Background: Drug resistance is an important factor that compromise therapeutic effect of most anti-cancer drugs including molecular-targeted agents. Non-invasive assessment of drug resistance by circulating biomarkers would therefore be useful for determining therapeutic options for resistant patients. Recently, a receptor tyrosine kinase AXL has been implicated in acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors in NSCLC cells. In this study, we examined the potential utility of AXL as a circulating biomarker to predict acquired or intrinsic drug resistance using NSCLC cells.

Materials and methods: Drug resistant NSCLC cell lines were developed by exposing NSCLC cells with either EGFR inhibitor gefitinib or MET inhibitor PHA-665752. AXL-positive cells in parent and established resistant cell lines were isolated by anti-AXL antibody-immobilized magnetic beads. Drug resistance was assessed by MTS growth inhibition assay. Immunoblot analysis was performed on cell lysate and conditioned medium to evaluate expression and release of AXL. The role of AXL in cell growth and motility was examined by MTS growth inhibition assay and transwell migration assay.

Results: Drug-resistant NSCLC cell lines were successfully established, and increased release of fragmented soluble form of AXL was observed in these cell lines. They showed increased cell motility, which was effectively inhibited by AXL knockdown using siRNA. In contrast, their cell growth was not affected by AXL knockdown, even when these cells were simultaneously treated with molecular-targeted agents. Furthermore, cells highly expressing AXL were immunologically isolated from a gefitinib-sensitive parent cell line. These cells showed partial resistance to gefitinib, indicating that such cells intrinsically exist in NSCLC cell populations.

Conclusions: Soluble form of AXL is a candidate circulating biomarker for predicting acquired and intrinsic resistance to molecular-targeted agents in NSCLC cells. It may also be used to predict AXL-mediated increased motility of resistant cells. Patients harboring such resistant cells may have increased chance of responding to AXL-targeted anti-metastasis therapy.

Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B46.

Citation Format: Nobuyuki Ise, Nobuaki Takemori, Kazuya Omi, Katsutoshi Goishi, Shigeki Higashiyama. Soluble AXL is a candidate circulating biomarker for predicting acquired and intrinsic resistance to molecular-targeted agents in NSCLC cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B46.


As an analogue of right C-rpp semigroups and a dual of left C-wrpp semigroups, right C-qrpp semigroups were defined and investigated by Rao-Guo [10]. In this paper, we continue the research of such semigroups and obtain a structure of right C-qrpp semigroups. It is proved that a semigroup is a right C-qrpp semigroup if and only if it is isomorphic to a right Δ-product of a C-wrpp semigroup and a right regular band.


John Fischer has attacked the Ockhamistic solution to the freedom–foreknowledge dilemma by arguing that: (1) God's prior beliefs about the future, though being soft facts about the past, are soft facts of a special sort, what he calls 'hard-type soft facts', i.e. soft facts, the constitutive properties of which are 'hard', or 'temporally non-relational properties'; (2) in this respect, such facts are like regular past facts which are subject to the fixity of the past. In this paper, I take issue with this argument by Fischer, claiming that it does not succeed for two reasons: (i) Fischer's account of the notion of a hard property is unsatisfactory; (ii) his notion of a hard-type soft fact is incoherent. Despite this criticism, I agree with Fischer that there is a fundamental difference between God's beliefs about the future and regular soft facts with regard to their fixity-status, but I argue that the reason for this difference is that God's forebeliefs are plain hard facts about the past.


The published literature often underrepresents studies that do not find evidence for a treatment effect; this is often called publication bias. Literature reviews that fail to include such studies may overestimate the size of an effect. Only a few studies have examined publication bias in single-case design (SCD) research, but those studies suggest that publication bias may occur. This study surveyed SCD researchers about publication preferences in response to simulated SCD results that show a range of small to large effects. Results suggest that SCD researchers are more likely to submit manuscripts that show large effects for publication and are more likely to recommend acceptance of manuscripts that show large effects when they act as a reviewer. A nontrivial minority of SCD researchers (4% to 15%) would drop 1 or 2 cases from the study if the effect size is small and then submit for publication. This article ends with a discussion of implications for publication practices in SCD research.


Glacial lake outburst flood (or shortly GLOF) has become a well-known phenomenon, one of natural hazards occurring in glaciated high mountain areas of the world. The aim of this study was to investigate temporal distribution of these events in Asia and to assess causes of lake outbursts. Therefore, a search of scientific literature and reports was carried out resulting in 219 flood cases found. In order to detect possible differences in temporal distribution a group of ice-dammed lakes was detached and compared with the rest. Concerning spatial distribution of GLOFs, it is influenced by availability of scientific literature which is determined by research teams' region interest. Temporal analysis revealed a certain pattern in ice-dammed lake outburst distribution and notable difference between the two lake groups in terms of outburst occurrence within a year. The moraine-dammed lake outbursts were recorded earlier in an ablation season (compared to ice-dammed lakes) which could be attributed to different mechanism of dam failure. Majority of lake outburst causes were included in the category of dynamic causes (e.g. ice avalanche), long-term causes (e.g. dead-ice melting) were less represented. Results of the study imply there can be notable variations of temporal distribution and causes of GLOFs among individual mountain regions even within one continent. Therefore, varying behavior of potentially dangerous lakes should be taken into consideration when, for instance, proposing mitigation measures.


For a large class of robustness problems with uncertain parameter vector q confined to a box Q, there are many papers providing results along the following lines: The desired performance specification is robustly satisfied for all q /spl epsiv/ Q if and only if it is satisfied at each vertex q/sup i/ of Q. Since the number of vertices of Q explodes combinatorially with the dimension of q, the computation associated with the implementation of such results is often intractable. The main point of this paper is to introduce a new approach to such problems. To this end, the definition of approximate feasibility is introduced, and the theory which follows from this definition is vertex-free.


Abstract The dynamics of short-lived charges generated by pulsed radiations such as electron beam (EB) and photon was investigated to elucidate their reactivity, electronic properties, and spatial behavior on a nanometer scale. Chemical reactions of radical cations (hole) and anions (electron) in condensed matter (organic liquids, polymers, and conjugated materials) occupy an important place in postoptical nanolithography and organic electric devices. The spatiotemporal evolution of charges during geminate ion recombination was measured by a highly improved picosecond (ps) pulse radiolysis and incorporated into a Monte Carlo simulation to clarify the key role of the charges in the formation of latent image roughness of chemically amplified resists (CARs). The dynamics and alternating-current (AC) mobility of transient charge carriers in conjugated materials such as polymer and organic crystals were studied by the combination of microwave conductivity and optical spectroscopies, revealing the potential plausibility for high-performance electric devices. Anisotropy measurement and methodology to resolve the sum of mobility into hole and electron components without electrodes have also been demonstrated.


Summary

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An experimental group of community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) were trained to undertake psychosocial intervention with families caring for a sufferer from schizophrenia. Intervention consisted of a detailed assessment of all the needs of each family member, health education and family stress-management programmes. Outcome was compared with a control group of families who received standard CPN care.

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This report concerns the evaluation of one component of the intervention, namely, health education. A key relative's functional knowledge about schizophrenia was assessed at pre-test, post-test and 6-month follow-up using the Knowledge about Schizophrenia Inventory (KASI). The KASI is a tape-recorded and semi-structured interview schedule which is scored by reliable raters and which yields a global knowledge score from six subscales. Both the control and experimental CPNs were trained to administer the KASI.

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Analysis revealed that the KASI scores of the control group of relatives did not significantly change over the 12-month period of the study. However, global KASI scores in the experimental group improved significantly both post-test and at 6-month follow-up. These results are discussed in relation to the 'stress-vulnerability' model of schizophrenia and the implications for CPNs (and other community based mental health professionals) are considered. It is argued that there are both sound theoretical and practical reasons for providing families with information about schizophrenia which should be addressed by appropriate educational/training programmes.


Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been shown to be an important pro-inflammatory cytokine in RA. The aim of this study was to determine if the engagement of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) induces the production of MIF in the fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) of patients with RA. Methods: The expression of inflammatory cytokines (e.g. MIF, IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα) and toll-like receptors (e.g. TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4) in the synovial tissue were quantified by immunohistochemistry. FLS were isolated from the synovial tissues of patients with RA and stimulated with TLR-3 ligand polyI: C, in the presence of a neutralizing antibody against IL-6. The concentrations of MIF and IL-6 in the culture supernatants from the FLS were measured using sandwich ELISA. Results: The engagement of TLR3 with PolyI:C increased the production of MIF in FLS. The stimulatory effect of these TLR ligands showed a dose-dependent trend. The combination of TLR3 and TLR4 synergistically increased the level of MIF and IL-6 production. The addition of neutralizing antibodies against IL-6 abrogated the stimulatory effect of the ligands of TLR3 and TLR4 on the production of MIF. Conclusion: These results show that TLR3 engagement stimulates the production of MIF and IL-6. Therefore, the TLRs help perpetuate of RA pathogenesis through production of MIF from the FLS in patients with RA, and might provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.


We describe a computer method for generating periodic 4-connected frameworks. Given the number of unique tetrahedral atoms and the crystallographic space group type, the algorithm systematically explores all combinations of connected atoms and crystallographic sites, seeking the 4-connected graphs. The resulting symmetry-encoded graphs are relaxed by simulated annealing to identify the regular tetrahedral frameworks. Results are presented for one unique tetrahedral atom in each of the 230 crystallographic space group types. Over 6,400 unique 3-dimensional 4-connected uninodal graphs are found when we restrict our search to those topologies that connect to nearest-neighbour asymmetric units. In any given space group, the number of graphs can depend on the choice of asymmetric unit. About 3% of the 4-connected graphs refine to reasonable tetrahedral conformations, and many are described. There is a combinatorial explosion of graphs as the number of unique vertices is increased, a result which currently restricts this method to consideration of small numbers of unique atoms.


