In this paper, I examine broad features of Hegel's interpretation of Plato from his Lectures on the History of Phihsophy, noting how these features resonate with current views of Platonic philosophy. Hegel formed his interpretation of Plato under very different circumstances than those of today. Serious study of the Platonic dialogues had come to the forefront in German Idealist philosophy. As Rüdiger Bubner notes: 'It was this tradition of thought that discovered, in an original way of its own, the authentic Plato in place of the various mediated substitutes of before, and indeed saw him as a thinker who was to provide continuing inspiration to the needs of post-Kantian philosophy'. We find Hegel holds Plato in high esteem, most famously as a 'teacher of the human race' alongside Aristotle. His Plato is one who is fundamentally significant in the development of philosophy, raising it to the status of science, although not in a fully systematic manner. At the same time, Hegel distinguishes his Plato from the projects of his contemporaries, Tennemann's esoteric Plato and Schleiermacher's aesthetic Plato. Hegel also forms his view of Plato at a time just prior to the development of stylometric studies of the dialogues, begun in its earliest form by K. F. Hermann (1839) and pushed forward by Lewis Campbell and Friedrich Blass in the later half of the 19th century. (This is not to claim that questions regarding the ordering of the dialogues did not arise earlier than 1839, but that they became scientific and central in Platonic interpretation with Hermann.) The pressures Hegel negotiates in his interpretation are quite distinct, especially in this last respect, yet not altogether alien. There are, I think, interesting reasons for this. (One might think that given Hegel's strong opposition to Schleiermacher (and Hegel's disposition towards development), he might have been inclined towards a developmental reading of Plato. One also might think that given his opposition to Tennemann's esotericism, he might have had more doubts about discerning a system within Plato's unsystematic dialogues. But one would be wrong on both counts.)


This paper studies an online algorithm that can effectively detect a complete blowout (LBO) and a partial or incipient blowout (IBO) as well as isolate them in one specific ring by using only one acoustic sensor. The outputs can guide the successive blowout avoidance control logic by taking appropriate corrective action on the ring causing blowout or being blowout. The proposed algorithm is based on the RMS value of a tone around 15 Hz to 30 Hz that was identified as a precursor to blowout. Spectral signatures in other dominant tones were also identified as indications to assist ring IBO isolation. Its performance was successfully demonstrated with field data of GE LM2500 and LM6000PD machine.


The objectives of this study were to isolate and the sequence of novel F3'H gene related to an anthocyanin pathway, and to confirm the expression patterns of the gene involved in the flower color variations of chrysanthemum mutants. In this study, we isolated the full-length cDNAs and the genomic DNAs of an F3'H gene from a wild type (WT) chrysanthemum (cv. Argus) and its three color mutants. The sequence analysis revealed a putative open reading frame of 1,527 bp that encodes a polypeptide of 509 amino acids. Sequence homology ranged from 97% to 99% between 'Argus' and its three color mutants. The sequence analysis from the genomic DNA revealed that the chrysanthemum DgF3'H gene consisted of three exons and two introns spanning a 3,830 bp length. The sizes of the gene for three mutants ranged from a shorter size of 3,828 bp to a longer size of 3,838 bp when compared to the size of WT. The total size of the two introns was 2,157 bp for WT, but those for three color mutants ranged from 2,154 bp to 2,159 bp. A result of an RT-PCR analysis indicated that the color variations of the mutants AM1 and AM2 can be partly explained by the structural modification derived from the sequencial changes in the gene caused by gamma ray. A Southern blot analysis revealed that the DgF3'H gene existing as multiple copies in the chrysanthemum genome. A systemic study will be further needed to provide a genetic mechanism responsible for the color mutation and to uncover any involvement of genetic elements for the expression of the DgF3'H gene for the color variation in chrysanthemum.


It has been three years since we published A Guide to the ATM and Debit Card Industry. Those three years represent a very dynamic time in the industry with a number of important developments. Some trends and patterns have persisted or accelerated, while others have peaked or reversed. Still others have emerged for the first time. The purpose of this 2006 Update is to document these trends and patterns by updating the data we presented in the original book and to discuss their implications for the current and future state of the industry. ; The most important development is that the two segments of the industry, ATM and debit, are in some sense going in opposite directions. The ATM industry has matured and is relatively stagnant, with major players jockeying for position, searching for and adopting different business strategies, and adjusting to the maturation of the industry. The debit card industry, in contrast, is expanding rapidly, with new players, new partnerships, new products, and new markets. The challenge in the debit card industry is not how to cope with a maturing industry but, rather, how to preserve and enhance position and not be left behind. ; In the first part of this Update, we highlight and discuss some of the most important changes in the ATM and debit card industry. For both the ATM and debit sides of the industry, we recap and analyze changes in activity levels, industry structure, and industry pricing. We then offer some thoughts on what might lie ahead, including a discussion of fraud and data security. In the second part of this Update, we present updated versions of the 23 charts and 11 tables from the original book, adding the three or four years of additional data that have since become available.


Insulinoma is the most common functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. The review examines the currently used immunohistochemical and circulating markers for its diagnosis, and discusses the sensitivity and specificity of these parameters. At the same time, the relevance of searching for new biochemical indicators of the presence of insulinoma and its characteristics, as well as studying the mechanisms of tumor growth and hormonal hypersecretion is emphasized. One of the primary methods for solving these problems is immunohistochemical testing with the determination of circulating markers. The results of recent studies of alternative secretory products, in particular, cocaine - and amphetamine - regulated transcript (CART), chromogranin B, and neuroendocrine secretory protein 55 (NESP55) are presented. In addition, the question of expression of various receptors in the insulinoma tissue is considered, including in the context of determining molecular targets for its visualization or radiotherapy. In particular, the expression of receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1 in the tumor tissue is characterized. The possible role of melatonin receptors MT1 (MTNR1a) and MT2 (MTNR1b) in the pathogenesis of insulinoma is clarified. The article also discusses the possible use of tumor protein D52 (TPD52) as a new predictive biomarker for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant insulinoma.


Although TLR signaling in B cells has been implicated in the germinal center (GC) responses during viral infections and autoimmune diseases, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Bacterial phage Qβ-derived virus-like particle (Qβ-VLP) contains TLR ligands, which can enhance Qβ-VLP-induced Ab response, including GC response, through TLR/MyD88 signaling in B cells. In this study, by examining Ag-specific B cell response to Qβ-VLP, we found that lack of B cell MyD88 from the beginning of the immune response led to a more severe defect in the GC scale than abolishing MyD88 at later time points of the immune response. Consistently, B cell–intrinsic MyD88 signaling significantly enhanced the initial proliferation of Ag-specific B cells, which was accompanied with a dramatic increase of plasma cell generation and induction of Bcl-6+ GC B cell precursors. In addition, B cell–intrinsic MyD88 signaling promoted strong T-bet expression independent of IFN-γ and led to the preferential isotype switching to IgG2a/c. Thus, by promoting the initial Ag-specific B cell proliferation and differentiation, B cell–intrinsic MyD88 signaling enhanced both T-independent and T-dependent Ab responses elicited by Qβ-VLP. This finding will provide additional insight into the role of TLR signaling in antiviral immunity, autoimmune diseases, and vaccine design.


This study sought to assess the factors affecting successful implementation of VMI among manufacturing firms in Nakuru County. The study was motivated by the fact that despite the evidence of value addition by the VMI technique towards effective and efficient supply chain, there has not been enough research on the topic. In addition, most manufacturing firms especially in Kenya are yet to adopt and successfully implement the technique in enhancing their supply chain performance. As a result, this study used a descriptive census design to enhance the understanding of VMI towards its successful implementation among manufacturing firms. The data for this study were obtained using questionnaires which were structured in both open and closed ended questions. The analysis of data was conducted using SPSS program. Regression analysis was conducted to measure relationship between the variables of study. Findings of this study were considered significant in enhancing strategies towards effective implementation of VMI among supply chain participants and line organizations. The study also sought to add knowledge to the existing literature on VMI technique and highlight the relationship between VMI and supply chain performance. The findings of the study indicated that the various factors of VMI implementation had a statistical significant relationship with successful implementation of the strategy. This led to the rejection of all the hypotheses of the study. For successful implementation of VMI, the study concluded that there should be extensive sensitization on the VMI strategy and its benefits towards enhancing supply chain performance. In addition, quality information should be shared among supply chain partners to enhance confidence and trust that was considered critical to successful implementation of VMI strategy. The study also concluded that ICT is key to the successful implementation of VMI strategy. The study recommended EDI as the major IT platform that should be utilized to enhance the success of VMI among manufacturing firms.


Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious disease that affects cloven-hoofed livestock and wildlife. FMD has been a problem for decades, which has led to various measures to control, eradicate and prevent FMD by National Veterinary Services worldwide. Currently, the identification of areas that are at risk of FMD virus incursion and spread is a priority for FMD target surveillance after FMD is eradicated from a given country or region. In our study, a knowledge-driven spatial model was built to identify risk areas for FMD occurrence and to evaluate FMD surveillance performance in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. For this purpose, multi-criteria decision analysis was used as a tool to seek multiple and conflicting criteria to determine a preferred course of action. Thirteen South American experts analyzed 18 variables associated with FMD introduction and dissemination pathways in Rio Grande do Sul. As a result, FMD higher risk areas were identified at international borders and in the central region of the state. The final model was expressed as a raster surface. The predictive ability of the model assessed by comparing, for each cell of the raster surface, the computed model risk scores with a binary variable representing the presence or absence of an FMD outbreak in that cell during the period 1985 to 2015. Current FMD surveillance performance was assessed, and recommendations were made to improve surveillance activities in critical areas.


