Neural connectivity of the prefrontal cortex is essential to working memory. Reduction of prefrontal connectivity and abnormal prefrontal dopamine modulation are common characteristics associated with schizophrenia. Two experiments separately modeled the effects of exaggerated pruning and of synaptic depression to imitate schizophrenic performance in a prefrontal neural network. In the first model, effects of cortical pruning were simulated with a set of scale-free networks of neurons and compared with empirical results from the Sternberg working memory task. The second set of simulations were based on the synaptic theory of working memory. Simulations of this model measured memory duration in relation to synaptic facilitation and depression constants and in relation to the level of neural connectivity. In the first set of simulations, modulating levels of cortical pruning resulted in a gain or loss in accuracy and speed of memory recollection. In the second set of simulations, increased facilitation time constants and decreased inhibitory time constants resulting in longer memory durations, and overly connected networks resulted in very low memory durations. In the first model, the decline in memory performance can be attributed to the emergence of pathological memory behavior brought about by the warping of the basins of attraction. Collectively, the simulations demonstrate that a reduction of prefrontal cortical hubs can lead to schizophrenia like performance in neural networks, and may account for pathological working memory in the disorder.


Roots provide multiple key functions for plants, including anchorage and capturing of water and nutrients. Evolutionarily, roots represent a crucial innovation that enabled plants to migrate from aquatic to terrestrial environment and to grow in height. Based on fossil evidence, roots evolved at least twice independently, once in the lycophyte clade and once in the euphyllophyte (ferns and seed plants) clade. In lycophytes, roots originated in a stepwise manner. Despite their pivotal position in root evolution, it remains unclear how root development is controlled in lycophytes. Getting more insight into lycophyte root development might shed light on how genetic players controlling the root meristem and root developmental processes have evolved. Unfortunately, genetic studies in lycophytes are lagging behind, lacking advanced biotechnological tools, partially caused by the limited economic value of this clade. The technology of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) at least enabled transcriptome studies, which could enhance the understanding or discovery of genes involved in the root development of this sister group of euphyllophytes. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on root evolution followed by a survey of root developmental events and how these are genetically and hormonally controlled, starting from insights obtained in the model seed plant Arabidopsis and where possible making a comparison with lycophyte root development. Second, we suggest possible key genetic regulators in root development of lycophytes mainly based on their expression profiles in Selaginella moellendorffii and phylogenetics. Finally, we point out challenges and possible future directions for research on root evolution.


Real time detection of intermittent or permanent faults which could appear on wired networks becomes a critical issue. Fault detection and localization methods are often based on reflectometry techniques but they need the implementation of dedicated devices. Furthermore, since they often use a wide frequency band, problems related to their electromagnetic compatibility with the environment may occur. If a power line communication is already implemented in the network, the objective of this paper is to study the proof of concept of a fault detection only based on the statistical properties of the received signals. Even without precise information on fault location, results of this approach could be interesting to decide to carry out a maintenance operation.


This thesis contains a series of studies that report, for the first time, the congruence between physical, imagined and observed movement though a range of eye movement markers as a test of Jeannerod's Simulation Theory (Jeannerod, 1994, 2001). First, the eye gaze metrics of healthy young individuals across all the action-related processes in a single paradigm is reported. The finding from this study suggested a temporal and spatial similarity between action execution (AE) and action observation (AO), and a spatial similarity between AE and motor imagery (MI). These findings suggest that AO could be used to simulate actions that involve a critical temporal element. Second, the influence of early ageing on gaze metrics was examined. The findings from this study indicated that whilst the profile of metrics for AE showed age-related decline, it was less evident in AO and MI although there was evidence of some age-related decline across all the three processes. Third, the influence of visual perspective on eye movements during movement simulation is reported. The data analysis in this study was novel and allowed, for the first time, eye gaze to be used to quantify MI and highlighted the importance of social gaze in AO and its absence in MI. Taken together, the finding that some eye metrics are preserved in more covert behaviours provides support for the efficacy of (re)learning optimal eye gaze strategies through AO- and MI-supported movement-based interventions for older adults with movement dysfunction. Therefore, in the final study, the development of a fully-integrated AE-AO-MI toolkit is reported. A new, App-based approach to the integration of movement simulation in rehabilitation is described in detail.
Twenty years after he first proposed his Simulation Theory of MI the novel findings from this programme of work provide substantial support for the concept. This thesis highlights the advantage of using advanced eye gaze technology as an important marker to inform the on-going debate on the extent of the neural substrate sharedness as the central tenet to Simulation Theory. The findings of the studies will make an important impact on the use of simulation procedures for motor relearning.


A study on the development of methodology for the synthesis of chiral diamines is reported. Two synthetic approaches are described both of which involve the generation and subsequent reaction of aziridinium ions. One of the methods is a one-pot preparation from (R)-styrene oxide to give several diamines and a C2 symmetric triamine in yields of 63–93%. The other method is a sequential two-step approach from (R)- or (S)-phenylglycinol and four diamines have been prepared in yields of 62–82%. Both approaches start from readily available materials and are simple, high yielding, and shorter than previous synthetic routes and can be used to prepare either enantiomer of a range of chiral diamines. Such chiral diamines are useful reagents for asymmetric synthesis and are intermediates in the preparation of non-opioid analgesics.


In the contemporary world the size of database(s) is rising exponentially. Increased size of database inevitably necessitates performance maintenance in order that performance is enhanced or sustained. The suggested model is envisioned to serve as benchmark for High Performance Database Administration via High performance SQL Query Tuning and thus improving database performance. The strategy of tuning falls on how effectively we can tune the single problem queries and database memory. This paper elucidates sundry tactics to escalate query as well as database performance and can function as a utility for Database Administrators, SQL programmers and Data Center Managers. Experimental outcomes of our analysis designate that performance is enhanced by saving CPU and I/O.


An analytic approach is proposed to synthesise the optimal structure of the quasi-periodic cladding of a waveguide and an efficient numerical method is developed for determining the complex eigenvalues corresponding to low-loss Bragg modes. It is shown that, under the assumption that variations in the refractive index are small, the complete system of Maxwell's equations is reduced to a scalar wave equation, which can be solved by the method of finite differences.


Current trends in the manufacturing sector have greatly increased the need for portability and reusability in software systems for industrial control and automation. The IEC 61499 standard has emerged out of this need for a platform-independent way to develop industrial control systems. So far, typical IEC 61499 solutions have relied on some run-time environment that differ in the execution model for each implementation. This has resulted in code that is neither portable, nor efficient in terms of execution speed and memory footprint. Therefore, we present, instead, a synchronous model for function blocks, which removes the need for a run-time environment by making all event scheduling decisions during compile-time. This approach has been used to create a function block compiler, with two different back-end code generators. We present experimental results of a benchmark suite implemented using different code generators for different execution models, and show that our technique yields significant gains in efficiency over existing approaches.


Silver ion and silver nanoparticles are well known for their ability to kill bacteria effectively. However, the side effect of high dose silver on humans especially children has been a major concern when designing antimicrobial coatings for daily life environment.  ZnO quantum dots have been studied intensively by doping with different levels of elements, which emit the constituents of white light covering violet, blue, green, yellow, and red, making it very attractive for the application as luminescent material and bio-markers. ZnO nanorod arrays were used to fabricate LED light and highly sensitive chemical sensors for O2 and NO2 and hydrazine (N2H4) [5] respectively. The most important property of ZnO is its antimicrobial property and photocatalytic activity under UV-light owning to the disruption of cell membrane during the nanoparticle's interaction with the bacterial. In this paper, we report a study into the effect of size, shape and metal ions doping of ZnO nanoparticles on the bacterial killing efficacy. We use a solution synthesis method varying the way of adding precursors, the doping element type and amount, the surface capping agents, and the processing parameters. We obtained several shapes (spherical, hexagonal prism, nanorod, flower-like etc.) in different sizes ranging from 30nm to 100nm. We analyzed the morphological structures of the particles, measured the antibacterial properties using JIS Z2801 method, and finally confirmed that the combined effect of size, doping, shape and surface morphology contributed to the antibacterial property of ZnO nanoparticles. Our research suggests that only 0.05-0.2% of silver doping into ZnO could effectively reduce the size of ZnO nanoparticles with Ag ions preferentially located on surface of particles making high efficacy of antibacterial property.


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and provide a review of the risk factors associated with CAD in Asian Indians. SEARCH METHODS USED: The authors extensively reviewed numerous British and international studies and the more limited number of studies in India and the US. SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT FINDINGS: Asian Indians have one of the highest rates of CAD. Conventional risk factors such as high blood pressure, high serum total cholesterol level, cigarette smoking, high fat diet, and obesity consistently fail to fully explain these high rates. There appears to be a strong role of insulin resistance and abdominal obesity, both of which have a high prevalence in Asian Indians. Various dyslipidemic disorders in Asian Indians such as low levels of HDL cholesterol, elevation of triglyceride, elevation of LDL cholesterol and elevation of lipoprotein (a) may also have a role. CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that against a background of higher susceptibility to CAD among Asian Indians, as characterized by insulin resistance, abdominal obesity and dyslipidemic disorders, conventional risk factors for CAD are also important. A genetic predisposition to CAD is suggested by high levels of lipoprotein (a) in Asian Indians. This would suggest that more aggressive identification and modulation of all known risk factors are necessary among Asian Indians along with a compelling need for further epidemiological studies in this population. RELEVANCE TO ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN POPULATIONS: The marked differences in the rates of CAD among Asian Indians, compared with Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, other Asians and Whites are discussed. KEY WORDS: Asian Indians, coronary artery disease, epidemiology, disease prevalence, risk factors, insulin resistance, dyslipidemic disorders, triglycedide, high density lipoprotein; lipoprotein (a)


Summary A method for studying pulmonary cytology in rats and hamsters by tracheal washing is described. The sampling procedure is rapid and can be repeated without harming the animal. The sample is sufficient in size and is representative of the entire lower respiratory tract, as judged from the high incidence of alveolar cells. The respiratory tract cell types found in the tracheal washings are essentially the same as those described in human sputum and bronchial washings. The sample, which is only slightly contaminated with squamous cells from the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity, is easily screened for metaplastic, premalignant, and malignant cells. The appropriateness of the technique for studies of the morphogenesis of lung cancer is illustrated with a carcinogen-treated hamster. The method can be used to correlate the experimental histomorphogenesis of nonmalignant and malignant lesions with the exfoliative cytology of the lung and thus provides an animal counterpart to clinical studies.