Background Neonatologists, legal experts and ethicists extensively discuss the ethical challenges of decision-making when a child is born at the limit of viability. The voices of parents are less heard in this discussion. In Norway, parents are actively shielded from the burden of decision-making responsibility. In an era of increasing patient autonomy, is this position still defendable? Research question In this article, we discuss the role of parents in neonatal decision-making, based on the following research question: Should parents decide whether to provide lifesaving treatment when their child is born at the limit of viability? Research design We conducted eight interviews with 12 parents, 4 individuals and 4 couples, all having experienced prenatal counselling at the limit of viability. The interviews took place at different university locations in Norway in the years 2014–2018. Ethical considerations All study participants gave their written informed consent. The Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics approved the study. Findings We identified six main themes in parents' responses to the research question. Parents (1) experienced an emotional turmoil confronted with birth at the border of viability, (2) emphasized the importance of being involved in decision-making, (3) described and reflected on the need to balance the parental instinct of saving, (4) were concerned about the dilemmas involved in protecting the family, (5) were worried about the burden of overwhelming responsibility and (6) called for guideline relief. Conclusion The perceived parental instinct of saving the life of their child makes it hard for parents to step away from a call for 'everything to be done'. Involvement of an interprofessional periviability team drawing on the experiences and viewpoints of nurses and neonatologists in decision-making is needed to protect both infants and parents against undue parental push for treatment and enable parents to make good decisions regarding their child.


Abstract Horning vegetation, an expression of aggression predominately among adult males, may be universal among horned ungulates. We found that horning by wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) males had an important impact on the Serengeti ecosystem, Africa, from the 1960s to the 1980s, as the wildebeest population increased from 0.25 million to 1.5 million. Between 1979 and 2003, we sampled 2,626 trees and bushes to assess horning impacts. In the 1986 survey, 57% (n = 1,416) of trees and bushes had suffered moderate to severe horning injury. Severe damage frequency was highest (68%) in open grassland, where a few trees were exposed to many wildebeests, and lowest (24%) inside savanna woodland where wildebeest rarely go. Horning by 300,000–400,000 adult male wildebeest contributed to converting savanna woodland into tree savanna and open grassland. Horning by wildebeest, in combination with known impacts such as grazing, manuring, and trampling, may result in ecological impacts to Serengeti ecosystems only exceeded by the elephant (Loxodonta africana) and fire. More research is needed to understand the ecological and management implications of horning.


Concrete constructions in the marine environment suffer from chemical attack of sea salts which can induce damage to both the concrete matrix and embedded steel reinforcement. For example, ingress of sulfate and chloride ions can respectively result in detrimental ettringite formation and enhanced corrosion of the steel rebars. The first degradation mechanism is due to development of expansive minerals within the concrete matrix, a process where increased internal pressure can result in crack formation. Cracking dramatically increases matrix porosity further enhancing the ingress rate of detrimental chemicals. However, with controlled mineral expansion comes the possibility of an employable mechanism for autonomous sealing of cracks. In this research project our aim is to study the potential for carbon dioxide-producing bacteria to act as an agent to control expansive carbonation reactions following serpentinization (hydration reactions) of alkaline precursor minerals in marine concrete. Early experimental results showed that seawater derived magnesium ions and carbon dioxide molecules show high potential for self-healing due to the formation of crack-filling expansive minerals. Environmental scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray element analysis revealed that dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) formation via intermediate conversion of brucite (Mg(OH)2) is the mechanism underlying this process. Several previously documented studies have reported that dolomite formation, analogous to delayed ettringite formation, can be detrimental to concrete as it can in fact induce crack formation due to increased internal stresses. In this project our aim is to control expansive mineral formation by bacterial CO2 production channelling the process for healing- but not for causing cracks in concrete constructions in the marine environment.


This article examines the career of Hungarian geographer, Tibor Mendol, who was appointed the first Chair of Human Geography at Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest in 1940. Mendol's career had a bright start but was shattered following World War II. His story is not unique in Hungary, and in fact was common to other countries in the former Soviet sphere where a generation of geographers shared his fate. The history of Mendol's career and the reception of his work reaches beyond the significance of a personal life story. It offers insight into twentieth-century Hungarian geography and into Hungarian scholarly life in general. Mendol's career was emblematic of a period when geography–which had been institutionally strong, vital in public thought in Hungary, and important in a policy context–became marginalised within academia, and came very close to disciplinary annihilation. Mendol was allowed to retain his chair up to his date of retirement, but his disciples had to leave the university. His efforts to publish his work were in turn hindered, and his scientific theories received strong criticism. Students of geography in Budapest probably did not even hear his name uttered, even a few years after his death. Mendol's works were even removed from the university curriculum. The output of the more recent Mendol 'heritage industry,' however, proves that the legacy of his work has not yet been exhausted, and that his story remains relevant. Though the protagonist of this story has been dead for more than fifty years, his spirit (or perhaps his phantom) returns occasionally. Varying attitudes towards his life and work–from rejection, through concealment, to carefully expressed and later more bravely- worded tributes–have always been only partially about professional and subject-based issues. Interpretations of his life and work have also always been matters of historiography and politics.


Many communication systems obtain enhanced performance by using concatenated coding schemes. Turbo codes and woven convolutional codes are two examples of such schemes. The component codes used in these schemes operate at rates close to or even above capacity where the free distance of a code is not relevant anymore and other distance properties have to be taken into account. This thesis consists of an introduction to convolutional coding followed by a collection of six papers. In Paper A, some general relations between error-correcting and the error-detecting capabilities of a linear code are given. Lower bounds on the detecting and correcting capabilities of a convolutional code for sparse sequences of errors and erasures, respectively, are derived and extended to sequences of error bursts and erasure bursts. Paper B deals with aspects of a minimal realization of an encoding matrix in rational canonical form. Based on this realization, a lower bound on the active distances is derived. A new class of maximum slope convolutional codes providing good performance in case of a very noisy channel is introduced. Paper C shows by several illustrative examples that the criterion used for optimization in Paper B, is, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, not the only parameter that has to be taken into account. In some applications we require that some data is more reliable than other which leads to the concept of unequal error protection (UEP). UEP for convolutional codes is investigated in the Papers D?F. Some new tools for estimating the error-correcting capabilities for a specific input or output of a convolutional encoder, are introduced and studied in Paper D. This concept is further developed and applied to woven convolutional schemes in Paper E. Finally, simulation results in Paper F demonstrate that a communication system constructed according to these ideas indeed provides good unequal error-correcting performance for information symbols even if non-optimum encoders are used and iterative decoding is applied. (Less)


Desire for a male child is common in many countries and cultures. It has been argued that development of a practical and reliable method of allowing parents to choose the sex of their children would reduce family size, and consequently, population growth. There are currently 2 methods of preselection of sex: one preselects the sex before conception by either preventing or facilitating ovum fertilization by the X-bearing or Y-bearing spermatozoa, and the other is selective pregnancy termination. However, current laws and medical ethics in many societies allow selective termination only in cases of serious sex-linked diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Techniques for influencing the sex ratio by altering the X and Y chromosome balance include separation of the ejaculated spermatozoa into X- and Y-enriched fractions before insemination, and altering the vaginal condition. Methods of altering the vaginal condition attempt to influence the sex ratio by changing or choosing the prevailing conditions in the female genital tract which favor 1 or the other sperm type. Timing of insemination (before or after ovulation) is the key concept, and to a lesser extent, certain coital positions. Since 1978, at least 20 studies have been reported to have differential effects on the sex ratio, depending on time of insemination in the reproductive cycle. However, most of the studies have poor methodology and their results are conflicting. Another recently proposed technique is by dietary manipulation. The rationale of the dietary method appears to be attempts to change the ionic milieu of the genital tract of the conceiving female. So far, all these methods have proved to be ineffective and impractical. Currently, not much is known about the basic physiology of sperm at and after ejaculation in a woman and their subsequent interaction with the ionic and hormonal milieu of her genital fluids. It appears unlikely that parents can preselect the sex of their child with certainty by an available technique other than selective abortion.


Anthropological interest in critical studies of class, system and inequality has recently been revitalized. Most ethnographers have done this from "below, while studies of financial, political and other professional elites have tended to avoid the language of class, capital and inequality. This themed section draws together ethnographies of family wealth transfers, philanthropy, and private-sector development, to reflect upon the place of critique in the anthropology of elites. While disciplinary norms and ethics usually promote deferral to our research participants, the uncritical translation of these norms "upwards" to studies of elites raises concerns. We argue for a critical approach that does not seek political purity, nor attempt to "get the goods" on elites, but which makes explicit the politics involved in doing ethnography with elites.


Gastrointestinal zoonotic helminths of dogs and cats have a public health concern worldwide. We investigated the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths of zoonotic significance in dogs and cats in lower Northern Thailand and utilized molecular tools for species identification of hookworms and Opisthorchis viverrini. Fecal samples of 197 dogs and 180 cats were collected. Overall prevalence of infection using microscopy was 40.1% in dogs and 33.9% in cats. Helminth infection found in both dogs and cats included hookworms, Spirometra spp., Taenia spp., Toxocara spp., O. viverrini, Strongyloides spp. and Trichuris spp. Hookworms were the most common helminth in dogs, while Spirometra spp. were the most prevalent in cats. Among hookworm infection in dogs and cats, Ancylostoma ceylanicum was the most prevalent hookworm, being 82.1% in hookworm infected dogs and 95.8% in hookworm infected cats. Mixed-infection due to hookworms and Spirometra spp. was the most dominant in both dogs and cats. Our finding showed that zoonotic helminth infection is highly prevalent in dogs and cats in the lower Northern area of Thailand.


