Most models of tax competition assume full employment. Yet, actually one often observes that fiscal competition, particularly when it is aimed at attracting investment, is motivated by the concern of fighting unemployment and enhancing job creation. The present paper considers a multicountry model with capital mobility and unemployment. Fiscal policy has two opposing objectives: financing unemployment insurance and increasing employment. In each country there is a majority vote on this policy. The purpose of the paper is to analyse how opening borders to capital flows modifies the median voter's choice of the employment subsidy. Assuming that capital and labour are complements, economic integration is shown to rise the employment subsidy with fixed wages. This agrees with intuition as a larger employment subsidy attracts more capital. However, when wages are set by labour unions economic integration can change the median voter's choice in either direction.


and atoning work of Christ: "Jesus is the human man and Christ is the divine, hence the duality of Jesus, the Christ" (p. 143). Christian Science is the Holy Spirit, the comforter. It was Mrs. Eddy herself who brought it into the world. In the field of practical life the author admits that Christian Science has benefited and even cured many forms of disease. He classes .it with other systems of mental healing and regards it as neither more nor less effective than they, concluding "that, like all other systems of mental healing, Ohr!stian Science rests upon the well-established principle of suggestion" (p. 201). At the same time Christian Science has not recognized its limitations as have other systems and by attempting to heal all forms of disease has entailed much suffering. "The way of Christian Science is strewn with broken hearts and maimed bodies, ruined health and lives 'sacrificed, because under the hypnotic spell of Mrs. Eddy, her subjects have refused, except under compulsion of public indignation or of the law, to make such allowance" (p. 200). The author finds that the darkest phase of the whole movement perhaps is its effect upon the marriage relation. W. J. MCGLOTIILIN.


Abstract Field experiments in winter wheat were initiated at two locations in the fall of 2006 and 2007 to evaluate winter annual broadleaf weeds and winter wheat response to POST applications of two saflufenacil formulations applied alone and in combination with 2,4-D amine. Emulsifiable concentrate (EC) and water-dispersible granule (WG) formulations of saflufenacil at 13, 25, and 50 g ai ha−1 were applied with 1.0% (v/v) crop oil concentrate (COC) and mixed with 2,4-D amine at 533 g ae ha−1 without adjuvant. Regardless of rate or formulation, saflufenacil plus COC and saflufenacil plus 2,4-D amine controlled blue mustard ≥ 91% at 17 to 20 d after treatment (DAT) compared with ≤ 50% control with 2,4-D amine alone. At least 25 g ha−1 of saflufenacil EC was necessary to control flixweed > 90%. Excluding COC from saflufenacil plus 2,4-D amine reduced flixweed control from the saflufenacil WG formulation more than the EC formulation. Most saflufenacil treatments did not control henbit satisfactorily (≤ 80%). Wheat foliar necrosis increased with increasing saflufenacil rate to as high as 30% at 3 to 6 DAT, but declined to < 15% at 10 to 20 DAT and was not evident at 30 DAT. Saflufenacil rate, formulation, and mixing with 2,4-D amine also influenced wheat stunting, but to a lesser extent than foliar necrosis. Saflufenacil EC consistently caused greater foliar necrosis and stunting on wheat than saflufenacil WG. Leaf necrosis and stunting were reduced by tank-mixing saflufenacil formulations with 2,4-D amine without COC. Grain yields of most saflufenacil treatments were similar to 2,4-D amine under weedy conditions and herbicide treatments had no effect on grain yield in weed-free experiments. Saflufenacil formulations at 25 to 50 g ha−1 with 2,4-D amine and saflufenacil WG at 25 to 50 g ha−1 with COC can control winter annual broadleaf weeds with minimal injury (< 15%) and no grain yield reductions. The addition of saflufenacil as a POST-applied herbicide would give wheat growers another useful tool to control annual broadleaf weeds, including herbicide-resistant weed species. Nomenclature: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid amine, 2,4-D amine; saflufenacil, N′-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-(3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-dihydro-1(2H)-pyrimidinyl)benzyl]-N-isopropyl-N-methylsulfamide; blue mustard, Chorispora tenella (Pallas) DC. COBTE; flixweed, Descurainia sophia L. Webb. ex Prantl DESSO; henbit, Lamium amplexicaule L. LAMAM; winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L. 'AP502-CL', 'Danby', and 'KS03HW6-1'.


