Water deficit strongly affects plant yield and quality. However, plants can minimize drought injury by adaptation mechanisms that have evolved to escape harmful conditions. The response to water deprivation is a complex trait controlled by several genes. In order to gain a deeper understanding of drought response mechanisms in tomato, a collection of 27 genotypes was studied under different water deficit conditions. Since developmental stages might be differently influenced by drought, analyses were carried out on young plantlets during fruit setting. The only genotype that showed good performances both as water retention and fruit production was the ecotype Siccagno. All the genotypes were analyzed at molecular level with the aim of detecting structural polymorphisms in selected stress-responsive genes. In addition, the expression level of a number of these genes was measured in the genotypes more tolerant to water deficit. Many polymorphisms were detected in six stress-responsive genes, and some could imply significant modifications in the protein structure. Furthermore, the expression analysis by RT-qPCR of three stress-responsive genes allowed arguing that a higher level of expression of the gene erd15 might be related to the better response to water deficit exhibited by Siccagno. Similarly, the lower expression of eight genes in the same genotype analysed through a microarray experiment confirmed the involvement of these stress-related genes in the tomato response to drought. Further investigations are required for a better comprehension of the mechanisms underlying response to water deficit in tomato by exploiting the genetic resource identified as more tolerant. The use of new technologies able to globally analyze structural polymorphism and expression level of genes will succeed to identify crucial genes involved in stress response in the ecotype Siccagno grown under different water regimes.


Purpose: The use of prophylactic antibiotics in elective colorectal surgery is essential. Although postoperative prophylactic antibiotics are recommended within 24 hr, the optimal duration of the use of prophylactic antibiotics after colorectal surgery has not yet been fully proven in Korea. The aim of this study was to compare infectious outcomes in elective colorectal cancer surgery between postoperative 3-day antibiotic therapy and 5-day therapy. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial of a 3-day use vs. a 5-day use of the second-generation cephalosporin cefotetan after elective colorectal surgery. The main outcome measures were the incidences of surgical site infection and all other infectious complications within 21 days after surgery. Results: A total of 306 patients were enrolled. Fifty-one patients were excluded because they received additional surgery or dropped out during the study. Two-hundred fifty-five patients were analyzed in this study. The two groups were similar in terms of demographics, ASA score, tumor location, tumor stage, surgical approach (conventional open vs. laparoscopy-assisted vs. robotic-assisted), and type of operation. The incidences of surgical site infection were not significantly different between the 3-day use group (4/130 or 3.1%) and the 5-day use group (3/125 or 2.4%) (P=1.000). Incidences of overall infectious diseases did not differ significantly between the two groups. Postoperatively, both groups had similar values in their white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein levels. However, the number of patients is small to draw a definite conclusion in this study. Conclusion: Three-day cefotetan administration may be not inferior in preventing surgical site infection compared to 5-day antibiotic administration. However, further studies with a large number of patients are needed before a definite conclusion can be drawn.


Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common malignant neoplasm of the hepatobiliary system. During cholangiocarcinogenesis phenotypic changes occur in the ductal epithelium, including the expression of mucins (MUC). However, the evaluating studies of the expression of mucins in the different stages of cholangiocarcinogenesis are scarce. CD56 has also contributed in differentiating benign ductal proliferation and cholangiocarcinoma; however, its expression has not been evaluated in dysplastic epithelium of the bile duct yet. Objective: To assess immunohistochemical profile of (MUC) 1, 2, 5, 6, and CD56 in cholangiocarcinoma, pre-neoplastic and reactive lesions in the epithelium of intrahepatic bile ducts. Material and methods: Immunohistochemical expression of MUC 1, 2, 5, 6, and CD56 were studied for 11 cases of cholangiocarcinoma and 83 intrahepatic bile ducts (67 reactive and 16 dysplastic). Variables were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results: The expression of MUC1 occurred in about 90% of the cholangiocarcinomas, contrasting with the low frequency of positive cases in reactive and dysplastic bile ducts (p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the expression of MUC5, MUC6 and CD56 between the reactive or dysplastic lesions and cholangiocarcinoma. The anti-MUC2 antibody was negative in all cases. Conclusions: MUC1 contributed for the differential diagnosis between cholangiocarcinoma and pre-neoplastic and reactive/regenerative lesions of intrahepatic bile ducts, and it should compose the antibodies panel aiming at improvement of these differential diagnoses. In contrast, MUC2, MUC5, MUC6 and CD56 were not promising in differentiating all the phases of cholangiocarcinogenesis.


This paper describes the effect of nanosecond pulsed electrical discharges generated in distilled water on cobalt-modified fluorinated polyimide (PI) films derived from hexafluoroisopropylidendiphthalic dianhydride and 4,4'-diamino-3,3'-dimethyl diphenylmethane. The PI films have been characterized by dielectric spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The relative permittivity of the PI films increased after treatment by water plasma. The XRD analysis has shown a slight increase of the degree of intermolecular ordering and stronger π-π interactions with the increase of the plasma treatment time. Application of nanosecond high-voltage pulses has induced an increase in concentration of CF3 groups at the polymer surface. A decrease of the cobalt and chlorine fractions, due to their migration into water, and an increase of aliphatic C-C bonds at the film surface may be responsible for the relative permittivity modification after exposure to water plasma.


This talk describes the development and evaluation of bi- directional fiber-optic based low airflow sensors for use in solvent containing elevated temperature manufacturing process environments. The sensors developed are based on Measureand Inc. cantilever beam optical fiber bend sensors. Customized paddles are added to match sensor output to the range of airflows under investigation. This talk discuses the sensor requirements, sensors' design, calibration, manufacturing process installation and testing process worthy prototypes in an elevated temperature solvent containing environment.


Power iteration has been generalized to solve many interesting problems in machine learning and statistics. Despite its striking success, theoretical understanding of when and how such an algorithm enjoys good convergence property is limited. In this work, we introduce a new class of optimization problems called scale invariant problems and prove that they can be efficiently solved by scale invariant power iteration (SCI-PI) with a generalized convergence guarantee of power iteration. By deriving that a stationary point is an eigenvector of the Hessian evaluated at the point, we show that scale invariant problems indeed resemble the leading eigenvector problem near a local optimum. Also, based on a novel reformulation, we geometrically derive SCI-PI which has a general form of power iteration. The convergence analysis shows that SCI-PI attains local linear convergence with a rate being proportional to the top two eigenvalues of the Hessian at the optimum. Moreover, we discuss some extended settings of scale invariant problems and provide similar convergence results for them. In numerical experiments, we introduce applications to independent component analysis, Gaussian mixtures, and non-negative matrix factorization. Experimental results demonstrate that SCI-PI is competitive to state-of-the-art benchmark algorithms and often yield better solutions.


Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) represents a competitive construction material due to its benefits in terms of strength, workability, and durability. For these reasons, this material has gained popularity in the infrastructure sector demonstrating its advantages in reducing project cost and time and improving aesthetics. However, nowadays it is no longer sufficient to decide the best alternative for a project considering only the triple constraint cost, time, and quality. It is also fundamental to evaluate the environmental impacts and lifetime performance of the construction options. In this article, some of the projects built in Colombia with UHPC since 2019 are discussed (including facades and the bridge approach in UHPC vs the bridge approach in steel), where it has been shown that Life Cycle Assessment is considered as a key factor for the formulation of the projects and additional benefits have been delivered to the clients.


To study the significance of dynamic evolution of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) levels in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). A total of 45 NEC child patients, 45 non-NEC child patients and 45 healthy newborns were enrolled. After the day age, weight, gestational week and delivery mode were matched, the serum TNF-α, IL-6 and I-FABP levels at 6, 24 and 72 h after admission were measured via ELISA method, and their correlations with prognosis were analyzed. The levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6 in NEC and non-NEC group reached the peak at 24 h and fell at 72 h; there were no differences in each time point between the two groups (P>0.05), but the levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6 were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The level of serum I-FABP in NEC and non-NEC group reached the peak at 6 h, and it fell at 72 h in NEC group and 24 h in non-NEC group; the level of I-FABP in each time point in NEC was significantly higher than that in non-NEC group, and the level was the lowest in healthy group; the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were 40 cases of survival and 5 cases of death (11.1%) in NEC group, while there were 43 cases of survival and 2 cases of death (4.4%) in non-NEC group. There were no differences in serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels at different times between surviving child patients and dead child patients in NEC group (P>0.05), but the levels of serum I-FABP in surviving child patients at 6 h and 24 h were significantly lower than those in dead child patients (P<0.05), and there was no difference at 72 h (P>0.05). There were no differences in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and I-FABP levels at different times between surviving and dead child patients in non-NEC group (P>0.05). Serum I-FABP level and its dynamic evolution may be important indexes of early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of NEC.


We establish precise structural and risk equivalences between subsampling and ridge regularization for ensemble ridge estimators. Specifically, we prove that linear and quadratic functionals of subsample ridge estimators, when fitted with different ridge regularization levels $\lambda$ and subsample aspect ratios $\psi$, are asymptotically equivalent along specific paths in the $(\lambda,\psi)$-plane (where $\psi$ is the ratio of the feature dimension to the subsample size). Our results only require bounded moment assumptions on feature and response distributions and allow for arbitrary joint distributions. Furthermore, we provide a data-dependent method to determine the equivalent paths of $(\lambda,\psi)$. An indirect implication of our equivalences is that optimally tuned ridge regression exhibits a monotonic prediction risk in the data aspect ratio. This resolves a recent open problem raised by Nakkiran et al. for general data distributions under proportional asymptotics, assuming a mild regularity condition that maintains regression hardness through linearized signal-to-noise ratios.


