PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of effectiveness in public colleges of Punjab (India) from the students' perspective and the impact of these determinants on the satisfaction level of students. The study further explores the difference in the overall satisfaction of students' toward college effectiveness on the basis of demographic variables.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a survey approach. The sample comprises of 369 students from 19 public/government general degree colleges of Punjab (India). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been used to explore the determinants of public colleges and structural equation modeling (SEM) has been used to analyze the impact of these determinants on the satisfaction of students.t-Test and ANOVA have been used to examine the difference in students' satisfaction on the basis of their demographic variables.FindingsThe research instrument has been tested for both reliability and validity. The findings showed that the eight determinants of the satisfaction of students toward public colleges, namely academic environment, college administration, students support services, learning material, infrastructure facilities, placement services, extracurricular activities and financial administration. These, eight independent variables have been entered into SEM. The SEM model shows that infrastructure facilities, academic environment, learning material, college administration, extracurricular activities and financial administration have a positive and significant impact on the students' satisfaction. On the basis of demographic variables, significant differences in overall satisfaction have been found for gender and level of education.Practical implicationsPublic higher education sector in Punjab suffers from many limitations. Students are the internal customers of educational institutions and their satisfaction toward higher educational institutions will make every learner's mind and policymakers in the field of education think seriously about bringing reforms in the higher education sector in Punjab.Originality/valuePunjab, a well-known state of northern India is a leader in providing higher education. But, it is a fact that public higher education sector in Punjab has been facing many challenges. Student satisfaction is the central goal of any institution and this research helps to develop new insight in the quality of public higher education.


Venous vascular complications in liver transplant recipients are rare. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical criteria and typical findings on liver biopsy. The scintigraphic patterns of posttransplant liver veno-occlusive disease are described, and the value of follow-up studies is suggested. The authors present 2 patients who developed posttransplantation hepatic veno-occlusive disease. The first patient had a severe form of the disease and a fatal outcome. The second patient had a mild to moderate form of this disorder with complete resolution following treatment.


This paper describes a method for generating natural sounding speech, called phrase concatenation, which is used in a telephone inquiry system that provides train timetable information. The concatenation technique used combines pre-recorded words and phrases, but is new in that it involves the recording of several prosodically different versions of otherwise identical phrases. Although no formal evaluation has taken place yet, we feel confident in saying that the output meets high quality standards and approaches the quality of natural speech.


The article describes some of the features of Japanese combat training of troops and their display in the wars of the late XIX – early XX century in connection with using of bladed weapons. Despite decreasing one's role in modern warfare, much attention was paid to training bay-onet fighting techniques and fencing swords. A British officer, F. Norman after a long learning Japanese fencing wrote about considerable superiority of Japanese swords and fencing systems. During the Russian-Japanese war 1904‒1905 there were widely used bayonets and sabres (swords, broadswords) in the melee, but more often the bayonets were used. Most memoirs celebrate excellence in the Russian bayo-net attacks. The fall of the role of the cavalry is not only sharply increased role of firearms, but also with the prep-aration of engineering positions. Combat training of re-serve forces in Japan and Russia also differ significantly. According to General A. Kuropatkin, the Japanese re-serve units sometimes were fighting better than the field troops. There is widely spread opinion in the scientific literature that the Japanese soldier was physically strong and hardy, brought on unquestioning fulfillment of all the requirements of command. Military reporter D. Yanchevetsky, who observed the actions of the Japanese troops during the march to Beijing in 1900, wrote that the Japanese are brave in the battle, but not endurance in the campaigns. They are dangerous and impetuous only in the first impact, but quickly weakened, and for the next blow they did not have enough strength and energy. They were pass long distance on the march and were ready to fight at the place of arrival.


We report on the finding of a correlation between the past star formation activity of galaxies and the degree to which the rotation axes of neighbouring galaxies are aligned. This is obtained by cross-correlating star formation histories, derived using the multiple optimized parameter estimation and data compression (MOPED) algorithm, and the spatial coherence of spin direction (chirality), as determined by the Galaxy Zoo project, for a sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies. Our findings suggest that spiral galaxies, which formed the majority of their stars early ( z> 2), tend to display coherent rotation over scales of ∼10 Mpc h −1 . The correlation is weaker for galaxies with significant recent star formation. We find evidence for this alignment at more than the 5σ level, but no correlation with other galaxy stellar properties. This finding can be explained within the context of hierarchical tidaltorque theory if the SDSS galaxies harbouring the majority of the old stellar population were formed in the past, in the same filament and at about the same time. Galaxies with significant recent star formation instead are in the field, thus influenced by the general tidal field that will align them in random directions, or have had a recent merger that would promote star formation but change the spin direction.


Dexamethasone is capable of directing osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in vitro, but its effects are not lineage‐specific, and sustained exposure has been shown to down‐regulate collagen synthesis and induce maturation of an adipocyte subpopulation within BMSC cultures. Such side effects might be reduced if dexamethasone is applied in a regimented manner, but the discrete steps in osteoblastic maturation that are stimulated by dexamethasone are not known. To examine this, dexamethasone was added to medium to initiate differentiation of rat BMSCs cultures and then removed after a varying number of days. Cell layers were analyzed for cell number, rate of collagen synthesis, expression of osteocalcin (OC), bone sialoprotein (BSP) and lipoprotein lipase (LpL), and matrix mineralization. Withdrawal of dexamethasone at 3 and 10 days was found to enhance cell number relative to continuous exposure, but did not affect to decrease collagen synthesis slightly. Late markers of osteoblastic differentiation, BSP expression and matrix mineralization, were also sensitive to dexamethasone and increased systematically with exposure while LpL systematically decreased. These results indicate that dexamethasone acts at both early and late stages to direct proliferative osteoprogenitor cells toward terminal maturation. J. Cell. Biochem. 90: 13–22, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Oxfam's mission is to work with others to overcome poverty and suffering. Our interpretation of poverty goes beyond lack of finances to encompass lack of capabilities, powerlessness, and inequality. Our fight to overcome poverty and suffering focuses on the right to a sustainable livelihood, water, education, health, protection and security, a voice in public life, and freedom from discrimination. The promotion of gender equality and women's rights is therefore at the heart of our efforts. When the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women entered into force, it became a potentially effective tool for advancing the rights of African women. Unfortunately, unless people from all walks of life, including grassroots women, judges, police officers, government officials, and men and women's rights advocates know about such instruments, their effectiveness will be grossly undermined. Every effort must be made to promote the popularisation, domestication, and implementation of the Protocol by encouraging effective partnerships between civil-society organisations (CSOs) and government institutions.


Not all patients with cancer, in particular those with hematogic malignancies, develop functional immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) following COVID-19 vaccines. Durability of vaccine-induced immunity after two doses and the impact of a third dose were evaluated in CAPTURE (NCT03226886), a longitudinal prospective cohort study of vaccine responses in patients with cancer. In evaluating 316 patients, at a median of 111 days following two doses of either BNT16b2 or ChadOX, we observed a time-dependant decline in neutralising antibody titres (NAbT) in a proportion of patients, where NAbTs became undetectable against Delta and Beta in 17% and 15% of patients, respectively. Vaccine-induced T cell responses declined in 44% of patients. Patients with breakthrough infections following two vaccines doses were characterised by absent/low NAbT to Delta prior to infection. Administration of the third vaccine dose boosted NAb responses against VOC in the majority of patients with cancer, especially those with solid cancer. In patients with hematologic malignancies who had undetectable NAbT against Delta after two vaccine doses, 54% did not develop NAb against both Beta and Delta following the third dose. Third vaccine dose boosted T cell responses were boosted in patients with both solid and hematologic malignancies. These results provide critical information on vaccine responses in patients with cancer, especially against VOCs and support widespread access to a third COVID-19 vaccination in this patient group.


Elastofibroma is a rare tumorlike process that manifests as slowly growing, solid mass in the subscapular region of elderly persons. Histologically, it is characterized by the presence of fibrous connective tissue in which eosinophilic fibers and globular masses, stained by the elastic tissue stains, are interspersed. We report the immunohistochemical study of the cellular component in a case of subscapular elastofibroma in a 41-year-old man. An unexpected immunoreactivity for S-100 protein was detected in most fibroblast-like cells. S-100 protein expression may be related to a chondroid metaplasia of fibroblast-like cells in response to the continuous traumatic process occuring during the friction between the scapula and the underlying chest wall.


Soil reinforcement is a recent and special field of soil improvement. It covers a range of techniques, which consists of placing inclusions in soil. The most conferences devoted partly or totally the behavior of foundation on reinforced subgrade without regarding the basic characteristics of the reinforced soil. So, the paper presents an experimental investigation into the mechanical and compressibility properties of the reinforced silty clay samples by jute cloth at intermediate depth. The effects of the reinforcement on shear stress and shear failure were studied, also, the presence the reinforcement on behavior of consolidation process was distinctly described. The laboratory tests were supported by the finite element analysis to identify only the consolidation process and explained the effect of the reinforcement on the effective vertical stress and pore water pressure. The results indicted that the presence of such reinforcement has a considerable effect in increasing the shear strength of the reinforced samples and decreasing the compressibility especially decreasing the soil movement also, relief both the effective and pore water pressure.


Since decades, two dimensional (2D) imaging modalities such as cephalometrics, panoramic, periapical radiography have been a standard of care for diagnosing and treatment planning in dentistry. However, this 2D representation has left some questions unanswered in oral diagnosis and treatment planning. Thus, evolution towards three dimensional technology was desired. The introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), specifically dedicated to imaging the maxillofacial region heralds a true paradigm shift. This innovative diagnostic tool has been used popularly in all fields of dentistry, but its application in children has remained unexplored. With this article, we attempt to discuss the applications of CBCT among pediatric patients.