Summary: Representative strains of 30 named species of clostridia were tested for their ability to grow in a semidefined medium containing either 1 % (w/v) glucose or 3 % (w/v) acid-hydrolysed casein as an energy source. Strains from 15 species were selected empirically as amino acid-fermenting types by comparing growth in the two media. After growth in 3 % casein hydrolysate medium the organisms were removed and their amino acid utilization determined by examining the culture supernatants. The organisms were then divided into four main groups. The characteristic features of each group are as follows: group I, the utilization of proline with the production of δ-amino valeric acid; group II, mainly arginine and/or glycine utilized; group III, the utilization of glutamic acid, serine and histidine; group IV, serine and threonine utilized. Possible implications of these findings for the taxonomy of clostridia are discussed.


Having a birth certificate is a key to citizenship. Most people born in this country take it for granted that they can prove they are Australian and lawful citizens by producing their birth certificate. But a number of Australians — predominantly Indigenous people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities — miss out on the benefits of citizenship and struggle to fully participate in society because their birth has never been registered, or if it was, they cannot produce a birth certificate to prove it.This chapter analyses what international human rights law says about the right to birth registration and a birth certificate, and whether Australia is complying with these international standards.


Food animals are important sources of high quality protein and revenue to man, and can also serve as vehicles for disease transmission. Apart from economic losses, diseased organs in slaughtered cattle can also be sources of epidemiologic and zoonotic threats to man if not detected and controlled. The study was conducted to evaluate the number of cattle slaughtered, prevalence, seasonal variation, and socioeconomic consequence of bovine fasciolosis at the Ibadan Municipal abattoir, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, between 1994 and 2004 based on retrospective abattoir meat inspection records and a perspective meat inspection survey. Of the 1, 640,095 cattle slaughtered in 11 years, 37, 828 livers were condemned due to fasciolosis, translating into a prevalence of 2.31%. The incidence observed among males 172 (4.24%) was slightly higher than noted for females 452 (3.73%) though significant at 0.05 level of error. More so, the prevalence recorded in the dry season (October – March) was 19, 816 (2.58%) and 18, 012 (2.07%) for the rainy season (April – September) with a fairly strong positive correlation (+0.76) occurring between the incidence of the disease in the seasons. The economic impact of the losses due to fasciolosis was estimated at N19, 618,639 Nigerian Naira ($147, 121) which was a huge loss to the livestock industry and the nation . With these findings, there is need to carry out a more elaborate survey of the disease in selected abattoirs, clinical and parasitological surveys in ranches and ecological studies in majors rivers and ponds throughout the country. Public awareness campaigns, planned herd health programmes, flukes and intermediate hosts control and effective meat inspection are also needed. There should be enforcement of ante-mortem examination in all abattoirs in Nigeria in order to reduce wastage while identifying diseases of public health and economic importance before slaughter. This will minimize health risks and the associated huge economic loss. Compensation of butchers and meat traders with condemned livers is recommended, in order to salvage constant prevalence of fasciolosis in Nigeria.


We study the random graph $G(n,p)$ with a random orientation. For three fixed vertices $s,a,b$ in $G(n,p)$ we study the correlation of the events $\{a\to s\}$ (there exists a directed path from $a$ to $s$) and $\{s\to b\}$. We prove that asymptotically the correlation is negative for small $p$, $p<\frac{C_1}n$, where $C_1\approx0.3617$, positive for $\frac{C_1}n<p<\frac2n$ and up to $p=p_2(n)$. Computer aided computations suggest that $p_2(n)=\frac{C_2}n$, with $C_2\approx7.5$. We conjecture that the correlation  then stays negative for $p$ up to the previously known zero at $\frac12$; for larger $p$ it is positive.


Many resource management systems and large-scale data processing frameworks use a reservation-based model for managing resources and scheduling tasks. We observe from the reported traces of Facebook and Google that this model leads to resource being wasted because the tasks do not use effectively the allocated resources. We confirm the problem with a trace of our production cluster. We propose an algorithm to estimate the resource usage at worker nodes. This estimation is used as an input for the scheduler at the resource manager. We verify the stability of the new system in a simulator and develop a prototype of this approach for YARN. Our results in the simulator show that the new model can flexibly match the actual demand of the workload to the capacity of the cluster avoiding resources over-reserved by users. Comparing the worst scenario of our management model and the best scenario of the reservation model, we obtain almost the same performance and comparable system stability. In practice, our prototype for YARN completes jobs faster from 23% to 44%.


Reverse engineering is the process of uncovering the design and the design rationale from a functioning software system. Reverse engineering is an integral part of any successful software system, because changing requirements lead to implementations that drift from their original design. In contrast to traditional reverse engineering techniques ---which analyse a single snapshot of a system--- we focus the reverse engineering effort by determining where the implementation has changed. Since changes of object-oriented software are often phrased in terms of refactorings, we propose a set of heuristics for detecting refactorings by applying lightweight, object-oriented metrics to successive versions of a software system. We validate our approach with three separate case studies of mature object-oriented software systems for which multiple versions are available. The case studies suggest that the heuristics support the reverse engineering process by focusing attention on the relevant parts of a software system.


A relic density of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) remaining from the Big Bang constitutes a promising solution to the Dark Matter problem. It is possible for such WIMPs to be trapped by and accumulate in gravitational potentials of massive dense objects such as the Sun. A perfect WIMP candidate appears in certain supersymmetric extensions to the Standard Model of particle physics, where the lightest supersymmetric particle is a neutralino which can be stable, massive and weakly interacting. The neutralinos may annihilate pair-wise and in these interactions neutrinos with energies ranging up to the neutralino mass can be indirectly produced. Hence, a possible population of dark matter neutralinos trapped in the Sun can give rise to an observable neutrino flux.The Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array, AMANDA, is a neutrino telescope that detects Cherenkov light emitted by charged particles created in neutrino interactions in the South Pole glacial ice sheet using an array of light detectors frozen into the deep ice. In this work data taken with the AMANDA-II detector during 2003 are analyzed to measure or put upper bounds on the flux of such neutrinos from the Sun. In the analysis detailed signal and background simulations are compared to measurements. Background rejection filters optimized for various neutralino models have been constructed. No excess above the background expected from neutrinos and muons created in cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere was found. Instead 90% confidence upper limits have been set on the neutralino annihilation rate in the Sun and the muon flux induced by neutralino signal neutrinos.


The methods of synthesis and chemical properties of compounds containing the (X=O or S, n = 2–4) fragment are examined. The unusual chemical behaviour of phosphorus-containing polysulphides in the reactions with nucleophiles and electrophiles is discussed. The bibliography includes 170 references.


The Security of Payments Act received some nationwide changes earlier this year and it looks like there could be more on the horizon. Anthony Igra from Contractors Debt Recovery advises on the most important amendments.


The authors have developed a method of determining oxygen stoichiometry (y) of small masses of cuprate oxides, based on iodometric microtitration. It comprises double microtitration. The first microtitration was carried out on a Cu2+ solution of accurately known concentration. A small mass ( approximately 500 mu g) was accurately determined by an absolute calibration of a microbalance to within +or- approximately 0.8 mu g. They obtained y=6.960+or-0.009 from ten microtitrations on small masses extracted from a large ceramic sample of YBa2Cu3Oy. This method can be used to determine oxygen stoichiometry in single crystals and in thin films of cuprate superconductors.


Light interception (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) experiments in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantations are scarce and often performed decennia ago, in Southeast Asia and without a clear methodology. This is a great opportunity for research with recent planting material in West-African growing conditions. Therefore a light inter-ception experiment was performed in Nigeria. The first objective of this study was to put forward a recommendation regarding PAR interception assessment under oil palm cano-pies. Therefore a fixed and mobile PAR interception sampling method were compared. The second objective was to reveal PAR interception distribution under an oil palm canopy. In this study, PAR interception was monitored in oil palm plots of five di erent planting den-sities (128, 143, 160, 180 and 205 palms ha−1), eleven years after oil palm planting. During the fixed sampling, PAR was measured on sixteen equidistant locations below canopy with a quantum sensor (QS5 Quantum Sensor, Delta-T Devices). During mobile sampling, mea-surements were carried out by walking along two regular paths while holding the quantum sensor by hand. PAR above canopy was measured simultaneously during sampling below canopy. This study found no significant differences between the fixed and mobile PAR interception sampling methods (p > 0.99), and this in the five different planting densities. Furthermore it was discovered that four regular fixed sampling locations below an oil palm canopy are suycient for an exact assessment of PAR interception. This study showed also that PAR interception was randomly distributed under the canopy without a decreasing trend of PAR interception away from the oil palm trunk. Finally, there was no significant difference in PAR interception due to the shifting position of the sun between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. (p > 0.78). It is recommended to assess PAR interception with a fixed sampling method considering its ease, although data from both mobile and fixed methods are com-parable. The standardisation of the fixed PAR interception method is easier due to the lower probability of human error compared to the mobile PAR interception method.


Biological ion channels have been an inspirational source in the development of new devices in a variety of biotechnological and analytical applications. During the last years, synthetic nanopores have been carefully engineered to mimic distinctive features of biological ion channels. Conductance in the pS–nS range, pH-dependent ion selectivity, fluctuations of current between open and closed states, flux inhibition caused by protons or divalent cations, current rectification, among others are found both in synthetic and biological channels. Thus, the comprehension of the mechanisms by which biological channels regulate the transport of ions and the electric signal transduction at the molecular level is crucial for building ionic circuits in the growing field of nanofluidics. We show here that gold coated polymeric nanopores modified with amino acid (Cysteine) chains are able to imitate the electrical responses of the OmpF porin, a wide channel found in the external membrane of the bacteria Escherichia Coli.


