NASA relies more and more on software to control, monitor, and verify its safety critical systems, facilities and operations. Since the 1960's there has hardly been a spacecraft launched that does not have a computer on board that will provide command and control services. There have been recent incidents where software has played a role in high-profile mission failures and hazardous incidents. For example, the Mars Orbiter, Mars Polar Lander, the DART (Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology), and MER (Mars Exploration Rover) Spirit anomalies were all caused or contributed to by software. The Mission Control Centers for the Shuttle, ISS, and unmanned programs are highly dependant on software for data displays, analysis, and mission planning. Despite this growing dependence on software control and monitoring, there has been little to no consistent application of software safety practices and methodology to NASA's projects with safety critical software. Meanwhile, academia and private industry have been stepping forward with procedures and standards for safety critical systems and software, for example Dr. Nancy Leveson's book Safeware: System Safety and Computers. The NASA Software Safety Standard, originally published in 1997, was widely ignored due to its complexity and poor organization. It also focused on concepts rather than definite procedural requirements organized around a software project lifecycle. Led by NASA Headquarters Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, the NASA Software Safety Standard has recently undergone a significant update. This new standard provides the procedures and guidelines for evaluating a project for safety criticality and then lays out the minimum project lifecycle requirements to assure the software is created, operated, and maintained in the safest possible manner. This update of the standard clearly delineates the minimum set of software safety requirements for a project without detailing the implementation for those requirements. This allows the projects leeway to meet these requirements in many forms that best suit a particular project's needs and safety risk. In other words, it tells the project what to do, not how to do it. This update also incorporated advances in the state of the practice of software safety from academia and private industry. It addresses some of the more common issues now facing software developers in the NASA environment such as the use of Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Software (COTS), Modified OTS (MOTS), Government OTS (GOTS), and reused software. A team from across NASA developed the update and it has had both NASA-wide internal reviews by software engineering, quality, safety, and project management. It has also had expert external review. This presentation and paper will discuss the new NASA Software Safety Standard, its organization, and key features. It will start with a brief discussion of some NASA mission failures and incidents that had software as one of their root causes. It will then give a brief overview of the NASA Software Safety Process. This will include an overview of the key personnel responsibilities and functions that must be performed for safety-critical software.


The effect of an experimentally induced intestinal perforation was studied in chick embryos. In 5 different groups of embryos a perforation was induced at 5 different developmental stages, while an equal number of sham operations was carried out for each stage. The results demonstrate that the effect of an intestinal perforation is determined by the developmental stage at which this perforation occurs. There was an inverse relationship between the developmental stage at which the perforation was induced and the remaining traces of the perforation site at the end of incubation. A perforation induced at an earlier developmental stage was more likely to lead to intestinal atresia coupled with only microscopic signs of meconium peritonitis. The severity of the adhesions increased concurrently with the developmental stage.


Thiochrome is able to suppress pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. This effect is observed after injection of thiochrome to an organism and in experiments on a purified enzyme.


Blocking the staphyloxanthin biosynthesis process has emerged as a new promising antivirulence strategy. Previously, we first revealed that CrtN is a druggable target against infections caused by pigmented Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and that naftifine was an effective CrtN inhibitor. Here, we identify a new type of benzofuran-derived CrtN inhibitor with submicromolar IC50 values that is based on the naftifine scaffold. The most potent analog, 5m, inhibits the pigment production of S. aureus Newman and three MRSA strains, with IC50 values of 0.38-5.45 nM, without any impact on the survival of four strains (up to 200 μM). Notably, compound 5m (1 μM) could significantly sensitize four strains to immune clearance and could effectively attenuate the virulence of three strains in vivo. Moreover, 5m was determined to be a weak antifungal reagent (MIC > 16 μg/mL). Combined with good oral bioavailability (F = 42.2%) and excellent safety profiles, these data demonstrate that 5m may be a good candidate for the treatment of MRSA infections.


We calculate energies and hyperfine structure constants A and B for low-lying levels of . The latter is treated as a two-electron atom. To account for valence-valence correlations the configuration interaction method is used. Valence-core correlations are accounted for within the many-body perturbation theory which is used to construct effective two-electron operators in the valence space.


Byzantine Agreement has become increasingly important in establishing distributed properties when errors may exist in the systems. Recent polynomial algorithms for reaching Byzantine Agreement provide us with feasible solutions for obtaining coordination and synchronization in distributed systems. In this paper the amount of information exchange necessary to ensure Byzantine Agreement is studied. This is measured by the total number of messages the participating processors have to send in the worst case. In algorithms that use a signature scheme, the number of signatures appended to messages are also counted.
First it is shown that &OHgr;(nt) is a lower bound for the number of signatures for any algorithm using authentication, where n denotes the number of processors and t the upper bound on the number of faults the algorithm is supposed to handle. For algorithms that reach Byzantine Agreement without using authentication this is even a lower bound for the total number of messages. If n is large compared to t, these bounds match the upper bounds from previously known algorithms. For the number of messages in the authenticated case we prove the lower bound &OHgr;(n + t2). Finally algorithms that achieve this bound are presented.


Anti‐Stokes photoluminescence excitation of a WS2 monolayer flake between 10 and 300 K is reported herein. Even with continuous‐wave lasers at low power, the emission of the exciton at excitation 100 meV below its emission energy at room temperature is observed. A mechanism which involves the trions as the intermediate state is proposed, leading to an efficient up‐conversion process. In addition, it is demonstrated that phonons are the source of the additional energy needed by the system. Overall, the results provide evidence that anti‐Stokes luminescence in transition metal dichalcogenides is very efficient.


Dynamic characteristics of electroosmosis of a typical non-Newtonian liquid in a rectangular microchannel are investigated by using numerical simulations. The non-Newtonian behavior of liquids is assumed to obey the famous power-law model and then the mathematical model is solved numerically by using the finite element method. The results indicate that the non-Newtonian effect produces some noticeable dynamic responses in electroosmotic flow. Under a direct current (DC) driving electric field, it is found that the fluid responds more inertly to an external electric field and the steady-state velocity profile becomes more plug-like as the flow behavior index decreases. Under an alternating current (AC) driving electric field, the fluid is observed to experience more significant acceleration and the amplitude of oscillating velocity becomes larger as the fluid behavior index decreases. Furthermore, our investigation also shows that electroosmotic flow of power-law fluids under an AC/DC combined driving field is enhanced as compared with that under a pure DC electric field. These dynamic predictions are of practical use for the design of electroosmotically-driven microfluidic devices that analyze and process non-Newtonian fluids such as biofluids and polymeric solutions.


We investigate the optical transmission spectra of quasi-periodic dielectric multilayer slabs arranged in a fashion that exhibits what has been called deterministic disorders. They can be of the so-called substitutional sequences type, and are characterized by the nature of their Fourier spectrum, which can be dense pure point (e.g. a Fibonacci sequence) or singular continuous (e.g. Thue-Morse and double-period sequences). The transmission coefficients are conveniently derived by using a theoretical model based on the transfer-matrix approach. A comparison between the oblique-incidence optical transmission spectrum and the normal-incidence one shows quite a different transmission behaviours over a particular range of frequency.


A fecal or urinary diversion is frequently recommended for a variety of patient conditions. This article will review some of the history of stoma creation, discuss current practices in stoma care, and summarize the current literature regarding stomal complications. Outcomes of fecal and urinary diversion procedures will be depicted, and postoperative quality of life will be described. An update of current ostomy equipment will be presented, along with the crucial role of the WOC nurse in stoma care rehabilitation. Areas for future research in the ongoing drive for evidence-based practice will be highlighted.


Background: Physical therapy (PT) following total ankle replacement (TAR) is often considered, but guidelines for its use are not standardized. Although patient factors may dictate recommendations, this retrospective cohort study aims to characterize baseline utilization practices to set the stage for establishing generalizable recommendations. Methods: TAR patients were identified from the 2010-2019 M91 Ortho PearlDiver data set based on administrative coding. Patient factors were extracted, including age, sex, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI), region of the country in which patients' surgery was performed (Midwest, Northeast, South, West), and insurance plan (commercial, Medicaid, Medicare). The incidence, timing, and frequency of home or outpatient PT utilization in the 90 days following TAR were identified. Inpatient PT was not captured. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses allowed identification of predictive factors for PT utilization. Results: Of 5412 TAR patients identified, postoperative PT services were used by 2453 (45.3%). Most PT was outpatient (38.3% of the study population) compared to home (4.1% of the study population). Weekly utilization of PT was greatest in the first week following surgery (17.7% of PT visits) and thereafter followed a roughly bell-shaped curve, with utilization greatest at 7 weeks following surgery (14.9% of PT visits). Independent predictors of PT utilization following TAR included having surgery performed in the Midwest (relative to the South, OR 1.37, P < .0001), Northeast (OR 1.20, P = .0217), or West (OR 1.26, P < .0021) and having commercial (relative to Medicare, OR 1.87, P < .0001) or Medicaid insurance (OR 1.46, P = .0239). Conclusion: Of 5412 TAR patients, 42.5% used PT within 90 days of surgery. PT utilization was highest in the first and seventh weeks following surgery, and demographic predictors of PT use were defined. Through identification of timing and predictors of PT utilization following TAR, PT care pathways may be better defined. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.