A number of bus interior materials are reviewed for fire safety. Data is presented from fire tests made on three seats, eleven wall and ceiling materials and two floor systems coming from modern buses and coaches with a mass more than five tons and with more than 22 passenger seats. All materials were tested in the presently required simple horizontal flame spread fire test for buses and coaches in Europe and also in several modern state-of-the-art fire test methods used for other applications such as trains, ships and buildings. The tests were evaluating flame spread behaviour, heatand smoke release rates, ignition resistance and generation of toxic gases. The test results are compared with existing criteria for other applications and the present level of fire safety is discussed. The main conclusion is that the present horizontal fire test does not provide a sufficiently high fire safety level in the passenger compartment of buses and is not able to distinguish between different product fire performance. A short review of other research within the same area shows that several publications have come to the same conclusion. This report is presenting working package two (WP2) out of eight in a project called "Fire safety in buses".


LONDON-- Cambridge University and the software giant Microsoft confirmed mounting rumors this week that they had struck a deal to site Microsoft's first foreign research center at the university. Over the next 5 years, Microsoft will spend $80 million on the new center, which will employ about 40 leading researchers. The university is funding land and buildings for the center.


Start-ups increasingly find the prospect of university-industry collaborations to be a powerful driver of innovation and entrepreneurship activity. Moreover, at the geographical level, they are attracted by teaching and research institutions, either public or private. This paper focuses on the role played by universities. Our hypothesis is that geographical proximity favors the transfer of knowledge and technology from universities to industries and, consequently, represents a positive factor for regional economic development. Results show that university spillovers are positively correlated with the creation of innovative start-ups. Furthermore, the presence of human capital (graduates) exerts a significant influence on the location decisions of start-ups, being a source for competitiveness for firms close to universities. Research quality, especially in the social sciences area, attracts innovative start-ups, while third-mission activities have a weak impact on locational choice.


Bak is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family that is activated by apoptotic stimulation: its activation is characterized by conformational changes such as exposure of the N terminus and oligomerization. In death receptor-mediated apoptosis, the activation of Bak depends on activation of caspase-8. However, we found that exposure of the N terminus of Bak (but not oligomerization) can occur in the absence of active caspase-8. Although exposure of the N terminus of Bak without oligomerization is not sufficient to release cytochrome c from the mitochondria and commit cells to apoptosis, this change sensitizes the mitochondria to apoptotic signals (including Bid) and thus sensitizes cells to apoptotic death. Fas-induced, caspase-8-independent exposure of the N terminus of Bak is blocked by staurosporine, a pan protein kinase inhibitor. These results suggest that Fas stimulation not only activates caspase-8, but also a distinct signaling pathway involving protein kinase(s) to induce exposure of the N terminus of Bak.


Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a marine biotoxin that has high scientific value. However, the lack of efficient TTX extraction and preparation methods has led to a scarcity of TTX samples for clinical application. In this study, TTX from the liver of Takifugu pseudommus was ultrasound-assisted extracted with acidified organic solvents. The extraction process was analyzed and optimized by single factor method and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal extraction conditions predicted by a response surface model were as follows: liquid:material ratio, 2.8:1; extraction temperature, 60 °C; extraction time, 23.3 min. Under these conditions, the extraction of TTX had a yield of 89.65%, and the results were further verified by experimental extraction, and analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). It was found that the extracts of T. pseudommus liver contained TTX and its four analogues at certain proportions (TTX: 10.4%; 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX: 83.3%; 5,11-dideoxyTTX:2.4%; 4,9-anhydro TTX:2.6%; 5-deoxyTTX:1.3%). This study demonstrates a stable and efficient extraction process of TTX from pufferfish liver, which can be helpful for further research and analysis, as well as the utilization of TTX from pufferfish.


In recent decades histi,rians have expressed renewed interest in migratic,n and settlement among Eurc, pean and African Americans in the Trans-Appalachian West between the Revolution and the Civil War. Philip Schwarz's Migrmits against Sitivery, While 11(, t focused exclusively (111 either the Ohic, Valley or the West, is a welcome, innovative,and fresh addition to that literature. Schwarz's bc,I)k tells the stciries of those Virginitins who " intentionally"left the Old Dominion because of their


With the increasing usage of technology in this era of change, education is one of the most affected fields. Schools and institutions have now moved on to use Learning Management Systems for learners' education and teachers are forced to come up with new exciting ways to teach their learners. One of the most common ways is by using Digital Educational Tools (DET). However, how interested are learners in these tools, and how much does it affect their academic performance? This study investigates teachers' views on their learner's preference of DET use. A quantitative method was used, and 56 school teachers were involved with the data collection process. It could be seen from the findings that teachers can see their learners enjoying the use of DET in their lessons. If teachers were to conduct lessons using DET, activity and lesson design should be considered.


Control accuracy of tension system is an important index in roll-to-roll gravure printing machines. However, the complex relationships of the tension system make the problem of coupling model difficult to be solved, which has limited the improvement of tension control accuracy. Therefore, a coupling mechanism model of global tension system is established and analyzed for the gravure printing machines in this study. According to the working principles and assumptions, tension model of the two-roller system is derived by considering the effects of drying temperature, and then the tension models of subsystem including unwinding subsystem, printing subsystem and rewinding subsystem are established. Based on these, the global coupling mechanism model of the tension system is established for roll-to-roll gravure printing machines. Finally, the coupling model is analyzed by MATLAB simulation, and the simulation results show that the tension system model established in this paper can accurately reflect the characteristics of tension system.


To increase the likelihood of success of acid stimulation in limestone reservoirs, the treatment has to evenly cover the desired zone to allow controlled reaction rates that can result in a uniform conductivity pattern, or wormholes development radially across the pay zone. To achieve this ultimate goal, effective fluid diversion is required to reorient fluid path, from high to low injectivity areas. The selection of the right diversion technique is the key to obtaining successful stimulation results. Therefore, The objective of this work is to evaluate, and compare the stimulation efficiency of several diversion scenarios based on a highly reliable physics-based tool capable of simulating multiple completion types.
 This work will be focused on two typical diversion methods applicable to perforated completions, such as: 1) ball sealers, and 2) bio-degradable particles. A coupled model that consists of wellbore and reservoir flow is used to simulate acid, and limestone rock interactions for each diversion method. The model simulates fluid hydraulics in the wellbore, couples it with transient reservoir flow, and accounts for the formation skin effects derived from each diversion technique. The model also considers the effect of induced wormholes generation and the created injection profile along the completed reservoir zone.
 A horizontal well completion is presented to demonstrate the impact of each diversion approach in order to assess the effectiveness of a stimulation design. The most effective sensitivity combination of each diversion method is the focus of this work, and the treatment invasion distribution across the completed interval is compared to determine the best diversion approach. Different ball sealers geometries are considered to model irregular-shape perforation plugging efficiency and subsequent fluid diversion. The enhanced ball sealers model considers several physics parameters such as: inertial force, drag force, and ball-holding force along the wellbore during stimulation. On the other hand, the particulate diversion model includes an engineering model that is integrated into the wellbore-reservoir model to simulate the particle diversion.
 The particulate diversion model is a binary system that consists of: (1) large particles agglomerate along the tapered path of wormhole, and perforations, and (2) small particles jamming effect to create a temporary sealed structure that reduces the permeability of flow path and builds a temporary filter cake on perforations that is capable of holding up necessary differential pressures to divert fluid to other low-injectivity zones.
 The results show that the diversion efficiency depends basically on the length, perforationsconfiguration, and the reservoir heterogeneity. This case study demonstrates that particulate diversion offers the best alternative in terms of economic feasibility, and ease of application.
 The current tool has the unique capability combined with an integrated approach to optimize diversion scenarios for matrix acidizing stimulation on limestone reservoirs to generate a more uniform wormhole pattern, avoiding fluid loss, and tapping into under-stimulated rock areas for production enhancement.


Abstract The present study investigates to what extent the effect of cross-linguistic differences on L2 idiom comprehension is modulated by the presence of a context. Sixty students of German as a foreign language (L1 French) completed a comprehension test consisting of metaphorical idioms in the L2 that differed from their L1 equivalents conceptually and formally and were presented with or without context. The results show that an increasing degree of conceptual and formal distance as well as the absence of context are generally associated with lower performance in the idiom comprehension test. However, the analysis of interactions shows that the presence of the context was especially supportive for conceptually different items, whereas the facilitative effect of formal similarity considerably diminished with increasing conceptual distance.


Analysis of the incidence of pleural mesothelioma in asbestos textile workers in relation to age, time since first exposure, intensity of exposure and period of observation indicates that age per se is largely irrelevant; that is, the incidence 30 years after first exposure appears to be much the same irrespective of age at first exposure. This has been shown to be true in animal experiments and has been suggested on theoretical grounds for certain human cancers; it explains the evolution of lung cancer rates in relation to changing smoking habits but has not been demonstrated directly by human data. These results also suggest that mesothelioma incidence may not have been much underestimated in the past, which would imply that the recent marked increase in recorded rates is largely real and not merely a diagnostic artefact. The risk does not appear to have been much higher among men who were initially very heavily exposed. One possible explanation of this surprising observation is that chrysotile is eliminated, or ceases to be biologically active, more quickly than other types of asbestos.