Cancer cell motility is a key driver of metastasis. Although the intravasation of cancer cells into the blood stream is highly dependent on their motility and metastatic dissemination is the primary cause of cancer related deaths, current therapeutic strategies do not target the genes and proteins that are essential for cell motility. A primary reason for this is because the identification of cell motility-related genes that are relevant in vivo requires the visualization of metastatic lesions forming in an appropriate in vivo model. The cancer research community has lacked an in vivo and intravital metastatic cancer model that could be imaged as motility developed, in real-time. To address this, we developed a novel quantitative in vivo screening platform based on intravital imaging in shell-less ex ovo chick embryos. We applied this imaging approach to screen a human genome-wide short hairpin RNA library (shRNA) versus the highly motile head and neck cancer cells (HEp3 cell line) introduced into the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos and identified multiple novel in vivo cancer cell motility-associated genes. When the expression of several of the identified genes was inhibited in the HEp3 tumors, we observed a nearly total block of spontaneous cancer metastasis.


Ozone (O3) and nitrogen (N) deposition affect plant carbon (C) dynamics and may change ecosystem C‐sink/‐source properties. We studied effects of increased background [O3] (up to [ambient] × 2) and increased N deposition (up to +50 kg ha−1 a−1) on mature, subalpine grassland during the third treatment year. During 10 days and 13 nights, distributed evenly over the growth period of 2006, we measured ecosystem‐level CO2 exchange using a static cuvette. Light dependency of gross primary production (GPP) and temperature dependency of ecosystem respiration rates (Reco) were established. Soil temperature, soil water content, and solar radiation were monitored. Using Reco and GPP values, we calculated seasonal net ecosystem production (NEP), based on hourly averages of global radiation and soil temperature. Differences in NEP were compared with differences in soil organic C after 5 years of treatment. The high [O3] had no effect on aboveground dry matter productivity (DM), but seasonal mean rates of both Reco and GPP decreased ca. 8%. NEP indicated an unaltered growing season CO2–C balance. High N treatment, with a +31% increase in DM, mean Reco increased ca. 3%, but GPP decreased ca. 4%. Consequently, seasonal NEP yielded a 53.9 g C m−2 (±22.05) C loss compared with control. Independent of treatment, we observed a negative NEP of 146.4 g C m−2 (±15.3). Carbon loss was likely due to a transient management effect, equivalent to a shift from pasture to hay meadow and a drought effect, specific to the 2006 summer climate. We argue that this resulted from strongly intensified soil microbial respiration, following mitigation of nutrient limitation. There was no interaction between O3 and N treatments. Thus, during the 2006 growing season, the subalpine grassland lost >2% of total topsoil organic C as respired CO2, with increased N deposition responsible for one‐third of that loss.


Injuries to the central nervous system (CNS) are characterized by the inability of most axons to regenerate to their respective target tissues leading to permanent loss of sensory/motor function, while following peripheral nervous system (PNS) injuries, regeneration can occur. The failure of CNS nerve regeneration is partly attributed to the inhibitory nature of the CNS injury site. Apart from their roles in nervous system patterning during development, inhibitory guidance molecules present at the spinal cord injury site, such as semaphorins, have been suggested to contribute to the inhibitory nature of the CNS injury site. Secreted class 3 semaphorins bind to a receptor complex composed of neuropilins, the ligand binding subunit, and plexins, the signal transducing component. Although injured CNS and PNS neurons continue to express neuropilins, little is known about the expression patterns of plexins by axotomized neurons. This study analyzes class-A plexins and plexin-Bl expression in injured CNS (rubrospinal) and PNS (facial) neurons. Plexin mRNA and protein expression were analyzed over a period of 2 weeks in injured mouse rubrospinal and facial motoneurons after cervical spinal cord hemisection and facial nerve resection, respectively. In rubrospinal neurons, Plxn-Al mRNA and protein and Plxn-A4 mRNA expression did not differ between injured and uninjured neurons while Plxn-A2 mRNA expression increased in injured compared to uninjured rubrospinal neurons. Plxn-A3 mRNA was not detected in rubrospinal neurons. In facial motoneurons, Plxn-Al, -A3 and -A4 mRNA expression was higher in injured compared to uninjured motoneurons, although Plxn-Al protein expression did not change between injured and uninjured neurons. Plxn-A2 mRNA, on the other hand, decreased in injured facial motoneurons. Plxn-Bl mRNA expression was absent from both rubrospinal and facial neurons. Therefore, most class-A plexins continue to be expressed in both rubrospinal and facial motoneurons after injury, suggesting that these neuronal populations will remain responsive to semaphorins present at the injury site. This study provides a crucial step in understanding how injured neurons may respond to semaphorins and which components of the semaphorin response; either plexins, neuropilins or semaphorins, may be targeted to promote successful CNS nerve regeneration.


A review of the medical literature failed to reveal clear, agreed-upon guidelines for practitioners on the postoperative provision of full agonist opioids for patients maintained on buprenorphine. Some controversy appears to exist about whether to maintain patients on their buprenorphine regimen up to the time of surgery. We describe the surgical outcomes and pain assessments for a series of five patients who underwent seven major surgical procedures. The patients were maintained on stable doses of sublingual buprenorphine. Postoperative pain was adequately controlled using full agonist opioids according to self-report and physician assessment. The observations from this case series lend support to the practice of maintaining stable buprenorphine dosing for patients who require major surgery.


Humans outperform computers on many natural tasks including vision. Given the human ability to recognize objects rapidly and almost effortlessly, it is pragmatically sensible to study and attempt to imitate algorithms used by the brain. Analysis of the anatomical structure and physiological operation of brain circuits has led to derivation of novel algorithms that, in initial study, successfully address issues of known difficulty in visual processing. These algorithms are slow on conventional uni-processor based systems, but as might be expected of algorithms designed for highly parallel brain architectures, they are intrinsically parallel and lend themselves to efficient implementation across multiple processors. This paper presents an implementation of such parallel algorithms on a CELL processor and demonstrates the potential to support the massive parallelism inherent in these algorithms by exploiting the CELL's parallel instruction set and by further extending it to low-cost clusters built using the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). The paper describes the modeled brain circuitry, derived algorithms, implementation in the PS3, and initial performance evaluation with respect both to speed and visual object recognition efficacy. The results show that a parallel implementation can achieve about 140x performance improvement on a cluster of 3 PS3 consoles. More importantly, we show that the improvements scale linearly with added processing elements. These results provide a new platform enabling extended investigation of much larger-scale brain circuit models. Early prototyping of such large-scale models has yielded evidence of their efficacy in recognition of time-varying, partially occluded, scale-invariant objects in arbitrary


Since 1975, vocational rehabilitation has represented a small and declining component of federal disability policy. This trend is perhaps reflective of the relatively crude assessment techniques that have been applied to the program in the past. Using the Virginia Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program as a prototype, we outline how the data and methods of assessment can be improved for purposes of directing public policy. The key issues include identifying an appropriate comparison group for VR, analysis of longitudinal earnings data, and methods for refining measures of program cost. The analysis provides "fixed-effects" estimates of net earnings impacts for each of three postprogram years stratified by disability classification and gender. These treatment impacts are compared to total and service-specific costs. In general, this analysis suggests that evaluation of VR can be substantially improved and that these improvements can be attained at relatively modest analytic cost.


My purpose is to defend Augustine's doctrine of original sin against Joseph Fitzpatrick in his series of articles in New Blackfriars (July 2009–Jan 2010). I begin by arguing that Fitzpatrick's criticisms of it as psychologically inadequate fail because they do not take seriously enough the metaphysical structure of this doctrine, viz, creation from nothing. The second part begins with a critique of Fitzpatrick's interpretation of Genesis 3 and continues with a critical analysis of his proposed alternative to Augustine on original sin ('original sinfulness') with reference to the scriptural passages he cites in its support. The conclusion I reach is that 'original sinfulness' is not an acceptable biblical hermeneutic. In the third section, I discuss Fitzpatrick's concept of 'prototypical action' and, using recent work of Carol Harrison on Augustine's early theological writings, I argue that, far from being incompatible with Augustine's theology of original sin, as Fitzpatrick maintains, this concept enables us to understand Augustine's position in a way that overcomes Fitzpatrick's objections to it.


Abstract The region ended the 1990s with mixed results in the area of economic and social planning. The outcomes of planning exercises have varied depending on what is understood by the planning process or system in each country (agents, agencies, subjects, knowledge, political agenda, procedures, resource-allocation, target-image, institutional framework and others). On point that does emerge, however, is the need for the State to have an agency or representative through which it can perform basic, irreplaceable planning duties, whatever the style of development or reform adopted. These include compiling experiences, consolidating gains, amending what is considered inappropriate and introducing any changes that may be necessary. The study presented in this publication focus on a basic task: An attempt to incorporate, long-term outlook, consistency and unity and to reduce uncertainty together with an efficient and equitable allocation of fiscal resources in order to give priority attention to the services, infrastructure and projects required for reducing poverty and inequalities.


Copy number variation (CNV) is an important component of genomic structural variation and plays a role not only in evolutionary diversification but also in domestication. Chinese cattle were derived from Bos taurus and Bos indicus, and several breeds presumably are of hybrid origin, but the evolution of CNV regions (CNVRs) has not yet been examined in this context. Here, we of CNVRs, mtDNA D-loop sequence variation, and Y-chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms to assess the impact of maternal and paternal B. taurus and B. indicus origins on the distribution of CNVRs in 24 Chinese domesticated bulls. We discovered 470 genome-wide CNVRs, only 72 of which were shared by all three Y-lineages (B. taurus: Y1, Y2; B. indicus: Y3), whereas 265 were shared by inferred taurine or indicine paternal lineages, and 228 when considering their maternal taurine or indicine origins. Phylogenetic analysis uncovered eight taurine/indicine hybrids, and principal component analysis on CNVs corroborated genomic exchange during hybridization. The distribution patterns of CNVRs tended to be lineage-specific, and correlation analysis revealed significant positive or negative co-occurrences of CNVRs across lineages. Our study suggests that CNVs in Chinese cattle partly result from selective breeding during domestication, but also from hybridization and introgression.


