, supraumbilical raphe and facial hemangiomas tabulated by Gorlin et al. (1994), 91% (40/44) of patients are female. One affected male died shortly after birth. We hypothesized that the gender bias in PHACES results from mutation in an X‐linked dominant gene often lethal in males, and performed X‐inactivation analysis of the polymorphic androgen receptor locus in this family. We documented consistently skewed X‐inactivation (80%/20% in two independent analyses) in the unaffected mother and consistently random X‐inactivation (47:53 and 61:39 in independent analyses) in the proband. These findings are consistent with favorably skewed X‐inactivation producing a normal maternal phenotype, a phenomenon documented in X‐linked dominant Rett syndrome.


Urban Heat Island (UHI) intensity is one of vital parameters in studying urban boundary layer meteorology as well as urban planning. Because the UHI intensity is defined as air temperature difference between urban and rural sites, an objective sites selection criterion is necessary for proper quantification of the spatial variations of the UHI intensity. This study quantified the UHI intensity and its spatial pattern, and then analyzed their connections with urban structure and metabolism in Seoul metropolitan area where many kinds of land use and land cover types coexist. In this study, screen-level temperature data in non-precipitation day conditions observed from 29 automatic weather stations (AWS) in Seoul were analyzed to delineate the characteristics of UHI. For quality control of the data, gap test, limit test, and step test based on guideline of World Meteorological Organization were conducted. After classifying all stations by their own local climatological properties, UHI intensity and diurnal temperature range (DTR) are calculated, and then their seasonal patterns are discussed. Maximum UHI intensity was 4.3℃ in autumn and minimum was 3.6℃ in spring. Maximum DTR appeared in autumn as 3.8℃, but minimum was 2.3℃ in summer. UHI intensity and DTR showed large variations with different local climate zones. Despite limited information on accuracy and exposure errors of the automatic weather stations, the observed data from AWS network represented theoretical UHI intensities with difference local climate zone in Seoul.


Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks in railway wheels and rails are costly and complex to deal with. Despite the extensive research efforts that have been put into understanding the mechanisms and developing appropriate predictive models for RCF crack growth, there are still a lot of open questions. This is the case regarding the direction and growth rate of RCF crack propagation under multiaxial wheel–rail contact loading, which also interplays with rail bending and thermal loads during the operational life of a rail. In the first paper of this thesis (Paper A), a numerical procedure is developed to evaluate the effect of different operational loading scenarios on the predicted crack paths in rails. A 2D linear elastic finite element model of a rail part with an inclined surface-breaking crack has been implemented. The rail part is subjected to wheel–rail contact load, rail bending, and temperature drop as isolated scenarios and in combinations. The effective crack propagation direction is predicted based on an accumulative Vector Crack Tip Displacement (VCTD) criterion that accounts for crack face locking effects through a reversed shear threshold parameter. It has been shown that the crack path for combined thermal and contact loads varies gradually between the pure load cases while the combination of bending and contact loading has an abrupt change in predicted crack paths. Furthermore, the dependency of the results on the reversed shear threshold parameter is investigated. The influence of crack face friction on the crack path is investigated in the second paper (Paper B). The numerical procedure developed in Paper A is utilised, and crack face friction is modelled by a Coulomb friction model. Qualitative predictions are obtained for varying magnitude of the coefficient of friction, as well as for varying parameters of the crack growth criterion. It is observed that the frictional crack tends to go deeper into the rail under a pure contact load and for a combination of bending and contact loads, while the friction has a moderate influence on the crack path for combined thermal and contact loads. Furthermore, assessment of the ranges of crack face deformation indicates that friction reduces the crack growth rate.


: A 2-year-old Manipuri girl had haemoptysis and a chest roentgenogram disclosed diffuse-infiltrates in the right lung. Microscopic examination of sputum and morning gastric aspirate showed numerous golden-brown, operculated ova, and microscopic examination of stool specimens confirmed these ova to be those of the lung fluke, Paragonimus westermani. She responded favourably to bithionol therapy and was asymptomatic and growing normally during follow up for one and half years.


This article explains why an understanding of deviant leisure is significant for criminology. Through reorienting our understanding of 'deviance' from a contravention of norms and values to encompassing engagement in behaviour and actions that contravene a moral 'duty to the other', the new 'deviant leisure' perspective outlined here describes activities that through their adherence to cultural values inscribed by consumer capitalism, have the potential to result in harm. Using the ideological primacy of consumer capitalism as a point of departure, we explore the potential for harm that lies beneath the surface of even the most embedded and culturally accepted forms of leisure. Such an explanation requires a reading that brings into focus the subjective, socially corrosive, environmental and embedded harms that arise as a result of the commodification of leisure. In this way, this article aims to act as a conceptual foundation for diverse yet coherent research into deviant leisure.