Although small, nocturnal, fossorial snakes are a significant component of the reptile fauna in many parts of the world, their biology is poorly known. An 11-year pit-trapping study in urban bushland remnants near the city of Perth, Western Australia, provided data from > 500 captures of small fossorial snakes of the genus Simoselaps. The five species differed in relative abundances and in distribution, both among localities and among habitats within a single locality. For example, three saurophagous taxa (Simoselaps bertholdi, S. bimaculatus, S. calonotos) were most abundant in Banksia woodland, whereas two species that feed on reptile eggs (S. semifasciatus, S. fasciolatus) were most abundant in coastal heath. Capture rates for most species were low (for three of the five species, < one specimen captured per 1000 trapdays), and these taxa may be genuinely rare in most of the habitats that we surveyed. Activity patterns were highly seasonal, with little activity in winter or in midsummer. The two oophagous species showed a more restricted activity period (late spring‐early summer) than did species with broader dietary habits. In the most abundant taxon (Simoselaps bertholdi ), males were active mainly during spring (the mating season) and females during autumn, after oviposition. Capture rates and body condition of the captured snakes varied substantially among seasons and across years. Low capture rates mean that very prolonged surveys are needed to determine reliably whether or not a taxon occurs on any given site.


This article analyses the ontological status of the characters who inhabit the world of John Banville's novel Ghosts. While the problem of volatile selfhood recurs in Banville's fiction, in this novel the very existence of the characters within the fictional world remains doubtful. It is argued here that the numerous metafictional elements in the text are central to its interpretation. The novel itself should be treated as a work in progress or a design for a novel rather than a completed project. The narrative initiates and ultimately resists familiar patterns; the characters' peculiar way of being alive seems to stem from an intersection of empirical reality and an obscure realm of fantasy, imagination as well as textual and artistic allusions. Correspondingly, the narrator's status as a literary character is ambiguous. The article suggests that the narrator is the most likely creator of the characters within the fictional world and is himself a playful author-substitute in the novel. In conclusion, a reading that treats Ghosts as a postmodern artefact appears to provide a viable framework for resolving the apparent contradictions and ambiguities in the status of the characters.


Hidden Markov models (HMM) are used to identify a vehicle's manoeuvre sequence and its appropriateness for a given urban road driving situation. One of the novel aspects of this work has been the development of an efficient signal modelling approach to form a context-aware, flexible system which proved to respond well in urban road scenarios, especially in situations where the driver is likely to have an accident due to impaired performance. Another contribution has been to clarify how HMMs can be used not just to recognize vehicle manoeuvres but also to distinguish an impaired driver from a normal one in complex driving contexts. The system has worked well on simulator data and is about to be implemented in the real conditions of an urban trajectory.


Analyzing brain signals of the patients suffering from the state of depression may lead to interesting observations in the signal parameters that is quite different from a normal control. The present study adopts two different methods: Time frequency domain and nonlinear method for the analysis of EEG signals acquired from depression patients and age and sex matched normal controls. The time frequency domain analysis is realized using wavelet entropy and approximate entropy is employed for the nonlinear method of analysis. The ability of the signal processing technique and the nonlinear method in differentiating the physiological aspects of the brain state are revealed using Wavelet entropy and Approximate entropy. Keywords—EEG, Depression, Wavelet entropy, Approximate entropy, Relative Wavelet energy, Multiresolution decomposition.


Case handling systems offer a solution to the lack of flexibility and adaptability in workflow management systems. Because they are data driven they potentially provide good support for Product Based Workflow Design (PBWD). In this paper we investigate to which degree current workflow technology, in particular two case handling systems (FLOWer and Activity Manager), are able to support PBWD. This is done by elaborating the design process of a case from industry in both systems. From this evaluation we concluded that current workflow technology is not yet completely ready for supporting PBWD. Therefore, we recognize that better tool support is needed to make PBWD more suitable for practical use.


Analysis of LV shape can aid in characterizing LV remodeling following myocardial infarction. The authors developed and validated a method of detecting abnormalities in left ventricular (LV) shape using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. LV endocardial surfaces were reconstructed by piecewise smooth subdivision method from traced echocardiographic scans in end diastole. Artificially distorted surfaces were created to test the method which aligns two LV surface reconstructions along regions of similar shape. Five different functions with decreasing degree of penalty for large variation in shape were tested. Difference in shape was computed as distance between the LV surface being compared. Function performance in detecting a shape difference was assessed by comparison of distances from alignment by different functions. The mean variability of normal LV shape was defined from the LVs of 14 normal subjects. Variation in size was normalized by the right ventricular apex to aortic valve distance. Reconstructions of 9 patients studied <10 days after myocardial infarction (MI) were compared to normal LV. Four patients were analyzed both 24 hrs and 10 days after MI to assess LV remodeling. The function that most accurately measured synthetic distortions was applied in clinical tests. Normal LV shape variability was 2.9 mm. In all 9 MI patients LV dilatation was in the infarct region. Remodeling between 24 hrs, and 10 days ranged from 5.1 to 7.4 mm (maximal remodeling in the infarct region). In conclusion, normalization of size permits detection of differences in shape independent from differences in size. The method of alignment of the LV meshes in 3D space resulted in detection of both location and magnitude of LV remodeling after myocardial infarction independent of anatomical landmarks.


This thesis proposes a novel automotive safety function that utilizes information about the host vehicle's state and the road ahead to predict and prevent unintended roadway departures. For this purpose predictive threat assessment, decision making and control algorithms are developed. The developed algorithms take into account fundamental limitations in a vehicle's dynamical capabilities while using road information to maintain the vehicle's maneuverability and keep it on the road.

Particular attention is given to the threat assessment problem. A threat assessment algorithm that activates interventions when it can be theoretically guaranteed that it is no longer possible for a driver to avoid departing the road or losing vehicle maneuverability is developed. The algorithm is based on reachability analysis tools for linear systems. An algorithm that recursively estimates the driver's steering behavior as an affine function of the vehicle state is also developed. The explicit representation of the driver's steering behavior is used to form an alternative threat assessment algorithm that, in addition to considering vehicle dynamics, accounts for limitations in the driver's capabilities. Moreover, it is shown how uncertainty in the state, disturbance and parameter estimates can be accounted for in order to maintain the theoretical guarantees of avoiding unnecessary intervention activation also in the presence of uncertainty. In order to maintain such guarantees considering model parameter uncertainty, we derive and prove theoretical results. In addition, a threat assessment algorithm that accounts for the nonlinearities in the system dynamics that are exhibited e.g. during combined braking and steering is developed. For this purpose, we use interval based consistency techniques to solve the threat assessment problem.

The developed methods are validated using simulations, logged experimental data and real-time experiments.


Objectives. Several studies have demonstrated that genetic variants of certain DNA repair genes such as the RAD51 and XRCC1 increase cancer risk substantially. The results were also observed to be race- and tumor site specific. Hence, this study aimed to determine the possible association of XRCC1 Arg399Gln and RAD51 135G>C polymorphisms combined with risk factors of colorectal cancer (CRC) among selected Filipinos.
Methods. Genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood samples of histologically confirmed CRC patients (n=70) and their age- and sex-matched clinically healthy controls (n=70) were analyzed for polymorphisms of XRCC1 and RAD51 genes by polymerase chain reaction.
Results. The genotypic distribution pattern of RAD51 135G>C (p˃0.05) was not significantly different between the CRC cases and controls. Significantly higher incidence (p=0.016) of the XRCC1 GG genotype was noted among the cases (n=34, 49%) compared with controls (n= 20, 29%). Individuals carrying the XRCC1 AG genotype have a lower risk of developing CRC (OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.21-0.85) than the XRCC1 GG genotype. XRCC1 AG genotype combined with alcohol drinking, smoking, or family history of cancer also showed a lower risk of developing CRC. There was no significant association between the genetic variants of RAD51 135G>C and CRC risk. Carriers of both XRCC1  GG and RAD51 CC genotypes showed a 5x higher risk (OR=5.02; 95%; CI=1.0429-24.1283) compared to those carrying other genotype combinations (p=0.028).
Conclusions. XRCC1 Arg399Gln but not RAD51 135G>C may be associated with CRC development among Filipinos. Individuals who drink alcohol, smoke tobacco and have a family history of cancer have a lower risk of developing CRC when they are also carrying the XRCC1 AG genotype. The findings may have significant impli cations in designing personalized methods for screening, diagnosing, and treating CRC.


The studies were carried out on the mesencephalons of 4 European bison Preparations were made by means of Golgi impregnation and Klüver-Barrera method. Three types of neurons were distinguished in the red nucleus: 1. Large multipolar (perikaryons 70-105 microns) with 6-8 dendritic trunks which bifurcate twice and next give thin collaterals. 2. Small multipolar neurons (perikaryons 30-40 microns). These cells send 4-6 thick dendritic trunks. Most of the primary dendritic trunks bifurcate once. The remaining ones gives off only thin collaterals 3. Small triangular neurons (perikaryons 30-40 microns) with 3 thick dendritic trunks arising conically from perikaryons. Dendritic trunks bifurcate once near of the cell body. In all types of red nucleus neurons the axons arise directly from the surface of the perikaryons.


This paper introduces a new modular 0.35 /spl mu/m based smart power technology which is compatible with the new 42 V battery automotive standard. The I3T80 technology offers various types of DMOS transistors in the range between 15 to 80 V. A set of bipolars, a high voltage floating diode, a large array of passive components, floating logic up to 80 V and 4 kV HBM compatible ESD protection structures are available. In addition, embedded flash memory is offered.