In this paper, novel per-word 64bit DMC was proposed to assure the reliability of memory. Here to detect and correct maximum 32 errors. The proposed protection code utilized decimal algorithm to detect errors, so that more errors were detected and corrected. The obtained results showed that the proposed scheme has a superior protection level against large MCUs in memory. Besides, the proposed decimal error detection technique is an attractive opinion to detect MCUs in CAM because it can be combined with BICS to provide an adequate level of immunity. Transient multiple cell upsets (MCUs) are becoming major issues in the reliability of memories exposed to radiation environment. To prevent MCUs from causing data corruption, more complex error correction codes (ECCs) are widely used to protect memory, but the main problem is that they would require higher delay overhead. Recently, matrix codes (MCs) based on Hamming codes have been proposed for memory protection. The main issue is that they are double error correction codes and the error correction capabilities are not improved in all cases. Moreover, the encoder-reuse technique (ERT) is proposed to minimize the area overhead of extra circuits without disturbing the whole encoding and decoding processes. ERT uses DMC encoder itself to be part of the decoder.


Bat-borne emerging zoonotic viruses cause major outbreaks, such as the Ebola virus, Nipah virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2. Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), which spillover event occurred from fruit bats to humans, causes respiratory syndrome in humans widely in South East Asia. Repurposing approved drugs against PRV is a critical tool to confront future PRV pandemics. We screened 2,943 compounds in an FDA-approved drug library and identified eight hit compounds that reduce viral cytopathic effects on cultured Vero cells. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that six of eight hit compounds significantly inhibited PRV replication. Among them, micafungin used clinically as an antifungal drug, displayed a prominent antiviral effect on PRV. Highlights A library of 2,943 FDA-approved drugs was screened to find potential antiviral drugs of Pteropine orthoreovirus. Six hit compounds dramatically inhibited viral replication in vitro. Micafungin possessed antiviral activity to multiple strains of PRV.


Liquid chromatography interfaced with mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) is a sensitive and effective analytical method that combines high-resolution separation as well as specific mass detection of impurities in formulated products and as well as in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). In this study, LC-MS/MS was used to determine impurities formed during the stability period of Efinaconazole (EFZ, a triazole antifungal agent). The method was validated for its assay parameters such as specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and also for solution stability. The calibration curve was found to be linear for the concentration range from 0.5 μg/mL to 30 μg/mL. A thorough investigation was performed by exposing Efinaconazole (1 mg/mL) to various stress conditions such as hydrolysis (acid and alkaline), oxidation, photolysis and temperature at various time intervals to achieve 10% degradation. The impurities formed during forced degradation were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography later it was identified using LC-MS/MS technique. The obtained results showed that EFZ is prone to oxidation when exposed to a 3% aqueous medium of hydrogen peroxide solution and quite stable in all the remaining stress conditions for a longer period.


Fatigue analyses wre conducted on two reactor coolant system branch nozzles in an operating PWR designed to the B31.1 Code, for which no explicit fatigue analysis was required by the licensing basis. These analyses were performed as part of resolving issues connected with NRC`s Fatigue Action Plan to determine if the cumulative usage factor (CUF) for these nozzles, using the 1992 ASME Code and representative PWR transients, were comparable to nozzles designed and analyzed to the ASME Code. Both NB-3200 and NB-3600 ASME Code methods were used. NB-3200 analyses included the development of finite element models for each nozzle. Although detailed thermal transients were not available for the plant analyzed, representative transients from similar PWRs were applied in each method. CUFs calculated using NB-3200 methods were significantly less than using NB-3600. The paper points out differences in analysis methods and highlights difficulties and unknowns in performing more detailed analyses to reduce conservative assumptions.


