1 Many authors have suggested that topography and soils are the major determinants of species distributions and community patterns at small or regional scales, but few studies addressed the patterns at mesoscales. We used Reserva Ducke (100 km2) as a model to analyse the effects of soil, topography and watersheds on the variation of the herb community composition, and to determine the relative importance of the environmental factors on species composition. 2 Taxonomic groups are frequently used as surrogates in studies of biodiversity distribution and complementarity, but their efficacy is controversial. We therefore studied the correlations between the distributional patterns of three different herb groups (Marantaceae, pteridophytes and 'others') and their responses to environmental predictors. 3 Terrestrial herbs were sampled in 59 plots of 250 × 2 m, systematically distributed over the reserve. Plots followed isoclines of altitude, to minimize the internal variation of soil. Composition of the total herb community and of the three herb groups was summarized with PCoA. 4 Soil structure, represented by PCA axes, was the main determinant of the variation in herb composition for all groups, but slope affected only pteridophytes. Soil and topography explained less than one‐third of the variance in community data. Herb composition was significantly different between watersheds, but watersheds differ only slightly in soil parameters. Our results indicate high turnover in species composition, on spatial scales of 5–10 km in central Amazonia, which is not necessarily associated with soil change. 5 Compositional patterns of the three groups analysed were significantly correlated, but with low values for the correlation coefficient. Although composition was correlated, the responses to environmental predictors differed among groups, and the use of one group as a surrogate will miss around 50% of the variation in other groups. 6 Although important, soil and topography alone cannot predict herb community structure. Knowledge of geographical, historical or other landscape features, such as watershed morphology, may therefore be necessary to predict the turnover patterns over mesoscales. Moreover, the same factors may not have the same effectiveness as predictors of the structure of seemingly similar biological groups.


Meteorological data recorded from 12 December 2008 to 30 June 2010 were analyzed to assess the surface energy balance (SEB) in a blue ice area of Cap Prudhomme, Adelie Land (66°41′S, 139°55′E). The SEB was computed with a newly developed model forced by direct measurements and with a voluntarily limited number of parameters to better assess model sensitivity. Incoming short‐wave radiation was corrected for the slope and orientation of the local terrain assuming direct and diffuse radiation components. Turbulent heat fluxes were assessed using the bulk aerodynamic approach. Heat conduction in the ice was computed by solving the thermal diffusion equation. Snow accumulation was modeled using ERA interim total precipitation and a one‐dimensional erosion model. The surface heat budget and accumulation/erosion model accurately reproduced field observations. The occurrence of blue ice is linked with higher rates of erosion than in the surrounding snow covered areas, which may be caused by local flow divergence or snow not being redistributed from higher elevations. Melting occurs between December and February when incoming short‐wave radiation is high. However, the SEB was closely linked to air temperature through the incoming long‐wave radiation and the turbulent sensible heat flux. Several warm events caused by cyclones intruding into the continent led to significant warming of the ice and high melting rates. Intruding cyclones were also associated with high precipitation that led to significant accumulation. Except in blue ice areas, modeling suggests that expected higher precipitation in a warmer climate will result in more accumulation.


ABSTRACT Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases, which lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular death. Green coffee extract is particularly producer a great deal of chlorogenic acids (CGA) that may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Therefore, the target of the study was to summarize the available publications on the effect of green coffee consumption on high blood pressure. Methods: The systematic review was done with a search in PubMed-Medline and Scopus. The search strategy included keywords related to blood pressure and green coffee. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled clinical trials conducted on people aged between 18 and 70 years. The publication date of articles  was from 2004 to 2018. Exclusion criteria were articles not published in English. Results: We discussed five articles that included  our criteria. Green coffee had moderate effects on high blood pressure.  It sounds that the effect of green coffee on reducing blood pressure is because of its phenolic compounds, as well as caffeine and chlorogenic acids, coffee's roasting status, participants' ethnicity, and even gender. Conclusion: Green coffee intake for a long time might moderately decrease blood pressure. However, there is still a need for further clinical trials.


Abstract The mortality of pregnant women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains high. The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze perinatal and postpartum outcomes in patients with PAH. A total of 79 pregnant patients with PAH who underwent abortion or parturition were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative characteristics, anesthesia method, intensive care management, PAH-specific therapy, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed in this case series study. This study was a retrospective analysis of 79 pregnant women with PAH. We collected data on maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal outcomes. The mean age of the parturient women with mild and severe PAH was 26.6 ± 5.7 and 26.0 ± 4.9 years, respectively, and the mean systolic pulmonary arterial pressure of the 2 groups was 43.8 ± 4.2 mmHg and 76.7 ± 15.6 mmHg, respectively. Of the 79 patients, 43 (54.4%) had severe PAH and 36 (45.6%) had mild PAH. The gestational weeks were significantly shorter and the rate of fetal death was higher in the severe PAH group than in the mild PAH group (36.0 vs 37.3 weeks and 6/24 vs 1/30, respectively; P < .05). Fifty-seven patients received PAH-specific therapy during pregnancy, including sildenafil, iloprost, and treprostinil. Overall, 22 PAH patients underwent therapeutic abortion and 57 continued their pregnancy. A total of 9 women, all of whom had severe PAH, died within 3 months of labor, giving a mortality rate of 15.8% (9/57). Of the 57 parturients, 21 (35.6%) gave birth prematurely and 36 (64.4%) delivered at term. Overall, 55 (96.5%) patients delivered by cesarean section and 2 (3.5%) delivered vaginally. There were 7 fetal deaths - 6 in the severe PAH group and one in the mild PAH group (6/24 vs 1/30). Although the mortality rate of this group of women with PAH was lower than that previously reported, patients with PAH should still be advised against pregnancy.


In this essay, I begin with an overview of a traditional account of natural kinds, and then consider David Hull's (1986) critique of species as natural kinds and the associated notion of human nature. Second, I explore recent "liberal" accounts of human nature provided by Edouard Machery (2008) and Grant Ramsey (2013) and criticized by Tim Lewens (2012). They attempt to avoid the criticisms of- fered by Hull. After examining those views, I turn to Richard Boyd's (1988; 1999) Homeostatic Property Cluster account of natural kinds which is flexible but detailed enough to avoid Hull's criticisms but also those affecting the more recent views. We then consider what I call the "problem of variation." Fourth, I consider two case studies -- the basic emotions and facial expressions and inbreeding avoidance and incest taboos. I argue that the former is a component of a Boydian human nature but the latter is not. The conclusion is that if there is a human nature, it must be argued for on a case-by-case basis. And, one of most discussed cases thought to be part of our nature is simply not.


Aromatic amine cured Bisphenol F epoxy resin is used as a pivotal solid insulation material in electrical equipment at low temperature and extreme environment. Partial discharge (PD) can lead to an increase in local temperature, which leads to pyrolysis, and the existence of PD active products will aggravate the pyrolysis process of insulating materials. In order to investigate the effect of PD active products on the pyrolysis characteristics of aromatic amine cured epoxy resin, the pyrolysis process of epoxy resin under partial discharge active products is simulated based on ReaxFF. The types and changing trend of small molecular products and the mechanism of PD active products acting on the pyrolysis process of epoxy resin are analyzed. The results show that the oxidation of hydroxyl and C-N bridge bonds by PD active products is the main reason for accelerating the pyrolysis of epoxy resin, which changes the main pyrolysis path of epoxy resin cross-linked structure. The thermal stability of cross-linked epoxy resin decreases under the action of active products, and the types and change trend of small molecular products generated in the pyrolysis process also changes greatly with the change of pyrolysis path.


Life insurance industries become a very competitive and attractive. They not only focuses product but focus on maintaining service quality especially in manado. There two major life insurance in manado that is PT. Allianz life insurance and PT. Prudential life assurance. Each life insurance must to survive and gain profit through satisfy their customer in different way. This study aimed to find out who is the performer life insurance in relation with service quality using analytical hierarchy process and to identify the strength and weaknesses point of each life insurance trough the questioner that given to the customer that have experience with those two life insurance.AHP is a method for ranking decision alternative and selecting the best one when the decision maker has multiple objectives, or criteria, on which to base the decision. The result shows that the best performer life insurance relation with service quality in manado is Allianz. Overall the criteria that given Allianz is the best performer life insurance in relation with service quality measurement model and the most preferred life insurance over Prudential. Since Allianz as the best performer in service quality but not consistently, Allianz has keep maintaining their performance in services so that they can keep dominate the market. And Prudential has to re-evaluate, find innovative products and gave the best service to the customer. Keywords: service quality, life insurance, analytical hierarchy process


The environment of the freshwater sponge S. lacustris is classified according to the defining equations given in the first paper of this series. An envirogram displaying objects in the environment in their correct place is presented. Notes on the envirogram include informal versions of the appropriate defining equations that are used for the classification.