Hollywood Aesthetic: Pleasure in American Cinema investigates the Hollywood film industry's chief artistic accomplishment: providing aesthetic pleasure to mass audiences. Grounded in film history and supported by research in psychology and philosophical aesthetics, the book explains (1) the intrinsic properties characteristic of Hollywood cinema that induce aesthetic pleasure; (2) the cognitive and affective processes, sparked by Hollywood movies, that become engaged during aesthetic pleasure; and (3) the exhilarated aesthetic experiences afforded by an array of persistently entertaining Hollywood movies. Hollywood Aesthetic addresses four fundamental components of Hollywood's aesthetic design—narrative, style, ideology, and genre—aiming for a comprehensive appraisal of Hollywood cinema's capacity to excite aesthetic pleasure. This article outlines the book's main points and themes. As a précis, it is heavy on ideas and light on evidence, which is to be found in the book itself.


This is a partial result about the loop transfer recovery (LTR) structure in frequency domain. Two theorems show the causality relations between the target loop and the recovery function following the geometric approach previously presented by the authors (1996). The multivariable system is linear, time invariant, not necessarily right invertible and not necessarily minimum phase. Output feedback control is considered.


Decadal variabilities in Indian Ocean subsurface ocean heat content (OHC; 50–300 m) since the 1950s are examined using ocean reanalyses. This study elaborates on how Pacific variability modulates the Indian Ocean on decadal time scales through both oceanic and atmospheric pathways. High correlations between OHC and thermocline depth variations across the entire Indian Ocean Basin suggest that OHC variability is primarily driven by thermocline fluctuations. The spatial pattern of the leading mode of decadal Indian Ocean OHC variability closely matches the regression pattern of OHC on the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO), emphasizing the role of the Pacific Ocean in determining Indian Ocean OHC decadal variability. Further analyses identify different mechanisms by which the Pacific influences the eastern and western Indian Ocean. IPO-related anomalies from the Pacific propagate mainly through oceanic pathways in the Maritime Continent to impact the eastern Indian Ocean. By contrast, in the western Indian Ocean, the IPO induces wind-driven Ekman pumping in the central Indian Ocean via the atmospheric bridge, which in turn modifies conditions in the southwestern Indian Ocean via westward-propagating Rossby waves. To confirm this, a linear Rossby wave model is forced with wind stresses and eastern boundary conditions based on reanalyses. This linear model skillfully reproduces observed sea surface height anomalies and highlights both the oceanic connection in the eastern Indian Ocean and the role of wind-driven Ekman pumping in the west. These findings are also reproduced by OGCM hindcast experiments forced by interannual atmospheric boundary conditions applied only over the Pacific and Indian Oceans, respectively.


Predicting the response of populations to climate change requires knowledge of thermal performance. Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity affect thermal performance, but the effects of sex and developmental temperatures often go uncharacterized. We used common garden experiments to test for effects of local adaptation, developmental phenotypic plasticity, and individual sex on thermal performance of the ubiquitous copepod, Acartia tonsa. Females had higher thermal tolerance than males in both populations, while the Florida population had higher thermal tolerance compared to the Connecticut population. An effect of developmental phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance was observed only in the Connecticut population. Ignoring sex-specific differences may result in a severe underestimation of population-level impacts of warming (i.e. - population decline due to sperm limitation). Further, despite having a higher thermal tolerance, southern populations may be more vulnerable to warming as they lack the ability to respond to increases in temperature through phenotypic plasticity.


Abstract 3609 Background: AML associated with CBF abnormalities (CBF-AML) is the type of leukemia most responsive to cytarabine (ara-C) therapy and is of relative favorable prognosis. We have previously reported a complete remission (CR) rate of 93% (Borthakur et al. Cancer 2008). Aim: To investigate the molecular response to fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and GO (FLAG-GO) or idarubicin (FLAG-IDA) and the dynamic of this molecular response in newly diagnosed pts withCBF-AML. Methods: 69 consecutive pts with newly diagnosed CBF-AML were assessed between 4/07 and 11/11. Of the 69 pts, 60 pts had regular monitoring testing and thus were eligible for this analysis. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR in peripheral blood/bone marrow samples was performed prior to therapy, at the documentation of the response and approximately every 3 months thereafter. Results: Median age was 48 yrs, range (19–78 yrs). 26 (43%) pts had inversion 16 and 34 (57%) t(8;21). 47 pts received FLAG-GO and 13 FLAG-IDA as induction/consolidation. The overall CR rate was 90% with median time to CR being 26 days, range 19–33 days. The CR rates for pts with inv 16 and t(8;21) were 88% and 91%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 32 months (range, 7 to 61), 51 pts remained alive; 6 (10%) pts relapsed with a median of 10.8 months (range, 7.8 to 20.5). The median overall and relapse-free survival was not reached. The 4-year OS and EFS rates were 79% and 77% respectively. All responders achieved a molecular response with the nadir being observed at a median of 7 months (range, 1 to 28) from the start of the therapy. 55 pts (92%) achieved a transcript level below 0.01% after a median of 4 months (range, 1 to 13) and 43 pts (72%) achieved a complete molecular response (CMR) or undetected level by PCR within 7 months (range, 1 to 28). Relapses were seen in 3/42 (7%) pts with CMR, 2/12 (17%) of pts with transcript level ≤0.01 and 1/5 (20%) of pts with transcript level >0.01 respectively (Fig. 1). The 4-year EFS and OS for pts achieving a CMR or not were 84% and 56% (p=0.015) and 88% and 51% (p=0.002), respectively. Figure 1 summarizes pt disposition. Of the 5 pts who never achieved a transcript level below 0.01%, one patient relapsed 5 months after achieving his nadir transcript value of6.08% and all remaining four pts have remained in CR for a median of 206 months (range, 7+ to 50+) despite persistent molecular disease. Of the 55 pts with a transcript level below 0.01%, 5 (9%) relapsed and 7 additional (13%, 3 of them with CMR) lost their molecular response to a level below 0.15% with no morphological relapse; 2 of the 3 with CMR regained a CMR after a median 15 months (range, 7 to 23 months). Conclusion: Front-line therapy of CBF-AML with FLAG-GO/IDA is highly efficacious and induces molecular responses in a significant number of pts. The achievement of CMR is associated with improvement of EFS and OS. Persistence of minimal disease and minor fluctuations in the transcript levels below 0.15% should be monitored and are not predictive of relapse. Disclosures: Ravandi:Genzyme/Sanofi: Honoraria. Faderl:Genzyme: Advisory Board Other, Research Funding.


Bio-psycho-socio-spiritual problems often appear in cancer patients; however, the spiritual and religious characteristics that appear in cancer patients have not been widely studied. The objective of this research was to analyze the spiritual and religious characteristics of cancer patients. This research consisted of a scoping review of national and international articles published in 2013-2018. The researchers searched for articles through Google Scholar, PubMed, and ProQuest with the keywords 'cancer', 'spiritual' and 'religious'. There were 2,727 articles identified, and the 38 articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. According to the results, spiritual and religious characteristics in cancer patients included the use of spirituality and religion as a coping mechanism, belief in God as a source of strength, the need for family support and spiritual or religious communities, cancer as a process of spiritual or religious maturity, and changes in spiritual or religious rituals. The results of this review can be used to complement guidelines on spiritual and religious nursing care for cancer patients.
Keywords: cancer, palliative, spiritual, religious, terminal care


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible associations between health-relevant personality traits and adherence; and if these traits predict adherence to a web-based occupational health intervention.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 563 participants were analyzed using the Health-relevant Personality Inventory. Adherence measures were: logins, utilization of self-help exercises and time spent logged in.FindingsHigher levels of antagonism (a facet of agreeableness) and impulsivity (a facet of conscientiousness) correlated to fewer logins, and higher levels of negative affectivity (a facet of neuroticism) and impulsivity correlated to a higher utilization of self-help exercises. Alexithymia (a facet of openness) negatively predicted self-help exercise utilization and antagonism was a positive predictor. Negative affectivity was a positive predictor of time spent logged in to the intervention. There were sex-related differences in outcomes.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate health-relevant personality traits in relation to adherence to a web-based occupational health intervention. The practical implications are that intervention developers could benefit from taking personality into consideration to better understand and improve adherence.


Cold regions, such as Alaska, Russia and Canada, get attention from many countries due to the tremendous amount of natural resources which are buried there. An accurate evaluation of the frozen ground is very important because the behavior of the active layer is greatly affected by the soil characteristics and water content in the active layer. It is necessary for developing a construction technology for pipelines in cold regions. This study has two objectives: 1) First one is to evaluate the characteristics of a newly-produced insulated aggregate and 2) the other one is to check the applicability of insulated aggregate. A series of laboratory experiments (specific gravity test, sieve analysis test, direct shear test, test for abrasion of coarse and aggregates by use of the Los Angeles machine) were performed to estimate the characteristics of the newly-produced insulated aggregate. In addition, the laboratory chamber tests were carried out to evaluate the applicability of frozen soil behavior using the newly-produced insulated aggregate. The chamber tests were conducted to check the laboratory model surrounded by soil mixing the insulated aggregate and ordinary soil in order to prevent the damage of structures such as pipelines due to the ground being frozen. For the laboratory chamber tests, the extreme cold engineering laboratory was built within the Yeon Cheon SOC Demonstration Research Center, of the Korea Institute of Construction Technology. The performance of the frozen ground which was installed with the insulated aggregate using vinyl was evaluated through monitoring the time-dependent distribution of temperature and earth-pressure.