This title is a part of our CasebookPlus offering as ISBN 9781634595216. With the prior edition of this concise, up-to-date casebook having been adopted at over 100 law schools, the ninth edition preserves the authors' tradition of providing a comprehensive overview of agency, partnership, and corporation law. It also continues to emphasize six basic editorial principles: Be lean but not mean, cases edited ruthlessly to produce a readable and concise result. Facts matter, so they are included in all their potential ambiguity. Bring a planner's perspective to the table through extensive use of transactionally-oriented problems. It's a casebook not a treatise. No long, stultifying textual passages. Provide the cases and let the individual teacher use them as he or she sees fit. Try to find cases that are fun to teach. Great facts or a clever analysis are always given first priority in case selection. Provide a teachers' manual that goes into great depth, with analysis of every case and, whenever applicable, offering the disparate views of each author. An exhaustive teachers' manual extensively discusses every case and provides answers to every question in the text. One feature that many adopters find especially helpful is that all three editors give their own approach to the cases, showing the different ways in which the same case can be taught. Annually updated PowerPoint slides cover almost all sections of the book and feature an extensive use of data, graphics, and photos.


Deep neural networks have become the driving force of modern image recognition systems. However, the vulnerability of neural networks against adversarial attacks poses a serious threat to the people affected by these systems. In this paper, we focus on a real-world threat model where a Man-in-the-Middle adversary maliciously intercepts and perturbs images web users upload online. This type of attack can raise severe ethical concerns on top of simple performance degradation. To prevent this attack, we devise a novel bi-level optimization algorithm that finds points in the vicinity of natural images that are robust to adversarial perturbations. Experiments on CIFAR-10 and ImageNet show our method can effectively robustify natural images within the given modification budget. We also show the proposed method can improve robustness when jointly used with randomized smoothing.


Hydrogen (H2) is promising as an energy source for the next generation. Medical applications using H2 gas can be also considered as a clean and economical technology. Since the H2 gas based on electrolysis of water production has potential to expand the medical applications, the technology has been developed in order to safely dilute it and to supply it to the living body by inhalation, respectively. H2 is an inert molecule which can scavenge the highly active oxidants including hydroxyl radical (·OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−), and which can convert them into water. H2 is clean and causes no adverse effects in the body. The mechanism of H2 is different from that of traditional drugs because it works on the root of many diseases. Since H2 has extensive and various effects, it may be called a "wide spectrum molecule" on diseases. In this paper, we reviewed the current medical applications of H2 including its initiation and development, and we also proposed its prospective medical applications. Due to its marked efficacy and no adverse effects, H2 will be a next generation therapy candidate for medical applications.


Cognitive Radio Network (CRNs) is a novel technology for improving the future bandwidth utilization . CRNs have many security threats due its opportunistic exploitation of the bandwidth. Each layer of the CRNs consisting of several attacks starting from the physical layer and moving up to the transport layer. This paper concentrates on theLink layer attacks. The future work uses Signature based Authentication Coded Intrusion Detection Scheme to detect the Byzantine attack. It worksin asynchronous system like Internet and incorporates optimization to improve detection response time.


The volumetric rendering of 3-D medical image data is very effective method for communication about radiological studies to clinicians. Algorithms that produce images with artifacts and inaccuracies are not clinically useful. This paper proposed a direct voxel-projection algorithm to implement volumetric data rendering. Using this algorithm, arbitrary volume rotation, transparent and cutaway views are generated satisfactorily. Compared with the existing raytracing methods, it improves the projection image quality greatly. Some experimental results about real medical CT image data demonstrate the advantages and fidelity of the proposed algorithm.


One of the important factors affecting the production safety of a country or region is the level of economic development. Avoiding accidents under the condition of ensuring economic development is a problem that needs in-depth research. On the basis of collecting the data of occupational accidents and economic development indicators in China from 2000 to 2020, this paper studies the relationship between occupational accidents and five economic indicators, such as resident consumption, energy consumption, education funds, wage level and research input. The grey working accident model of Gaussian function is established, the occurrence trend of occupational accidents is quantitatively analyzed, and the accident reduction measures are suggested based on the relationship between accidents and economy. The results show that there is a strong correlation between accident and economic indicators, and the comprehensive correlation coefficient among scientific research investment, education funds and accident indicators is significantly higher than that of other economic indicators. Increasing investment in scientific research and education is conducive to improving the quality of workers and training safety professionals and can effectively reduce workplace accidents.


The poem 'Ushshaq-nama by Fakhr ad-Din 'Iraqi (610–688 / 1213–1289) is the first poetical writing on the subject of mystical love in Persian literature. 'Iraqi's authorship of this work has never been questioned by researchers. However, the English orientalist J. Baldick 1973 cast a doubt on 'Iraqi's authorship of this poem. The article examines in detail the arguments of J. Baldick both from the point of view of the context of the creation of the poem, as well as the methods of the latest computational methods, in particular stylometry. Boldik's arguments concern both the historical and religious context in which 'Iraqi lived and the peculiarities of his works, primarily the poem'Ushshaq-name. The paper demonstrates that this computational method may be used for the study of the features of the style of Persian poetry and the confirmation of the authorship of doubtful Persian writings. Further expert decision full-field by Artjoms Šeļa based on stylometric methods for the establishment of the poem 'Ushshaq- nama is expounded. While the results of the analysis of the historical and religious contexts of the poem may serve as confirmation of the authorship of 'Iraqi and the refutation of the Baldick hypothesis, the results of the stylometric analysis do not give an unambiguous answer to the question of its authorship.


Composite nanofibres of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) with polyaniline (PANI) or poly (aniline-co-m-aminobenzoic acid) (P (ANI-co-m-ABA)) were prepared by electrospinning. Thermal effects on the properties of the composite nanofibres were studied by means of DSC and TGA. TGA results show that the onset thermal degradation temperature of the composite fibres was slightly higher than that of pure PLA. The degree of the crystallinity of the nanofibres was determined from DSC data and compared to film with the same composition.


Current trends show the intense growth in the role and importance of mobile technology (smartphones, tablets, etc.) in business due to economic, social and technological reasons. The social element drives a powerful convenience expectation called "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) for taking notes and accessing internal and external network resources. Apparently, the future is leading toward a more extensive enablement of smartphones and tablets with their enterprise applications. Internal security standards along with applicable regulatory ones to achieve 'policy enforcement' as types of solutions and controls; however, this allows for merely one aspect of compliance. An alternative solution could be behaviour-based analysis to identify the user, attacker or even a malicious program accessing resources on phone or internal networks. Complex networks can be defined by graphs, such as connections to resources on smartphones and serve as a blueprint. In case the motif is different from the user's actual behaviour, the company can initiate specific actions to avoid potential security violations. This document reviews the IT security challenges related to smartphones as well as the concept of graph-based user identification. The challenges of the latter are the identification of motif, selection of search algorithm and defining rules for what is considered a good or bad behaviour.


Spectral domain optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is an interferometric imaging technique for three-dimensional reconstruction of biological samples. Phase sensitive implementation of OCM has generally been in common path interferometer configuration to obtain high phase stability, which limits the numerical aperture of the imaging optics and the transverse resolution. Here, we describe the implementation of optical coherence phase microscope in asymmetric Linnik interferometer configuration, which provides phase stability of 0.5 milliradians along with high spatial resolution. Three-dimensional structural images and dynamic displacement images obtained from spontaneously active cardiomyocytes demonstrate that the phase information could potentially be used for quantitative analysis of contraction dynamics, spatially resolved to sub-cellular structures.


Our project, Woolopolis, aims to consolidate the various functions and programs of New Zealand's wool production into one dynamic community. Traditionally the programs associated with New Zealand's wool economy - pasture, housing, shearing, production facilities and markets have been separated by both geography and context. This separation is no longer effective in a globalised world, so we turn to cohesion as a means of improving performance. Thus, Woolopolis takes the form of a complex network of programs - processing facilties at ground level, housing units lofted above, with the market functioning as the communal centre of the complex and mediating between the two. The architecture functions as a machine in which sheep can be fed, shorn, the wool processed and sold, all the while housing a diverse community of farm and factory workers, shearing hands, agricultural scientists, designers and investors integral to the wool economy.Housing units in the complex are adjusted for optimal living conditions - north facing to make the most of daylight hours, and turned against predominantly westerly winds. The whole complex functions as a singular machine - solar panels on the housing units help to power production facilities, rainwater catchment areas release the architecture from dependence on the existing grid and help to mediate the considerable water-usage associated with agriculture. The entire complex is lofted above the ground to make storage space for hay during harsh winters.Woolopolis is New Zealand's traditional rural vernacular at hyperspeed - archetypal building forms, rugged local materials, constructed by local contractors and future dwellers. Woolopolis grows without the help of architects, and as it expands it does so on the condition and pace of the local context. Consolidating all functions of the wool production process into a singular eco-friendly complex, Woolopolis is a sustainable response to the motto, 'think global, act local'.