A 21-year-old patient with cryptorchidism was found to have a left inguinal mass on physical examination. The patient was operated with a diagnosis of bilateral cryptorchidism and left inguinal hernia. Besides bilateral inguinal undescended testicles, female genital organs like fallopian tubes, uterus and ovary were found on the exploration.


Siphonaria pectinata (L., 1758) is a pulmonate gastropod of the order Basommatophora, which has adopted a lifestyle superficially similar to that of patellogastropod limpets, and is thus often referred to as a «false limpet». In this paper, we present the results of a study investigating microalgal availability and resource utilization by this species in its intertidal habitat, on a rocky shore off Gibraltar (southern Iberian Peninsula). A number of different experiments are described, which serve to provide an overview of the main food types and their relative availability to this species. These include the sampling of the surface microbial algal film, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy of rock chips and slurry, radular structure, gut contents and faecal pellets. The results of this study suggest that S. pectinata does not feed on encrusting «hard» algae, but rather uses its fine-toothed radula to graze superficial, soft algae, including spores and emerging germlings. We suggest that such a feeding strategy would allow it to reduce competition with other patellogastropod limpets, which tend to scrape deeper into the rocky substrate while foraging. Possible avenues for further research are discussed.


The reaction of a Ge(II) hydride compound HC{CMeArN}2GeH (Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) 1 with 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone (CF3PhCO) is theoretically investigated with density functional theory and spin-component-scaled second-order Møller-Plesset methods. This reaction easily occurs with moderate activation barrier and considerably large exothermicity, to afford a Ge(II) alkoxide 2 through a four-membered transition state. In the transition state, the charge transfer from the Ge-H σ-bonding molecular orbital (MO) to the C═O π*-antibonding MO of CF3PhCO plays an important role. Acetone ((CH3)2CO) and benzophenone (Ph2CO) are not reactive for 1, because their π*-antibonding MOs exist at higher energy than that of CF3PhCO. Though 2 is easily formed, the catalytic hydrogenation of CF3PhCO by 1 is difficult because the reaction of 2 with a dihydrogen molecule needs a large activation energy. On the other hand, our calculations clearly show that the catalytic hydrogenation of ketone by cis-RhH(PPh3)24 easily occurs, as expected. The comparison of catalytic cycle between 1 and 4 suggests that the strong Ge-O bond of 2 is the reason of the very large activation energy for the hydrogenation by 1. To overcome this defect, we investigated various reagents and found that the catalytic cycle can be completed with the use of SiF3H. The product is silylether CF3PhCHOSiF3, which is equivalent to alcohol because it easily undergoes hydrolysis to afford CF3PhCHOH. The similar catalytic cycles are also theoretically predicted for hydrosilylations of CO2 and imine. This is the first theoretical prediction of the full catalytic cycle with a heavier main-group element compound.


Viral protein R (VPR) is conserved in human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2). To assess its function, we have constructed mutations within the vpr coding regions of HIV-1 and HIV-2 predicted to express truncated VPR products. Infectious virus was produced by each proviral clone and showed similar replication kinetics and cytopathogenicity when compared with the corresponding parental proviral clone.


Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is an uncommon presentation in children but may occur at any age and occurs in patients with no pre-existing lung disease. Management aims are to re-expand the collapsed lung, relieve pressure in the intrapleural space and avoid a tension pneumothorax. Correct management of PSP will avoid unnecessary intervention, reduce length of hospital stay and also reduce the risk of recurrence. There are no established guidelines for treating PSP in children and there is significant variation in management among centres and clinicians. This article provides a clear, evidence-based and structured approach to assessment and management of PSP in children and young people.


Inheriting the asset of materials left in L'Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient (EFEO – the French Academy of the Far East), the Library of Social Sciences (the Institute of Social Sciences Information) is one of the big libraries in the country. This writing introduces the overall asset of materials about Hanoi now contained in the stores which have been considered to be valuable and rare in this library. These are stores of old Latin material, deity legends, imperial decrees, village regulation and photographs. Most of these materials have been put into data bases bibliography to help readers in their research when they need.

 Social Sciences Information Review Vol.1(2) June 2007 45-52


In this paper, a rigorous theoretical analysis on optical beat interferometric (OBI) noises caused by the Rayleigh backscattering (RB) and Fresnel reflection (FR) effects on the performance of a single-fiber single-wavelength WDM-PON (wavelength division multiplexing-passive optical network) transmission system has been presented. Two categories of PON are evaluated: a conventional and a long-reach WDM-PON system. The conventional WDM-PON took place in an access network for a typical transmission distance of 20 km without any optical amplification at the remote node (RN). In this case, the gain of the optimal reflective optical network unit (ONU) will depend on the relative RB power and also the FRs magnitudes and locations along the optical fiber channel/transmission link. However, in the cases of the long-reach WDM-PON deployed at a transmission distance of 100 km or further, the optical amplifiers are indispensable to enhance the optical power budget and to prevent the effect of fiber nonlinearities that may occur at high power injection levels. Although the presence of an optical amplifier (OA) in a long-reach WDM-PON will actually give some additional gain to the whole system, as a result it also produces the worse RB and FR effects to the system itself. A crosstalk to signal (C/S) ratio is used as a key performance indicator of whether the transmission system is in good working order or not. Therefore, this study may provide insight and relevant information in terms of transmission optimization for WDM-PON systems and developments in the future. To educate on the current technologies and developments surrounding conventional and long-reach WDM-PON, a brief overview is provided in the background part of the introduction.


Although it is possible to directly solve an entire flow-acoustics problem in one computation, this approach remains prohibitively large in terms of the computational resource required for most practical applications. Aeroacoustic problems are therefore usually split into two parts; one consisting of the source computation and one of the source propagation. Although both these parts entail great challenges on the computational method, in terms of accuracy and efficiency, it is still better than the direct solution alternative. The source usually consists of highly turbulent flows, which for most cases will need to be, at least partly, resolved. Then, acoustic waves generated by these sources often have to be propagated for long distances compared to the wavelength and might be subjected to scattering by solid objects or convective effects by the flow. Numerical methods used solve these problems therefore have to possess low dispersion and dissipation error qualities for the solution to be accurate and resource efficient.The wave expansion method (WEM) is an efficient discretization technique, which is used for wave propagation problems. The method uses fundamental solutions to the wave operator in the discretization procedure and will thus produce accurate results at two to three points per wavelength. This thesis presents a method that uses the WEM in an aeroacoustic context. Addressing the propagation of acoustic waves and transfer of sources from flow to acoustic simulations. The proposed computational procedure is applied to a co-rotating vortex pair and a cylinder in cross-flow. Overall, the computed results agree well with analytical solutions.Although the WEM is efficient in terms of the spatial discretization, the procedure requires that a Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse is evaluated at each unique node-neighbour stencil in the grid. This evaluation significantly slows the procedure. In this thesis, a method with a regular grid is explored to speed-up this process.


While it is generally acknowledged that force feedback is beneficial to robotic control, applications of policy learning to robotic manipulation typically only leverage visual feedback. Recently, symmetric neural models have been used to significantly improve the sample efficiency and performance of policy learning across a variety of robotic manipulation domains. This paper explores an application of symmetric policy learning to visual-force problems. We present Symmetric Visual Force Learning (SVFL), a novel method for robotic control which leverages visual and force feedback. We demonstrate that SVFL can significantly outperform state of the art baselines for visual force learning and report several interesting empirical findings related to the utility of learning force feedback control policies in both general manipulation tasks and scenarios with low visual acuity.


My major work was centred on writing a book on the spatial organization of the Etruscans, concentrating on the neglected importance of settlement organization: Power and Place in Etruria. The Spatial Dynamics of a Mediterranean Civilization, 1200-500 BC. The last two decades have been particularly fruitful in producing a range of landscape studies of a high standard, which can now be combined with longer-standing evidence for the development of political centres. The result of this research shows distinct trajectories of political development and variable concentration of power in urban centres and in the interstices between these political centres. To this end, research was undertaken both in the libraries of Rome and on fieldtrips into Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. The results of this work are scheduled to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2006. Other supplementary projects also took place. The principal projects were as follows. (1) The groundwork was undertaken with the Camerone team (principally Stephen Kay) to implement NERC-supported LiDAR survey of sites in the Tiber Valley area. Initially this was centred on Veii, but is now scheduled to take place over the Faliscan territory in May 2005. (2) Contact was re-established with the civic administration of Gubbio and the Superintendency in Perugia. A programme of further detailed study of the material recovered in joint excavations with Caroline Malone has now been instituted. (3) Presentations were given in Milan (Scuola di Specializzazione), Rome and Louvain-laNeuve (Belgium) on Etruscan and Maltese themes. My formal Balsdon lecture involved both British (Caroline Malone) and Maltese colleagues (Suzannah Depasquale and Nicholas Vella) in a well-attended seminar on Maltese archaeology and heritage. The seminar covered the foundation and development of Heritage Malta, the relationship of the British School at Rome and Malta, Maltese prehistoric art and Maltese prehistoric mortuary customs. (4) A successful Marie Curie proposal was submitted to the European Commission by Gabriele Cifani and myself to enable him to spend two post-doctoral years in Cambridge from September 2005 in conjunction with further fieldwork in the Tiber Valley area. (5) I assisted Simon McBride and Simon Morley (two contemporary artists) in the creation of a video installation, entitled Dis Manibus, which has been shown in Rome and Milan.