Lesions of the gastroduodenal mucosa are seen very early on in virtually 100% of patients suffering from organ failure. Bleeding, even if it is only occult, defines acute stress-induced gastrointestinal tract bleeding (SGIB). The rates of SGIB vary according to the inclusion criteria: 13 to 100% microscopic SGIB, 2.3 to 9.5% haemorrhage with blood transfusion and/or shock. Gastrointestinal bleeding does not really influence the death rate of patients with SGIB (0 to 5% increase). Damage to the gastric mucosa may be due to an intraluminal aggression, and/or decreased mucosal and mural defence mechanisms. H+ ions and bile salts are mostly responsible for the former. Physiological quantities of H+ ions may be sufficient, as their abnormal diffusion into the gastric mucosa will reduce the mucosal pH (pHm), which is itself sensitive to microcirculatory modifications and systemic acidosis. There is a good correlation between bleeding and pHm. Bile salts are involved because of the usual increase in frequency and volume of gastric biliary reflux due to stress. Surfactant, mucosal alkaline layer and the microcirculation are all involved in gastric protection. The PGE2 synthetized by the gastric mucosa have a favourable influence on these 3 mechanisms. Changes in microcirculation and hypoxia are the predominant factors involved in stress-induced mucosal damage. The prevention of SGIB relies on the treatment of risk factors, a reduction of intraluminal aggression, and the support and/or stimulation of gastric defence mechanisms. Antacids and anti-H2 drugs aim to neutralize most of the H+ ions, being more efficient than placebo in increasing gastric pH greater than 4, although anti-H2 agents are responsible of a greater number of failures. The non-homogenous character of the patient groups studied and the diagnostic methods, as well as the increasing lack of placebo groups in the published studies make the interpretation of the results rather risky. Antacids and anti-H2 drugs are more efficient than placebo, and equally efficient, in preventing overt SGIB. Efficiency is increased by giving anti-H2 drugs continuously, and antacids hourly. Other agents are thought to protect mucosal cells, probably increasing mucosal defences. Amongst them are the prostaglandins, the most interesting of which are still being investigated, and sucralfate. The latter molecule is as efficient as antacids and anti-H2 drugs, and does not alter gastric pH, so reducing the number of nosocomial pneumonias. Its reduced cost and easy administration make it, at the present time, the treatment of choice of SGIB. The few rare contraindications of sucralfate will justify the infusion of anti-H2 drugs in those patients at risk.


Smallholder farmers have challenges of weed control and mostly they use cultural control methods because chemical control with herbicides is usually costly. However, Lantana camara L. is known to be allelopathic to other plants hence a worthy candidate for biological control of weeds under cowpea production. A field study was conducted to determine the potential for L. camara to control weeds in cowpea at the University of Zambia Agricultural Experimentation Station. Leaves were harvested from two genotypes of L. camara (G1: Pink-flowered and G2: Orange-flowered genotypes) dried and pulverized to form a powder and applied at different rates (R0C: 0 kg ha-1, R1: 100 kg ha-1, R2: 200 kg ha-1, R3: 400 kg ha-1) using the following types of application: T0C: No application, T1: broadcasting, T2: incorporation in the soil and T3: spraying of soaked ground L. camara. The research was conducted at the University Of Zambia School Of Agricultural Sciences Field Station. The experiment was arranged in a split split-plot design with three replications. Weed population density and weed weight were reduced the most (38% and 12.5%, respectively) at the highest rate (R3: 400 kg ha-1) of L. camara application. The cowpea grain yield was higher (P< 0.05) in fields treated with G1 (mean =876.90 kg ha-1) than for G2 (mean =672.10 kg ha-1). G1 increased cowpea grain yield by 36.04%. Lantana camara holds great potential to increase food security by reducing losses associated with weeds in cowpea.


– The use of mobile information and service systems can cause an added value in preparation and development of residential and business areas for the involved actors and user groups. Within a practice example (industry wasteland PHOENIX West) potentials are shown how a mobile information and service system can support the area and location development. Starting from the total life cycle of the area possible user groups were identified. For each user group within the corresponding life cycle specific functions are developed and subjected to an added value analysis. At last a calculation of profitability was carried out. Thereby costs and revenues were determined to measure the return of investment (ROI) for such a mobile information and service system.


Internal control in the audit process gains much attraction from the last few decades. One basic needs to understand the audit process is to understand the internal control of business organizations. Auditors cannot express and present their true opinion unless they do not understand the mechanism and system of internal control. The need to understand the system of internal control develops when audited financial statements used more for decision making for stakeholders. The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the concept of internal control and its significance to comprehend the audit process. Further, the history of internal control with the auditing framework is also in discussion. This paper is based on the theoretical approach where the concept of internal control discussed the external audit process. This paper does not cover internal audits in the discussion, the discussion and concepts are limited to external auditing. Analysis of internal control in the audit process is an important concern for auditors to express their opinion and provide assurance services. Good and strong internal controls are essential to assuring the accomplishments of goals and objectives. They provide reliable financial reporting for management decision making. They ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations to avoid the risk of public scandals. Poor or excessive internal controls reduce productivity, increase the complexity of the transaction and finally add no value to certain activities. Good internal controls help ensure efficient operations and protect organization image. This paper concluded the essentiality of the internal control system in the audit process as well as its urgency for meeting organization goals and objectives. It is recommended that internal controls should be proactive, and value-added. It plays a significant role in the auditing process and the report of external auditors based on the understanding of the internal control mechanism. The report of external auditors' further guides to stakeholders in their decision-making process. If it does not depict the true picture, then it damages the integrity of financial reporting.


The conventional manufacturing process of the automotive brazed heat exchanger includes complex preparation processes before brazing: aluminum brazing filler alloy is pre-claded on both sides of a fin by an extrusion method, and holed aluminum tubes are coated on both sides with Zn for corrosion protection by a wire arc spraying process. The intent of this study is to simplify the preparation process by kinetic spraying using all of the components, including Al-12%Si (for the brazing filler metal), Zn (for corrosion protection), and KAlF4 (flux powder). Four kinds of blended powder, with and without flux, were evaluated. The bond properties and composition distribution at the braze joint area were evaluated by SEM and an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). It was necessary to control the Zn content so that the corrosion resistance and brazeability of the aluminum heat exchanger would not be affected. An optimal kinetic spray condition was obtained, in order to fabricate the heat exchanger in this study. It was observed that the joints of the brazed specimens on each side of the brazing part were sounder than those achieved brazed by the conventional methods. Further, the kinetic sprayed heat exchanger showed acceptable corrosion protection.


At aortic regurgitation state, 2D synchrotron radiation (SR) coronary arteriography (CAG) with aortographic contrast injection was examined theoretically and animal experiments were performed to confirm its diagnostic ability. This system consisted of a silicon monocrystal, fluorescent plate, avalanche-type pickup tube camera, and image acquisition system. The experiment was performed at synchrotron sources in the Photon Factory of Tsukuba. The x- ray energy was adjusted to just above the iodine K-edge. Theoretical calculation described that the coronary arteries overlapping on left ventricle could not be demonstrated well with a high signal-to-noise ratio by using the aortographic CAG with SR. The canine coronary arteries without overlap over the left ventricle were demonstrated clearly, however, the image quality appear to be reduced. The coronary artery overlapping over left ventricle could not be demonstrated well, however the transient reduction of left ventricular wall motion was revealed by transient stenotic procedure of left anterior descending coronary artery.


Recent studies have suggested that antibodies to DNA have a high degree of specificity for systemic lupus erythematosus (Tan et al., 1966). These antibodies have, however, also been described in discoid LE (Mandel et al., 1972). Chronic active hepatitis is an immune liver disease which has many clinical and serological similarities to SLE (Read et al., 1963). In particular antinuclear antibodies and evidence of complement conversion are common (Gitnick et al., 1973). The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of antibodies to ds DNA in CAH. Sera from 36 patients with CAH were studied using the Farr ammonium precipitation test and the filter radioimmunoassay technique. 15 of the 36 cases (42 %) had levels of antibody previously only seen in patients with active SLE. These antibodies were detected despite steroid therapy in the majority. Antibodies to ds DNA were not found in 22 cases of other liver disease, including alcoholic cirrhosis and primary biliary cirrhosis, nor in a number of control sera. Serial studies showed that levels of DNA antibody rise and fall with disease activity as determined by liver function tests and clinical parameters. There was an inverse relationship between the height of DNA antibody and serum complement levels and a direct relationship between the height of DNA antibody and the presence of C3 breakdown products. This study suggests that DNA antibodies may not be as specific for SLE as was previously thought or, that CAH and SLE have further immunological similarities. These antibodies may have diagnostic and therapeutic value in the study of immunological liver disease.