: Background: A competitive world emerged after Globalization create labor market flexibility in the labor market. Head load market is Known for its organization strength, state intervention and rigid laborer laws. Who is head load worker? The World meaning implies those who take load on Head. This occupational group is continuously subjected to various musculoskeletal problems due to repetitive load exertion in unnatural postures.Such activities include frequent lifting of heavy weight above shoulder height, pushing, carrying, and lowering of weights while adopting unnatural postures (twisting and bending).The most important risk factors attributed with such tasks consists of (a) repetitive motions (frequent lifting/carrying of loads), (b) forceful exertions (lifting/carrying of heavy loads), (c) awkward postures (bending/twisting), (d) accumulated pressure points with loads having sharp edges and static posture for long duration.It is, therefore, imperative that MSDs among load carriers will impose greater loss in income as well increased health-care cost and reduced quality of life. Purpose: To find the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder among headload workers at construction sites. Method: The observational study consists of 100 participants, chosen according to inclusion and exclusion criteria were asked to fill the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire answering in YES/NO. Result: The results showed that among 100 participants, 70% prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders is found in headload workers at construction sites. Highest prevalence was found in Upper Back 54% component followed by the Neck 45.75% and Shoulders 36.25%. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is 70% prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in headload workers at construction sites.


We describe KMS and ground states arising from a generalized gauge action on ultragraph C*-algebras. We focus on ultragraphs that satisfy Condition (RFUM), so that we can use the partial crossed product description of ultragraph C*-algebras recently described by the second author and Danilo Royer. In particular, for ultragraphs with no sinks, we generalize a recent result by Toke Carlsen and Nadia Larsen: Given a time evolution on the C*-algebra of an ultragraph, induced by a function on the edge set, we characterize the KMS states in five different ways and ground states in four different ways. In both cases we include a characterization given by maps on the set of generalized vertices of the ultragraph. We apply this last result to show the existence of KMS and ground states for the ultragraph C*-algebra that is neither an Exel-Laca nor a graph C*-algebra.


The Erns gene of five prevalent virulent strains and one C-strain of Hog Cholera Virus were amplified by reverse transcription (RT). The amplified fragments were cloned and sequenced. Comparison and analysis were made on the nucleotide sequence and the amino acid sequence of five prevalent virulent strains of HCV was deduced. The nucleotide homology was from 91% to 98%; the homology of amino acid was from 94% to 98%. The nucleotide homology of C-strain virus from cell cultured and five prevalent virulent strains of HCV was 83% to 84% .The amino acid homology was from 89% to 91%.


Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), catalyzing the conversion of tyrosine into l‐DOPA, is the rate‐limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. Defects in insulin action contribute to alterations of TH expression and/or activity in the brain and insulin increases TH levels in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP+)‐treated neuronal cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of TH by insulin have not been elucidated yet. Using PC12 cells, we show for the first time that insulin increases TH expression in a biphasic manner, with a transient peak at 2 hr and a delayed response at 16 hr, which persists for up to 24 hr. The use of a dominant negative hypoxia‐inducible factor 1‐alpha (HIF‐1α) and its pharmacological inhibitor chetomin, together with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments for the specific binding to TH promoter, demonstrate the direct role of HIF‐1α in the early phase. Moreover, ChIP experiments and transfection of a dominant negative of the nerve growth factor IB (Nur77) indicate the involvement of Nur77 in the late phase insulin response, which is mediated by HIF‐1α. In conclusion, the present study shows that insulin regulates TH expression through HIF‐1α and Nur77 in PC12 cells, supporting the critical role of insulin signaling in maintaining an appropriate dopaminergic tone by regulating TH expression in the central nervous system.


It is essential to develop ultrasensitive low frequency sensors for efficient structural health monitoring and early warning of natural disasters. Many fishes have been reported to have acute sensitivity to low frequency. Based on the mechanism of the infrasound sensitivity of fish, mechanism of bio-inspired ultrasensitive low frequency sensor is explored by a mechanical model with gating spring hypothesis for simulating the mechanical-electricity transduction of the hair cell in fish ear. Numerical analyses of the mechanical model subject to static and dynamic loading are conducted respectively by OpenSees. Under static loading, displacement response of gating model is more sensitive to weak loading due to the opening of gating spring. Under dynamic loading, the gating model is more acute sensitive to low frequency and weak loading due to the adaptive amplification of gating spring. This mechanical function can be used as the theoretical basis for the design of ultrasensitive bio-inspired low frequency sensors.


BACKGROUND
Periprosthetic distal femur fractures following total knee arthroplasty (PDFFTKA) are increasingly common [1], mainly in elderly patients with significant co-morbidities [2]. Surgical management usually requires balancing prompt fixation for early mobilization with the need to consider the least physiologically demanding option [3].The aim of this study was to assess predictors of clinical and radiological outcome in patients with PDFFTKA treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of patients managed for PDFFTKA over the last 21 years in the Trauma & Orthopaedics Department of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) was carried out. Radiological images, pre- and post-operatively, were assessed for fracture related parameters. Last known functional status was evaluated using the most recent outpatient review letters. After assessment of normality of data, evaluation of predictors of clinical and radiological outcome was made using correlation analyses.

RESULTS
There was no statistically significant correlation between age, primary TKA to fracture interval, and length of intact medial cortex vs clinical outcome for the parametric variables evaluated. For non-parametric variables assessed, there was a statistically significant correlation between clinical outcome and evidence of callus formation (Spearman rho value -0.476; p=0.022). In stratifying the patients with poor and good outcome, there was no difference noted in primary TKA to fracture interval, or length of intact medial cortex (mm) between both groups. In terms of the number of comminuted fragments and anterior flange to fracture distance (mm), there was also no difference noted between the poor and good functional groups.

CONCLUSIONS
1. There was no observed correlation in pre-operative patient and fracture related variables with outcome in this population of patients with PDFFTKA. 2. Post-operative evidence of callus formation appears to be directly related to better clinical outcomes.


Abstract Background: Intravenous sildenafil treatment has recently shown promising results and good tolerability in the treatment of refractory pulmonary hypertension (PH) in term and near-term neonates, while comparable data in preterm infants are still lacking. However, for critically ill preterm infants suffering from PH refractory to conventional treatment, sildenafil may represent a last treatment resort. Patients and methods: We reviewed the records of 6 critically ill extremely preterm infants who had suffered from PH refractory to conventional treatment and had obtained intravenous sildenafil after careful consideration as ultima ratio treatment. Aim: To describe the responses to sildenafil in terms of hemodynamic and respiratory changes during treatment and outcome. Results: 4/6 patients showed resolution of severe PH with full reversal of ductal shunt direction into pure left-to-right shunt within 82±35 h after sildenafil start. Remarkably, 2/6 patients developed pulmonary hemorrhage at a time point when significant improvement of PH had already taken place, both of them survived. Overall 4/6 patients died, two deaths were related to treatment-refractory PH. Conclusion: Intravenous sildenafil treatment seems effective in improving severe PH and hemodynamic instability in extremely preterm infants with refractory PH. Pulmonary hemorrhage may represent a distinct adverse effect of sildenafil treatment in these patients, presumably due to sudden reversal of ductal shunt. Accordingly, sildenafil should be restricted to most severe and refractory cases in this population.


Radio communications and networks continue to be one of the most exciting areas of science, technology, and business. Innovations continue to provide society with capabilities we could not have dreamed possible just a decade or two ago. The news is replete with examples of the application of new wireless technology, from entertainment (e.g., video clips and games) to unexpected uses such as messages to supporters from political candidates on the campaign trail. Novel technology, enlightened wireless and telecommunication policies, and exciting (and profitable) applications can be expected to continue in a cycle that is highly beneficial to society. In this issue we offer some further ideas that we hope will continue to support this cycle.


The transport of hexylamine and octylamine through a silicone rubber membrane was studied as a function of buffer (phosphate) concentration and pH. The results were interpreted using a physical model which assumed a steady-state rate of transport and which accounted for the simultaneous diffusion and rapid equilibrium of all the aqueous species, the possible diffusion of both the amine and its protonated form through the membrane, and the effect of a stagnant aqueous diffusion layer on each side of the membrane. The following conclusions were reached: The thickness of the aqueous diffusion layer is approximately 100 micron, which is about the same as that previously measured for benzoic acid in this system. Transport of octylamine at pH greater than or equal to 10 is approximately 90% aqueous diffusion layer controlled, whereas hexylamine is approximately 50% aqueous diffusion layer controlled at high pH. The membrane permeability of octylamine is approximately 15-20 times that of hexylamine. This gives an incremental pi constant for the partition coefficient of approximately 0.61, as compared with the previously reported value of 0.56. At low pH (less than or equal to 5), the transport of the protonated species becomes important. The membrane permeabilities of these ammonium ions are about four or five orders of magnitude less than the membrane permeabilities of the corresponding amines. The membranes were examined at 30,000X with the scanning electron microscope, and no evidence of holes was found.


Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent enzymes involved in remodeling extracellular matrix and cell-matrix interactions. A pathogenic role of MMPs in neurological disorders is likely. This paper focuses on serological clinical aspects only. In multiple sclerosis, higher serum MMP-3 is seen during relapses. Lower serum MMP-8 and -9 levels correlate with fewer contrast-enhanced T2-weighted MRI lesions, and serum MMP-9 can be used in monitoring treatment. In myasthenia gravis, serum MMP-2, -3, and -9 levels are elevated in both generalized and ocular diseases. A proportion of the patients have markedly increased serum MMP-3. In acute stroke, higher serum MMP-9 correlates with larger infarct volume, stroke severity, and worse functional outcome, and serum MMP-3 is significantly lower than in several other neurological disorders and healthy controls. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, serum MMP-2 correlates with disease progression, and both serum MMP-1 and -2 are elevated. In Alzheimer's disease, serum MMP-3, -9, and -10 are elevated. In migraine, serum MMP-2 is elevated, and also MMP-9 in those patients with migraine without aura. MMP-9 is implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental epilepsy. A pathogenic role of MMPs in these conditions could be related to their ability to degrade extracellular matrix. MMPs may also facilitate autoimmunity.