The temperature dependence of the phonon dispersion of Nb from room temperature up to 2223 K has been measured by means of inelastic neutron scattering. Over a temperature range of nearly 2000 K the dispersion changes only moderately. Effects due to electron-phonon interaction almost vanish at the highest temperature. Parameterizing the dispersion curves by Born-von Karman force constants, the phonon density of states g( omega ) at different temperatures was computed. Employing the model of phonon controlled diffusion in BCC metals, the migration barrier Hm and the formation entropy Sf have been calculated. The results agree with those of quenching and electron irradiation experiments.


In this paper, we study the local exact boundary controllability of entropy solutions to a class linearly degenerate hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with constant multiplicity. The authors prove the two-sided boundary controllability, one-sided boundary controllability and two-sided controllability with less controls, by applying the strategy used originally for classical solutions with essential modifications. Our constructive method is based on the well-posedness of semi-global solutions constructed by the limit of $ \e $-approximate front tracking solutions to the mixed initial-boundary value problem with general nonlinear boundary conditions and some further properties on both $ \e $-approximate front tracking solutions and entropy solutions.


A novel printed ultrawideband (UWB) slot antenna with reconfigurable band-notch characteristics is presented in this letter. The proposed antenna consists of a modified rectangular radiation patch with a circular and three rectangular-shaped slots etched on it. Additionally, by cutting two triangular-shaped slits on a modified ground plane, practical fractional bandwidth of more than 120% (3.12-12.51 GHz), defined by -10 dB return loss, is achieved. In order to generate single and dual band-notch characteristics, two p-i-n diodes are mounted across the circular slot. The designed antenna has small size of 20 × 20 mm2 with switchable single notched bands of 3.12-3.84 GHz WiMAX and 5-6.07 GHz WLAN, when diode 1 and diode 2 are respectively on. Also, dual bands of 3.12-3.82 and 4.9-6.06 GHz are eliminated from whole frequency band when both diodes are concurrently on.


Labor epidural failure is a challenging situation for the obstetric anesthetist, especially when associated to high risk of caesarean delivery, obesity, and difficult airway predictors. Labor epidural failure is still not standardly defined, consequently its incidence is uncertain: improving the knowledge of risk factors related to failure will increase epidural block success rate. Prolonged labors, previous history of epidural failure, and repeated top-ups needed during labor are recognized risk factors for failure. Clinical experience and the use of modern equipment (ultrasound guided blocks), as well as the choice of neuraxial technique (epidural versus combined spinal-epidural) may affect failure rate. Software-controlled infusion pumps seem to increase epidural analgesia success rate. Among non-technical skills, good communication among medical team members and parturient women is another pivotal point to achieve a satisfactory analgesia for labor. Clear algorithms should be promoted where epidural failure during labor or caesarean delivery may occur.


Purpose
Focusing on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are characterized by resource restrictions, this paper aims to explore consumer segment profiles by considering demographic, personality and creativity traits to determine whether consumers with different profiles exhibit distinct affective reactions to different logo design types (organic, cultural and abstract).

Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study incorporates recent methodological developments, such as the novel response style correction method, to account for response style effects in evaluations of affect toward logo design. In separate analyses, respondents are segmented according to response style–corrected logo affect and personality and creativity items. The segmentation analysis relies on reduced k-means, a joint dimension and cluster analysis method, which accounts for dependencies between items while maximizing between-cluster variability. A total of 866 respondents from the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal: n = 543; Spain: n = 323) participated.

Findings
Based on a study using unknown logos (proxy for lower levels of budget communication, characteristics of SMEs), results reveal that there are three segments of consumers based on their affective response toward logo design: logo design insensitives, cultural logo dislikers and organic logo lovers. These segments are associated with different personality traits, creativity and biological sex (although biological sex is not a discriminant variable).

Research limitations/implications
The decision not to control logos by color, to increase external validity, could limit the study's internal validity if this aspect interacts with relevant study variables. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence can be used to further test associations between consumer profiles and responses to logo design.

Practical implications
Findings highlight the relevance of considering complex profile segments, combining demographics, psychographics and creativity to predict affective consumer responses to brand logo design. This research provides guidelines for SMEs when choosing or modifying their logo design to appeal to different consumer segments.

Originality/value
This study provides managers of SMEs (less present nowadays in empirical studies) with evidence suggesting that complex customer profiles help to understand differences in affective responses to natural logo designs. Furthermore, it relies on the use of a novel methodological development that improves the accuracy of the exploratory study developed.


In this work, we study the nonequilibrium statistical properties of the relaxation dynamics of a nanoparticle trapped in a harmonic potential. We report an exact time-dependent analytical solution to the Langevin dynamics that arises from the stochastic differential equation of our system's energy in the underdamped regime. By utilizing this stochastic thermodynamics approach, we are able to completely describe the heat exchange process between the nanoparticle and the surrounding environment. As an important consequence of our results, we observe the validity of the heat exchange fluctuation theorem in our setup, which holds for systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium conditions. By extending our results for the case of N noninterating nanoparticles, we perform analytical asymptotic limits and direct numerical simulations that corroborate our analytical predictions.


Much evidence points to a role of Na,K-ATPase in ouabain-dependent signal transduction. Based on experiments with different cell lines and native tissue membranes, a current hypothesis postulates direct interactions between the Na,K-ATPase and Src kinase (non-receptor tyrosine kinase). Na,K-ATPase is proposed to bind Src kinase and inhibit its activity, whereas ouabain, the specific Na,K-ATPase inhibitor, binds and stabilizes the E2 conformation, thus exposing the Src kinase domain and its active site Tyr-418 for activation. Ouabain-dependent signaling is thought to be mediated within caveolae by a complex consisting of Na,K-ATPase, caveolin, and Src kinase. In the current work, we have looked for direct interactions utilizing purified recombinant Na,K-ATPase (human α1β1FXYD1 or porcine α1D369Nβ1FXYD1) and purified human Src kinase and human caveolin 1 or interactions between these proteins in native membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney. By several independent criteria and techniques, no stable interactions were detected between Na,K-ATPase and purified Src kinase. Na,K-ATPase was found to be a substrate for Src kinase phosphorylation at Tyr-144. Clear evidence for a direct interaction between purified human Na,K-ATPase and human caveolin was obtained, albeit with a low molar stoichiometry (1:15–30 caveolin 1/Na,K-ATPase). In native renal membranes, a specific caveolin 14–5 oligomer (95 kDa) was found to be in direct interaction with Na,K-ATPase. We inferred that a small fraction of the renal Na,K-ATPase molecules is in a ∼1:1 complex with a caveolin 14–5 oligomer. Thus, overall, whereas a direct caveolin 1/Na,K-ATPase interaction is confirmed, the lack of direct Src kinase/Na,K-ATPase binding requires reassessment of the mechanism of ouabain-dependent signaling.


In this thesis, a computer program (BEATRIX) is presented which takes as input an English statement of a physics problem and a figure associated with it, understands the two kinds of input in combination, and produces a data structure containing a model of the physical objects described and the relationships between them. BEATRIX provides a mouse-based graphic interface with which the user sketches a picture and enters English sentences; meanwhile, BEATRIX creates a neutral internal representation of the picture similar to the which might be produced as the output of a vision system. It then parses the text and the picture representation, resolves the references between objects common to the two data sources, and produces a unified model of the problem world. The correctness and completeness of this model has been validated by applying it as input to a physics problem-solving program currently under development.
Two descriptions of a world are said to be coreferent when they contain references to overlapping sets of objects. Resolving coreferences to produce a correct world model is a common task in scientific and industrial problem-solving: because English is typically not a good language for expressing spatial relationships, people in these fields frequently use diagrams to supplement textual descriptions. Elementary physics problems from college-level textbooks provide a useful and convenient domain for exploring the mechanisms of coreference.
Because flexible, opportunistic control is necessary in order to recognize coreference and to act upon it, the understanding module of BEATRIX uses a blackboard control structure. The blackboard knowledge sources serve to identify physical objects in the picture, parse the English text, and resolve coreferences between the two. We believed that BEATRIX demonstrates a control structure and collection of knowledge that successfully implements understanding of text and picture by computer. We also believe that this organization can be applied successfully to similar understanding tasks in domains other than physics problem-solving, where data such as the output from vision systems and speech understanders can be used in place of text and pictures.


Vinculin is an Mr 130 kDa protein that has been implicated in membrane-cytoskeleton interaction in various cell types. It has been demonstrated that vinculin is not a cytoskeletal component in resting platelets, but part of it becomes associated with the cytoskeleton during thrombin-induced activation. In this study, using a quantitative immunoblotting technique, the relation of vinculin to the cytoskeleton in different phases of activation of bovine platelets was explored, and the process of incorporation of vinculin into the cytoskeleton was related to that of cytoskeletal assembly. The assembly of cytoskeleton proceeded at a significantly faster rate than the association of vinculin with it, which shows that the latter process is not due to passive trapping of vinculin into the Triton-insoluble residue, but certain biochemical changes had to occur before such an interaction became possible. When the formation of pseudopodia was prevented by cytochalasin B, but neither aggregation nor the release reaction induced by thrombin were inhibited, the recovery of vinculin in the Triton-insoluble residue even increased. In both time- and thrombin-concentration-dependent studies, poor correlation was found between vinculin-cytoskeleton association and the extent of aggregation. Activation with phorbol-myristate-acetate, which is a strong stimulus for aggregation but produces only a slight release in the granular content, resulted in the association of only a negligible amount of vinculin with the cytoskeletal fraction. The incorporation of vinculin into the cytoskeletal fraction of thrombin activated platelets started with the release reaction but still proceeded, and the greatest part of the reaction occurred after secretion had gone to completion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Kashmir Himalaya is known for it's dense and diverse vegetation. People here have gained immense knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of different ailments. The present study attempts to explore and document the medicinal plants belonging to the family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae used against different ailments by tribal communities of Uri, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. Data was collected by using semi structured interviews and group discussions. Besides local tribal communities of Gujjar and Bakerwal, herbal healers and local knowledgeable persons were consulted during the course of the study. During the study, a total of 25 plants were reported with a species contribution of 10 and 15 of Solanaceae and Polygonaceae respectively. The study revealed that either the whole plant or some plant parts are used as remedies against different ailments in the area.