Abstract. Diel vertical migration (DVM) is a survival strategy adopted by zooplankton
that we investigated in the Corsica Channel using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data from April 2014
to November 2016. The principal aim of the study is to characterize migration
patterns and biomass temporal evolution of zooplankton along the water
column. The ADCP measured vertical velocity and echo intensity in the water
column range between about 70 and 390 m (the bottom depth is 443 m). During
the investigated period, zooplanktonic biomass had a well-defined daily and
seasonal cycle, with peaks occurring in late winter to spring (2015 and
2016) when the stratification of the water column is weaker. Zooplanktonic
biomass temporal distribution in the whole water column is well correlated
with biomass of primary producers, estimated with satellite data.
Zooplanktonic blooming and non-blooming periods have been identified and
studied separately. During the non-blooming period zooplanktonic biomass was
most abundant in the upper and the deep layers, while during the blooming
period the upper-layer maximum in zooplanktonic biomass disappeared and the
deep layer with high zooplanktonic biomass became thicker. These two layers
are likely to correspond to two different zooplanktonic communities. The
evolution of zooplanktonic biomass is well correlated with chlorophyll, with
phytoplankton biomass peaks preceding the upper-layer secondary production by
a lag of about 3.5 weeks. Nocturnal DVM appears to be the main
pattern during both periods, but reverse and twilight migration are also
detected. Nocturnal DVM was more evident at mid-water than in the deep and
the upper layers. DVM occurred with different intensities during blooming and
non-blooming periods. One of the main outcomes is that the principal drivers
for DVM are light intensity and stratification, but other factors, like
the moon cycle and primary production, are also taken in consideration.


Aim: To report progression of primary angle closure suspects (PACS) to primary angle closure (PAC) at the 5 year follow up of a population based sample. Methods: 82 of 118 PACS who could be contacted and 110 randomly selected normals from a population based survey in 1995 were invited for a follow up examination in 2000. Progression to PAC was based on the development of raised IOP or synechiae in a PACS. Results: 50 of the 82 PACS contacted were examined. 11 (22%; 95% CI 9.8 to 34.2) developed PAC (seven synechial and four appositional); all were bilateral PACS. Two of 50 people previously diagnosed as PACS were reclassified as normal. One person among the 110 normals progressed to PAC. The relative risk of progression among PACS was 24 (95% CI 3.2 to 182.4). There was no significant difference in axial length, anterior chamber depth, or lens thickness between those who progressed and those who did not. None of the patients developed optic disc or field damage attributable to angle closure. One angle closure suspect was diagnosed to have normotensive glaucoma. Conclusion: In this population based study of PACS the 5 year incidence of PAC was 22%; none developed functional damage. Bilateral PACS was a clinical risk factor for progression.


We used time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy to study ultrafast photoconductivity of polycrystalline thin-film silicon solar cells. We selected a series of samples, which exhibited variable conversion efficiencies due to hydrogen plasma passivation under various technological conditions. The decay of the transient terahertz conductivity shows two components: the fast one is related to the charge recombination at interfaces, while the slow nanosecond one is attributed to the trapping of photocarriers by defects localized at grain boundaries or at dislocations in the polycrystalline p− layer of the structure. We observed a clear correlation between the open-circuit voltage and the nanosecond-scale decay time of the transient terahertz conductivity of the solar cells. Thus, the terahertz spectroscopy appears to be a useful contactless tool for inspecting the local photoconductivity of solar cells including, in particular, various nanostructured schemes.


Background: Aldosterone antagonists may mediate their effects on heart failure through parathyroid hormone (PTH) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: Patients with CKD on spironolactone were selected and matched for age, gender, race, use of a vitamin D analogue, the number of antihypertensive medications, and CKD stage. PTH levels before and after the first prescription of spironolactone were measured. A thorough chart review was conducted to assess for heart failure hospitalizations. An adjusted Cox proportional model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) for heart failure hospitalizations among cases versus controls. Results: There were a total of 950 (mean age 67±13 years, 40% men) patients with CKD. Of these, there were 48 hospitalizations for heart failure among the cases and 82 among the controls (HR 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19–0.74, p=0.005). We noted a more significant decrease in PTH levels among the cases when compared to the controls (p<0.0001). The adjusted hazard for heart failure hospitalization increased with higher PTH levels (p=0.002) and mediation analysis revealed change in PTH level as a significant mediator of heart failure hospitalization (p=0.04). Conclusion: Aldosterone antagonists may be helpful in preventing hospitalizations for heart failure exacerbation in CKD patients through a PTH-mediated effect.


With the current trend of digital convergence in mobile phones, mobile manufacturers are researching how to develop a mobile beam projector to cope with the limitations of a small screen size and to offer a better feeling of movement while watching movies or satellite broadcasting. However, mobile beam projectors may project an image on arbitrary surfaces, such as colored walls and papers, not only on a white screen as is mainly used in an office environment. Thus, a color correction method for the projected im- age is proposed to achieve good image quality irrespective of the surface color. Initially, luminance values of the original image in the YCbCr color space are changed to prevent unnatural luminance re- production of the projected image, depending on the contrast and luminance of the surface image captured with a mobile camera. Next, the chromaticity values for the captured surface and white screen images are calculated using a ratio of the sum of three RGB values compared to one another. Then, their chromaticity ratios are multiplied by the converted image through an inverse YCbCr matrix to reduce the influence of modulating the color tone of the projected image due to spatially different reflectances on the surface. By pro- jecting the compensation image on a texture pattern or single color surface, the image quality of the projected image can be improved, compared to that of the projected image on a white screen. © 2008 Society for Imaging Science and Technology. DOI: 10.2352/J.ImagingSci.Technol.200852:3030505


Abstract. Ninety-six sows in twelve groups of eight sows were continuously video-observed during 48 hours after weaning and mixing. The occurrence and the outcome of all agonistic interactions (AI) were recorded and data of wins and defeats were transformed into a 8 × 8 (winner-loser) matrix. Aggressor and receiver of the attacks and fights in the dyads have been determined and the rank index for each sow was calculated leading to the individual rank place RP (1 to 8) and to the classifying into high ranking (HRS: RP 1 to 4) and low ranking sows (LRS: RP 5 to 8). Based on a total number of 2 414 AI dominant sows with RP=1 initiated 94.3 % of the AI they were involved in and were the receiver in 5.7 % of the AI. In contrast, every fourth AI was orientated towards the subdominant sow with RP=8. The sows with RP 7 or 8 were the receivers in nearly half of all AI (44.9 %). Fights occurred more frequently between sows with a low rank place difference. More than 60 % of the attacks and more than 40 % of the fights were initiated from high ranking sows towards low ranking sows even though 28.6 % was the estimated value for those dyads. In only 2 % of the attacks and 18.8 % of the fights LRS engaged HRS which means that HRS usually react with a counter-attack when being attacked by a LRS.


This paper describes the design and implementation of an IPv6 multicast forwarder as the preliminary step for developing a high-speed IPv6 multicast-enabled router for use in an environment where multicast packets occupy some portion of the total network traffic using the programmable IXP2400 network processor. We validate our implementation and evaluate its performance with hardware experiments. Our experimental results show that the measured forwarding rate is 86% of full line rate in the minimum IPv6 packet size and the latency of IPv6 multicast packet forwarding compared with IPv6 unicast increases 25% in average. These are due to the processing overhead of IPv6 multicast route lookup in IPv6 multicast forwarder microblock, the packet copy in packet replication microblock, and the packet buffer management in packet TX microblock


ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of changes of effectiveness of Kickuth-type constructed wetland with subsurface flow applied to domestic wastewater treatment. This study is based on an example of a wetland 3000 m2 in surface, serving 800 inhabitants, located in Poland. The results of chemical analysis showed that after an initial year of 'start-up time', the efficiency of pollutant removal gradually increased to reach an apex in the 6th year of operation. Such maximum efficiency continued up to the 10th year of operation; afterwards it gradually dropped. Moreover, after 12 years of operation, a serious problem with overland flow was observed, which indicated the porous media clogging processes.


The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has recently developed the ability to predict turbine loads and responses for machines undergoing variable-speed operation. The wind industry has debated the potential benefits of operating wind turbine sat variable speeds for some time. Turbine system dynamic responses (structural response, resonance, and component interactions) are an important consideration for variable-speed operation of wind turbines. The authors have implemented simple, variable-speed control algorithms for both the FAST and ADAMS dynamics codes. The control algorithm is a simple one, allowing the turbine to track the optimum power coefficient (C{sub p}). The objective of this paper is to show turbine loads and responses for a particular two-bladed, teetering-hub, downwind turbine undergoing variable-speed operation. The authors examined the response of the machine to various turbulent wind inflow conditions. In addition, they compare the structural responses under fixed-speed and variable-speed operation. For this paper, they restrict their comparisons to those wind-speed ranges for which limiting power by some additional control strategy (blade pitch or aileron control, for example) is not necessary. The objective here is to develop a basic understanding of the differences in loads and responses between the fixed-speed and variable-speed operation of this wind turbine configuration.


Abstract Discussions of eroticism usually commence with references to Georges Bataille and his L'Erotisme, whose first English edition was published under the title Death and Sensuality: A Study of Eroticism and the Taboo (1962), thus encouraging analyses in terms of transgression. This article opens with a quotation from Zygmunt Bauman's essay, "On Postmodern Uses of Sex," which reflects on the instability of the concept and emphasizes its contextualization. This openly declared incongruity raises questions of applicability. What is meant by eroticism today, i.e. in and after postmodernism? The article seeks to explore the relevance of the term in studies of urban drama and tries to suggest a workable approach that would differentiate between the commonly observable erotic material found on display within the premises of the city and the eroticism of the city itself. In the latter case the erotic relationship involves the materiality of the urban context and its user. The essay, focusing on drama, assumes that plays are written for the stage-their proper mode of existence-and deems it necessary to include the city/theatre and city/drama interdependence as well as the nexus of concepts such as urban drama and its genre restrictions into the following analysis.