Summary In this paper we show that 3D inversion of large airborne time domain EM data, which is traditionally considered impractical, can be rapidly carried out by using a thoughtful workflow. In our 3D inversion algorithm, the number of cells in the mesh and the number of soundings are two factors that slow down the inversion. Therefore, we develop a strategy of adaptive mesh and sounding refinement to minimize the number of cells and the number of soundings required by the inversion. At the beginning, a coarse mesh and a few soundings are used to quickly build up a large-scale model. Then the mesh is refined and more soundings are added based upon their data misfit. At each iteration of the inversion, a certain number of soundings are randomly selected, and we change the data selection from iteration to iteration. This allows us to down-sample the field data without much loss of information. Once the large-scale model is obtained, we carry out some tile inversions that focus on smaller areas with a locally refined mesh to better resolve the small-scale features. The workflow is demonstrated by a synthetic example with 2121 transmitters that takes about 10 hours to be solved compared to about 150 hours if we had started the inversion on a fine mesh and used all of the transmitters. The methodology of speeding up the inversion by adaptive mesh and data refinement can also be applied to other EM surveys.


Ray tracing models are known to yield accurate results if a sufficient number of terms (e.g. diffraction mechanisms) are accounted for in the asymptotic formulation. For wireless applications one desires a ray analysis in which the fewest number of terms are retained, to obtain accurate and computationally efficient results. When retaining a subset of scattering mechanisms in a ray solution, validation is desirable via a rigorous numerical model. In the work presented here the multilevel fast-multipole algorithm is used to validate ray-tracing models for complex environments, including forest-like media.


Various models of the information society have been developed so far and they are so different from country to country that it would be rather unwise to look for a single, all- encompassing definition. In our time a number of profound socio-economic changes are underway. The application of these theories and schools on ICT is problematic in many respects. First, as we stated above, there is not a single, widely used paradigm which has synthesised the various schools and theories dealing with technology and society. Second, these fragmented approaches do not have a fully-fledged mode of application to the relationship of ICT and (information) society. Third, SCOT, ANT, the evolutionary- or the systems approach to the history of technology when dealing with information society - does not take into account the results of approaches studying the very essence of the information age: information, communication and knowledge. The list of unnoticed or partially incorporated sciences, which focuses on the role of ICT in human information processing and other cognitive activities, is much longer.


Sialic acid (Sia) is considered as one of the most important biomolecules of life since its derivatives and terminal orientations on cell membranes and macromolecules play a major role in many biological and pathological processes. To date, there is only a limited number of active molecules that can selectively bind to Sia and this limitation has made the study of this glycan challenging. The lectin superfamily is a well-known family of glycan binding proteins, which encompasses many strong glycan binding peptides with diverse glycan affinities. Mistletoe lectin (ML) is considered one of the most active members of lectin family which was initially classified in early studies as a galactose binding lectin; more recent studies have suggested that the peptide can also actively bind to Sia. However, the details with respect to Sia binding of ML and the domain responsible for this binding are left unanswered because no comprehensive studies have been instigated. In this study, we sought to identify the binding domain responsible for the sialic acid affinity of mistletoe lectin isoform I (MLI) in comparison to the binding activity of elderberry lectin isoform I (SNA), which has long been identified as a potent Sia binding lectin. In order to execute this, we performed computational carbohydrate-protein docking for MLB and SNA with Neu5Ac and β-Galactose. We further analyzed the coding sequence of both lectins and identified their glycan binding domains, which were later cloned upstream and downstream to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Finally, the glycan affinity of the expressed fusion proteins was assessed by using different biochemical and cell-based assays and the Sia binding domains were identified.


The following case involves a 62-year-old female patient suffering from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) secondary to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and Graves disease, who developed ventricular fibrillation (VF) after discontinuation of methimazole in preparation for radioiodine ablation. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a severely prolonged QTc in the setting of thyrotoxicosis, which significantly improved with high dose methimazole. VF secondary to thyrotoxicosis has rarely been reported and the literature review shows scarce data on its mechanism. Our case demonstrates not only a possible mechanism for the arrhythmia, but also highlights a potential risk factor for it. The report details how discontinuing antithyroid medication leads to VF in our patient and reviews the current literature on antithyroid withdrawal prior to radioiodine ablation therapy. Caution should be taken when discontinuing antithyroid medications in patients with advanced heart failure as potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias can ensue.


Abstract Objective: To establish reference ranges of the fetal adrenal gland (AG) and fetal zone (FZ) volumes using three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS). Methods: We performed a prospective cross-sectional study with 204 normal singleton pregnancies between 24 and 37 + 6 weeks of gestation. The fetal AG and FZ volumes were obtained using the virtual organ computer-aided analysis method with a 30° rotation. To establish reference ranges as the function of gestational age (GA), quantile regression was performed with the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2). Intra- and inter-observer repeatability was performed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The mean results of fetal AG and FZ values were 0.42 cm3 (0.04–1.22) and 0.10 cm3 (0.02–0.47), respectively. The best-fit quantile regression models for fetal AG and FZ volumes as the function of GA were in first-degree models: AG = −0.937 + 0.041 × GA (R2 = 0.124) and FZ = −0.201 + 0.009 × GA (R2 = 0.127), respectively. We observed good intra-observer repeatability of fetal AG and FZ volumes, with an ICC of 0.996 and 0.989, respectively. We also observed good inter-observer repeatability, with an ICC of 0.972 and 0.966 for AG and FZ, respectively. Conclusion: The reference ranges of AG and FZ volumes using 3DUS between 24 and 37 + 6 weeks of gestation were established and exhibited good repeatability.


The SMART ENVIRONMENT project, developed from 2015 to 2017 within Roma Tre University, has been granted by Regione Lazio with the aim of pushing the research activities oriented to improve the technological competitiveness of the local industrial environment. Research facilities and innovation capabilities, supported by a well-established structure for technological transfer, become the key to sustain the industrial development of the Regione Lazio in a difficult period but with a substantial economic recovery able to guarantee investments. The SMART ENVIRONMENTS project, has explored the so-called third-mission of Italian Universities that consists in putting the relationship with the territory at the centre of the academic work non only producing knowledge but trying to cooperate with the productive structures: industrial, cultural, or service related.


A myriad of novel applications have emerged nowadays for different types of navigation systems. One of their most frequent applications is Wayfinding . Since there are significant differences between the nature of the pedestrian wayfinding problems and of those of the vehicles, navigation services which are designed for vehicles are not appropriate for pedestrian wayfinding purposes. In addition, diversity in environmental conditions of the users and in their preferences affects the process of pedestrian wayfinding with mobile devices. Therefore, a method is necessary that performs an intelligent pedestrian routing with regard to this diversity. This intelligence can be achieved by the help of a Ubiquitous service that is adapted to the Contexts . Such a service possesses both the Context-Awareness and the User-Awareness capabilities. These capabilities are the main features of the ubiquitous services that make them flexible in response to any user in any situation. In this paper, it is attempted to propose a multi-criteria path optimization method that provides a Ubiquitous Pedestrian Way Finding Service (UPWFS). The proposed method considers four criteria that are summarized in Length, Safety, Difficulty and Attraction of the path. A conceptual framework is proposed to show the influencing factors that have effects on the criteria. Then, a mathematical model is developed on which the proposed path optimization method is based. Finally, data of a local district in Tehran is chosen as the case study in order to evaluate performance of the proposed method in real situations. Results of the study shows that the proposed method was successful to understand effects of the contexts in the wayfinding procedure. This demonstrates efficiency of the proposed method in providing a ubiquitous pedestrian wayfinding service.


The probable reaction mechanism for the reaction of methyl and chlorine monoxide radicals has been studied using the G2MP2 method. Among the six possible pathways, the present calculations show that production of methoxyl radical and chlorine atom, and formaldehyde and hydrogen chloride are the two most significant, and their reaction barriers are very close in energy. Simple RRKM calculations have been performed to compare these two main channels in detail. On the basis of detailed comparison with the experimental results, the present theoretical results are generally considered to be good.


Objective: The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence on the effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) on back pain and other related symptoms during pregnancy. Data Sources: A literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Manual, Alternative and Natural Therapy Index System, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Index to Chiropractic Literature, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. In addition hand searches and reference tracking were also performed, and the citation list was assessed for comprehensiveness by content experts. Methods of Study Selection: This review was limited to peer-reviewed manuscripts published in English from 1966 until September 2008. The initial search strategy yielded 140 citations of which 12 studies were reviewed for quality. Tabulation, Integration, and Results: The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed independently using quality checklists of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters. The review indicates that the use of SMT during pregnancy to reduce back pain and other related symptoms is supported by limited evidence. Conclusion: Overall, this body of evidence is best described as emergent. However, since effective treatments for pregnancy-related back pain are limited, clinicians may want to consider SMT as a treatment option, if no contraindications are present. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the concepts of spinal manipulative therapy and types of symptoms for which it might be considered in pregnancy, explain the quality of available research on the use of spinal manipulative therapy, and plan to discuss this therapy with interested pregnant patients.