Increasing evidence suggests that endocytosis and membrane trafficking are deregulated in cancer cells. Because of their dependence on selected signaling pathways, tumor cells may need to rely on accelerated receptor recycling and increased secretion of a variety of molecules such as matrix components, adhesion molecules and growth factors. Mass spectrometry analysis of proteins associated with separase, recently shown to be an important regulator of membrane trafficking, identified the Golgi apparatus protein 1 (GLG1). GLG1 is primarily known as an E-selectin ligand that mediates the initial step of tethering and rolling of leukocytes on vascular endothelium. We therefore addressed the possibility that GLG1 could play a similar role in circulating tumor cells, facilitating arrest and extravasation into adjacent tissues. Consistent with this possibility, tail vein injection of stably GLG1-depleted tumor cells into NOD/SCID mice resulted in reduced numbers of metastatic nodules. Moreover, metastatic tumor growth was almost exclusively intravascular, indicating impaired extravasation of tumor cells. Further investigation, however, showed that, in tumor cells, GLG1 is almost exclusively localized to the Golgi apparatus, challenging the notion that it plays a direct role in mediating tumor cell adhesion to endothelium as in leukocytes. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which GLG1 could affect tumor cell migration through interactions at the Golgi level, we conducted experiments using GLG1-depleted human tumor cell lines. Transient silencing of GLG1 by siRNA was observed to modify cell shape (elongated morphology), to markedly alter Golgi architecture, to inhibit migration of a range of tumor cell lines, and to decrease β1 integrin protein level and impair its internalization/recycling. In addition, subsequent experiments led to the identification of BIG1, an Arf-GEF required to initiate membrane vesicle formation by promoting guanine-nucleotide exchange on Arf1 and Arf3, as a new interactor of GLG1. Taken together, our observations provide insight into a novel and specific role of GLG1 in tumor progression by affecting, thanks to its privileged position in the secretory pathway, trafficking of key molecules implicated in cell migration. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3245. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3245


The prevalence of oral candidosis and the frequency of isolation of Candida albicans and its density and distribution have been determined in the mouths of 50 patients with diabetes mellitus and 50 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, dental status and smoking habits. Three of the diabetic patients were found to have a chronic oral candidosis. According to an imprint culture technique, the oral carrier rate and density of C albicans were both higher in the diabetic group as a whole than in the control subjects. Smoking was associated with an increased prevalence of the yeast in diabetes mellitus. Diabetics wearing dentures had higher candidal density than those without a prosthesis. No differences in candidal status could be detected according to the degree of control of diabetes, mode of treatment, duration of diabetes or the patient's age. Local factors such as smoking and the presence of dentures, particularly when worn continuously, interact with diabetes mellitus in promoting candidal colonisation of the mouth. Attention to these predisposing factors could reduce the incidence of thrush in diabetics.


Clinical observation points to similarities between psychomotor retardation in major depression and bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease (PD). While common elements of neuropathology have been proposed to account for this, experimental investigations of this possible link have been few and inconclusive. The present study attempts to determine whether patients with depression display the characteristically Parkinsonian reliance on external cues; and if so, whether this is common to both melancholic and non-melancholic patients. Twenty three patients with unipolar major depression (11 melancholic and 12 non-melancholic) and 24 age-matched healthy controls performed a serial choice reaction time task known to be sensitive to Parkinsonian movement deficits. The melancholic patients showed a Parkinsonian pattern of impairment on the task, exhibiting a particular difficulty when initiating movements in the absence of external cues. This was largely alleviated when a moderate amount of external cueing was provided. At a high level of advance information, melancholic patients were again slow relative to controls. A base-line measure of bradykinesia and a derived measure of dependence upon external cues both correlated significantly with CORE (measure of psychomotor disturbance) ratings. The non-melancholic patients did not show any measurable motor impairment. This cue-dependent deficit may be due to an underlying basal ganglia dysfunction similar to that involved in PD, i.e. a failure of internal cueing. Difficulty with a high level of external cueing might reflect bradyphrenia or a prefrontal motor deficit of ability to plan multiple upcoming movements simultaneously. The results suggest that depression subtypes involve differing patterns of fronto-striatal impairment.


In the process of object-based change detection (OBCD), scale is a significant factor related to extraction and analyses of subsequent change data. To address this problem, this paper describes an object-based approach to urban area change detection (CD) using rotation forest (RoF) and coarse-to-fine uncertainty analyses of multi-temporal high-resolution remote sensing images. First, highly homogeneous objects with consistent spatial positions are identified through vector-raster integration and multi-scale fine segmentation. The multi-temporal images are stacked and segmented under the constraints of a historical land use vector map using a series of optimal segmentation scales, ranging from coarse to fine. Second, neighborhood correlation image analyses are performed to highlight pixels with high probabilities of being changed or unchanged, which can be used as a prerequisite for object-based analyses. Third, based on the coarse-to-fine segmentation and pixel-based pre-classification results, change possibilities are calculated for various objects. Furthermore, changed and unchanged objects identified at different scales are automatically selected to serve as training samples. The spectral and texture features of each object are extracted. Finally, uncertain objects are classified using the RoF classifier. Multi-scale classification results are combined using a majority voting rule to generate the final CD results. In experiments using two pairs of real high-resolution remote sensing datasets, our proposed approach outperformed existing methods in terms of CD accuracy, verifying its feasibility and effectiveness. (Less)


: Community development projects in India during the 1950s and 60s viewed women as beneficiaries, but in fact few women benefitted measurably. The realization among field motivators of the necessity of improving the status of women prompted formation of women's organizations based on the participation of women in development. Non-government organizations and militant organizations have had greater success than government sponsored organizations in creation of employment for women. Some employment-generating organizations directed by high caste women or by men merely continue the oppression of poor women, providing abysmal pay for long hours, but a women's cooperative serving textile workers in Bombay has been successful because of the large number of unaccompanied males migrating to the city who desire reasonably priced home-cooked food. Other organizations have attempted to mobilize women to allow them to benefit from development. Struggles of women in the electronics, pharmaceutical, textile, mining, clothing, and other small scale industries have been supported by women's organizatinns. Rural women's organizations have forced village authorities to provide drinkig water and have demanded creation of employment for unemployed rural workers. The "Self-Employed Women's Association" supports negotiations of such women in their respective professions, and others struggling for women's rights have also undertaken development projects in health, education, and employment with a view to increasing women's independence. Some organizations provide child care services and others assist women in obtaining credit. Numerous cooperatives for food and housework have been formed but their ultimate effect on the distribution of power between castes and classes remains uncertain. Government sponsored cooperatives and women's organizations have benefitted mainly the intermediaries and have tended to use women as a source of cheap labor. A strategic plan for the emancipation of women should be based on 3 crucial domains: education, employment, and health. It is also very important that the direction of enterprises to benefit women be in the hands of women, otherwise their interests will be neglected. The formation of women's sections in the labor unions should be undertaken as soon as possible.


The key aim of monetary policy for most central banks is to keep inflation low and steady. However in a market-oriented economy, central banks cannot control inflation directly. They have to use instruments such as interest rates, the effects of which on the economy are uncertain. And they have to rely on incomplete information about the economy and its prospects. Some central banks use money growth or the exchange rate as intermediate targets to guide policy decisions. Others take a more eclectic approach and consider a range of factors. Monetary policy has occupied much time of the world's most distinguished economists over the years. This Handbook provides an introductory overview to the subject. Following the introduction in Section 1, Section 2 describes the main costs of inflation. The next section provides an overview of the various routes by which monetary policy transmits through the economy. And Section 4 describes the alternative targets which central banks can use to guide policy. Some conclusions are provided in Section 5. The purpose of this Handbook is to assist monetary policy practitioners - those in central banks and governments who are advising and taking decisions on monetary policy. Those new to the subject may, it is hoped, find this a useful starting point for further reading and research. This handbook is also available in Russian and Spanish.


Indirect lymphography by subepidermal infusion of newly developed nonionic, dimeric contrast media (e.g., Iotrolan) opacifies peripheral lymphatics of the skin. Using this method we examined 159 patients with primary and secondary lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, and lipedema and compared the findings to normal individuals. A variety of characteristic patterns were uncovered. The technique causes little patient discomfort and takes on the average only 30 minutes.


The performances of solar collectors with single and double evacuated tube were experimentally compared. The solar collector with single evacuated tube using surface treatment in this study consists of radiation fin, heat pipe, absorber plate, glass tube, cap and regulating valve, and so on. Surface treatment was conducted for heat pipe and absorber plate with black chrome plating and copper black coating. As the results, the performance of solar collector with single evacuated tube using surface treatment showed good results compared that of double evacuated tube. Absorber plate played a positive role in performance and showed increase of about 28%. Further performance depends on vacuum degree and vacuum degree has to be considered economical efficiency in solar collector.


All-fibre control of a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system based on photoconductive antennas fed with optical sources in the telecom band is demonstrated. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is used to obtain continuously tunable delays on 100 fs optical pulses. Additionally, the modulation required to carry out lock-in detection can be simultaneously performed avoiding mechanical choppers or high-voltage alternate biasing of the transmitter antenna.


In this paper, we present the analysis and simulation evaluation of a cognitive radio network employing a distributed beamforming technique with imperfect phase synchronization in the presence of a primary receiver. Our system model consists of a group of cognitive transmitters, each with an ideal isotropic antenna and equal transmit power, communicating with a secondary receiver in the far-field. The objective of the network of cognitive transmitters is to optimize its beampattern in the direction of the secondary receiver while minimizing the beampattern in the direction of the primary receiver to a certain threshold. The phases of the transmitted signals determine the beampattern, and we demonstrate that an optimization problem can be formulated to determine the phases of the transmitters that satisfy the constraints. We then evaluate the beampattern under imperfect phase synchronization and present how the phase error can impact the performance of beamforming and cause protection to the primary receiver to suffer. The results bring some interesting insights to distributed beamforming with imperfect phase synchronization for cognitive radio networks.