1. Introduction, Hornyak & Baker. PART I. BULIMIA NERVOSA. 2. Reclaiming the Body: Using Guided Imagery in the Treatment of Body Image Disturbance among Bulimic Women, Kearney-Cooke. 3. Hypnosis, Hypnotizability, and the Bulimic Patient, Pettinati, Kogan, Margolis, Shrier, & Wade. 4. The Use of In-session Structured Eating in the Outpatient Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa, Hoage. 5. Family Sculpting with Bulimic Families, Root. 6. Psychodrama and the Treatment of Bulimia, Callahan. 7. Dance/Movement Therapy with Bulimic Patients, Stark, Aronow, & McGeehan. 8. Art Therapy in the Long-term Psychodynamic Treatment of Bulimic Women, Morenoff & Sobol. 9. Music Therapy Improvisation Techniques with Bulimic Patients, Nolan. PART II. ANOREXIA NERVOSA. 10. The use of Metaphor/Poetry Therapy in the Treatment of the Reticent Subgroup of Anorectic Patients, Woodall & Andersen. 11. Structured Eating Experiences in the Inpatient Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, Sparnon & Hornyak. 12. Anorexia Nervosa: Experiencing the Self through Psychodrama and Gestalt Therapy, Hudgins. 13. Disturbed Body Image in Anorexia Nervosa: Dance/Movement Therapy Interventions, Rice, Hardenbergh, & Hornyak. 14. Art Therapy and Anorexia: Experiencing the Authentic Self, Fleming. 15. Music as a Therapeutic Tool in Treating Anorexia Nervosa, Parente.


Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in connective tissue disease (CTD) (1), particularly in systemic sclerosis, where it is the most common cause of death (2). Despite several immunosuppressive regimes, including intravenous cyclophosphamide, a significant proportion of patients have progressive ILD. Recent evidence has shown that rituximab is an effective treatment in antisynthetase syndrome associated ILD (3) and in treatment refractory connective tissue disease associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) as rescue therapy (4). Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate patient outcomes when using rituximab for CTD-ILD refractory to standard immunosuppression, in our specialist centre in Sheffield, UK. Methods A retrospective case review was performed on 12 patients who had received rituximab for CTD-ILD. Details of previous treatment, pulmonary function tests, imaging, autoimmune profiles and basic demographic data were collected. Exercise tolerance, symptoms of dyspnoea and percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) and percent predicted diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLco) were compared from baseline and six to nine months after receiving rituximab, to assess response to treatment. Results After six months treatment four patients had significant increases in FVC or DLco defined as an increase of ≥10% or ≥15% from baseline respectively, and three patients had stable disease. Five patients showed progressive disease including one patient with diffuse systemic sclerosis who died and one patient with polymyositis who required lung transplantation. A steroid sparing effect was observed, with a median reduction in prednisolone dose of 5mg daily at six months. Conclusions We found that rituximab can be an effective treatment in some patients with progressive CTD-ILD, even in disease refractory to standard treatment with IV cyclophosphamide. Patients with Jo-1 polymyositis were more likely to have a significant response to treatment. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to aid treatment decisions in this patient group to enable clinicians to identify likely responders, to determine if rituximab is as effective as cyclophosphamide and if use in early CTD-ILD will improve patient outcomes. References Castelino FV et al. Interstitial lung disease in connective tissue diseases: evolving concepts of pathogenesis and management. Arthritis Research and Therapy. 2010;12(4):213. Tyndall AJ et al. Causes and risk factors for death in systemic sclerosis: a study from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2010 Oct;69(10):1809-15. Sem M et al. Rituximab treatment of the anti-synthetase syndrome: a retrospective case series. Rheumatology. 2009 Aug;48(8):968-71. Keir GJ et al. Severe interstitial lung disease in connective tissue disease: rituximab as rescue therapy. The European respiratory journal. 2012 Sep; 40(3):641-8. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Despite improvement on outcomes post liver transplantation (LT), complications such as HCV recurrence (HCV-rec) and acute cellular rejection (ACR) continue to be a challenge for transplant physicians. Accurate diagnostic tools to better dissect between those complications post-LT are crucial for prompt and correct diagnosis and treatment. It is well known that the overlapping features of clinical and histo-pathological characteristics between these conditions turn difficult the appropriate differential diagnosis. Recently, new technological advances had supported the field of biomarker discovery in many diseases. Disease biomarkers capable to differentiate ACR versus HCV-rec post-LT is a long waited task in the transplant community. This editorial describes and discusses potential biomarkers of disease differentiation including recent reports in the field of genomics, proteomics, immunohistochemistry among other technologies.


Background The filamentous fungus Penicillium purpurogenum grows on a variety of natural carbon sources, such as sugar beet pulp, and secretes to the medium a large number of enzymes that degrade the carbohydrate components of lignocellulose. Sugar beet pulp is rich in pectin, and the purpose of this work is to identify novel esterases produced by the fungus, which may participate in pectin degradation. Methods and findings Partially purified culture supernatants of the fungus grown on sugar beet pulp were subjected to mass spectrometry analysis. Peptides thus identified, which may be part of potential esterases were probed against the proteins deduced from the fungal genome sequence. The cDNAs of two putative esterases identified were expressed in Pichia pastoris and their properties studied. One of these enzymes, named FAET, is a feruloyl esterase, while the other, PE, is classified as a pectin methyl esterase. Conclusions These findings add to our knowledge of the enzymology of pectin degradation by Penicillium purpurogenum, and define properties of two novel esterases acting on de-esterification of pectin. Their availability may be useful as tools for the study of pectin structure and degradation.


This paper proposes two thought experiments to demonstrate that our current treatment of animals is immoral. The first thought experiment involves aliens coming to earth and doing to us what we do to animals—eating us, confining us in farms and zoos, doing experiments on us, etc. Drawing on the latest scientific research on the abilities of animals, this thought experiment seeks to show that there are more relevant similarities between human beings and animals than most people realize, and that the differences between us and many other animals are not morally relevant. Moreover, this thought experiment attempts to appeal primarily to our sense of justice by tapping into our emotions for ourselves rather than to the usual approach which appeals to our emotions for animals. The second thought experiment is similar to the first, but more centrally emphasizes the idea of luck. It will, in part, take an approach recommended by Donald VanDeVeer to employ Rawl's veil of ignorance to mask not only our natural and social starting places, but also our species—whether we are human or of another species. However, one serious objection made to VanDeVeer's approach will be circumvented, namely, that it is difficult to imagine ourselves as an animal. Rather, we will imagine that evolution has made it so we are not the smartest and most powerful species on earth. This thought experiment invites us to ask ourselves that if there were only two species to consider and we were the less advanced of the two, would we still not expect to be treated with dignity and respect? Both analogies ultimately challenge us to ask the following question: What principles of justice would we choose to govern the interactions between species if we were not the most intelligent and powerful species on earth?


Despite enactment of Constitution No. 42 "No one shall be deprived of the right of education", there is substantial difference among individuals' educational levels. In addition, the centralized and egalitarian education system in Turkey reduces the cost of education for poor families, and so it should make intergenerational mobility easier. Nevertheless there is strong association between education level of individuals and their family background. In this thesis we try to figure out the degree of association between fathers' and individuals' education levels. During the analysis we use the Markov chain model and indices obtained from transition probability matrices. Also to add further controls we run OLS and ordered logit estimation. For genders, age groups, religiosity groups and ethnicities we run separate ordered logit regressions. Our results show that intergenerational mobility in Turkey is lower than Italy and the US. Our in-group comparisons show that female individuals are less mobile than male individuals and they are less likely to get further education. In terms of age groups, older age groups are less mobile and less likely to get further education. Kurdish individuals are more persistent at bottom category and less mobile than Turkish individuals. The negative effect of being Kurdish is higher at older age groups. In terms of religiosity levels, non believer individuals are more likely to get further education than remaining groups. In addition, pious individuals are less mobile. On the other hand, the negative effect of being female is higher among pious individuals compared to other religiosity levels.


Informed consent is the process in which a healthcare provider educates a patient about the risk, benefits, and alternatives of an intended procedure. However, the consequence could be detrimental if all risks were not explained appropriately to the patient.

 To investigate if all relevant risks were patient-consented before elective and urgent cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.

 A prospective audit was conducted at a District General Hospital for 2 weeks in September 2022 by checking the consent forms of the respective procedure. Peer-reviewed leaflet produced by EIDO Healthcare was used as the standard. Intervention was done by preparing a checklist of procedural risks to be used by the consenter. The data was collected for 2 weeks in October 2022 and analysed using Microsoft Excel.

 For cholecystectomy (n=15), 12 were done electively and 3 were urgent. Out of the 17 common cholecystectomy risks, 9 were discussed in all consents post-intervention compared to 3 before. 6 of the risks were discussed in ³30% more consents post-intervention. Explanation of post-cholecystectomy syndrome achieved the best improvement of being discussed in 53.3% more consent. For appendicectomy (n=9), out of the common 14 risks, only 2 risks were discussed in 30% more consents post-intervention.

 The likely explanation for the sub-optimal improvement in the appendicectomy consent process was due to urgency. The nature of the procedure might have triggered a speeding up of the consent process which consequently exposed to unintentional omission. This emphasises the importance to address difficulties with the consent process to promote patient autonomy and prevent harm.