Nowadays, in contrast with the past decades, most of the companies around the world use at least one Information System. Henceforth, one of the new upcoming needs concerning their IT departments is the integration between a new Information System with a legacy system (that is already running in the company) or with a Partner's Information System (in order to accelerate the procedures that take place between these two or more partners). This study examines the issue of integration between two or more Information Systems developed by different software houses. The main software category that is examined is the one of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (a category that holds a huge portion in software market). Web Services are used in order to make different ERP integrate with each other - the most efficient and reliable solution for such problems, which is also a worldwide standard.


A numerical method for computation of the resultant quasi-static magnetic field in the vicinity of parallel wires and metal shields is presented. The primary magnetic field source is time-harmonic currents in wires. This field is modified by conducting magnetic and/or nonmagnetic shields. The material is assumed to be linear under the applied source field. The shielding effectiveness can be estimated by a comparison between the primary and the resultant field. The reaction magnetic field is expressed by a sum of fields caused by equivalent single- and double-layer sources distributed on the shield surface. Integral equations for unknown distributions of these equivalent sources are derived from the Green's second identity implemented inside and outside the shields. These equations are coupled integral equations, and are solved by the moment method. Numerical results of the resultant (shielded) magnetic field obtained with the proposed method are compared with the results of: 1) analytically solvable problems; 2) measurements; and 3) two different numerical methods.


The changes that have altered the government training policies in Australia in the past decade have been numerous and substantial. While many reports have been influential in the framing of current thinking, implementation can arguably be said to have begun with the formation of the former National Training Board and the introduction of National Competency Standards in 1991. The assumption that underpins this approach is that 'industry' is the best agency to determine training needs. Since 1991 there has been a steep learning curve for all concerned; many employers and some training providers, need additional opportunities to become familiar with the purpose and content of the standards. This study undertook a needs assessment of workplace trainer and assessment programs and standards. The paper reports on findings from a national study that investigated how industry, government bodies and training providers were using and interpreting the two sets of standards for Assessment and Workplace Trainer. The end result of the study was a revision, expansion and combination of the workplace trainer and assessment standards. It informed the development of specialist units that lead to a diploma in training and assessment systems. This research underpins the nationally endorsed Training Package for Assessment and Workplace Training.


Background This study describes a novel computer-generated anatomic symmetry plane as a framework for the quantitative description of sphenoid sinus anatomy. The aim of this study was to (1) determine relationships and distances between a midline sphenoid reference point (called the central sphenoid point [CSP]) and lateral sphenoid wall structures and (2) assess the incidence of anterior clinoid process (ACP) pneumatization and pterygoid recess (PR) pneumatization. Methods Axial computed tomography (CT) scans (1-mm slice thickness) were obtained on a VolumeZoom CT scanner (Siemens Medical, Erlangen, Germany). Mathematically derived anatomic symmetry planes were created using custom postprocessing software. A standardized review of each CT scan using surgical planning software (CBYON Suite version 2.6; CBYON, Mountain View, CA) was performed. The CSP was defined as a reference point in the midline sagittal plane at the intersection of the vertical sellar face and the horizontal sellar floor. Results A total of 128 sides in 64 cadaveric specimens were available for review. The incidences of ACP pneumatization and PR pneumatization were 23.4 and 37.5%. The mean distances from the CSP to the left optic canal midpoint, the left ACP entrance point, and the left PR lateral wall were 17.2, 15.6, and 27.6 mm, respectively. The corresponding distances from the CSP on the right side were 17.3, 15.8, and 28.0 mm, respectively. Measurements from the maxillary spine to the optic canal midpoint, ACP entrance point, and PR lateral wall on each side were performed also. Conclusion This approach provides both quantitative and qualitative understanding of sphenoid osteology and may be coupled with intraoperative surgical navigation to reduce the risks of sphenoid surgery. Both PR and ACP pneumatization are surprisingly common. Because the CSP-derived relationships may be referenced during endoscopic surgical navigation, they may provide greater clinical utility than traditional alternatives. This paradigm may facilitate a greater understanding of sphenoid anatomy and enhance surgical safety and precision.


This paper deals with the design of a super-velocity launcher with muzzle velocity up to 8 km/s. It addresses the design specifications of the linear induction section of the launcher having a 4-km/s breech velocity, and utilizing a projectile weighing 1 kg. The overall launcher is a hybrid design, using a gas gun to obtain the initial 4-km/s speed at the input to the coil launcher. The design sequence starts with the maximum temperature allowed by the sleeve material; continues by selecting the required number of sections in the barrel; the dimensions of the drive coils are determined; and our existing computer code is used to optimize the transition between the gas gun and the first section of the coil gun, and between successive sections of the barrel. The code utilizes our latest design scheme; that is, the drive coils are connected in parallel; one flywheel generator per pole is used; and all of the generators in a given section are shaft-coupled, so that they all rotate at the same speed. The design specifications are presented in this paper together with simulation results for the phase voltages, the currents, and the acceleration forces


An integrated modeling workflow capable of finding the steady-state solution with self-consistent core transport, pedestal structure, current profile, and plasma equilibrium physics has been developed, validated against several DIII-D discharges, and used to perform predictions for a 15 MA D-T ITER baseline scenario. Key features of the proposed core-pedestal coupled workflow are its ability to self-consistently account for the transport of impurities in the plasma, as well as its use of machine learning accelerated models for the pedestal structure, the neoclassical bootstrap current, and for the turbulent and neoclassical transport physics. Selfconsistent coupling of physics-based models (or their machine-learning accelerated counterparts) is of great importance since it reduces the number of free parameters and assumptions that are used in the simulations, thus greatly improving the reliability of our numerical forecasts. The results presented in this paper provide supporting evidence that neural network based reduced models are indeed capable of breaking the speedaccuracy trade-off that is expected of traditional numerical physics models, and can provide the missing link towards whole device modeling simulations that are physically accurate, robust, and extremely efficient to run. Work supported in part by the US Department of Energy under Contract Nos. DE-SC0017992 (AToM), DE-FG02-95ER54309 (GA theory), DE-FC02-06ER54873 (ESL), and DE-FC02-04ER54698 (DIII-D).This research used resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science User Facility supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.


We propose a bilateral switching poly-Si junction device to realize a crossbar array with a perpendicular spin-transfer torque (STT) magnetic random access memory (MRAM). An N+ /P/N+ bilateral junction device with two bias terminals provides bidirectional current flow enough to write STT MRAM by a drain induced barrier lowering under a reverse bias of N+/P. In addition, asymmetrical doping for two N+ terminals provides a high on-off ratio of 107 under read condition, which is acceptable for a crossbar array. From this work, it is expected that a bilateral poly-Si junction will be a promising switch device to achieve crossbar architecture with a perpendicular STT MRAM.


An energy principle is constructed for an axisymmetric system such that its variation with respect to an artificial time parameter t is demonstrated to yield the components of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) force F=j*B- Del p- rho M(V. Del )V when V is only toroidal. An accelerated steepest descent method is applied to the Fourier moments of these MHD forces in an inverse flux coordinate representation to reach a minimum energy state that corresponds to an MHD equilibrium with isothermal toroidal mass flow. Applications to a JET Tokamak configuration show the outward displacement of the pressure surfaces away from the flux surfaces induced by the plasma rotation. For fixed global and peak values of the total plasma energy content (thermal pressure plus directed flow), however, the position of the magnetic axis does not shift with the rotation.


Background

According to the WHO 10% of men and 14% of women worldwide were obese in 2008. Obesity is often associated with both restrictive and obstructive lung disease. Bariatric surgery, is becoming more commonplace to promote weight reduction in obese patients. However, the long term changes in respiratory mechanics post-bariatric surgery are unclear.

Aim

To answer,'What effect does bariatric surgery have on respiratory function in obese patients?'

Methods

A search of PubMed and CochraneLibrary was performed in January 2013 and 151 papers identified. Reviews and papers not meeting inclusion criteria were excluded.

Results

Over two thirds of the studies found an improvement in FVC at varying time intervals post surgery, with one reporting a significant improvement in FVC (p=0.015) and FEV1 (p=0.021) after 3 months in association with a reduction in waist size. Four studies reported a significant improvement in FEV1 post surgery, with the majority reaching a significant improvement after 1 year. Two studies reported a significant improvement in FRC 1 year post surgery, with one reporting a direct correlation between post-surgery reduction in body mass index and improvement in FRC (p=0.028). Strikingly, one study reported a 54% improvement in ERV post surgery. Overall, a reduction in both restrictive and obstructive dysfunction was observed post surgery.

Conclusions

The data concerning the impact of bariatric surgery on respiratory function is difficult to interpret due to the heterogenous population studies. Given the prevalence of obesity more research into the impact of bariatric surgery on long term respiratory function is required, with a particular emphasis on the role of body fat distribution.


