Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Introduction. Most cancer cells use glycolysis for energy production regardless of whether they are under normoxic or hypoxic condition (Koppenol et al., 2011). Warburg described this metabolic hallmark of cancer cells, named aerobic glycolysis. The high dependence of tumor cells on glucose utilization may be exploited for therapeutic intervention. One of the genes, which have effects on glucose metabolism, is MondoA. It is a transcription factor (Stoltzman et al., 2008) highly over-expressed in ALL (Wernicke et al. 2012). MondoA:MLX heterodimers have been discussed as a parallel network to MYC:MAX, which have broad effects on cellular growth, proliferation and survival (Kaadige et al., 2010; Sloan and Ayer, 2010). Knockdown experiments revealed that MondoA impacts on metabolic activity of leukemic cells and their glucose utilization. Furthermore MondoA knockdown resulted in a more differentiated leukemic phenotype and shifted gene expression towards a signature favoring apoptosis and thus reducing the signs of aggressiveness of leukemia cells in vitro (Wernicke et al. 2012). Based on our previous work, we hypothesized that assessing survival of leukemia bearing mice may reveal the role of MondoA in ALL in vivo.

Methods. The murine/human xeno-transplantation model of leukemia was used (Richter et al. 2009). NALM-6 ALL cell lines were transduced by retroviral gene transfer of constructs, harboring specific for MondoA short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and injected into immune deficient Rag2-/-γC-/- mice. The tumor burden were measured and compared to the one in control mice bearing leukemia cells transduced with nonfunctional siRNA. Tumor burden of mice were evaluated by cyto- and histochemistry and by measuring the CD10+ blast cells content in blood, spleen and bone marrow by flow cytometry.

Results. These experiments showed that MondoA knockdown significantly reduced leukemia cells' proliferation in mice as compared to control group. Although signs of leukemia engraftment were observed in all mice, the differences in amount of CD10+ blasts cells in blood, bone marrow and spleens in the controls and in the MondoA knockdown group were significant (p= 0,0079). Experimental results also showed a decrease of the leukemic infiltration-induced swelling of the spleen in the group with MondoA knockdown. Median spleen weight was 0.22g and 0.08g in the control and in the experimental group.

Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that the downregulation of MondoA by RNA interference significantly delays leukemic burden and malignancy of B cell ALL in vivo and further confirm that MondoA is an attractive target for targeted and immune therapy of ALL.

Citation Format: Alexandra A. Sipol, Gunther H.S. Richter, Caroline M. Wernicke, Thomas G.P. Grunewald, Stefan Burdach. Overexpression of the pro-glycolytic transcription factor MondoA enhances malignant potential of ALL in vivo . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1421. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1421


Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission observations show clear evidence of the occurrence of the magnetic reconnection process in the Martian plasma tail. In this study, we use sophisticated numerical models to help us understand the effects of magnetic reconnection in the plasma tail. The numerical models used in this study are (a) a multispecies global Hall‐magnetohydrodynamic (HMHD) model and (b) a global HMHD model two‐way coupled to an embedded fully kinetic particle‐in‐cell code. Comparison with MAVEN observations clearly shows that the general interaction pattern is well reproduced by the global HMHD model. The coupled model takes advantage of both the efficiency of the MHD model and the ability to incorporate kinetic processes of the particle‐in‐cell model, making it feasible to conduct kinetic simulations for Mars under realistic solar wind conditions for the first time. Results from the coupled model show that the Martian magnetotail is highly dynamic due to magnetic reconnection, and the resulting Mars‐ward plasma flow velocities are significantly higher for the lighter ion fluid, which are quantitatively consistent with MAVEN observations. The HMHD with Embedded Particle‐in‐Cell model predicts that the ion loss rates are more variable but with similar mean values as compared with HMHD model results.


The species Myracrodruon urundeuva, or aroeira, possesses resistant wood, but of slow growth, so it is advisable its plantation with other species as an alternative of income until its complete development. This work had the objective to evaluate the stability and adaptability in four progeny tests of Myracrodruon urundeuva under different plantation forms: associated with arboreal essences (TP-1), homogeneous (TP-2), agroforestry systems (AFS) with annual cultures (TP-3) and AFS with eucalyptus (TP-4), installed in 1997 at Fazenda de Pesquisa, Extensao e Ensino of UNESP campus Ilha Solteira - SP, in Selviria - MS. Seeds were collected from 30 main trees located in the Estacao Ecologica de Paulo de Faria - SP. Total height (m), diameter at breast height - DBH (cm), and stem form were evaluated up to ten years of age. Randomized complete blocks design was used. The software SELEGEN was used for the estimates of variance components, genetic parameters and stability and adaptability (MHPRVG). Aroeira had better height in the TP-3, DBH in the TP-2 and similar stem form in all four TP. The genetic parameters indicated that DBH possesses the largest control and genetic variation and correlation genotype and environment. The simultaneous selection presented the best progenies, identical to the progenies from the selection of MHPRVG, which indicates this is a refined method of selection.


In this article, we propose a comprehensive multilayer (IoT-device, edge, fog, and cloud) streaming analytics platform with two-tier fog layer, which comprises streaming and analytics tiers. The approach, functionally validated on a testbed of clusters of low-cost off-the-shelf components, demonstrates that both real-time streaming processing and large-scale data analytics are feasible, with even completely avoiding the use of cloud layer. The fog layer uses advanced streaming and analytics paradigms, such as Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, and Hadoop, to support the effective development of applications that use streaming, long-term data storage and analytics. As such, the platform is suitable for and is affordable for "private" users. Furthermore, we add to the platform intelligent edge layer that abstracts and can simulate the operation of the IoT-device layer in real time or can be directly connected to the IoT-device layer. The experiments on a real-life IoT-based smart parking application show that our two-tier approach is cost effective and scalable, and can handle simultaneously streaming processing and analytics tasks successfully.


Event detection (ED) identifies and classifies event triggers from unstructured texts, serving as a fundamental task for information extraction. Despite the remarkable progress achieved in the past several years, most research efforts focus on detecting events from formal texts (e.g., news articles, Wikipedia documents, financial announcements). Moreover, the texts in each dataset are either from a single source or multiple yet relatively homogeneous sources. With massive amounts of user-generated text accumulating on the Web and inside enterprises, identifying meaningful events in these informal texts, usually from multiple heterogeneous sources, has become a problem of significant practical value. As a pioneering exploration that expands event detection to the scenarios involving informal and heterogeneous texts, we propose a new large-scale Chinese event detection dataset based on user reviews, text conversations, and phone conversations in a leading e-commerce platform for food service. We carefully investigate the proposed dataset's textual informality and multi-domain heterogeneity characteristics by inspecting data samples quantitatively and qualitatively. Extensive experiments with state-of-the-art event detection methods verify the unique challenges posed by these characteristics, indicating that multi-domain informal event detection remains an open problem and requires further efforts. Our benchmark and code are released at https://github.com/myeclipse/MUSIED.


Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been claimed to be a major positive regulator of angiogenesis in diabetic retinopathy and atherosclerosis. Diabetic state-induced alteration of the phenotypes and the influence of 12-h pretreatment with VEGF were examined after a further 12-h treatment with only 1% fetal bovine serum in subcultured endothelial cells (EC) derived from rat thoracic aorta. By flow cytometric cell cycle analysis, VEGF showed quite different transition patterns from those of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in 5-day (at the progression phase) cultured normal rat EC even though VEGF belongs to the PDGF family. VEGF promoted cell cycle transition from the G0 to the G1 phase at 3 ng/ml, but at 30 ng/ml, VEGF weakly inhibited it compared with the effect of PDGF. The streptozotocin-diabetic state promoted cell cycle transition of EC from the G0 to the G1 phase. The promotion by the low concentration of VEGF was observed even at the point of 35-day culture (angiogenic EC at the competence phase in normal state). The diabetic state enhanced EC proliferation rather than tube formation, and the tube formation was scarce. The promotion of cell cycle transition by VEGF may aggravate furthermore diabetic angiopathy due to the leaky constitution of blood vessels.


We propose a windowed Fourier-filtered and quality-guided phase-unwrapping algorithm that is an extension and improvement of our previous phase-unwrapping algorithm based on windowed Fourier transform [Opt. Laser Technol.37, 458 (2005), Key Eng. Mater.326-328, 67 (2006). First, the filtered amplitude is used as a real-valued quality map, rather than a binary mask, which makes the phase-unwrapping algorithm more tolerant to low-quality regions in a wrapped-phase map, and the process is more automatic. Second, the window size selection is considered, which enables the algorithm to be adapted to tackle different phase-unwrapping problems. A large window size is useful for removing noise, building long barriers along phase discontinuities, and identifying invalid regions, while a small window size is useful for preserving local features, such as small regions and high-quality narrow channels. Eight typical examples in Ghiglia and Pritt's excellent book Two-Dimensional Phase Unwrapping: Theory, Algorithm and Software (Wiley, 1998) are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm is able to unwrap all these examples successfully. The windowed Fourier ridges algorithm, another algorithm based on windowed Fourier transform, is also tested and found to be useful in building barriers along phase discontinuities.


In wideband direct sequence code division multiple access (W-CDMA), employing an adaptive antenna array is a very promising technique to reduce severe multiple access interference (MAI) especially from high rate users. This paper proposes a fast and accurate two-step antenna-weight tracking algorithm incorporated in a pilot symbol-assisted coherent adaptive antenna array diversity (PSA-CAAAD) receiver and evaluates its performance both by computer simulations and laboratory experiments. In the proposed scheme, the receiver antenna weights are updated by using both an adaptive algorithm based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion and the signal-to-interference power ratio (SIR) measurements employing multiple sets of antenna weights (MSAW), in which other sets except for a master set of antenna weights are simply generated by a master set. Computer simulation results show that antenna weights of a four-antenna PSA-CAAAD receiver using the proposed beam-tracking algorithm tracks changes in the direction of arrival (DOA) of the desired user at up to 20 degrees per sec, which corresponds to 250 km/h at 200 m from a base station. We also confirm, based on experiments in a radio anechoic room, that the generated antenna weights can track the DOA changes of up to 12 degrees/sec.


Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of substance use and alcohol-related consequences among bisexual and heterosexual women. A cross-sectional survey was self-administered to a random sample of undergraduate women. The final sample consisted of 49 self-identified bisexual women and 2,042 self-identified heterosexual women. Bivariate and multivariate results indicated that bisexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to report cigarette smoking, illicit drug use and medically prescribed use of antidepressant prescription medication. Although their drinking behaviors were similar, bisexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to experience adverse alcohol-related consequences. These findings suggest that traditional-age undergraduate women who self-identify as bisexual may be at heightened risk for substance use. However, additional research is needed to replicate these findings with larger samples of bisexual women.


Introduction: Adult patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): 1) develop renal failure at an earlier age than non-SCD black patients with end stage renal disease and 2) renal transplant outcomes in patients with SCD are so inferior that many transplant programs will not consider patients with SCD as candidates. More research is needed to understand the development of renal disease in patients with SCD; particularly in the earlier stages in which interventions might be most successful. In non-SCD pediatric populations, 24 hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) is the gold standard method to document hypertension as it has been shown to be a better surrogate outcome for end organ damage from hypertension. The association between hypertension (as defined by ABPM) and progressive kidney disease needs to be assessed in SCD. Objective: To identify baseline blood pressure (BP) abnormalities as measured by ABPM and conventional clinic measurement and to characterize factors associated with ABPM abnormalities among a cohort of sickle cell participants enrolled in a 5 year prospective study of hypertension and progressive kidney injury. Methods: Participants ages 5-21 yrs with HbSS or SB0 thalassemia were enrolled in a five year IRB approved prospective cohort study; participants 11-20 yrs were also eligible to undergo 24 hr ABPM. Demographics, therapies,and laboratory data (CBC, CMP, uric acid, LDH, cystatin c, and urine microalbumin/creatinine) were recorded. The pre-transfusion CBC was used for patients on chronic transfusion therapy. Clinic BP and 24 hr ABPM (using SpaceLabs 90217 monitors which records BP every 20 minutes while awake and 30 minutes while asleep for at least 24 hours) were measured. BP level norms were determined by pediatric BP tables created by the NHLBI (clinic BP) and American Heart Association (ABPM) for age and height. Abnormal nocturnal dipping is defined as 25% of blood pressure recordings exceeding the 95th percentile BP for normative data. Results: At the time of this abstract, 29/108 (27%) of participants were hypertensive at their baseline clinic visit and 24-hr ABPM has been conducted in 27 participants (7 were normotensive in clinic; 20 were normotensive during clinic visit). Twenty two of the 27 (81%) participants were identified with abnormal systolic nocturnal BP dipping and 15/27 (56%) had abnormal diastolic nocturnal BP dipping. Of concern, 10/27 (37%) participants had an increase in SBP while sleeping and 7/27 (26%) had an increase in DBP while sleeping. Among the seven participants with hypertension in clinic, all had abnormal nocturnal BP dipping. In those participants with normal clinic BP, 15/20 (75%) had abnormal systolic BP dipping. Nine (33%) participants had an abnormal nocturnal systolic BP load and 7 (26%) participants had abnormal nocturnal diastolic BP load. Eight of 10 participants with an increase in systolic BP while sleeping were on chronic transfusion therapy (p=0.06). Variables that may be associated with an increase in systolic BP while sleeping were: lower GFR (p=0.06), higher BMI (p=0.02), and higher hemoglobin (p=0.08). Participants on chronic transfusion had a higher mean nocturnal systolic BP load than participants on no chronic therapy or hydroxyurea therapy (p=0.04). Variables that may be associated with an abnormal nocturnal systolic BP load were: lower GFR (p Conclusion: Abnormal nocturnal BP is highly prevalent among SCD participants with and without hypertension in clinic. Blood therapy or need for blood therapy may be associated with abnormal nocturnal BP. Participants with abnormal nocturnal BP may have a lower GFR. Over time, this cohort will determine if abnormal nocturnal BP predicts a progressive decline in GFR in SCD as it does in non-SCD populations. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Eremosparton songoricum (Litv.) Vass. is a rare, central Asian desert species which shows lower fruit set and seed set (l 16%) than most hermaphroditic species. We hypothesized that fruit production was limited by pollen and resources. To evaluate potential fruit abortion due to pollen limitation, supplemental hand-pollination was undertaken, the mating system was investigated and the foraging behavior of pollinators was recorded. To investigate possibile resource limitation, flowers and young pods were artificially removed and fertilization were manipulated. The results showed that under natural pollination, the number of pollen deposited on the stigma greatly exceed the number of ovules per ovary. Mating system experiments showed that the species is self-compatible, but depended on pollinators to set seeds. Supplemental outcross pollination increased fruit set significantly. The most frequent effective pollinator Megachile terminate Morawitz, was observed pollinating many flowers of the same individual plant (74.5 +/- 1.3%). These results suggested that fruit production is affected by insufficient outcross pollen rather than by pollen quantity. Removal of 2/3 of the flowers and young pods led to significantly higher fruit set, as did addition of fertilizers (N-P-K: 0.025-0.05-0.013 g, N-P-K: 0.05-0.1-0.025 g) showing that reducing resource acceptors and increasing inorganic resources both helps to improve fruit set. We therefore conclude that reproductive success of E. songoricum is limited by both outcross pollen and available nutrients.


This paper briefly discusses the advantages and disadvantages of applying smart meters and sensors in power grid, especially for monitoring energy consumption in buildings within appropriate structures. The methodology of analyzing data generated from meters is consulted from CIBSE Guide F. In the end, a case study with employing commercial software NoWatt to monitor energy usage in an academic building was carried out, whose results show that smart meter grid with suitable architecture can contribute to monitoring energy usage and identifying potential or existing waste efficiently.


Smaller size and lower weight are always the targets of the power electronic product development. This work introduces two new topologies of auxiliary converters which have the feature of fewer components and fewer number of energy conversion stages comparing with the conventional auxiliary converter used in railway applications. The initial proposal of the proposed new topology is based on the idea which converts the high frequency current pulses into low frequency AC voltages without rectification stages. This thesis starts with theoretical analysis of the initial ideas with the conclusion of two versions of new topology converter proposal: inductive link auxiliary converter and resonant link auxiliary converter. The modulation method strategy for both of those two versions of auxiliary converters are developed within this thesis, the equations for dimensioning the passive components are also given. Simulation shows that the output voltage waveform has very low THD (Less than 3%).The output waveform is similar to a multilevel converter with 'infinite' number of levels. The inductive link auxiliary converter is able to deliver power with unsymmetrical load due there is no energy stored in the inductive link circuit between two adjacent current pulses. The semiconductor switches have to turn off at high current peaks which introduce high switching losses. To solve this issue the resonant link auxiliary converter is proposed. Due to the added resonant capacitor the resonant link converter is able to store energy in the resonant link circuit between two adjacent current pulses which reduce the total numbers of hard turn off in the semiconductor switches which will reduce the switching losses. On the other hand the resonant link auxiliary converter suffers with output voltage distortion with unsymmetrical load. In order to verify the theory which is developed by the theoretical analysis step, prototypes are designed and tested for the inductive link auxiliary converter. A scaled down version prototype is designed to develop the control software and validate the idea of generating low frequency AC voltage from high frequency current pulses. A three phase 80 kW inductive link auxiliary converter is designed and tested. The measured waveforms agree with the simulation model. The measured THD is less than 1% at all measured output power range. The measured efficiency on the complete system is 86% at 50kW output power. (Less)


Abstract The San Joaquin Valley produces more than 250 unique crops and much of the U.S. fruits, vegetables, and nuts. One of the main limiting factors for production in this region is reduced availability of water. Deficit irrigation is a management practice where plants receive less than full irrigation but only at certain growth stages to minimize yield loss or long-term impacts to the crop. Given the multiple roles of soil microorganisms in the soil system, it is important to asses any impact of deficit irrigation on soil microbial communities. In the present study, full and deficit irrigation treatments were applied for 7 years using furrow, microsprinkler, and surface drip irrigation systems in a peach orchard. In the seventh year, soil samples were collected before and after implementation of deficit irrigation treatments to investigate effects on soil microbial community biomass and composition. Results showed that the proportion of Gram-positive bacteria and actinomycetes were significantly higher in furrow irrigation, whereas fungi and Gram-negative bacteria were lower in proportion under furrow irrigation as compared with microsprinkler and drip irrigation methods. Canonical variate analysis showed that soil microbial communities markedly differed after deficit treatment in furrow and microspray irrigation, but remained similar in surface drip irrigation in deficit and full irrigation. This may be due to frequent irrigation in surface drip where soil surface remained moist most of the time as compared with furrow and microsprinkler irrigation methods where irrigation was less frequent.


It was investigated the influence of a diet supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) omega-3 on dynamic of basal glycaemia, lipid profile and composition of fatty acids of erythrocytes in type 2 diabetic patients. Traditional 9 diet was supplemented with fish ("Eiconol", 8 grams per day) or vegetable (linseed oil, 17.5 grams per day) PUFA omega-3. The results investigations indicated that a omega-3 PUFA-enriched diet has a beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. But dietary administration of PUFA omega-3 may be used differently for correction of dislipoproteinemia in diabetic patients.