The retrospective study included 48 children between 8.5 months--10 years, admitted to the PICU of an urban, tertiary care, teaching hospital in northern India from January 1995 to December 2001. Eighteen (38%) patients were hypoxemic on arrival, of which 8 (45%) required mechanical ventilation. Compared to the non-hypoxemic children, the hypoxemic patients were more likely to have received gastric lavage before arrival to our center (Odds Ratio 23.2, 95% CI 2.4 - 560.7) and had higher frequency of severe respiratory distress and leucocytosis (Odds Ratio 8.0, 95% CI 1.79 -38.6). On multiple regression analysis, we could not identify any particular variable that could predict hypoxemia. Secondary pneumonia developed in 16 (33.3%), with the duration of PICU stay being longer in these patients as against those who did not (144 hours vs 72 hours, p <0.05). Two (4.2%) children died and one suffered hypoxic sequelae. Prior lavage, hypoxemia at admission, need for ventilation, secondary sepsis and ventilator related complications were associated with poor outcome.


Fifty percent of the infantile malignant osteopetrosis (IMO) cases reported in the literature present mutations in the TCIRG1 gene encoding the 116‐kDa osteoclast specific subunit of the vacuolar proton ATPase (ATP6I). In this study, we identified four novel mutations in a series of six IMO patients. All of these mutations correspond to single nucleotide changes and affect splice acceptor or donor sites, resulting in aberrant transcription products. We report also a missense mutation, G405R, previously described in several Costa Rican patients. This independent finding suggests that the highly conserved residue at amino acid 405 plays a critical role in the a3 subunit function. Finally, the results of this study were used to provide a prenatal diagnosis to one of the families. Hum Mutat 21:151–157, 2003 © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Coronary bifurcation lesion intervention is technically challenging with higher complication rates. Many coronary interventional trials have been conducted involving coronary bifurcation lesions in order to compare one-stent with two-stent techniques. However, these trials have major limitation by enrolling all bifurcation lesions, including low-risk lesions so-called not true bifurcation lesions. This manuscript discusses the importance of appropriate designing of clinical trials for evaluation of complex techniques in coronary bifurcation lesions. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:295-301).


This article focuses on the narrow issue of the rationality of end user litigation by the recording industry against individual file-sharers. The illogic of the recording industry's present strategy has been argued by a number of commentators who also believe the practice to be undesirable from a broader social perspective. The purpose of this article is to disentangle these conflicting perspectives and to answer the simple question: does end user litigation make sense for the recording industry? The rational choice model of consumer file sharing applied in this article indicates that, rather than being "commercial suicide," end user litigation actually makes sense for the recording industry. The advantage of applying a traditional cost benefit analysis of consumer file sharing is that allows us to contextualize the predictions of normative and technological backlash that seem so popular. While the theoretical possibility of either of these reactions remains, there is no current evidence to suggest that they will overwhelm the increased value of expected legal sanctions engineered by the recording industry's consumer litigation. The cost benefit model suggests that rational consumers should be just as sensitive to changes in the expected cost of legal sanctions as any other product feature associated with the music they acquire. Furthermore, rather than focusing their efforts on the very worst copyright offenders, the recording industry's optimal strategy in relation to end user litigation is to target the most sympathetic defendants along with a broad spectrum of file sharers. Targeting high volume up-loaders sounds like a safe course of action at first, but as this article explains, this is an illusory comfort. It makes much more sense for the recording industry to target more marginal file sharers because they are more likely to be persuaded to stop file trading and start buying music.


limits of variation. A departure from uniformity threatens to become dangerous for the practitioner. I repeat that the exact proportionof practitioners subjected to the distress, effort and loss entailed by an investigation will be determined not by the realities of correct medical practice, but by two irrelevant factors: firstly, an arbitrary mathematical upper limit of departure from the average and, secondly, the number of investigators appointed to FODS. Dr Repin has yet to answer the issues raised by Dr Walton, and the AMA has yet to take the initiative to defend the victims of this unjust attack on the profession. David S. Bell, FRANZCP Military Road Neutral Bay,NSW 2089


This paper presents a analysis of the CIELAB color feature based tone mapping technique. The basic tone mapping was generally the reverse going to the old technology objects compatibility. The compatibility is the basic requirement of the market to grow with the latest technology and the old objects to work with new technology. The paper worked for maintaining this compatibility. The basic theme of the work is done in the SCIELAB color space. The proposed method has done the tone mapping through the decomposition of the image in this SCIELAB color space. The Visual quality of the proposed method is same as of saliency based tone mapping but it is more computational efficient.


Using quantum sections of filtered rings and the associated Rees rings one can lift the scheme structure on Proj of the associated graded ring to the Proj of the Rees ring. The algebras of interest here are positively filtered rings having a non-commutative regular quadratic algebra for the associated graded ring; these are the so-called gauge algebras obtaining their name from special examples appearing in E. Witten's gauge theories. The paper surveys basic definitions and properties but concentrates on the development of several concrete examples.


The protein Gurken (grk) is a developmentally important morphogen that helps to determine dorsal/ventral polarity in the developing oocyte of Drosophila melanogaster. Like many mRNAs, grk is translated by the canonical binding of the pre-initiation complex to the 5' 7-methyl-guanasine cap. We hypothesize that grk mRNA also has structural features in the 5' UTR that facilitate internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) activity. This hypothesis was made based on the observation that grk translation persists when cap dependent translation is repressed, via nutrient deprivation or ingestion of rapamycin. SHAPE RNA structural analysis suggests that there are two hairpin stem loops in the 5' UTR that coincide with the general characteristics of known IRES structures. In vivo reporter constructs with mutations in the stem loops have been generated and transgenically inserted in Drosophila. Luciferase assays were performed, concluding a possible negative regulatory function of these stem loops. Further mutations were made in the 5' UTR to investigate the role of a downstream sequence, complementary to the essential AUG start codon, providing possible secondary structure that may contribute to IRES translation. These mutations will be cloned into reporter constructs and transgenically inserted in Drosophila. The resulting data will provide insights into the function of these structures in grk translation during Drosophila development.


Multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used for diagnosing brain disease in clinical practice. However, the high-dimensionality of MRI images is challenging when training a convolution neural network. In addition, utilizing multiple MRI modalities jointly is even more challenging. We developed a method using decomposition-based correlation learning (DCL). To overcome the above challenges, we used a strategy to capture the complex relationship between structural MRI and functional MRI data. Under the guidance of matrix decomposition, DCL takes into account the spike magnitude of leading eigenvalues, the number of samples, and the dimensionality of the matrix. A canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the correlation and construct matrices. We evaluated DCL in the classification of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders listed in the Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics (CNP) dataset. In experiments, our method had a higher accuracy than several existing methods. Moreover, we found interesting feature connections from brain matrices based on DCL that can differentiate disease and normal cases and different subtypes of the disease. Furthermore, we extended experiments on a large sample size dataset and a small sample size dataset, compared with several other well-established methods that were designed for the multi neuropsychiatric disorder classification; our proposed method achieved state-of-the-art performance on all three datasets.


Introduction: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional spine deformity that creates changes in the rib cage biomechanics. Objective: Evaluate changes on the chest wall, quality of life and lung function on the preoperative and postoperative of arthrodesis in patients with AIS. Methods: Eighteen AIS patients with surgical indication for arthrodesis of both sexes aged between 11 and 18 years were evaluated. The evaluation of the chest was taken by using photogrammetry Postural Assessment Software (PAS). Thoracic markers were created using angles (A) and distances (D): A1 (bilateral acromion/manubrium), A2 (bilateral acromion/xiphoid process), A3 (bilateral rib/xiphoid process), A5 (acromion/scapula inferior angle/inframammilary), A6 (C7/acromion/T3), A7 (scapular irregularity) and D3 (xiphoid process to the anterior superior iliac spine). Spirometry and assessment of Quality of Life Questionnaire (SRS - 30) was performed. Evaluations were performed on the preoperative period (PRE), on two months of postoperative (PO1) and on the late postoperative period (LPO). Data were analysed using analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni method comparisons. Results: The thoracic markers A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7 and D3 showed significant difference in the LPO. All domains and the total score of the SRS - 30 questionnaire showed significant increase in periods PO1 and LPO. The FVC and FEV1 showed significant increase in the LPO. Conclusion: After arthrodesis patients with AIS showed alterations in the chest wall, associated with improved quality of life and lung function, especially in the late postoperative period.


Abstract Objectives To discuss the use of the posterior petrosal approach for the resection of a retrochiasmatic craniopharyngioma. Design Operative video. Results In this case video, the authors discuss the surgical management of a large craniopharyngioma, presenting with mass effect on the third ventricle and optic apparatus. A first surgical stage, through an endoscopic endonasal transtubercular approach, allowed satisfactory decompression of the optic chiasma and nerves in preparation for adjuvant therapy. However, accelerated growth of the tumor, with renewed visual deficits and mass effect on the hypothalamus and third ventricle, warranted a supplementary resection. A posterior transpetrosal1 2 (also called "retrolabyrinthine transtentorial") was performed to obtain a better exposure of the tumor and the surrounding anatomy (floor and walls of the third ventricle, perforating vessels, optic nerves, etc.)3. Nuances of technique and surgical pearls related to the posterior transpetrosal are discussed and illustrated in this operative video, including the posterior mobilization of the transverse–sigmoid sinuses junction, preservation of the venous anatomy during the tentorial incision, identification and preservation of the floor of the third ventricle during tumor resection, and a careful multilayer closure. Conclusion Retrochiasmatic craniopharyngiomas are difficult to reach tumors that often require skull base approaches, either endoscopic endonasal or transcranial. The posterior transpetrosal approach is an important part of the surgical armamentarium to safely resect these complex tumors. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/2MyGLJ_v1kI.