Recent studies about mutualism consider the complexity and versatility of the relationship, in addition to highlighting the importance of the cost/benefit balance between the two protagonists. Because species interactions are highly dependent on the environment, the climate changes foreseen for the coming years are expected to have significant impacts on the evolution of mutualistic interactions. Among mutualisms, the aphid–ant interaction is well documented, partly explained by the pest status of aphids. This literature review focuses on the impact of climate change (particularly atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature) on aphid biology and the potential consequences with respect to their mutualistic interactions with ants. We provide an overview of the published reports concerned with the effects of temperature and carbon dioxide on aphids, for which a positive, a negative or no effect has been highlighted. We then discuss how climatic changes can alter four major components of aphid biology that are shaping their interaction with ants: (i) aphid population growth; (ii) aphid behaviour and mobility; (iii) honeydew production and composition; and (iv) semiochemistry. Finaly, we discuss the limitations of such studies on aphid–ant mutualism, as well as the information that is still needed to predict how climate change might impact this type of relationship.


A synthesis procedure is presented for a lossless positive real impedance matrix Z(s) . The procedure, based on a choice of a suitable state-space representation for Z(s) , uses the minimum possible number of reactive elements and, simultaneously, the minimum possible number of gyrators.


Continuous cultivation of T-lymphoid C8166 cells in the presence of pharmacological relevant concentration of cytarabine (Ara-C) results in significantly decreased expression of CD4 and CXCR4 molecules, the major cellular receptor and co-receptor of T-lymphotropic HIV-1 isolates. This change in receptor expression leads to decreased susceptibility of Ara-C resistant cells to HIV-1 infection demonstrated by reduced binding and penetration of HI-virus.


Mapping ecosystem services (ESs) is an important tool for providing the quantitative information necessary for the optimal use and protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. A common mapping approach is to apply established empirical relationships to ecosystem property maps. Often, ecosystem properties that provide services to humanity are strongly related to the land use and land cover, where the spatial allocation of the land cover in the landscape is especially important. Land use and land cover maps are, therefore, essential for ES mapping. However, insight into the uncertainties in land cover maps and how these propagate into ES maps is lacking. To analyze the effects of these uncertainties, we mapped pollination efficiency as an example of an ecosystem function, using two continental-scale land cover maps and two global-scale land cover maps. We compared the outputs with maps based on a detailed national-scale map. The ecosystem properties and functions could be mapped using the GLOBCOVER map with a reasonable to good accuracy. In homogeneous landscapes, an even coarser resolution map would suffice. For mapping ESs that depend on the spatial allocation of land cover in the landscape, a classification of satellite images using fractional land cover or mosaic classes is an asset.


The two case studies here collected provide the occasion for presenting the research work carried out by The Epigraphic Landscape of Athens Project, focused on the relationship between public epigraphy and urban spaces in ancient Athens. The first part, by Chiara Lasagni, focuses on the honorary decrees and statues voted by the Athenian Demos in the years 287-262, and attempts to outline some key coordinates about the epigraphic and ideological landscape produced after the revolt from Demetrius. The second part, by Stefano Tropea, deals with the evolution of the epigraphical landscape of the Athenian asty in the decades from the battle of Pydna of 168 to the second half of the I c. BC.


Beans are food with high nutritional value. In the history of human diet beans are found in use very early, and availability throughout the year enables its wide application. In Bosnia and Herzegovina beans are common ingredients which are an integral part of a meal, especially during the winter. The aim of this paper is to give contribution to the selection of local varieties of beans by highlighting energy and nutritional value of raw grains. The tests in this study included three local varieties of beans, namely Bosna, Darko and Igman in order to assess the levels of carbohydrate, protein and fat (energy content) and the content of minerals (copper, iron, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium). Test results indicate that content of dry matter and water is not conditioned by varietal differences, but the total fat content varies from 0.84% (Bosna) to 1.73% (Darko), and total sugar of 2.4% (Bosna) to 3.36% (Darko and Igman). Protein content compared to the dry matter ranged from 21.18% (Darko) to 25.28% in Bosna. Starch content ranged from 65.78% (Igman) to 67.04% (Bosna). The tested varieties of beans contained significant amounts of trace elements, thus in 100g raw grains there is: up to 69.7% of magnesium, up to 59.2% of phosphorus, up to 79.8% of manganese, up to 42.2% iron  and up to 64,1% copper of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances - the total daily needs).


The aim of this study was to identify the effect of antioxidant supplementation to diet in order to improve the productive performance, fertility, hatchability, and some physiological traits of broiler breeders hens reared under hot climate. One hundred hens (Cobb 500), thirty five weeks old, and twenty cocks were used in this study. They were divided into four groups (25 hens and 5 males /group with five replicates) (5 hens and one cock each). The groups were treated for 12 weeks as follows: T1 Control reared on standard ration, T2 reared on standard ration supplemented with sodium selenite 0.5 mg / kg ration, T3 reared on standard ration supplemented with vitamin E 450 mg / kg ration and T4 reared on standard ration supplemented with sodium selenite 0.5 mg / kg and vitamin E 450 mg / kg ration. Birds reared under standard condition in semi opened house the temperature was maximum 36C in the morning and 25C at night. Statistical analysis of data showed that the Vitamin E and selenium treatments caused a significant improvement (P≤0.05) in means of egg production H.D.%, accumulative egg production, feed conversion ratio, fertility percentage, hatchability percentage, number of chicks produced / hen, mortality percentage and shell thickness as compared with the control group. Also a significant improvement in the physiological and biochemical parameters as represented by the increase in total RBC count, Ηb concentration, PCV and the decrease serum glucose, triglycerides, ALT, AST level in serum as well as the increase in liver and heart glycogen concentration. In conclusion, sodium selenite and vitamin E supplementation to the broiler breeder ration improved some productive and physiological parameters.


This paper surveys the literature on decision-making in international sports organizations. The International Olympic Committee, the Federation Internationale de Football Association and many other federations delegate decision-making to internal committees. A complicated structure of those committees that reflects the international status of federations, a unique type of decisions that is inherent to sports industry, and specifi c decision-making mechanisms attract the researchers' attention. The survey is comprised of four paragraphs. The first paragraph briefly reviews papers aimed at studying preferences of the international sports federations committee members. The second paragraph is devoted to papers that analyze determinants of success of bids for hosting sporting mega-events. In the third paragraph we discuss different ways to fight corruption in decision-making bodies of international sports federations. Finally, we touch on the problem of accountability in international sports federations. The focus of the paper is on the economics literature, and it is not aimed to discuss a wide literature on such topics as management of sport organizations or psychology of decision-making.


Background: TAS-117 is a small molecule which inhibits the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway, a critical regulator of cell survival, by stimulating cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. One of the most notable AKT-related adverse events is hyperglycemia which has been a dose limiting toxicity (DLT) in some clinical trials. We elucidate the time-dependent changes of hyperglycemia induced by TAS-117 and try an approach to manage the hyperglycemia in the present study.

Materials and Methods: TAS-117 was orally administered to male rats repeatedly for 2 weeks (QD) to evaluate the toxicities of TAS-117. Blood glucose and insulin were measured continuously for 24 hours on the first and last day of dosing. Water intake recording and urinalysis were also performed to monitor for diabetes-related findings. Then, we treated the rats with varying anti-diabetic agents, gliclazide, mitiglinide calcium hydrate, pioglitazone hydrochloride, and metformin hydrochloride, in order to ameliorate the observed diabetes-like effects.

Results: In continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels, TAS-117 induced transient elevation of blood glucose and insulin following daily oral administration. The peak level of blood glucose was observed between 4 and/or 8 hours after dosing. TAS-117-induced hyperglycemia reverted to baseline by 24 hours after dosing. Blood insulin levels correlatively increased and decreased with changes in blood glucose levels. Additionally, TAS-117 induced diabetes-like changes including body-weight-gain suppression, increases in water intake, urine volume, and urine glucose level were observed. These changes were deemed to be related to the hyperglycemia caused by TAS-117. However, the hyperglycemic effects of TAS-117 were most ameliorated by one of the anti-diabetic agents given, Metformin hydrochloride, an inhibitor of gluconeogenesis. The peak in blood glucose levels in Metformin medicated rats was suppressed up to 31% as compared with that in TAS-117 alone treated rats.

Conclusion: TAS-117's main toxic effects in rats were diabetes-like, including hyperglycemia and blood insulin elevation due to TAS-117's dysregulation of carbohydrate metabolism. However, these adverse effects were transient and reversible and were controlled by a particular class of anti-diabetic agent. Therefore, TAS-117 has the potential to be administered on a daily schedule without inducing clinically significant hyperglycemia.

Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C178.

Citation Format: Kenji Moriyama, Masahiro Yamaguchi, Shigeo Sugimoto, Hirofumi Matsumura, Fumiko Ninomiya, Kazuhiko Besshi, Fumio Morita, Taiji Hayashi, Ryouto Fujita, Hiroto Fukushima, Toshiyasu Shimomura, Kazuhiko Yonekura, Teruhiro Utsugi. TAS-117, a highly potent and selective non-ATP competitive inhibitor of AKT, demonstrates a toxicity profile with manageable hyperglycemia in rats. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C178.


In this paper, two approaches to iterative learning control for nonsmooth dynamical systems are considered. If the system satisfies certain passivity conditions, a simple update law may be applied. For more general dynamical systems, an iterative update algorithm based on a quadratic optimal control problem is considered. The passivity approach does not require model information but it may be restrictive. The optimal control approach is general, but requires model information for its implementation. A mechanical system with dry friction is used as a simulation example for the comparison between the two approaches.