In this work, a useful protocol for deterministic joint remote preparation of an arbitrary three-qubit state using only Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen pairs is put forward. Our protocol, in clear contrast with a previous one, works for a receiver who, due to limited local equipments, is unable to carry out any measurements and controlled-NOT gates as well as to send classical communication. Therefore, the practical merit of our protocol is that it is applicable to situations in which the receiver has insufficient resource to meet the demand.


Introduction: Implant supported prosthetic rehabilitation could re-establish the comfort and bring a confident smile to patients, allowing them to eat properly and to lead a social life free of traumas and complexes. Aim: To verify which type of implant-supported rehabilitation- overdenture or fixed denture effectively restores the comfort of the lower arch of partial edentulous patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional clinical study was performed in patients with completely edentulous lower arch treated with either overdenture (2 implants) or fixed denture (5-6 implants), obtained from a sample from Southern Brazil. The study sample was composed of 37 volunteers who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Half of them were rehabilitated with overdenture (O- ring and bar) and the other half with fixed denture (Branemark protocol). A clinical evaluation was performed to obtain the Index of Plaque (PI) and bleeding on probing indexes (BI). Three questionnaires were applied to quantify the patient's level of satisfaction with their prosthetic treatment (OHIP-EDENT and masticatory ability questionnaires) up to one year after installation of the prosthesis. Results were analysed by the Mann-Whitney test (α=0.05). Results: All treatments were considered satisfactory regarding masticatory ability. However, fixed dentures had a statistically higher level of satisfaction compared to overdenture. There were significant differences in the mean PI and BI index between the groups. Conclusion: Both rehabilitation treatments increased the satisfaction and improved the oral health and masticatory ability of edentulous patients. However, although patients rehabilitated with fixed dentures presented higher level of satisfaction, they also showed higher plaque and bleeding on probing indexes.


The research summarizes the modern approaches to STEM education for future ship engineers: the problem-based learning activities, not standard or typical designs and problems, the integration of STEM subjects, the introduction of innovation to teaching methods in relation to each subject, the multidisciplinary approach to STEM education that implies the integrative environment for teaching STEM subjects. It is highlighted that in the era of industrialization, literacy and work skills were important, but in the post-industrial era, the technological aspects of youth development have come to the fore. It has been also determined that awakening a creative approach, interest in a comprehensive perception of the subject of study, critical thinking, STEAM teachers give students more than just knowledge - they also give them skills, a taste for knowledge and work, a desire to immerse themselves in self-development, to love the learning process itself. The study presents the content-related and structural characteristics of STEM targets, approximate educational outcomes, content, final assessment, focus areas (problem solving situation), technological curriculum design methods provided by STEM techniques. The research describes the hands-on experience of involving teachers in creating STEM projects for ship engineers in distance STEM education. It is concluded that it is impossible to verestimate the prospect of using information technology in the implementation of STEM programs. Another conclusion is that graduates of educational institutions that actively use information technology in medicine, construction, chemistry, physics, biotechnology and other fields of science are becoming more and more in demand.


Dietary composition is known to have profound effects on many aspects of animal physiology, including lifespan, general health, and reproductive potential. We have previously shown that aging and insulin signaling significantly influence the composition and sexual attractiveness of Drosophila melanogaster female cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), some of which are known to be sex pheromones. Because diet is intimately linked to aging and to the activity of nutrient-sensing pathways, we asked how diet affects female CHCs and attractiveness. Here we report consistent and significant effects of diet composition on female CHC profiles across ages, with dietary yeast and sugar driving CHC changes in opposite directions. Surprisingly, however, we found no evidence that these changes affect female attractiveness. Multivariate comparisons among responses of CHC profiles to diet, aging, and insulin signaling suggest that diet may alter the levels of some CHCs in a way that results in profiles that are more attractive while simultaneously altering other CHCs in a way that makes them less attractive. For example, changes in short-chain CHCs induced by a high-yeast diet phenocopy changes caused by aging and by decreased insulin signaling, both of which result in less attractive females. On the other hand, changes in long-chain CHCs in response to the same diet result in levels that are comparable to those observed in attractive young females and females with increased insulin signaling. The effects of a high-sugar diet tend in the opposite direction, as levels of short-chain CHCs resemble those in attractive females with increased insulin signaling and changes in long-chain CHCs are similar to those caused by decreased insulin signaling. Together, these data suggest that diet-dependent changes in female CHCs may be sending conflicting messages to males.


Background and Objectives Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common, relapsing autoimmune disease, which affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. While the specific molecular events that lead to initiation and onset of RA are not known, an uncontrolled activation of the immune system is considered to be a critical component of the disease. B lymphocytes undoubtedly play a critical role in disease aetiology. Antigen binding to B-cell receptor (BCR) triggers B cell activation, although the threshold of activation can be influenced by other receptors, such as TLR9. TLR9 has received substantial attention as a pathogenic co-stimulator of autoreactive B cell responses. Our aim was to compare basal activity and induced phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, p38 MAPK and CREB after stimulation of B cells from RA patients and healthy individuals via BCR and/or TLR9. Materials and Methods Blood samples were collected from healthy donors and RA patients having moderate (DAS28 3.2 < 5.1) and active (DAS28 > 5.1) disease. B cells were stimulated with anti-Ig (Fab')2 and/or CpG ODN. Naive and memory B cells were identified by anti-CD20-A647 and anti-CD27-PE Phosphorylation level of AKT, ERK, p38 and CREB was detected before and after the stimuli by specific phospho-antibodies using multiparameter phospho-flow analysis. Results were evaluated by the FlowJo software. Results The basal level of phosphorylation of signalling molecules was significantly higher in RA patients as compared to healthy donors. The induced level of phosphorylation was also higher in RA samples in most of cases, CpG stimulated memory B cells from patients with active disease have shown the highest values. In anti-Ig plus CpG ODN stimulated samples phosphorylation of all molecules was significantly higher in both naïve and memory RA B cells as compared to healthy controls. However, when compared to unstimulated cells, the increment of phosphorylation in the stimulated cells was the same or lower in RA samples. Conclusions We have shown differences in the activation state of AKT, ERK, p38 and CREB in B cells from healthy individuals and RA patients. The higher basal phosphorylation level indicates the activated state of RA B cells. The lower capability of activation-induced phosphorylation may be a result of lower responsiveness of RA B cells. The analysis of phosphorylation signature in RA B-cells may provide new information to a better understanding of the disease.


In this paper we report the electrical and optical properties of ZnO micro and nanostructures. These structures are grown by catalyst free direct vapor method and the morphology consists of nanowires and microspheres embedded in the network of nanowires. The photoluminescence properties indicate the absence of defect band at 510 nm in case of nanowires- microspheres morphology. The prototype UV photoconductive- type sensors were fabricated from both ZnO structures and the electrical properties were studied. The electrical properties are found to vary with the morphology of samples. To understand the opto-electronic properties the UV sensors were studied (under UV illumination) at varying oxygen pressure ambient in a vacuum sealed chamber and the decay time of the UV sensors were measured.


Japanese radish tuber and leaf produced antifreeze proteins (AFPs) having thermal hysteresis activity (TH) and ice recrystallization inhibiting activity (RI). Upon cold acclimation, the apoplastic fluid of the Japanese radish exhibited hexagonal crystal growth, indicating the presence of an antifreeze protein. The induction patterns of protein and the TH activity of apoplastic fraction from both samples were different. The TH activities of apoplastic fraction from tuber and leaves were 0.20 +/- 0.03 and 0.18 +/- 0.02 degree C, respectively. Also, the TH and RI activities of apoplastic fraction of leaves were activated by autoclave treatment at pH 10.0. An antifreeze peptide (molecular weight 1320), was purified using chromatography. Furthermore, the chitinase and beta-1, 3-glucanase activities in the apoplastic fraction of its tuber were induced by the cold acclimation. Some proteins in this apoplastic fraction were reacted with the anti-glucanase-like protein (GLP) antiserum and anti-chitinase-like protein (CLP) antiserum produced against isolated winter rye AFPs. This is the first report on the presence and characterization of AFPs from Japanese radish tuber.


This study explored the application of the alternative splicing of Bcl-2 family protein Mcl-1 in combination chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines: meayamycin B (SF3b inhibitor) switched the pre-mRNA alternative splicing of Mcl-1 from anti-apoptotic to pro-apoptotic; the combination of meayamycin B with ABT-737 (Bcl-xL inhibitor) rapidly stimulated apoptosis in a panel of HNSCC cells, overcoming the HPV-16-mediated Mcl-1 over-expression. Western blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR as well as qPCR afforded evaluation of the expression of Mcl-1 splicing variants at mRNA and protein levels. Apoptosis status was monitored by using caspase 3/7 activity assays and Annexin V/7-AAD staining. siRNA was used to specifically knock down HPV-16 E6 gene. Meayamycin B exhibited 0.1-10 nM ED50 values in HNSCC cell lines that are mostly resistant to ABT-737. In HPV-16 positive HNSCC, E6 oncogene affords moderate resistance to meayamycin B. The combination of meayamycin B and ABT-737 synergistically induced apoptosis in HNSCC cell lines regardless of HPV status. These data demonstrate the potential of meayamycin B, both as a single agent and in combination with Bcl-xL inhibitors, for both research and targeted molecular therapeutic purposes for HNSCC. Citation Format: Yang Gao. SF3B1 inhibitors sensitize head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to Bcl-xL inhibition by regulating Mcl-1 alternative splicing. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2064. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2064


In contrast to other additive manufacturing methods such as Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing or Laser Metal Deposition, the cold spray system designed by SPEE3D allows for structures to be printed at much lower temperatures. As a result, structures printed via cold spray often undergo post processing heat treatments which potentially alters the distribution of trace elements throughout the sample. The distribution of elements within these structures may then have a direct impact on the corrosion properties of these materials. The impact of post processing heat treatment parameters on the microstructure and distribution of Mg and Si trace elements within an Al alloy was investigated using cross section analysis of samples by SEM-EDS. From an Al powered feedstock, alloys were printed using SPEED3D's LightSPEE3D printer utilising air as the carrier gas, at 30 Bar and 500°C; various post processing heat and water quench treatments were then applied. Results reveal a reorganisation of Mg (which subsequently becomes oxidised) towards the edges of pores, regions typically with a higher surface energy. This is in direct contrast to the largely homogenous distribution of Mg in samples which did not undergo post printing heat treatments. The addition of charcoal during the heat treatment process also resulted in the redistribution of Si within the sample, and the creation of silicon carbide structures. The impact of reorganisation of Mg within the sample as well as the creation of silicon carbide structures on the selective corrosion of these materials was then investigated by potentiodynamic corrosion testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.