In an attempt to find new targets for α-amylase and α-glucosidase for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, the present study aims in determining the anti-diabetic potential of synthesized dihydropyrimidinone derivatives. The in vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activity was performed and the molecular docking analysis of the ligand in the active binding site of target protein was determined. The results revealed significant percent inhibition of α-glucosidase by the compound 6-benzyl-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-2,5-dione (compound A). The active compound showed 81.99% inhibition when compared to standard ascorbic acid having percent inhibition 81.18%. The IC50 of active compound (A) showed to be 1.02 µg/ml. The molecular docking analysis revealed that the ligand bound to the active binding site of protein with the lowest binding energy of -7.9 kcal/mol that was also significantly similar to standard having -7.8 kcal/mol binding energy. The molecular dynamic simulation studies also revealed stable binding of ligand in the active binding site of protein with low RMSD of 1.7 Å similar to the protein RMSD 1.6Å In conclusion, the study revealed a potential new target against α-glucosidase to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus.


: We present three cases of double pylorus, one of them of iatrogenic origin, the latter entity being extremely rare. Likewise we review the etiopathogenic theories.


The entangled behavior of different dimensional systems driven by a classical external random field (CERF) is investigated. The amount of the survival entanglement between the components of each system is quantified. There are different behaviors of entanglement that come into view: decay, sudden death, sudden birth and long-lived entanglement. The maximum entangled states which can be generated from any of theses suggested systems are much more fragile than the partially entangled ones. The systems of larger dimensions are more robust than those of smaller dimension systems, where the entanglement decays smoothly and gradually and may vanish for a very short time. For the class of 2×3 dimensional system, the one-parameter family is found to be more robust than the two-parameter family. Although the entanglement of a driven 2×3 dimensional system is very sensitive to the CERFs, one can use them to generate a long-lived entanglement.


Electric vehicles were supposed to transform our daily mobility practices, urban landscapes and economies. Why has e-mobility not delivered the more radical technological future that many had hoped for, especially during its early phase? The concept of sociotechnical imaginaries allows us to address such questions symmetrically by looking at the co-production of continuity and change. Instead of evaluating high-tech visions, the imaginaries perspective explores how socially and materially embedded political collectives make sense of their past, present, and future. This paper examines the case of electric mobility in Germany since 2009 to show how seemingly disruptive technologies do not only challenge problematic systems in the present, but also serve to sustain them. It analyses how a potentially open mobility future is co-produced with an entrenched automotive present: through processes of depoliticization, the stabilization of forms of life along preconfigured trajectories, and the careful preservation of national self-perceptions.


Objective: To determine the prevalence of acute symptomatic seizures in infants with supratentorial intracranial hemorrhage, to identify potential risk factors, and to determine the effect of acute seizures on long-term morbidity and mortality. Design: Children less than 24 months with intracranial hemorrhage were identified from a neurocritical care database. All patients who received seizure prophylaxis beginning at admission were included in the study. Risk factors studied were gender, etiology, location of hemorrhage, seizure(s) on presentation, and the presence of parenchymal injury. Acute clinical and electrographic seizures were identified from hospital medical records. Subsequent development of late seizures was determined based on clinical information from patients' latest follow-up. Setting and Patients: Patients with idiopathic neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, premature infants, and those with prior history of seizures were excluded from analysis. Seventy-two infants met inclusion criteria. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Forty percent of infants had acute symptomatic seizures. The prevalence was similar regardless of whether etiology of hemorrhage was traumatic or nontraumatic. Seizures on presentation and parenchymal injury were independent risk factors of acute seizures (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). Younger children and women were also at higher risk (p < 0.05). Twenty percent had electrographic-only seizures, and those with parenchymal injury trended toward an increased risk (p < 0.1). Acute seizures were not predictive of mortality, but nearly twice as many patients with acute seizures developed late seizures when compared with those without. Electrographic seizures and parenchymal injury were also predictive of development of late seizures (p < 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively). Conclusions: Despite seizure prophylaxis, infants with supratentorial intracranial hemorrhage are at high risk for acute symptomatic seizures. This is regardless of the etiology of hemorrhage. Younger patients, women, patients with parenchymal injury, and patients presenting with seizure are most likely to develop acute seizures. Although the benefits of seizure prophylaxis have not been studied in this specific population, these results suggest that it is an important component of acute care following intracranial hemorrhage.


BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy followed by autologous T cells that are genetically modified to express a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has shown promise as a novel therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL); however, the risk of severe cytokine release syndrome (sCRS) and neurotoxicity has tempered enthusiasm for widespread application of this approach. The functional heterogeneity that is inherent in CAR-T cell products that are manufactured from undefined T cell subsets has hindered definition of dose-response relationships and identification of factors that may impact efficacy and toxicity. METHODS: We are conducting the first clinical trial that administers CD19 CAR-T cells manufactured from a defined composition of T cell subsets to adults with relapsed or refractory B-ALL. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were enriched from each patient, transduced with a CD19 CAR lentivirus and separately expanded in vitro before formulation for infusion in a 1:1 ratio of CD8+:CD4+ CAR+ T cells at 2x105, 2x106 or 2x107 CAR-T cells/kg. Prior to CAR-T cell infusion, patients underwent lymphodepletion with a high-dose cyclophosphamide (Cy)-based regimen with or without fludarabine (Flu). RESULTS: Twenty-nine adults with B-ALL (median age 40, range 22 - 73 years; median 17% marrow blasts, range 0 - 97%), including 10 patients who had relapsed after allogeneic transplantation, received at least one CAR-T cell infusion. Twenty-four of 26 restaged patients (92%) achieved bone marrow (BM) complete remission (CR) by flow cytometry. CD4+ and CD8+ CAR-T cells expanded in vivo after infusion and their number in blood correlated with the infused CAR-T cell dose. Thirteen patients received lymphodepletion with Cy-based regimens without Flu. Ten of 12 restaged patients (83%) achieved BM CR by flow cytometry; however, 7 of these (70%) relapsed a median of 66 days after CAR-T cell infusion. Disease relapse correlated with a loss of CAR-T cell persistence in blood. We observed a CD8 cytotoxic T cell response to the murine scFv component of the CAR transgene that contributed to CAR-T cell rejection, and resulted in lack of CAR-T cell expansion after a second CAR-T cell infusion in 5 patients treated for persistent or relapsed disease. To minimize immune-mediated CAR-T cell rejection 14 patients were treated with Cy followed by Flu lymphodepletion (Cy/Flu, Cy 60 mg/kg x 1 and Flu 25 mg/m2 x 3-5) before CAR-T cell infusion. All patients (100%) who received Cy/Flu lymphodepletion achieved BM CR after CAR-T cell infusion. CAR-T cell expansion and persistence in blood was higher in Cy/Flu-lymphodepleted patients compared to their counterparts who received Cy alone (Day 28 after 2x106 CAR-T cells/kg: CD8+ CAR-T cells, mean 55.8/μL vs 0.10/μL, p CAR-T cell infusion was associated with sCRS, characterized by fever and hypotension requiring intensive care in 7 of 27 patients (26%) and neurotoxicity (≥ grade 3 CTCAE v4.03) in 13 of 27 patients (48%). Two patients died following complications of sCRS. Patients with sCRS or neurotoxicity had higher peak serum levels of IL-6, IFN-γ, ferritin and C-reactive protein compared to those without serious toxicity. Importantly IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in serum collected on day 1 after CAR-T cell infusion from those who subsequently developed neurotoxicity were higher than those collected from their counterparts who did not develop neurotoxicity (IL-6, p CONCLUSION: Risk-stratified dosing of CD19 CAR-T cells of defined subset composition is feasible and safe in a majority of patients with refractory B-ALL, and results in a CR rate of 92%. Addition of Flu to Cy-based lymphodepletion improves CAR-T cell expansion, persistence and DFS. Disclosures Turtle:Juno Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Berger:Juno Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties. Jensen:Juno Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Riddell:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Cell Medica: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Maloney:Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Janssen Scientific Affairs: Honoraria; Roche/Genentech: Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics: Research Funding.


Randomized controlled trials indicate that flavanol-rich cocoa intake may improve postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), based on studies with meals that impose a strong metabolic load. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether flavanol-rich cocoa powder ingested as part of a diabetic-suitable meal may beneficially affect glucose, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure (BP) in patients with T2D. Twelve adults with T2D, overweight/obesity, and hypertension ingested capsules with 2.5 g of flavanol-rich cocoa or microcrystalline cellulose with a diabetic-suitable breakfast in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. BP was measured and blood samples were taken before, 2 and 4 h after breakfast and capsule intake. Cocoa treatment did not affect glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and BP. For glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR, only effects by time were observed after both treatments. Thus, 2.5 g of flavanol-rich cocoa powder ingested as part of a diabetic-suitable meal does not seem to affect postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism and BP in stably-treated diabetics. Nevertheless, future studies with close-meshed investigations are desirable, providing realistic amounts of cocoa together with realistic meals rich in carbohydrates to subjects with T2D or metabolic syndrome, which do not afford pharmacological treatment.