Few chromosomal reports are available for the endemic fish fauna from coastal basins in northeastern Brazil, and regional biodiversity remains partially or completely unknown. This is particularly true for Loricariidae, the most diverse family of armored catfishes. In the present work, allopatric populations of Hypostomus cf. wuchereri (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from two basins in Bahia (northeastern Brazil) were cytogenetically analyzed. Both populations shared 2n = 76 chromosomes, a karyotype formula of 10m+18sm+48st/a (FN = 104) and single terminal GC-rich NORs on the second metacentric pair. Nevertheless, microstructural differences were detected by C-banding, fluorochrome staining and chromosomal digestion with restriction enzymes (Alu I, Bam HI, Hae III, and Dde I). The population from Una River (Reconcavo Sul basin) showed conspicuous heterochromatin blocks and a remarkable heterogeneity of base composition (presence of interspersed AT/GC-rich and exclusively AT- or GC-rich sites), while the population from Mutum river (Contas River basin) presented interstitial AT-rich C-bands and terminal GC/AT-rich heterochromatin. Each enzyme yielded a specific band profile per population which allowed us characterizing up to five heterochromatin families in each population. Based on the present data, we infer that these populations have been evolving independently, as favored by their geographic isolation, probably representing cryptic species.


A stable tetramer of the Mu transposase (MuA) bound to the ends of the Mu DNA promotes recombination. Assembly of this active protein-DNA complex from monomers of MuA requires an intricate array of MuA protein-binding sites on supercoiled DNA, divalent metal ions, and the Escherichia coli HU protein. Under altered reaction conditions, many of these factors stimulate assembly of the MuA tetramer but are not essential, allowing their role in formation of the complex to be analyzed. End-type MuA-binding sites and divalent metal ions are most critical and probably promote a conformational change in MuA that is necessary for multimerization. Multiple MuA-binding sites on the DNA contribute synergistically to tetramer formation. DNA superhelicity assists cooperativity between the sites on the two Mu DNA ends if they are properly oriented. HU specifically promotes assembly involving the left end of the Mu DNA. In addition to dissecting the assembly pathway, these data demonstrate that the tetrameric conformation is intrinsic to MuA and constitutes the form of the protein active in catalysis.


The Black Sea is among the regions that have been cited in the literature as having conditions suitable for natural gas hydrate reserves. Russian scientists confirmed by seismic studies that there are five regions in the Black Sea which are highly promising for hydrate formation. In this study, conventional petroleum engineering methods are utilized to estimate the possible amount of gas available in one of the Black Sea Basins.


Several authors have examined the long swings hypothesis in exchange rates using a two-state Markov switching model. This study developed a model to investigate long swings hypothesis in currencies which may exhibit a -state pattern. The proposed model was then applied to euros, British pounds, Japanese yen, and Nigerian naira. Specification measures such as AIC, BIC, and HIC favoured a three-state pattern in Nigerian naira but a two-state one in the other three currencies. For the period January 2004 to May 2016, empirical results suggested the presence of asymmetric swings in naira and yen and long swings in euros and pounds. In addition, taking as the benchmark for smoothing probabilities, choice models provided a clear reading of the cycle in a manner that is consistent with the realities of the movements in corresponding exchange rate series.


Book summary: this revised edition takes the theme of place as the unifying principle for a full account of the discipline at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
The work comprises sixty-four substantial essays addressing human and physical geography, and exploring their inter-relations. The Encyclopedia does full justice to the enormous growth of social and cultural geography in recent years. Leading international academics from ten countries and four continents have contributed, ensuring that differing traditions in geography around the world are represented. In addition to references, the essays also have recommendations for further reading.
As with the original work, the new Companion Encyclopedia of Geography provides a state-of-the-art survey of the discipline and is an indispensable addition to the reference shelves of libraries supporting research and teaching in geography.


This article uses university administration data to investigate the relation between student behavior (rapid response in finalizing enrolment procedures) and academic performance. It shows how student solicitude in enrolment, or a lack of it, can be a useful forecast of academic success. Several explanations can be given, including the greater or lesser tendency to procrastinate.


International communication and multitude of information in several languages require information retrieval systems that can cross language borders. Cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) is defined as the retrieval of documents in another language than the language of the request or query in Anurag Seetha, et al (2004). The language of request is the source language and the language of documents is the target language. Among several approaches to CLIR, we opted for the method of translating queries for English-Hindi language pair based on a bilingual dictionary. This paper describes our first phase experiments with the CLIR system.


Statistical analysis of images reveals two interesting properties: (i) invariance of image statistics to scaling of images, and (ii) non-Gaussian behavior of image statistics, i.e. high kurtosis, heavy tails, and sharp central cusps. In this paper we review some recent results in statistical modeling of natural images that attempt to explain these patterns. Two categories of results are considered: (i) studies of probability models of images or image decompositions (such as Fourier or wavelet decompositions), and (ii) discoveries of underlying image manifolds while restricting to natural images. Applications of these models in areas such as texture analysis, image classification, compression, and denoising are also considered.


Aim To present characteristics of collecting autologous peripheral blood stem cells over a one-year period with an emphasis on efficiency and safety. Methods A retrograde analysis of 24 leukapheresis in 20 adult patients with malignant haematological diseases in the Blood Transfusion Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, was done. Cell separators Amicus and Spectra Optia were used for collection procedures. Results The patient's age ranged from 27 to 65 years. Target cells were collected in one procedure in sixteen patients, while in four patients they were collected in two procedures. The mean CD34+ collection efficiency was 57.7%. The median number of CD34+ cells and percentage of CD34+ cells in the products were 5.52x10e6/kg (range 3.28-9.00) and 1.57% (range 0.96-2.91). A strong positive correlation was found between the number of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood on the apheresis day and the amount of CD34+ cells collected in the products (rs =0.73). A total of 95% of patients collected the amount of ≥3x10e6/kg and 55% of ≥5x10e6/kg CD34+ cells for a single transplant. A decrease in platelet count, haemoglobin and haematocrit values after the procedure was not significant. Potassium decrease showed statistical significance (p<0.000). Adverse events occurred during one procedure (4.2%). Conclusion A low number of adverse events and good collection efficiency with adequate patient monitoring, indicate that leukapheresis is a safe procedure that is successfully used in the autologous transplantation process in the treatment of malignant haematological diseases.


Advances in endoscopic therapeutic techniques and procedures are reducing invasiveness, thereby lightening the burden on the patient. At the same time, they are increasing the burden on those who administer the endoscopic therapy to ensure successful outcomes. As we enter the era of minimally invasive therapy, a clear need has arisen for the formulation of a basic strategy for the types of therapeutic methods and devices that can and should be provided for use in clinical medicine. Therefore, I introduced the perspective of my own experience by my original criterion.


The idea is now widely accepted that active cell locomotion is an important mechanism in many kinds of animal morphogenesis. The history of the idea suggests, however, that there was a peculiarly strong resistance to its acceptance. The resistance was not overtly expressed, but localized cell multiplication was nearly always preferred in explanations of morphogenesis. It is argued that, by the end of the nineteenth century, the knowledge existed that should have encouraged interpretation of many embryonic events in terms of cell locomotion. It did not do so, and in the history of other branches of development biology a similar reluctance to entertain the idea is discernible. It can be illustrated from studies of tissue culture and of malignant invasion. Some speculations about the nature of this temporary blind spot are discussed.


PURPOSE
To determine if albumin, the major protein component of the aqueous humor, passes into the lens in vivo.

METHODS
Rat albumin was covalently-labeled with Alexa 488 fluorophore, purified by gel permeation chromatography, then injected into the aqueous chamber of living rats. At 5 min postinjection, lenses were removed and analyzed by HPLC gel permeation chromatography, confocal microscopy, and immunogold electron microscopy.

RESULTS
At 5 min postinjection, HPLC analysis detected measurable amounts of Alexa-labeled albumin in the lens. The results were confirmed by confocal microscopy, which showed passage into epithelial and cortical fiber cells. Immunogold electron microscopy using antibody to the Alexa fluorophore demonstrated intracellular location of the Alexa-albumin complex.

CONCLUSIONS
In vivo, significant amounts of albumin pass from the aqueous chamber into cells of the lens, consistent with a possible physiological role for this process involving passage of metabolites into the lens.


Thrbine meters are often used to measure volume flow through pipes. The company responsible for natural gas transportation in the Netherlands ( Gasunie) has recently observed what is called "ghost counts". Ghost counts are induced by strong acoustic pulsations inside the pipe systems, which results in rotation of the turbine in the absence of a mean flow. In this research, the ghost counts have been investigated experimentally in two different setups built at Gasunie. In those setups we were able to control carefully the acoustic oscillations. The oscillations imposed are approximately harmonie. We develop three theoretica! models in order to calculate the aerodynamic torque on the turbine. All the models consider the blades as flat plates, and quasi-steady behavior is assumed globally or locally by the models. One model is essentially empirical and the others use two dimensional potential flow theory for an inviscid incompressible fluid. In this potential flow model the force driving the rotation appears to he due to the singular behavior of the flow at the sharp edges of the blad es. This results either into a suction force called "edge force" or a vortex shedding for which a simplified model is proposed. The theoretica! results are compared with the experiments. The approximate critical static friction torque of the rotor above which ghost counts starts is measured by two different methods. The acoustic veloeities calculated to overcome the critical static torque differs substantially from what is expected, varying from 10% until 220%, depending on the apparatus and the Strouhal number. The Strouhal number is a measure for the ratio of the blade thickness and the fluid partiele displacement in the acoustical standing wave. We make predictions of the ghost counts under field conditions. The values are consistent with previous field measurements. The turbine steady rotation appears to he proportional to the acoustic velocity until a certain limit of the ratio between the blades velocity and the acoustic velocity. Above this critical ratio the flow pattem seems to change, and the rotor velocity starts decreasing for increasing acoustic velocity amplitude. The influence of the geometry of the rotor blades on the aerodynamic force is discussed. A thick trailing edge reduces the sensitivity of the rotor at high oscillation frequencies (high Strouhal number). Sirree ghost counts are due to the asymmetrical blades geometry, it might he interesting to investigate wether a symmetrical design can he used.