The present assignment is an attempt to address an important issue for me as an instructor in the classroom. It begins with an account of my concern about how to provide corrective feedback for individuals so that they have the highest rate of uptake in the classroom then it is followed by definition of the concept in its general sense of the term. Next, I have provided information on some of the previous studies along with my own thoughts on the issue. Finally, I concluded my essay by explaining how this term project will help me change my attitude in my future teaching in the classroom. I have also offered some suggestions for my fellow instructors to give them some food for thought.


Mullite oxide SmMn2O5 (SMO) was synthesized through a co-precipitation method. The CO + O2 model system and more realistic gas mixtures were evaluated, and compared with perovskite LaCoO3 (LCO), SMO showed a better reaction activity as well as a higher catalytic activity and stronger hydrothermal resistance. Characterizations including XRD, BET, SEM, XPS, H2-TPR, O2-TPD, and CO + O2 pulse were undertaken in order to gain insight into the origin of the SMO three-way catalytic activity. The lower adsorbed oxygen reduction temperature for SMO by H2-TPR indicated a better reducibility. O2-TPD suggested that SMO exhibited excellent mobility of β-oxygen species. CO + O2 pulse further revealed that the SMO catalyst had a better oxygen storage capacity than the LCO perovskite did. With a better reducibility, facile mobility of oxygen species and better oxygen storage capacity, mullite oxide SMO showed a preferable three-way catalytic activity.


Patient. —W. M., aged 54, American of Scotch parentage; occupation, foreman of public works. Family history negative. History. —Patient is over six feet in height, is of unusual intelligence and displays evidence of having possessed great muscular development when in his prime. He declares that his use of alcohol and tobacco has always been extremely moderate and there is no history of venereal infection. He confesses that he has always been a very nervous man and that, despite his efforts at control, his temper has been a quick and unruly one. Mumps, measles and "grippe" are the only illnesses in his personal history, with the exception of an ephemeral attack occurring a year ago designated by his medical attendant "muscular rheumatism." Present Illness. —Five years ago the patient first observed a swelling of the neck, which has persisted in the form of a moderate sized goiter ever since that time.


Diets or supplements high in n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to influence the timing of parturition. PUFAs are substrates for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, and PGs play central roles in parturition. Hence, the effects of altering PUFA composition may be mediated through alterations in the type and relative quantities of PGs synthesised. Therefore, we have investigated the effects of a range of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs in vitro on PG synthesis by amnion cells of late gestation ewes. The n-6 PUFA, arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6), increased synthesis of two-series PGs. Degree of stimulation induced by the n-6 PUFAs was dependent on the position of the PUFA in the PG synthetic pathway, i.e. PG production of the two-series (principally prostaglandin E(2):PGE(2)) increased progressively with longer chain PUFAs. Effects of n-3 PUFAs on output of PGE(2) were more modest and variable. The two shorter chain n-3 PUFAs, α-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3) and stearidonic acid (18:4, n-3), induced a small but significant increase in PGE(2) output, while the longest chain n-3 PUFA docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3) inhibited PGE(2) synthesis. Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3, n-6), the PUFA substrate for synthesis of one-series PGs, induced an increase in PGE(1) generation and a decrease in PGE(2) and PGE(3) outputs. Hence, we have demonstrated that PUFA supplementation of ovine amnion cells in vitro affects the type and quantity of PGs synthesised.


In the context of the Joint Forces operation in eastern Ukraine and the new challenges of the hybrid war on the part of the Russian Federation, there is an urgent need for finding possible ways of building an effective control system for a spatially distributed network-centered air defense missile cover system. The article presents a conceptual approach to the design of the structure that would be effective for controlling such a system, which is based on both the classical construction principles of control systems and the novel network-centric approach to design of control systems. The conceptual approach takes into account the peculiarities of building a spatially distributed tier of air defense missile cover.


The Wnt family constitutes a set of structurally related glycoproteins that have been implicated in oncogenesis and developmental processes. The vertebrate Wnt10 family includes mouse, Xenopus and salamander proteins. We undertook a bioinformatics based approach to characterize a novel human Wnt gene. The gene (WNT10B) encodes a 389-amino acid protein with 96.6% sequence identity to mouse Wnt10b. The expression pattern of WNT10B reveals that it is synthesized in many adult tissues with the highest levels found in heart and skeletal muscle. WNT10B expression was also detected in several human cancer cell lines with elevated mRNA levels observed in HeLa (cervical cancer) cells. WNT10B was localized to 12q13.1 by PCR typing of a human/rodent monochromosomal panel and fluorescent in situ hybridization.


The rectal gland of Squalus acanthias is critically involved in the homeostasis of NaCl and water metabolism and hence in overall osmoregulation. In the present study, we have examined the acute responses of rectal gland slices and in vitro perfused rectal gland tubule (RGT) cells to the exposure to dilute and hypertonic peritubule solutions. Five series were performed. (i) With changes in osmolality, Western blots to monitor tyrosine, threonine and serine phosphorylation in rectal gland slices did not reveal clear–cut changes in phosphorylation patterns. All other series were performed in in vitro perfused RGT. (ii) Relative cell volume was estimated by fura–2 fluorescence using the emission at the isosbestic excitation wavelength of 360 nm. Hypotonic solution (–100 mmol/l NaCl) reduced fura–2 fluorescence by 16% and hypertonic solution (+100 mmol/l NaCl) had the opposite effect (+12%). (iii) Transepithelial resistance was increased markedly by hypotonic solution, probably by cell swelling, and the opposite was seen with hypertonic solutions. (iv) Whole–cell patch clamp experiments indicated that hypotonic solution hyperpolarized the cells, and increased membrane conductance and membrane capacitance. The latter two changes correlated significantly with each other. Hypertonic solution had the opposite effect. (v) Measurements of the fura–2 fluorescence ratio (340/380 nm) revealed that hypotonic solution (–NaCl) increased cytosolic Ca2+ activtiy ([Ca2+]i). Hypertonic solution had no detectable effect on [Ca2+]i. These data indicate that RGT cells are swollen by removal of NaCl from the bath solution. This causes an increase in [Ca2+]i and a predominant increase in K+ conductance and hyperpolarization. Urea apparently permeates these cells quite well and its addition (+U) or its removal (–U) had only moderate osmotic effects. The removal of urea and replacement by mannitol produced effects similar to those seen with hypertonic NaCl solution.


Reference picture selection (RPS) is a promising repair technique in lossy networks for delay-sensitive video, whereby the video encoder uses one of several previous frames as a reference frame for predictive encoding. RPS can operate in two different modes: an optimistic policy that uses negative acknowledgements (NACKs) and a more conservative policy that relies upon positive acknowledgements (ACKs). This paper compares RPS NACK and RPS ACK under various network conditions and video contents using two analytical models. The two models characterize RPS NACK and RPS ACK by incorporating the impact of reference distance on video quality, prediction dependency among video frames and Group of Pictures (GOP) length. Given packet-loss rate, round-trip time and capacity constraints, the models predict average video quality for videos with RPS ACK and RPS NACK using the Video Quality Metric (VQM). Using these two models, a series of experiments are conducted to investigate RPS performance under various conditions. The insights derived from our models can help determine appropriate choices for RPS NACK and RPS ACK under various network conditions and video contents.


Viral infections and associated diseases are responsible for a substantial number of mortality and public health problems around the world. Each year, infectious diseases kill 3.5 million people worldwide. The current pandemic caused by COVID-19 has become the greatest health hazard to people in their lifetime. There are many antiviral drugs and vaccines available against viruses, but they have many disadvantages, too. There are numerous side effects for conventional drugs, and active mutation also creates drug resistance against various viruses. This has led scientists to search herbs as a source for the discovery of more efficient new antivirals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 65% of the world population is in the practice of using plants and herbs as part of treatment modality. Additionally, plants have an advantage in drug discovery based on their long-term use by humans, and a reduced toxicity and abundance of bioactive compounds can be expected as a result. In this review, we have highlighted the important viruses, their drug targets, and their replication cycle. We provide in-depth and insightful information about the most favorable plant extracts and their derived phytochemicals against viral targets. Our major conclusion is that plant extracts and their isolated pure compounds are essential sources for the current viral infections and useful for future challenges.


ABSTRACT: Water, an inexpensive and environmentally friendly solvent is an ideal solvent for industrial extraction of phenolics, but its use is limited due to poor extraction efficiency at low temperatures. In this study, subcritical water (SW) and subcritical sulfured water (SSW) (containing 1400 μg/mL sodium metabisulfite) extractions of grape skin phenolics were conducted over the temperature range of 100 to 160°C in 10°C increments for a short time (40 s), and compared with conventional hot water or aqueous 60% (v/v) methanol extractions (50°C, 1 h). The composition and contents of anthocyanins, flavonols, hydroxycinnamates, phenolic acids, and antioxidant capacities (Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity [ORAC]) in the extracts were determined. Increasing SW extraction temperature from 100 to 160°C resulted in a linear increase in ORAC values, but extraction temperatures > 110°C resulted in decreased contents of individual and total anthocyanins. Subcritical sulfured water extracts had higher levels of total anthocyanins and total phenolics than SW extracts. The SW and SSW extracts had comparable or higher levels of anthocyanins and ORAC values than extracts obtained using conventional hot water or 60% methanol. Subcritical water at 100 to 110°C appears to be an excellent alternative to organic solvents to extract anthocyanins and other phenolics from dried red grape skin and possibly other grape processing byproducts.