We examine whether increasing investor attention affects stock price efficiency. To identify the causal effect, we employ daily repeated quasi‐natural experiments in China where investor attention difference is purely driven by price rounding effect without information regarding stock fundamentals. Stocks tend to draw significant more attention and show higher price efficiency after being exposed to the Winner List. We also find supporting evidence for two nonexclusive channels through which investor attention enhance stock price efficiency: increasing stock liquidity and stronger net inflows from large orders. The positive relationship between investor attention and price efficiency is more pronounced among stocks with lower institutional shareholdings, stocks without overseas or Big Four audit firms, and stocks without B‐ or H‐shares. Our findings further shed light on the significant impact of saliency on the capital market.


BackgroundTo summarize the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of pregnancy with gastric cancer.MethodsThe clinical data of pregnant patients with gastric cancer diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2009.1 to 2019.12 were analyzed. Two sex-, age-, and stage- matched controls for each case were identified from the medical data. Clinical characteristics, pathological features and prognosis were summarized.ResultsThe median overall survival time of the pregnancy with gastric cancer and the control group were 8.0 months and 11.0 months, respectively (P = 0.05). The advanced stage was associated with poor prognostic factors. Pregnancy with gastric cancer was associated with a longer time from diagnosis to treatment (19.0 days vs 9.0 days, p = 0.012). The median age was 32 years old (26.0ཞ41.0 years old). The diagnosed time of prengnancy week was 9.0 ~ 37.0 weeks. Of 22 patients, 4 patients had gastric cancer family history. Abdominal pain (6/22, 27.3%) was the most common presentation, and other symptoms were nausea and/or vomiting (3/22, 13.6%), nonspecific dyspepsia (3 cases, 13.6%), and melena (1 case, 4.5%). Other 9 patients (41.0%) were identified with metastatic features, including abdominal distention, ascites, abdominal mass, and jaundice. 5 cases(22.7%) received curative gastrectomy, 5 patients (22.7%) received chemotherapy,and other 12 patients (54.6%) received supportive therapy. ConclusionsThe prognosis of patients with gastric cancer in pregnancy is very poor, and patients often cannot be diagnosed in time. The tumor differentiation is poor with advanced stage, always progresses rapidly with high mortality. And the tumor stage was the significant factor influecing the prognosis.


"Village landscapes," writes Bret Wallach, "are among the most perfect places on the planet." In this account of the aesthetic cost of modernizing the Asian countryside, Wallach presents a dark side of Third World development. Showing through descriptive travelogue where and how so much of the beauty in these rural landscapes has been lost, he nevertheless concludes that there is still much left to protect. Writing both from his own personal experience and research, Wallach takes readers on an adventure into Asia that begins in Yunnan in southern China. He then visits five progressively more pristine places until finally, in the Ganges delta, he arrives at one of the last places in Asia virtually untouched by Western development. Wallach describes Chinese officials who, in the pursuit of more efficient production, do not hesitate to sacrifice traditional and beautiful agricultural landscapes. But it is in India, among the lingering vestiges of British colonialism, where he finds the roots of the "culture of development". Wallach warns of the danger not only of foreign experts but also of well-meaning natives returning home from the West, armed with advanced degrees and "full of technical tricks". Just as these specialists have - however grudgingly - found room in their development plans for ecological considerations, so too, Wallach contends, they should now find room for the preservation of beauty. Throughout, Wallach relates the history of rural development in South Asia along with his own observation of the contemporary rural landscape. He provides examples of how new methods of agriculture, irrigation and community development have brought dramatic transformations to Asia as a whole. In the final chapter, he describes grassroot conservation movements already working throughout Asia and discusses ways in which these places might be saved.


3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), refers to various processes used to synthesize a three-dimensional object. In 3D printing, successive layers of material are formed under computer control to create an object. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. 3D printing in the term's original sense refers to processes that sequentially deposit material onto a powder bed with inkjet printer heads. More recently, the meaning of the term has expanded to encompass a wider variety of techniques such as extrusion and sintering-based processes. 3D printing has been used to print patient specific implant and device for medical use. 3D printing technology can now be used to make exact replicas of organs. The printer uses images from patients' MRI or CT scan images as a template and lays down layers of rubber or plastic.