Significant efforts to incentivize the uptake of energy efficient vehicles (EEVs) are evident across the globe. Given EEV markets are dynamic, and consumer demand may fluctuate in response to incentives, this may also lead to other market forces influencing prices. An analysis of EEV incentives, therefore, must account for the possible endogeneity between demand and pricing. Here we estimate the effects of different types of incentives on the demand and price premiums of a specific group of EEVs: plug-in and conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). For the first time we dis-entangle the endogeneity between HEV demand and price, using error components three-stage least squares (EC3SLS) regression, and establish that increased HEV price premiums lead to reduced demand. In turn, we also establish that increased HEV demand leads to lower price premiums. Additionally, we find that one-off subsidies are associated with higher consumer demand, however, unlike other types of incentives, are also associated with higher HEV price premiums. This finding suggests that HEV manufacturers and/or dealers are absorbing a significant monetary benefit from one-off subsidies, raising a question regarding the appropriateness of HEV subsidies, particularly in non-HEV manufacturing nations. We also find that higher fuel prices are associated with higher HEV demand and price premiums.


Financial markets are vital components of the financial system of any nation. The importance of these markets in any modern economy is enormous. It is in the light of the importance placed on money market operations that this study focused on the effect of deregulation of money market operations on the performance of the Nigerian economy. It examined the relationship between GDP vis-a-vis money market instruments namely, Treasury bills (TB), Treasury Certificate (TC), Certificates of Deposit (CD), Commercial papers (CP) and Bankers' Acceptances (BA) in the Nigerian economy for the period 1986 to 2015. Data for the study were analyzed using the OLS multiple regression techniques and empirical estimation was carried out using E-views econometric software version 8.0. The findings show robust evidence of linear relationship.  Results derived from empirical analysis are thought-provoking and a wakeup call for policy makers to get more committed to revitalizing the Nigerian money market for efficiency, effectiveness and more robust activities in the sector.  In concluding, the study holds that there exists a unique longrun equilibrium relationship between money market instruments and economic growth in Nigeria. Similarly, the result show that money market deregulation have significant impact on the performance of the Nigerian economy within the period under reference. The study thus recommended that the Nigerian monetary authorities should initiate policies that would encourage money market operations and also be proactive in CBN surveillance role in order to check practices that could undermine or sabotage market integrity and soundness.  Finally, there is the need for the creation of an enabling (investment friendly) environment by concerned authorities (both government and monetary policy regulators), as it will further deepen the popularity of the instruments and subsequently create market for those instrument(s).


A manufacturer is usually liable in law for a defective product; however, processors are also viewed as manufacturers. Theatre staff who sterilise and label products are also liable; a liability which exists for ten years. Pat Hewitson discusses the implications.


ITER operations require effective fuelling of the core plasma for conditions in which neutral dynamics through the scrape-off layer is expected to significantly affect the efficiency of gas penetration. On the basis of the previous analysis for stationary conditions, pellets are foreseen to provide core fuelling of high-Q DT scenarios. In this paper we present a modelling study of the gas fuelling efficiency in ITER providing an estimate of the maximum plasma density achievable with gas fuelling only in various DT reference scenarios. Dynamical integrated core-edge plasma simulations for various phases of ITER DT H-mode discharges have been carried out with the JINTRAC suite of codes. Simulations of the L-mode phase show that divertor detachment sets the maximum density achievable at the separatrix by deuterium-tritium gas fuelling. The maximum volume-average density is achieved for 15 MA/5.3 T and it is close to the requirement for stationary application of neutral beam injection heating at full power (16.5 MW per injector) and ion energy (1 MeV) compatible with acceptable shine-through loads on the first wall. The achievable density in gas fuelled H-modes is typically a factor of 2–3 larger than in L-modes. The fusion performance of gas fuelled H-modes at 15 MA is typically found to be moderately high (Q ~ 6–8). Sensitivity of the above predictions to modelling assumptions and validation of the physics models are discussed.


We present a web document classification system based on the assumption that the images of a web page are those elements which mainly attract the attention of the user. This assumption implies that the text contained in the visual block in which an image is located, called semantic image-block, should contain relevant information about the page contents. In this paper we propose a new metric, called the Inverse Term Relevance Metric, aimed at assigning higher weighs to relevant terms contained into relevant image-blocks identified by performing a visual layout analysis. The traditional TFxIDF model is modified accordingly and used in the classification task. The effectiveness of this new metric has been validated using different classification algorithms, both supervised and unsupervised.


This document describes a general structure for the implementation of virtual tools for remote calculation through Internet. Two virtual tools for mathematical analysis (Analys) and simulation of dynamic systems (SimWeb), supported by the Matlabcopy, are described. These virtual tools, permit access to the Matlab from multiple work stations, without distance, power computer restrictions or user's knowledge in Matlab language; in a similar way, they allow the simulations of block diagrams through a friendly user interface. The remote calculation tools have low cost of implementation, allowing to obtain a system of high calculation power and accessible for a great number of users. The tools are oriented to automatic control systems analysis and simulation, but their use is expandable to other fields of engineering and basic sciences


Following the first Glasgow gathering in June 1999, further bande dessinée conferences saw the creation of IBDS (2001), plans for a new journal (2005, with European Comic Art first appearing in 2008) and a shared gathering with the Graphic Novels and Comics Conference (2011 onwards). The initial part of this overview will be an unashamed nostalgia-fest as we look back on IBDS events from 1999 to 2019. As befits a good comic, the fun will nonetheless lead to more serious considerations. The evolution of IBDS stands as a marker of the evolution of comics studies, both in terms of the variety of works studied and approaches taken, and with respect to the acceptance of the discipline (if it is such). More generally, a retrospective on the last twenty years allows us to question the very nature of the canon – literary or otherwise – as it now stands, and to look forward speculatively to the developments of future decades.


The recent Quality of Service (QoS) architecture proposed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) enables a set of new network services providing possible solutions to improve the quality of the Internet-based services. The interest of this research is to find a customizable QoS network solution for the Internet based share trading business by deploying these QoS architectures in order to address the quality issues in the Internet Share Trading Business. The construction of the QoS theoretical framework begins with the identification of the Internet service capabilities required by the Internet share trading business through a case study. The appropriate QoS architectural design is selected through matching the existing QoS architectures with the identified service capabilities. The QoS technological strategies and QoS capabilities are thus derived from the selected QoS architectural design. Additionally, the effectiveness of the proposed QoS architectural design is evaluated against the current implementation by using computer simulation.


An adaptive nonsingular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) tracking control scheme based on backstepping design is presented for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) vibratory gyroscopes in this paper. The nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is designed based on backstepping strategy to eliminate the singularity, while ensuring the control system to reach the sliding surface and converge to equilibrium point in a finite period of time from any initial state. In addition, the proposed approach develops an online identifier scheme, which can real-time estimate the angular velocity and the damping and stiffness coefficients. All adaptive laws in the control system are derived in the same Lyapunov framework, which can guarantee the globally asymptotical stability of the closed loop system. Numerical simulations for a MEMS gyroscope are investigated to demonstrate the validity of the proposed control approaches.


Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts were coated on the luminal surface with a cell-adhesive fluorosurfactant (FSP) polymer to promote endothelialization, followed by ethanol hydration to degas the pores and subsequent cell-adhesive, enzymatically degradable poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel incorporation into the graft interstices to accommodate potential smooth muscle cell integration in the graft wall. The FSP coating on ePTFE was stable as demonstrated by a significantly reduced receding water contact angle on FSP-coated ePTFE (14.5 ± 6.4°) compared to uncoated ePTFE (105.3 ± 4.5°, P < 0.05) after ethanol exposure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the same surfaces confirmed FSP presence. Localization of the FSP and hydrogel within the ePTFE graft construct was assessed using fluorescently labeled polymers, and demonstrated hydrogel infiltration throughout the thickness of the graft wall, with FSP coating limited to the lumen and adventitial surfaces. FSP at the luminal surface on dual-coated grafts was able to bind endothelial cells (EC) (98.7 ± 23.1 cells/mm(2) ) similar to fibronectin controls (129.4 ± 40.7 cells/mm(2) ), and significantly higher than uncoated ePTFE (31.6 ± 19 cells/mm(2,) P < 0.05). These results indicate that ePTFE grafts can be simultaneously modified with two different polymers that have potential to directly address both endothelialization and intimal hyperplasia. Such a construct is a promising candidate for an off-the-shelf synthetic graft for small-diameter graft applications.


