a great extent this is still the case, as AZT remains the drug most commonly prescribed as the initial treatment and the agent with which new therapies are typically compared. However, in most other respects the field has grown enormously, with major changes having occurred in both practical and theoretical drug development. Clinically, dideoxynucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors remain the mainstay of practice. The results of landmark clinical trials have changed the indications and dose recommendations for AZT, and the alternative agents dideoxyinosine (ddl) and dideoxycytidine (ddC) are now available to physicians even while clinical trials to define their precise roles are ongoing. Information derived from studies of newer, nonnucleoside RT inhibitors, agents which act at other stages in the viral life cycle, and combination therapies will likely produce major changes in the chemotherapeutic approach to the control of established HIV infection. Antiviral agent development in the field of human retrovirology is a particular challenge. In addition to the basic but often difficult principle of developing an agent that will attack a unique target in the viral life cycle but be relatively nontoxic for the human host, there are the additional hurdles posed by the integration of HIV into the host cell genome, its capacity for persistence and latency, the complexity of the viral replication scheme, and the potential for antiviral agent resistance. This challenge, however, is being met by an intensive basic research effort which has resulted in a fundamental understanding of the molecular biology of HIV (31). The present knowledge of the viral life cycle and the complex genomic organization of HIV have created opportunities for rational and unique drug design which are among 'he most hopeful avenues for current and future drug development. A familiarity with the replication scheme of HIV is thus crucial to a full appreciation of antiviral chemotherapy.


Background: Post partum period is condition of a time that very influential on the psychological and social conditions for women after giving birth. The incidence of post partum blues increased in this period of time with a prevalence of 30% to 75%. Post partum blues give effect to the early cessation of breastfeeding process which is contribute to child mortality under 5 years of 11.6%. This is associated with the practice of exclusive breastfeeding that are not optimal as a result of post partum blues experienced by woman after giving birth. The purpose is to  analyze the anxiety in the group given the Hypnobreastfeeding intervention treatment and which is not given the intervention treatment, held at RSUP Dr. Suradji Tirtonegoro, Klaten. Method: Research is experimental design with randomized control trial. The population is all pregnant women in Puskesmas Jogonalan I area of Klaten. A total of 60 post partum object was selected for this study by simple random sampling. This was a randomized controlled trial, conducted at RSUP Dr. Suradji Tirtonegoro, Klaten. Results: The difference of dependent variables between the two groups were tested by Mann-Whitney. Conclusion: There is a differences and significance level of result of degree of anxiety between both treatment result with p=0.002. Hypnobreastfeeding intervention treatment can relief  anxiety level for post- partum mother


BACKGROUND
Interleukin (IL)-beta plays a central role in inflammation and atherosclerosis, but levels of IL-1beta, its natural antagonist, IL-1Ra, and their balance in human atherosclerotic lesions, are unknown. Knowledge of protein levels in atherosclerosis and the influence of a functional IL-1Ra polymorphism would increase the understanding of atherosclerosis pathogenesis.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Fresh and endotoxin-stimulated explanted human atherosclerotic and normal arteries were analyzed for IL-1beta, IL-1Ra and IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) using TaqMan PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Two hundred forty-three survivors of a first myocardial infarction were genotyped for a polymorphism in IL-1Ra and their coronary atherosclerosis analyzed by using coronary angiography. Levels of IL-1beta, IL-1Ra and IL-1R1 mRNA were significantly increased in atherosclerotic arteries compared with normal arteries. Endotoxin stimulation increased IL-1beta levels more than IL-1Ra levels (ie, promoted a pro-inflammatory state). A polymorphism in IL-1Ra known to increase levels of IL-1Ra was associated with decreased mean coronary artery plaque area.

CONCLUSIONS
Activation of innate immunity changed the balance between IL-1beta and IL-1Ra in atherosclerotic arteries towards a more pro-inflammatory state. In line with this, the presence of an IL-1Ra intron 2 polymorphism known to increase IL-1Ra levels, and possibly the IL-1Ra:IL-1beta ratio, was associated with reduced coronary atherosclerosis.


This article interrogates the transforming sartorial styles of the Christian Protestant revivalist körtti movement in Finland in and around two very specific historical moments: Finland's independence from Russia in 1917, and the amendment of the Marriage Act in 2014
 that saw the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2017. The analysis covers crucial periods before and after the independence: late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when Russia sought to tighten its control over autonomous Finland and the Finnish intelligentsia organized to resist such
 attempts; through the civil war of 1918, to the turbulent right-/left-divided years of the 1920s and 1930s. Then, the liberalization of the körtti movement from the 1960s and 1970s onwards, and the effect of this upon the debates and battles over the equal marriage law before and
 after the law came into effect is discussed. I show how, through changing histories, changing garments have the capacity to play key roles. By focusing on a particular movement through different times, the article will consider how groups that go by the same name may be fundamentally different
 from their historical predecessors; how they may yet recognize a similar kind of garment even if they attach different associations to it, and how new garments are sometimes required in order to communicate the new positions of those movements and individuals. In the context of analyses of
 garments and cultural positions, this underlines the necessity to think of certain 'times' as part of a continuum in which changes and continuities in dress play out and influence sociopolitical relations.


Background

Lack of high-quality nurse-patient therapeutic engagement is a longstanding problem on acute mental health wards, with a dearth of interventions to address this. A collaborative, theory-driven approach to developing and implementing complex interventions is more likely to be effective and sustainable. This paper describes an integrated co-design-behaviour change approach which developed the Let's Talk intervention toolkit for improving the quality of therapeutic engagement on acute mental health wards.
Methods

We describe a theory-driven approach to co-designing an intervention by adapting and integrating Experience-based Co-design (EBCD) with the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). Fieldwork was informed by the results of a systematic integrative review and was guided by our co-design-behaviour change approach. It was conducted over 12-months at an acute mental health organisation in England. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 14 service users (seven of which were filmed), two carers and 12 clinicians, 80 hours of non-participant observations and a facilitated intervention co-design process that involved two feedback workshops, one joint co-design workshop and seven small co-design team meetings. Data analysis comprised the identification of touchpoints and use of the BCW and behaviour change technique taxonomy to inform intervention development.
Results

The co-designed Let's Talk toolkit addressed four joint priorities for change: 1) improve communication with withdrawn people; 2) nurses to help service users help themselves; 3) nurses to feel confident when engaging with service users; 4) improving team relations and ward culture. Intervention functions included training, education, enablement, coercion and persuasion; 14 behaviour change techniques supported these functions. We detail how we implemented our integrated co-design-behaviour change approach with service users, carers and clinicians to co-design the toolkit to improve nurse-patient therapeutic engagement.
Conclusions

Our theory-driven approach enhances both EBCD and the BCW. It introduces a robust theoretical approach to guide intervention development within the co-design process and sets out how to meaningfully involve service users and other stakeholders when designing and implementing complex interventions.


Effective mentoring promotes the development and success of graduate students. Yet mentoring, like other relationships, can have negative elements. Little knowledge exists about the problematic mentoring that graduate students experience despite its potentially detrimental impacts. To begin to address this gap, we conducted an exploratory interview study to define and characterize negative mentoring experiences of 40 life science doctoral students. Students attributed their negative mentoring experiences to interacting factors at multiple levels—from interpersonal differences and poor relationship quality to issues at the research group, departmental, organizational, and discipline levels—all of which they perceived as harmful to their development. We found that doctoral students experienced forms of negative mentoring similar to those reported in workplace and undergraduate research settings, but they also experienced negative mentoring that was unique to academic research and their stage of development. Our results are useful to mentors for reflecting on ways their behaviors might be perceived, to mentees for avoiding situations that might be conducive to negative mentoring, and to programs and institutions for improving structures and processes to prevent negative mentoring. Our findings also serve as a foundation for future research on the prevalence and impacts of negative mentoring experiences in graduate education.


The structure of highly nonlinear, small wavelength Gӧrtler vortices is analysed for fully developed flow in a curved channel. The Taylor number is taken to be T0ϵ-5, which is asymptotically larger than the neutral stability Taylor number for vortices of small wavelength 2πϵ. Over most of the flow domain the motion is determined by the interaction of the mean flow and terms proportional to exp {iz/ϵ}, whereas adjacent to the outer channel wall there is a boundary layer of thickness O(ϵ) which requires all the harmonics of the disturbance to be considered. Numerical solutions of the wall layer equations are presented for T0 up to 14000 with the main feature of these results being the development of a weak vortex on the boundary layer lengthscale.