The publlcatmn of Mayo Ethnobotany deserves our celebration Combining field observations, hbrary and herbarium research, authors Yetman and Van Devender pooled their resources to produce a comprehensive portrait of the geology, geography, history, language, culture and botany of the Mayos, an indigenous people of northwestern Mexico As with many other cultures, Mayo traditional knowledge is rapidly being lost as the people are absorbed into modern Mexico The authors, who started out working in the Rio Mayo region independently and explored the land for several years unbeknownst to each other, spent six years studying the Mayo region, though their studies continue. They had previously hved and worked m the Sonoran Desert for decades, and their attention was drawn to Rio Mayo because the "desert dwindles away and merges into more tropical" systems The book's contents are divided into two sections Part one consists of a description of the people and the land, a brief ethnography of the Mayos, thmr history, and an overview of plant and animal life That section concludes with an extended portrayal of "Eight Plants that Make Mayos Mayos," nominated because they are known to all, and integral to Mayo life Part two, the second half the book, Js devoted to an annotated hst of plants arranged alphabetically by plant family The list appears to be complete, both in species listed, and usage The botamcal descriptions are detailed and picturesque, and specml attentmn is given to reformation about habitat Cuhnary, medicinal and veterinary use, indusmal, construction, artifact, and every other human use are relayed Non-nanve crop species are included when they make a significant contribution to the cash economy of the growers Hence, we learn that many Mayos plant ajonjoh (sesame) as a cash crop Thousands of acres of ajonjoh are planted in the Mayo region and almost all of the seeds are sold m the international market They are accustomed to "mterplant beans, squash and, above all, watermelon," a practice that reminds thss writer of a similar hst of species mtercropped w~th sesame in the Wad1 Hadhramaut region of Yemen Care was taken to present supplemental documentary records A number of reformative black and white Illustrations are scattered through the volume Six Append~ces offer data that may be useful to future researchers Mayo region place names and their meanlngs, Yoreme consultants, Gazetteer of the Mayo region, Mayo plants listed by Spanish names, Mayo plants hsted by Mayo name; and Glossary of Mayo and Spanish terms A dozen pages of notes at the end of the book provide elaboration of specific facts Another dozen pages devoted to a thorough index follow a five-page bibliography Affordable and easy to read and to use, it should be added to every professional's library


In the present study, the development of strength in different calcium aluminate cement (CAC) mixture mortars with granulated ground blast-furnace slag (GGBS) was investigated. /e substitution of GGBS levels was 0, 20, 40, and 60% weight of binder, of which the CAC used in this study naturally contained C2AS clinker as a secondary phase. To activate a hydraulic nature of the phase, in addition to the mineral additive, all specimens were cured at 35± 2°C for the first 24 hours and then stored in a 95% humidity chamber at 25± 2°C. /e penetration resistance of fresh mortar was measured immediately after pouring, and the mortar compressive strength was monitored for 365 days. Simultaneously, to evaluate the hydration kinetics at early ages, in terms of heat evolution, the calorimetric analysis was performed at the isothermal condition (35°C) for 24 hours./e hydration behavior in the long term was characterized by X-ray diffraction, which was supported by microscopic observation using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Furthermore, an examination of the pore structure was accompanied to quantify the porosity. As a result, it was found that an increase in the GGBS content in the mixture resulted in an increased setting time, as well as total heat evolved for 24 hours in normalized calorimetry curves. In addition, the strength development of mortar showed a continuous increased value up to 365 days, accounting 43.8–57.5MPa for the mixtures, due to a formation of stratlingite, which was identified at the pastes cured for 365 days using chemical and microscopic analysis. However, GGBS replacement did not affect on the pore size distribution in the cement matrix, except for total intrusion volume.


What does art do to our bodies?
This project attempts to find out, guided by an extraordinary Victorian woman who, over one hundred years ago, asked '[w]hat is a work of art? What does it do for us, or rather do with us?'
The woman was Vernon Lee (born Violet Paget). Cosmopolitan, lesbian, fiercely intellectual, reading, writing and publishing in four European languages - Lee was an aesthetic theorist. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s she explored the galleries and museums of Florence, Rome, Paris and London with her lover, Kit Anstruther-Thomson, an aristocratic Scottish artist.
Kit experienced her body as sharply sensitive to shape and form: standing in front of an upright object, she felt her lungs fill up with air, and the air exhale over a curve; her muscles tensed in concert with planes and lines and angles; a lop-sided shape made her sag, a heavy one made her feet plant down more firmly. Lee, entranced by Anstruther-Thomson's body, watched it, seeing art.
Lee called this process Einfuhlung or 'feeling into' – a word borrowed from German psychological literature. Lee believed Einfuhlung held the key to understanding why art affects us, and why beauty is vital. Einfuhlung was translated as 'empathy' and Lee became the first writer in Britain to write extensively about it.
This performance piece uses Lee's experimental practices, recorded in Gallery Dairies in which she meticulously charts her experiences of looking at art. With Vernon Lee and Kit Anstruther-Thomson as guides, gallery and museum visitors can construct their own experience of their body and art through drama; explore the body's unknown territories, and re-think, re-feel, and re-imagine art, beauty and ugliness.
Much of our body's activity takes place automatically, without volition and, often, without consciousness. To focus on a breath can make it feel more difficult. Pleasure and pain intensify the sense of one's body surfaces, inside and out. Some of us train our bodies, and are surprised to discover spaces and sensations hitherto hidden in layers of muscle and sinew.
Vernon Lee believed that all bodies respond to form. Bodily changes induce sensations and emotions that we 'feel' reside in the object itself; attributing movement to static lines and surfaces. 'We are inside them; we have "felt ourselves," projected our own experience into them'.

Carolyn Burdett, Rob Swain and Nicola Baldwin


The impact of modernization on the aged population in the Republic of Korea is examined through a survey of elderly persons who became nursing home residents. The authors note that nursing home residents had higher divorce rates, a larger proportion of persons never married, and a larger proportion of childless persons than the population as a whole. They conclude that these characteristics are typical of the modernization process and that the demand for nursing homes for the elderly will consequently increase significantly. (summary in ENG)


The pharmacokinetics of natalizumab have been determined in several studies ( 1,000 patients) supporting registration and indicate disposition that is consistent with endogenous immunoglobulin (Ig) G4. The pharmacokinetic variability is considered low, consistent with the study cited by Dr Focosi. In that study, the coefficient of variation of the AUCinf and maximum concentration values for any of the doses tested never exceeded 24.7%. This is consistent with predictable and well-behaved therapeutic antibodies. Data from phase 3 studies show that average predose (trough) concentrations at steady-state range from 23 to 28 g/ml (N 500); occasionally predose concentrations can approach 40 g/ml (data on file, Biogen Idec). With a 10-to 16-day halflife, the concentration of 10.8 g/ml reported by Wenning et al 57 days after the last natalizumab dose is well within the expected range. As such, it does not appear that natalizumab exposure in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy patients is abnormal. In the reported case of primary central nervous system lymphoma by Schweikert et al, no collections were made to determine natalizumab concentration. The patient received 7 courses of plasmapheresis, which would most likely have been quite thorough in clearing natalizumab. No more than 5 courses are typically needed to ensure concentrations fall below 1 g/ml; this concentration is well below that producing complete alpha-4 integrin saturation. As an IgG4 product, natalizumab is also subject to Fabarm exchange with endogenous human IgG4, as suggested by Labrijn et al. Our studies suggest that a "Fab-arm exchanged" natalizumab still retains activity for binding alpha4-integrin, albeit reduced from intact natalizumab. Thus, despite the possibility of an alternate arm binding to another antigen, the likelihood of this impacting natalizumab's ability to bind the target VLA-4 antigen is very low. It is also not anticipated that the pharmacokinetics will change. A Fab-arm exchanged form of natalizumab will still be an IgG4, and as such, will retain distribution and clearance characteristics similar to other IgG4 antibodies. Such characteristics are in line with those already noted for natalizumab. Additionally, the Fab-arm exchange occurs quickly, with significant amounts of natalizumab exchanged within 24 hours. Therefore, the reported pharmacokinetics for natalizumab are primarily those of the exchanged form, and become what is already reported and known. In summary, the pharmacokinetics of natalizumab are predictable, with relatively low variability, and are reflective of a Fab-arm exchanged form.


The sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is parasitic to salmonid species in the Northern Hemisphere and has become a widespread biological and economic problem for the salmon farming industry. A better understanding is needed of their spatial distribution and early life history to disrupt the life cycle of the sea louse. In this study, sea lice larval densities within salmon farms, between salmon farms and reference sites, and at various depths were quantified using both plankton pumps and plankton nets. Farm sites exhibited significantly higher densities than reference sites; however, these densities dropped an order of magnitude at a distance of 100 m from the cages. The majority of the larvae captured in the study were nauplii (93%), and densities ranged from 0 to 10 larvae/m3 . Free-swimming sea lice larvae were found to exhibit a diel cycle where nauplii larvae were in deeper waters (10-17 m) during the day and in surface waters (1-6 m) during the night. The results of this study suggest that the early life-history stages of sea lice originate from and may remain close to active salmon farms, creating a self-sustaining population.


Interspinous Posterior Device (IPD) is a term used to identify a relatively recent group of implants used to treat lumbar spine stenosis with the presumed aim of a dynamic motion control systems. In the last 10 years there was a very large use of these implants. Despite this, no long-term clinical follow-up are available. In the literature is evident the high rate of reoperation, recurrence of symptoms and progression of degenerative changes. But his main question is: if these devices are effectively a miracle cure for the common problem of the lumbar spinal stenosis, why actually the use of IPD remains extremely controversial and should be investigated further?


In the course of conducting an investigation of a family group showing proteinuria and hypercholesteremia but without evidence of nephrosis or other disease,* data were obtained showing the presence of two concurrent but nevertheless independent hereditary traits: (a) proteinuria, with an associated abnormality of the serum protein fractions, and (b) hypercholesteremia, also associated with a distinct abnormality of the serum protein fractions. A review of the literature failed to reveal any previous reports of either the association of abnormal concentrations of serum protein fractions with familial proteinuria or the simultaneous occurrence in the same subjects of familial proteinuria and familial hypercholesteremia. The results of a study of two generations of a family group demonstrating these findings are reported. Material and Methods The patients comprising this study consisted of 16 persons of two generations of one family line. Mode of Recognition and Chronological Sequence of Investigation Seven of the subjects, all


In this paper, we report the study of the free-solvent nucleophilic addition of alcohols and glycerol to acrylic compounds, in the presence of catalytic bases. With acrylates, Michael addition and transesterification are in competition: only the PTC reaction with t-butyl acrylate gave trifunctionalized glycerol. With acrylonitrile, the cyanoethylation of glycerol varies with catalysts, temperature, time of reactions and amounts of acrylonitrile. Mono functionalisation of glycerol can be obtained in 28% yield. The optimization of the free-solvent Michael addition of glycerol to acrylonitrile (3.4 equiv., 4 mol% NaOH, 5 h) leads to TCEG (tricyanoethylglycerol, 88% yield, 99% purity) without HCl neutralisation, chlorinated solvents or purification (chromatography or distillation). TCEG can be used as a prochiral core of G0.5 dendrimers.


Slavery
in the Americas
developed distinctive features in cities.
Across the varied built
environments and political, cultural and
economic landscapes of cities in the United States,
the Caribbean and Central and South America
there was no single model for urban slavery,
but
slave labour, demography, culture, and forms of resistance
always
differed markedly from
rural
settings. In particular, historians have noted that cities provided spaces in which at least
some slaves could lead lives marked by a degree of autonomy that was beyond the
ordinary
expectations of their rural counterparts.
Urban labour demands saw slaves loading and
carrying goods, running errands, and toiling in manufacturing trades
and factories. Some
slaves worked as skilled artisans and many were hired out, sometimes earning wages and even
making their own living arrangements. As a young man enslaved in
antebellum
Louisville,
for example, Isaac Throgmorton, a barber,
lived with freepeople and passed most of his days
almost as a free man himself. "I served my apprenticeship of seven years," Throgmorton
recalled in an 1863 interview, "and then kept shop for myself one or two years, & then I was
one year steamboating up the river."
Throgmorton recognised that he had been particularly
fortunate,
for even in cities slavery could be a brutal and oppressive institution, but
the
transience
and anonymity of urban
life
nonetheless enabled even slaves with
relatively limited
freedoms, such as domestic servants, to engage in diverse independent
activities. Urban slaves participated in vibrant black and interracial communities,
bought and sold goods in city
markets, and
joined large church congregations. They also
joined
in more explicitly
subversive activities. They
read
of slave rebellions and political debates about liberty and
abolition; accessed underground liquor establishments, gambling, and dance halls;
attempted to steal away on board ships, stage coaches and trains;
passed themselves off as free people
and planned and staged violent uprisings. [Opening Paragraph]


Four foreign exchange spot rate series, recorded on an hourly basis for a six-month period in 1986 are examined. A seasonal GARCH model is developed to describe the time-dependent volatility apparent in the percentage nominal return of each currency. Hourly patterns in volatility are found to be remarkably similar across currencies and appear to be related to the opening and closing of the worlds major markets. Robust LM tests designed to deal with the extreme leptokurtosis in the data fails to uncover any evidence of misspecification or the presence of volatility spillover effects between the currencies or across markets.


We describe a new intermediate compiler representation, static token form, that is suitable for dataflow-style synthesis of high-level asynchronous specifications. Static token form transforms variables into tokens, and simplifies the pipelining of asynchronous computations according to their dataflow graphs. We present a compiler framework that automates this synthesis method, and show how it can be applied to pipelined asynchronous FPGA architectures.


Background: Right Ventricular (RV) functions are known to have an impact on determining the prognosis of patients with Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (NICMP). Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the echocardiographic determinants of RV systolic dysfunction in patients with NICMP. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 79 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries (mean age: 50.5 ± 12, mean Ejection Fraction (EF): 31 ± 4%) selected through purposive sampling The patients were divided into two groups based on their RV systolic function determined by tissue Doppler systolic velocities (RV-Sm): group A (RV-Sm ≥ 10 cm/s, N = 48) and group B (RV-Sm < 10 cm/s, N = 31). The two groups were compared regarding clinical, demographic, and echocardiographic variables using independent t-test and chi-square test. Results: The patients with RV systolic dysfunction were found to have higher Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) values (P = 0.006) and worse functional status (New York Heart Association (NYHA) III-IV, P = 0.04) compared to group A. Besides, univariate analysis of the echocardiographic parameters revealed that the patients in group B had significantly (all P values < 0.05) higher Left Atrial Volume Index (LAVI), higher degree of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (represented by LV-E/Em), higher degree of Functional Mitral Regurgitation (FMR), higher estimated Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure (PASP), and higher degree of RV diastolic dysfunction (represented by RV-E/ Em) Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that severe FMR (P = 0.006) and RV-E/Em (P = 0.016) predicted RV systolic dysfunction independently. Conclusions: Advanced FMR and worse RV diastolic functions emerged as the independent predictors of RV systolic dysfunction in NICMP correlating to functional status and BNP levels.


Connes showed that spectral triples encode (noncommutative) metric information. Further, Connes and Moscovici in their metric bundle construction showed that, as with the Takesaki duality theorem, forming a crossed product spectral triple can substantially simplify the structure. In a recent paper, Bellissard, Marcolli and Reihani (among other things) studied in depth metric notions for spectral triples and crossed product spectral triples for $Z$-actions, with applications in number theory and coding theory. In the work of Connes and Moscovici, crossed products involving groups of diffeomorphisms and even of etale groupoids are required. With this motivation, the present paper develops part of the Bellissard-Marcolli-Reihani theory for a general discrete group action, and in particular, introduces coaction spectral triples and their associated metric notions. The isometric condition is replaced by the contractive condition.


OBJECTIVE. The objective was to determine baseline characteristics of pediatric residency training programs and academic departments in regard to family-friendly work environments as outlined in the Report of the Task Force on Women in Pediatrics. METHODS. We conducted Web-based anonymous surveys of 147 pediatric department chairs and 203 pediatric program directors. The chair's questionnaire asked about child care, lactation facilities, family leave policies, work-life balance, and tenure and promotion policies. The program director's questionnaire asked about family leave, parenting, work-life balance, and perceptions of "family-friendliness." RESULTS. The response rate was 52% for program directors and 51% for chairs. Nearly 60% of chairs reported some access to child care or provided assistance locating child care; however, in half of these departments, demand almost always exceeded supply. Lactation facilities were available to breastfeeding faculty in 74% of departments, although only 57% provided access to breast pumps. A total of 78% of chairs and 90% of program directors reported written maternity leave policies with slightly fewer reporting paternity leave policies. The majority (83%) of chairs reported availability of part-time employment, whereas only 27% of program directors offered part-time residency options. Most departments offered some flexibility in promotion and tenure. CONCLUSIONS. Although progress has been made, change still is needed in many areas in pediatric departments and training programs, including better accessibility to quality child care; improved lactation facilities for breastfeeding mothers; clear, written parental leave policies; and flexible work schedules to accommodate changing demands of family life.


We present a new data set for speech emotion recognition (SER) tasks called Dusha. The corpus contains approximately 350 hours of data, more than 300 000 audio recordings with Russian speech and their transcripts. Therefore it is the biggest open bi-modal data collection for SER task nowadays. It is annotated using a crowd-sourcing platform and includes two subsets: acted and real-life. Acted subset has a more balanced class distribution than the unbalanced real-life part consisting of audio podcasts. So the first one is suitable for model pre-training, and the second is elaborated for fine-tuning purposes, model approbation, and validation. This paper describes pre-processing routine, annotation, and experiment with a baseline model to demonstrate some actual metrics which could be obtained with the Dusha data set.