Objective: The mechanisms associating (pre)diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are incompletely understood. We hypothesize that greater blood pressure variability (BPV) may underlie this association, due to its association with (incident) CVD. Therefore, we investigated the association between (pre)diabetes and very short-term to mid-term BPV, that is within-visit, 24-h and 7-day BPV. Methods: Cross-sectional data from The Maastricht Study [normal glucose metabolism (NGM), n = 1924; prediabetes, n = 511; type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), n = 975; 51% men, aged 60 ± 8 years]. We determined SD for within-visit BPV (n = 3244), average real variability for 24-h BPV (n = 2699) day (0900–2100 h) and night (0100–0600 h) separately, and SD for 7-day BPV (n = 2259). Differences in BPV as compared with NGM were assessed by multiple linear regressions with adjustment for potential confounders. Results: In T2DM, the average systolic/diastolic values of within-visit, 24-h and 7-day BPV were 4.8/2.6, 10.5/7.3 and 10.4/6.5 mmHg, respectively, and in prediabetes 4.9/2.6, 10.3/7.0 and 9.4/5.9 mmHg, respectively. T2DM was associated with greater nocturnal systolic BPV [0.42 mmHg (95% confidence interval: 0.05–0.80)], and greater 7-day systolic [0.76 mmHg (0.32–1.19)] and diastolic BPV [0.65 mmHg (0.29–1.01)], whereas prediabetes was associated with greater within-visit systolic BPV only [0.35 mmHg (0.06–0.65)], as compared with NGM. Conclusion: Both T2DM and prediabetes are associated with slightly greater very short-term to mid-term BPV, which may, according to previous literature, explain a small part of the increased CVD risk seen in (pre)diabetes. Nevertheless, these findings do not detract from the fact that very short-term to mid-term BPV is substantial and important in individuals with and without (pre)diabetes.


Laboratory workers are exposed to a variety of potential occupational health hazards including those deriving from infectious materials and cultures, radiations, toxic and flammable chemicals, as well as mechanical and electrical hazard. Although all of them are significant, this paper will focus on biological hazards present in clinical and research laboratories. In fact, in spite of numerous publications, guidelines and regulations, laboratory workers are still subject to infections acquired in the course of their researches. This paper describes some aspects that include good microbiological practices (GMPs), appropriate containment equipment, practices and operational procedures to minimize workers' risk of injury or illness.


Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Despite this, current pharmacological treatments for nicotine withdrawal remain partially effective and the abstinence rate remains low. The development of novel pharmacotherapies that can mediate the aversive symptoms of nicotine withdrawal will contribute to improved cessation outcomes. To this end, the studies in this dissertation had two objectives: oneto identify novel molecular pathways underlying nicotine withdrawal and twoto examine the contribution of genetic variants to withdrawal symptoms. To address the first objective we used functional genomic approaches (chromatin immunoprecipitation and whole genome sequencing (ChIPSeq)) to identify pathways that are altered following withdrawal from nicotine. Through these means we identified the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway as one such target. In addition, we demonstrated that the AMPK pathway is activated following chronic nicotine, an effect that is reversed by 24-hour withdrawal. Maintaining AMPK activation during withdrawal via the preclinical AMPK activator AICAR or the FDA approved diabetes drug metformin attenuated anxiety-like behavior during nicotine withdrawal in preclinical animal models. Further, the reduction in anxiety-like behavior was through a mechanism dependent on the AMPKα subunit within the hippocampus, as determined by a genetic AMPKα loss-of function animal model. Metformin treatment also reversed withdrawal-induced deficits in contextual fear conditioning. In our final study we examined the contribution of genetic variants to the affective phenotypes of nicotine withdrawal. We utilized a BDNF knock-in mouse containing the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism to examine the effect of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on anxiety-like behavior following withdrawal. Using this model we found blunted anxiety-like behavior in mice homozygous for the SNP (BDNFMet/Met) following withdrawal. We also observed an increase in expression of the BDNF prodomain in BDNFMet/Met mice following nicotine withdrawal, highlighting the potential role of this ligand in mediating withdrawal behavior. Together, research from this dissertation provide the first evidence of a direct effect of AMPK modulation on behavior following nicotine withdrawal, and provides the first example of using a mouse genetic variant model to examine withdrawal behavior. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Pharmacology First Advisor Julie A. Blendy


Objective The g-Eclipse framework will be the future workbench bringing new applications, new users and new Grid resource providers together in the European Research Area. Compared to the world-wide-web, g-Eclipse will be the "web-browser" for the more complex, world wide Grid. The g-Eclipse framework has the potential to be an integral part of the PC desktop of every European citizen.The g-Eclipse project will provide an integrated Grid environment for Grid users, Grid operators and Grid developers. The g-Eclipse tool will be built on top of the open source Eclipse framework, and will bring together expertise from the academic Grid community and from the Eclipse community. The latter has a deep commercial penetration in the Information Technology industry. The g-Eclipse integrated Grid environment will allow user-friendly access to Grid resources by making the complexity of the Grid invisible. The architecture of the g-Eclipse framework will be made for reuse and extension to allow for easy adaptation by new Grid applications. The g-Eclipse project will address three major groups in the Grid domain: Grid users will benefit from the Windows-like access to Grid resources; Grid operators and resource providers will be able to reduce the time-to-service by the Grid management and Grid site configuration tools; and Grid application developers will reduce the time-to-market for new Grid applications by accelerating the development and deployment cycle. The g-Eclipse project will foster an open source community to guarantee the sustainability of the g-Eclipse framework. The project will be built by six partners from five European countries five experienced academic partners and one highly skilled industrial partner from the Eclipse community. Due to the size of the project, and its focused targets, the management structure is as light weighted as possible. In the future the g-Eclipse integrated Grid environment will be an essential part of the Grid Toolbox.


In academic research communities, a typical way to spread ideas or seek for collaboration is through research talks, which might be presented at departmental colloquia or might be in given at conferences. Given a large number of research talks, with some of them happening in parallel, it becomes increasingly harder to focus on those of that are of most interest. To solve this problem, talk recommendation systems can help academics identify the most useful talks among many. This dissertation investigates methods to improve research talk recommendations, both for conference attendees and for faculty and students at a research university. More specifically, the focus of this thesis is the use of external information about user interests as a way to address the challenges of having limited data about target users. The thesis examines several kinds of external sources such as user home page, bibliography, external bookmarks, and user profiles from external information systems and explores impact of this information on the quality of talk recommendation in a general situation and in a cold-start context. For this study, the dissertation uses data from two existing talk recommendation systems, CoMeT and Conference Navigator 3, and an academic paper search system, SciNet.


Crowdsourcing is an arising collaborative approach applicable among many other applications to the area of language and speech processing. In fact, the use of crowdsourcing was already applied in the field of speech processing with promising results. However, only few studies investigated the use of crowdsourcing in computational paralinguistics. In this contribution, we propose a novel evaluator for crowdsourced-based ratings termed Weighted Trustability Evaluator (WTE) which is computed from the rater-dependent consistency over the test questions. We further investigate the reliability of crowdsourced annotations as compared to the ones obtained with traditional labelling procedures, such as constrained listening experiments in laboratories or in controlled environments. This comparison includes an in-depth analysis of obtainable classification performances. The experiments were conducted on the Speaker Likability Database (SLD) already used in the INTERSPEECH Challenge 2012, and the results lend further weight to the assumption that crowdsourcing can be applied as a reliable annotation source for computational paralinguistics given a sufficient number of raters and suited measurements of their reliability.


Communication research engages in double hermeneutics, interpreting a social reality that has already been interpreted by individuals and institutions in and through communication, and feeding its reinterpretations back to society. This article stakes stock of the field as an instance of what Aristotle had referred to as productive sciences, a practical discipline exploring not only what communication is, but also what it could be. In the digital media environment, the interplay of metadata with standard types of communication—one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many—is key to what communication could become, but remains undertheorised and understudied. In conclusion, the article calls for a reinvention—reinterpretation—of a field that emerged in response to mass communication.


By reason of the COVID-19 pandemic, essential digital transformations are taking place in many areas of business life. Although the most important one of these transformations is due to the widespread use of the remote working model, the production sector does not have the opportunity to switch to such a model completely. Therefore, it is inevitable to maintain social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while working in production facilities. In this study, a real-time location system (RTLS) model is proposed to keep track of social distance in production facilities and to ensure occupational health safety (OHS) at the same time. Since the social distance rule is essential for every production facility, the most important feature of the proposed system is that it can easily be integrated into the standard personnel tracking system in almost every enterprise. Besides, the proposed RTLS is designed as an efficient system based on ultra-wideband and radio-frequency identification, which can operate as a closed-loop monitoring system within itself. An adequately installed RTLS can monitor the position of employees in real-time and provides to intervene in the situation instantly when necessary. In case of a violation of social distance or a situation against OHS, it can be prevented instantly by the proposed system. It is also a useful model in the management of emergencies.


The most impressive abilities of associative memory are its capability of fault tolerance and associated retrieval. In an ordinary memory of a conventional computer, every piece of the stored information has a specific address. One must know the complete address to retrieve particular information. By contrast, in an associative memory one needs to know only partial information relative to the contents for accomplishing a complete recall. In a hetero-associative memory, by inputing a partial pattern of one category, an associated pattern of another category can be obtained. It is well known that this can be achieved by an optical holographical method, in which two associated patterns are utilized to the record interconnection weights at the Fourier plane. However, due to the grating degeneracy, the number of the associated pairs is limited because of the serious cross-talk between different pairs. In the paper, we present our studies on the properties of a hetero-associative memory of multiple-pairs. We use a phase modulated liquid crystal television (LCTV) as the reference pattern to record holographic memories and we propose a novel technique applied to generate phase only interconnection weights. The results show that the cross-talk between different pairs of memories can be significantly reduced by the phase only filter technique.