This study aimed to determine the effect of long-term exercise on the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and all-cause mortality in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A single-center, prospective intervention study using propensity score matching was performed over 24 months. The intervention group (n = 67) received six months of individual exercise instruction from a physical therapist, who performed aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises under unsupervised conditions. New events were defined as the composite endpoint of stroke or CVD requiring hospitalization, initiation of hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, or all-cause mortality. The cumulative survival rate without new events at 24 months was significantly higher in the intervention group (0.881, p = 0.016) than in the control group (n = 67, 0.715). Two-way analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of the group factor on high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) which was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.004); eGFRcr showed a significant effect of the time factor, which was lower at 24 months than before intervention (p = 0.043). No interactions were observed for all items. In conclusion, aerobic exercises combined with upper and lower limb muscle strengthening for six months reduce the risk of developing CVD and all-cause mortality in patients with DKD.


In this paper different parallel and sequential implementations of the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method are evaluated. The performance of current sequential architectures are first investigated. Possible improved performances from different parallel architectures are then examined. The parallel implementations consist of a network of workstations, a transputer network and an implementation on a single instruction stream multiple data stream (SIMD) architecture. The FDTD algorithm, a discretisation of Maxwell's curl equations used to solve electromagnetic boundary value problems is also discussed.


Subintimal angioplasty has been around for 18 years but has become popular only in the last 2 to 3 years, following a number of publications from various centres in Europe and the USA. After its initial successes in the femoropopliteal segment, the techniques has been extended to the infrapopliteal segment. Recanalization of long tibial occlusions and the possibility of reconstituting the trifurcation has proved to be most useful in the treatment of patients with critical limb ischaemia. Primary success rates of between 80 and 90% can be expected in the infrainguinal and the infrapopliteal segment. Patencies of 64% at 5 years in the superficial femoral artery for claudication has been reported. Limb salvage rates have been consistently high at around 85 to 90% at 1 year. Subintimal angioplasty has proved to be a useful and inexpensive way to treat intermittent claudication. For critical limb ischaemia, it has proved to be very effective.


The molluscum contagiosum virus is composed of brick-shaped outer shells containing a dumbbell-shaped nucleoid. The virus replicates in the cytoplasm of the epidermal cell, passes through intermediate forms, collects in vacuoles, and eventually fills the entire cell. Tonofilaments and the cell nucleus are compressed to the periphery of the cell. The verruca virus is composed of a spherical shell approximately 50 mμ in diameter and a central nucleoid. It replicates in the nucleus of the epidermal cell, eventually filling the nucleus. It passes into the cytoplasm and is found within the cells of the stratum corneum. It produces a hyperplastic and verruciform epidermis. The zoster virus has an outer diameter of approximately 160 mμ. It Is composed of two outer shells and a nucleoid of approximately 50 mμ diameter. It replicates in the nucleus of the stratum spinosum, eventually filling the entire nucleus. It enters the cytoplasm through nuclear membrane disruptions and nuclear membrane reduplications; migrates through the cytoplasm, and exits into the extracellular space through budding of the cytoplasmic membrane. Desmosomes are destroyed, and the epidermal cell is lysed.


'Cle des Champs' is a new June-bearing strawberry cultivar (Fragaria xananassa Duch.) bred for Eastern Central Canada and climates similar to Quebec conditions. 'Cle des Champs' was released for pick-your-own and shipping because it has very attractive light red, glossy (Fig. 1), and firm fruit, which have an excellent shelf life compared with 'Kent'.


We report on three elderly patients with strokelike onset of atypical Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS). The serum titer of anti-GQ1b IgG was markedly elevated in these patients. Their prognoses were sufficiently good with immunoadsorption therapy with or without intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) therapy. However, some neurological findings were not characteristic of typical MFS. Patient 1 suffered from prolonged dysesthesia in her left extremities, and Patients 2 and 3 showed no ataxia. Moreover, complete bilateral gaze limitation is rare in MFS. The sudden stroke-like onset along with the gaze limitation of these patients suggests that the unexpected elevation in the serum titer of anti-GQ 1b IgG due to unknown immune dysregulation might have severely affected the third, fourth, and sixth nerves and this potent antibody rapidly attacked these nerves and induced stroke-like clinical features and complete ophthalmoplegia.


The advancement in nucleic acid amplification has improved the diagnostic methods for many diseases. In the current study, an improved technique for the detection of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is described. The addition of acridine orange at the end of the reaction causes distinct color change which can be recognized by the naked eye. In addition, a new set of primers was designed based on the ISKNV major capsid protein (MCP) gene sequences. The primers are highly specific for ISKNV and there was no cross amplification with red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Aeromonas hydrophila or Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The detection limit of LAMP assay was 1.4 × 104 copies of the virus DNA and the optimum temperature and time for assay was 65°C and 60 min respectively, and this protocol could successfully detect the virus from asymptomatically infected fish. This improved LAMP assay is a simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool for the detection of ISKNV without the need of specialized equipment.


We report the first documented case of morbillivirus infection in a wild, free-ranging Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). The tigress entered a small village in the Russian Far East in an ambulatory but stuporous state with no apparent recognition or fear of humans. Her condition progressed rapidly with neurological signs, anorexia, and ultimately death. Histologic lesions included vacuolated to malacic white matter in the brain stem, cerebellum, and thalamus, with associated lymphocytic meningoencephalitis. Large, intranuclear, eosinophilic inclusions were within regional astrocytes, and the brain lesions were immunohistochemically positive when stained for canine distemper viral antigen. Hematologic and blood chemistry results were consistent with overwhelming systemic infection and starvation. The animal also was antibody-positive for canine distemper virus, feline panleukopenia, and feline coronavirus.


Sperm chromatin compaction in the sperm head is achieved when histones are replaced by protamines during spermatogenesis. Haploinsufficiency of the protamine 1 (PRM1) or PRM2 gene causes infertility in mice. However, the published data remain inconclusive about a role of PRM1/2 variants in male infertility and their association with semen parameters. By full sequence analysis, we assessed the frequency of sequence variations in PRM1 and PRM2 in three groups of Caucasian patients with idiopathic teratozoospermia and normal (n = 88) or reduced sperm concentration (n = 83) and in men with a high percentage of normal sperm morphology and normal concentrations (n = 77). Two rare (c.54G>A and c.102G>T) and one common SNP (c.230A>C) were identified in PRM1. In PRM2, some rare heterozygous mutations and the two common intronic SNPs 298G>C and 373C>A were detected. None of the PRM1/2 variants was associated with teratozoospermia or individually with other semen parameters. However, significant linkage disequilibrium was detected between the common SNPs of PRM1 and PRM2 which formed haplotypes. Analysis of the pooled group (n = 248) revealed that homozygous carriers of the common haplotype ACC had a twofold higher sperm concentration and count than men lacking this haplotype, with sperm counts of heterozygotes for ACC being midway between the homozygotes. This markedly decreased sperm output might either be caused by spermatozoa lacking the ACC haplotype not being viable, or subject to negative selection. In addition, a significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg-Equilibrium of these SNPs might indicate natural selection in favour of the ACC allele which leads to higher sperm output and therefore better fertility. In conclusion, for the first time we describe an association of a common haplotype formed by PRM1 and PRM2 with sperm output in a large group of men.


Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) was used for the simultaneous measurement of the gas and particle velocities in a gas-solid, two-phase flow. The flow configuration consists of an air jet at ambient temperature in which a spherical glass powder of a mean particle diameter of 97.0 or 13.7 μm was injected from one side using a secondary air jet. Both principal and secondary jets were also seeded with talcum powder with a mean particle diameter of about 1 μm which served as a tracer.

The probability density distribution function (PDF) of the LDA output showed two distinct peaks corresponding to the particle and gas velocities. As the particles were accelerated by the flow, the slip velocity between the gas and the particles decreased causing the gap between these two peaks to narrow. The measured mean particle velocity profiles were in agreement with the predictions of a theoretical model.

The objectives of the present investigation was to obtain experimental data on the dependence of the particle trajectories and their mean velocities on the injection conditions in a free jet stream. The principal question, however, was whether such data could be obtained using Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA). In other words, whether LDA could be effectively used in two-phase flow systems for the simultaneous measurement of the gas and particle velocities? Obviously, the answer to this last question can affect far beyond this particular study and more than justified the effort for this detailed investigation. It should be pointed out that, while LDA has been known for sometime, and the necessary equipments for an LDA system are available on a commercial bases, relatively little attention has been given to its application to other than single-phase, fluid-flow measurements.