In this work, composite electrospun fibers containing innovative bioactive glass nanoparticles were produced and characterized. Poly(ε-caprolactone), benign solvents, and sol-gel B- and Cu-doped bioactive glass powders were used to fabricate fibrous scaffolds. The retention of bioactive glass nanoparticles in the polymer matrix, the electrospinnability of this novel solution and the obtained electrospun composites were extensively characterized. As a result, composite electrospun fibers characterized by biocompatibility, bioactivity, and exhibiting overall properties adequate for both hard and soft tissue engineering applications, have been produced. The addition of these bioactive glass nanoparticles was, indeed, able to impart bioactive properties to the fibers. Cell culture studies show promising results, demonstrating proliferation and growth of cells on the composite fibers. Wettability, degradation rate, and mechanical performance were also tested and are in line with previous results.


MOOCs is slowly gaining traction in the education provisioning in SSA. Much of this is attributed to governmental and institutional aim of providing quality and affordable universal education to all learners. This chapter explores how MOOCs is affecting access to learning in SSA, with particular bias to urban education context. Evidence adduced in this chapter was adduced from secondary sources, involving review of relevant literature available from internet sources. In the internet sources visited, key search terms that were used in obtaining the relevant resources included but not limited to: 'MOOCs and education', 'MOOCs in Africa', 'Education technologies AND MOOCs in Africa', 'MOOCs, OERs adoption and adaptability in Africa', and 'MOOCs' challenges in Africa' among others. It emerged that while MOOCs is gaining the needed traction in the SSA education space, the pace of its development is slow and calls for a more concerted effort from concerned education stakeholders.


We assessed the extent to which co-infection with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) was diagnosed at several high risk clinical care sites from 1992 to 1994 to determine whether surveillance for co-infection was performed. Information on PPD skin testing, HIV status, and HIV risk exposures was extracted from records at HIV clinics in Rhode Island and a large database (HIV sites) and from records at the state TB clinic and the Rhode Island Health Department (TB sites). At the HIV sites, 34 of 1,408 HIV infected subjects were newly diagnosed with Mtb infection in the study period. At the TB sites, 16 of 1,389 subjects with newly diagnosed Mtb infection or disease were identified as HIV infected. Eighty per cent of the records reviewed for this study were incomplete. Hispanic subjects were at higher risk of being identified as co-infected at the HIV sites. At the TB sites, US-born subjects were at higher risk of being identified as co-infected Recommendations for high risk individuals include yearly tuberculosis skin testing. Adherence to these guidelines in selected high-risk clinical care sites in Rhode Island was substandard during the study period; the importance of Mtb screening was demonstrated in this study. Identification of groups that are at higher risk of having HIV and Mtb co-infection identified may enable health care providers to improve testing and prevention of tuberculosis at high risk clinical care settings.


Coordination in distributed environments, like Grids, involves selecting the most appropriate services, resources or compositions to carry out the planned activities. Such functionalities appear at various levels of the infrastructure and in various means forming a blurry domain, where it is hard to see how the participating components are related and what their relevant properties are. In this paper we focus on a subset of these problems: resource brokering in Grid middleware. This paper aims at establishing a semantical model for brokering and related activities by defining brokering agents at three levels of the Grid middleware for resource, host and broker selection. The main contribution of this paper is the definition and decomposition of different brokering components in Grids by providing a formal model using Abstract State Machines.


A technique for designing DLLs and PLLs using CMOS buffers with a regulated supply is presented. By scaling the charge pump current and the output resistance of the regulating amplifier, the proposed loops achieve a wide bandwidth that tracks the operating frequency, a constant damping factor, large operating range and low noise sensitivity. Prototype loops designed in 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS processes exhibit >10x operating range and less than 1% input tracking jitter.


Recent statistics suggest that violence among family members in the United States is on the increase. Researching family violence, behavioral and social scientists have also seen a tremendous increase. This paper reviews recent research findings in the area of family violence which suggest that abuse among families is most often a product of the learning history of the batterer rather than a product of current marital or family system dysfunction. Social conceptions of the problem are changing, and new legislation in a majority of states now provides services and legal protection for victims. Also, in most cases, psychological treatment for poor anger control is being recommended for abusers in lieu of jail sentences. The author suggests a unique role for the family physician in terms of preventing and detecting family violence. Suggestions for routine assessment are offered and recent treatment techniques are discussed.


A (p, q) graph G is said to be square sum, if there exists a bijection f : V(G) → {0,1, 2,...,p — 1} such that the induced function f * : E(G)→ N defined by f * (uv) = (f (u))2 + (f (v))2, ∀ uv ∈ E(G) is injective. In this paper we proved that the planar graphs Plm,n,TBL(n,α,k,β) and higher order level joined planar grid admits square sum labeling. Also the square sum properties of several classes of graphs with many odd cycles are studied.


This study aimed to investigate the generation mechanism of pairwise associated sketches and different associated types through the experimental analysis of the cognitive processes of the designers in conceptual design process. The verbal protocol analysis (VPA) was carried out on three groups of participants (designers). The first group consisted of eight university students majoring in industrial design, the second consisted of eight university students majoring in mechanical design, and the third consisted of six product designers with degrees in industrial design and over 5 years of work experience. Their cognitive processes revealed by the think-aloud protocol and outcome sketches during a specific design task were recorded. Following a content-oriented encoding scheme, the verbal data were encoded into cognitive actions, and according to the generation sequence of the sketches, the encoding results were postprocessed for the further analysis of associated sketches. First, we identified which cognitive actions played important roles in the generation of associated sketches. Next, based on the encoding results and the analyses of all associated sketches, we found that all associations can be categorized into three types (in order from low to high association levels): shape association, behavior association, and function association. Finally, we found that the differences in major background had no significant effect on the number of associated sketches but did have some influence on the diversity of association types, the differences in experience background mainly influenced the number of associated sketches in each type of association. Meanwhile, by analyzing the key cognitive actions, we also found the advantages and disadvantages of each group in the generation of different types of associations. The findings of this study can help designers with different backgrounds to choose suitable strategies to stimulate the important actions at the right time, conceive appropriate association types, and ultimately generate diverse concept sketches with high quality.


Author(s): McLaughlin, Rowan; Hannah, Emma; Coyle-McClung, Lisa | Abstract: This paper discusses how the production rate of historical and archaeological data might contain unique information about past societies. The case study is the frequency of entries in the Annals of Ulster, a primary early medieval source from Ireland, which was compared to the frequency of archaeological material from early medieval Ireland. The two datasets were found to contain similar trends, namely a rapid increase in activity in the 7th Century, followed by a decline in the Early 9th Century, low levels of activity in the 10th Century, until recovery in the Late 10th / Early 11th Centuries. This overall pattern of activity had not been noticed before. Turning to the archaeological record of Britain, although there are certain similarities between Ireland and Scotland especially in the early part of the period, we find that the 9th and 10th centuries there were a stable period, and thus contrast with Ireland. We argue that environmental pressures are unlikely to be driving the signal, and instead various socio-cultural factors in the past coalesced in Ireland, leading to circumstances powerful enough to attenuate the enduring evidence for human activity, but expressing themselves silently, perhaps even in a way that was not immediately obvious to those witnessing them in the past. The simplest explanation, we contend, is that population levels fell throughout the period. This finding offers insight into the relationship between long-term change and the primary production of history, and supports the idea that the quantity of certain historical data can contain information about past realities.


Glucocorticoids play an important role in circulatory homeostasis. They modulate peripheral resistance by their direct action on blood vessels. We have previously shown that glucocorticoids increase preproendothelin-1 gene transcription rate in vascular smooth muscle cells (Morin C et al. 1998, BBRC 244:583). Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoactive peptide involved in the maintenance of vascular tone as well as in pathophysiological states. In this report we show that glucocorticoids increase preproendothelin-1 expression in rat aorta. The rise in preproendothelin-1 steady state mRNA level is dose-dependent with a maximal 2.3-fold stimulation 8 hours following a 0.35 and a 2.5 mg/kg dexamethasone injection. A lower dose of dexamethasone (0.13 mg/kg) also increased preproendothelin-1 expression in rat aorta. Since endothelin-1 levels are regulated at the transcriptional step, the increase in mRNA is likely to be paralleled by increased protein synthesis and vasoconstrictor action. Moreover, systolic blood pressure was significantly elevated in rats who received the 0.35 and 2.5 mg/kg doses of dexamethasone. Together, our results strongly suggest that the increase in preproendothelin-1 expression by glucocorticoids contributes to the regulatory action of these corticosteroids on blood pressure in health and disease.


An exact expression for the bit error rate of the simple transmit diversity (STD) scheme in [S. M. Alamouti, Oct. 1998] with spatially correlated Rayleigh fading and channel estimation errors is derived. Channel estimation errors result in an irreducible BER floor whereas spatial correlation by itself does not. A performance comparison of STD and maximal ratio combining is provided.