Cold storage of pomegranates is essential for prolonging postharvest storage and for implementation of cold-quarantine insect disinfestation treatments required for international trading. However, pomegranates are chilling sensitive; they may develop chilling injuries upon exposure to unfavorable low temperatures. In this mini-review, we summarize molecular data obtained from three different RNA Seq transcriptome analyses of responses of pomegranate fruits to cold storage. These experiments included comparisons among the transcriptomic responses following a 2-week exposure to 1 °C in three different model systems: 1) unconditioned chilling-sensitive fruits versus relatively chilling-tolerant low-temperature-conditioned fruits; 2) chilling-sensitive early-harvested fruits versus relatively chilling-tolerant late-harvested ones; and 3) chilling-sensitive 'Ganesh' variety versus the relatively chilling-tolerant 'Wonderful' variety. Comparisons among differentially expressed transcripts that were exclusively and significantly up-regulated in the relatively chilling-tolerant fruits in all three model systems enabled identification of 573 common chilling tolerance-associated genes in pomegranates. Functional categorization and classification of the differentially expressed transcripts revealed several regulatory, metabolic, and stress-adaptation pathways that were uniquely activated in response to cold storage in relatively chilling-tolerant fruits. More specifically, we identified common up-regulation of transcripts involved in: activation of jasmonic acid and ethylene hormone biosynthesis and signaling; stress-related transcription factors; calcium and MAPK signaling; starch degradation and galactinol and raffinose biosynthesis; phenol biosynthesis; lipid metabolism; and heat-shock proteins. We hypothesized these pathways to be involved in imparting chilling tolerance to pomegranate fruits. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Characterisation of Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex A. Rich) Harms (African yam bean) was carried out to determine the degree of diversity in some accessions in Nigeria. Twelve accessions of S. stenocarpa collected from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, were grown for morphological variability studies in the Screenhouse facility at the Botanical garden, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative variables were measured 16 weeks after planting. Quantitative data were analysed using Analysis of Variance in SPSS 16.0 for Windows. Cluster analysis was conducted to group the accessions into various cluster groups. Quantitative characters such as length, width and area of terminal leaf, petiole length, number of leaves, number of branches, stem length, and stem diameter were significantly different among the accessions. Variation of leaf colour ranging from pale to deep green exists in the accessions. Stem and petiole pigmentation varied together. Stem girth was different for TSs 162 and TSs 373. Number of branches and leaves distinguishes TSs 138, 152 and 311 from the other accessions. TSs 115, 154 and 163 were morphologically comparable while TSs 41, 125, 139 and 209 had plant height, leaf length, width and area distinguishing them from the other groups. The study concluded that the differences in the accessions of S.stenocarpa could be explored in breeding programme for improved crop. KEYWORDS : African yam bean, breeding, crop improvement, morphological characters, variability.


Superhydrophobic membranes with high gas permeability were prepared and characterized. Materials such as a metal mesh, paper, fabric and polytetrafluoroethylene were dip-coated in a hexane-based solution of SiO2 nanoparticles coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The dip-coating provided a superhydrophobic characteristic to the surfaces of our membranes with water contact angles exceeding 160 . On the other hand, a high membrane permeability of CO2 and dimethyl methylphosphonate vapor were obtained, indicating that our preparation method is useful for the fabrication of gas sensor shielding layers that allow selective permeation of gas vapors from gas/aqueous-liquids mixtures.


Recent phylogenetic analyses using molecular data suggest that hexapods are more closely related to crustaceans than to myriapods, a result that conflicts with long–held morphology–based hypotheses. Here we contribute additional information to this debate by conducting phylogenetic analyses on two nuclear protein–encoding genes, elongation factor–1α (EF–1α) and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), from an extensive sample of arthropod taxa. Results were obtained from two data sets. One data set comprised 1092 nucleotides (364 amino acids) of EF–1α and 372 nucleotides (124 amino acids) of Pol II from 30 arthropods and three lobopods. The other data set contained the same EF––lα fragment and an expanded 1038–nucleotide (346–amino–acid) sample of Pol II from 17 arthropod taxa. Results from maximum–parsimony and maximum–likelihood analyses strongly supported the existence of a Crustacea+ Hexapoda clade (Pancrustacea) over a Myriapoda + Hexapoda clade (Atelocerata). The apparent incompatibility between the molecule–based Pancrustacea hypothesis and morphology–based Atelocerata hypothesis is discussed.


Introduction- diffraction studies of crystal perfection high resolution X- ray diffraction techniques analysis of expitaxial layers X-ray scattering theory simulation of X-ray diffraction rocking curves analysis of thin films and multiple layers triple axis X-ray diffractometry single crystal X-ray topography double crystal X-ray topography synchrotron radiation topography.


It has been shown by others that after cultures of Plasmodium falciparum were exposed to a febrile temperature of 40 C, parasitemia was reduced in the subsequent generation, suggesting a temperature-induced inhibition of trophozoites and schizonts. In the current study, influences unique to cultivation were ruled out, demonstrating that 40 C impacted the parasites directly. Metabolic profiling of DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, and glucose utilization clearly indicated that febrile temperatures had a direct effect on parasite development, beginning 20–24 hr after erythrocyte invasion. The mechanism of parasite death was investigated for evidence of temperature-induced apoptosis. Lack of typical physiological hallmarks, namely, caspase activation, characteristic mitochondrial membrane potential changes, and DNA degradation as indicated by DNA laddering, eliminated 'classical' apoptosis as a mechanism of parasite death. Parasites dying under the influence of heat, staurosporine, and chloroquine initially appeared pyknotic by light and electron microscopy (as in apoptosis), but eventual swelling and lysis of the food vacuole membrane led to secondary necrosis. Chloroquine did induce DNA laddering, but it was later attributed to occult white blood cell contaminants. While not apoptosis, the results do not rule out other forms of temperature-induced programmed cell death.


Presents a comparative study of the potential of artificial neural networks for the segmentation of multispectral MRI data. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) neural networks have been applied to MR images as supervised segmentation methods. We have also applied analog adaptive resonance theory model (ART2) as an unsupervised segmentation method to MRI and have studied its function. We used identical data sets in this paper to compare the results. RBF proved the smallest execution time, but demonstrated more dependency on the training data than MLP. ART2 provided a good unsupervised technique for the MRI data.


Construction disputes have long been identified as epidemics in the construction industry worldwide, which has become a more serious problem due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies on the dispute causes have primarily focused on country- or region-specific contexts and hence the results cannot be generalized in solving this chronic problem in a broader construction project worldwide. This study aims to explore and evaluate the critical dispute causes in construction projects through a comparative study between China and the United Kingdom. A total of 33 common dispute causes were identified through a comprehensive literature review and further consolidated by pilot surveys in the two countries. An online questionnaire survey was administered among construction professionals in China and the United Kingdom, with 170 valid responses returned for data analysis. Principal component factor analysis, mean score ranking approach, quartile analysis, and Mann-Whitney U testing were employed to identify the most critical dispute causes. Similarities and differences were mapped between the two countries. It was found that the five most critical categories of dispute causes in the two territories are: delay-related problems, lack of communication, contractual problems, site conditions, and design problems. The importance of variation in quantities, breach of contract, misinterpretation of contractual terms and conditions, and poor contract management was perceived significantly differently by the respondents in China and the United Kingdom, whereas design defects and failure to make compensation for additional work were the most critical common dispute causes in both countries. The research provides important findings for both academics and practitioners to holistically understand the similarities and differences of dispute causes in China and the United Kingdom and aids in preventing disputes more effectively in the global construction industry. © 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.


Alumina ceramic coating was gained by micro-arc oxidation of hot-dip aluminum film on stainless steel. The main properties indexes of ceramic coating include the thickness, the hardness and the surface roughness. The main process parameters determine above properties include the electric current density, the duty ratio of the pulse, the frequency of the pulse and the action time. The artificial neural network model was established to forecast the properties and optimize the process parameters for the micro-arc oxidation of aluminum film. Experimental results proved that the optimization model has high veracity and can be applied to the choice of process parameters.


We consider unsourced random access with MIMO receiver - a crucial communication scenario for future 5G/6G wireless networks. We perform a projection-based decoder analysis and derive energy efficiency achievability bounds when channel state information is unknown at transmitters and the receiver (no-CSI scenario). The comparison to the maximum-likelihood (ML) achievability bounds by Gao et al. (2023) is performed. We show that there is a region where the new bound outperforms the ML bound. The latter fact should not surprise the reader as both decoding criteria are suboptimal when considering per-user probability of error (PUPE). Moreover, transition to projection decoding allows for significant dimensionality reduction, which greatly reduces the computation time.


The objective of this research work is the study and development of techniques for the design and synthesis of planar-linkage mechanisms. The synthesis of mechanisms consists in finding the suitable mechanism for a given movement. Particularly, this thesis deals with the problem of synthesis of mechanisms starting from the initial specifications or requirements of design, that is to say, starting from zero. Consequently, it is necessary to determine the number and type of components, and the connectivity between them (type synthesis); and then to calculate the dimensions of the components, pivots positions, and the control parameters of the kinematic pairs of the input movement (dimensional synthesis). This thesis deals with the kinematic synthesis of position, whose problem consists in determining the dimensions of a mechanism that satisfies a desired set of displacements and rotations in certain points of a mechanism and for certain instants of simultaneity. This specification is called kinematic task. The allowed space –for the solution mechanism and the development of the task– is a very common requirement that restricts the solutions to obtain. The problem is highly non-linear. Besides, since it includes the selection of the topology to dimension, it constitutes a discrete problem of combinatorial complexity. In order to solve this difficult problem, it is proposed to use a representation of the mechanism based on the Finite Elements Method and Graph Theory, managing to preserve and unify both representations to integrate the synthesis into its subsequent stages of detailed analysis and optimization of the mechanism. The original theoretical aspects presented in this thesis are: The development of a new identifier of isomorphism of mechanisms and its use in the enumeration of kinematic chains and different atlases of mechanisms. The exhaustive enumeration of topologies using sub-graphs search to satisfy structural requirements from the beginning of the design process. The automatic decomposition of the closed-loop topologies into single open chains to solve their dimensional synthesis using analytical equations expressed by complex-numbers. For the dimensional synthesis, all combinations of single open chains (some of them with multiple solutions) are automatically computed. Among them, that solution which minimizes the summation of link sizes subjected to some design restrictions is retained. In the cases in which there are free parameters, a zeroorder optimization technique based on Genetic Algorithms with penalization of restrictions is applied to sweep the design space. The modifications for extending the methodology to the design of flexible mechanisms using Rigid-Body Replacement methods are developed and analyzed. As the final result of the application of this technique, it is obtained a list of alternatives that constitute good initial conditions for subsequent gradient-based optimization already available in commercial software. Throughout the thesis, various test and validation examples are provided, showing the capacity of the inventive tool developed. [Ph.D dissertation Faculta de Ingenieria y Ciencias Hidricas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral]