The combined cell age and kinetic model for penicillin fermentation, which was proposed earlier, was tested with 20 industrial scale charges of fed-batch cultivations. After lumped identification of the parameters, model simulations fitted the measurements well even for the widely fluctuated charges. Corresponding to the high fitting accuracy, it was found that only two parameters out of ca. twenty are charge-dependent. This encourages the further study on the model-based prediction of the most important state variable product concentration. A rolling identification-prediction technique was used for this purpose. Pseudo on-line prediction with a predictive horizon up to 40h-ahead was carried out and the average prediction accuracy was found as high as 2-4%. Copyright 2001 IFAC


Although definition of service still eludes the researchers, we have tried to capture the essence of service business by developing a Value Added model that separates all services needed to produce a product or service. The model shows the ability of the service business to stand on its own and develop services that spearheads growth in manufacturing as well as in service sector. Unlike manufacturing which is capital intensive, service business is human resource intensive. It is basically a knowledge business. As knowledge is scarce and not evenly distributed, a firm possessing superior human resource may charge rent. But so much dependence on human resources also makes the business risky. Service business can be classified between pure service business and service oriented product business. It is necessary to know their characteristics for planning appropriate business strategy at different economic times.


This paper presents a new optimization algorithm to solve multiobjective design optimization problems based on behavioral concepts similar to that of a real swarm. The individuals of a swarm update their flying direction through communication with their neighboring leaders with an aim to collectively attain a common goal. The success of the swarm is attributed to three fundamental processes: identification of a set of leaders, selection of a leader for information acquisition, and finally a meaningful information transfer scheme. The proposed algorithm mimics the above behavioral processes of a real swarm. The algorithm employs a multilevel sieve to generate a set of leaders, a probabilistic crowding radius-based strategy for leader selection and a simple generational operator for information transfer. Two test problems, one with a discontinuous Pareto front and the other with a multi-modal Pareto front is solved to illustrate the capabilities of the algorithm in handling mathematically complex problems. Three well-studied engineering design optimization problems (unconstrained and constrained problems with continuous and discrete variables) are solved to illustrate the efficiency and applicability of the algorithm for multiobjective design optimization. The results clearly indicate that the swarm algorithm is capable of generating an extended Pareto front, consisting of well spread Pareto points with significantly fewer function evaluations when compared to the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA).


In youths, two cut-offs (133 and 155 mg/dL) have been proposed to identify high glucose levels at the 1 h (G60) mark during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We evaluated which cut-off was more closely associated with isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in 1199 youth with overweight/obesity (OW/OB) and normal fasting glucose and/or HbA1c. The disposition index (DI) was available in 724 youths. The sample was divided by two cut-offs of G60: <133 mg/dL (n = 853) and ≥133 mg/dL (n = 346), or G60 < 155 mg/dL (n = 1050) and ≥155 mg/dL (n = 149). Independent of the cut-off, youths with high levels of G60 showed higher levels of G120, insulin resistance (IR), triglycerides to HDL ratio (TG/HDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lower insulin sensitivity (IS) and DI than youths with lower levels of G60. The percentage of youths showing IGT, IR, low IS, high TG/HDL ratio, high ALT, and low DI was 50% higher in the G60 ≥ 133 mg/dL group than in the G60 ≥ 155 mg/dL one. In youths with OW/OB and IGT, a cut-off of G60 ≥ 133 mg/dL is more useful than G60 ≥ 155 mg/dL to identify those at high risk of IGT and altered CMR profile.


A dynamic portfolio allocation is discussed in asset management with fuzziness. By perception-based extension for fuzzy random variables, a dynamic portfolio model for value-at-risks of fuzzy random variables is introduced. By dynamic programming and mathematical programming, this paper derives analytical solutions for the optimization problem. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the results.


To evaluate the effects of heat stress (HS) conditions and dietary organic acid and pure botanical (OA/PB) supplementation on gut permeability and milk production, we enrolled 46 multiparous Holstein cows [208 ± 4.65 dry matter intake (DMI; mean ± SD), 3.0 ± 0.42 lactation, 122 ± 4.92 d pregnant, and 39.2 ± 0.26 kg of milk yield] in a study with a completely randomized design. Cows were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: thermoneutral conditions (TN-Con, n = 12), HS conditions (HS-Con, n = 12), thermoneutral conditions pair-fed to HS-Con (TN-PF, n = 12), or HS supplemented with OA/PB [75 mg/kg of body weight (BW); 25% citric acid, 16.7% sorbic acid, 1.7% thymol, 1.0% vanillin, and 55.6% triglyceride; HS-OAPB, n = 10]. Supplements were delivered twice daily by top-dress; all cows not supplemented with OA/PB received an equivalent amount of the triglyceride used for microencapsulation of the OA/PB supplement as a top-dress. Cows were maintained in thermoneutrality [temperature-humidity index (THI) = 68] during a 7-d acclimation and covariate period. Thereafter, cows remained in thermoneutral conditions or were moved to HS conditions (THI: diurnal change 74 to 82) for 14 d. Cows were milked twice daily. Clinical assessments and BW were recorded, blood was sampled, and gastrointestinal permeability measurements were repeatedly evaluated. The mixed model included fixed effects of treatment, time, and their interaction. Rectal and skin temperatures and respiration rates were greater in HS-Con and HS-OAPB relative to TN-Con. Dry matter intake, water intake, and yields of energy-corrected milk (ECM), protein, and lactose were lower in HS-Con relative to HS-OAPB. Nitrogen efficiency was improved in HS-OAPB relative to HS-Con. Compared with TN-Con and TN-PF, milk yield and ECM were lower in HS-Con cows. Total-tract gastrointestinal permeability measured at d 3 of treatment was greater in HS-Con relative to TN-Con or TN-PF. Plasma total fatty acid concentrations were reduced, whereas insulin concentrations were increased in HS-Con relative to TN-PF. We conclude that exposure to a heat-stress environment increases total-tract gastrointestinal permeability. This study highlights important mechanisms that might account for milk production losses caused by heat stress, independent of changes in DMI. Our observations also suggest that dietary supplementation of OA/PB is a means to partly restore ECM production and improve nitrogen efficiency in dairy cattle experiencing heat stress.


The fluid-driven efficiency of the micropump based on induced charge electroosmotic was studied by numerical simulation method. In this paper, we propose to make some improvement against the T-shaped piping design of micropump, and we embed a janus cylinder in the junction of the T-shaped pipe for the micropump design. We offer different voltage to the inlet of the pipe and carry out the numerical study of the fluid field induced by the cylinder, and the comparison of the velocity and flux of the outlet in different voltage as carried out. It is found that there are two symmetrical circulations around the polarizable side of the cylinder. And the comparison results show that the flow and the velocity of the outlet were increased with the increasing voltage of the entrance.


Repeatedly performing a submaximal motor task for a prolonged period of time leads to muscle fatigue comprising a central and peripheral component, which demands a gradually increasing effort. However, the brain contribution to the enhancement of effort to cope with progressing fatigue lacks a complete understanding. The intermittent motor tasks (IMTs) closely resemble many activities of daily living (ADL), thus remaining physiologically relevant to study fatigue. The scope of this study is therefore to investigate the EEG-based brain activation patterns in healthy subjects performing IMT until self-perceived exhaustion. Fourteen participants (median age 51.5 years; age range 26-72 years; 5 males) repeated elbow flexion contractions at 40% maximum voluntary contraction by following visual cues displayed on an oscilloscope screen until subjective exhaustion. Each contraction lasted for approximately 5 s with a 2-s rest between trials. The force, EEG, and surface EMG (from elbow joint muscles) data were simultaneously collected. After preprocessing, we selected a subset of trials at the beginning, middle, and end of the study session representing brain activities germane to mild, moderate, and severe fatigue conditions, respectively, to compare and contrast the changes in the EEG time-frequency (TF) characteristics across the conditions. The outcome of channel- and source-level TF analyses reveals that the theta, alpha, and beta power spectral densities vary in proportion to fatigue levels in cortical motor areas. We observed a statistically significant change in the band-specific spectral power in relation to the graded fatigue from both the steady- and post-contraction EEG data. The findings would enhance our understanding on the etiology and physiology of voluntary motor-action-related fatigue and provide pointers to counteract the perception of muscle weakness and lack of motor endurance associated with ADL. The study outcome would help rationalize why certain patients experience exacerbated fatigue while carrying out mundane tasks, evaluate how clinical conditions such as neurological disorders and cancer treatment alter neural mechanisms underlying fatigue in future studies, and develop therapeutic strategies for restoring the patients' ability to participate in ADL by mitigating the central and muscle fatigue.


ABSTRACT The tension between citizenship and democracy is well documented in the literature on citizenship. The paper revisits it through the lens of populism. It engages with the critics and proponents of the phenomenon and it argues that the juxtaposition that they all stage between the people and the citizens does not just intensify the tension between the exclusionary politics of citizenship and democracy's universalising aspirations, but it also threatens to restrict the appeal of citizenship to mainstream liberal theory. The paper concludes by suggesting that the kind of affectivity, which democratic mobilisations draw on, and that one associates with the 'people', is often missing from citizenship practices – and this further undermines the connection between citizenship and democracy.