Recent evidence has shown that mice deficient in the NPY Y2 receptor have an increase in trabecular bone volume as well as cortical bone mass due to increased osteoblast activity. However, the mechanical phenotype of Y2 −/− bone has not yet been assessed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of Y2 deletion on murine cortical bone structural behavior, as well as to assess the material and geometric contributions to that behavior. The results of this study indicate that Y2 −/− mice on a 129 SV × Balb/c background strain are smaller in body mass and have smaller bones than wild‐type controls. As expected based on smaller bone cross‐sectional properties, cortical bone structural strength was lower in −/− animals. Surprisingly, the structural stiffness of −/− bones was comparable to that of +/+ bones despite their smaller cross‐sectional geometry. Comparable structural stiffness appeared to be achieved by means of an elevated effective shear modulus, which was associated with a small, but statistically significant, higher ash content in Y2 −/− bones. These data represent the first comprehensive characterization of the effect of Y2 deletion on cortical bone structural and material behavior to date. Anat Rec, 291:14–18, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We report subarcsecond resolution IRAM PdBI millimeter CO interferometry of four z ∼ 2 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs), and sensitive CO(3-2) flux limits toward three z ∼ 2 UV/optically selected star-forming galaxies. The new data reveal for the first time spatially resolved CO gas kinematics in the observed SMGs. Two of the SMGs show double or multiple morphologies, with complex, disturbed gas motions. The other two SMGs exhibit CO velocity gradients of ~500 km s−1 across ≤0.2″ (1.6 kpc) diameter regions, suggesting that the star-forming gas is in compact, rotating disks. Our data provide compelling evidence that these SMGs represent extreme, short-lived "maximum" star-forming events in highly dissipative mergers of gas-rich galaxies. The resulting high-mass surface and volume densities of SMGs are similar to those of compact quiescent galaxies in the same redshift range and much higher than those in local spheroids. From the ratio of the comoving volume densities of SMGs and quiescent galaxies in the same mass and redshift ranges, and from the comparison of gas exhaustion timescales and stellar ages, we estimate that the SMG phase duration is about 100 Myr. Our analysis of SMGs and optically/UV selected high-redshift star-forming galaxies supports a "universal" Chabrier IMF as being valid over the star-forming history of these galaxies. We find that the 12CO luminosity to total gas mass conversion factors at z ∼ 2-3 are probably similar to those assumed at z ∼ 0. The implied gas fractions in our sample galaxies range from 20% to 50%.


Subtropical cyclogenesis and tropical transitions (TT) over the South Atlantic Ocean only received attention after the first documented Hurricane Catarina occurred close to the southern Brazilian coast in March 2004. However, due to the lack of studies in this part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is still unclear what the main environmental conditions and dynamical processes associated with TT or even subtropical cyclogenesis are over the region. This study presents a synoptic and dynamical analysis of the subtropical cyclone Anita which occurred in March 2010 near the Brazilian coast. This system started as a pure subtropical cyclone, evolved to a condition favorable to TT, later developed into a cold‐core structure, and decayed as an extratropical cyclone. During the period favorable for TT, the turbulent heat fluxes (latent plus sensible) from the ocean decreased, and Anita started interacting with another extratropical disturbance, preventing the TT to happen. This interaction, in turn, increased the vertical wind shear, allowed the extratropical transition to occur, and promoted the westward displacement of Anita to colder waters, thus decreasing the turbulent heat fluxes. The results suggest that the combination of a dipole blocking pattern aloft, with contribution from barotropic energy conversions, and strong turbulent fluxes is an important ingredient for tropical storm development. Hybrid storms in such environmental conditions can be one form of precursors of hurricanes over the South Atlantic.


Abstract Background The study aimed to examine differences in, and characteristics of psychiatric care utilization in young refugees who came to Sweden as unaccompanied or accompanied minors, compared with that of their non-refugee immigrant and Swedish-born peers. Methods This register-linkage cohort study included 746 688 individuals between 19 and 25 years of age in 2009, whereof 32 481 were refugees (2896 unaccompanied and 29 585 accompanied) and 32 151 non-refugee immigrants. Crude and multivariate Cox regression models yielding hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were conducted to investigate subsequent psychiatric care utilization for specific disorders, duration of residence and age at migration. Results The adjusted HRs for psychiatric care utilization due to any mental disorder was significantly lower in both non-refugee and refugee immigrants when compared to Swedish-born [aHR: 0.78 (95% CI 0.76–0.81) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.72–0.77, respectively)]. Within the refugee group, unaccompanied had slightly lower adjusted risk estimates than accompanied. This pattern was similar for all specific mental disorders except for higher rates in schizophrenia, reaction to severe stress/adjustment disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatric health care utilization was also higher in immigrants with more than 10 years of residency in Sweden entering the country being younger than 6 years of age. Conclusions For most mental disorders, psychiatric health care utilization in young refugees and non-refugee immigrants was lower than in their Swedish-born peers; exceptions are schizophrenia and stress-related disorders. Arrival in Sweden before the age of 6 years was associated with higher rates of overall psychiatric care utilization.


Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with a type 2 T helper cell (Th2) immune response. The Indigo Pulverata Levis extract (CHD) is used in traditional Southeast Asian medicine; however, its beneficial effects on AD remain uninvestigated. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effects of CHD in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced BALB/c mice and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α- and interferon gamma (IFN)-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. We evaluated immune cell infiltration, skin thickness, and the serum IgE and TNF-α levels in DNCB-induced AD mice. Moreover, we measured the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the mice dorsal skin. We also studied the effect of CHD on the translocation of NF-κB p65 and inflammatory chemokines in HaCaT cells. Our in vivo results revealed that CHD reduced the dermis and epidermis thicknesses and inhibited immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, it suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine expression and MAPK and NF-κB phosphorylations in the skin tissue and decreased serum IgE and TNF-α levels. In vitro results indicated that CHD downregulated inflammatory chemokines and blocked NF-κB p65 translocation. Thus, we deduced that CHD is a potential drug candidate for AD treatment.


The partitioning of copper has been investigated experimentally between a natural pyrrhotite and a natural high silica rhyolitic melt under water-saturated conditions at 800 degrees C, 1 kbar, and two oxygen fugacities. The partition coefficients, D (super Po/melt) Cu , defined as the ratio of the concentrations of copper in pyrrhotite to copper in melt, are 910 + or - 436 (1Sigma ) at the C-CH 4 buffer and 554 + or - 220 (1Sigma ) at one-half of a log unit above NNO. The mean value for all determinations is 773 + or - 400 (1Sigma ). Although the experimental results show wide scatter, at test indicates that the partition coefficients at the two oxygen fugacities may be considered significantly different at the 88 percent confidence level. The results are consistent with hypothetical chemical potential equilibria and with previous field and experimental data. Estimates obtained through mathematical modeling suggest that such partition coefficients may result in sequestration of 98 percent of the copper by pyrrhotite in a relatively S-rich and H 2 O-poor magma, whereas 24 percent of the copper may be sequestered by pyrrhotite in a relatively low sulfur magma in which water saturation and evolution of an aqueous fluid occur early. The results may provide significant constraints in interpretation of the behavior of Cu in felsic magmatic systems and in application of the orthomagmatic hydrothermal hypothesis to geologic processes associated with porphyry-type copper deposits.


Objective
To develop and verify a flow cytometric measurement of reticulocytes (RETs) micronucleus in rat bone marrow.

Methods
In our flow cytometric protocol, reticulocytes, leukocytes and DNA were labeled by anti-CD71-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), anti-CD45-phycoerythrin (PE) and DRAQ5, respectively. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to four treatment groups randomly, and were exposed to ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), cyclophosphamide (CP), ethyl nitrosourea (ENU) and colchicine (COL) respectively. Each treatment group was divided into four subgroups (5 rats per subgroup) according to different exposure dosage. A exposure dose of 0 was used as vehicle control for each group. Rats were administered with testing mutagens by gavage twice with a 24 h interval. Bone marrow from both femurs were collected 24 h after the last administration. The frequency of micronucleated reticulocytes (MN-RETs) and the percentage of reticulocytes (RETs%) were determined by flow cytometric measurement established in this study. And the manual counting method with microscope (by Giemsa staining) was conducted at the same time.

Results
A method for detection of reticulocyte micronucleus in bone marrow based on flow cytometry was successfully established. The MN-RETs in rat bone marrow of 20 SD rats treated by vehicle (i.e., background value of MN-RETs) was 0.83‰±0.12‰ by this method. The background value of MN-RETs in manual enumeration method was 1.43‰±0.44‰. It was obvious that the flow cytometric method had lower background value and more stable results. The trend, in which MN-RETs ascended and RETs% descended with increasing dose, can be detected by both methods in rats that exposed to EMS, CP, ENU and COL. Both methods were good to detect the correlation of induced-MN-RETs with four testing mutagens (the correlation coefficients were ranged from 0.834 3 to 0.913 7).

Conclusion
With its sensitivity, rapidity, easy operation and low background value, the three-color flow cytometric enumerative protocol established in our laboratory can be used as a good substitute for manual micronucleus counting method and used in genotoxicity assessment of chemical substances.


This experiment is significant because we can provide information by measuring effect of energy saving for whom plan to install a geothermal heat & cooling system. The result shows geothemal system can save about 50% of energy(heating : 35%, cooling : 60%) and we verified that when using curtain can help saving 4~12% of energy additionally


This study aims to characterise the evolution of vineyard production, to measure the levels of technical efficiency, and to relate these with farmers and farms attributes. The sample used is composed of a panel of vineyard farms, for the period 2000-2005, belonging to Portuguese Alentejo region. The methodology used to estimate technical efficiency, was the stochastic production frontier. The results showed that there are room to improve the levels of technical efficiency in input use and that efficiency is variant with time. It was observed that technical efficiency increases with economic size and net farm income, as well as with family entrepreneurship.