Neural cryptography deals with the problem of "key exchange" between two neural networks using the mutual learning concept. The two networks exchange their outputs (in bits) and the key between the two communicating parties is eventually represented in the final learned weights, when the two networks are said to be synchronized. Security of neural synchronization is put at risk if an attacker is capable of synchronizing with any of the two parties during the training process. Therefore, diminishing the probability of such a threat improves the reliability of exchanging the output bits through a public channel. The synchronization with feedback algorithm is one of the existing algorithms that enhances the security of neural cryptography. This paper proposes three new algorithms to enhance the mutual learning process. They mainly depend on disrupting the attacker confidence in the exchanged outputs and input patterns during training. The first algorithm is called "Do not Trust My Partner" (DTMP), which relies on one party sending erroneous output bits, with the other party being capable of predicting and correcting this error. The second algorithm is called "Synchronization with Common Secret Feedback" (SCSFB), where inputs are kept partially secret and the attacker has to train its network on input patterns that are different from the training sets used by the communicating parties. The third algorithm is a hybrid technique combining the features of the DTMP and SCSFB. The proposed approaches are shown to outperform the synchronization with feedback algorithm in the time needed for the parties to synchronize.


Abstract We examined attitudes towards forest and wildlife among Rabha, Bodo and Rajbongshi communities from three villages in the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary of western Assam, India. The study was conducted through open-ended and structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisal. The respondents identified availability of forest products, biodiversity conservation and the aesthetic beauty of the forest as the major justifications for the establishment of Chakrashila as a protected area. They also believed that people and wildlife could coexist peacefully, although some respondents did not have a cordial relationship with Forest Department staff. Most respondents were favourably disposed towards the golden langur Trachypithecus geei because it did not harm anybody or damage crops, and because of its shining coat and its exalted status in their religious beliefs. They were antagonistic towards the rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta because of its crop-raiding habits, although they were averse to killing it. Most respondents did not want to relocate because they lacked skills and resources and had associations with the forest, where they maintained sacred groves and observed taboos on hunting and plant resource extraction. Thus, the attitudes of the communities were governed not only by their material needs and priorities but also by their deep-rooted cultural–religious bond with the forest. These matters would benefit from being incorporated into forest management strategies in developing countries.


Background and Objectives: Alterations in hot cognition and in the tryptophan metabolism through serotonin (5-HT) and kynurenine (KYN) pathways have been associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior. Here, we aim at probing the association between Stroop test performances and tryptophan pathway components in a sample of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Materials and Methods: We explored the association between the Emotion Inhibition Subtask (EIS) performances of the Brief Assessment of Cognition for Affective Disorders (BAC-A) and plasmatic levels of 5-hydroxytriptophan (5-HTP), 5-HT, KYN, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), quinolinic acid (QA), and kynurenic acid (KYNA) among subjects reporting lifetime suicide ideation (LSI) vs. non-LSI and subjects reporting lifetime suicide attempts (LSA) vs. non-LSA. Results: In a sample of 45 subjects with BD, we found a statistically significant different performance for LSA vs. non-LSA in the color naming (CN) and neutral words (NW) EIS subtasks. There was a significant association between CN performances and plasma 5-HTP levels among LSI and LSA subjects but not among non-LSI or non-LSA. Conclusions: In our sample, patients with LSA and LSI presented lower performances on some EIS subtasks compared to non-LSA and non-LSI. Moreover, we found an inverse correlation between plasma 5-HTP concentration and some EIS performances in LSA and LSI but not among non-LSA or non-LSI. This may represent an interesting avenue for future studies probing this complex association.


A number of neurologic diseases, including a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and others associated with expanded nucleotide repeats have an unconventional form of translation called repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Repeat protein products accumulate and are hypothesized to contribute to disease pathogenesis. It has been speculated that the repeat regions in the RNA fold into secondary structures in a length-dependent manner, promoting RAN translation. Additionally, nucleotides that flank the repeat region, especially ones closest to the initiation site, are believed to enhance translation initiation. Recently, a machine learning model based on a large number of flanking nucleotides has been proposed for identifying translation initiation sites. However, most likely due to its extensive feature selection and limited training data, the model has diminished predictive power. Here, we overcome this limitation and increase prediction accuracy by a) capturing the effect of nucleotides most critical for translation initiation via feature reduction, b) implementing an alternative machine learning algorithm better suited for limited data, c) building comprehensive and balanced training data (via sampling without replacement) that includes previously unavailable sequences, and, d) splitting ATG and near-cognate translation initiation codon data to train two separate models. We also design a supplementary scoring system to provide an additional prognostic assessment of model predictions. The resultant models have high performance, with 85.00-87.79% accuracy exceeding that of the previously published model by >18%. The models presented here are then used to identify translation initiation sites in genes associated with a number of neurologic repeat expansion disorders. The results confirm a number of experimentally discovered sites of translation initiation upstream of the expanded repeats and predict many sites that are not yet established.


Author(s): Ho, Nelson | Advisor(s): Kastner, Ryan | Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) presents many new research opportunities in the medical field to improve physician training, provide new forms of patient rehabilitation, and advance patient specific treatment, among many other possibilities. This work focuses on the application of AR to robotic assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and its challenges. Robotic MIS improves patient care and recovery time because of reduced trauma to the patient during the procedured, but the loss of sensory feedback from the surgical site resulting from the indirection of using a robot presents a real challenge to the surgeon. AR makes it possible to replace some of the lost sensory information by overlaying pre-operative imaging in the AR field onto the surgical scene in vivo. This will enable the surgeon to see the structures under the surface of the organ, which are visible in penetrative imaging but invisible to the surgeon's eye. AR also enables an opportunity to present additional information to the surgeon depending on what is currently in scene. To perform this overlay, the captured surgical scene needs to be segmented, and the results registered to the pre-operative imaging. There are existing non-rigid registration algorithms developed for other applications that may be used. However, the algorithms are slow, and there exists no way of determining the accuracy of such methods on a surgical application. Accurate datasets for the evaluation of such applications are difficult to obtain. This work addresses each of these issues by providing methods for creating a clinically relevant dataset and an evaluation framework for algorithms run on this data. We show how existing AR algorithms can be run on our dataset, and how our evaluation framework can be used to comprehend those results.


Since 1999, the members of the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory at the University of South Florida have worked with the Hillsborough County Fire Department on identifying opportunities for robotics in urban search and rescue. This paper provides an introduction to the USAR environment and the impact on sensors and platforms. It discusses the possible roles of mobile robots, and the need for adjustable autonomy.


Background: In surgical correction of adult spinal deformity (ASD), pelvic incidence (PI)-lumbar lordosis (LL) plays a key role to restore normal sagittal alignment. Recently, it has been found that postoperative lordosis morphology act as an important factor in preventing mechanical complications. However, there have been no studies on the effect of postoperative lordosis morphology on the restoration of sagittal alignment. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of postoperative lordosis morphology on achievement of optimal sagittal alignment. The secondary objective was to find out which radiographic or morphologic parameter affects sagittal alignment in surgical correction of ASD. Methods: 228 consecutive patients with lumbar degenerative kyphosis who underwent deformity correction and long-segment fixation from T10 to S1 with sacropelvic fixation and follow-up over 2 years were enrolled. Patients were divided according to whether optimal alignment was achieved (balanced group) or not (non-balanced group) at last follow-up. We analyzed the differences of postoperative radiographic parameters and morphologic parameters between two groups. Correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict the effect of PI-LL and morphologic parameters on the sagittal vertical axis (SVA). Results: Of 228 patients, 195 (85.5%) achieved optimal alignment at last follow-up. Two groups significantly differed in postoperative and last follow-up LL (p < 0.001 and p = 0.028, respectively) and postoperative and last follow-up PI-LL (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Morphologic parameters did not significantly differ between the two groups except lower lordosis arc angle (=postoperative sacral slope). In correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, postoperative PI-LL was the only parameter which had significant association with last follow-up SVA (R2 = 0.134, p < 0.001). Morphologic parameters did not have any association with last follow-up SVA. Conclusions: When planning spine reconstruction surgery, although considering postoperative lordosis morphology is necessary, it is still very important considering proportional lordosis correction based on individual spinopelvic alignment (PI-LL) to achieve optimal sagittal alignment.