Although sympathetic nerve stimulation is known to increase ventricular contractility, concomitant increases in heart rate (HR) make it difficult to separate its direct inotropic effect from indirect inotropic effect through a force-frequency mechanism. We stimulated the stellate ganglia in 8 isolated canine hearts with functional sympathetic nerves. Right sympathetic stimulation at 10 Hz increased ventricular end-systolic elastance (E(es)) by 95.7 +/- 7.5% (p < 0.001) and HR by 32.5 +/- 4.2% (p < 0.05). In contrast, left sympathetic stimulation at 10 Hz increased E(es) by 70.7 +/- 6.5% (p < 0.001) without significant changes in HR. Preventing the chronotropic response by fixed-rate pacing attenuated the E(es) response to right sympathetic stimulation at 5 Hz (52.0 +/- 5.1 vs. 22.8 +/- 2.8%, p < 0.001), but not to left sympathetic stimulation at 5 Hz (54.5 +/- 3.4 vs. 53.3 +/- 2.2%, NS). In the isolated canine heart, the right sympathetic nerve affected E(es) by both the direct inotropic effect and the indirect HR-dependent inotropic effect. In contrast, the left sympathetic nerve regulated E(es) primarily by its direct inotropic effect.


Colombo L. V. A. and Turati G. Why do acquiring banks in mergers concentrate in well-developed areas? Regional development and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in banking, Regional Studies. The paper focuses on all mergers and acquisitions (M&As) transactions of regional relevance that occurred in the Italian banking sector between 1995 and 2006. A strong direct effect of regional economic and social characteristics on the concentration of the banking industry in Italy is found, as well as on the agglomeration of acquiring banks in well-developed regions. This effect survives to a number of robustness checks, including controls for banks' profitability and efficiency, and for their institutional characteristics, indicated by the banking literature as the key factors driving concentration in banking. Possible theoretical explanations supporting the empirical findings are also investigated, and their policy implications are discussed.


The traditional function attributed to white adipose tissue of energy storage in the form of triglycerides has been challenged by results from recent studies, showing that adipose tissue is, in fact, a highly active metabolic and endocrine organ. A radical change in perspective followed the discovery of a large number of proteins secreted from white adipocytes, such as leptin, resistin, adiponectin, adipsin, acylation-stimulating protein, angiotensinogen, tumour necrosis factor a, interleukin-6, retinol-binding protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue factor, fasting-induced adipose factor, fibrinogen/angiopoetin-related protein, and metallothionein. The effects of specific proteins may be either autocrine or paracrine, meaning that they might act in adipose tissue itself or in more distant target tissues. Some of these proteins induce insulin resistance, some play a role in glucose and lipid metabolism, some are inflammatory cytokines, while others are involved in vascular haemostasis. The key challenges for future investigations of adipose tissue's secretory functions will be to identify all of its secreted proteins, to establish the function of each secreted protein, and to assess the pathophysiological consequences of changes in adipocyte protein production due to problems, such as obesity, fasting, or diabetes mellitus type 2.


In this study, attentional resources were directed toward positive, negative and neutral emotional word stimuli to explore the effect of emotions on sensorimotor skill performance. Forty novice and 40 experienced basketballers completed a primary free-throw shooting task and a secondary word semantics task under single-task conditions and three dual-task conditions (positive, negative, and neutral). Shooting performance and word semantics performance for both novice and experienced basketballers improved in the dual-task positive condition relative to the dual-task negative condition. In terms of shooting performance, experienced basketballers performed significantly better in the dual-task positive condition than all other experimental conditions. In addition, the discrepancy in shooting performance between positive and negative conditions was more pronounced for the experienced basketballers than the novices arguably due to greater automaticity and therefore extra attention capacity available to experienced performers to process and complete the secondary task. Consistent with recent skill acquisition research it is concluded that the distraction of the secondary task, and in particular the direction of attention toward positive emotion, provided benefit by diverting attention away from execution of the primary task. This in turn enhanced sensorimotor skill learning for novice participants, and promoted performance-relevant thoughts and automatic skill execution for experienced basketballers.


Fifty-eight previously untreated patients with gynecological cancer, assigned to cisplatin-based chemotherapy (40-80 mg/m2), received the following antiemetic treatment: day 0, oral ondansetron 8 mg 3 times/day + intravenous dexamethasone 16 mg; days 1-7, oral ondansetron 8 mg twice/day. In cycle 1 complete or major control (0-2 emetic episodes) was achieved in 94.6% of the patients in the acute phase (day 0) and in 89.2% in the delayed phase (day 1-7). In the subgroup receiving cisplatin > or = 75 mg/m2 the effect on acute and delayed emesis decreased significantly with subsequent courses. Reversible side effects were observed in 8.9% of the cases. Oral ondansetron was efficacious, well tolerated and is worth testing further in randomized trials with intravenous therapy.


Recent improvements in subgrid-scale modeling as well as increases in computer power make it feasible to investigate flows using large-eddy simulation (LES) which have been traditionally studied with techniques based on Reynolds averaging. However, LES has not yet been applied to many flows of immediate technical interest. Preliminary results from LES of a plane diffuser flow are described. The long term goal of this work is to investigate flow separation as well as separation control in ducts and ramp-like geometries.


The 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku‐oki earthquake is one of the world's best‐recorded ruptures. In the aftermath of this devastating event, it is important to learn from the complete record. We describe the state of knowledge of the megathrust earthquake generation process before the earthquake, and what has been learned in the decade since the historic event. Prior to 2011, there were a number of studies suggesting the potential of a great megathrust earthquake in NE Japan from geodesy, geology, seismology, geomorphology, and paleoseismology, but results from each field were not enough to enable a consensus assessment of the hazard. A transient unfastening of interplate coupling and increased seismicity were recognized before the earthquake, but did not lead to alerts. Since the mainshock, follow‐up studies have (1) documented that the rupture occurred in an area with a large interplate slip deficit, (2) established large near‐trench coseismic slip, (3) examined structural anomalies and fault‐zone materials correlated with the coseismic slip, (4) clarified the historical and paleoseismic recurrence of M∼9 earthquakes, and (5) identified various kinds of possible precursors. The studies have also illuminated the heterogeneous distribution of coseismic rupture, aftershocks, slow earthquakes and aseismic afterslip, and the enduring viscoelastic response, which together make up the complex megathrust earthquake cycle. Given these scientific advances, the enhanced seismic hazard of an impending great earthquake can now be more accurately established, although we do not believe such an event could be predicted with confidence.


Primary care trusts (PCTs) have been called on to invest more in training health visitors after the publication of proposals to modernise health visiting.


We provide an easily computable formula for a bipartite mixed-state entanglement measure. Our formula can be applied to readily calculate the entanglement for any rank-2 mixed state of a bipartite system. We use this formula to provide a tight upper bound for the entanglement of formation for rank-2 states of a qubit and a qudit. We also outline situations where our formula could be applied to study the entanglement properties of complex quantum systems.


Eggs with flexible and hard shells (N = 216) representing five lizard and seven snake species and subspecies, were incubated in ventilated incubation containers with a water reservoir and a saturated coarse grade vermiculite and water medium of 1: 4 (g/g). Hatching success was 95%. This was contrary to the widely used method of incubating reptile eggs in sealed containers with a vermiculite and water medium of 1: 1 (g/g), or less. The high hatching success was ascribed to the above factors as to well as the non disturbance of containers during incubation and the lack of fungal infections on fertile eggs. As a control, snake eggs (N = 42) were incubated under the same conditions using sealed containers and a fine grade vermiculite and water medium of 1: 1 (g/g). The control incubations resulted in a comparatively poor hatching success of 32%. The results and effects on the hatchability of reptile eggs in other studies where vermiculite with varying water potentials were used, are also discussed.


We know that the approx and over 65% portion of India's population resides in the rural areas of the country and therefore rural banking plays an important role in the Indian financial system. Remote areas usually have limited number of opportunities for survival and growth. The need for proper rural banking infrastructure cannot be overlooked in these distant remote regions especially in the wake of sustainable development of the country as a whole.

Demand the higher agricultural technology, we need in turn higher uses of funds and that can only be fulfilled through rural banking. Economic liberalization lead lot many firms, companies, and SMSE to rise and live up to the expectation of rural society. These stakeholders are working in a challenging situation in hard geographical zones and hence need proper banking support and financial inclusion. Just to justify the topic 'Rural banking' and that too in hard geographical sphere, we selected hard remote region of Uttarakhand for research and 100 samples have collected through structured interview schedule. The paper is designed to investigate customer satisfaction of public banks in the rural segment.


The objective of this present study was to mask the in ensely bitter taste of drotaverine hydrochlorid e and to formulate orodispersible tablet. Taste masking w as done by complexing drotaverine HCl with polymethacrylate polymers (Eudragit E100 and Eudrag it RD100) by solvent evaporation technique. The drug: polymer ratio was (1:10) with drug content 40 mg. The granules of two optimized drug-polymer complexes (DPCs) were tested for packing and flow p roperties. These granules were compressed into tablets and evaluated for hardness, friability, dru g content, wetting, in vitro disintegration time an d in vitro taste in simulated salivary fluid (SSF) of pH 6.2. Their dissolution profiles (i.e. F 1 and F2) were compared with commercial formulation (MKT). The opt imized formulations were further characterized with Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate any interactions between the drug and the added excipients. The granules of the optim ized DPCs were free flowing with angle of repose <28. The DPCs tablets (i.e. F1 and F2) had hardness an d friability values of ≥ 4kg/cm and <0.9% respectively. These tablets disintegrated rapidly (<75sec) with a wetting time of ≤22sec. It also showed rapid drug release in stimulated gastric fluid (SGF ) compared with marketed formulation. For instance, the maximum release of drotaverine hydrochloride in F1, F2 and MKT were achieved in 30, 15 and 90mins respectively. Taste evaluation of the DPCs t able s (F1 and F2) in human volunteers revealed considerable taste masking with the degree of bitte rness below threshold value. There were also no drug/excipient interactions. This study shows the s uitability of polymethacrylate polymers (Eudragit E 100 and Eudragit RD100) in masking the bitter taste of or dispersible tablets of drotaverine HCl.