Almost everyone who follows politics or economics agrees on one thing: more regulation means less freedom. Joseph William Singer, one of the world's most respected experts on property law, explains why this understanding of regulation is simply wrong. While analysts as ideologically divided as Alan Greenspan and Joseph Stiglitz have framed regulatory questions as a matter of governments versus markets, Singer reminds us of what we've willfully forgotten: government is not inherently opposed to free markets or private property, but is, in fact, necessary to their very existence. Singer uses the recent subprime crisis to demonstrate: * Regulation's essential importance for freedom and democracy* Why consumer protection laws are a basic pillar of economic freedom* How private property rests on a regulatory infrastructure* Why liberals and conservatives actually agree on these relationships far more than they disagree This concise volume is essential reading for policy makers, philosophers, political theorists, economists, and financial professionals on both sides of the aisle.


This paper presents a capability-augmented model of on the job search, in which sweatshop conditions stifle the capability of the working poor to search for a job while on the job. The augmented setting unveils a sweatshop equilibrium in an otherwise archetypal Burdett-Mortensen economy, and reconciles a number of oft noted yet perplexing features of sweatshop economies. We demonstrate existence of multiple rational expectation equilibria, graduation pathways out of sweatshops in complete absence of enforcement, and country-specific efficiency and distributional responses to competitive forces and social safety nets depending precisely on whether graduation criteria are met.


Many animals use chemical cues to detect conspecifics and predators. On sandstone outcrops, flat rock spiders Morebilus plagusius and Polyrachis ants use sun-exposed rocks as nest sites, and defend rocks from intruders. We investigated whether chemical cues influenced retreat-site selection by spiders. In the field, spiders showed significant avoidance of rocks used by ants. In laboratory trials, we gave spiders the choice between conspecific-scented and unscented refuges, and ant-scented and unscented refuges. In conspecific scent trials, spiders showed no avoidance of spider scented refuges during the night, but significantly more spiders chose unscented refuges as their diurnal retreat-site. In ant scent trials, spiders made more visits to unscented refuges than ant-scented refuges during the night, and significantly more spiders chose unscented refuges as their diurnal retreat site. Our results demonstrate that spiders can detect chemical cues from ants and conspecifics, and that such cues influence retreat-site selection.


The lethal and sublethal effects of pyriproxyfen (D juvenile hormone analogue) were investigated on feeding deterrence, growth and larval weight as well as enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities of the third instar larvae of elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola Muller. The LC30 and LC50 values were estimated to be 133 and 343 ppm per larvae after 72 hours, respectively. Due to the treatment with 133 and 343 ppm of pyriproxyfen, feeding deterrence and prolongation in larval duration were observed. Also, the amounts of total protein, glucose, glycogen, urea, acid phosphatase and a-amylase activities were significantly decreased in the treated specimens compared with the controls. On the other hand, alanine aminotransferase activity and cholesterol levels were increased in the specimens 72 hours after the treatment compared with the controls. There were significant differences in the amount of uric acid and the activity of alkaline phosphatase, glutathione S-transferase and esterases compared with the controls. Present results showed that pyriproxyfen caused some biological and physiological discrepancies in the survived insects after treating with LC50 concentration of the insecticide which indicates changes in the metabolism of these compounds. Hence, it seems that pyriproxyfen has the potential to be used as a biorational insecticide in the integrated pest management (IPM) program for X. luteolla.


With the rapid development of technologies on high density assembly and packaging in electronic industry, isotropic conductive adhesive (ICA) has been paid more and more attention as a potential substitute of solder, due to its advantages of low processing temperature, simple processing conditions and good manufacturability. However, the curing time of most traditional ICA is more than half an hour. The process duration of ICA is 2 or 3 times longer than that of solder. Thus, low efficiencies of energy using and product manufacturing has been one of factors which limits widely application of ICA. Generally, the curing speed of ICA depends on types and amount of curing agent as well as curing temperature. In our previous experiments, the effects of curing temperature and amount of curing agent have been investigated. So, the present work attempts to choose a new kind of curing agent to shorten process duration of ICA. By using new curing agent, the curing duration of ICA could be shortened in 5 minutes with a high curing rate compared with the previous version. In addition, the basic performance including bulk resistivity and viscosity are also investigated in this work. Finally, we present some discussions about the further optimization of performance, for example regarding the ways of achieving better electrical conductivity with lower filler content and improvement of viscosity etc.


Based on high precision computation of periods and lattice reduction techniques, we compute the Picard group of smooth surfaces. We also study the lattice reduction technique that is employed in order to quantify the possibility of numerical error in terms of an intrinsic measure of complexity of each surface. The method applies more generally to the computation of the lattice generated by Hodge cycles of middle dimension on smooth projective hypersurfaces. We demonstrate the method by a systematic study of thousands of quartic surfaces (K3s) defined by sparse polynomials. As an application, we count the number of rational curves of a given degree lying on each surface. For quartic surfaces we also compute the endomorphism ring of their transcendental lattice.


Background and purpose Flow diverters are increasingly used to treat intracranial aneurysms. We report the safety and efficacy of the p64 flow diverter, a resheathable and detachable device for intracranial aneurysms. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed 108 patients with 109 aneurysms treated with the p64 between March 2014 and July 2019. There were 87 women and 21 men, mean age 57 years. Of 109 aneurysms, 74 were discovered incidentally, 12 were symptomatic, 18 were previously treated, and five were ruptured dissection aneurysms. A total of 10 aneurysms were located in the posterior circulation. The mean aneurysm or remnant size was 8.1 mm. Results Hemorrhage by perforation with the distal guidewire occurred in two patients with permanent neurological deficits in one. In one patient, acute in-stent occlusion caused infarction with a permanent deficit. Permanent morbidity was 1.9% (2 of 108, 95%CI 0.1–6.9%); there was no mortality. During follow-up, three in-stent occlusions occurred, all asymptomatic. There were no delayed hemorrhagic complications. At six months, 77 of 96 aneurysms (80.2%) were completely occluded, and at last follow-up, this increased to 93 of 96 aneurysms (96.9%). In-stent stenosis at any degree occurred in 11 patients, progressing to asymptomatic complete occlusion in one. In the other patients, stenosis resolved or improved at further follow-up. Conclusion The p64 offers an effective and safe treatment option. Aneurysm occlusion rate was 97% at last follow-up, mostly achieved with a single device. There were no delayed hemorrhagic complications. Delayed in-stent stenosis infrequently progresses to occlusion but remains a matter of concern.


General Discussion The new problem raised in this contribution is that of the comparison of a geologic ascending evolutionary series in time, like that of the titanotheres, with a contemporaneous geographic series of species, subspecies, and varieties which may be grouped within a single genus: In what respects do the characters observed in a genus ascending and developing in geologic time resemble or differ from the characters observed in a genus distributed in geographic space? The superb materials assembled by Osborn with the cooperation of William K. Gregory for the study of the titanotheres enable us to determine with precision that in a time series there are two kinds of characters in the hard parts of mammals, namely, allometrons, or changes of proportion, and rectigradations, or the appearances of absolutely new characters. For example, a new cusp or a new horn rudiment is regarded as a rectigradation in its initial . . .


Background An upward trend is seen in a number of periprosthetic fractures. Their management often requires complex surgical intervention, expert skills and expensive equipment. Hospitals get paid according to Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) tariffs. HRG gets generated once diagnoses, Charlson comorbidity (CC) index score, surgical procedures, investigations and length of stay have been coded for. Coding departments consist of non-clinicians. Although auditing systems are in and made of internal and external auditors, we hypothesized that multiple errors can still occur which may result in significant financial losses. Objectives To assess the accuracy of coding for management of periprosthetic fractures. To identify causes for inaccurate coding and assess the financial impact of highly complex trauma in a district general hospital (DGH). Methods Retrospective comparative analysis of case notes for patients with an M966 diagnosis code (periprosthetic fracture) between 1st November 2017 and 1st November 2018. All cases were analysed and data for primary procedure, primary diagnosis, secondary procedures and secondary diagnosis, comorbidities and length of stay were extrapolated and re-coded using the same software in use by the coding team. Costs incurred for each surgically managed patient were calculated using a rough estimate of cost of each procedure. Finally, cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out by comparing our calculated figures to the actual final claim by our institution. Results Twenty-nine patients with the diagnosis of periprosthetic fracture were identified by the coding team using M966 code. A further case was identified by reviewing operating software (Operating Room Management Information System [ORMIS®]). In four cases (13.3 %), the primary diagnosis was coded incorrectly by the coding team. Overall coders accuracy for surgically managed patients (n=21) was 52% (n=11). This resulted in an estimated incurred loss of £25,000. Wrong/omitted site of surgery was found to be the most influential coder error with up to £8000 loss in one case (P<0.05). Cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrated the stark differences in costs for HRG tariffs when used in trauma setting vs non-trauma setting. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) was associated with less financial loss to our trust with closer procedural costs to HRG tariff (average cost of £9200 for ORIF vs £22,030 for a massive endoprosthesis). Conclusions Surgeons should carefully review codes for such complex procedures before or soon after surgery. Wrong/omitted site of surgery is the key cause for losses in our cohort, followed by inadequate recording of comorbidities. Coders can only code for what is documented. Following cost-effectiveness analysis our study highlights the need for HRG tariffs to be revised for such procedures. The cost of ORIF vs massive endoprosthesis should be noted, signifying the implant costs when such specialised revision surgery performed over less expensive ORIF surgery.