The present research was done with the objective of comparing Adult Sibling Relationship among middle aged adults (mean age range= 46.5 years) living in extended and nuclear families.100 adults of Dehradun city were contacted to collect the data, out of which n=50 represented extended families with their siblings living under one roof and n=50 were living in nuclear family. The Adult Sibling Relationship Scale by Nandwana & Katoch was used to study the Variable. The scale is categorized into four dimensions (contact, emotional closeness and conflict, confiding). t- test was applied on the data, the result yielded that adults living in extended families enjoy a high congenial sibling relationship as compared to adults  living in nuclear families. Adults living in extended families are not only in frequent contact with their siblings because of proximity but are also more emotionally close with them as compared to adults living in nuclear families.


Apoptosis is a major mechanism whereby HIV-1 depletes uninfected CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We previously showed that resting peripheral blood T cells derived from healthy donors were killed by an apoptotic mechanism after adsorption to gp120-containing, protease-defective HIV-1 (L-2) particles, more effectively than parental wild-type LAI adsorption or rgp 120-mediated CD4 cross-linking, followed by mitogenic stimulation. Here, we present evidence that the L-2 particle-based apoptosis was induced both in CD4+ and CD8+ cells by generation of effector cells which were mainly derived from a resting memory CD4+CD38- subset. This subset enhanced the CD25 expression on the surface and secreted IFN-gamma in the culture supernatant after L-2 particle exposure. Significant elevation of Fas ligand mRNA was found in the subset by L-2 particle exposure, while expression of Fas antigen on uninfected T cells was induced by exposure to IFN-gamma. These results indicate that L-2 particles can shift the CD4+CD38- subpopulation from a resting to an activated state, and this activation leads to killing of bystander CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by a Fas-mediated mechanism. In fact, purified CD4+CD38- cells exposed to L-2 particles were converted into effector cells that were able to kill autologous as well as allogenic target T cells pretreated with IFN-gamma. Further, we found that the observation of apoptosis due to L-2 particles was a more general phenomenon, that also occurred with Thai primary HIV-1 isolates. These results suggest that such specific types of HIV-1 particles may play a major role in the induction of apoptosis for both bystander CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, through inappropriate activation of CD4+CD38- cells.


ABSTRACT In a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, prophylaxis with single doses of liposomal amphotericin B or micafungin at ≥5 mg/kg of body weight improved animal survival and suppressed the lung fungal burden for up to 7 days after infection, demonstrating the potential utility of infrequent dosing with these antifungals.


A 2-year whole-farm system study compared the accumulation, utilization and nutritive value of grass in spring-calving grass-based systems differing in stocking rate (SR) and calving date (CD). Six treatments (systems) were compared over two complete grazing seasons. Stocking rates used in the study were low (2·5 cows ha−1), medium (2·9 cows ha−1) and high (3·3 cows ha−1), respectively, and mean CDs were 12 February (early) and 25 February (late). Each system had its own farmlet of eighteen paddocks and one herd that remained on the same farmlet area for the duration of the study. Stocking rate had a small effect on total herbage accumulation (11 860 kg DM ha−1 year−1), but had no effect on total herbage utilization (11 700 kg DM ha−1 year−1). Milk and milk solids (MS; fat + protein) production per ha increased by 2580 and 196 kg ha−1 as SR increased from 2·5 to 3·3 cows ha−1. Milk production per ha and net herbage accumulation and utilization were unaffected by CD. Winter feed production was reduced as SR increased. Increased SR, associated with increased grazing severity, resulted in swards of increased leaf content and nutritive value. The results indicate that, although associated with increased milk production per ha, grazed grass utilization and improved sward nutritive value, the potential benefits of increased SR on Irish dairy farms can only be realized if the average level of herbage production and utilization is increased.


Abstract Ramella, L. & P. Perret (ed.) (2011). Notulae ad Floram paraquaiensem, 107–109. Candollea 66: 199–222. In Spanish, French and English abstracts. Thirty-sixth installment of a series dedicated to the presentation of taxonomic, nomenclatural or floristic novelties in relation with the project "Flora del Paraguay" as well as complements to already published treatments. Organizational information and accounts on the advancement of the Flora are sometimes added by the editors. — Notula 107. Typifications in the genera Cenchrus L., Chamaeraphis R. Br., Eriochloa Kunth, Panicum L., Paspalum L. and Setaria P. Beauv. (Gramineae-Paniceae) of the flora of Paraguay, by Lorenzo Ramella, Patrick Perret, Fernando O. Zuloaga, Osvaldo Morrone & José F. Pensiero. The authors present the typification of 37 names completing and correcting previously published typifications. For that purpose, they present an analysis of the effective designation and publication of lectotypifications in Index to Grass Species of A. Chase & C. D. Niles, designate the types of the names of E. Hackel based on the collections of E. Hassler kept in the Hackel's herbarium (W) or in the Hassler's collection (G), clarify where the types of the names of C. A. M. Lindman are kept (S) and remind the types existing in the herbarium of Berlin (B). They also lectotypify Cenchrus nervosus var. ramosus Kuntze. Notula 108. The collections of Johann Rudolph Rengger (1795–1832) in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. I. Enumeration and characteristics, by Lorenzo Ramella & Patrick Perret. The authors present the list of the specimens of the Rennger's collection reviewed in the herbaria of ZT, P and US. As the specimens lack of numeration, the characteristics permiting to identify each specimen are given (family, name, colector, type, herbarium, barcode or access number, photography, determination). Notula 109. Typifications in the genus Trichogonia (DC.) Gardner (Compositae — Eupatorieae) of the Flora of Paraguay, by Nadia Roque, Lorenzo Ramella & Patrick Perret. The authors publish the typification of seven names in the genus Trichogonia (DC.) Gardner in Paraguay and lectotypify the following four names: Trichogonia hassleri Mattf., Trichogonia menthifolia var. tomentosula Hassler, Trichogonia menthifolia f. attenuata Hassler, Trichogonia fiebrigii Mattf.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex and multifactorial autoimmune disorder with the involvement of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 50 RA genetic loci in European populations. Given the anticipated overlap of RA-relevant genes and pathways across different ethnic groups, we sought to replicate 58 GWAS-implicated SNPs reported in Europeans in Pakistani subjects. 1,959 unrelated subjects comprising 1,222 RA cases and 737 controls were collected from three rheumatology facilities in Pakistan. Genotyping was performed using iPLEX or TaqMan® methods. A total of 50 SNPs were included in the final association analysis after excluding those that failed assay design/run or postrun QC analysis. Fourteen SNPs (LINC00824/rs1516971, PADI4/rs2240336, CEP57/rs4409785, CTLA4/rs3087243, STAT4/rs13426947, HLA-B/MICA/rs2596565, C5orf30/rs26232, CCL21/rs951005, GATA3/rs2275806, VPS37C/rs595158, HLA-DRB1/rs660895, EOMES/rs3806624, SPRED2/rs934734, and RUNX1/rs9979383) were replicated in our Pakistani sample at false discovery rate (FDR) of <0.20 with nominal p values ranging from 4.73E-06 to 3.48E-02. Our results indicate that several RA susceptibility loci are shared between Pakistani and European populations, supporting the role of common genes/pathways.


This study aimed to understand the nature of nurturing and restraining relationships in a school communiy. The inquiry entailed a single instrumental case study of a selected school community in a semi-urban context in South Africa. Participants were learners (n=720), teachers (n=33) and administrative and terrain staff members (N=8) as well as two parents. Data on participants' perceptions of relationships in the school community were collected using work sessions/nominal group techniques, visual representations, and focus group interviews. Thematic analysis of the data revealed connectedness, respect, care and transparent communication as aspects that nurture relationships. Limited connectedness between people, the abuse of power, shifting of responsibility and disrespect for one another were revealed as aspects that restrain relationships.


Build SciComm, an international symposium on strategies for fostering science communication in Japan held at the University of Tsukuba in November 2019, brought together academics and practitioners to discuss issues faced by the field in Japan and vision for future direction. Informally, the symposium was well received and generally considered to be a useful and stimulating event. We discuss issues to be considered for future incarnations and explain why this symposium provides an important forum for inclusive discussions on fundamental questions about the nature of science communication in Japan.


Abstract:
 Soil erosion was very serious in the Guishui area of Guanting reservoir. In order to control the non-point source (NPS) pollution of soil loss there, a distributed soil erosion and sediment transport sub-model with less parameters and more convenient application was built in this paper, which was composed of the USLE model and the sediment transport model. Firstly, USLE was used to calculate soil erosion after suitable calculation formulae of its factors were selected. And then the watershed was generalized into river network, we applied the relation between S-curve and pollutant-collecting area coefficient we had established into the solution of one-dimensional water quality transportation equation gained from Laplace transform and inverse Laplace transform, and derived the distributed sediment transport model. Finally, relied on DEM, this paper made research on the model application in Guishui watershed by picking up geographical information from the soil map and land-use map of Guishui watershed. Application results indicated that this model can not only be used to make research on the sediment pollution resulting from NPS pollution, but also on the spatial distribution of soil erosion, offering scientific foundation for realizing best agricultural management in this watershed. The soil loss in Guishui watershed mainly comes from the mountain and hill with large slope and low vegetation coverage, therefore, the key for controlling the soil loss shall be taken on the mountain and hill in this watershed.


This paper explains what is meant by the strategic use of information technology (IT). It describes the background to making strategicuse of IT tools in future by outlining and commenting on the use thathas been made of them until now in the construction sector in Singapore. It offers suggestions regarding how strategic use of IT in construction can be brought about by initiatives from government agencies, professional institutions, and private enterprises through the use of some case study examples. The benefits of strategic IT use, are set out,as are the effects it may have on restructuring within the industry, the professions and enterprises, and its possible influence on productivity and organisational competitiveness.