Currently, the prosthesis, both removable and fixed, are usually realized in Co-Cr-Mo alloys, which possess good corrosion resistance owing to the appropriate microstructure, but presents low machinability. Occasionally also allergic responses to the constituents of base metal alloys are observed. Most adverse tissue reactions attributed to the wearing of a base metal removable prosthesis, however, are manifestations of improper design or poor fit. Being the major component, cobalt imparts to the alloy its intrinsic corrosion resistance. Ti is one of the best biocompatible metals and is widely used as implant. In addition, the total weight of the prosthesis can be modified. The purpose of this paper is to develop new dental materials with superior mechanical performance and corrosion resistance as well as higher biocompatibility. The attention was focused on the possibility to obtain a new class of cobalt based alloy by Ti addition. Different composition of CoCrMo base system were obtained by RAV technology, alloying with 2-5%wt. Ti. Different investigations were carried out for the microstructural identification of the constituents either by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, hardness values determination and mechanical characteristic behaviour. Finally a correlation between structure-mechanical properties due to scanning electronic microscopy was made.


Conditions which resulted in colonic preservation such as strangulated hernia, intestinal volvulus, and mesenteric infarction were once the main reasons for a major intestinal resection leading to the short bowel syndrome. Now Crohn's disease is the most common underlying diagnosis; such patients often have a jejunostomy. A measurement of the residual jejunal length from the duodenojejunal flexure makes possible predictions of patient outcome. Patients with a jejunostomy and less than 100 cm jejunum usually need long-term parenteral support, whereas 50 cm or more of jejunum usually suffices for adequate oral nutrition if the colon is preserved. While patients with and without a colon have problems with nutrient absorption, those with a jejunostomy also have problems of water, sodium and magnesium losses. Stomal losses may exceed oral intake and all such patients ('secretors') need parenteral supplements. Fluid and sodium losses can be reduced by octreotide, omeprazole or H2 blockers but not sufficiently to avoid the need for intravenous supplements. Colonic preservation increases the incidence of calcium oxalate renal stones (20%). Patients with and without a colon have a high prevalence of gallstones (40%). Clinically important intestinal adaptation occurs in those with a colon but not in those with a jejunostomy. Many surgical techniques, including small bowel transplantation, have been suggested to improve absorption, but as the quality of life of most patients with a short bowel is good with current treatments, they are not at present recommended.


This study explored effect of age on encoding, retention, and retrieval components of memory functioning in a sample of 156 healthy, elderly subjects between the ages of 57 and 85, partitioned into four age groups. Memory assessment was based on subjects' performance on the RAVLT, which consisted of five free-recall trials, recall after interference, and recognition trial. Significant group differences in recall were found on all five learning trials, whereas rates of learning, forgetting, and recognition did not differ for four age groups. In addition, primacy/recency effect was equally strong for all groups. Results suggest faulty retrieval mechanisms, whereas encoding and retention processes did not prove to be affected by aging.


Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal grown in Brazil, with a total production of 2,177 thousand tons, in the 2018/19 crop. Widely used in animal feed, sorghum is stored for a few months and damaged, especially by maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais. The lack of data about the susceptibility of modern hybrids of sorghum to maize weevil may underestimate the potential loss, especially in the tropics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify sources of resistance to S. zeamais in sorghum hybrids during storage. The experiments were carried out using glass jars (1.7 l), with about 1.5 kg of 35 sorghum hybrids grains, characterized by water content and specific mass. The jars were infested with 70 adult insects and stored under ambient conditions (January-April). After 100 days of storage, number of live insects, water content and specific mass were assessed. Weight loss was estimated by data on specific mass corrected by water content. The experimental design was completely randomized with three replicates for each hybrid and the data underwent analysis of variance followed by the Waller-Duncan test (p < 0.05), in addition to correlation and cluster analysis. There was a significant difference in the number of adult S. zeamais among the hybrids (F34,96 = 1.63, P < 0.0482), with hybrids CMSXS3002, 50A50, CMSXS3000 and 1527039, with a smaller number of live insects after storage. The hybrids with the highest number of live insects were AGN1806, XB6018, BRG37115 and BRS373. Significant and positive correlation was found between weight loss and number of live insects. Some sorghum hybrids demonstrate tolerance to the development of S. zeamais; however, in the more susceptible ones, losses can occur over 11.6% in the period of 100 days of storage.


This research combines insights from resource dependence and institutional theories to examine the growth of Chinese nonprofit revenues. We propose the concept of "embedded government control" (EGC) to capture the complexity of the government-nonprofit relationship: government regulation of nonprofits' public fundraising qualification and the political embeddedness of nonprofits with the government. Using a dataset of 2,159 Chinese philanthropic foundations for the period of 2005-2012, we tested hypotheses about the implications of EGC for nonprofit revenues in China following two major external shocks, the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and the Guo Meimei scandal in 2011. Our empirical analysis shows that EGC can help philanthropic foundations to obtain more government subsidies, donations, and market revenue. However, external shocks may either strengthen or weaken the enabling role of EGC in helping foundations acquire relatively more donations.


We demonstrate an electromagnetically induced electron transparency (EIET) in electron transport through a coupled triple-quantum-dots system under two radiation fields. The direct evidence of EIET is that an electron can travel from the left dot to the right dot without any effect from the center dot. The EIET (position, height, and symmetry) can be tuned by several controllable parameters of the radiation fields, such as the Rabi frequencies and detuning frequencies. The result offers a resonant transport tuning technique using radiation fields.


Purpose To report on a series of infants with amblyogenic vitreous and/or subinternal limiting membrane hemorrhage managed by lens-sparing vitrectomy. Design Retrospective case series studying retinal attachment status and visual acuity. Results Eleven eyes sustained vitreous hemorrhage as a consequence of shaken baby syndrome, 1 due to hyaloidal canal hemorrhage extending into the vitreous, 1 due to Terson syndrome, 1 due to birth trauma, and 2 due to a presumed coagulation disorder. Age of the patients at the time of surgery ranged from 2 to 23 months (age adjusted for prematurity). Follow-up ranged from 7 to 81 months (mean, 28 months). Ten eyes had visual improvement. Two infants with shaken baby syndrome had bilateral nonrecordable flash visual evoked potential before surgery; one eye of one infant had a better than expected visual outcome after surgery. One eye sustained a retinal tear without detachment. One eye in an infant with severe shaken baby syndrome and traumatic retinopathy developed a total rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Conclusions Infantile amblyogenic vitreous hemorrhage may be effectively managed by lens-sparing vitreous surgery. Visual outcome of shaken baby syndrome may be limited as a consequence of structural damage to the retina, optic nerve, or posterior visual pathways.


One of the key determinants of success in managing natural resources is "institutional fit," i.e., how well the suite of required actions collectively match the scale of the environmental problem. The effective management of pest and pathogen threats to plants is a natural resource problem of particular economic, social, and environmental importance. Responses to incursions are managed by a network of decision makers and managers acting at different spatial and temporal scales. We applied novel network theoretical methods to assess the propensity of growers, local industry, local state government, and state and national government head offices to foster either within- or across-scale coordination during the successful 2001 Australian response to the outbreak of the fungal pathogen black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis). We also reconstructed the response network to proxy what that network would look like today under the Australian government's revised response system. We illustrate a structural move in the plant biosecurity response system from one that was locally driven to the current top-down system, in which the national government leads coordination of a highly partitioned engagement process. For biological incursions that spread widely across regions, nationally rather than locally managed responses may improve coordination of diverse tasks. However, in dealing with such challenges of institutional fit, local engagement will always be critical in deploying flexible and adaptive local responses based on a national system. The methods we propose detect where and how network structures foster cross-scale interactions, which will contribute to stronger empirical studies of cross-scale environmental governance.


Epigenetic dysregulation has emerged as an important mechanism in cancer. Alterations in epigenetic machinery have become a major focus for new targeted therapies. The current report describes the discovery and biological activity of a cyclopropylamine containing inhibitor of Lysine Demethylase 1 (LSD1), GSK2879552. This small molecule is a potent, selective, orally bioavailable, mechanism-based irreversible inhibitor of LSD1. A proliferation screen of cell lines representing a number of tumor types indicated that small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is sensitive to LSD1 inhibition. The subset of SCLC lines that undergo growth inhibition in response to GSK2879552 exhibit DNA hypomethylation of a signature set of probes suggesting this may be used as a predictive biomarker of activity. This targeted mechanism coupled with a novel predictive biomarker make LSD1 inhibition an exciting potential therapy for SCLC, a highly prevalent, rarely cured, tumor type representing approximately 15% of all lung cancers. Citation Format: Helai Mohammad, Ryan Kruger. A DNA hypomethylation signature predicts novel antitumor activity of LSD1 inhibition in SCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.