The most common type of skin cancer is melanoma. While significant advances in chemotherapy have occurred in a few instances, only marginal progress has been made in treating metastatic melanoma. Natural medicine has traditionally been used to treat various illnesses, including cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify the active compound in Kaempferia galanga, which could be used to treat melanoma as an anti-metastasis and chemosensitizer agent. The active compound in K. galanga was isolated and identified using chromatography and spectroscopy techniques, and given six compounds. Inhibitory activity on NFκB activation and cell viability was determined using reporter assay methods. Among the isolated compounds, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) demonstrated potent NFκB inhibitory activity against melanoma cell B16F10- NFκB Luc2 with an IC50 of 88.7 μM. Further investigation was conducted by evaluating the anti-metastasis effect of EPMC in vitro by using wound-healing assays, invasion tests, and molecular mechanism assays using Western blotting. NFκB has been implicated in tumorigenesis through the PI3K/Akt/NFκB pathway. The results of this study indicated that EPMCs act as inhibitors of p38 and thereby Akt phosphorylation inhibitors at serine 473, inhibiting NFκB-dependent transcription. Further analysis with paclitaxel demonstrated that the combinations could sensitize to apoptosis in response to well-known chemotherapy agents. Additional studies were conducted using the human melanoma cancer cell line SK-Mel 28. Along with the induction of apoptosis, we observed an increase in p-γH2AX expression (a molecular marker for double strand breaks in DNA damage) in response to treatment with paclitaxel and EPMC. The result showed EPMC to be a potential, viable adjuvant for improving the clinical efficacy of anti-metastatic and cancer chemotherapy.


This research aims to investigate how tourist experience elicits satisfaction and contributes to loyalty and willingness to pay more for a museum destination. More specifically, this study also investigates the significant moderating role of visiting frequency on the relationship between satisfaction and willingness to pay more. Museums offer unique collections for tourists' education and recreation while providing a better understanding of the cross-cultural diversity of societies. The research was conducted with 285 tourists visiting the National Museum in Ghana, with questions relating to experience, satisfaction, loyalty and willingness to pay more. Structural equation modelling was used to test the effects of the museum experience, satisfaction and loyalty on willingness to pay more. Responses emanating from the questionnaire on the National Museum of Ghana was analysed and the study findings suggest the significant effects of tourist experience on satisfaction as well as the significant effects of satisfaction on loyalty and willingness to pay more. In addition, the significant moderating effect of visiting frequency was reported on the relationship between satisfaction and tourist willingness to pay more. In this regard managers should develop marketing strategies that promote museum tourism in the travelling experience and that guarantee greater satisgfaction on site.


This paper investigates the effects of real exchange rates and income on inbound tourism demand (tourist arrivals) from Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Sweden to the USA over the period 1996Q3–2015Q1. To achieve this aim, the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for Restaurants and Hotels was used for the first time—instead of using the general Consumer Price Index (CPI)—to transform the nominal exchange rate into the real exchange rate as an independent variable in tourism demand analysis models. Panel co-integration analysis under the cross-sectional dependence (CD) test and common correlated effects (CCE) approach was applied. Empirical results show that tourists visiting the USA are more sensitive to changes in the real exchange rate than changes in GDP. While French tourists respond highly to the GDP, British tourists respond highly to the real exchange rate. It should also be noted that the UK, having the highest responsiveness to the real exchange rate, is a country outside the Eurozone and also intends to leave the European Union.


Pongamol, which is the second important crystalline component of the pongamia oil, has the molecular formula C18H14O4 and contains a methoxyl group. It has also a phenolic or enolic hydroxyl group. Demethylation with aluminium chloride yields nor-pongamol whereas treatment with hydriodic acid gives rise to a product which is probably isomeric but does not possess phenolic properties. Treatment with bromine produces a tetrabromo derivative which on boiling with acetone yields a tribromo compound. Oxidation with potassium permanganate or decomposition with alkali yields benzoic acid. From these properties and from colour reactions it is suggested that pongamol is a flavone derivative containing a hydroxyl, a methoxyl and an ethylene double bond.


Tumor cells can co-opt the promigratory activity of chemokines and their cognate G protein-coupled receptors to disseminate to regional lymph nodes and distant organs. Indeed, the migration to SDF-1 of tumor cells expressing its receptor, CXCR4, is implicated in lymphatic and organ-specific metastasis in multiple human malignancies. However, the critical role of CXCR4 in bone marrow stem cell retention has hampered the development of CXCR4 inhibitors for metastasis prevention. Therefore the study of CXCR4 downstream signaling circuitry may provide new opportunities for the treatment of many human malignancies that depend on CXCR4 for their metastatic spread. The PI3K/mTOR pathway represents a major player in normal and aberrant cell growth. Consistently, mTOR inhibitors targeting its complex 1 (mTORC1) alone or mTORC1/mTORC2 have already shown promising therapeutic responses in many tumor types. Our data show that mTOR is activated upon SDF-1 stimulation of CXCR4 on epithelial-derived cancer cells, and that the disruption of mTORC1 or mTORC2 abrogates CXCR4-mediated directional migration. To study the CXCR4/mTOR axis in vivo we developed a simple and robust model for CXCR4-mediated spontaneous metastasis. Surprisingly, disruption of mTORC1 alone was sufficient to decrease tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and CXCR4-mediated metastasis, whereas mTORC2 impairment had no effect on tumor dissemination or growth in vivo. Taken together, our data suggest that mTORC1 blockade could inhibit the migration of CXCR4 expressing cancer cells to their secondary sites, while disrupting the establishment of a permissive tumor microenvironment thereby halting the spread of highly aggressive tumors that require CXCR4 to metastasize. Citation Format: Patricia Dillenburg-Pilla, Vyomesh Patel, Constantinos M. Mikelis, Carlos Rodrigo Zarate-Blades, Panomwat Amornphimoltham, Zhiyong Wang, Daniel Martin, Kantima Leelahavanichkul, Colleen L. Doci, Robert T. Dorsam, Andrius Masedunskas, Nijiro Nohata , Roberto Weigert, Alfredo A. Molinolo, J. Silvio Gutkind . A central role for mTORC1 in CXCR4-mediated directional migration and metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4050. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4050


The purpose of the paper is to identify the mechanisms of interaction between two sign systems: the verbal text of the Dutch rhymed psalms of the 19th century and the musical text of the melodies. The text is broadly understood as an ordered set of semiotic codes that carry certain information. The discussion of both linguistic and musical material with the use of musicological and linguopragmatic analysis is innovative. In the course of the study, an attempt was made to establish the relationship between the type of rhyme and the way of musical arrangement of the text. For poetic texts with a cross rhyme, there is a tendency to use repetitions of the melody in accordance with the rhyme. Texts with a more complex rhythmic organization of the verse are decorated with variations or author's reworking of the original melody. At the same time, the processing of musical material obeys the generally accepted patterns of melody development within the range of one octave. With a more detailed analytical review, different types of ways of using the original melodies and adapting them to the needs of choral church singing can be identified. The determining factor in the choice and interpretation of the original folk melody is the text of the psalm. Melodies do not have independence, but are completely subordinated to the verbal text. At the same time, the musical arrangement serves as an auxiliary means of accentual articulation and enhances the aesthetic function of the poetic text.


Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive disorder of glycosphingolipid catabolism due to deŽ ciency of agalactosidase A (a-Gal A) activity, a lysosomal exoglycosidase responsible for the hydrolysis of terminal agalactosyl moieties from various glycoconjugates (predominantly globotriaosylceramide). Affected subjects usually present with acroparaesthesia, angiokeratoma, hypohydrosis , corneal clouding and generalized vascular disease, involving the heart, kidneys and brain. The 12 kb a-Gal A gene is localized in Xq22.1 and contains seven exons. We have identiŽ ed 36 different gene alterations (including 18 new mutations) in 38 patients with Fabry disease.Our results conŽ rm the large variety of mutations affecting this locus. For one patient, two mutations were found: the D313Y mutation previously described in a patient presenting with a classic form of the disease, and the undescribed G411D mutation. Neither of these two mutations was found among 156 normal alleles. The D313Y mutation was also found in a female presenting with low a-Gal A activity in plasma and leukocytes; unexpectedly, this mutation waspresent in anon-affected male in her family (with normal a-Gal A activity). In order to verify that the D313Y mutation is only a rare polymorphism, and to test whether the G411D mutation is a disease-causing mutation alone or in association with D313Y, we have constructed three mutants: D313Y, G411D and D313Y‡G411D. After transient expression in COS cells, their functional consequences were evaluated after pulse-chase labelling experiments and measurement of a-Gal A activity. The results show that D313Y is a polymorphism leading to slightly decreased activity and that G411D is a disease-causing mutation. The presence of the two mutations within the same allele accentuates the deleterious effect of the G411D mutation alone. These Ž ndings emphasize the need for complete sequencing and expression studies when a new missense mutation is found.


Rohfin Andria Gestanti, S891302039. 2015. Students' Learning Strategies and Their Accomplishment in Speaking Class (A Case Study at SMK PSM 2 Kawedanan, Magetan). First Supervisor: Dr. Abdul Asib, M.Pd. Second Supervisor: Dr. Sujoko, M.A. Thesis. Surakarta. English Education Department. Graduate School. Sebelas Maret University.
This research aims to explore (1) the strategies being used by students in speaking; (2) the way students use the learning strategies; and (3) the students' reasons in using the learning strategies.
This research was conducted in a private vocational high school in Kawedanan, Magetan. The subjects of the research were eight students of the eleventh grade. Purposive sampling technique was used as a method in selecting the subjects. A qualitative case study approach was employed and the data were taken through questionnaire, interview, observation, and document analysis. In analyzing the data, the interactive model of data analysis proposed by Miles and Huberman was used.
The finding shows that (1) the students use six strategies from both direct and indirect strategies, yet the students have moderate awareness of using learning strategies. The six strategies are memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies. Those six groups of strategies are used in different form of specific strategies and the frequency in using them is also different; (2) there are three ways in using the learning strategies: conscious, effortful, and effective ways; (3) students' reasons in using the learning strategies were concerning the usefulness of the strategies to enhance speaking achievement, overcoming speaking difficulties, controlling learning environment, and enjoyment of the strategies to be applied.
The result of this research implies that students need to be more aware in using learning strategies. It is also important for the students to make better how they should accomplish the strategies and consider more the necessity of using learning strategies when speaking English in class.