Owing to the particular background of the Confucian culture in Hong Kong, community services have often been regarded as a kind of virtue or merit (Rock, 2008). Incorporating community service in moral education programs was found to be effective and advocated by Boss (1994) in the United States. The aim of this research is to further Boss's approach by examining the use of community service in moral education programs under the entirely different social context of Chinese culture in Hong Kong. The research question is: What are the impacts of real-life experiences of community service learning on the students' moral development if it is incorporated in a moral education program? The investigation is undertaken in three aspects: (1) . The exploration of the effectiveness of incorporating community service into a moral education program for young adult students; (2) . The investigation of community service within the context of the Chinese culture of Confucianism; and (3) The examination by comparing the learning outcomes of the students between those taking "community service" and those taking "ethical case study" in a moral education program. The research is conducted in a conceptual context of moral theories and Confucian approaches of becoming an exemplary moral person. The practical context includes the main approaches to moral education in Hong Kong community service learning as incorporated in moral education programs for local young adult students. It is an exploratory study incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches in the collection of data for a range of analyses. A total of thirty-one students are selected from a community college. Group A (community service) and Group B (ethical case study) participate in two rounds of in-depth interviews and quantitative tests (Defining Issues Test). The mixed methods approach enables collections of richer information and data for deeper analysis. Extra findings are facilitated when results are compared and contrasted between the two methods and two groups. Eleven constructs showing students' learning experiences through their projects are formulated by interviews. Findings reveal that parental influence is regarded as a powerful factor in the process of moral development compared with other influences from teachers, peers and external professionals. Community service is found more rewarding than case studies because of its variety in nature, activities and purposes. Findings demonstrate that a real-life experience of community service is effective in enhancing students' moral development in the unique social contexts of Hong Kong. The findings by using Defining Issues Test are unable to prove any differences between the two groups of students over the two rounds of tests. Furthermore, a qualitative approach is regarded as more appropriate in the exploration of students' experiences in moral development in this project. In conclusion, two suggestions are proposed for professional practice; firstly, integrating community service is an appropriate way of providing moral education to young adult students within a Chinese context. Second, the approach can be remarkably effective when firm parental participation is involved in the moral education program.


"The reading and production of nature is something that is learnt. It is a cultural process and varies greatly between different societies, different periods and different social groupings within a society". Thus spake Macnaghten and Urry (1995, p.19), arguing that the attraction of the rural is a social construction. The paper examines current social and cultural trends, and whether they are leading to a re-evaluation of the allure of 'nature'. One the one hand, a continued and continual spectacularisation of society should mean that signifiers of 'approved' rurality – the stuff that chocolate box lids are made of – are secure in the public affection. On the other hand, indications of a growing interest in narrative suggest a resurgence of curiosity about chocolates, rather than the box. Drawing a parallel with the re-invention of industrial cities as destinations for leisure visits in the 1980s, a range of possible outcomes in terms of revised readings of the rural will be offered. Multiple outcomes may be likely, just as, as argued previously by this author, opposing modes of consumption can arise from one identical causal process of cultural change (Voase, 2002).

References

Macnaghten, P. & Urry, J. (1998) Contested Natures, London: Sage

Voase, R. (2002) Rediscovering the imagination: investigating active and passive visitor experience in the 21st century, International Journal of Tourism Research, 4 (5) 391-399.


The paper introduces implementation of highways' stopping sight distance (SSD) and decision sight distance (DSD) based on AASHTO modeling assumptions. SSD characterizes the necessary distance for highway vehicles to stop safely in front from an obstacle. SSD is a function of vehicle speed, perception reaction time, deceleration rate, and grade based on AASHTO and most highway design international guidelines. The deceleration rate which is assumed constant (3.4 m/sec2) based on AASHTO 2011 is generally controlled by the friction coefficient depending on the road surface conditions. A driver's demanded deceleration rate may not exceed the range of friction coefficient according to various pavement conditions. Although SSD is generally sufficient to allow skilled and alert drivers to the stop their vehicles under regular situations, this distance is insufficient when information is difficult to comprehend. A DSD should be provided in highways geometric design when the driver is required to detect an unexpected or difficult to perceive information source. Interchanges (specifically exit ramps) and intersections, and required changing in driver direction of travel, changes in the basic cross section such as toll plaza, lane drop, are typical scenarios where driver needs DSD in the safety manner. The introduction of the two sight distance types (SSD and DSD) is a perquisite for empirical modeling of the relationship between DSD and SSD. The modeling refers to DSD for rural highways, suburban roads, and urban roads based on AASHTO models. Specifically the paper covers DSD three avoidance maneuver types of stopping (types A, A1, B) and three maneuver types of speed, path, and direction changing (types C,D, E) for the three roadway categories. The major parameters that control these avoidance types are pre-maneuver times, and pre-maneuver plus maneuver times. The empirical relationship proposed in this study simplifies the process of evaluating the decision sight distance based on stopping sight distance record, based on AASHTO models, without the need of strenuous estimation of the DSD model maneuver and deceleration parameters. Such a simplified correlation has not been found in the literature except a rough approximation documented in the British highway design guidelines.


[1] Typhoon-generated storm waves generally cause mechanical damage to coral communities on present-day reefs, and the magnitude and extent of damage is predicted to increase in the near future as a result of global warming. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of potential future scenarios of reef ecosystems is of prime interest. This study assesses the current status of coral communities on Ibaruma reef, Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of field observations, engineering and fluid dynamic models, and calculations of wave motion, and predicts the potential effects of a super-extreme typhoon (incident wave height,H = 20 m; wave period, T = 20 s) on the reef. On the present-day reef, massive corals occur in shallow lagoons and tabular corals occur from the reef crest to the reef slope. The observed distribution of corals, which is frequently attacked by moderate (H = 10 m, T = 10 s) and extreme (H = 10 m, T = 15 s) typhoons, is consistent with the predictions of engineering models. Moreover, this study indicates that if a super-extreme typhoon attacks the reef in the near future, massive corals will survive in the shallow lagoons but tabular corals on the reef crest and reef slope will be severely impacted. The findings imply that super-extreme typhoons will cause a loss of species diversity, as the tabular corals are important reef builders and are critical to the maintenance of reef ecosystems. Consequently, reef restoration is a key approach to maintaining reef ecosystems in the wake of super-extreme typhoons.


This study was undertaken to determine the specificity of indium-111 leukocyte scans for osteomyelitis when fractures are present. Midshaft tibial osteotomies were performed in 14 New Zealand white rabbits, seven of which were infected postoperatively with Staphylococcus aureus per Norden's protocol. All 14 rabbits were scanned following injection with 75 μCi of indium 111 at 72 h after osteotomy and at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Before the rabbits were killed, the fracture sites were cultured to document the presence or absence of infection. The results of all infected osteotomy sites were positive, whereas no positive scans were found in the noninfected osteotomies. We concluded from this study that uncomplicated fracture healing does not result in a positive indium-111 leukocyte scan.


In the maxillofacial region, mandibular condyle fracture accounts for about 10–40% of the trauma spectrum. This chapter deals with the etiology, classification, clinical features, diagnosis, and contemporary management of mandibular condyle fractures. Along with the regular management strategies, treatment protocols for geriatric and pediatric patients have also been discussed. The indications and contraindications of closed as well as open reduction and fixation of condyle fractures are analyzed in detail.


Low molecular weight heparin has greater advantages over unfractionated heparin. It is more bioavailable, and laboratory monitoring is not necessary. Compared with unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin does not result in increased risk of major bleeding. However, the bleeding tendency is not predictable in patients with renal failure, because elimination of low molecular weight heparin is delayed and it does not alter prothrombin times or partial thromboplastin times. Recently, we experienced two cases of enoxaparin-associated retroperitoneal hematoma in chronic dialysis patients. A 57-year-old woman developed retroperitoneal bleeding, during treatment with enoxaparin(1 ㎎/㎏ q 12 hours) and oral aspirin. The other patient, a 49-year-old man developed retroperitoneal hematoma after discontinuation of enoxaparin and aspirin. Both patients had inguinal pain, femoral neuropathy, anemia and hypotension. They recovered gradually and their hematoma size were decreased by conservative treatment. These results suggest that anti-Xa acivity monitoring may be warranted in renal insufficiency patients who are receiving low molecular weight heparin If anti-Xa activity test is not available, unfractionated heparin could be used with monitoring of activated partial thromboplastin time. And the possibility of retroperitoneal hematoma should be considered, whenever the acute symptoms including inguinal pain, leg pain, anemia, or hypotension occured during the anticoagulation therapy.


Despite general economic decline and power-supply deficiencies, infrastructure made a modest net contribution of just less than half a percentage point to Zimbabwe's improved per capita growth performance in recent years. Raising the country's infrastructure endowment to that of the region's middle-income countries could boost annual growth by about 2.4 percentage points. Zimbabwe made significant progress in infrastructure in its early period as an independent state, building a national electricity network with regional interconnections, an extensive and internationally connected road network, and a water and sewer system. But the country has been unable to maintain its existing infrastructure since it became immersed in economic and political turmoil in the late 1990s. Zimbabwe now faces a number of important infrastructure challenges, the most pressing of which lie in the power and water sectors, where deteriorating conditions pose risks to the economy and public health. Zimbabwe currently spends about $0.8 billion per year on infrastructure, though $0.7 billion of this is lost to inefficiencies of various kinds. Even if these inefficiencies were fully captured, Zimbabwe would still face an infrastructure funding gap of $0.6 billion per year. That staggering figure can be reduced, however, to $0.4 billion if the country adopts a more modest spending scenario, or even to $0.1 billion under a minimalist, maintenance-only scenario. To close the gap, Zimbabwe needs to raise additional public, private-sector, and international funding, which, when coupled with the prospect of economic rebound and prudent policies, would allow the country to regain its historic infrastructure advantages.