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

Previously, we have reported that cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) mediates the apoptotic effect of bortezomib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Oncogene, 2010). Here, we report the mechanism by which bortezomib induces autophagy in HCC. Our data indicated that bortezomib activated autophagy in a dose- and time- dependent manner in HCC cell lines, including Huh-7, Sk-Hep1, and Hep3B. Bortezomib down-regulated CIP2A, phospho-Akt (P-Akt) and phospho-4EBP1 (P-4EBP1) in a dose- and time- dependent manner in all tested HCC cells. Ectopic expression of CIP2A abolished the effect of bortezomib on autophagy. Cotreatment of bortezomib and calculin A, a PP2A inhibitor, reduced the effect of bortezomib on P-Akt, P-4EBP1, and autophagy. Over-expression of either Akt or 4EBP1 protected cells from bortezomib-induced autophagy. Moreover, we examined the effect of αBtz, a bortezomib derivative that closely resembles bortezomib structurally but with no proteasome activity, in HCC. Interestingly, αBtz demonstrated similar effects to bortezomib on autophagy, CIP2A, P-Akt and P-4EBP1. Furthermore, our in vivo data showed that both bortezomib and αBtz inhibited tumor growth, down-regulated CIP2A, P-Akt and induced autophagy in Huh-7 tumors, suggesting that bortezomib activates autophagy in HCC and this effect is independent to its effect on proteasome. In conclusion, bortezomib induces autophagy in HCC through CIP2A-PP2A-Akt-4EBP1 pathway. Supported by NTUH100P04, NSC99-2314-B-002-017-MY2, NSC100-3112-B-002-013, and NSC100-2325-B-002-036.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2780. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2780


Evolution equations of hyperbolic or more general p-evolution type form an active field of current research. This volume aims to collect some recent advances in the area in order to allow a quick overview of ongoing research. The contributors are first rate mathematicians. This collection of research papers is centred around parametrix constructions and microlocal analysis; asymptotic constructions of solutions; energy and dispersive estimates; and associated spectral transforms. Applications concerning elasticity and general relativity complement the volume. The book gives an overview of a variety of ongoing current research in the field and, therefore, allows researchers as well as students to grasp new aspects and broaden their understanding of the area.


We studied the effects of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the fatty acid composition of the brain and red blood cells in gastrostomized rat pups reared artificially from postnatal Days 5-18. These pups were fed rat milk substitutes in which the fat comprised 10% linoleic acid and 1% alpha-linolenic acid and, using a 3 x 3 factorial design, one of three levels of both arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplied as single cell microbial oils (0.0, 0.4 and 2.4% fatty acids). A tenth group was reared by nursing dams. The fatty acid composition of the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylinositol (PS/PI) phospholipids in the brain and red blood cells on Day 18 reflected the dietary composition in that pups receiving long-chain supplementation of each had higher levels of the supplemented PUFA, but lower levels of the other, relative to unsupplemented groups. In contrast to these results, there were few changes in the brain in phosphatidylcholine (PC) phospholipids whereas, in the red blood cells, changes in PC were similar to those in PE and PS/PI. Regression analyses showed that DHA levels in the brain correlated more closely with those of the red blood cells than did AA levels. The results of this study indicate that, although supplementation of formula with AA or DHA during the period of rapid brain development in rats increases deposition of the long-chain PUFA in the developing tissues, each also affects the levels of the other.


Creativity, design and entrepreneurship, have been recognized as important contributors to a firm's innovation and to the nation's economic growth. Creativity and design play important roles in the fuzzy front end of a firm's innovation process and also in corporate venturing processes, but the relationship between creativity, design and entrepreneurship to a large extent has not explicitly been examined.
This exploratory conceptual paper briefly reviews the separate bodies of research on creativity, design and entrepreneurship, identifying similarities and differences in constructs and applications and identifying implications for business and for management education.


The possibility of developing a photochemical setup on the basis of an optically pumped ammonia laser with an intracavity photoreactor is proved. The obtained values of the cavity 'implication' factor γ are comparable with those of intracavity systems based on a CO2 laser. The conditions for achieving the maximum energy in the focusing cavity are determined and the ways to control the shape of its caustic are indicated.


The thorax of the stillborn, of the new-born, and of normal infants has been studied roentgenologically by various authors. Evans1found that the lung in fetal life is completely atelectatic, and fills the thorax. In the stillborn, the shape of the chest and the abdomen is ovoid, the lower ribs flaring to accommodate themselves to the wide upper abdomen. The upper pole of the thoracic cage is distinctly narrowed, the ribs are sloping, and there is an even density throughout the areas of the lung, the shadow of the heart not being distinguished from lung tissue. After respiration, the ribs are elevated and lie at right angles to the spine, and the upper thoracic cage is definitely increased in diameter. Evans had a series of plates taken after the lungs had been insufflated by means of a gas machine. In all cases he found gaseous distention of the stomach


Objective
Cisplatin is a widely used agent for the treatment of adult and childhood malignancies. Side effects such as nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and ototoxicity lead to dose limitations. Ecklonia cava polyphenol extract (ECP) is a molecule obtained from algae that live in seawater in the Far East. ECP has recently been shown to have protective effects against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of ECP on cisplatin ototoxicity.

Methods
In this study, we investigated the protective effects of ECP against cisplatin-induced cell death in mouse-derived House Ear Institute Organ of Corti (HEI-OC1) cochlear cells. Cisplatin (100 μM) and 1, 10, and 25 μM doses of ECP were administered to the cells, and the protective effects of ECP at 24 and 72 hours were investigated. Cell viability was evaluated by the WST-1 (water soluble tetrazolium salt).

Results
Cisplatin (100 μM) reduced cell viability in both the 24th and 72nd hour evaluation. Although the 25 μM dose of ECP showed otoprotective effects in the 24th hour, in the 72nd hour this effect disappeared. Other doses of ECP showed no otoprotective effects in the 24th and 72nd hours.

Conclusion
Although ECP showed some protective effects in the 24th hour against cisplatin ototoxicity, these effects disappeared by the 72nd hour. Further studies using recurrent and higher doses of ECP are required.


Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare form of systemic vasculitis occurring in patients with asthma. The cause of CSS is unknown, and yet little data are available regarding its pathogenesis. The presence of a marked tissue- and blood-eosinophilia, as well as secretory products of eosinophils in blood and tissues, implicates a pathogenetic role of eosinophil granulocytes. Prolonged survival of eosinophils due to inhibition of CD95-mediated apoptosis by soluble CD95 seems to contribute to eosinophilia in CSS. Although the mechanisms involved in eosinophil-activation in CSS have not been elucidated, recent data suggest a possible role of T lymphocytes secreting eosinophil-activating cytokines. This review describes the current insights into the pathogenesis of CSS in the light of its putative nature as a type 2 granulomatous disease. Recent clinical, experimental and epidemiologic data regarding the possible role of inflammatory cells and their secretory products, anti neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA), epidemiologic factors and anti-asthma treatments are summarized.


An Information Systems Design Theory is a prescriptive theory that offers theory-based principles, which can guide practitioners and scholars in the design of effective information systems and set an agenda for on-going research. This paper introduces and describes an ISDT for adaptable E-Learning. We formulate our ISDT based on two cycles of Action Design Research. The cycles were conducted in an authentic organizational setting with end-users, responsible for organizing, producing and distributing civic orientation. Based on our findings, we propose that our ISDT, together with its components, can be used to design, implement and support an information system that incorporates E-Learning, which is not explicitly constrained to the formal context of higher education.


3343 Germline mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes predispose to a common form of colorectal cancer known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch Syndrome. Approximately 25% of sequence alterations in the MMR genes are of uncertain pathogenic relevance, which poses difficulties for predictive testing programs offered to familial colorectal cancer patients. We hypothesize that missense alterations in distinct domains of the MMR proteins likely affect their function(s) to varying degrees and this likely contributes to the variable disease phenotype observed in HNPCC. Hence this project aims to characterize the pathogenicity associated with a panel of variants of unknown functional significance, and to elucidate the mechanisms by which they exert their effects. We have selected a panel of unclassified variants identified in HNPCC patients based on their presence in functional domains, evolutionary status and pathogenicity as predicted by computational databases. The variants chosen in hMLH1 include: I19F, A128S, R265C, K618A and L749Q. These variants were created in plasmids containing wild type MLH1 cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis, verified by sequencing and transiently transfected into the colon cancer cell line HCT116, which is deficient for hMLH1. Western blotting assays were carried out to ascertain the expression levels of the proteins. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments were performed to determine if these putative mutations disrupt interactions with partner proteins. In order to differentiate between endogenous and transfected mRNA, we have sub-cloned the wild type and variant MLH1 cDNAs into tagged expression constructs, which will be used in mRNA stability assays following Actinomycin D treatment. Cyto-nuclear fractionation experiments are in progress to ascertain if the variants affect the localization of the MMR proteins. Results indicate that the variants R265C and K618A significantly decrease the overall expression of MLH1 compared to the wild type vector. I19F, A128S and L749Q however, affect the temporal expression profile of MLH1, indicating a possible decrease in the stability of the protein. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that the ability of the MLH1 L749Q variant to interact with its cognate partner PMS2 is compromised. This is an interesting observation as this variant is located just adjacent to the previously defined PMS2 interaction domain. Preliminary results from cyto-nuclear fractionation studies show no difference between the localization of the variants R265C, L749Q and wild type MLH1. Our results indicate that the majority of unclassified variants investigated in this study perturb the expression and/ or interaction of the MMR proteins. In addition to its clinical utility, these studies will also provide a better understanding of the MMR proteins and the manner in which they contribute to colorectal cancer progression.