 In the present book, twelve typical literatures about 3D printing in medicine published on international authoritative journals were selected to introduce the worldwide newest progress, which contains reviews or original researches on medical science concerning 3D printing. We hope this book can demonstrate advances in 3D printing in medicine as well as give references to the researchers, students and other related people.


In this study, an elastic-plastic stress analysis is carried out on a composite thermoplastic disc reinforced by steel fibers, curvilinear. Radial and tangential stresses are obtained under a uniform temperature distribution. Thermal stresses occur in the disc for the uniform temperature distribution due to the different thermal expansions in radial and tangential directions. The magnitude of the tangential stress component for elastic and elastic-plastic cases is higher than that of the radial stress component. The tangential stress component is compressive and tensile on the inner and outer surfaces, respectively. It is the highest on the inner surface. The elastic-plastic solution is performed for the plastic region expanded around the inner and outer surfaces by an analytical formulation and a numerical solution. The solution is also carried out by the finite element method (ANSYS solution). These two solutions give similar results. The intensities of the residual stress component of the tangential stress and plastic flow are the highest at the inner surface.


This work aimed to determine the salts of MS environment and sucrose concentrations to increase the efficiency of the in vitro multiplication of calla lily species. Explants were removed from the plant and inoculated in different concentrations of MS environment (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200%) and sucrose (0; 15; 30; 45 and 60 g L -1 ). It was used a completely randomized block design with four replications. The medium pH was adjusted to 5.8 and solidified with 5.5 g L -1 of agar before sterilization at 121 oC and 1 atm for 20 minutes. After inoculation, the tubes were transferred to growth room adjusted to 27±1 oC, irradiance of 35 µmol m -2 s -1 and photoperiod of 16 hours. After 60 days, the length of the aerial part and roots, the number of sprouts, roots and leaves, fresh mass of the aerial part and roots of seedlings were evaluated. There was higher number (3.5) and length (3.4 cm) of sprouting with 30 g L -1 of sucrose and 125% of salt in the MS environment (2.14 sprouts), without significant interaction between sucrose and MS environment. For the variables, number of leaves (4.13) and fresh mass of the aerial part (0.9 g), the best result was obtained in MS environment 100% associated to 30 and 60 g L -1 of sucrose, respectively.


If, as some authors argue, the First World War marked a 'satire of circumstance' for the young men and women of Europe in the second decade of the twentieth century, for Irish people the events of 1914–18 marked no less a panoply of contradictions. Characterised as the first modern war where technology and communications enhanced, on scales heretofore never witnessed, the capacity to obliterate life with extreme regularity and ferociousness, the recruitment needs of all sides in the conflict implicated sections of the population which, until then, were immune from military experience and modern warfare. Enacted, to a great extent, by a volunteer army, recruited and trained 'for the duration' and whose commitment to military life was to extend no longer than the conflict, the war necessitated the state to undertake a massive drive to enter into the hearts and minds of young men and women whom it sought to recruit. While to 'fight for one's country' or one's empire, was not in itself a new phenomenon (indeed the heroic soldier of the literary consciousness had entered the imagination of the young long before the war), the call to arms nevertheless was a structured, planned activity which, through a variety of means, sought to tap into a suite of cultural and political prejudices of the day. Despite the common references found in recruitment propaganda of all participating states, there are, equally, strategies in this literature which reveal the different recruitment policies observed by individual combatant states.