【The unbalanced heavy-loaded elevation-drive system is composed of a hydraulic cylinder, a driving link-mechanism and an equilibrating-mechanism which compensate the static unbalanced moment of the elevation load. The Compensator for the unbalanced moment is composed of a hydrau-pneumatic accumulator and a hydraulic cylinder which act with the elevation cylinder together. Compensation of the variable static-unbalanced moment for the elevation-drive system is very difficult because these mechanisms imply highly nonlinear properties due to air conditioning characteristics and mechanical rotation of the link-mechanism. In this study, through the analysis of the already designed equilibrating-mechanism, the optimal design parameters of the equilibrating-mechanism is suggested.】


Contemporary European urban planning policies aim to mix land uses in compact neighbourhoods. It is presumed that mixing land uses yields socio-economic benefits and therefore has a positive effect on housing values. In this paper, we investigate the impact of mixed land use on housing values using semiparametric estimation techniques. We demonstrate that a diverse neighbourhood is positively valued by households. There are various land use types which positively affect house prices, e.g. business services and leisure. Land uses that are incompatible with residential land use are, among others, manufacturing and wholesale. It appears that households are willing to pay up to 6 percent more for a house in a mixed neighbourhood than for an otherwise comparable house in a monofunctional area. We also show that there is substantial heterogeneity in willingness to pay for mixed land use. For example, apartment occupiers are willing to pay almost 25 percent more for diversity than households living in detached housing.


Recently, agriculture has trended towards the utilization of organic products, due to the belief of superior outcomes, reporting healthier animals with better weight gains, and higher quality products among consumers. However, previous research regarding organic feedstuffs has reported conflicting results, supporting the need for continuing research. Reproductive success throughout and post gestation of caprine dams is closely related to the nutritional intake of the animal, which could be impacted by consumption of organic products. The objective of the current study was to observe caprine kid birth weight, kid ADG, and dam weight throughout pregnancy comparing organic and conventional feedstuffs. Eight pregnant Nubian dams (n = 4) between 1 and 5 yr of age with initial BW between 45.4 and 68.5 kg were separated into groups based on initial BW and BCS. The organic group received a certified organic concentrate, certified organic mineral supplement, and a certified organic molasses while the conventional group received a conventional concentrate, conventional mineral supplement, and conventional molasses. Both groups had ad-libitum access to hay and water. Dams were fed 0.907kg/d/45.4kg of BW of concentrate and mineral supplement at 0.012kg/d/45.4kg of BW in individual feeding stocks at 0630 and 1730 for the last six wk of gestation and three wk post-parturition. Dams were individually weighted and observed weekly for BCS using the American Daily Goat Association's BCS 1 to 5 scale. After parturition, kid birth weight was measured using a hanging sling scale and daily kid weight gain was recorded for three wk post parturition. Differences in kid birth weight, kid ADG, and dam weight were analyzed by two-tailed T-Test at P > 0.05. No differences between kid ADG (P = 0.759), kid birth weight (P = 0.405), or for dam weekly weight (P = 0.457) were observed. Thus, the increase in cost to raise certified organic livestock, such as caprine, is not financially justifiable.


Recent direct numerical simulation (DNS) results relating to the behavior of the fluctuating wall-shear stress τw,rms+ in turbulent boundary layer flows are discussed. This new compilation is motivated by a recent article [Wu and Moin, "Transitional and turbulent boundary layer with heat transfer," Phys. Fluids 22, 085105 (2010)], which indicates a need for clarification of the value of τw,rms+. It is, however, shown here, based on other recent DNS data, that most results, both in boundary layer and channel geometry, yield τw,rms+≈0.4 plus a small increase with Reynolds number coming from the growing influence of the outer spectral peak. The observed discrepancy in experimental data is mainly attributed to spatial resolution effects, as originally described by Alfredsson et al. ["The fluctuating wall-shear stress and the velocity field in the viscous sublayer," Phys. Fluids 31, 1026 (1988)].


The goal of this study is to investigate how customers' gaze, head and body orientations reflect their choices. Although the relationship between human choice and gaze behavior has been well-studied, other behaviors such as head and body are unknown. We conducted a two-alternatives-forced-choice task to examine (1) whether preference bias, i.e., a positional bias in gaze, head and body toward the item that was later chosen, exists in choice, (2) when preference bias is observed and when prediction of the resulting choice becomes possible (3) whether human choice is affected when the body orientations are manipulated. We used real non-durable products (cheap snacks and clothing) on a shopping shelf. The results showed that there was a significant preference bias in head orientation at the beginning 1 s when the subjects stood straight toward the shelf, and that the head orientation was more biased toward the selected item than the gaze and the center of pressure at the ending 1 s. Manipulating body orientation did not affect the result of choice. The preference bias detected by observing the head orientation would be useful in marketing science for predicting customers' choice.


The aim of this study is to examine whether investors who trade daily but at different times have distinct perceptions about the risk of an asset. In order to capture the uncertainty faced by these investors, we define the volatility perceived by investors as the distribution of standard deviations of daily returns calculated from intraday prices collected randomly. We find that this distribution has a high degree of dispersion. This means that different investors may not share the same opinion regarding the variability of returns of the same asset. Moreover, the close-to-close volatility is often less than the median of the volatility distribution perceived by investors while the open-to-open volatility is greater than that statistic. From a practical point of view, our results indicate that volatilities estimated using traditional samples of daily returns (i.e., close-to-close and open-to-open returns) may not do a good job when used as inputs in financial models since they may not properly capture the risk investors are exposed.


Genetic divergence analysis among forty three clones of lemongrass, Cymbopogon flexuosus [Steud {Wats}] was carried out through study of tiller number, plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf sheeth, leaf sheeth, leaf blade, leaf yield, oil content and oil yield in research farm of field station Pant Nagar of Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow. All the clones were grouped in nine clusters. AH-10-19 did not cluster with any clone and formed a separate cluster. Intracluster distance was highest for cluster I which included largest number of clones. Cluster IX has shown largest intercluster distance with cluster VII followed by cluster VI, cluster II, cluster IV and III. With an aim to get maximum chance of transgressive segregants, developing of polycross among AH-10-19 and one clone from each cluster, V, VII, VI and I was suggested.


The paper investigates the relationship between mother's education and her parenting using data from the child supplement of the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS). By considering data across generations, our dataset allows us to estimate the size of the bias in the relationship between education and parenting from failing to account for background characteristics, early cognitive development and mother's own parenting experiences. The subjects were 1,182 longitudinally sampled mothers of 1,879 children aged between 3 and 18 years old and divided approximately equally across gender (51% sons, 49% daughters). Controlling for a wide range of family background variables and mother's own achievement prior to 16, results indicate a confounding bias of 73% for cognitive stimulation and 89% for emotional support. This confounding bias is larger for daughters than for sons. Even after the inclusion of a large set of controls, a small effect of maternal education on parenting, assessed in terms of the provision of a cognitively stimulating environment, remains statistically significant but only for sons. Although educational effects estimated here suffer from downwards bias owing to under-representation of older mothers within the data, some unobserved factors could remain as a source of bias.


Acute unclassified/undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) is classified into following 3 subgroups; 1) cases with coexpression of myeloid and lymphoid antigens on a single blast, 2) cases with coexistence of heterogenous subpopulations, 3) cases showing lineage-switch during the clinical course. Most cases in the groups 2 and 3 were not different from those in group 1 because of the presence of one or more common antigen (s) on the blasts. Accordingly, AUL can be considered as a candidate of leukemia arising form multipotential stem cells and the phenotype and genotype are represent a potential for myeloid and lymphoid differentiation. We should recognize that dual genotypes of IgH and TCR genes in B-precursor cell leukemia differ from such multipotentiality of leukemic cells, because the genotype occurs in re-arrangement process for IgH gene diversity after malignant transformation.


Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used to treat or prevent severe viral infection, especially cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. IVIG was characterized to understand its interaction with CMV-infected cells. IVIG retarded CMV spread and reduced virus yields depending on the neutralizing (NT) antibody titer. Immediate early protein synthesis was reduced by IVIG in 3 to 15 h, and IVIG specifically reduced the ratio of 66/68k protein synthesis among immediate early proteins in an NT antibody-dependent manner between 4 and 8 h after infection, indicating that antigenic modulation of CMV-infected cells by IVIG reduced viral protein synthesis and virus production. The half-life of antibody bound to CMV-infected cells was 3.8 h. NT antibody titers to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and CMV in IVIG were dose dependently absorbed by cells infected with VZV and CMV, respectively, but the antibody titers to CMV and VZV, respectively, were not affected. NT antibody in 0.3 mL of IVIG (15 mg) was specifically absorbed by 108 CMV-infected cells and 107 VZV-infected cells, suggesting that the NT antibody in IVIG might be inactivated by one-tenth of a similar volume of CMV-infected or VZV-infected cells. Various antiviral activities of IVIG may contribute to control and alleviation of CMV infection.


Interface engineering is one of the promising strategies for the long-term stabilization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), preventing chemical decomposition induced by external agents and promoting fast charge transfer. Recently, MXenes-2D structured transition metal carbides and nitrides with various functionalization (O, -F, -OH) have demonstrated high potential for mastering the work function in halide perovskite absorbers and have significantly improved the n-type charge collection in solar cells. This work demonstrates that MXenes allow for efficient stabilization of PSCs besides improving their performances. A mixed composite bathocuproine:MXene, that is, (BCP:MXene) interlayer, is introduced at the interface between an electron-transport layer (ETL) and a metal cathode in the p-i-n device structure. The investigation demonstrates that the use of BCP:MXene interlayer slightly increases the power conversation efficiency (PCE) for PSCs (from 16.5 for reference to 17.5%) but dramatically improves the out of Glove-Box stability. Under ISOS-L-2 light soaking stress at 63 ± 1.5 °C, the T80 (time needed to reduce efficiency down to 80% of the initial one) period increases from 460 to > 2300 hours (h).