Our laboratory has reported large inter-individual differences in the metabolic response of adipose tissue to prolonged exercise in humans. The present study investigated the contribution of heredity in the metabolic changes of adipose tissue to prolonged exercise in 11 monozygotic and 10 dizygotic pairs of male twins, 18 to 27 years of age, studied immediately before and after a 90 min bout of exercise. The sum of 7 skinfold thicknesses and percent of fat from underwater weighing were used as body fat indicators (BFI). Subcutaneous adipose tissue was excised and fat cell weight (FCW) determined. The activity of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) released with heparin was also measured. BFI and FCW were identical in both types of twins. As previously reported, LPL activity was increased by exercise (P less than 0.01) in both type of twins. The changes observed for LPL activity were more similar in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins resulting in a significant level of inheritance (P less than 0.05). A genetic component for LPL activity supports the hypothesis that adipose tissue LPL could be genetically determined not only in its basal activity but also in response to stresses such as exercise.


Previous approaches to discovering design patterns in source code have suffered from a need to enumerate static descriptions of structural and behavioural relationships, resulting in a finite library of variations on pattern implementation. Our approach, System for Pattern Query and Recognition, or SPQR, differs in that we do not seek statically to encode each pattern and each variant that we wish to find. Rather, we encode in a formal denotational semantics a small number of fundamental OO concepts (elemental design patterns), encode the rules by which these concepts are combined to form patterns (reliance operators), and encode the structural/behavioral relationships among components of objects and classes (rho-calculus). We then use a logical inference system to reveal large numbers of patterns and their variations from this small number of definitions. Our system finds patterns that were not explicitly defined, but instead are inferred dynamically during code analysis by a theorem prover, providing practical tool support for software construction, comprehension, maintenance, and refactoring. We describe our approach in this paper with a concrete example to drive the discussion, accompanied by formal treatment of the foundational topics.


Abstract Meteorological and air-quality data, as well as surface tracer concentration values, were collected during 1990 to assess the impacts of Navajo Generating Station (NGS) emissions on Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) air quality. These data have been used in the present investigation to determine between direct and indirect transport routes taken by the NGS plume to produce measured high-tracer concentration events at GCNP. The meteorological data were used as input into a three-dimensional mass-consistent wind model, whose output was used as input into a horizontal forward-trajectory model. Calculated polluted air locations were compared with observed surface-tracer concentration values. Results show that complex-terrain features affect local wind-flow patterns during winter in the Grand Canyon area. Local channeling, decoupled canyon winds, and slope and valley flows dominate in the region when synoptic systems are weak. Direct NGS plume transport to GCNP occurs with northeasterly plume-height w...


The effects of premixedness degrees on combustion instabilities of separated dual-swirl flames have been investigated experimentally in the Beihang Axial Swirler Independently Stratified (BASIS) burner. The degree of premixedness is modulated by the fuel split between two injection positions in the outer stream. In the spectra of pressure oscillations, both the frequency and amplitude are positively correlated with fuel split ratios under partially premixed conditions, and the mode transition between perfectly and partially premixed conditions has been observed. The location of perfectly premixed flames shows no obvious variation at different phase angles, only with a slightly wrinkling of the flame surface along the shear layer. Under partially premixed conditions, however, the flame is found to feature a large-scale periodic convective motion, accompanied by the obvious variation of heat releases due to the equivalence ratio oscillations. The local Rayleigh index map compares the thermoacoustic driving factors under perfectly and partially premixed conditions. The development of above convective motions under partially premixed conditions is explained by combining the variations of pressure oscillations and heat releases. An analysis of the thermoacoustic network and convective path is applied to explain the cause of the mode transition. The results show that the appearance of equivalence ratio oscillations and the elongated convective path under partially premixed conditions brings a longer delay time of the flame response, which could be the reason for the mode transition.


It has been reported that PSI photoinhibition is induced even in wild-type plants of Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and other species by exposure of leaves to fluctuating light (FL) for a few hours. Because plants are exposed to FL in nature, they must possess protective mechanisms against the FL-induced photodamage. Here, using A. thaliana grown at various irradiances, we examined PSI photoprotection by far-red (FR) light at intensities comparable with those observed in nature. Dark-treated leaves were illuminated by red FL alternating high/low light at 1,200/30 [REPLACEMENT CHARACTER]mol m−2 s−1 for 800 ms/10 s. By this FL treatment without FR light for 120 min, the level of photo-oxidizable P700 was decreased by 30% even in the plants grown at high irradiances. The addition of continuous FR light during the FL suppressed this damage almost completely. With FR light, P700 was kept in a more oxidized state in both low- and high-light phases. The protective effect of FR light was diminished more in mutants of the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH)-mediated cyclic electron flow around PSI (CEF-PSI) than in the PGR5 (proton gradient regulation 5)-mediated CEF-PSI, indicating that the NDH-mediated CEF-PSI would be a major contributor to PSI photoprotection in the presence of FR light. We also confirmed that PSI photoinhibition decreased with the increase in growth irradiance in A. thaliana and field-grown plants, and that this PSI photodamage was largely suppressed by addition of FR light. These results clearly indicate that the most effective PSI protection is realized in the presence of FR light.


Recently, there has been an increase in the number of knowledge graphs that can be only queried by experts. However, describing questions using structured queries is not straightforward for non-expert users who need to have sufficient knowledge about both the vocabulary and the structure of the queried knowledge graph, as well as the syntax of the structured query language used to describe the user's information needs. The most popular approach introduced to overcome the aforementioned challenges is to use natural language to query these knowledge graphs. Although several question answering benchmarks can be used to evaluate question-answering systems over a number of popular knowledge graphs, choosing a benchmark to accurately assess the quality of a question answering system is a challenging task. In this paper, we introduce CBench, an extensible, and more informative benchmarking suite for analyzing benchmarks and evaluating question answering systems. CBench can be used to analyze existing benchmarks with respect to several fine-grained linguistic, syntactic, and structural properties of the questions and queries in the benchmark. We show that existing benchmarks vary significantly with respect to these properties deeming choosing a small subset of them unreliable in evaluating QA systems. Until further research improves the quality and comprehensiveness of benchmarks, CBench can be used to facilitate this evaluation using a set of popular benchmarks that can be augmented with other user-provided benchmarks. CBench not only evaluates a question answering system based on popular single-number metrics but also gives a detailed analysis of the linguistic, syntactic, and structural properties of answered and unanswered questions to better help the developers of question answering systems to better understand where their system excels and where it struggles.


The cornerstone of plant integrity is ensuring that facilities are correctly designed, and operated
and maintained within the equipment design envelopes. The profitability of the facilities is
significantly impacted by the cost-effectiveness of inspection and maintenance strategies and
programmes in place. Plant equipment is subjected to deterioration mechanisms and potential
damage throughout their service life. Equipments inspection is very important in order to get the
right information of the current conditions of the equipments. Risk Based approaches for
managing inspection programs have emerged during the last decade as useful tools for managing
risks associated with safety, health, environment and business. With quantitative RBI analysis, it
is now possible to forecast inspection requirements, demonstrate the effects of inspection and
facilitate the scheduling of inspection programmes. It is now widely accepted that the traditional
time-based approach to planned plant inspection by competent person has a number of
shortcomings. In particular, the use of fixed intervals between inspections may be too
conservative and lacks the freedom to benefit from good operating experience. The introduction
of goal setting legislation has facilitated a move towards risk based strategies, which focus
inspection resources on parts of the plant where they will have the greatest benefit (IET, 2009).
Throughout this project, RBI tool will be developed by using the provided guideline by
American Petroleum Institute (API). RBI Tool frameworks for RBI qualitative risk analysis and
RBI semi-quantitative risk analysis in this report are developed based on API methodology. The
results from developed RBI Tool are validated by comparing them to the results of RBI from the
industry. The risks between the two different RBI systems are different for the same case study.
The different amount of information which is being supplied to the different RBI systems is
identified as the main reason to the variation.


Solid waste is one of the most discussed topics on the agenda of environmental issues, especially in large urban centers. Many studies and scientific publications have focused on different phenomena related to the producing, collecting, disposing and recycling of urban waste, which leads to a growing concern about the destination of packaging after consumption. This article intends to promote a dialogue between reverse logistics and the packaging life cycle in order to better understand the possibilities, challenges and management dilemmas regarding the packaging end-of-life. It analyzes the recycling of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging questioning the factors that promote and limit the expansion of environmental management strategies in Brazil. Recently, with multiple uses in the industrial production, PET has become a constant presence in consumers' daily routine and important challenges have arisen to understand the complex recycling chain and possibilities of more advanced practices and policies of environmental management. Developing the case study adopted different strategies, involving secondary data-collecting made by public organizations and specialized institutions as well as semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents. The results pointed out that although there are significant advances in the amount of recycling PET, there are important challenges to be overcome such as the laws that regulate the reverse chain, technological and management innovation strategies and mainly the interaction of chain actors. Furthermore, it is possible to foresee that this issue assumes the increase of the population information level; elimination of waste since its conception, technological development, shared responsibilities, recycling and above all, the change of the present consumption behavior pattern.


In this paper, it is claimed that the dynamics that enabled the emergence of city regions as new places of globalization brought about significant changes and restructuring in these areas in the early years of neo-liberal policies. Subsequently, from the 1990s onwards a new neo-liberalist agenda, in reply to the problems of the early period of globalization, defined new relations and new dynamics for city regions. The aim of this paper, with the help of earlier Istanbul case studies, is to discuss the changes taking place in city regions, including the outcomes of the neo-liberal policies induced by the competitiveness of the 1980s, especially those related to the distribution of welfare and social cohesion, which forced the nation state to reconfigure its neo-liberal project.