The question of dialect has always been central to Caribbean literature, and more specifically to poetry. In a (post)colonial context of diglossia between standard English and Jamaican Creole, and of a strong hierarchy between oral and scribal forms of linguistic and literary expression, the mere possibility of writing 'real' literature in Patwa was severely contested until quite recently. Yet, an increasing number of poets have experimented with Creole over the course of the last century and have amply demonstrated that it is a legitimate medium for poetic and literary expression.
This paper looks at various strategies employed by Anglo-Jamaican dub poets Linton Kwesi Johnson and Benjamin Zephaniah to use Creole in their work, and more specifically at the connections and tensions between live performances and written texts. Attention will be paid to the different language varieties employed by poets in performance and how they are transcribed in writing through various orthographic codes. The paper is based on close readings of poems by Johnson and Zephaniah and examines how they employ the spelling conventions of English to transcribe features of Creole, especially pronunciation. The performance style of the two poets and their use of rhythm, which are two features intimately linked to Creole, is also be studied in depth.
The detailed examination of the texts and recordings of the poems is situated more generally within the poets' aesthetic choices and strategies for persona construction and career building. Textual analysis is complemented by contextual elements, and notably the ideological debates surrounding literacy and literature in Creole. Eventually, the paper attempts to bring to light the specific contents and forms of poetry in Creole and establish a notion of Creole poetics as based on the juxtaposition and/or combination of several language varieties and the interplay between oral and scribal codes and media.


Background: Alopecia areata is a disease scalp and body hair leading to patches of non-scoring alopecia which is heterogeyous ,it is unown as autommutte disease, there is no prevention & hard cure.
Objective: To determine the prevalence  rate according to sex &age and the causative factors of alopecia areata in Baquba city.
Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was in Baquba Teaching Hospital dermatological clinic from 1st of October 2020 to 31st of March 2022 at Baquabah teaching Hospital /outpatient Dermatology clinic. The study sample (100) patients with different clinical variants of Alopecia Areata, (71) males and (29) females of different age groups.
Results: This study shows that high prevalence among males (71%) with age group (21-30) years old with single patchy alopecia areata with past history of recurrence and associated psychological history.  (100) cases of AA were diagnosed. (25%). Single lesion of AA was the most common manifestation (68%). Recurrence history of AA Positive in (55%). Personal history of stress was associated with AA in (64 %). The most common site of alopecia areata was in head (55%).
Conclusion: It was concluded that, alopecia areata was more common in male, age (21-30) years, most common single lesion, more in head, with psychological stress history.


The 2014 Public Health England draft strategic framework highlights the disproportionately poorer health and well-being of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the areas of sexual health, mental health and substance use.1 Unlike other clinical settings, GUM clinics are unique in routinely establishing sexual orientation information from patients and are therefore also well placed for the early identification of mental health …


The period of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is characterised by severe cooling and extreme aridity in Australia. Australian temperate‐adapted bees experienced entirely new conditions over the LGM; however, few studies focused on the response of these key pollinators and their dependent plants to the LGM in Australia. In this study, we investigated the impact of the LGM climatic conditions on the population histories of the Australian temperate exoneurine bees regarded as critical native pollinators in the continent. To address this issue, we first identified the bee species using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches including phylogenetic and species delimitation methods. The analyses revealed three exoneurine genera, including Brevineura, Exoneura and Inquilina. Our estimated divergence time between Exoneura and Inquilina was close to that of previous phylogenetic studies of the exoneurine bees, which used different dating methods. The haplotype network analyses indicated the geographical structuring of the haplotypes within Exonuera and Inquilina species. We then utilised Bayesian skyline analyses to reconstruct demographic histories of the genus Exoneura for which sufficient haplotype diversity was found. The results showed that the population size of Exoneura species remained unchanged over the LGM or even increased shortly before it. The wide geographical distribution of the exoneurine species in Australia and earlier development of genetic and physiological adaptations are discussed as possibilities that enabled the species to maintain their population sizes over the LGM.


The potassium salts were super-imposed on this basal ration varying in amounts ranging from 74 to 1 ounce per ewe daily during the pregnancy period. Iow A STATE CoLLEGE. THE ROBBER CRAB . (BIRG US LATR O ) WITH S PECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS RESPIRATORY SYSTEM C. C. NUTTING (ABSTRACT) The general appearance anatomy and habits of this crab are described briefly. The main part of the paper is devoted to a description o f the very remarkable respiratory system which is more highly modified for aerial respiration than any other de capod crustacean. The relation o f this form to the hermit crabs i s pointed out. STATE UNrvr:RsrTY oF lowA. PROTE I N REQUIREMEKTS OF LACTATIKG SOWS WITH LITTERS Q. W. \VALLACE AKD JonN M. EvvARD (A BSTRACT) A number of experiments with lactating sows carried on var ious rations during the suckling period and continued until the pigs were 60 days o ld were conducted in the lactating sows with litter proj ect at the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. In brie f , the experiments show the amounts o f protein and car bohydrate equivalent consumed daily by sows and pigs and the protein requirements for the hundred pounds of gain, this being based on the net gain made. A number of different rations were fed in dry lot and the protein consumption and requirements com puted. The nutri tive ratio recommended generally for lactating sows is 1 : 5. In some of our experiments with sows allowed free choice of good feeds the rat:o has been 1 : 1 .4 or wider and in certain exceptional cases the ratio has been as narrow as 1 : 1 .2 . The protein storage in the body o f the young p ig may be estimated on the basis of the protein content in the hundred pounds o f gain made and the protein required, i . e . , consumed, to make the hundred pounds of gain. Young pigs are estimated to put 1 Nutting: The Robber Crab (Birgus latro) with Special Reference to Its Resp Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 1925


Purpose The association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the risk of death from cancer is still a controversial issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of MetS and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO) with cancer mortality in a Japanese population. Methods We used data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. The study population consisted of 28,554 eligible subjects (14,103 men and 14,451 women) aged 35–69 years. MetS was diagnosed based on the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) and the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO), using the body mass index instead of waist circumference. The Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for total cancer mortality in relation to MetS and its components. Additionally, the associations of obesity and the metabolic health status with cancer mortality were examined. Results During an average 6.9-year follow-up, there were 192 deaths from cancer. The presence of MetS was significantly correlated with increased total cancer mortality when the JASSO criteria were used (HR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.04–2.21), but not when the NCEP-ATP III criteria were used (HR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.78–1.53). Metabolic risk factors, elevated fasting blood glucose, and MUHO were positively associated with cancer mortality (P <0.05). Conclusion MetS diagnosed using the JASSO criteria and MUHO were associated with an increased risk of total cancer mortality in the Japanese population.


In the process of high-speed driving, the wheel hub is constantly subjected to
the impact load from the ground. Therefore, it is important to estimate the fatigue life of the hub in
the design and production process.

This paper introduces a method to study the fatigue life of car hub based on the road load collected from test site.

Based on interval analysis, the distribution characteristics of the load spectrum are analyzed.
The fatigue life estimation of one-dimensional and two- dimensional load spectra is compared
by compiling load spectra.

According to the S-N curve cluster and the one-dimensional program load spectrum, the
estimated range fatigue life of the hub is 397, 100km to 529,700km. For unsymmetrical cyclic loading,
each level means and amplitude of load were obtained through the Goodman fatigue empirical
formula, and then according to S-N curve clusters in the upper and lower curves and two-dimensional
program load spectrum, estimate of the fatigue life of wheel hub of the interval was 329900km to
435200km, and then one-dimensional load spectrum fatigue life was reduced by 16.9% - 17.8%.

This paper lays a foundation for the prediction of fatigue life and the bench test of fatigue
durability of autoparts subjected to complex and variable random loads. At the same time, the
research method can also be used to estimate the fatigue life of other bearing parts or high-speed
moving parts and assemblies.


This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect on proliferation and metastasis of 20-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol (IH901) on ECV304 cell line. MTT assay was used to examine the effect of cell proliferation inhibition and the adhesive ability of ECV304 cells to artificial basement membrane. Morphology of cell apoptosis was observed with phase contrast microscope. Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Cell migration was measured by wound healing assay. ELISA kit was used to detect VEGF and bFGF. Caspases were detected by Western blotting. Results indicated that ginseng saponin IH901 can downregulate the expression of growth promoting protein VEGF and bFGF, and upregulate pro apoptosis protein cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3. The increase in the apoptotic sub-G1 fraction is in a dose-dependent manner, and cell cycle arrests in the G0/G1 phase was detected by FCM. Morphological examination of IH901-treated samples showed cells with chromatin condensation, cell shrinkage, and all typical characteristics of apoptotic cells. Therefore, IH901 dramatically suppresses cell proliferation and adhesion and migration of ECV304 cell line.


Derives the condition on the background spacetime for the straightforward generalisation of the massive symmetric tensor field (MSTF) equation to be possible. The author studies the MSTF in spatially flat Robertson-Walker spacetimes in detail. The above-mentioned condition is verified in these spacetimes by calculating the Klein-Gordon inner products among the solutions of the field equation. The author also shows that the MSTF theory in some spacetimes has features which are probably undesirable even if this condition on the spacetime is satisfied.