A common in vitro response for many chemopreventive and antitumor agents, including some cyclooxygenase inhibitors, is the increased expression of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG)-1/macrophage inhibitory cytokine (MIC)-1/prostate-derived factor (PDF). The experimental anticancer drug 2-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-5-fluorobenzothiazole (5F203) was a potent inducer of NAG-1 expression, and in MCF-7 cells, it inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. NAG-1 small interfering RNA blocked NAG-1 expression and 5F203-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, indicating that NAG-1 may mediate the apoptosis and anticancer activity. One mechanism by which 5F203 increases NAG-1 expression is by increasing the stability of NAG-1 mRNA, dependent of de novo protein synthesis. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation was increased by 5F203, and inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation abolished the induction of NAG-1 protein expression and increased the stability of NAG-1 mRNA. Thus, 5F203 regulates NAG-1 expression by a unique mechanism compared with other drugs. A mouse orthotopic mammary tumor model was used to determine whether 5F203 increased NAG-1 expression in vivo and suppressed tumor growth. Treatment of the mice with Phortress, the prodrug of 5F203, increased the in vivo expression of NAG-1 as measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from RNA obtained by needle biopsy, and the expression correlated with a reduction of tumor volume. These results confirm that NAG-1 suppresses tumor growth, and its in vivo expression can be controlled by treating mice with anticancer drugs, such as Phortress. Drugs that target NAG-1 could lead to a unique strategy for the development of chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agents.


The present study aimed to investigate the effect of using a blended learning instructional strategy on the degree of acquisition of geography skills by eleventh-level students during the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic year. The study sample consisted of 65 eleventh grade students divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. For the purpose of this study, a six-week teaching program was designed to cover the main task and geography objective. Both groups completed a pre-test and post-test, which were analyzed statistically using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The result revealed the superiority of blended learning in terms of the high degree of learners' acquisition of geography skills in favor of the experimental group. In addition, the effect size of using blended learning was large. Furthermore, the findings showed that there were statistically significant differences between the mean post-test scores of the two groups in geography facts, concepts, and skills in favor of the experimental group. The study concludes with recommendations related to employing blended learning in geography teaching to increase student achievement.


Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) may supervene on traumatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury/rupture. However, knee OA with advanced disease on MRI may have ACL deficiency without a history of injury. We hypothesised that the complex enthesis organ structure of the ACL with the adjacent tibial tuberosities might be predisposed to ACL degeneration, and hence the elaborate ACL enthesis organ might contribute to joint degeneration. Objectives To describe the histology of the ACL enthesis organ structure including the relationship with the adjacent tibial spines and to determine whether tibial spine morphology and height (as determined by X-ray) may be linked to knee damage in early OA (as determined by MRI). Methods 333 datasets from the progression cohort of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) scores ≤1 were analysed. The lateral and medial tibial spine heights (LH, MH) were measured perpendicular to the tibial plateau width (W) (figure). 252 datasets with available corresponding MRI at 48 months were analysed for ACL injury and degeneration. Microanatomy of tibial spine was described from histology of tibial plateaus obtained from total knee replacement surgery. Results 170 ACLs assessed at 48 months were scored as normal (67.5%). 73 (29%) had tibial side ACL degeneration; 1 (0.4%) had femoral side degeneration; 3 (1.2%) were completely degenerate, and 5 (2%) had a chronic ACL tear. A significant association was seen between the increasing mediolateral width of the tibial plateau and ACL degeneration (p<0.001). Significant associations were also observed between the medial tibial spine height and ACL degeneration (p=0.007); and between lateral tibial spine height and ACL degeneration; (p=0.009). No significant associations were observed when medial and lateral tibial spine heights were normalised to the tibial plateau width (i.e. MH/W, LH/W). Histology shows the ACL curves reciprocally around the spine and the adjacent surface is modified as a sesamoid fibrocartilage. The ligament shows evidence of degenerative changes (numerous small cysts and loss of normal fibrillar density). The cartilage covering the spine including the intercondylar notch area showed typical early OA changes (cell clustering, fissuring, fibrillation and loss of surface staining). Proliferation of the synovium on the surface of the ACL and areas of inflammatory cell infiltration was observed within the ACL. Conclusions We describe the complex enthesis organ of the region posterior to the ACL and show that the intercondylar notch and tibial spines are part of an enthesis organ lined by cartilage. ACL degeneration was observed with increasing tibial plateau width or bigger bones, and increasing height of tibial spines relative to the tibial plateau. Age-related degenerative changes at the ACL have been noted in the absence of cartilage loss, suggesting that microdamage at the ACL could predate cartilage loss in anatomically susceptible individuals. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Marine debris is a recognised form of marine pollution. Its impacts on marine biota (marine mammals, sea birds, coral reefs, plants, fishes) have been widely documented. Apart from this, its impacts on human health have in addition drawn the attention of global community. It has impacted tourism due to the reducing aesthetic values of marine environment. A high economic cost is associated with clean ups in order to minimize these impacts associated to marine debris. Researchers have shown that marine debris has led to environmental degradation on the beaches around the world. Though legislative instruments exist to mitigate the problem and international, national and state legislation have been adopted worldwide, they are yet to be strongly implemented. The aim of the research project was to determine behaviour and perceptions of Derwent Estuary beach users about marine debris.
A total of ten beaches around Hobart were surveyed from August to September 2014. Social perception surveys on littering was performed through structured questionnaires which also included participants activities at the beaches of whether or not their activities contribute to the issue and their suggestions to improve beach condition was noted. Participants over the age of 18 were only included during surveys. Chi-square analysis was used for assessing people's perceptions activities beaches and recommendations to combat the issue. The results from the beach surveys show that 32% of people answered that they have littered in the past which is consistent with the similar studies conducted elsewhere.


The Rayleigh-Plesset equation for bubble vibration is modified. The numerical solution of new equation is obtained by means of the symbolic computation programme. The acceleration of the liquid on the surface of the bubble, or pressure in the bubble, displays much intense δ-impulse with a very short duration from ns to ps. Suggestions for developing the measurements of sonoluminescence and cavitation fusion (if any) are presented.


The results of the clinical observation of patient with recurrent basal cell skin carcinoma of the parietal region occurred in 4 years after radiation therapy are represented. The patient underwent photodynamic therapy (PDT) using photosensitizer fotoditazin at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg; the laser power density was 0.45 W/cm2 , the laser energy density – 300 J/cm2 . Tolerability of the treatment was satisfactory. One year after treatment there was a cosmetically satisfying soft normotrophic scar with no attachment to underlying tissues in the site of the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. According to cytological study tumor cells were not detected. For five-year follow-up there was no recurrence.


The paper suggests a simple method o f13; generating intermittent reservoir conditions for an13; intennittent, cryogenic wind tunnel.13; done by operating some existing types o f short-13; duration tunnels ' i n reverse'. Two examples are13; considered (a) a modification of the Ludwieg13; Tube ( b ) the Isentropic Light Piston Tunnel.13; The sizes o f tunnels required to meet the13; European and American specifications for a high13; Reynolds number tunnel with a 10 second running13; time are given together with proposals for a more13; modest National or University facility with a one13; second test time.13; This can be the manufacture o f detailed models the size13; suggested has been increased to 1.9% x 1.65m and13; the tunnel pressure dropped to 4.4 bars.13; influence o f size on cost is so great that the13; cryogenic principle is the least expensive, even13; when applied to a fully continuous tunnel as the13; design submitted implied. Coupled with the unique13; ability to vary Mach nunber, Rey:iolds number and13; the dynamic pressure totally independently, the13; merits of the cryogenic tunnel become irresistible13; Europea countries should at some time and place13; build a continuous cryogenic tunnel.13; worthy tnat the USA i s currently building such a13; tunnel to meet the even more demanding13; specification o f = 120 x 106, = 0.9,13; p = 8.8 bar, with a test section of 8 f t . ( 2 . h )13; sfluare. The decision has now been taken that the It is note-


Crude tumor cell extract from rat ascites hepatoma AH130 revealed a high thromboplastic activity. Intravenous injection of the extract caused widespread thrombus formation in the capillaries, arterioles, and arteries of the lung. Intravenous inoculation of AH130 after an injection of the tumor cell extract produced metastatic foci in the larger arteries, compared with the case injected with only AH130 which developed metastatic foci mainly in and around the alveolar septa. These results suggest the role of tumor thromboplastin material in the mode of distribution of metastatic foci in the lung.


High vanadium contents in petroleum and other fossil fuels have been attributed to organic-matter type, organisms, volcanic emanations, diffusion of sea water, and epigenetic enrichment. However, these factors are inadequate to account for the high abundance of vanadium in some fossil fuels and the paucity in others. By examining vanadium deposits in sedimentary rocks with sparse organic matter, constraints are placed on processes controlling vanadium accumulation in organic-rich sediments. Vanadium, as vanadate (V(V)), entered some depositional basins in oxidizing waters from dry, subaerial environments. Upon contact with organic matter in anoxic waters, V(V) is reduced to vanadyl (V(IV)), which can be removed from the water column by adsorption. H{sub 2}S reduces V(IV) to V(III), which hydrolyzes and precipitates. The lack of V(III) in petroleum suggests that reduction of V(IV) to V(III) is inhibited by organic complexes. In the absence of strong complexing agents, V(III) forms and is incorporated in clay minerals.


This paper describes the interplay between orality and inclusive English as a Foreign Language Teaching (in the primary classroom), with reference to the Italian context. Inclusive teaching is here understood as a teacher's ability to provide environments ensuring every pupil equal access to the English language. In the first part of the paper, a case is made for the need to implement the use of aural and oral communication in the EFL classroom, both in terms of letting children listen to the sounds of the new language (thus fostering comprehension skills) and enabling them to copy the teacher's sounds and words, or even express what they might already know. The second part of the paper focusses on the learner, and in particular on immigrant children who are trying to master the local language (Italian), native children who might have different levels of access to the foreign language outside school, depending on their socio-economic status, and children with specific learning difficulty. Finally, the paper briefly discusses the implications, both for in-service teachers and for university student teachers, of the implementation (and increase) of classroom orality.