Keywords: learning strategies, strategies accomplishment, speaking, case study


Article history: Received July 28, 2013 Received in revised format 22 October 2013 Accepted 28 October 2013 Available online December 18 2013 During the past few years, there have been growing interests in business development of herbal supplements in many developing countries especially in Iran. Herbal supplements are used to cure many deceases such as medicating anxiety, acne, weight loss, depression, etc. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to detect important factors influencing exporting herbal supplements. The proposed study designs a questionnaire consists of 31 questions, distributes it among 210 experts who are professional in the area of production and distribution of herbal supplements and using factor analysis, the study detects eight factors including supportive laws and regulations, organizational atmosphere, marketing structure, knowledge oriented, feasibility study, research and development, competitive strategy and partnership strategies.


Fibronectin (Fn) is a glycoprotein secreted principally by vascular endothelial cells and its main function is to maintain the adhesion between the various cells and the substrates. Owing to these two features, the glycoprotein participates in several pathologies affecting blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus (DM). In this paper, we studied the quantitative differences of this protein in diabetic patients with associated macro and microangiopathy.


This article examines the effect of country of origin on the pretrial expectation and the posttrial cognitive and affective attitudes when subjects possess different levels of product expertise. Two experiments with 2 (expert vs. novice) × 2 (Japan vs. Taiwan and Italy vs. Taiwan) factorial designs were conducted. One study was conducted on an unambiguous performance product; the other was conducted on an ambiguous performance product. The results showed that country of origin had an impact on the pretrial expectation in both the novice and expert group, regardless of the ambiguity of the product performance. However, the effects on posttrial attitudes were dissimilar between the expert group and the novice group. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The classical manifestations of Behçet disease are mouth ana genital ulcers, cutaneous lesions ana ocular involvement. The central nervous system is affected in 5 to 59% of the cases, usually in the form of meningoencephalitis or sinus venous thrombosis. We report a 17-year-old femóle presenting with a two weeks history of progressive headache, nausea and blurred vision. An initial magnetic resonance was normal. Fifteen days later she was admitted to the hospital due to progression of visual impairment. She gave a history of oral ulcers and arthralgias. A new magnetic resonance was normal. A lumbar puncture showed a cerebrospinal fluid with a protein concentration of 14 mg/dl, a glucose concentration of 64 mg/dl, 20 fresh red blood cells and a pressure of 26 cm H(2)0. The diagnosis of a pseudotumor cerebri, secondary to Behçet disease was raised and the patient was treated with colchicine and acetazolamide. The evolution was torpid and an anterior uveitis was also found. After discharge, she continued with oral and genital ulcers and was treated with infliximab. Despite treatment, headache persists.


Post-resuscitation care has become a major part of the chain of survival for victims of cardiac arrest. Once spontaneous circulation is restored, it is important to consider early coronary angiography and concurrent use of mild therapeutic hypothermia. In those resuscitated from an arrest considered to be cardiac in origin, coronary angiography should be performed inmmediately to identify any culprit coronary occlusion or unstable lesions. If a culprit lesion is found, immediate percutaneous coronary intervention should be performed. Any out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victim successfully resuscitated, but who remain comatose after return of spontaneous circulation, should be cooled to 32–24°C for 24 h. Induction of mild hypothermia can be accomplished without delaying coronary intervention. When these two post-resuscitation therapies are provided concurrently long-term survival is 50–60%, with favorable neurological function achieved in 80–90% of such survivors.


The synthesis of organic ligands L1H (C8H17NO2), L2H (C9H19NO2), and L3H (C14H20NO2Cl) octanohydroxamic acids have been reported. The chelation of the ligands with some metals (ZrO2+, Ce4+, La3+, Th4+ and UO2 2+) under pH control have been synthesized. The ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 metals to ligands have been recognized by the aid of elemental analysis, 1HNMR and IR spectroscopy.


The Levy-Levy-Solomon model (A microscopic model of the stock market: cycles, booms, and crashes, Economic Letters 45 (1))is one of the most influential agent-based economic market models. In several publications this model has been discussed and analyzed. Especially Lux and Zschischang (Some new results on the Levy, Levy and Solomon microscopic stock market model, Physica A, 291(1-4)) have shown that the model exhibits finite-size effects. In this study we extend existing work in several directions. First, we show simulations which reveal finite-size effects of the model. Secondly, we shed light on the origin of these finite-size effects. Furthermore, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the Levy-Levy-Solomon model with respect to random numbers. Especially, we can conclude that a low-quality pseudo random number generator has a huge impact on the simulation results. Finally, we study the impact of the stopping criteria in the market clearance mechanism of the Levy-Levy-Solomon model.


The impact of detuning and injection power on the frequency response is studied experimentally and theoretically. The resonance frequency increases with injection power while damping increases with both detuning and power. Our model confirms the experimental results.


As editors of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF's) anthology series, we have examined the entire range of the foundation's grant making since 1972. We found that the RWJF has enjoyed considerable success in building fields--from nurse practitioners to tobacco control to end-of-life care. The RWJF has done this by shaping fields as they were emerging, by adopting a wide-ranging "bear hug" approach, and by staying the course. The lessons from the RWJF's field-building efforts are relevant for both large and small foundations: Small funders can develop strategic plans aimed at building fields in their home state or locality.


We investigate the heterogeneous boom and bust patterns across countries that emerge as a result of global shocks. Our analysis sheds light on the emergence of core and periphery countries, and the joint determination of the depth of recessions and tightness of credit markets across countries. The model implies that interest rates are similar across core and periphery countries in booms, with larger credit and output growth in periphery countries. However, a common global shock that leads to a credit crunch across the globe gives rise to a sharper spike in interest rates and a deeper recession in periphery countries, while a credit flight to the core alleviates the adverse consequences in these countries. We explore the implication of the model about credit spreads, portfolio rebalancing, investment, non-performing debt and concentration of debt ownership during booms and busts, both in the time series and in the cross-section, and connect them to existing stylized facts. We further demonstrate how the anatomy of the global economy evolves as a result of aggregate demand and supply shocks to financing, such as a global saving glut.


Background: To identify the relationship between T1 slope and the sagittal alignment parameters of the upper and subaxial cervical spine in patients with cervical lordosis and kyphosis.Methods: Relevant sagittal radiographic parameters pertaining to patients with non-specific neck pain but with no associated neurogenic symptoms were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into lordotic alignment and kyphotic alignment groups based on the C2-C7 Cobb. Correlation among radiographic variables was assessed with the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis. Between-group differences with respect to cervical alignment parameters were assessed with One-way Analysis of Variance.Results: Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement (two independent observers) was rated as excellent (kappa: 0.91 - 0.93). Inter-observer agreement for the two independent observers was rated as and substantial (kappa: 0.79 - 0.80), respectively. Significant between-group differences were observed with respect to C0-C1 angle, C1-C2 angle, C0-C2 angle, C2-C7 SVA (sagittal vertical axis) and TS-CL (T1 slope minus cervical lordosis) (P<0.01 for all), but not with respect to T1S (T1 slope) (P=0.367). In both groups, C2-C7 SVA showed a significant linear correlation with T1S (r2=0.712 vs. r2=0.467) and TS-CL (r2=0.810 vs. r2=0.248).Conclusion: This study showed that the two cervical alignment types (lordosis and kyphosis) have different angular variation in upper and subaxial cervical spine. With the increase in T1 slope, the upper cervical C0-C2 Cobb angle and the C2-7 SVA in the lordotic group were significantly higher than that of the kyphotic group. TS-CL mismatch may significantly impact lordotic cervical alignment in patients with lordosis.


Montecarlo methods can be used to price derivatives for which closed evaluation formulas are not available or di cult to derive. A drawback of the method can be its high computational cost, especially if applied to basket options, whose payo s depend on more than one asset. This article presents two kinds of control variates to reduce variance of estimates, based on unconditional and conditional expectations of assets respectively. We apply the previous variance reduction methods to some basket options (Spread, Dual and Portfolio options), achieving in some case remarkable speed and accuracy in price estimation.


We present a new design method for reducing cogging torque in brushless permanent-magnet (PM) motors. In our method, the auxiliary slots are put on the pole face of the magnetizing yoke, which results in a not fully magnetized zone (NFMZ) at the PM. Through Fourier expansion of the field and armature functions, the position and shape of the NFMZ that eliminate the cogging torque are found. In an example, we discuss the effectiveness and applicability of the new method.


On the whole, however, this volume is a worthwhile contribution to scholarship on Renaissance Venice. Therefore it is unfortunate that the publishers have priced it so exorbitantly and at the same time cut corners: notes are located at the end of each article rather than at the bottom of the page where they belong; the index is inadequate; black and white plates (all but one of which illustrate Teresio Pignatti's subtle study of Diirer and Venetian painting) are grouped inconveniently in the center of the book, and no map of Venice and her subject territories is provided.