The large-scale distribution of coal deposits is generally associated with wet paleoclimates and is given a wide tolerance for paleotemperatures. Numerical modeling of the climate pattern considering continental positioning at 100 Ma indicates five latitudinally controlled ''wet'' and ''dry'' zones. Coal deposits have a high probability of being formed in the wet zones where precipitation exceeds evaporation. The global belts of net precipitation and net evaporation for the Cretaceous show no basic latitudinal deviation from those of today. The wet zones run from the polar regions to approximately the 35/sup 0/ latitudes and include the equatorial region between the 4/sup 0/ to 8/sup 0/ latitudes. Based upon precipitation balance alone, coals would be expected in the equatorial tropics and the higher latitudes up to and including the polar regions. Several factors, such as the absence of coal deposits from Cretaceous tropical landmasses, indicate that other controls on coal formation are present. As part of IGCP Project 191 (Cretaceous Paleoclimate Atlas Project), the significance of climate control on coal formation is determined by mapping coal distribution relative to paleogeography and coal abundance and quality. The quantity and quality of North American data relative to quantitative coal distribution provides a good frameworkmore » for observation in the Cretaceous. Distributions of coal by Cretaceous stage level show a good relationship with paleoaltitude and a shifting pattern relative to sea level cycles.« less


Inter-religious conflict has been part of the history of religions. To the dismay of many, the conflict has escalated from time to time overshadowing the benevolent nature of religions as a blessing for mankind. Hence, instead of addressing the formidable problems of poverty, backwardness, ignorance, injustice, oppression and the like, people of different religions in one way or another are dragged into the acts of violence. It is this unfortunate development in the history of religions that we are interested in discussing by appealing to the ideas of Farid Esack who has established himself as an international scholar of Islam. We portray Esack as a man whose attention is being paid solely to promote the inter-religious dialogue with a single purpose in mind, to push peace and harmony for all regardless of their race and religion. We are particularly interested in developing further the idea of what he calls a ?productive dialogue? in which an awareness of religious solidarity constitutes an integral part. We will try to expose the ?hermeneutics of awareness? to get a better idea of what Esack is trying to do as far as social harmony is concerned. Within this scheme we will also discuss some other related issues such as the problem of pluralism and liberation. We argue that Esack sees the problem of social harmony as essentially theological and not simply political. It is therefore the task of religion?and not simply of politic?to deal with such problem.


In the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland approximately 1,400 body donors for Anatomical Examination are needed per year for the education and training of medical and allied health care professionals. The current study aimed to explore prospective donors' motives, beliefs and desires about body donation to medical schools in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with the hypothesis that their attitudes had not changed since the last such study in the UK in 1995 and that their motivation remained largely altruistic. A prospective, questionnaire‐based study of 821 potential donors over a 12 month period revealed a high level of agreement in answers to a number of questions exploring their motivation. Ninety six % of donors agreed they wished to improve the education of health care professionals, 92% agreed it was to help improve health care for patients, 78% considered that it provided a 'good ending' to their life. However, answers to two questions demonstrated a split viewpoint. When asked if saving relatives money was a motive 43% disagreed and 32% agreed, which was a marked increase compared to the 1995 study. A similar trend was seen when it came to sparing relatives inconvenience, with 46% of potential donors answering that this was not a motivating factor, but an increased 29% agreeing that it was. Inconvenience may mean different things to different people; practical, financial and emotional. Donors also reported differing views on avoiding traditional burial rituals with 46% agreeing that body donation helped them avoid such rituals, reflecting that some donor attitudes have changed since the last survey. Understanding donors' altruistic motives is important, but so is recognizing some of the practical considerations important to them and how these may change with time. Therefore, the results of the current study help further our understanding of how we can support socially acceptable and ethical donation practices, including improved resources for donors, as well as also match future needs of the sector.


The pectin is a backbone of the plant cell wall, its network structure will systemicly resolve when the plant cell splits up and forms. The pectinase produced by Rhizoctonia mainly acts on the pectin of cell wall, and causes the maceration of tissue and the death of protoplast. Polygalacturonase (PG) can decompose the galacturonic acid of disease tissue. The research defined the PG activities of extracellular metabolite of the different virulence Rhizoctonia isolates, and testifid the effect of Trichoderma viride to PG activities, and clarified the mechanisms of biocontrol by Trichoderma. The test methods as following: Firstly, to select the isolates of different virulence: WK-47, WK-141 and WK-160 strain of Rhizoctonia AG-D and YW-2 strain of Rhizoctonia AG1-IA and TCS-1 strain of Trichoderma viride. Secondly, to culture TCS- 1 on PD, and draw a group of fermented liquid in every 24 hours, and draw 7 times. Thirdly, to culture quietly Rhizoctonia isolates with Czapek-Dox at 25℃ for 15 days, filter and centrifuge (2350 g×30 min), fetch the clear liquid, put it into the ammonium sulfate according to 60% saturation degree, put it quietly for 30 min at 4℃, centrifuge (21000 g×30 min) at 4℃, remove the clear liquid, dissolve the deposit with sodium acetate buffer (25 mmol/L, pH5.5), dialysis for 48h in the same buffer, and change the buffer every 12h, Fourthly, to put TCS-1 fermented broth of different times in the tubes, one mL per a tube, add 0.5 mL PG to every tube, react for 4h in 30℃ water, the same time fetch the test tube filled with the same treated liquid that was not dealed in 30℃ water. Finally, to testify PG activities with DNS's test. In all, PG of Rhizoctonia had high activities and virulence. The conrtrol efficacy of T. viride to PG activities of WK-47, WK-141, WK-160 and YW-2 were 95%, 94%, 95%, 92% separately, fermented time had a great influence to control efficacy, the third fermented broth did the best. Through effect to PG activities T. viride can reduce the virulence of Rhizoctonia, and protect the hosts. The specific mechanism, qualitative and quantitative research of antagonistic substance in the fermented broth will be further carried out.


The paper presents results from an investigation on soils located in the Ludogorie region. Rendzinas (Rendzic Leptosols, FAO, 2006) have been studied. They are situated in the Lower forest vegetation zone (0–600 m a.s.l.) of the Moesian forest vegetation area. Soil samples have been taken from seven soil profiles. The study covers an area of 3000 m. The factors of soil formation have been characterized. Soil physical and chemical properties have been investigated. The results have been processed by a statistical programme. The arithmetic means (M) and standard deviations (±SD) have been calculated. The studied soils are characterized by favourable physical properties, e.g. water-resistant crumb and granular structure, porosity and bulk density Their low supply of plant available water is due to the high permeability of the parent material. The tendency of calcium to form complex insoluble compounds with humic substances (Knežević & Košanin, 2010) is a prerequisite for reduced accessibility of N and humus, although are not in low contents. The calcium content is naturally higher given the specific features of the parent material. Antagonism between the ions of Ca and К, Ca and Mg (Jorova, 1995) is a prerequisite for reduced accessibility of К and Mg, although, soil texture with a predominant presence of silt and clay, allows for higher nutrient content than that of other primitive soils.


Abstract The monastery of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin was founded in Roudnice by members of the Roudnice branch of the Lobkowicz family at the beginning of the 17th century, when also its library was established. With its approximately 1,800 volumes, it ranks among smaller, unexplored monastic libraries. Nevertheless, it contains a number of interesting and valuable fragments of earlier private book collections, coming from early modern aristocratic libraries as well as libraries of clergymen from nearby parishes. This article presents the most important of them. Particular attention is devoted to the fragment of the library of Ladislav Zejdlic of Schönfeld, originally placed at Encovany Castle in North Bohemia, and to book donations by members of the Roudnice branch of the Lobkowicz family, the main sponsors of the monastery.


The effect of microbial β-galactosidase (EC 220.127.116.11) activity on intestinal lactose digestion was estimated directly by following post-prandial venous plasma galactose concentrations. To avoid superimposing effects of free galactose, as with yogurt, fresh or heat-treated suspensions of mechanically disintegrated kefir grains in kefir, containing lactose but no free galactose, were fed to ten Göttingen minipigs. Each meal contained 101·1 (SEM 0·1) mmol lactose in kefir supplemented by either native or heat-treated kefir grains corresponding to a mean β-galactosidase activity of either 72 (SEM 8) U or zero. Feeding kefir with β-galactosidase activity resulted in a 30% enhancement of the mean post-prandial plasma galactose peak concentration from 33 (SEM 7) to 43 (SEM 12) μmol/l (n 10), as well as in 23% greater mean areas under the galactose-response curves (8·1 (SEM 1·5) v. 6·6 (SEM 1·2) mmol/min per 1) if compared with kefir with heat-treated grains. Both differences were significant (P < 0·05; paired Wilcoxon test by ranks). There was no induction of intestinal β-galactosidase (EC 126.96.36.199) activity or intestinal lactose-hydrolysing bacteria by lactose feeding. These results give direct evidence of an enhanced lactose digestion and absorption in native fermented milk products due to the microbial β-galactosidase activity.


Many studies have already been undertaken on the African ichthyofauna, and the current state of ichthyologic knowledge for some African provinces, such as the Lower Guinea, is relatively well advanced. However, if some of the Lower Guinea province basins, such as the basins of the Cross, Ntem and Ogowe, have been subjected to fairly extensive studies, others like the Shiloango basin remain still poorly known. It this within this current context that we have initiated a study of the fish fauna of the Shiloango basin, which is the situated at the ichtyogeographical borderline between the Lower Guinea and Congo ichthyofaunal provinces. The Shiloango River - also known as the Tshiloango, Chiluango or Louango upstream forms the border between the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while downstream it becomes the border between Angola (Cabinda) and the DRC. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean north of Lândana (Angola-Cabinda). Its watershed covers ±5,170 km2, and its main tributaries are the Lukula (DRC), the Fubu (DRC), and the Luali (Angola-Cabinda). A compilation of the existing information based on historical museum collections and newly made collections (2011-2013) arrives at a total of 124 species belonging to 77 genera and 34 families. With 16 species, the Cyprinidae is the most species rich family, followed by the Cichlidae and Clariidae with respectively 14 and 11 species. Fourteen species are marine, while seven other are brackish water species, following Whitfield s categorization (2007). Two species are endemic, i.e. Labeobarbus aspius (Boulenger, 1912) and Mastacembelus shiloangoensis (Vreven, 2004). The number of species currently inventoried largely exceeds the number of 57 as empirically predicted by the formula of Hugueny (1989), which seems general for Lower Guinea. In a next phase, , the Lukula (DRC), which is the largest tributary but with only 22 species known, will be sampled.