Reinforcement learning (RL) is a promising, upcoming topic in automatic control applications. Where classical control approaches require a priori system knowledge, data-driven control approaches like RL allow a model-free controller design procedure, rendering them emergent techniques for systems with changing plant structures and varying parameters. While it was already shown in various applications that the transient control behavior for complex systems can be sufficiently handled by RL, the challenge of non-vanishing steady-state control errors remains, which arises from the usage of control policy approximations and finite training times. To overcome this issue, an integral action state augmentation (IASA) for actor-critic-based RL controllers is introduced that mimics an integrating feedback, which is inspired by the delta-input formulation within model predictive control. This augmentation does not require any expert knowledge, leaving the approach model free. As a result, the RL controller learns how to suppress steady-state control deviations much more effectively. Two exemplary applications from the domain of electrical energy engineering validate the benefit of the developed method both for reference tracking and disturbance rejection. In comparison to a standard deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) setup, the suggested IASA extension allows to reduce the steady-state error by up to 52 $\%$ within the considered validation scenarios.


The aim of this study is to investigate the flow pattern behaviour by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach. The square profile was chosen in purpose to have a better understanding of the behaviour which is relevant to the engineering applications. Numerical simulation was performed on various turbulence models with the range of Reynolds number from 6000 to 80000 with three incidence angles of 0°, 15°, and 30°. Mesh dependency study was performed with coarse, base and fine meshes. Fine mesh and standard k–ω were chosen as the best meshing and turbulence model to perform the simulation due to the capability in terms of less absolute error on aerodynamic coefficient and clear flow visualisation capture. It was found that the average values of Strouhal number for square profile was 0.12. For this particular study, the changes of incidence angle and variation of Reynolds number gave a significant flow pattern behind a square profile. The size of the vortices became smaller and closer to the structure as the incidence angle increased. At high Reynolds number, it was also observed that the size of the vortices increased progressively. The prediction of flow pattern behind square cylinder was successfully determined by using CFD approach.


ABSTRACT Vegetative incompatibility in the chestnut blight fungus,Cryphonectria parasitica, in Europe is controlled by six unlinked vic loci, each with two alleles. Four previously identified vic loci (vic1, vic2,vic3, and vic4) were polymorphic in European vegetative compatibility (vc) types. Two new loci, vic6 andvic7, also were identified among European vc types. In one cross, vic genes segregated independently at five loci, and 194 progeny were assigned to 32 vc types; none of these loci were linked. A total of 64 vc types were identified from all crosses. All 64 genotypes possible from six vic loci, each with two alleles (26 = 64), were identified and assigned to vc types. Based on our model, vc types v-c 5 and v-c 10, which had been used in previous genetic studies, differ by only five vic genes. Future studies of vc types in C. parasitica can use knowledge of vic genotypes for analysis of population genetic structure based on vic allele frequencies and to determine the effect of each vic gene on virus transmission between vc types.


Objective COPD is a high-cost disease and results in frequent contacts with the healthcare system. The study objective was to compare the accuracy of classification models with different covariates for classifying COPD patients into cost groups. Methods Linked health administrative databases from Saskatchewan, Canada, were used to identify a cohort of newly diagnosed COPD patients (April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2011) and their episodes of healthcare encounters for disease exacerbations. Total costs of the first and follow-up episodes were computed and patients were categorized as persistently high cost, occasionally high cost, and persistently low cost based on cumulative cost distribution ranking using the 75th percentile cutoff for high-cost status. Classification accuracy was compared for seven multinomial logistic regression models containing socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., base model), and socio-demographic and prior healthcare use characteristics (i.e., comparator models). Results Of the 1182 patients identified, 8.5% were classified as persistently high cost, 26.1% as occasionally high cost, and the remainder as persistently low cost. The persistently high-cost and occasionally high-cost patients incurred 10 times ($12 449 vs $1263) and seven times ($9334 vs $1263) more costs in their first exacerbation episode than persistently low-cost patients, respectively. Classification accuracy was 0.67 for the base model, whereas the comparator model containing socio-demographic and number of prior hospital admissions had the highest accuracy (0.72). Conclusions Costs associated with COPD exacerbation episodes are substantial. Adding prior hospitalization to socio-demographic characteristics produced the highest improvements in classification accuracy. Accurate classification models are important for identifying potential healthcare cost management strategies.


One hundred eighty-one (n = 181) nurses who completed the Rutgers Nurse Refresher course between the years of 1991 and 1994 were surveyed to determine the outcome of the course in relation to successor return to nursing practice. Of the number of nurses who responded (n = 111), 78 nurses (70.2%) returned to practice as RNs. Nurses who completed the course in 1991 and 1992 had higher employment rates as RNs than those nurses who completed the course in 1993 and 1994. Of the 78 nurses who found employment as RNs, 55 nurses (71%) found employment in other-than-hospital settings. An increase in employment in long-term care and other settings, such an physician offices and school nursing was found when the data were analyzed by setting and year of course completion. Findings of the survey are discussed in relationship to changes in health care delivery as well as recommendations for curriculum revision.


Microtubule severing is a biochemical reaction that generates an internal break in a microtubule and regulation of microtubule severing is critical for cellular processes such as ciliogenesis, morphogenesis, and meiosis and mitosis. Katanin is a conserved heterodimeric ATPase that severs and disassembles microtubules, but the molecular determinants for regulation of microtubule severing by katanin remain poorly defined. Here we show that the non-catalytic domains of Drosophila katanin regulate its abundance and activity in living cells. Our data indicate that the microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain and adjacent linker region of the Drosophila katanin catalytic subunit Kat60 cooperate to regulate microtubule severing in two distinct ways. First, the MIT domain and linker region of Kat60 decrease its abundance by enhancing its proteasome-dependent degradation. The Drosophila katanin regulatory subunit Kat80, which is required to stabilize Kat60 in cells, conversely reduces the proteasome-dependent degradation of Kat60. Second, the MIT domain and linker region of Kat60 augment its microtubule-disassembly activity by enhancing its association with microtubules. On the basis of our data, we propose that the non-catalytic domains of Drosophila katanin serve as the principal sites of integration of regulatory inputs, thereby controlling its ability to sever and disassemble microtubules.


The dysfunction and decreased number of islet β cells are central to the main pathogenesis of diabetes. Improving islet β cell function and increasing the number of β cells are effective approaches to treat diabetes and constitute the main direction of diabetes drug development. The role of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetes began to be recognized. In recent years, Chinese medicine monomers have been found to increase insulin synthesis and secretion, reduce β cell-apoptosis, and protect the function of β cells. The results of in vivo animal experiments and in vitro studies on insulinoma cells also suggested TCMs could promote the proliferation of pancreatic islet β cells and induce other cells differentiation or transdifferentiation to islet β cells. Thereby, they may play a role in the treatment of diabetes. In this paper, we will review islet β cell protection with TCMs and the related mechanisms found in recent studies. An in-depth explanation of the role of TCM in islet β cell protection can provide a theoretical basis and research ideas for the development of TCM-based diabetes treatment drugs.


The prospect of system failure has increased because of device and chip-level effects in the late CMOS era. In this article, the authors present novel system-level architecture and design innovations to cope with these lifetime reliability challenges. At nanometer-scale geometries, several hardware failure mechanisms, which were largely benign in the past, are becoming visible at the system level. Moreover, recent studies indicate that, depending on the application, hardware failures can be significant contributors to overall system failure rates.Design of robust systems ensuring required hardware reliability, although nontrivial, is achievable but at high costs. Concurrent error detection during system operation is an extremely important aspect of such systems.Hardware reliability challenges arise from three major sources: early-life failures (also called infant mortality), radiation-induced soft errors, and circuit aging. Several techniques, such as Built-in Soft-Error Resilience (BISER), can be effectively used for correcting radiation-induced transient (soft) errors. Focus on early-life failures (ELF) and circuit aging was discussed. These techniques utilize specific characteristics of reliability mechanisms without incurring the high costs of traditional concurrent error detection.


Background The BD ProbeTecTM Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) Qx amplified DNA Assay (TVQ) is a new test for qualitative detection of TV DNA that can be performed on the automated BD Viper System. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of this new assay to a patient infected status (PIS) and to an FDA approved molecular assay using vaginal swabs. Methods Vaginal swabs were obtained from women attending STD or family planning clinics at 7 sites. A patient collected vaginal swab was tested by TVQ; APTIMA TV (ATV) testing was performed using a clinician obtained vaginal swab according to the package insert. Additional clinician obtained vaginal swabs were used for wet mount and culture. A patient was considered infected if either the wet mount or culture was positive for TV and not infected if both tests were negative. Agreement between the TVQ and ATV assays was assessed using Kappa statistics. Results Data were available for TVQ evaluation from 838 women, 116 of whom were defined as infected with TV. Despite being in the definition of the PIS, wet mount still had a sensitivity of only 68.7% which was statistically lower than the other assays (p < 0.001). TVQ sensitivity and specificity estimated based on the PIS were 94.2% and 99.7%, respectively. TVQ performed similarly to the ATV assay (κ = 0.938). Conclusions The TVQ assay performed significantly better than wet mount and had comparable sensitivity and specificity to an FDA approved molecular assay for the detection of TV. This study provides additional evidence of the poor performance of wet mount for TV. The use of patient collected vaginal swabs for the detection of TV DNA provides clinicians with the opportunity to increase efficiency within the clinic while obtaining improved results over wet mount.