Applications of the neo-classical land tenure security hypotheses in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) havelargely failed to establish meaningful links between land tenure security and the rather axiomatic outcomes of improved access to finance and farmland productivity. While some authors blame the phenomenon on structural and institutional bottlenecks, others stress the need for changes in methodological approaches. We argue that since farmlands under continuous cultivation are hardly appropriated under SSA's predominantly customary land tenure regimes, a tenure insecure farmer would, instead of fallowing, continue to cultivate his land while secure right holders may decide to leave their lands idle without fear of appropriation. The main objective of this paper is to highlight alternative measures and indicators of land tenure security within the context of Ghana's diverse land holding and use arrangements. The convention has been to equate land tenure security to individualisation and formal land titling. Some have argued that individualisation and formal land titling may exclude other social and cultural factors that influence land tenure security. The paper has proposed a two-stage measure of tenure security based on the premise of non-loss of lands under cultivation and proceeded to test the hypothesis using data from four agro-ecological zones of Ghana. The results show that many factors often thought to improve land tenure security such as land titling, being native to an area, cultivating perennials, and boundary demarcation, among others had a positive significant effect on the decision to leave land idle and the period of time lands could be left without loss of rights. The paper concludes that narrow definitions of tenure security as formal documentation of land ignore s context specific factors such as ancestry and household wealth that affect tenure. Our paper recommends flags the need for innovative approaches in the operationalisation of land tenure security, especially in jurisdictions with pluralistic land tenure systems such as Ghana.


In the context of a regular COST 298 management meeting, the authors have organized a structured democratic dialogue co-laboratory to study the obstacles, which the Cost298 community faces in their effort to engage the wider public in the wideband society. Through a process known as Structured Design Process (SDP), the experts of the COST 298 network collected and structured all their ideas concerning obstacles to achieving this goal. The process was initiated asynchronously before the co-laboratory by sending to all participants the following triggering question by email: "What are the obstacles to the wider public benefiting from and participating in the broadband society?" They were requested to contribute one or more ideas expressed as single sentences, but with the option of providing separate clarifications. During the co-laboratory all ideas were presented again and participants were guided through a structured process to cluster and prioritize their ideas. Subsequently, with the help of special software (CogniscopeTM), the relative influence of one idea on another was systematically studied. This process resulted in a root cause influence map, which provides a clear picture of which obstacles need to be tackled first. Two ideas emerged as root causes: the inadequate public promotion of its importance and the lack of user friendliness.


Previous studies to determine whether desflurane increases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure are inconclusive because none have included all of the following: multiple doses of desflurane, administration for at least several hours, examination at normo- and hypocapnia, a concurrent comparison group, direct measurement of both intra- and extracranial CSF pressures, and measurement of venous pressures that influence CSF pressure. The present study was designed to determine whether CSF pressure increases during 4.0 h desflurane anesthesia using a study design that included the above elements. Catheters were placed in the lateral cerebral ventricle, cisterna magna, sagittal sinus, and jugular vein of 12 dogs anesthetized with thiopental 12 mg.kg-1.h-1 and halothane 0.5 to 0.8%. Catheter pressures were measured, and the CSF-sagittal sinus pressure gradient and slope of the gradient to CSF pressure relationship were determined during control conditions. Then, 6 dogs were anesthetized with desflurane and 6 dogs were anesthetized with isoflurane, and the same values were determined for 1.0 h at each of four experimental conditions: 0.5 and 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) during normocapnia (PaCO2 35-39 mm Hg) and 0.5 and 1.0 MAC during hypocapnia (PaCO2 20-24 mm Hg). CSF and sagittal sinus pressures, but not jugular venous pressure, increased with both desflurane and isoflurane. The greater increase of CSF pressure with 4.0 h desflurane (to 40.2 +/- 12.7 cm H2O) than with 4.0 h isoflurane (to 26.2 +/- 11.5 cm H2O) was attributable to an increase of CSF pressure that was greater during 2.0 h desflurane and normocapnia than during 2.0 h isoflurane and normocapnia, and to an increase of CSF pressure during 2.0 h desflurane and hypocapnia that was similar to that during 2.0 h isoflurane and hypocapnia. The greater increase of CSF pressure during desflurane may have resulted, in part, from increased CSF volume as indicated by a positive CSF-sagittal sinus pressure gradient (in contrast, there was little or no CSF-sagittal sinus pressure gradient during isoflurane) and a steeper slope of the gradient to CSF pressure relationship.


Extradition encompasses both the administrative bodies and the judicial bodies. The Extradition (Contiguous and Foreign Countries) Act requires that an authority to proceed is issued once the Attorney General receives the extradition request. This is different from what is contained under the 2010 Constitution. Currently, the 2010 Constitution mandates the Director of Public Prosecutions to institute criminal proceedings as opposed to the Repealed Constitution which conferred it on the Attorney General. Hence, courts have interpreted the authority to proceed in extradition to fall within different ambits. For example, in the 2015 case of Samuel Gichuru v Attorney General, the High Court held that this authority fell under the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. This was overturned in the 2018 Court of Appeal case, Chrysanthus Okemo v Attorney General, where the authority was to be granted by the Attorney General. However, the Supreme Court in Director of Public Prosecutions v Chrysanthus Okemo (2021) upheld the High Court's decision. Therefore, this paper sets out to determine and streamline the nature of extradition in Kenya, given that there exist overlapping mandates and lacunae that the law needs to address for a uniform practice of extradition in Kenya.


Abstract Life has many options, but when it comes to the world of derivatives or  trading futures , forwards and options, there are certain points you need to keep in mind. Derivatives are hot property, but if you are looking to break the ice and get acquainted with this trading segment, you have come to the right place.  Derivatives markets in most countries are more popular than cash markets on an exchange. But  what are derivatives ? Derivatives are increasingly becoming an important tool for risk management. Derivatives contracts help in reducing risk by transferring the risk associated with the underlying asset to the party willing to take that risk. Some of the risks are Credit risk, Liquidity risk and market risk.
Derivative is best used as risk management tool by which you can transfer the risk associated with the underlying asset to the party who is willing to take that risk. It is an effort to demonstrate the growth and expansion of financial derivative of NSE in India the time period i,e 2014-2015 to 2016-17.


IF (intermediate filament) proteins can be cleaved by caspases to generate proapoptotic fragments as shown for desmin. These fragments can also cause filament aggregation. The hypothesis is that disease-causing mutations in IF proteins and their subsequent characteristic histopathological aggregates could involve caspases. GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein), a closely related IF protein expressed mainly in astrocytes, is also a putative caspase substrate. Mutations in GFAP cause AxD (Alexander disease). The overexpression of wild-type or mutant GFAP promotes cytoplasmic aggregate formation, with caspase activation and GFAP proteolysis. In this study, we report that GFAP is cleaved specifically by caspase 6 at VELD225 in its L12 linker domain in vitro. Caspase cleavage of GFAP at Asp225 produces two major cleavage products. While the C-GFAP (C-terminal GFAP) is unable to assemble into filaments, the N-GFAP (N-terminal GFAP) forms filamentous structures that are variable in width and prone to aggregation. The effect of N-GFAP is dominant, thus affecting normal filament assembly in a way that promotes filament aggregation. Transient transfection of N-GFAP into a human astrocytoma cell line induces the formation of cytoplasmic aggregates, which also disrupt the endogenous GFAP networks. In addition, we generated a neo-epitope antibody that recognizes caspase-cleaved but not the intact GFAP. Using this antibody, we demonstrate the presence of the caspase-generated GFAP fragment in transfected cells expressing a disease-causing mutant GFAP and in two mouse models of AxD. These findings suggest that caspase-mediated GFAP proteolysis may be a common event in the context of both the GFAP mutation and excess.


The absorbed dose in water determined by a water calorimeter was compared with that determined by a polystyrene-water calorimeter. An ionisation chamber was also used in the absorbed dose determinations. The beams that were used were cobalt-60 gamma rays, and 10 and 25 MV X-ray photons. A nominal 18 MeV electron beam was also included in the study. Results indicate that the absorbed dose measured by the water calorimeter using once-deionised water is 1.4 to 3.6% higher than that by the polystyrene-water calorimeter, indicating an average of 2.5% exothermicity of water. This finding is similar to that in the literature.


This paper discusses two approaches to "the sociotechnical", one coming from the Tavistock tradition and the other from actor network theory. These two differ in important ways and from the latter it follows that what patient safety means must be scrutinized and unpacked. The paper thus rudimentarily discusses central contributions to the problematization of patient safety. Last, it is argued that patient safety does not exist apart from the sociotechnical practices that seek to accomplish it, but is constructed in and through them, which is why it is pertinent to reflect on how those practices constructs what comes to qualify as patient safety.


We describe the Reveal formal functional verification system and its application to three representative hardware test cases. Reveal employs counterexample-guided abstraction refinement, or CEGAR, and is suitable for verifying the complex control logic of designs with wide datapaths. Reveal performs automatic datapath abstraction yielding an approximation of the original design with a much smaller state space. This approximation is subsequently used to verify the correctness of control logic interactions. If the approximation proves to be too coarse, it is automatically refined based on the spurious counterexample it generates. Such refinement can be viewed as a form of on-demand "learning" similar in spirit to conflict-based learning in modern Boolean satisfiability solvers. The abstraction/refinement process is iterated until the design is shown to be correct or an actual design error is reported. The Reveal system allows some user control over the abstraction and refinement steps. This paper examines the effect on Reveal's performance of the various available options for abstraction and refinement. Based on our initial experience with this system, we believe that automating the verification for a useful class of hardware designs is now quite feasible.


In the past 5 years, numerous reports have appeared of the use of radiofrequency (RF) current as an energy source for catheter ablation therapy of cardiac arrhythmias. Laboratory investigations using in vitro and in vivo animal models to study the biophysical and histologic effects as well as to assess the efficacy and safety of this technique in ablating various cardiac structures have been extensively performed and have led to successful applications in humans. Clinical experience with RF catheter ablation of the AV junction and accessory pathway has proliferated each year. However, experience with RF ablation of the VT focus remains quite limited. With further advances in catheter electrode design for mapping and ablation, a widespread application of RF catheter ablation to the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias is anticipated.