I. Regionalism 600II. The WTO and Russia 601III. Integration of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, and Russian Federation 607IV. Commission of the Customs Union (Now the Eurasian Economic Commission) 608V. Judicial Practice of Kazakhstan and Customs Integration 609VI. Conclusions 613[The text of a Public Lecture of same title delivered at the Law School of the University of Memphis on September 27, 2013]On September 4, 2013, the website of the Kremlin in Moscow posted a brief statement declaring that during a meeting between the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the Republic Armenia, Serge Sargsyan, Armenia had disclosed its decision to accede to a Customs Union originally formed by Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia rather than sign an association agreement with the European Union ("EU").1 The EU takes the view that a former Soviet republic, such as Armenia, must choose between Brussels and Moscow; being a member of the Customs Union and being associated with the EU simultane*ously is, in the view of Brussels, not an option because members of the Customs Union have "effectively ceded sovereignty over trade issues to Russia."2 Such a cession, if correct, would ultimately preclude integration into the EU as members, which is the ultimate aim of an associate relationship.The Armenian decision was another step in a new "Great Game."3 Other former Soviet republics-Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Azerbaijan-faced a similar European choice. The "Game" at the moment is taking the form of new constellations of "regionalism," a measure of restoration of Russian influence in areas traditionally an integral part of the Russian Empire or the "Eastern partnership" of the EU. The last is seen either as a group of countries associated with the EU, in some formal fashion, or integrated into the EU, by virtue of full membership at some unspecified future date.Between these alternatives in Eastern Europe exist a number of relationships for the countries concerned: the Commonwealth of Independent States ("CIS"), its predecessors, and some related satellite organizations; the World Trade Organization ("WTO"); the Eurasian Economic Community; and the Union State (Belarus and Russia).4 These are among the principal pillars of regional diplomacy, primarily economic diplomacy (as opposed to military alliances), engaged for the countries concerned.I. RegionalismEach of the foregoing examples is, arguably, an example of political and economic "regionalism," leaving us with the question of what constitutes a "region." Presumably, a definition of "region" is partly a matter of scale and partly a matter of perceived commonalities of interest and/or propinquity. For legal purposes, something of planetary scale may be regarded as tantamount to "universal" (unless one views our planet Earth as a tiny "region" of the solar system). The term obviously has geographical overtones if we were to conceive of a region as something geophysical. But what of legal abstractions: are "families of legal systems" each a "region" for analytical purposes? Is it appropriate to speak of a "region" of Civil Law and Common Law systems? What of Islamic legal systems-do they comprise a region? If so, what kind of region-theological, ideological, geographical?What of the deep seabed, characterized in the 1983 Law of the Sea Convention as the "Area." Although a geophysical phenomenon, it also has a special legal regime. Many seas and oceans have an "Area," so that whereas the Area is a geophysical domain, it is not necessarily a cohesive domain all joined together in a single submerged territorial mass. As a legal domain, however, it shares a common legal regime irrespective of where located on our planet-a legal "region"?Then, there is the WTO, which has 159 out of 194 (or 196, counting Abkhazia and South Osetia) potential members. Do we in effect have two regions: members and non-members? …


The author developed 3 models for resolving conflict from previous literature: resolving conflict by (a) deferring to status power (b) applying regulations, and (c) integrating interests. Preference for a model is argued to be influenced by culture, which filters information and guides members toward a particular model. The normative conflict models of Japanese, German, and American business managers are predicted from their group rankings on 3 dimensions of cultural variation: ( a) hierarchical differentiation, (b) explicit contracting, and (c) polychronicity. The majority of specific hypotheses about cultural group, dimensions, and conflict model are confirmed. Implications of these findings for international business managers as well as cross-cultural researchers are discussed.


This paper presents an overview of research relating to tire-related accident studies and case studies in evaluating specific accident situations where tire disablements were also encountered. The paper also presents a comprehensive examination of selected accidents following tire disablements. Tire disablements include blowouts, tread separations, punctures, airouts, etc. Methodology for studying vehicle performance during tread separation is presented as well as results of full-scale tests where tread separations were induced. In this manner, vehicle transient response during tire disablements is also discussed. The paper also addresses warning signs preceding tire disablements that often accompany tread separation, and the human response in these situations. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD E201455.


A crystal engineering based design strategy for metallogels has been demonstrated in a series of mixed ligand based CuII/CoII coordination polymers derived from two bis-pyridyl-bis-amide ligands namely N,N′-bis-(3-pyridyl)isophthalamide (L1) and N,N′-bis-(3-pyridyl)terephthalamide (L2) and various dicarboxylates. These mixed ligand coordination polymers are shown to form gels as well as X-ray quality crystals under different conditions. The crystal structures of the gel fibers in the xerogels have been determined by using powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The results support the proof of the concept based on which the metallogels are designed.


This article examines the complex and often contradictory dynamics of organisational learning through the lens of paradox. Based on a 4-year action research programme in policing, our findings reveal two key tensions relating to knowledge control (codification-discretion) and knowledge disclosure (transparency-occlusion). Casting paradox as an ' either/and' relationship, we use these themes of control and disclosure to explore the interplay of learning (where actions either enable and inhibit learning) and emotion (where actions either reduce and increase anxiety). We consider how knowledge and learning are entangled in issues of emotional and institutional security, which operate at the threshold between public-service and public-served. In the psycho-politics of this relationship, the police attempt to safeguard either themselves from the anxiety of unwarranted blame and their communities from the anxiety of unmediated disclosure of the dangers of the world. From this perspective, we theorise organisational learning in policing as a paradox of either success and failure, either care and self-care and either potence and impotence. While grounded in policing, our reflections have a broader relevance for the ways in which knowledge tactics both shape and reflect relations between organisations and their key stakeholders, especially those based on the contingent and incongruous logics of service.