Thank you very much for downloading yemen dancing on the heads of snakes. As you may know, people have look numerous times for their favorite novels like this yemen dancing on the heads of snakes, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they cope with some malicious bugs inside their computer. yemen dancing on the heads of snakes is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection spans in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the yemen dancing on the heads of snakes is universally compatible with any devices to read.


The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in staging patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). We further compared the performance of PET/CT with conventional imaging (CI) (CT and ultrasonography [USG]) and assessed the impact of PET/CT on disease management. This was a single institution, prospective, double-blinded study, recruiting a total of 70 treatment naïve patients. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of PET/CT for N staging were 86%, 96%, 80%, and 97%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of PET/CT for M staging were 87%, 100%, 93%, and 100%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the PET/CT was superior to CI for N staging (90% vs. 84% for CT and 80% for USG) and M staging (95% vs. 90% for CT). No statistically significant difference was noted between PET/CT and CI for N staging (PET/CT vs. CT, P = 0.125; PET/CT vs. USG, P- 0.063) or M staging (PET/CT vs. CT, P = 0.125). PET/CT upstaged 23% of patients with clinically localized disease and 58% of patients with clinically palpable regional nodes. To conclude, fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT is a highly sensitive and specific imaging modality for preoperative staging of primary CMMs. PET/CT impacts disease management in significant number of patients and should be especially recommended in all patients with clinically palpable regional nodes.


In the era of big data, the unprecedented growth of data has been regarded as an important asset and the commercial application of data acquisition markets has emerged accordingly. With the advancement of vehicle manufacturing and sensor technologies, a large amount of data can be collected and stored in electric vehicles (EVs), making the data acquisition scenario gradually extend to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and thus the corresponding operational rules and economic feasibility need to be fully investigated there. In this article, we focus on a general IoV-oriented data acquisition market that consists of a data center, multiple EVs, multiple roadside units (RSUs), and a market operator (broker), with the objective of social welfare maximization (SWM) by identifying the optimal data task allocation. However, due to the inherent information asymmetry and fragmentation in such a market, it is not feasible to solve the SWM problem directly. To this end, we propose an iterative double-sided auction (IDA) mechanism, which leverages the self-interested feature of RSUs and EVs to decompose the SWM problem, enabling every participant to make decisions in a distributed manner under the broker's coordination. A complete set of operational rules covering the data task allocation, bidding, payment, and reimbursement are elaborately designed to achieve SWM, and energy is adopted as the pricing "currency," such that an IDA-based data-energy transaction (IDADET) ecosystem is established in IoV. We verify the economic feasibility of the proposed IDADET ecosystem by showing its convergence and desirable properties of individual rationality, budget balance, incentive compatibility, and economic efficiency. In addition, considering the psychological effects of practical market participants, we make amendments to the operational rules of the IDADET ecosystem from the behavioral economics perspective, aiming to ensure its long-term well functioning. Extensive numerical results are presented to show the performance of the IDADET ecosystem and demonstrate its advantages in terms of economic properties, operational feasibility, fast convergence, and market social welfare.


As the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century came to a close, more than 44 of the 53 countries of the African continent continued to be involved in pervasive violence and rebellion at a substantial cost to human security and economic performance. On one hand, rebellion may be explained by severe grievances such as high inequality or a lack of political rights, as well as ethnic and religious cleavages; on the other, it may be explained by opportunities such as resource predation and geography of the area. Drawing largely from fi eld research on social entrepreneurship and reconciliation in Burundi, as well as from extensive fi eld knowledge and a review of academic literature, this article addresses theoretical analysis of rebellion in fragile communities.


This study was focused on the synthesis of monodisperse poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) submicrospheres via soap-free emulsion polymerization and on their characterization. The glass-transition temperatures of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate) were approximately 25 and 110°C, respectively. Therefore, submicrospheres with different glass-transition temperatures could be obtained through the variation of the copolymer composition. In addition, relationships between the monomer feed concentration (M0) and the Mark–Houwink constant (α) for the copolymer submicrospheres were proposed. The molecular weights of the copolymer submicrospheres decreased sharply with an increase in the weight fraction of n-butyl methacrylate. On the contrary, the particle diameter increased linearly from 277 to 335 nm with an increase in the weight fraction of n-butyl methacrylate. The α values decreased with an increase in M0, and this indicated that the branched structures of the copolymer submicrospheres were easily obtained when M0 was higher than 0.11 g/mL of water. Consequently, the results of this study are expected to provide useful information for the synthesis of monodisperse copolymer submicrospheres by soap-free emulsion polymerization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


BACKGROUND: Acute hyperglycemia is a risk factor for developing acute kidney injury and poor renal outcome in critically ill patients, whereby the role of renal vasculature remains unclear. We hypothesize that hyperglycemia-associated hyperosmolarity facilitates vasodilation through Piezo1-mediated eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) activation. METHODS: Vasoreactivity was analyzed using wire myography in isolated mouse mesenteric arteries and renal interlobar, and using microvascular perfusion in renal afferent arterioles and efferent arterioles, and vasa recta. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used for molecular analyses of isolated mouse blood vessels and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. RESULTS: Pretreatment with hyperglycemia (44 mmol/L glucose; 4 hours) increased acetylcholine-induced relaxation in interlobar arteries and mesenteric arteries, which was prevented by eNOS inhibition using Nω-nitro-L-arginine methylester hydrochloride. Hyperosmotic mannitol solution had a similar effect. Hyperglycemia induced an immediate, Nω-nitro-L-arginine methylester hydrochloride–inhibitable dilation in afferent arterioles, efferent arterioles, and vasa recta, whereby stronger dilation in afferent arterioles compared to efferent arterioles. Hyperglycemia also increased glomerular filtration rate in mice. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, hyperglycemia, and the Piezo1 activator Yoda-1 increased levels of Piezo1 protein, p-CaMKII (phosphorylated Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II), Akt (protein kinase B), and p-eNOS (phosphorylated eNOS). The hyperglycemia effect could be prevented by inhibiting Piezo1 using GsMTx4 (Grammostola spatulata mechanotoxin 4) and CaMKII using KN93 (N-[2-[[[3-(4-Chlorophenyl)-2-propenyl]-methylamino]-methyl]-phenyl]-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methoxybenzenesulphonamide). Furthermore, in arteries and microvessels, inhibition of Piezo1 using GsMTx4 prevented the hyperglycemia –effect, while Yoda-1 caused relaxation and dilation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results reveal that Piezo1 mediates renal vasodilation induced by hyperosmolarity in acute hyperglycemia. This mechanism may contribute to the pathogenesis of renal damage by acute hyperglycemia.


Mental health services in South Africa and Nigeria were compared using the reports of World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) of both countries. WHOAIMS assessment reveals the extent of implementation and provision of mental health care services. South Africa has made considerable progress with restructuring its mental health care system that provides mental health care at the community level. Nigeria, in spite of adopting mental health care as part of its primary health care services and having a strong academic history in psychiatry, does not provide services in rural communities. It is important for Nigeria that mental health care nurses become advocates for mental health policy reforms to improve access, and that countries with similar challenges learn from each other about providing care for people who cannot care for themselves, namely, the mentally challenged.


As the vital technology of natural language understanding, sentence representation reasoning technology mainly focuses on sentence representation methods and reasoning models. Although the performance has been improved, there are still some problems, such as incomplete sentence semantic expression, lack of depth of reasoning model, and lack of interpretability of the reasoning process. Given the reasoning model's lack of reasoning depth and interpretability, a deep fusion matching network is designed in this paper, which mainly includes a coding layer, matching layer, dependency convolution layer, information aggregation layer, and inference prediction layer. Based on a deep matching network, the matching layer is improved. Furthermore, the heuristic matching algorithm replaces the bidirectional long-short memory neural network to simplify the interactive fusion. As a result, it improves the reasoning depth and reduces the complexity of the model; the dependency convolution layer uses the tree-type convolution network to extract the sentence structure information along with the sentence dependency tree structure, which improves the interpretability of the reasoning process. Finally, the performance of the model is verified on several datasets. The results show that the reasoning effect of the model is better than that of the shallow reasoning model, and the accuracy rate on the SNLI test set reaches 89.0%. At the same time, the semantic correlation analysis results show that the dependency convolution layer is beneficial in improving the interpretability of the reasoning process.


Researchers and evaluators are often asked to give quantitative measures on topics that do not easily lend themselves to such measurement. Collaboration is one such topic: it is acknowledged to be a critical success factor for all kinds of organizations, but research and evaluation often lags because of the difficulty of measurement. This tutorial will introduce a range of quantitative methods for evaluating collaboration, on three levels: group-level experiments, micro-level measures (individuals), and macro-level measures (organizations.) I will walk participants through the methods where I have the most experience, and also mention a number of other methods, some very new, which may become increasingly valuable.