A man underwent placement of a lumbar catheter to drain cerebrospinal fluid at the start of a vascular surgery procedure. On the first postoperative day, an anesthesia resident who had never removed this type of drain removed the drain after consulting with his attending physician. The patient was seen on postoperative day 6 in the vascular surgery clinic reporting drainage from the lumbar drain site that had persisted since hospital discharge. That same day, the anesthesia resident removed another lumbar catheter and noted that the tip appeared different than the previous one. Suspecting that a fragment of the catheter tip may have been retained in the patient, he notified the attending anesthesiologist and the vascular surgery clinic. On examination of the patient's back, there was a raised area of skin with clear fluid at the lumbar drain site. Imaging was obtained, which confirmed the retained lumbar catheter tip.


Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic vasculitic disease of the aorta, its major branches and the pulmonary arteries, resulting in stenosing, occlusive or aneurysmal lesion. While the precise etiology of Takayasu's disease is unknown, an autoimmune mechanism or active tuberculous inflammation have been suggested. It is more common in young oriental women but has a rare incidence in children. We experienced a case of Takayasu arteritis type Ⅳ in an 8 years old girl. The diagnosis was made by physical examination and digital substraction aortography(DSA which showed narrowing of left common carotid artery, right subclavian artery and left renal artery. The perfusion defect at posterior segment of right upper lobe was noted in lung perfusion scan. Medical treatment and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA were performed. In addition to case report, a brief review of literature was added.


In this paper, an estimation algorithm of channel state transition probabilities in Markov channel model for cognitive radio systems is proposed. The framework of POMDP is adopted to solve the problem of channel selection. Maximum likelihood method is used to estimate the channel state transition probabilities, which is crucial to POMDP. Central Limit Theorem is introduced to get the relationship between the precision, sample times and the channel state transition probability values. The simulation results show the reliability of the estimation results.


ABSTRACT The Military Macaw is one of the eight species of the genus Ara. The genus is one of six genera, which form morphologically diverse group termed as Macaws. Parrots of this group differ in body size on demand of the genus and species. Six of Ara species are classified as large Macaws. Based on morphological similarities and differences, these species can be segregated into three pairs according to their plumage coloration. Representative mitochondrial genomes were sequenced only for A. glaucogularis (blue and yellow coloration) and A. macao (predominantly red/scarlet). Ara militaris is one of two predominantly green species and full mitochondrial genome of considered species was sequenced in this study. It's comparison with A. glaucogularis and A. macao mitogenomes revealed higher degree of identity between militaris and macao sequences than between militaris and glaucogularis mtDNAs. Ara militaris mitogenome will be indispensable to refine the phylogenetic relationships within Macaw group.


Abstract Background: Acute hepatic failure (AHF) can be caused by a variety of viruses, drugs, toxins and metabolic disorders. Aims: A prospective study was conducted to determine the aetiology and outcome of AHF in Thai children aged 1–15 years. Methods: All serum samples were tested for anti-HAV IgM, HBsAg, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HCV, anti-HEV IgM and anti-dengue IgG and IgM. Further individual investigations were done according to the clinical impression. Results: Forty subjects were enrolled from 14 centres during February 2000 to December 2001. Five cases were excluded owing to a lack of evidence of encephalopathy. The causes of AHF were dengue infection in 12 (34.3%), Wilson disease in 2 (5.7%), T-cell lymphoma in 2 (5.7%), ischaemic hepatitis in two (5.7%), haemophagocytic syndrome in one (2.8%), CMV in 2 (5.7%), Reye syndrome in one (2.8%) and unknown in 13 (37.1%) patients. The fatality rate was 68.6%. Eight of 24 (33.3%) deaths were caused by dengue infection. Conclusions: Improvements in sanitation and socio-economic status as well as the implementation of hepatitis B vaccine in the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) are likely to be the reasons for the observed absence of AHF caused by hepatitis A and B. The study showed that dengue infection, on the other hand, was a major cause of AHF in Thailand.


The authors present a theoretical description of the multiple ionisation of atoms. The description is based on the Thomas-Fermi model. They show that if the ionisation process is non-resonant and if the laser frequency omega L is smaller than 1015 s-1, the time-dependent external electric field can be replaced by the static one. Ionisation is due to the lowering of the potential barrier by the external field. The authors show that multiply charged ions occur as a result of a stepwise process. Multiple ionisation appears after the saturation of the singly charged ions. The saturation intensities of the electric field obtained in the model are in very good agreement with the experimental data. Contrary to the existing models, the model gives a very simple physical picture of the ionisation and has no free parameters fitted to the experiment.


To investigate the possibility that Mallory bodies (MBs) are composed of intermediate filaments (IFs), the electrophoretic patterns of MB proteins from human liver were compared with the IF protein extracted from chicken gizzard smooth muscle and extracts of mouse liver which contained MBs. The human MB had a protein component which had a similar mobility as that of the IF protein extracted from smooth muscle. A similar protein band was found in the extracts of mouse liver which contained MBs. No protein band corresponding to actin protein was found in human MB protein. The IF-like protein was also present in control mouse liver extract. The estimated molecular weight of the IF protein was 54,000. The evidence suggests that MBs are, in part, composed of IF protein. The IF protein is a normal constituent of liver and smooth muscle.


We first measure attitudes toward a product and attitudes toward product quality when an unknown brand is associated with a well-known and trusted co-brand in the form of payment and delivery options; employing a classic co-branding strategy. Theory suggests that association with a trusted brand should lead to improved positive assessment of an unknown brand. Results suggest the popular belief that trusted brands improve respondents' assessments of unknown brands through a co-branding strategy may not be supported when there is a restriction on choice of payment and delivery options. That is, when including only a limited number of co-brands, brand associations may give the perception of restricted choice, leading to a lessened level of trust in the co-brand. We then repeat the study using a known branded product and known branded delivery and payment methods. Results show no difference in consumer perceptions between no cobrand and a full complement of cobrands. However, a restricted set of payment and delivery options leads to a more negative attitude toward the product and product quality.


Biomolecular condensates are membrane‐less assemblies of proteins and nucleic acids. Centrosomes are biomolecular condensates that play a crucial role in nuclear division, cytoskeletal remodeling, and cilia formation in animal cells. Spatial omics technology is providing new insights into the dynamic exchange of spliceosome components between the nucleus and the centrosome/cilium. Intriguingly, centrosomes are emerging as cytoplasmic sites for information storage, enriched with RNA molecules and RNA‐processing proteins. Furthermore, growing evidence supports the view that nuclear spliceosome components assembled at the centrosome function as potential coordinators of splicing subprograms, pluripotency, and cell differentiation. In this article, we first discuss the current understanding of the centrosome/cilium complex, which controls both stem cell differentiation and pluripotency. We next explore the molecular mechanisms that govern splicing factor assembly and disassembly around the centrosome and examine how RNA processing pathways contribute to ciliogenesis. Finally, we discuss numerous unresolved compelling questions regarding the centrosome‐associated spliceosome components and transcript variants within the cytoplasm as sources of RNA‐based secondary messages in the regulation of cell identity and cell fate determination.


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by the development that appears before the age of 3 years , characteristic function abnormalities in three areas, social interaction, communication, limited and repetitive behavior. UNESCO in 2011 , there were 35 million people with ASD in the entire world, 6 of 1000 people in the world have been suspect ASD. While in Indonesia, the ratio of 8 out of every 1000 people. Child asd have allergic to nutrient substance that causes disruption brain functions consequently emotion. This study aims to analyze relationship the practice of diet between with the emotional ASD children aged 3-7 years in Depok. This research uses a cross-sectional study with survey method. The population in this study is child with ASD was therapy in 5 clinic therapy for children with special needs (Anak Mandiri, Talenta Optima, Lentera Insan, Kriebel, Rumah Autis Depok). using the total sampling method 35 children was respondents. using Chi-square for analysis data with 5% significance level. The result showed children with ASD has emotional stable more on child with diet (70,6 %) than child is not on a diet (16 %). The statistics chi-square obtained value p-value 0,001. The concluded that diet practices haved a relationship with emotional in ASD children  ages 3-7  years in  Depok city


We developed the Active3D-Build to improve civil engineering project management. This Web-based platform lets geographically dispersed project participants-from architects to electricians to plumbers-directly use and exchange project documents in a centralized virtual environment using a simple Web browser. A 3D visualization lets participants move around in the building being designed and obtain information about the objects that compose it. The Active3D-Lab is the software development arm of the Archimede Group, a civil engineering and facility management firm. The Active3DLab team includes three administrative staff members, eight developers, and three University of Bourgogne researchers. We're already marketing this product, and several enterprises use it in their civil engineering projects.


We propose a discursive approach for exploring how practitioners intelligently respond and create a sense of coherence in their linguistic practice. A discursive approach to skillful activity is able to account for the role of meaning making in conversation, address how communication constructs the context in which skillful activity originates, and recognize the co-created flavor of skillful practice. We offer an account of skillful linguistic performance that turns on practitioners acting with sensibility by paying close attention to the reflexive relationships among: (a) moral-aesthetic commitments; (b) conversational abilities in the form of utterances, methods, and techniques; (c) practical reasoning and the process of invention; and (d) context. We conclude by exploring the implications of a discursive approach for meaning making, identity construction, and managing the tensions emerging from different traditions or communities of practice.


Graphs are used to model interactions in a variety of contexts, and there is a growing need to quickly assess the structure of such graphs. Some of the most useful graph metrics are based on triangles, such as those measuring social cohesion. Algorithms to compute them can be extremely expensive, even for moderately sized graphs with only millions of edges. Previous work has considered node and edge sampling; in contrast, we consider wedge sampling, which provides faster and more accurate approximations than competing techniques. Additionally, wedge sampling enables estimating local clustering coefficients, degree‐wise clustering coefficients, uniform triangle sampling, and directed triangle counts. Our methods come with provable and practical probabilistic error estimates for all computations. We provide extensive results that show our methods are both more accurate and faster than state‐of‐the‐art alternatives.