This study aimed to review the suitability of the laws, regulations, and instructions in force at the University of Jordan for students with special needs. The study focused primarily on legislations, laws, regulations and resolutions adopted by the University of Jordan that are related to admission, housing, health insurance, registration, library, public services, financial support, testing, attendance, academic warning, deferral, extracurricular activities, and technical services support. Descriptive analytical approach was used. Percentages and frequencies were employed. About 214 articles of the law, regulations and resolutions linked to the university students were reviewed. The results indicated that the percentage of law articles related to the university legislation concerning the students with special needs has reached 0.93%, and this ratio is considered very low. Finally, the study recommended the need to review the imbalances in laws, rules, and regulations currently in force in Jordanian universities as to suit the needs of students with special needs.


Approximately 28,475 m3 of muddy sediments were dredged from a shoal in a South Carolina estuarine system and released near the surface at a nearby site having high tidal current velocities. Effects at the dredged sites included decreased macrofaunal abundance and changes in species composition. These effects appeared to be short term, with substantial recovery occurring within 3 months. Rapid recovery was primarily attributed to immigration through slumping of channel wall sediments similar to those dredged. Detrimental effects on benthic macrofauna in the area of open water disposal were minimal. Most differences noted in community structure between collection dates were attributed to sampling and seasonal variability. The absence of a major longterm disruption to the benthos in the disposal area was probably due to (1) strong tidal currents, which rapidly dispersed the moderate amount of mud sediments released; (2) surface disposal, permitting wider dispersal; and (3) disposal during late autumn, a period of low faunal recruitment.


In many countries, sports clubs are the main recipients of public subsidies regarding the provision of recreational sport, and the economically most important level of government is usually the local government (i.e. the municipalities). The purpose of this article is to examine whether and how municipal framework conditions matter for sports clubs. Inspired by previous studies, we examine the role of direct and indirect public subsidies as well as facility coverage. The authors conduct analyses on a general level (for all sports) and specifically for five sports (badminton, football, gymnastics, handball and swimming). The differentiation between sports allows us to examine how municipal framework conditions might be associated differently with density and participation across sports. In the statistical analyses, the authors apply data collected among all 98 Danish municipalities. The results show that the municipal levels of direct and indirect subsidies are weakly correlated with both the density of and participation in sports clubs, while stronger correlations can be identified with regard to facility coverage. The analyses for the five sports reveal that the supply of relevant facility types is – with few exceptions – positively correlated with sports club density and participation levels within each sport. Thus, facility coverage seems to play a more important role for sports clubs than the levels of indirect and particularly direct subsidies.


The Folksodriven framework makes it possible for data scientists to define an ontology environment where searching for buried patterns that have some kind of predictive power to build predictive models more effectively. It accomplishes this through an abstractions that isolate parameters of the predictive modeling process searching for patterns and designing the feature set, too. To reflect the evolving knowledge, this paper considers ontologies based on folksonomies according to a new concept structure called "Folksodriven" to represent folksonomies. So, the studies on the transformational regulation of the Folksodriven tags are regarded to be important for adaptive folksonomies classifications in an evolving environment used by Intelligent Systems to represent the knowledge sharing. Folksodriven tags are used to categorize salient data points so they can be fed to a machine-learning system and "featurizing" the data.


Panicle sprouting" is one of the major problems in hybrid rice development, there is no an effective technique to solve the problem so far. It was demonstrated by our experiments that panicle sprouting could be effectively inhibited by timely application of exogenous ABA. The results showed that effective concentrations of ABA in this experiment is 75 ml/L and the dosage is 0. 38 mg/hill. Exogenous ABA can inhibit panicle sprouting in hybrid rice F1 seed and conventional rice seed production in this experiment condition. These factors as GA3, precipitation during heading time in the seed production field will affect the ABA inhibiting efficiency. It was not found anything negative on F1 germination rate in ABA treatment after a period of storage.


The Tec tyrosine kinase is expressed in many cell types, including hematopoietic cells, and is a member of the Tec kinase family that also includes Btk. Although the role of Btk in B cells has been extensively studied, the role of Tec kinase in B cells remains largely unclear. It was previously shown that Tec kinase has the ability to partly compensate for loss of Btk activity in B cell differentiation, although the underlying mechanism is unknown. In this study, we confirm that Tec kinase is not essential for normal B cell development when Btk is present, but we also found that Tec-deficient mature B cells showed increased activation, proliferation, and survival upon BCR stimulation, even in the presence of Btk. Whereas Tec deficiency did not affect phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ or Ca2+ influx, it was associated with significantly increased activation of the intracellular Akt/S6 kinase signaling pathway upon BCR and CD40 stimulation. The increased S6 kinase phosphorylation in Tec-deficient B cells was dependent on Btk kinase activity, as ibrutinib treatment restored pS6 to wild-type levels, although Btk protein and phosphorylation levels were comparable to controls. In Tec-deficient mice in vivo, B cell responses to model Ags and humoral immunity upon influenza infection were enhanced. Moreover, aged mice lacking Tec kinase developed a mild autoimmune phenotype. Taken together, these data indicate that in mature B cells, Tec and Btk may compete for activation of the Akt signaling pathway, whereby the activating capacity of Btk is limited by the presence of Tec kinase.


The government's financial statement represents the state's financial management accountability. This research aims to analyze the factors that influence the quality of the state's financial statement using the variables of the state's budget management quality and internal audit. This research observed 52 data that covered the period of 2015 – 2017 using the multiple linear regression analysis based on data panel. The variable also uses control variable to analyze data properly such as size and work unit. Results of the research suggest that the budget management quality and internal audit has a positive effect on the central government's financial statement quality. This is also supported by correlation test of Pearson. Each ministry and agency should be empowered the budget management quality and internal audit to support the financial statement quality in ministries and agencies. As public sector institution control of budget should be the main concern to create good financial statement quality. This may the first paper which analyze factors of budget management quality and internal audit to financial statement quality in ministries and agencies. Research in public sector especially for government is rare as the data may not be available.

 Keywords : budget, internal audit, ministry, quality, financial statement


All-inkjet-printed organic thin-film transistors take advantage of low-cost fabrication and high compatibility to large-area manufacturing, making them potential candidates for flexible, wearable electronics. However, in real-world applications, device instability is an obstacle, and thus, understanding the factors that cause instability becomes compelling. In this work, all-inkjet-printed low-voltage organic thin-film transistors were fabricated and their stability was investigated. The devices demonstrate low operating voltage (<3 V), small subthreshold slope (128 mV/decade), good mobility (0.1 cm^2 V^−1 s^−1), close-to-zero threshold voltage (−0.16 V), and high on/off ratio (>10^5). Several aspects of stability were investigated, including mechanical bending, shelf life, and bias stress. Based on these tests, we find that water molecule polarization in dielectrics is the main factor causing instability. Our study suggests use of a printable water-resistant dielectric for stability enhancement for the future development of all-inkjet-printed organic thin-film transistors.


An increasing number of scholars situate the Gospel of Mark within the Pauline sphere of influence. The centrality of Mark's Passion story may lend itself to this interpretation, and Mark's Gospel is frequently read as a narrativization of the Pauline kerygma on the vicarious death of Jesus. I intend to challenge this academic paradigm, drawing attention to the areas where the similarities have been exaggerated or the major differences overlooked in comparisons between Paul and Mark on this theme. Against the supposition that Mark's emphasis on the soteriological significance of the crucifixion of Jesus can only be explained with reference to Paul, I will argue that the evangelist's social location on the margins may account for the preoccupation with the redemptive value of Jesus' suffering.


The verse 35 th of the surah 24 th of the Quran, better known as Verse of Light is one of the part of Holy Book of Islam, which was frequently interpreted by Muslim mystics. Its rich symbolism causes that many scholars tried to decipher its hidden meaning. This verse was an inspiration for such thinkers as Ibn 'Arabi or As-Suhrawardi. The treaty of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Niche of Lights , is an example of systematic exegesis of this part of the Quran. In this work the mystical deliberations are strictly connected to his ontological and epistemological investigations. In his opinion, the true meaning of verse of Light can be understood only by the mystics, because no one but them can acquire knowledge of God's secrets. They comprehend that God is the real Light, while the one which we can be perceived with our eyes is only His emanation. In Al-Ghazali's opinion, reality has two levels: physical and divine. They are both strictly connected to each other and the sensual world is a symbolic reflection of the superior world. Al-Ghazali states that the mystic, who gained the union with God and received some knowledge of reality, can see that nothing except Transcendence has a true existence, because only He exists through His essence, while every created thing has two aspects: one, which is turned to itself and the other one which is turned to God. We can call them a being, only when we consider them as turned to Absolute, but if we consider them while they are turned to itself, they are non-being.


Abstract Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared against avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) subtype C (aMPV/Minnesota/turkey/1a/97). Six MAbs were selected based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay activities and characterized by isotyping, neutralization test, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry assay. The results showed that three MAbs (3E, 9D, and 12C) belonged to the IgG1 subclass, whereas the other three (5D, 8E, and 16E) were of the IgG2a subclass. None of the six MAbs neutralized aMPV infectivity at a detectable level, but all reacted with both denatured and nondenatured forms of the nucleocapsid (N) protein of aMPV, suggesting that these MAbs may recognize structurally independent epitopes of the N protein. These MAbs provide new tools and methods for investigating aMPV infection and pathogenesis, as well as diagnosis of aMPV disease.