After recalling the good results of femoral and tibial osteotomies for lateral osteoarthritis of the knee before the age of 70 years, the author describes the usual techniques and defines the indications. He then defines the preoperative x-rays essential for such procedures: AP and lateral films of the knee in 15 degrees of flexion, AP in forced varus and valgus with 15 degrees of flexion, femoropatellar view with 30 degrees of flexion with particular attention to "stepping" gonometry, which appears to be the most physiological approach.


The paper explores how Hong Kong's new status as China's Special Administrative Region (SAR) may affect the competitiveness of the industries and the relative position of companies owned by non-Hong Kong investors. The conclusion is that mainland Chinese firms will play an increasingly more important role in Hong Kong's economy and British firms will lose their dominance further. This does not, however, indicate a return to unequal competition in favor of firms from the sovereign country, but the beginning of a period of greater competition by all firms in Hong Kong, whether they be local or non-local. There is a risk that governmental and semi-governmental corporations of the SAR and other Chinese governments may use their official and semi-official status to tilt the playing field in their favor, but appropriate competition law can address this concern.


The Nb-Ti hard conductors used in LHC dipole and quadrupole magnets are Rutherford cables composed of several tens of strands. During the cabling process, the strands are severely compacted especially at the thin edge of the cable. In order to assess, on the whole wire length, the deformation effect on the transport current of the wires, LHC-type Nb-Ti superconducting strands of various types were flattened by means of rollers. The critical current was then measured as a function of deformation and applied magnetic field at both 4.3 K and 1.9 K. The measurements were performed for both orientations (flat face perpendicular or parallel to magnetic field). The critical current density anisotropy of such deformed strands and the correlation with magnetization effects are discussed. This study permits to better understand and to quantify the critical current degradation of few percent observed in strands due to cabling. Comparisons with wires extracted from Rutherford cables are presented.


This research was aimed to determine the percentage of food crop commodity, and determine which food crops are classified as bases in Medan City. This research used descriptive and analytical method. The data used in this research are secondary data including land area, production, and productivity of food crops (rice, corn, peanuts, soybeans, green beans, cassava and sweet potatoes) in Medan City and North Sumatra Province based on time series in 2011-2017 (7 years). The results of Location Quotient (LQ) and Dynamic Location Quotient (DLQ) analysis showed the highest percentage of food crops productivity in Medan city was found on cassava commodity amount 51.43% (unbase). Food commodities that have average value of LQ ≥ 1, namely rice (1,408); corn (1,061); peanuts (1,387); and green beans (1,559) commodity. The highest average value of LQ and DLQ was found in the green beans commodities amount 1,559 and 7,109 (base) respectively.


Cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Treatment of these diseases is often incomplete, suboptimal and far from permanent cure. One of the reasons behind this is the nature of heart as a terminally differentiated organ. Preclinical and clinical research in the last few decades has put a challenge to this conventional belief regarding the inability of regeneration of the cardiomyocytes. Embryonic, foetal and a wide range of adult stem cells have been used so far. Differentiation of adult somatic cells has lead to breakthrough discovery of induced pleuripotent stem cells which may be a potential solution of controversy over embryonic stem cell issue. Stem cells specially those of bone marrow origin are already being used in a limited scale to treat acute myocardial infarction, chronic myocardial ischaemia and cardiomyopathy with efficacy, feasibility and safety. Mesenchymal stem cells and adult cardiac stem cells are on the way to bedside use. skeletal myoblasts have been associated with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia. Stem cells combined with tissue engineering have produced prosthetic tissue valves, and hope for manufacturing whole heart ex vivo in near future. However, like other rapidly evolving modalities, there are more questions than answers. Exact indications, patient selection, cell selection, timing of therapy, efficacy of repeated therapies, co-administration of growth factors, and genetic modification of stem cells are yet to be determined with precision. International community is coming forward with enthusiasm and vigor to explore the enormous potential of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Future research will hopefully facilitate more versatile application of stem cells in treating the life-threatening and disabling ailments of mankind. Keywords: Stem cell; regenerative medicine DOI: 10.3329/cardio.v3i1.6429 Cardiovasc. j. 2010; 3(1): 66-80


In Turkey, in spite of the archaic and powerful conservative poetry, in the modern sense, the emergence of an Islamic poetry is based on the Islamist movement. Modernization efforts in Islamic poetry pioneered by Mehmet Akif, gained main momentum with Necip Fazıl Kısakürek. After Necip Fazıl, Modern Islamic poetry, shaped through two canvas. The first of these is discourse that builds a philosophical, existential and internal style, which proceeds in vertical sense, and centralizes cultural, spiritual and religious values. The other one is based on a political, activist and external style that progresses in a horizontal sense. While the first trend is developed on the line of Sezai Karakoç that combines the Islamic content with the İkinci Yeni(Second New) poetry, the second trend is represented by İsmet Özel, who came from the Marxist world view and synthesizes a lyrical feeling with radical imagery. These two important poets of not only Modern Islamic poetry, but also of Turkish literature, with their poetical ideas, shape Modern Islamic poetry which becomes more widespread especially after 1980. For this reason, Sezai Karakoç and İsmet Özel's poetic writings on poetry / poet should be evaluated. Because there is a great deal of research and analysis on the poetry of these two poets, and a hermeneutic approach based only on their poetry interpretations may be lacking in understanding the topic. In this context, analyzing of Sezai Karakoç's (Edebiyat Yazıları) Literary Writings-I / II and İsmet Özel's (Şiir Okuma Kılavuzu) Poetry Reading Guide will be helpful in revealing the general features of modern Islamic poetry.


The objective of this study was to compare different modeling strategies to identify individual and admissions characteristics associated with readmission to a general hospital. Routine data recorded in the Hospital Information System on all admissions to the Regional Public Hospital of Betim, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from July 1996 to June 2000 were analyzed. Cox proportional hazards model and variants designed to deal with multiple-events data, like Andersen-Gill (AG), Prentice, Williams and Peterson (PWP), and random effects models were fitted to time between hospital admissions or censoring. For comparison purposes, a Poisson model was fitted to the total number of readmissions, using the same covariates. We analyzed 31,648 admissions of 26,198 patients, including 17,096 adults and 9,102 children. Estimates for the PWP and frailty models were very similar, and both approaches should be fitted and compared. If clinical characteristics are available, the PWP model should be used. Otherwise the random effects model can account for unmeasured differences, particularly some related to severity of the disease. These methodologies can help focus on various related readmission aspects such as diagnostic groups or medical specialties.


The pottery and ceramic industry release toxic heavy metals during preparation and other steps which in turn go to environment and finally to aquatic ecosystem through leaching and runoff water. In the view of above facts it is mandatory to explore this non target effect of ceramic industry for aquatic ecosystem. A dye is a coloured material that chemically attaches to the substrate it is applied on. Dyes are distinguished from pigments by the fact that they do not chemically attach to the substrate they colour. In most cases, the dye is administered in an aqueous solution. Keeping these points in view, the present study is undertaken to assess impact of pottery industry chemical tin oxide on total leucocyte count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate of Channa punctatus (Bloch.). The TLC and ESR have been found to be increased after treatment due to hematotoxic effect of pottery chemicals and adverse effect on hemopoietic system of fish. Keywords: Channa punctatus (Bloch.), Pottery chemicals, Pottery industry, TLC, ESR


The paper talks about a compact patch antenna design at 3 GHz. A novel complementary square ring resonator as DNG metamaterial has been modeled and designed for its resonance at 3 GHz. The designed metamaterial provides negative real permeability and permittivity over a wide frequency band, making it suitable for its applications in patch size reduction. The effect of loading the metamaterial shows a patch dimensional space reduction (from 26.1 mm x 26.1 mm to 17.6 mm x 17.6 mm) of about 54.53 % while providing the similar gain and efficiency. The patch antenna without loading the metamaterial and loaded with the metamaterial provides a similar radiation efficiency and angular width however there is some difference in gain and the bandwidth of its operation. The proposed antenna is perfectly suited for its integration into flexible and wearable electronics design. Keywords—Patch, Antenna, Flexible, CSRR, 3 GHz


~a l iva ry gland choristoma is a rare tumor of the middle ear. This entity was first described by Taylor and Mart in ~ in 1961 and has since been reported 18 additional times. 2-18 Caplinger and Hora 4 recounted an additional case described to them by oral communication. Another case report of cylindroma of the tympanic cavity may have actually been a salivary gland choristoma. 19 Choristoma is defined as the presence of a histologically normal tissue in an ectopic location. 2° Salivary gland choristoma of the middle ear has been associated with congenital anomalies of the middle ear, and surgical biopsy has occasionally resulted in facial nerve injury. We present a case of salivary gland choristoma in which intraoperative facial nerve monitoring was helpful in aliowing safe biopsy without facial nerve damage.


This paper describes a Fault Explanation System (FES) that aids in the diagnosis of failures in discrete event systems such as certain manufacturing processes. These systems are characterized by the use of programmable logic controllers (PLC) to control the systems. In addition PLC's also perform event logging. The event log (fault log) records exceptions which may be alarms, warnings or status reports. A major difficulty is that most of the alarms do not indicate real faults in the system; for example, a fault may cause an exception which indicates what the fault is, but this exception may also give rise to a number of other exceptions which are just side-effects. FES interprets and explains faults in the log based on a model provided by the ladder logic diagrams of the PLC. These explanations separate real exceptions from the kind of side-effects described above. Finally FES ranks explanations according to their plausibility.