According to the NHS, it is estimated that over 50% of the adult population are, to some extent, affected by gum disease and approximately 15% of UK population have been diagnosed with severe periodontitis. Periodontitis, a chronic polymicrobial disease of the gums, causes inflammation in its milder form, whereas in its severe form affects the surrounding tissues and can result in tooth loss. During periodontitis, plaque accumulates and sits between the junctional epithelium and the tooth itself, resulting in inflammation and the formation of a periodontal pocket. An interface is formed directly between the subgingival bacteria and the junctional epithelial cells. Bacterial pathogens commonly associated with periodontal disease are, among others, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola, together known as the "red complex." This review will mostly concentrate on the role of P. gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium and one of the major and most studied contributors of this disease. Because periodontal disease is associated with the development of atherosclerosis, it is important to understand the local immune response to P. gingivalis. Innate immune players, in particular, complement and antimicrobial peptides and their effects with regard to P. gingivalis during periodontitis and in the development of atherosclerosis will be presented.


Chronic myeloid leukemia(CML) is a generic term that includes five subtypes; i.e. chronic granulocytic leukemia(CGL) (95% of all CML, 90% are Ph+, 5% are Ph-, BCR/ABL+), atypical CML(survival is worse than that of CGL), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia(a subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome), chronic neutrophilic leukemia (Ph-, BCR/ABL-) and juvenile CML(Ph-, BCR/ABL-). It is not so easy to make a diagnosis of Ph-negative CML. Also, about 25% of adult acute lymphoid leukemia(ALL) patients and some essential thrombocythemia patients have Ph chromosome. In addition, about a half of cases with Ph-positive ALL have the same size of BCR/ABL fusion protein as that in Ph-positive CML. It is necessary to distinguish them by the distinctive morphological, cytogenetical and immunological characteristics of these diseases.


Power efficient solution is essential for the portable electronic system. This paper presents an FPFA based embedded system for low power message display. Scanning technique is used to minimize the power. Experiment is conducted on 30 seven segments where an FPGA based intelligent controller scans all the display elements continuously at a certain speed to ensure only one display unit is on and other are off at a given time but human eye cannot detect it. Test result shows the significant reduction of power consumption over static display system.


Begonia is one of the most diverse angiosperm genera, comprising more than 2000 described species. The wide morphological and ecological range represented in the genus makes it a good model for studying the generation and maintenance of diversity. Previous research has shown that strong population structure, poor seed dispersal, and high levels of drift contribute to high rates of speciation and morphological variation. In the present study, we used transcriptomics to compare two closely related but morphologically and ecologically divergent species, Begonia conchifolia A.Dietr. and B. plebeja Liebm., to identify genes putatively involved in ecological divergence. Using publicly available multitissue RNA-seq data, we asked what genetic pathways show species-specific patterns of divergence between our two study species. The results of differential expression and gene ontology enrichment analyses showed species-specific enrichment of light-regulated functions in Begonia plebeja. Concomitant enrichment of ethylene and jasmonate pathways in Begonia plebeja indicate an increased shade avoidance response, suggesting that light availability may be a key factor in the divergent adaptation of B. conchifolia and B. plebeja.


Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a fatal diabetic complication, is a prime reason of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which is pathologically identified by thickened tubular basal and glomerular membranes, amassed extracellular matrix (ECM), and developing meningeal hypertrophy. Various deformities in the signaling pathway can interact to give rise to these pathologic activities in DN. In spite of the accessibility of numerous approaches to prevent these metabolic changes which include proper diet, exercising regularly, control of weight and control of drugs, epidemiological data are observing the growing tendency of the complication, indicating both the multifactorial nature of these disorders as well as the scarce conformance of patients to begin strategies. A number of Nutraceuticals utilized in clinical practice were shown to aim the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorder and their complications and to favorably modify numerous biochemical and clinical endpoints. These compounds comprise of antioxidants, vitamins like vitamin C, E, D; Omega 3 fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid (ALA), dietary fibers, flavonoids, phytoestrogens and minerals like chromium, magnesium. Various areas of concern prevail with regard of the use of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements in this setting, inclusive of standardization of products, potential side effects, definition of dosing regimen, interaction of drugs and need for evidence based interactions.


The international EIF / LINQ Conference 2014 addressed innovations and quality in lifelong learning, education and training: potential points of access to this field include new learning methods and design, technology-enhanced learning, quality standards and certification, human resources development, competences and skills, digital resources, learning materials, and online collaboration and communities in particular in the light of the European Commission's Opening up education initiative launched in 2013.Thus, the book contributes to the current debate on one of the greatest challenges in today's quality development for education and training: How to achieve quality for opening up education?


With the advancement of technology, the size of transistors and the distance between them are reducing rapidly. Therefore, the critical charge of sensitive nodes is reducing, making SRAM cells, used for aerospace applications, more vulnerable to soft-error. If a radiation particle strikes a sensitive node of the standard 6T SRAM cell, the stored data in the cell are flipped, causing a single-event upset (SEU). Therefore, in this paper, a Soft-Error-Aware Read-Stability-Enhanced Low-Power 12T (SARP12T) SRAM cell is proposed to mitigate SEUs. To analyze the relative performance of SARP12T, it is compared with other recently published soft-error-aware SRAM cells, QUCCE12T, QUATRO12T, RHD12T, RHPD12T and RSP14T. All the sensitive nodes of SARP12T can regain their data even if the node values are flipped due to a radiation strike. Furthermore, SARP12T can recover from the effect of single-event multi-node upsets (SEMNUs) induced at its storage node-pair. Along with these advantages, the proposed cell exhibits the highest read stability, as the '0'-storing storage node, which is directly accessed by the bitline during read operation, can recover from any upset. Furthermore, SARP12T consumes the least hold power. SARP12T also exhibits higher write ability and shorter write delay than most of the comparison cells. All these improvements in the proposed cell are obtained by exhibiting only a slightly longer read delay and consuming slightly higher read and write energy.


In typical observations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a magnetic structure of a helmet-shaped closed configuration bulges out and eventually opens up. However, a spontaneous transition between these field configurations has been regarded to be energetically impossible in force-free fields according to the Aly-Sturrock theorem. The theorem states that the maximum energy state of force-free fields with a given boundary normal field distribution is the open field. The theorem implicitly assumes the existence of the maximum energy state, which may not be taken for granted. In this study, we have constructed force-free fields containing tangential discontinuities in multiple flux systems. These force-free fields can be generated from a potential field by footpoint motions that do not conserve the boundary normal field distribution. Some of these force-free fields are found to have more magnetic energy than the corresponding open fields. The constructed force-free configurations are compared with observational features of CME-bearing active regions. Possible mechanisms of CMEs are also discussed.


We studied the effect of branched-chain polyamines on the folding transition of genome-sized DNA molecules in aqueous solution by the use of single-molecule observation with fluorescence microcopy. Detailed morphological features of polyamine/DNA complexes were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM observations indicated that branched-chain polyamines tend to induce a characteristic change in the higher-order structure of DNA by forming bridges or crosslinks between the segments of a DNA molecule. In contrast, natural linear-chain polyamines cause a parallel alignment between DNA segments. Circular dichroism measurements revealed that branched-chain polyamines induce the A-form in the secondary structure of DNA, while linear-chain polyamines have only a minimum effect. This large difference in the effects of branched- and linear-chain polyamines is discussed in relation to the difference in the manner of binding of these polyamines to negatively charged double-stranded DNA.


When did life begin? When carbon joined hydrogen and oxygen from sea water to form organic molecules? When lipoidal membranes formed vacuoles? With the replication of RNA? With formation of cells? Christian de Duve, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, who has apparently devoted his career to the study of life, has produced an important book that is almost autobiographical and is a splendid answer. De Duve leads the reader through the complexities of evolution, from simple ocean chemistry to humans and their unique capacity for speech and self-consciousness. The author applies Darwin's theory to evolving organic molecules and concurrent replication accidents that produce mutations. These mutant molecules then compete with each other for available resources—the limited quantity of nucleotides usable for replication. The winners are those that multiply fastest and monopolize the environment. "Natural selection operates blindly on material offered to it by chance." The author's immaculate syntax explains membrane formation so


Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastric malignancies worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism of colon cancer development and valuable indicators of the disease remain unclear. In this study, the expression of frequently rearranged in advanced T-cell lymphomas 1 (FRAT1) in colon cancer was investigated and the association between FRAT1 expression and biological properties of tumors was analyzed. A total of 147 colon cancer tissue samples and adjacent normal tissues were collected between January 2013 and June 2014. The FRAT1 gene and protein expression levels were analyzed in tissues with different TNM and pathological stages. Small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) containing the human FRAT1 gene were constructed and transfected into colon cancer HT-29 cells. The proliferation and migration of the cells was also analyzed in relation to a reduction in FRAT1 expression. In colon cancer tissues, the expression of FRAT1 was significantly higher when compared with adjacent tissues. In addition, FRAT1 expression was found to positively correlate with the degree of tumor malignancy, and this difference was determined to be statistically significant (P<0.05). Following shRNA transfection in HT-29 cells to decrease the expression of FRAT1, the proliferation and migration of the HT-29 cells decreased (due to conversion of the shRNA into small interfering RNA). These results indicate that in colon cancer, FRAT1 may present a novel tool for analyzing the tumor progression and may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of colon cancer.