Human kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) is a serine protease exerting versatile (patho)physiological functions (J Biol Chem 284:32989-32994, 2009). Recently, we showed that KLK6 acts as a tumor suppressor in human breast cancer. Interestingly, the tumor suppressing effects of KLK6 depend on its expression levels (Cancer Res 69:3779-3797, 2009). Namely, KLK6 re-expression at physiological levels (i.e. levels found in normal mammary cells and tissues) in KLK6-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells resulted in strong inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and cell motility, while it remarkably abolished their ability to form tumors in SCID mice. Contrary, when KLK6 was highly overexpressed (>50-fold compared to normal cells) in MDA-MB-231 cells, its tumor suppressor activity in vivo was lost. Importantly, overexpression of KLK6 is a characteristic of a small subgroup of breast tumors. Here, we investigated molecular pathways underlying these concentration-dependent effects of KLK6 in breast cancer. In addition, we tested whether the enzymatic activity of KLK6 is required for the observed phenotypes or they may result from non-proteolysis-related protein-protein interactions. To address these questions we carried out genome-wide differential transcriptomic profiling using the Illumina bead microarrays. The profiles of KLK6-negative MDA-MB-231 parental cells was compared in parallel with three different MDA-MB-231 clones stably transfected with wt or mutant KLK6 cDNA, namely C28WT (expresses KLK6 at normal levels), C5WT (highly overexpresses KLK6) and C22MS (expresses a mutant form of KLK6 with a point substitution at the active site serine residue, i.e. S192A, that completely inhibits its protease activity). Detailed proteomic profiles were determined for all the aforementioned MDA-MB-231 clones using one-dimensional (1D) SDS-PAGE analysis of cell lysates, combined with in gel trypsin digestion and LC-ESI-MS/MS (liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry). In all cases, we were able to identify in total 3779 cellular proteins with 2487 having ≥2 peptides distributed as: 1776 in parental, 2020 in C28WT, 1228 in C5WT and 1593 in C22MS. Hierarchical clustering proteome analysis clustered C22MS together with parental. Sorting the proteins relative to ≥4 fold-expression over parental resulted in identification of 377 proteins differentially expressed in C28WT, 449 in C5WT and 169 C22MS. The derived datasets were used to infer potential networks using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Important pathways (including NF-kB, TP53 and apoptosis-related) were found differentially deregulated upon KLK6 expression. For the first time, we describe KLK6-associated gene expression signatures and proteomes that were integrated in an effort to derive putative pathways underlying the emerging role(s) of KLK6 in breast cancer. 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 4916. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4916


Chip Serration is a typical characteristic observed in high speed machining. The chip formed has zones of low and high shear strains with serrated teeth appearing in the body of the chip. These variations influence the chip frequency which affects the tool life and hence the production cost. The objective of this paper is to optimize cutting speed, axial depth of cut, radial depth of cut and to determine the frequency. In this present work, stainless steel AISI 420 is used as a work piece and coated (TiN+TiAlNi) Tungsten Carbide as the tool. The range of cutting parameters are cutting speed, axial depth of cut and radial depth of cut which were selected for two level factorial design for the experimental work. The chip serration frequency was computed and modeled through fuzzy logic system. The developed fuzzy model works efficiently with average error produced -1.6376197 when compared with the experimental work.


Neuromorphic photonics has turned into a key research area for enabling neuromorphic computing at much higher data-rates compared to their electronic counterparts, improving significantly the (Multiply-and-Accumulate) MAC/sec. At the same time, time-series classification problems comprise a large class of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications where speed and latency can have a decisive role in their hardware deployment roadmap, highlighting the need for ultra-fast hardware implementations of simplified Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) that can be extended in more advanced Long-Short-TermMemory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) machines. Herein, we experimentally demonstrate a novel Photonic Recurrent Neuron (PRN) for classifying successfully a time-series vector with 100-psec optical pulses and up to 10Gb/s data speeds, reporting on the fastest all-optical real-time classifier. Experimental classification of 3-bit optical binary data streams is presented, revealing an average accuracy of >91% and confirming the potential of PRNs to boost speed and latency performance in time-series AI applications.