Even though increased accumulations of radiolabeled antisense DNAs compared to control DNAs are becoming a routine observation in cultured tumor cells, trustworthy evidence of tumor targeting in vivo by an antisense mechanism remains elusive. The goal of this study was to obtain convincing evidence of antisense tumor targeting in nude mice by using two different tumors and both intratumoral (i.t.) and intravenous (i.v.) administration of radiolabeled antisense and control sense DNAs. Both the MDR++ cell line KB-G2 and its parent MDR+ cell line KB-31 were used in this study. The antisense (AS) DNA was directed against the AUG start codon of the MDR1 mRNA and, along with the sense (S) control DNA, was a uniform phosphorothioate administered naked. In previous cell culture studies from our laboratories, the accumulation of this AS DNA was strikingly high in KB-G2 cells and only average in KB-31 cells, a fact we attribute to the 1000-fold higher expression by RT-PCR of MDR1 mRNA in the former cell line. In this study, both DNAs were radiolabeled with (99m)Tc via MAG3 and administered i.t. or i.v. at 1 microg (100 microCi) per animal 24 h prior to sacrifice and dissection in mice bearing thigh tumors of about 1 g. Following i.t. administration, no statistically significant differences (Student's t test, p < 0.05, N = 4) between the AS and S DNA biodistributions in normal tissues were observed except in the KB-G2 mice in which muscle levels were lower for the S control. In contrast, tumor levels in the KB-G2 animals were significantly higher for the AS DNA vs S DNA (14.7 vs 8.5% ID/g) while this difference (8.6 vs 4.3% ID/g) was insignificant in the KB-31 animals. The whole body images obtained just prior to sacrifice clearly show improved targeting of AS DNA vs S DNA in the KB-G2 but not the KB-31 animals. Calculations based on these results show that about 60 000 AS DNAs accumulated specifically (i.e. AS DNA - S DNA) per KB-G2 tumor cell following i.t. administration. When administered i.v. rather than i.t., higher tumor levels in KB-G2 animals compared to KB-31 were not observed, most likely because of the lower dosage reaching the tumors. When the KB-G2 and KB-31 results are combined, no statistically significant differences between the AS and S DNA biodistributions in normal tissues were observed except in blood in which S DNA levels were higher and in spleen in which they were lower. In contrast, tumor levels were significantly higher for the AS DNA vs S DNA (0.100 vs 0.063% ID/g). Calculations based on these results show that about 400 AS DNAs accumulated specifically per tumor cell following i.v. administration. Therefore evidence for tumor targeting in vivo by an antisense mechanism has been obtained in that statistically higher tumor accumulations of the (99m)Tc-AS DNA were observed compared to the control (99m)Tc-S DNA both following i.t. and i.v. administrations. The successful localization of AS DNA in tumor demonstrates that in vivo AS targeting of tumor is feasible although improvements in tumor delivery and normal tissue clearance are needed for practical antisense imaging.


Proposed in 1959, Virtualization Technology had been widely used in almost all the computer science areas. With the rise of cloud computing, virtualization technology is facing new challenges and development opportunities. As an application of virtualization used in cloud computing, virtual machine can play the role of the segmentation and re- integration of underlying physical resources, improving the utilization of server hardware resources and reducing energy consumption. Besides of CPU, memory and network performance, storage performance is the important factor of the whole system. In fact, the storage performance often becomes the bottleneck of virtualize system. Therefore how to optimize the storage performance of virtual machine is very important. In this paper, the storage performance bottleneck of virtual machine will be shown by an experiment, and a list of optimizing solution using advanced hardware and technology is introduced with related test.


The study describes the morphology of eyes in children and adults with Down's syndrome (DS) including ocular biometric parameters (axial length, cornea, anterior chamber, lens and pupil size) and retinal features. There was no significant difference in the correlation of axial length and refraction between DS children (n=46) and controls (n=50). Children with DS (n=18) and adults with DS (n=10) have significantly thinner corneas both in the centre and periphery, smaller corneal radius, higher corneal power, higher corneal aberration and lower lens power compared to their respective control children (n=28) and adults (n=16). Further, in spite of abnormal ocular parameters, refraction in people with DS appeared to be determined by a similar correlation between those parameters as in controls. A larger disc and rim were found in children with DS (n=17) compared to controls (n=28). An increased number of vessels were found in periphery of the retina in children with DS. However, there was a similar distribution of retinal vessels in DS children (n=31) and controls (n=40). The presence of the peripapillary atrophy in children (67%) was much higher than that of controls (28%). No significant correlation was found between the total number of vessels and visual function such as refraction, visual acuity and accommodation among children with DS. Keratoconus was present in 8 adults with DS, however, no keratoconus was found in children with DS but abnormal corneal topography was more common in children with DS compared to that in controls


ow can autonomous collective negotiations emerge in a country with a political system that recognizes neither the right to strike nor the right of association? To answer this question, I draw upon field work carried out in southern China in 2013-14 among workers' leaders, workers' defense organizations and a law firm specializing in labor law. In particular, I show how these actors in practice gradually effect change in forms of representation and conflict management by adopting an apolitical stance and deferring to rational and pragmatic considerations of a type the Party can hardly dismiss. In this way, the manner in which power is exercised by China's authoritarian regime is even renegotiated. At present, however, these collective negotiations are merely ad hoc and localized forms of conflict resolution and, as such, are faced with difficulties of institutionalization and systematization. ■


Almost all goodness-of-fit indexes (GFIs) for latent variable structural equation models are global GFIs that simultaneously assess the fits of the measurement and structural portions of the model. In one sense, this is an elegant feature of overall model GFIs, but in another sense, it is unfortunate as the fits of the 2 different portions of the model cannot be assessed independently. We (a) review the developing literature on this issue, (b) propose 6 new GFIs that are designed to evaluate the structural portion of latent variable models independently of the measurement model, (c) that are couched within a general taxonomy of James, Mulaik, and Brett's (1982) Conditions 9 and 10 for causal inference from nonexperimental data, (d) conduct a Monte Carlo simulation of the usefulness of these 6 new GFIs for model selection, and (e) on the basis of simulation results provide recommended criteria for 4 of them. Supplemental analyses also compare 2 of the new GFIs to 2 other structural model selection strategies currently in use. (PsycINFO Database Record


"Keisuke Fujiwara--Interior Elements for Space and Product Design" is a book showcasing the projects of Japanese interior designer Keisuke Fujiwara that gives readers insight into his idea and design processes. This is the first portfolio book of the designer and covers fifteen years of creativity. International and local projects of this Japanese design firm cross over between "space design"--retail interiors, offices, and exhibitions--and "product design," including homeware, lighting, and a number of chair design collections.The title focuses on ninety projects and gives an in-depth look at the design processes and material experiments. His famous Spool Chair and other furniture collections are highlighted, as are a series of retail store designs for Pleats Please Issey Miyake. The fashion designer Miyake also contributes a commentary on the work of Keisuke Fujiwara, as do other professionals including interior designers Ron Arad and Shigeru Uchida, journalist Noriko Kawakami, and graphic designer Taku Sato.This book offers an exclusive peek into the working life of a world-renowned design firm. By explaining the design processes for creating both interior architecture and beautiful objects, it is valuable for anyone in the design industry, from interior designer to manufacturer and from architect to product designer, as well as for students, agencies, and professionals in the design sector.


Background Western Australia (WA) passed legislation supporting formal advance care planning (ACP) in 2010, allowing Advance Health Directive (AHD) and Enduring Power of Guardianship (EPG) forms. It is timely to audit the quality of end-of-life care provided in a rural area. Aim Report ACP uptake and impact on end-of-life care in a rural hospital setting. Methods This retrospective case notes-based audit of 90 admissions resulting in death was conducted in five rural hospitals in the Great Southern region of WA in 2012: the 100-bed regional centre (N=50) and four more remote ∼10-bed facilities (N=10). A palliative care nurse used an in-house designed audit tool to collect data on demographics, process and outcomes measures. A palliative physician double coded five randomly selected sets of notes. Results Most patients elderly (M=79.6 years), admitted via ED (58%), on average 13 days before death. Malignancy accounted for 40% of deaths. Some form of ACP was documented in 34%, with 9% having an AHD and 1% having an EPG. 50% died on the Liverpool end-of-life care pathway, those on the pathway scored higher on a composite measure of care quality (χ2 (2,90)=31.6, p<0.001). ACP documentation did not predict likelihood of being commenced on the pathway (p>0.05) or scores on the composite measure (p>0.05). Discussion As ACP is promoted in our community, our rural hospital network must develop system-wide responses to guarantee ACP influences care. Conclusion This audit reports baseline data, which can be repeated following ACP-based interventions.


The possibilities of applying the results of modeling the landslide stress-strain state to predict landslide hazard and make management decisions under intensive and spatial development of the territories of Asian Russia are considered. Economic and spatial development of the territories concerning reorganization or formation of economically viable components of various production chains require careful consideration of their safe and continuous operation. In this respect, great attention is paid to the studies on exogenous geological processes under the complex geomorphic conditions that can have a substantial impact on the operation of production chain links. The authors present a technique for modeling a landslide slope movement caused by anthropogenic impact. The revealed patterns in which influencing factors affect vertical displacements of landslide points created the conditions for their description at a new qualitative level. Mathematical modeling of landslide slope movement is based on the dynamic-type prediction model. This made it possible to predict the displacements of observed landslide points with sufficient accuracy. Based on a geo-cognitive safety monitoring of production chain links primarily important for the social and economic development of territories, the possibility of using the prediction models of the landslide slope stress-strain behavior as a "solver" in expert systems for forecasting landslide danger when making management decisions is shown.