We report a flexible transparent display based on a plasma display platform. The test panel was designed to 42-in VGA resolution since the proposed flexible transparent plasma display is targeted for use in large-area and lightweight displays in order to replace windows. A test panel was fabricated with organic materials, with the exception of an electrode and the MgO protective layer. A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic film was used as the substrate. The maximum temperature applied to PET substrates during the test panel fabrication was 60 °C. Each inner component had a high transparency of over 90%. The average transmittance of the test panel was 57.5% in the visible spectral range.


We consider a drift parameter estimation problem when the state process is a reflected fractional Brownian motion (RFBM) with a nonzero drift parameter and the observation is the associated local time process. The RFBM process arises as the key approximating process for queueing systems with long-range dependent and self-similar input processes, where the drift parameter carries the physical meaning of the surplus service rate and plays a central role in the heavy-traffic approximation theory for queueing systems. We study a statistical estimator based on the cumulative local time process and establish its strong consistency and asymptotic normality.


To test if expansins, wall loosening proteins that disrupt binding between microfibrils and cell wall matrix, participate in the differential elongation of graviresponding roots, Zea mays L. cv. Merit roots were gravistimulated and used for immunolocalization with anti-expansin. Western blots showed cross-reaction with two proteins of maize, one of the same mass as cucumber expansin (29 kDa), the second slightly larger (32 kDa). Maize roots contained mainly the larger protein, but both were found in coleoptiles. The expansin distribution in cucumber roots and hypocotyls was similar to the distribution in maize. Roots showed stronger expansin signals on the expanding convex side than the concave flank as early as 30 min after gravistimulation. Treatment with brefeldin A, a vesicle transport inhibitor, or the auxin transport inhibitor, naphthylphthalamic acid, showed delayed graviresponse and the appearance of differential staining. Our results indicate that expansins may be transported and secreted to cell walls via vesicles and function in wall expansion.


The development of today's modern technological advances led to the need of the internet can not be avoided. The ability of the Internet as a modern media of information and communication can be an effective and efficient means for the exchange and dissemination of information globally unhindered by distance, time differences and geographical factors by users around the world. The use of the internet at the moment many abused for things that are negative as appearance of various kinds of websites that contain pornographic and more easily to get internet access extensively without strict control so it can be accessible to anyone, including minors. Monitoring and filtering action is required against these sites. This study aims to assist the government in the implementation of anti-pornography laws and the parents in monitoring their children by blocking sites that contain pornography. Blocking system in this website monitoring application (filtering) is based on code that has been made. This application is one kind of standalone application that can be run without the need for prior installation on Windows operating systems. For the manufacture of user interface used programming languages Visual Basic 2010.The results showed that the monitoring application can perform filtering by looking every caption on the programs that are running, and then match it with the program code that has been made. If there is a match, then the application will close the program. This application can be hidden so that computer users will not be aware of the time of filtering. This application also has a feature to store the results of monitoring during the computer is being used so that will be easier to control  the use of computer. Keyword : Monitoring, Filtering, Pornography


Relational Match to Sample (RMTS) is a common test of relational reasoning involving matching cards based on the relations "same" and "different". Children below the age of five fail RMTS, even with corrective feedback. Given that success on RMTS depends on the ability to represent and compare "same" and "different", such failure has been interpreted as indicative of the absence of these abilities (Penn, Holyoak & Povinelli, 2008; Hochmann, Mody & Carey, 2016). In the current studies three, four and five-year-old children were provided explicit instructions on RMTS. Results show success in all groups, including three-year-olds two years earlier than previous work. This suggests the ability to represent and compare "same" and "different" emerges significantly earlier than spontaneous success on RMTS, undermining previous interpretations. More generally, this work begins to explore the nature of the development which allows existing relational reasoning capacities to be spontaneously deployed in RMTS.


From 2017 to 2019 archivists and librarians at the University of North Texas Special Collections have worked with community members and city officials to create exhibits featuring archival materials from the LGBTQ Archive. There have been several obstacles to presenting accurate historical interpretation of Dallas LGBTQ community history, including lack of sufficient archival documentation, and differences between archival sources and community members' personal experiences. Grappling with these challenges has allowed UNT Special Collections archivists and librarians to engage community members in a personal, meaningful discussion, and ultimately have led to both successful exhibits as well as strengthened relationships to LGBTQ community members.


Abstract The present research aimed to explore the influence of different felt-proofing methods on alpaca fibers' scale structure. Dyed alpaca fibers were exposed to a particular wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) light for different periods and treated with protease to analyze the felt property and compare with untreated fibers. Experimental results have shown that alpaca fibers have better shrinkage resistance and dyeability after being exposed to UV light, whereas no recognizable change was obtained on the surface of alpaca fibers' scale structure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In contrary, enzyme-treated alpaca fibers revealed improved dye rate and resistance to shrinkage. Especially, damaged scales on many areas of fiber surface were appeared by SEM, which indicates that UV may have a positive effect on enzyme treatment by damaging alpaca fibers' surface structure and promoting the amount of protease going into the fibers' inner layers. Therefore, eventually a better shrinkage resistance was obtained.


Child death is a difficult issue to deal with, even for healthcare professionals. This paper discusses the attitude of health professionals on the child patient with a poor prognosis and its communication. A narrative bibliographic review with national and international articles besides book chapters on the themes of death, children patients with terminal illnesses, breaking bad news and poor prognosis was made. It was observed that a more emphatic communication, considering and validating the emotions of the patient, tends to bring better results. It was noticed that many professionals feel stressed and have difficulties dealing with this kind of communication, which can be overcome by professional training and early contact with such discussions.


The surprising absence of violent language from classical Athenian curses is best understood as a rhetorical strategy appropriate for getting the divine powers to enact the curser's desire to harm his or her enemies and to gain an advantage in the particular agonistic context. A contrast with the extravagantly violent language of other contemporary curses, which call for unmitigated catastrophe to befall their targets, shows that the fundamental difference between these curses is the audience that they primarily address, which shapes the nature of the request that is made in the imprecation. Whereas contingent curses primarily address the human community with highly intense rhetoric to deter potential violation, these agonistic curses against rivals request assistance in the rivalry from some power beyond the human community, limiting the extravagance of the request to improve the chance of fulfilment.


The Nature of Peace is the penultimate publication of the collected works of Veblen being published by Transaction. This work contains both a theory of politics and a theory of economics in regard to war. Thorstein Veblen's approach to this topic is at once em-pirical, instrumental, and matter-of-fact. He poses the question, "What are the terms on which peace at large may hopefully be installed and maintained?" Veblen's quest for peace does not rely on grand forces but rather on various conditions, some propitious and some prohibitive. The regime of peace, according to Veblen, is a function of the pacification of both the dynastic state and the modern state, the class struggle, the control of government by privileged business and other propertied interests, and the workings of the market. War and warlike behavior are matters not only of psychology but of both politics and eco-nomics, that is to say, matters of the social system as a whole. Warren Samuels writes in his new introduction that eighty years after this book was originally written, we remain uncertain about the prospects of peace. To understand this uncertainty one can begin by reading The Nature of Peace. But, Samuels warns, the reader must be prepared to suspend the rationales and moral indignations promulgated and reinforced by the institutions of social control and communication in his or her na-tion. Thorstein Veblen's brilliant analysis about the pursuit of perpetual peace is neces-sary reading material for sociologists, philosophers, political scientists, economists, military specialists, and government officials.


The article defines a list of tools and mechanisms of foreign housing markets, which can be adapted to Russian practice. This will help resolve several issues related to both improving the efficiency of the market and its financing. As part of the study, a system of interaction between the subjects of the national housing market was formed, considering the introduction of a crowdfunding platform into it, on which this interaction will be built. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that it is information technology that can make it possible to ensure adaptation of subjects to crisis phenomena and minimize the risks associated with this. In addition, an accumulative system is included that allows you to form an initial payment on a mortgage loan and receive additional income within this system. The necessity of including a guarantee fund, mortgage banks and a state organization engaged in insurance of a mortgage loan in the subject composition of the Russian housing market is revealed. Each of these subjects allows to bring the interaction of market participants closer to the maximum effect. The study focuses on the need to strengthen the role and increase the volume of project financing, which will contribute to an increase in the volume of housing construction. Separately, the problem of the presence of dilapidated and dilapidated housing and at the same time illiquid housing is noted, the solution to which is in the experience of Asian countries and can be adapted in Russia.


As the complexity of intelligent environments grows, there is a need for more sophisticated and flexible interfaces. Conversational systems constitute a very interesting alternative to ease the users' workload when interacting with such environments, as they can operate them in natural language. A number of commercial toolkits for their implementation have appeared recently. However, these are usually tailored to specific implementations of the processes involved for processing the user's utterance and generate the system response. In this paper, we present a modular architecture to develop conversational systems by means of a plug-and-play paradigm that allows the integration of developers' specific implementations and commercial utilities under different configurations that can be adapted to the specific requirements for each system.


The last century has witnessed the introduction, establishment and expansion of mosquito-borne diseases into diverse new geographic ranges. Malaria is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Despite making great strides over the past few decades in reducing the burden of malaria, transmission is now on the rise again, in part owing to the emergence of mosquito resistance to insecticides, antimalarial drug resistance and, more recently, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the reduced implementation efficiency of various control programs. The utility of genetically engineered gene drive mosquitoes as tools to decrease the burden of malaria by controlling the disease-transmitting mosquitoes is being evaluated. To date, there has been remarkable progress in the development of CRISPR/Cas9-based homing endonuclease designs in malaria mosquitoes due to successful proof-of-principle and multigenerational experiments. In this review, we examine the lessons learnt from the development of current CRISPR/Cas9-based homing endonuclease gene drives, providing a framework for the development of gene drive systems for the targeted control of wild malaria-transmitting mosquito populations that overcome challenges such as with evolving drive-resistance. We also discuss the additional substantial works required to progress the development of gene drive systems from scientific discovery to further study and subsequent field application in endemic settings.