Article history: Received: April 14, 2019 Accepted: November 28, 2019 Substitution of wheat flour with high quality cassava flour (HQCF) in bread making is economically important in Nigeria as wheat is mainly imported. Different treatments are applied to cassava used for HQCF production and the effects of such a treatment on cassava-wheat bread quality is scarce in literature. This study was conducted to study the effects of cassava varieties (TME 419, TMS 30572), fertilizer type ((NPK 15-15-15, 20-10-10, 12-12-17) and dosage (150, 300 kg/ha) on physical and sensory characteristics of cassavawheat composite bread according to General Linear Model (GLM) analysis. According to the results, the independent variables had varying effects on the composite bread quality. While the main effect of fertilizer type was significant for oven spring and crumb moisture content, the interactive effects of fertilizer type and dosage significantly influenced crumb texture and taste. In spite of the significant differences in certain physical and sensory attributes, the overall acceptability of bread samples did not differ significantly. HQCF from cassava variety TMS 30572 showed the best performance in making composite cassava-wheat bread in terms of physical and sensory properties.


REFERENCES Abe, M. and D.R. Smith (1991). The genus-group names of Symphyta (Hymenoptera) and their type species. Esakia 31: 1-115. Malaise, R. (1947). Entomological results from the Swedish expedition 1934 to Burma and British India, (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinoidea). Collected by Rene Malaise. The Tenthredinoidea of South-Eastern Asia. The Emphytus-Athlophorus Group. Arkiv for zoologi 39A(8): 1-39. Malaise, R. (1963). Hymenoptera: Tenthredinoidea, Subfamily Selandriinae. Key to genera of the world. Entomologisk Tidskrift 84(34): 159-215.


Tight gas sands are a vast future source of natural gas. These sands are characterized as having very low porosity and permeability. The main resource development problem is efficiently extracting the gas from the reservoir. Future production depends on a combination of gas price and technological advances. Gas production can be enhanced by fracturing. Studies have shown that many aspects of fracture design and gas production are influenced by properties of the rock matrix. Computer models for stimulation procedures require accurate knowledge of flow properties of both the rock matrix and the fractured regions. In the proposed work, these properties will be measured along with advanced core analysis procedure aimed at understanding the relationship between pore structure and properties. The objective of this project is to develop reliable core analysis techniques for measuring the petrophysical properties of tight gas sands. Recent research has indicated that the flow conditions in the reservoir can be greatly enhanced by the presence of natural fractures, which serve as a transport path for gas from the less permeable matrix. The study is mainly concerned with the dependence of flow in tight gas matrix and healed tectonic fractures on water saturation and confining pressure. This dependencymore » is to be related to the detailed pore structure of tight sands as typified by cores recovered in the Multi-Well experiment. 22 refs., 34 figs., 9 tabs.« less


Omnidirectional light propagation in a realistic superlattice is investigated. This work complements two previous articles [Phys. Rev. E 59, 3624 (1999); 61, 5802 (2000)] that analyzed the cases of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization modes, respectively, of the dielectric superlattice modeled by means of Dirac delta functions. We present a quantitative analysis of the transmission functions, the band structures, the equifrequency surfaces, and the photon density of states (PDOS) for both TE and TM modes of the real superlattice without any approximations on the given dielectric function profiles. One of the advantages is that the Brewster effect can be manifested via our approach. In addition, the modes corresponding to TM evanescent waves that are absent from the Dirac comb model can be predicted. Finally, the exact PDOS of the realistic superlattice for the TE and TM modes can be obtained, respectively. These results are relevant to the spontaneous emission by an atom or to dipole radiation in one-dimensional periodic structures.


Methodological approaches developed at Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology for a number of years allow formulating the importance of embedding active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the structure of porous carriers (sorbents). The composition of the carrier and API is an enteral system for prolonged dosing of pharmacological agents, which allows providing a specific pharmacological effect and safety of use. The pores of the media (sorbents) act as containers for API. This is especially important for rapidly absorbed drugs, which include, for example, lithium preparations that are used in narrow concentration limits due to their side effects. At the moment, an innovative technology for creating new medicines with an improved combination of efficiency and safety (pharmacological upgrade) has been developed and implemented. The essence of the technology is to create a composition of aluminum oxide and polydimethylsiloxane (matrix) and an active pharmacological ingredient (API). A study of two drugs based on matrix / lithium citrate and matrix / melatonin showed continued specific pharmacological activity of API, better pharmacokinetics, and better safety parameters. The matrix of aluminum oxide and polydimethylsiloxane provides an upgrade of the pharmacological properties of drugs for the dosed and safe delivery of API to the zone of their therapeutic effect.


Intracranial teratomata are among the rarest of tumors and of these the so-called teratoblastoma, in which the tissues have reached only a low degree of differentiation and have remained of embryonal character, are the most infrequent. Such a tumor was observed in a male fetus. A thirty-three-year-old primipara was found on hospital admission to have a contracted pelvis. The duration of the pregnancy could not be accurately established but fetal heart sounds were audible and a movable skull was present above the brim of the pelvis. Cesarean section was performed and a dead male fetus was removed. It measured 44 cm. in length, with a cranial circumference of 43 cm., and was diffusely cyanotic. The left eye was gelatinous in consistency, clouded, and hyperemic, and protruded from the orbit. The pupil was dilated to a diameter of 5 mm. The right eye was closed and showed no obvious pathologic change. The bones of the skull could be felt as thin plates, widely separated. After fixation by injection of formalin through the carotid artery, the skull was opened and a large amount of blood-tinged fluid was discharged. Filling the anterior half of the cranial cavity was a solid reddish tumor some 12 cm. in diameter. Posterior to this lay the soft, thinned brain substance, with dilated ventricles. The degree of hydrocephalus was striking.


Many intellectual, societal, business and technological forces are continuously pushing forward the frontiers of science. When being effectively combined, they may provide an umbrella for generating new fields and exploring new grounds. One such emerging field is eMaintenance. It is based on the fields from operation & maintenance engineering, software engineering, information systems, business management, and many other strongly varying fields related to the application domains of eMaintenance. As a novel field, eMaintenance addresses new needs and provides various benefits in form of increased availability, reduced lifecycle cost and increased customer-value. On the other hand, being in a continuous flux, it suffers from many infant illnesses in form of lack of or fuzzy definitions and theoretical foundations. This paper constitutes the first call to the eMaintenance community to gather their forces and commonly define the eMaintenance concept. As an initial step, it outlines its ten essential components. These are (1) Definition, (2) Business, (3) Organization, (4) Product, (5) Service, (6) Methodology, (7) Technology, (8) Information, (9) Customer, and (10) Education and Training. The paper also suggests a timeless definition of eMaintenance, it places eMaintenance in the context of other eDomains, and it elicits eMaintenance intellectual opportunities and challenges to be met by both the academia and industry when researching on or transitioning to the eMaintenance mode.


. The aesthetic experience digitalisation influences the capacity of artistry and creativity of the artwork and the quality of participation in arts. Due to cultural differences between post-communist and non-communist countries' citizens in perception qualities, this research aims to evaluate the influence of the participation form (in-real or digital) in the aesthetic situation by the receivers from post-communist and non-communist societies on artistry and creativity potential in the context of cultural and social sustainability. The quality of participation in five arts types (musical, performing, literary, audio-visual, visual) was evaluated using the same ten criteria. Qualitative data analysis based on an international sample from 38 countries (n = 221) concludes that the participation form in arts determines participation quality level in the aesthetic situation by post-communist and non-communist countries' receivers differently. There are significant cultural determinants among post-communist and non-communist countries' citizens between participation in particular arts and between particular forms of participation in particular types of arts. The reasons for these differences cannot be drawn from this research; however, future comparative qualitative research directions are set. The research results, in the context of the political system transformation theory as one of the sustainable development features, should gain the interest of: 1) Art creators looking for the optimal and sustainable way of distributing artworks among receivers from post-communist and non-communist countries; 2) Art managers and marketers for deeper understanding of post-communist and non-communist art receivers' perspectives and their preferences about participation in arts in-real or digitally towards sustainable development; 3) Art receivers to compare their opinion about the ways of sustainable participation in arts with the preferences of art receivers from post-communist and non-communist countries


Current epidemiological scenario of Hp in India does not very clearly predict the natural history of this infection in children as they grow old. Positive serology does not seem to be of much clinical significance. Colonization by Hp in the stomach or duodenum per se does not predict a potential ulcer disease in all the cases. Most case control studies from India do not suggest any significant relationship of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and recurrent abdominal pain. A significant relationship has been observed between Hp infection and antral gastritis and duodenitis. Hp related gastric or duodenal ulcers are infrequently reported in children probably because children between 12-18 years of age are not included in most of these studies. Scarce information is available regarding the relationship of Hp infection with failure to thrive, persistent diarrhea, disabled and neurodevelopmentally retarded children and the implications of acquiring infection in infancy. There is an urgent need to have guidelines for management of children with variable spectrum of gastroduodenal disease who are detected to have Hp colonization without any evidence of mucosal inflammation. Since a large number of children fall in this group, treating all of them in the absence of knowing their PCR amplified DNA sequence in Hp genome is impractical and may not be necessary. The ones detected to have evidence of mucosal inflammation attributed to Hp infection may need to be treated since it is not justified to leave these children untreated even after making a definite diagnosis. Secondly, eradication therapy may provide them the much desired symptomatic relief which is the patient's primary concern. For older children with peptic ulcer disease, using adult model for clinical significance and therapeutic options is justified. However, at present, there are no definite guidelines regarding the combinations and duration of antibacterial therapy for children in our setting due to lack of available data.