Purpose: This research examined the trend of school health education, using online research data on health behaviors of adolescents. Then it compared the health perceptions, healthy life practice, and health risk behaviors between students who received health education and students who did not. In addition, it predicted the impact of health education on health risk behaviors of students. Methods: Data from 72,435 participants of this survey were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed on weighted data using the complex sampling design. Results: In the results of the research, general high schools students had the lowest rate of receiving health education, while sex education was the most actively held throughout the all locations. Next, medium-small cities had the lowest rate of receiving health education. Regarding health risk behaviors, students receiving health education had significantly lower rates of smoking, drinking, and sexual intercourse. Conclusion: This study shows that healthy life practices by students improves with the inclusion of health education, thus indicating that schools should invest in health education. This research generated evidence for the first time in Korea that school health education has a positive impact on health risk behaviors and provides basic data for policy development of school health education.


The World Health Organization declared a tuberculosis (TB) global emergency. Central nervous system (CNS) TB is a rare, highly devastating manifestation of extra-pulmonary TB. To date, research has focused on pulmonary TB, with no significant advancements being made in understanding the mechanisms associated with CNS TB. This study uses a small animal model of CNS TB that permits us to investigate the immune responses following CNS Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. We use intracranial infection of mice with the H37Rv strain of Mtb which has been fluorescently tagged with a TdTomato plasmid, allowing us to track it in vivo, and analyzed the cellular composition of the subsequent immunological response in the brain. At 7 days post infection (PI), we show a robust infiltration of immune cells into the CNS including the infiltration of CD11c+ dendritic cells. We can also see Mtb-containing granuloma-like lesions. We adoptively transferred Mtb-specific P25 CD4+ T and found that these cells also accumulate in the brain and were found activated in the peripheral lymphoid tissue, including the spleen and cervical draining lymph nodes. The P25 T cells present in the brain display extensive proliferation. Moreover, P25 T cells present in the peripheral lymphoid organs of Mtb infected mice show increased proliferation when compared to non-infected controls suggesting a systemic sampling of CNS Mtb antigen. We also show that at 7 days PI there is a significantly higher percentage of activated, INFγ producing, CD4+ T in the brain. Both INFγ and IL-17 producing T cell populations increase in size by day 21. This study will provide knowledge into the pathogenesis of CNS TB, and provide possible treatment strategies to lessen its destructive outcome.


Forest ecosystems respond to natural climatic variability and human-caused climate change in ways that are adverse as well as beneficial to the biophysical environment and to society. Adaptation refers to responses or adjustments made—whether passive, reactive, or anticipatory—to climatic variability and change (Carter et al. 1994). Many adjustments occur whether humans intervene or not; for example, plants and animals shift to favorable habitats resulting in range expansion or contraction, as well as changes in gene frequencies for traits that enable persistence in warm climates. Here we assess strategies and tactics resource managers can use in the process of reducing forest vulnerability and increasing adaptation to changing climates (Peterson et al. 2011). Plans and activities range from shortterm, stop-gap measures, such as removing conifers that are progressively invading mountain meadows, to long-range, proactive commitments, such as fuels management to reduce the likelihood of severe wildfire or of beetle-mediated forest mortality.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Several neuro-degenerative diseases and motor defects have been linked to malfunctions in the motility of neurons. This project is focused on the determining whether the roles of the transmembrane proteins NCAM and L1-CAM can be studied using the CAD cell line as a model. CAD cells are a cancer cell line that come from mice and can be stimulated to grow as either neurons or glial cells. In addition, this cell line has been shown to be an easily transfected line. In order to determine usefulness of this cell line several techniques were used. Western blots were implemented in order to determine if the NCAM and/or L1-CAM and proteins known to be involved in their signaling pathways were present in the cell line. Western blots were then confirmed by immunocytochemistry staining. Next, the CAD cell line was transfected with photoactivateable actin. Finally, immuno beads were attached to the membranes of these CAD cells and then holographic optical tweezers were used to determine whether or not thsee ligands coupled to the retrograde actin flow in the cells. The combination of these experiments should provide the evidence for whether or not the CAD cells would be a feasible model to study the nature of the NCAM and L1-CAM proteins and their relationship to the movement of actin in the cytoskeleton of neurons.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 33. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-33


Over the span of 40 y and with the participation of over 60 students and postdoctoral colleagues, my laboratory has been able to elucidate numerous aspects of cofactor metabolism and function. Findings have been on the absorption, transport, utilization and excretion of vitamin B-6, riboflavin, biotin, lipoate and ascorbate. Specificity studies on those trace but essential enzymes that catalyze conversion of such vitamins as B-6 and riboflavin to their functional coenzymes led to our development of "biochemically specific absorbents" that prototypically exemplified what later was called "affinity chromatography." Characterization of the purified kinases for B-6 and riboflavin revealed preference for Zn2+ with the eucaryotic enzymes and delimited effects of inhibitors that relate to drug action. Flavin adenine dinucleotide synthetase, separable from flavokinase in mammals, prefers Mg2+. Specifics for binding and function of flavocoenzymes were delineated for several flavoproteins. The flavin mononucleotide-dependent oxidase that converts the 5'-phosphates of pyridoxine and of pyridoxamine to pyridoxal phosphate is a connection between riboflavin and B-6 that we characterized in mechanistic detail and found to be the primary control point for conversion of B-6 to its coenzyme. Sequencing and cloning of a side-chain oxidase for riboflavin was achieved. Isolation and identification of metabolites of biotin and of lipoic acid, first from bacteria obtained by enrichment culture and then from mammals, provided seminal information on catabolic pathways involved, as have our other studies with flavin catabolites isolated from milk and urine.


In this paper, we propose robust stochastic algorithms for solving convex compositional problems of the form $f(\E_\xi g(\cdot; \xi)) + r(\cdot)$ by establishing {\bf sub-Gaussian confidence bounds} under weak assumptions about the tails of noise distribution, i.e., {\bf heavy-tailed noise} with bounded second-order moments. One can achieve this goal by using an existing boosting strategy that boosts a low probability convergence result into a high probability result. However, piecing together existing results for solving compositional problems suffers from several drawbacks: (i) the boosting technique requires strong convexity of the objective; (ii) it requires a separate algorithm to handle non-smooth $r$; (iii) it also suffers from an additional polylogarithmic factor of the condition number. To address these issues, we directly develop a single-trial stochastic algorithm for minimizing optimal strongly convex compositional objectives, which has a nearly optimal high probability convergence result matching the lower bound of stochastic strongly convex optimization up to a logarithmic factor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that establishes nearly optimal sub-Gaussian confidence bounds for compositional problems under heavy-tailed assumptions.


Summary Pyrazomycin (PM) completely inhibited the growth of Walker carcinosarcoma 256. Mammary carcinoma 755, Gardner lymphosarcoma, and X5563 plasma cell myeloma were inhibited more than 50% by PM. Tumors that showed more than a minimum response of 30% were the C3H and 115 mammary carcinomas, Mecca lymphosarcoma, Taper liver tumor, and Ridgeway osteogenic sarcoma. The S91 melanoma, Sarcoma 180 ascites tumors, and Ehrlich ascites solid tumor showed no significant biological responses. PM also caused several well-established dimethyl-benzanthracene-induced mammary carcinomas to regress completely. The majority of the dimethylbenzanthracene-induced tumors in the treated rats regressed to some degree while most of the control tumors increased in size. The murine leukemias L1210, C1498, P1534, AKR, P388, or B82 showed no response to PM. Although PM did not inhibit the Ehrlich or Sarcoma 180 ascites tumors in mice, PM did cause up to 90% prolongation of life in rats with the Walker carcinosarcoma 256 ascites, and 9 of the 30 rats survived more than 45 days. PM showed comparable activity against either Walker carcinosarcoma 256 or Gardner lymphosarcoma when given p.o., i.p., i.v., or i.m. It also showed comparable activity against Walker carcinosarcoma 256 when given once every 2, 3, 4, or 5 days. Plasma levels of PM-like activity were detected 3 days after a single p.o. dose of PM at 10 mg/kg in rats.


The purpose of this work has been to perform a security analysis of Android-based Smartphones. Smartphone usage and adaptation are increasing day by day with a variety of
applications. These applications can be very critical in nature such as mobile banking, and mobile payment systems and users are often unknowing about the security risks involved in such applications.
Android, an open source operating system, is rapidly increasing in the Smartphone industry. It has already beaten the most popular mobile operating systems, like RIM, iOS, Windows Mobile and even Symbian, which ruled the mobile market for more than a decade.
In this thesis, we have analysed the architecture of the Android operating system and tested its security through penetration testing. We have picked the most popular and recommended tools to test the security in the TCP/IP suite and different attacks have been performed on three different Android versions. The thesis also contains a discussion about our findings, how secure the Android system is and how much trust can be placed on it while using it.


It has been recognized long before the financial crisis that a precise forecast of business figures is essential. Faulty hedge-positions resulting from inefficient exposure planning can increase hedging costs. Similar costly effects can result from imprecise liquidity planning, even if insolvency is avoided. Challenges for optimizing corporate financial planning data integration preceding the risk management are even greater in global companies due to distributed and heterogeneous data generation processes. Research and contribution in this thesis address process and data related challenges through evaluation studies based on empirical data. The process-driven part evaluates the effect of corporate financial planning redesign based on an appropriate business process redesign model for multinational enterprises. Thereby, the focus is on a flexible execution structure and the three process related quality dimensions timeliness, completeness, and consistency. The data-driven research part comes up with new quality metrics for financial planning data and their benchmarking against the forth quality dimension accuracy. That way, previously unknown business insights are derived.