Commercial cobalt-iron-oxide particles for digital applications have been examined by several techniques: physisorption, mercury porosimetry, and electron microscopy. Surface properties, in particular acicularity and heterogeneity, are related to the rheological behavior of the powders, to their magnetic characteristics, to the characteristics of draw-down coatings, and to the response of experimental floppy disks at predetermined recording frequencies. Particles showing high and uniform dispersibility have a narrow particle size distribution and a relatively large number of high-energy sites. >


Herein, the chitosan-based (CS) composite film was fabricated via a simple and efficient blending approach by adding poplar hot water extract (HWE), bentonite (BT) and chitosan. The addition of HWE largely improved the UV blocking ability and antioxidant properties of the resultant composite film, and simultaneously a tortuous path was constructed within the chitosan matrix to enhance the water vapor and oxygen barriers after the addition of BT. Specially, the content of HWE at 10 wt % gave a greatly decreased UV light transmittance at 280 nm to the CS-BT-HWE composite film that was 99.36% lower than that of CS-BT film, and the oxidation resistance was 9.65 times higher than that of CS-BT. The mechanical properties and surface morphological observation evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning probe microscope (SPM) confirmed the film had a denser structure. The internal chemical structure analyzed using solid state NMR, FTIR and X-ray spectra exhibited the resultant Maillard structure and strong hydrogen bonding that contributed to the improved mechanical properties. Overall, the as-prepared composite film has great potential as food packaging materials, and also provides a high-efficient utilization pathway for HWE.


The subsynchronous resonance (SSR) phenomenon may occur when a steam turbine-generator is connected to a long transmission line with series compensation. The main purpose of this work is to verify the capability of the gate-controlled series capacitor (GCSC) to mitigate SSR. For this study the GCSC was tested in conjunction with the IEEE First Benchmark Model. The actual possibility of controlling SSR was verified by digital simulation using the alternative transients program/electromagnetic transients program. As a result it was shown that GCSC can damp SSR even without a specific control. It was also shown that, using a simple controller, SSR as well as electromechanical oscillation can be damped.


The lightning channel can be retraced by thunder signature recorded with an array of microphones. Four microphones were arranged to capture thunder sound, and acoustic cross-correlation of captured pressure signals estimated the time lag of each pair of microphones. A wave segment with 0.25 s or 0.5 s of duration was compared with the acoustic signal recorded by other microphones to estimate time lapse. The direction of channel propagation has been estimated by the time difference of arrival of each pair of microphones. Thunder source locations estimated by this method can be extended to investigate the channel propagation inside clouds.


The article considers the Russian poet-futurist Aleksei Kruchenykh's attraction to Gogol's works. Kruchenykh retells, in his own way, the celebrated writer's plots, showing that classical works are alive in modern times. The avant-garde poet presents the 19th-century writer as a kind of futurist. Kruchenykh's texts are indicative of the Russian futurists' attitude, in general, to Gogol - they considered him to be one of them, and so they treated him with perfect ease and freedom.


Cheating in chess can take many forms and has existed almost as long as the game itself. The advent of computers has introduced a new form of cheating into the game. Thanks to the computational power of modern-day computers, a player can use a program to calculate thousands of moves for him or her, and determine the best possible scenario for each move and countermove. These programs are often referred to as "bots," and can even play the game without any user interaction. In this paper, we describe a methodology aimed at preventing bots from participating in online chess games. The proposed approach is based on the integration of a CAPTCHA protocol into a game scenario, and the subsequent inability of bots to accurately track the game states. This is achieved by rotating the images of the individual chess pieces and adjusting their resolution in an attempt to render them unreadable by a bot. Feedback from users during testing shows that there is minimal impact on their ability to play the game. Players rated the difficulty of reading the pieces on a scale of one to ten, with an average rank of 6.5. However, the average number of moves to adjust to the distorted pieces was only 3.75. This tells us that, although it is difficult to read the pieces at first, it is easy to adjust quickly to the new image.


Ever-growing computational demands, along with the need for eecient utilization of existing supercomputing facilities recently fostered the development of a software infrastructure for constructing large virtual supercomputers from geographically distributed resources which are linked by high-speed networks. 10, 14] Such virtual super-computers are typically referred to as metacomputers. Recent work indicated the utility of metacomputers not only for embarrasingly parallel problems, but also for applications with ner communication granularity 4]. But metacomputing software is still in its early development stages, mainly concerned with recognizing the many sources of additional complexity introduced by wide-area computing. While the necessity of resource-aware applications has been recognized, there is hardly any programming support for building such applications. The goal of the Albatross project, currently conducted at Vrije Universiteit, is to focus on programmability and performance of parallel applications on top of metacom-puting platforms. In this paper, we propose the construction of component toolkits as the most promising approach to the construction of metacomputing applications, because components allow to make programs resource-aware and simultaneously resource-independent. Finally, we sketch a set of possible components of such a programming toolkit.


Many approaches about the planning and operation of power systems, such as network reconfiguration and distributed generation (DG), have been proposed to overcome the challenges caused by the increase in electricity consumption. Besides the positive effects on the grid, contributions on environmental pollution and other advantages, the rapid developments in renewable energy technologies have made the DG resources an important issue, however, improper DG allocation may result in network damages. A lot of studies have been practised with analytical and heuristic methods based on load flow for optimal DG integration to the network. This novel method based on estimation is proposed to determine the size of DG and its effects on the network to get rid of the coercive and time-consuming load flow techniques. Machine learning algorithms, such as Linear Regression, Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Decision Tree, have been used for the estimations and have been applied to well-known test systems, such as IEEE 12-bus, 33-bus, and 69-bus distribution systems. The accuracy of the proposed estimation methods has been verified with R-squared and mean absolute percentage error. Results show that the proposed DG allocation method is effective, applicable, and flexible.


Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that drug resistance can be acquired in cancer through the repopulation of tumors by cancer stem cell (CSC) expansion. Here, we investigated mechanisms driving resistance and CSC repopulation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a cancer model using two drug-resistant, patient-derived tumor xenografts that mimicked the development of acquired resistance to sorafenib or lenvatinib treatment observed in HCC patients. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that cholesterol biosynthesis was most commonly enriched in the drug-resistant xenografts. Comparison of the genetic profiles of CD133+ stem cells and CD133- bulk cells from liver regeneration and HCC mouse models showed that the cholesterol pathway was preferentially upregulated in liver CSCs compared to normal liver stem cells. Consistently, SREBP2-mediated cholesterol biosynthesis was crucial for the augmentation of liver CSCs, and loss of SREBP2 conferred sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, suggesting a role in regulation of acquired drug resistance in HCC. Similarly, exogenous cholesterol-treated HCC cells showed enhanced cancer stemness abilities and drug resistance. Mechanistically, caspase-3 (CASP3)-mediated cleavage of SREBP2 from the endoplasmic reticulum to promote cholesterol biosynthesis, which consequently caused resistance to sorafenib/lenvatinib treatment by driving activation of the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway. Simvastatin, an FDA-approved cholesterol-lowering drug, not only suppressed HCC tumor growth but also sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib. These findings demonstrate that CSC populations in HCC expand via CASP3-dependent, SREBP2-mediated cholesterol biosynthesis in response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy and that targeting cholesterol biosynthesis can overcome acquired drug resistance.


The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is noted for its morphological, biological and ecological variability across its range. Despite having suffered substantial population declines since European settlement, relatively little has been published on the south-western Australian subspecies, the koomal (T. v. hypoleucus). This study reports morphological, reproductive and general life-history data from an 18-month study of a population in the southern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest at Chariup (part of Perup), near Manjimup, in south-western Australia. As one of the smallest subspecies, adult males of T. v. hypoleucus averaged 1616 g and females averaged 1470 g. Sexual dimorphism also occurred with head length and pes length, but not tail length. A single autumn breeding season occurred in both 2002 and 2003, in which all adult females bred and produced a single young between February and May. The onset of autumn births was associated with the end of the summer drought. Unlike many other Trichosurus populations, no spring breeding pulse or 'double-breeding' events were observed. At least 83% of pouch young survived to pouch emergence. The growth rate of offspring was initially linear, but became curvilinear and approached an asymptote after ~5 months. Most females bred for the first time when they were 1 year old. On the basis of testis size, males also matured at 1 year old. The body condition of adult males, but not adult females, changed significantly over time and followed an apparently seasonal pattern in which their condition was poorest in winter and best in summer. While many of the life-history traits of the Chariup population were similar to those of other south-western Australian populations of T. v. hypoleucus, the most striking variations included age at maturity, extent of spring breeding pulse and female fecundity. Further comparisons with conspecifics elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand also highlight the variability exhibited by T. vulpecula across its range. Some aspects of the biology of T. v. hypoleucus were particularly similar to those observed for T. v. arnhemensis in northern Australia.