The behavior of alpha-quartz under hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic high-pressure conditions has been investigated in molecular dynamics simulations of silica in order to clarify the role of nonhydrostatic stresses in the amorphization process. It is shown that the amorphization threshold is not modified if the stress along the c direction is lowered, so that the mean amorphization pressure can effectively be lowered under nonhydrostatic conditions. On the other hand, the application of a positive uniaxial stress along the c axis results in the appearance of a new crystalline phase, where all silicon atoms are in fivefold coordination.


munities to become conscious of their own social problems as in Boston and Pittsburgh. Mr. Woods seems actually to have achieved the status of social engineer. Incidentally one can see, as Mrs. Woods expands her story, the gradual merging in interests of the dual attack on American social problems, that from the point of view of the individual in the family and that from the point of view of the community. Gradually the settlement movement becomes more closely identified with what had been called the National Conference of Charities and Correction, which became in 1915 the National Conference of Social Work. Two years later, Mr. Woods became President 'of this body. WALTER W. PETTIT New York School of Social Work


Disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) rely on intermittent contacts between mobile nodes to deliver packets using a store-carry-and-forward paradigm. We earlier proposed the use of throwbox nodes, which are stationary, battery-powered nodes with storage and processing, to enhance the capacity of DTNs. However, the use of throwboxes without efficient power management is minimally effective. If the nodes are too liberal with their energy consumption, they will fail prematurely. However, if they are too conservative, they may miss important transfer opportunities, hence increasing lifetime without improving performance. In this paper, we present a hardware and software architecture for energy-efficient throwboxes in DTNs. We propose a hardware platform that uses a multitiered, multiradio, scalable, solar-powered platform. The throwbox employs an approximate heuristic for solving the NP-hard problem of meeting an average power constraint while maximizing the number of bytes forwarded by the throwbox. We built and deployed prototype throwboxes in UMass DieselNet, a bus-based DTN testbed. Through extensive trace-driven simulations and prototype deployment, we show that a single throwbox with a 270-cm2 solar panel can run perpetually while improving packet delivery by 37% and reducing message delivery latency by at least 10% in the network.


The annotation of articles from a given domain and the generation of semantic metadata can be considered a reliable foundation for creating a paper recommender system. Within this paper, the models from other previous researches are extended with the capability of visualizing articles and the most important concepts from a domain within imposed timeframes. This can be very useful for researchers to check out the most important publications from a given period, to view which are the trends and how a domain has evolved. Our previous analyses used the articles to build a paper graph and to suggest the most relevant articles, given a user defined query in natural language. This research contains a use case and creates visual graph representations to enhance the overall perception of the evolution of a domain.


Temperate forests managed to maximize sustainable yield of wood products can reduce the availability of dead wood on the forest floor and in adjacent streams, which in turn can impair ecological processes such as retention and transformation of organic matter. Lack of tools to link ecological processes with their effects on human well-being leads forest managers to ignore the cost on other services from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We examine how adding dead wood to restore stream channel complexity affects the provision and value of selected ecosystem services, mainly related to the retention and transformation of matter and cycling of nutrients, as well as to the effects on aquatic biota. Specifically, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of stream restoration through a comparative analysis of four reach-scale projects in streams flowing through temperate forest and into a drinking water reservoir and two scenarios of active and passive restoration at the basin scale. Results indicate that the lack of dead wood in streams has an important economic cost because of the effects on fish provisioning, opportunities for recreation and tourism, water purification and erosion control. Active reach-scale restoration resulted in a 10- to 100-fold increase in the monetary benefits provided by streams, accounting as much as 1·8 € per metre of restored river length each year. Results of the reach-scale cost-benefit analyses estimated that the time required to recover the active restoration investment ranged from 15 to 20 years in low- to middle-order streams. Synthesis and applications. Our study showed that restoration of natural wood loading in streams greatly increases the ecosystem services they provide. The benefits in terms of the analysed services surpass the costs of active restoration over realistic timeframes, whereas this was not the case for passive restoration. Inclusion of other ecosystem services such as conservation of biodiversity might make restoration more economically profitable. Overall, our study provides a decision framework for managing temperate riparian forests in the context of ecological services. Our study showed that restoration of natural wood loading in streams greatly increases the ecosystem services they provide. The benefits in terms of the analysed services surpass the costs of active restoration over realistic timeframes, whereas this was not the case for passive restoration. Inclusion of other ecosystem services such as conservation of biodiversity might make restoration more economically profitable. Overall, our study provides a decision framework for managing temperate riparian forests in the context of ecological services


BACKGROUND
360 degrees encirclement for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) was introduced over 50 years ago as a method for closing retinal breaks and relieving vitreous traction. In the absence of acknowledged guidelines, current usage varies widely.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
All 360 degrees encircling bands for RDs performed between 1999 and 2004 were reviewed. Encircling procedures for phakic and recurrent RDs were analysed.

RESULTS
41 encircling bands for RD were identified from the records of 875 RD cases. Median follow-up was 6 months (range: 1 - 36). Male patients accounted for 58.5 % of the procedures. Mean age was 51.51 +/- 15.97 years. 37/41 phakic and 18/41 recurrent RDs were encircled. RD recurrence in encircled eyes occurred in 42 % of phakic eyes and in 33 % of eyes re-operated for recurrent RD. At the time of recurrence, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was present in 41.6 % of phakic eyes, and 66 % of recurrent RD eyes. Preoperative visual acuity (VA) was 0.26 and post-operative VA 0.34. Post-operative complications due to the encirclement included pain in 4 eyes, scleral abscess in 2 eyes and scleral necrosis in 1 eye.

CONCLUSION
This small retrospective review highlights the multiple indications for encircling bands including PVR, inferior breaks, multiple breaks and myopia. High overall recurrence rate (34 %) reflects the selection bias of this procedure for severe disease in our series. There is currently no consensus on the use of this technique in the management of RD.


OBJECTIVE
--To investigate the effects of hypertonic buffer solutions on coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) and resuscitability during experimental closed-chest cardiac resuscitation.

DESIGN
--Randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

SETTING
--Mammalian research laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS
--Forty-four domestic pigs.

INTERVENTIONS
--Cardiac arrest was induced by ventricular fibrillation in mechanically ventilated pigs anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium. Precordial compression was started at the third minute of untreated ventricular fibrillation and maintained for an interval of 8 minutes. A hypertonic solution of sodium bicarbonate, Carbicarb (an equimolar mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate [International Medication Systems, Ltd]), or sodium chloride or an isotonic solution of sodium chloride was infused into the right atrium over a 1-minute interval starting at the sixth minute of ventricular fibrillation. Restoration of spontaneous circulation was attempted by DC transthoracic countershock after 11 minutes of ventricular fibrillation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
--Plasma osmolality, CPP, and cardiac resuscitability.

RESULTS
--Infusion of hypertonic buffer and sodium chloride solutions increased plasma osmolality from an average of 280 to 330 mOsm/kg. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the aortic pressures and CPPs generated during precordial compression. No such changes occurred after infusion of isotonic sodium chloride. Restoration of spontaneous circulation, as in earlier studies, was contingent on the levels of CPP prior to attempted defibrillation. Accordingly, none of 13 animals in which the CPP declined to less than 10 mm Hg after infusion of the hypertonic solutions were successfully resuscitated. This contrasted with nine animals that received isotonic sodium chloride and served as controls. Coronary perfusion pressure consistently exceeded 10 mm Hg in these control animals, and spontaneous circulation was restored in each instance.

CONCLUSIONS
--Hypertonic solutions and specifically buffer solutions administered in the absence of vasopressor agents may adversely affect cardiac resuscitation efforts by reducing CPP below critical thresholds.


* Linkages between plant growth rate and root responses to soil moisture heterogeneity were investigated. * Root dynamics were studied using genetically identical shoots (Vitis vinifera cv. Merlot) with genetically distinct root systems that promote higher (HSV) and lower (LSV) shoot growth rates (1103P and 101-14 Mgt, respectively). Three quantities of irrigation replenished different amounts of evapotranspiration (0, 40 and 100%ET(c)) in a California vineyard. * Roots of HSV vines exhibited more plasticity, as indicated by greater preferential growth in irrigated soil during the summer, and a larger shift in root diameter with a change in soil moisture than LSV vines. Higher tolerance of low soil moisture was not observed in LSV roots--root survivorship was similar for the two rootstocks. LSV vines produced a large fraction of its roots during the winter months and increased root density over the study, while HSV vines produced roots mainly in summer and only exhibited a high initial peak in root biomass in the first year. * These results demonstrated that a plant of higher vigor has greater morphological plasticity in response to lateral heterogeneity in soil moisture but similar tolerance to moisture stress as indicated by root survivorship in dry soil.