. Piezoelectrically actuated resonant micromirrors were designed to meet the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system requirements. Key features were a 3-mm mirror aperture, a 40-deg field of view, and a 50-Hz refresh rate. The presented micromirror provides biaxial symmetrical beam steering with (cid:1) 12.7 deg mechanical tilt angle, resulting in a 50-deg field of view with an adjustable Lissajous XY -scanning pattern for a forward-looking LiDAR system. The mirrors were fabricated using silicon on insulator wafers, and actuation was based on piezoelectric aluminium nitride thin film. The mirrors were vacuum packaged for high-quality factor resonator operation. The device design contained eight separate piezoelectric aluminium nitride elements arranged as differential pairs for each axis, where each actuator was equipped with a sensing element providing a mechanically coupled electrical feedback signal. The piezoelectric elements connected as actuators required only minimal power and were directly compatible with CMOS low-voltage logic, which eases integration to driving digital systems. The sense elements are used to monitor phase, amplitude, and frequency. A digital control system connected to each of these elements provides accurate frequency and phase control of independent orthogonal resonators, permitting control of the X and Y amplitudes and the refresh rate of the Lissajous pattern.


Robert Kane's event-causal libertarian theory of free will has been subjected to a variety of criticisms. In response to the luck objection, he has provided an ambiguous answer which results in additional criticisms that are avoidable. I explain Kane's theory, the luck objection and Kane's reply to the problem of luck. I note that in some places he suggests that the dual wantings of agents engaged in self-forming actions (SFAs) provides the key to answering the luck objection, whereas in other places he suggests that the dual willings or tryings of agents is the key. Various philosophers criticize Kane's view by focusing on his concept of the dual willings/tryings involved in SFAs. I argue that despite Kane's efforts to answer these criticisms, they still hold; but I also go on to argue that Kane can avoid these criticisms and also answer the luck objection by just focusing on the important role of the dual wantings in SFAs.


Assessing QoE in situ is a challenging task. Researchers have employed crowdsourcing-based approaches to achieve scale and diversity of subjects, but not without confounding factors. Apart from subjective bias of users, environmental factors introduce variance to QoE measurements. We propose QUINCE, a QoE measurement platform, which uses a gamified approach to enable longitudinal study with repeated and varying measurements in a single platform. We leveraged existing Internet measurement data and infrastructures to integrate three different types of network and QoE measurements to yield a more comprehensive view of subjects. Our preliminarily results show that QUINCE achieves a high level of engagement from subjects and collects data that is useful for correlating network performance and YouTube video streaming QoE.


The preg gene encodes a cyclin-like protein that is implicated in the derepression of nucleases and phosphatases that scavenge phosphate from the environment. To better understand the regulatory role of the preg gene product, the differential display reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction was used to isolate transcripts differentially expressed in the pregc mutant strain of the mold Neurospora crassa grown under phosphate starvation, at pH 7.8. Two transcripts, whose differential expressions were confirmed by Northern blotting, were downregulated in a strain of N. crassa carrying a loss-of-function mutation in the preg gene (preg(c) allele). These transcripts revealed genes coding for enzymes involved in the thymidine salvage pathway (iso-orotate decarboxylase) and in the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone C-methyltransferase), which may be relevant to a further understanding of the molecular events involved in the phosphorus sensing in N. crassa.


Sixteen foods borne bacteria were isolated from raw food samples including okro, carrot, spinach, pepper, tomato, onion and cooked food samples (rice, yam, beans, meat and plantain). The isolates were characterized and identified as Bacillus brevis, Bacillus congulans, Bacillus polymyxa, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella aerogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Alcaligenes spp., Corynebacterium spp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter spp. and Staphylococcus epidermidis. These isolates were screened on egg yolk agar for toxigenic properties and thirteen of the sixteen were positive for toxin production while three were negative. Six out of the thirteen toxigenic bacterial were selected for further work. These were; E. coli, K. aerogenes, C. freundii, B. polymyxa, S. epidermidis and E. aerogenes. The effect of pH, thermal treatment and chemical preservatives on the growth rate and toxin elaboration of E. coli, K. aerogenes, C. freundii, B. polymyxa, S. epidermidis and E. aerogenes was studied. It was observed that E. coli had no viable growth until 48 h of incubation, while the other five isolates had visible growth right from the 24 h of incubation. Also E. coli did not produce toxin until the 96th hour of incubation; K. aerogenes and E. aerogenes were able to produce toxin at 24 h of incubation, while C. freundii, B. polymyxa and S.epidermidis produced toxin at 48 h of incubation. Also, 44°C was not suitable for toxin production. pH 3 and 5 were less favorable for toxin production despite the fact that isolates were able to grow at different temperature and pH ranges. The isolate were more sensitive to sodium metabisulfite than benzoic acid. Also, E. coli and K. aerogenes were able to elaborate toxin in their dormant state with 750mg of sodium metabisulfite.


Oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico is an important aspect of our domestic energy strategy, and to successfully obtain oil from deep beneath the ocean floor, in thousands of feet of water, an impressive array of technology is utilized by the oil and gas industry. One of the many lessons learned, however, from the Deepwater Horizon disaster is that this technology can present significant risks to human life and the environment if it fails. This Article presents an overview of the technology used to conduct deepwater oil and gas drilling operations, and then examines how the failure to adequately regulate this risky technology played a major role in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. This Article also summarizes the actions taken by regulators in response, and questions whether the actions taken are sufficient to prevent another deepwater disaster. The Article concludes by suggesting a number of other actions for consideration by policymakers to reduce the risks associated with producing oil from tens of thousands of feet beneath the ocean's floor.


Energy use in buildings accounts for a large portion of global and regional energy demand and energy-related CO2 emissions. To steer the world towards a low carbon future, the development of new and more efficient technologies is required. In hot and humid climates, the high latent heat loads results in uncomfortable and unhealthy indoor environments, accounting for 30% to 50% of standard air conditioning energy requirements. Physical adsorption of water vapour on solid desiccants is found to offer an energy efficient alternative to conventional dehumidification process using standard air conditioning systems. However, the isosteric heat of adsorption released increases the surface vapour pressure of the solid desiccants resulting in a decreased adsorption capacity. In packed beds of solid desiccants, this heat of adsorption increases the bed temperature, exit air temperature and exit air humidity ratio subsequently imposing an increased cooling load requirement and high energy requirement in the regeneration of the solid desiccants.
 In literature, several approaches used in removing in situ the heat of adsorption released in packed bed systems were fraught with several limitations. To this end, an integrated packed bed-oscillating heat pipe (OHP) system was proposed. The concept was for the evaporator of the OHP to remove the heat of adsorption generated by the packed bed and reject at its condenser towards an energy efficient isothermal adsorption process. To achieve this, theoretical investigations of the individual systems and the integrated systems preceded experimental testing of a rig set up in the laboratory. For the theoretical studies, the OHP was helically coiled at both ends, filled with ethanol, methanol and water working fluids respectively at 50% volume fraction and numerically investigated using the Eulerian Volume of Fluid (VOF) model in ANSYS Fluent R15.0. The packed bed on the other hand was configured as a Heggs et al (1994) Z-type flow arrangement for enhanced radial flow using the Porous Media model in ANSYS Fluent R15.0 set up with the properties of Silica Gel. ANSYS Fluent R15.0 System Coupling limitations led to the development of mathematical models for the prediction of the integrated system performance. The experimental investigations were in line with the theoretical only in this case the optimum working fluid, deionized water, was used as the main working fluid in the helically coiled OHP (HCOHP).
The results showed reasonable agreement between the performance of the numerical model and experimental prototype. The HCOHPs were capable of passively removing heat from the packed bed systems. Mean bed temperature reduction between the integrated packed bed-HCOHP system and corresponding individual packed bed configurations were about 5.61°C, 9.48°C and 10.14°C respectively for the large annulus (LAPB), medium annulus (MAPB) and small annulus (SAPB) packed bed configurations. Average packed bed outlet temperature reductions of about 6.61°C, 9.19°C and 6.29°C were also achieved for the respective configurations.
A validation of the theoretical model showed average temperature difference of about 5.60°C between the experimental prototype of the integrated system and results predicted using experimental packed bed temperature data and HCOHP thermal resistance. Compared to other similar systems in literature, the integrated packed bed-HCOHP system showed capacity to passively remove significant amounts of the heat of adsorption released in silica gel packed beds towards isothermal adsorption.


The Utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) Survey report, which is generated by a computerized data base management system, represents a survey of operational and planned domestic utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. It summarizes information contributed by the utility industry, system and equipment suppliers, system designers, research organizations, and regulatory agencies. The data cover system design, fuel characteristics, operating history, and actual system performance. Also included is a unit-by-unit discussion of problems and solutions associated with the boilers, scrubbers, and FGD systems. The development status (operational, under construction, or in the planning stages), system supplier, process, waste disposal practice, and regulatory class are tabulated alphabetically by utility company.


Abstract Opportunities and barriers for occupational engagement among residents in supported housing. Background Research shows that people with psychiatric disabilities view supported housing (SH) as a possibility for social contact, but also as entailing a risk of deprived self-determination. There is, however, little research on the target group's engagement in everyday occupations. Aim To explore SH residents' opportunities and barriers for occupational engagement. Materials and methods Sixteen participants were interviewed, and data was analysed using content analysis. Results An overarching theme, Struggling to create meaning and seeking affection, and three underlying categories, emerged. Finding meaning through self-chosen occupations and support focussed on receiving support, doing self-chosen occupations, and having social contacts. Feeling neglected and insecure limits engagement in occupations was related to feelings of not being seen by staff, and insecurity, which hampered daily life. The third theme was Having a negative self-image and low level of ability hinders an active life. Conclusion Residents' self-view and ability to create an inner drive for being active was important for occupational engagement, which was linked to social connectedness. Occupational based interventions and a personal recovery approach is warranted in order to facilitate needs for meaningful occupations. Significance The results from the study can be used to further develop optimal support within SH units.


Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is a liquid-liquid separation technique particularly adapted to preparative separations. In spite of the broad range of applications possible, CCC is mainly applied to the purification of natural products from complex mixtures, field in which some of the characteristics of CCC make it advantageous over other more common chromatographic modalities. Nevertheless, CCC has much to offer in biotechnological purification and enantioseparation. The general characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of CCC, together with its application in dieverse contexts, in paricular enantioseparations, are discussed.


What will they think? What will happen to my reputation? what will my close friends and family think if I divorce? Why do I care how others react to my decision? These were some of the questions that often consumed me when I had made the decision to divorce. As an American Iranian woman I was conflicted between some of the Iranian traditional values where ones sense of identity was closely woven into the family or marriage that one belongs to as opposed to that of the U.S. where ones sense of identity is uniquely atonoumus and seperate from that of the family or marriage. In individualistic cultures such the United States the question as to whether age, length of residency in the U.S., religiosity and level of acculturation affect attitudes and beliefs of American Iranian women on the topic of divorce. This book shares my interviews with other American Iranians and how they feel about divorce which is so commonly practiced and accepted here in the U.S.


Numerous early Christian apocrypha, including several so-called "gnostic" texts, include a character known as "Mary," whose identity is usually other-wise unspecified. Generally, this "Mary" appears as an associate or, some-times, as a rival, of the apostles, who is filled with knowledge of the "gnostic" mysteries. Although scholars have persistently identified this Mary with Mary the Magdalene, rather than Mary of Nazareth, this interpretive dogma is based on evidence that it is at best inconclusive. This article reexamines the relevant apocrypha, as well as incorporating much previously overlooked evidence to argue that Mary of Nazareth is an equally important contributor to the "gnostic Mary's" identity. The gnostic Mary, it turns out, is a composite figure, who draws on the identities of both the Magdalene and the Virgin, rather than being the representation of a single historical individual. This new perspective will present both consequences and opportunities for feminist interpretations of early Christianity and the veneration of Mary of Nazareth.


The SRN1 (Unimolecular Radical Nucleophilic Substitution) is a process through which nucleophilic substitution is achieved on aromatic and aliphatic compounds that do not react or react slowly through polar nucleophilic mechanisms. This transformation takes place through electron transfer steps with radicals and radical anions as intermediates.

The SRN1 mechanism was proposed for the first time in 1966 for the substitution of alkyl halides with electron-withdrawing groups and in 1970 for the substitution of unactivated aryl halides. Since then, the scope of the process has increased considerably, and it constitutes an important synthetic method for achieving the substitution of unactivated aromatic and heteroaromatic substrates, vinyl halides, perfluoroalkyl iodides, and activated and non-activated alkyl compounds. Nucleophiles that can be used include anions derived from carbon or heteroatoms, which react to form a new carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bond.

Several reviews have been published in relation to activated and non-activated aliphatic SRN1 reactions, to aromatic photoinitiated reactions, to SRN1 reactions at aromatic centers, to reactions performed with electrochemical techniques, and to the synthetic applications of the process. This chapter attempts to cover aromatic SRN1 reactions including all the relevant literature up to the end of 1996.

Keywords:

mechanism;
aromatic substitution;
initiation;
SRN1 reactions;
scope;
limitation;
electrophiles;
nucleophiles;
carbanions;
hydrocarbons;
enolate ions;
ketones;
esters;
carboxylate ions;
disubstituted amides;
thioamides;
nitriles;
dicarbonyl carbanions;
phenoxide ions;
cyanide;
nitronate ions;
nucleophiles;
tin;
nitrogen;
phosphorus;
arsenic;
antimony;
sulfur;
selenium;
tellurium;
ring closure reactions;
comparison of methods;
experimental conditions;
experimental procedures;
tabular survey


Application of plant extracts as antimicrobials against Streptomyces scabies and characterization of the DNA-binding motif in Scabin toxin. Maritza Vatta Advisor: University of Guelph, 2019 Dr. Rod Merrill The common scab disease, caused by Streptomyces species, is characterized by lesions on tuber crops which causes multi-million dollar annual losses in the potato industry alone. A total of 54 plant tinctures were tested for antimicrobial activity against S. scabies. The best plant tinctures for growth inhibition, myrrh and garlic, showed complete cessation of growth in culture for all four Streptomyces strains (S. scabies, S. turgidiscabies, S. acidiscabies, and S. europaeiscabiei). A mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase (mART) toxin from S. scabies, is termed Scabin. mART toxins are released by pathogenic bacteria as virulence factors that transfer the ADP-ribose group of NAD to a target macromolecule. Characterization of the role of several DNA-binding residues in Scabin was completed to understand the catalytic signature of the enzyme. The corresponding variants were analyzed for enzymatic activity as well as their binding affinity for a dsDNA substrate. It was shown that Tyr129 is an important residue within the Scabin DNA-binding motif that controls substrate binding.


Transactional memory systems promise to simplify parallel programming by avoiding deadlock, livelock, and serialization problems through optimistic, concurrent execution of code segments that potentially can have data conflicts with each other. Data conflict detection in proposed hardware transactional memory systems is done by associating a read bit with each cache block that is set when a block is speculatively read. However, since the set of blocks that have been speculatively read - the read set - has to be maintained until the transaction commits, one can often not replace a block that has been speculatively read. This leads to poor utilization of the private caches in a multi-core system. We propose a new scheme for managing the read set in hardware transactional memory systems. The novel insight is that only the addresses of the speculatively read blocks are needed for conflict detection but not the data. As a result, there is an opportunity to reduce the space needed to keep track of speculatively read blocks by B/A, where B is the block size and A is the block address. Assuming that B is 32 bytes and A is 32 bits, there is an eightfold space saving due to this. This paper presents a novel design for leveraging this opportunity and evaluates a concept that uses a Bloom filter to hash the addresses of the read set into a structure. We find that the proposed scheme utilizes the private cache more efficiently in a typical system configuration.


Misinformation can often have a lasting impact on the causal inferences people make about events even after it is unambiguously corrected. This is known as the continued influence effect of misinformation. Understanding the underlying cognitive processes involved in correcting misinformation is important for developing effective counter-misinformation strategies. A review of continued influence studies suggests that methodological factors, such as the scenario in which misinformation appears, can affect the strength of a correction independently of experimental manipulations. This thesis' primary aim was to advance understanding the continued influence effect and the conditions that give rise to it, by addressing issues with the methodological approach. Experiments 1A-2B developed and validated a methodology for web-based testing of the continued influence effect in order to target larger and more diverse samples. Two key claims from the continued influence literature were replicated; and the introduction of a novel control condition showed that misinformation is referred to even if it is only mentioned as part of the correction. Experiments 3-5 re-examined the claim that corrections, which explain how misinformation occurred, reduce reliance on misinformation. Findings showed no evidence that explanatory corrections reduce misinformation reliance in multiple scenarios; and continued influence of misinformation was observed in some scenarios but not others. Experiments 6-7 revisited the claim that misinformation, which implies a likely cause of an outcome is more impervious to correction than explicitly stated misinformation. Findings showed no evidence for this claim in three scenarios. I argue that the continued influence effect is a tenuous claim predicated on findings from a small set of scenarios that are unrepresentative of real-world situations in which misinformation is encountered. I propose that the conditions under which continued influence of misinformation occurs are poorly understood and recommend formally modelling the continued influence effect to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon.


The interpolation and extrapolation of complex S-parameter data using the Cauchy method is described. An approximation of the complex S-parameter data is accomplished by a ratio of two polynomials. By applying the Cauchy method, an electromagnetic system is represented by a set of poles and zeros in the s-plane. The Total Least Squares (TLS) implementation of the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is used to estimate the dimension of the null space and hence calculate the value of the coefficients of the polynomials. Once these coefficients are computed, the complex S-parameter data can be interpolated or extrapolated over other frequencies of interest. A numerical example is provided to show the applicability of the Cauchy method in interpolating or extrapolating the complex S-parameter data over a whole frequency band including the pass and the stop bands.


To develop a tomosynthesis-based dose assessment procedure that can be performed after an I-125 prostate seed implantation, while the patient is still under anaesthesia on the treatment table. Our seed detection procedure involves the reconstruction of a volume of interest based on the backprojection of 7 seed-only binary images acquired over an angle of 60° with an isocentric imaging system. A binary seed-only volume is generated by a simple thresholding of the volume of interest. Seeds positions are extracted from this volume with a 3D connected component analysis and a statistical classifier that determines the number of seeds in each cluster of connected voxels. A graphical user interface (GUI) allows to visualize the result and to introduce corrections, if needed. A phantom and a clinical study (24 patients) were carried out to validate the technique. A phantom study demonstrated a very good localization accuracy of (0.4+/-0.4) mm when compared to CT-based reconstruction. This leads to dosimetric error on D90 and V100 of respectively 0.5% and 0.1%. In a patient study with an average of 56 seeds per implant, the automatic tomosynthesis-based reconstruction yields a detection rate of 96% of the seeds and less than 1.5% of false-positives. With the help of the GUI, the user can achieve a 100% detection rate in an average of 3 minutes. This technique would allow to identify possible underdosage and to correct it by potentially reimplanting additional seeds. A more uniform dose coverage could then be achieved in LDR prostate brachytherapy.