The total hip arthroplasty (THA) stands as one of the best well succeded orthopedic procedures. Despite of that, hip surgery domain still faces challenges on a regular basis. The positioning of THA components related to femur and pelvis is important for the surgery prognostic. Assessing both acetabular incline and anteversion angles during surgical programming will benefit THA procedure. Objectives: To evaluate the positioning of acetabular angles in ATQ, measuring its inclination and anteversion. To compare the results with previous studies of literature. Methods: By Shapiro Wilk and Bartlett tests were found normality and homogeneity of the variances. The t test was used to compare the findings with values found in literature. Thirty six male subjects who underwent THA were assessed through pelvis radiographies (AP), where the acetabular incline and anteversion angles have been trigonometric calculated. Results: 36 male subjects THA, being 61% of those on the left side of the body. The averages were, age 66.96 years (±12.24), acetabular cup incline 44.69o (± 4.65), acetabular anteversion angle 20.12o (±7.01). There were no statistically significant differences when compared to the reference values from literature. Conclusion: further studies and technologies must be adopted due to minimize the effects of any subjectivity in the acetabular component positioning, mainly when related to the acetabular anteversion.


To identify the epitopes in human interleukin-15 (IL-15) that are responsible for binding to the interleukin-15 receptor α chain, antibody and receptor mapping by peptide scanning and site-directed mutagenesis was used. By using peptide scanning, we identified four regions in IL-15. The first region (85CKECEELEEKN95) is located in the C-D loop and is recognized by a set of non-inhibitory antibodies. The second region (102SFVHIVQMFIN112) is located in helix D and is recognized by two antibodies that are inhibitory of IL-15 bio-activity but not of IL-15 binding to IL-15Rα. The two remaining regions react with a recombinant soluble form of the IL-15Rα; the first (44LLELQVISL52, peptide 1) corresponds to a sequence located in the B-helix and the second (64ENLII68, peptide 2) to a sequence located in helix C. The latter is also contained in the epitope recognized by an antibody (monoclonal antibody B-E29) that prevents IL-15 binding to IL-15Rα. By site-directed mutagenesis, we confirmed that residues present in peptide 1 (Leu-45, Glu-46, Val-49, Ser-51, and Leu-52) and peptide 2 (Leu-66 and Ile-67) are involved in the binding of IL-15 to IL-15Rα. Furthermore, the results presented indicate that residues in the second peptide (Glu-64, Asn-65, and Ile-68) participate in IL-2Rβ recruitment. This finding could have implications for the dynamics of receptor assembly. These results also indicate that the modes of interaction of IL-15 and IL-2 with their respective α chains are not completely analogous. Finally, some of the IL-15 mutants generated in this study displayed agonist or antagonist properties and may be useful as therapeutic agents.


ABSTRACT.
 The postbreeding period is critical for many forest birds and especially for juveniles, which must learn to forage on their own before the fall migration. During this period, many birds of the boreal forest are found in early-successional stands (ESS), where fruit abundance is typically high. Boreal forest birds may use ESS to exploit fruit or for reasons other than access to fruit, namely to forage along forest edges or simply to transit through clearcuts between patches of mature forest. We tested whether frugivory, edge use, and transit through small (<65 ha) clearcuts between mature-forest patches accounted for bird abundance in ESS in a boreal forest of Quebec during the summers 2007 and 2008. Fifteen of the 33 species captured in ESS were postbreeding frugivores. Removal of all fruits from Sambucus racemosa, a dominant fruiting plant, within 10 m of mist-netting sites reduced the number of frugivores captured by 45% but did not affect nonfrugivores. Numbers of birds captured were independent of distance from mature-forest edges, thus refuting the edge hypothesis, at least in a range of 20–60 m. Mist nets placed parallel to mature-forest edges intercepted more mature-forest birds than mist nets placed perpendicular to edges, as would be expected if mature-forest birds traveled straight through ESS. We conclude that frugivory and transit, but not edge proximity, contribute to the postbreeding abundance of mature-forest birds in boreal early-successional stands.


Abstract Every lattice generated by three unordered elements contains a finite sublattice generated by three unordered elements. A list ℒ of twelve finite lattices, each generated by a three-element unordered set, is given. It is proved that every lattice generated by a three-element unordered set contains a sublattice isomorphic to onė of the lattices in ℒ moreover, ℒ is the smallest such list.


The 3-2, 4-2 and 5-2 compressors are the basic components in many applications, in particular partial product summation in multipliers. In this paper novel architectures and designs of high speed, low power 3-2, 4-2 and 5-2 compressors capable of operating at ultra-low voltages are presented. The power consumption, delay and area of these new compressor architectures are compared with existing and recently proposed compressor architectures and are shown to perform better. The proposed architecture lays emphasis on the use of multiplexers in arithmetic circuits that result in high speed and efficient design. Also in all existing implementations of XOR gate and multiplexers, both output and its complement are available but current designs of compressors do not use these outputs efficiently. In the proposed architecture these outputs are efficiently utilized to improve the performance of compressors. The combination of low power, low transistor count and lesser delay makes the new compressors a viable option for efficient design.


This study aims to describe (1) the supporting factors for implementing PTSP. (2) PTSP management system implementation and (3) PTSP management system in the Singaraja religious court. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The data collection technique in this study was to conduct interviews with several informants including the head of the service sector, several service implementers and the community as PTSP service users. The results of this study indicate that: First, the supporting factors in the implementation of PTSP are facilities and infrastructure, there are innovations in supporting the running of PTSP. Second, the implementation of the PTSP management system at the Singaraja religious court is to achieve excellent service and simple and fast service. Third, the PTSP management system at the Singaraja religious court includes performance planning for the implementation of several actions that must be carried out, namely the front office that applies 5S (smile, greet, greet, polite, courteous) and services that are friendly to persons with disabilities such as providing tracking guides. performance development by conducting excellent service training where the activity is aimed at socializing the application of a culture of excellent service at the Singaraja Religious Court. Implementation of performance monitoring by looking at the absences of workers. Performance appraisal is carried out using a survey mechanism conducted on the community where the survey aims to measure the extent to which the service is carried out and is able to provide satisfaction to the community.


In contemporary society, it is common to observe the trend of early marriage. Various factors, including age, play a significant role in determining one's readiness for marriage. As an individual's age increases, it tends to have a positive impact on their preparedness for marriage and the stability of their marital relationships. This research aims to assess the extent of age's influence on marriage preparedness in young women attending Madrasah Aliyah. The study encompassed a population of 83 female adolescents enrolled in Madrasah Aliyah. Given the limited population size (less than 100), a sampling technique was employed to select the sample. The analysis method employed was simple linear regression, with age serving as the independent variable and marriage readiness as the dependent variable.. The influence of the age variable on readiness to marry adolescent women in Madrasyah Aliyah can be seen from the results of simple linear regression analysis with sig. is 0.038 < 0.05. The results of the research show that age has a significant effect on the readiness to marry among young women at Madrasah Aliyah. The research suggestion is that future researchers further expand the research population so that the research results can be used and generalized.
Keywords:Readiness for Marriage; Young lady


INTRODUCTION Researchers have frequently examined the information seeking behaviour of particular professional groups in an effort to assess the ways and patterns of locating and utilization of information so as to enhance information provision to these groups. Information needs and seeking activity differs from one profession to another. Thus, adequate knowledge of the information needs and seeking behaviour of Postgraduate Law students is imperative for law libraries to support their research activity. Such an understanding will help law libraries to develop library collections and services that are more likely to satisfy users' information needs. This is because the success of a library in meeting the information needs of its users will determine the number of future library use by the users'. The study aims at accessing the pattern and use of library information resources by Postgraduate law students in Nigerian Institute of Advanced Library Studies library, Lagos, Nigeria. Problem Statement In assessing law libraries in Lagos State, no effort has been made to find out how knowledge of the information needs and seeking behaviour of Postgraduate law students in research law libraries could lead to provision of current and up-to-date legal materials as well as adequate utilisation of legal materials for improved legal research. It was in the light of this that this study investigated information needs and seeking behaviour of Postgraduate law students in NIALS library, Lagos. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to 1. find out the legal information resources available to Postgraduate Law students; 2. find out the information needs of the students; 3. find out the sources of obtaining academic information by students; 4. find out if students get their required information from the identified sources; 5. find out how students rate the general availability and access to information in the library Research Questions Specifically, the following research questions were addressed in the study: 1 What are the legal resources available to Postgraduate law students? 2 What are the information needs of the students? 3 What are the sources of obtaining academic information by students? 4 Do students get all the information required from the identified sources? 5 How will student rate the general availability and access to information in the library? LITERATURE REVIEW A significant body of literature exists on the information needs and seeking behaviour of different user groups across disciplines. According to Bates (2002) "Information could be defined in terms of tools, processes or knowledge". Postgraduate Law students seek information for several purposes and like any other user, they experience considerable problems in satisfying. Thus, everything the students do, whether providing legal advice, drafting a legal document or conducting a legal research requires information (Otike and Mathews, 2000). Law is a highly knowledge-intensive domain and obtaining accurate and up-to-date legal information can improve the legal information needs of postgraduate law students. Otike (2000) explored the legal information needs of lawyers in Kenya. It was noted that a lawyer's work is determined by the legal needs of the clients, which, in turn, influences the information needs of the lawyer. The lawyers seek assistance from the High Court library or collections in other law firms. Haruna and Mabanwonku (2001) examined the information needs and seeking behaviour of lawyers in Lagos, Nigeria. The study revealed that many lawyers perceived the need to know the latest decisions of superior courts as their greatest professional information need. Other expressed needs include knowing recent legislation, obtaining information on local and international seminars and conferences, and on acquisition and application of legal "know-how". …