A new type of plasma torch with combined stabilization of electric arc by water vortex and gas flow was investigated. This hybrid water/gas stabilization offers the possibility of adjusting plasma jet parameters within a wide range from high-enthalpy low-density plasmas typical for liquid stabilized torches to lower enthalpy higher density plasmas generated in gas stabilized torches. The torch was operated at an arc power from 22 to 130 kW with an exit centerline plasma velocity from 2 to 6.5 km/s and a plasma temperature from 14 000 K to 22 000 K. Moreover, gas flow in the cathode part protects a cathode tip and thus a consumable carbon cathode used in water torches could be replaced by a fixed tungsten cathode. The characteristics of the electric arc with combined gas/water stabilization were measured and the effect of gas properties and flow rate on plasma properties and gas-dynamic flow characteristics of the plasma jet were studied for argon, and mixtures of argon with hydrogen and nitrogen


Background: We previously reported a pilot randomized controlled trial in prostate cancer survivors suggesting that resistance training (RT) 3 days/week versus 2 days/week may improve physical functioning but may also blunt psychosocial improvements. Here, we explore potential motivational explanations for this paradoxical effect. Methods: Prostate cancer survivors (N=30) were randomized to 12 weeks of supervised RT either 3 days/week (n=16) or 2 days/week (n=14). Using the theory of planned behavior, we assessed patient preference for group assignment, perceived difficulty (including specific barriers), perceived benefits (including specific benefits), perceived enjoyment, and perceived support for the RT program. Results: Patient preference for group assignment was balanced at pre-randomization and did not change after the intervention. At postintervention, there were potentially meaningful differences suggesting that the 3 days/week group perceived less support (d=-0.40; p=0.27), more difficulty (d=+0.36; p=0.34), and fewer benefits (d=-0.30; p=0.37) from the RT program. More specifically, the 3 days/week group reported less benefit for self-esteem (d=-0.92; p=0.010), physical functioning (d=-0.82; p=0.012), fatigue (d=-0.73; p=0.041), cardiovascular endurance (d=-0.67; p=0.058), and happiness (d=-0.64; p=0.066). Moreover, there were potentially meaningful differences suggesting the 3 days/week group perceived more barriers to the RT program including feeling sick (d=+0.42; p=0.27), traveling to/from the fitness center (d=+0.36; p=0.32), and other medical problems (d=+0.25; p=0.49). Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that perceptions of less support, fewer benefits, and more barriers may explain why prostate cancer survivors experienced fewer psychosocial benefits from a 3rd day/week of RT. These motivational explanations should be investigated in larger trials.
 Acknowledgments: Kerry S. Courneya is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program.


A study was conducted to assess the attitude of Doctors to working in leprosy. 35 subjects were studied using a questionnaire to tap the various areas of leprosy work. The results indicated that although a majority of the doctors were interested in the specialty and considered that they had been trained well there was evidence of inadequate knowledge in 33% of them. Fears of being socially stigmatised and facing poor job prospects while working in this field were also revealed. It is suggested that training in the under-graduate and, post-graduate levels and improving job prospects would remove the disincentives which hamper anti-leprosy work.


We propose the multicast encryption security protocol MESP. It is driven form the IPSEC ESP. The specification of the protocol are discussed and applied the existing IPSEC ESP. We use the existing implementation of the IPSEC ESP; modify it to meet the MESP specifications to implement the MESP. A multicast chat system is used as an application for this protocol


Background Information is lacking as to the management of patients with superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) whose profile has been excluded from trials, such as patients with active cancer, severe renal impairment, or pregnancy. Objectives To describe the frequency and management of SVT occurring in these situations. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the frequency, management and evolution of all patients with isolated SVT associated with either active cancer, severe renal impairment, or pregnant or postpartum women, diagnosed in 2 university hospital between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2016. Results Of the 594 isolated SVTs individualized from the 7941 reports screened, 149 SVTs (105 in the upper extremity, 44 in the lower extremity) were analyzed: 94 (63%) associated with active cancer, 27 (18%) with severe renal impairment and 30 (20%) pregnant or postpartum women. SVT was treated with anticoagulant in 34 (36%) patients with cancer, 3 (11%) patients with severe renal impairment and 19 (63%) pregnant or postpartum women. At 3-month, 16 patients (10.8%) had a further venous thromboembolic event, 8 (5.4%) major bleeding, and 9 (6.1%) died. Conclusion SVT in patients with active cancer, severe renal impairment and pregnant or postpartum women represents a quarter of isolated SVTs diagnosed. Heterogeneity of treatment patterns mainly affects patients with cancer and severe renal impairment. Poor outcomes, although probably linked to morbidity, call for dedicated research in these specific situations.


Cell proliferation and surface alloantigen expression were monitored during development of the fetal mouse thymus in vivo from day 13 of gestation until birth, and in organ cultures established at day 13 of gestation. Expression of Thy-1, Ly-1, Ly-2, Ly-3, TL, GIX, and H-2b determined alloantigens was assessed with specific antisera in one- and two-stage complement-dependent microcytotoxicity assays. A series of C57BL/6-congenic strains was employed to control for effects of the genetic background. Results indicate that at day 13 of gestation alloantigen expression is too low for detection by the cytotoxic assay. From day 14 until birth, exponential cell proliferation is accompanied by gradual increase in alloantigen expression, and by day 19, Ly-1, Ly-2, Ly-3, Thy-1, and GIX are expressed at adult levels, whereas TL expression is higher and H-2b expression is lower than is seen in the adult thymus. In fetal thymus organ cultures established at day 13 of gestation, cell proliferation was not so extensive as was seen in vivo, and by 6 to 8 days in culture, Thy-1 was expressed on essentially all the cells. The other alloantigens were detectable on only 30 to 45% of the cells. Both in vivo and in vitro, the Ly-1, Ly-2, and Ly-3 alloantigens appeared simultaneously on the same population of thymocytes. Results are compared with the reported kinetics of alloantigen expression induced in prothymocytes upon exposure to thymopoietin.


In this paper, we introduce a new operation on the species, the exponential composition of species, which is constructed based on the arithmetic product and the quotient species, and get a functional equation expressing the species of connected graphs as the exponential composition of the species of prime graphs with respect to the Cartesian multiplication.


It is shown that excitation of mechanical vibration (acoustical oscillation) of a solid medium along the direction of propagation of laser radiation leads to (i) transparency of a resonant atomic transition (acoustically or vibrationally induced transparency) and (ii) generation of coherent multifrequency optical radiation (normal wave). These effects take place for any energy distribution among the spectral components of the incident (in general, multifrequency) coherent radiation and any amplitude of vibration. The amplitude of vibration determines the efficiency of the normal wave generation and its spectral structure. The mechanism of the effect is destructive interference of different spectral harmonics of the field components appearing in the reference frame of vibrating atoms.


A new method based on the combined use of carbon laser ablation data and analytical modeling has been used to determine carbon vapor pressure and vaporization coefficients at high temperatures (up to 4600 deg K). The JANAF carbon species C3 thermochemical data have been rejected in favor of alternate data. The JANAF data predict a total vapor pressure too low by a factor of greater than two at 4000 deg K. The melt temperature of carbon has been concluded to be greater than 4500 deg K using a surface reflectivity method. The temperature dependence of vaporization coefficients for carbon species has been determined for the first time from 3300 to 4600 K.


Frontline extension agents' lack of awareness and understanding of integrated pest management (IPM) has been identified as an impediment to effective transfer of IPM strategies to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing effective in-service educational and training programs is an important method for addressing this problem, but it is a solution that requires the engagement of extension agents in the training needs assessment process. The main purpose of this study was to assess extension agent knowledge of IPM and to determine their priority pest management educational and training needs. An instrument to assess pest management competencies on the basis of knowledge and importance was designed and administered to a sample of 82 extension agents from Eastern Uganda. All 20 pest management competencies were considered to be very important. Weighted discrepancy scores indicated that the three highest ranked training needs were Field Pest Sampling Procedures, Differentiating Crop Diseases, and Knowledge of IPM. Nearly half (46%) of the sample had low levels of IPM knowledge. Comparing the training needs of those with low and acceptable IPM knowledge levels reveals important differences for designing pest management training programs. Based on these findings alternative pest management training programs for extension agents in Uganda are presented.


Abstract , and zinc D(-)mandelates have been prepared from the parent mandelic acid and equivalent quantities (1:1 / 2:1) of the corresponding metal hydroxides in water. Colourless polycrystalline products are obtained from the aqueous solutions by evaporation of the solvent. The alkali, ammonium and strontium salts are anhydrous, the calcium and barium salts are monohydrates, the magne sium salt is a dihydrate, and the zinc salt a trihydrate. The crystal and molecular structure of the magnesium salt has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods (mono clinic, space group P21, Z = 2). The lattice contains isolated complexes with hexacoordinate magnesium atoms chelated by two mandelate anions through one of their carboxylate oxygen atoms and the alcoholic hydroxyl group. Two water molecules in cis position are completing the octahedral coordination sphere. [Mg(C8H7O3)2(H2O)2] is thus a true mononuclear magnesium complex. Its stability and non-hygroscopic properties suggest its use as a magnesium and/or mandelate drug.


style of American Muslims. Plentiful reports of conversations from within the author's family circle and a steady stream of close-up features contribute to the accessibility of the text. On the other hand, the book fails to deliver a coherent description of Islam as a whole, despite the inclusion of several sections devoted to background issues. Further, American Muslims suffers from the fact that it was written before the events of September II, 2001. One searches in vain here for a basis on which Christians could engage the kind of Islam in which ordinary believers carefully consider the opinions of widely recognized religious authorities and take seriously the fundamental principle of ijma (consensus of religious scholars on matters of faith and practice). This point of view, too, is a part of the American Muslim experience today and will, no doubt, continue to be wellrepresented in the coming generation of this community.