DREPS, HEATHER BLAKE. Production System Factors Affecting Rooting and Subsequent Performance of Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra L.) Cuttings for Outplanting. (Under the direction of Daniel J. Robison.) Northern red oak (NRO), Quercus rubra L., is a valuable tree species for timber, wildlife, restoration, and urban forestry. Seed production and growth responses from different maternal sources can be widely variable. Rooting choice stem cuttings of NRO could prove to be a time-saving nursery practice, yielding prime candidates for outplanting. This study sought to develop effective protocols to root NRO stem cuttings at high frequencies and to examine the effects of several factors during rooting and subsequent containerized growth. Supplemental light and heat were administered to determine the effects of artificially extending the growing season of successfully rooted cuttings. Different container sizes were used to determine which size encouraged optimum containerized growth and survival. In addition, shoot production enhancement was studied through pruning of field grown stock seedlings so that stem cutting material could be readily available throughout the growing season; different seedling sources were used to examine provenance variability for shoot production. Also, early (ES) and late season (LS) cuttings were taken to determine the viability of rooting at different times during the growing season. After two seasons of containerized growth, final measurements of NRO rooted cuttings were recorded to determine efficacy of prior treatments. Geographic source and prune height treatments were both found to have significant impact on the number of new shoots generated by NRO stock plants. We found large stem caliper may enhance donor plant ability to generate new shoots for rooting as compared to small stem caliper. Geographic source and prune height treatment significantly affected rooting ability of ES cuttings, which rooted at 64% overall. Rooting percentages were lower for LS stem cuttings (53% overall), but showed the possibility of LS rooting for nursery operations; prune height alone was statistically significant for rooting ability of LS cuttings. During the first growing season, both growing environment and container size were significant in encouraging shoot growth post-rooting. After the first growing season and subsequent overwintering, survival rates of rooted cuttings were 75% overall. In this study, the smallest container size used during the first growing season was the most beneficial to rooted cutting growth based on final attribute measurements of height, root collar diameter (RCD), root mass, shoot mass, and root-to-shoot ratio, all of which have been proposed to be good indicators of field performance. Extending the growing season immediately after rooting significantly affected RCD and root mass measurements as well. Production System Factors Affecting Rooting and Subsequent Performance of Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra L.) Cuttings for Outplanting by Heather Blake Dreps A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science


We hypothesized differences in molecular strategies for similar journeys that migrants undertake to reproduce in spring and to overwinter in autumn. We tested this in redheaded buntings (Emberiza bruniceps) photoinduced into spring and autumn migratory states, with winter and summer non-migratory states as controls. Compared with controls, buntings fattened, gained weight and showed Zugunruhe (nocturnal migratory restlessness) in the migratory state. Spring migration was associated with greater fat and body mass, and higher intensity of Zugunruhe, compared with autumn migration. Circulating corticosterone levels were higher in spring, while T3 levels were higher in autumn. Hypothalamic expression of thyroid hormone-responsive (dio2, dio3), light-responsive (per2, cry1, adcyap1) and th (tyrosine hydroxylase, involved in dopamine biosynthesis) genes showed significant changes with transition from non-migratory to the migratory state. There were significantly higher mRNA expressions in autumn, except for higher th levels in the spring. Furthermore, the expression patterns of dnmt3a (not dnmt3b) and tet2 genes suggested an epigenetic difference between the non-migrant and migrant periods, and the spring and autumn migrant periods. These results demonstrate for the first time seasonal transition in hypothalamic gene expressions, and suggest differences in regulatory strategies at the transcriptional level for spring and autumn migrations in songbirds.


This retrospective cone-beam computed tomography study aimed to investigate the possible associations of apical periodontitis (AP) with missed/unmissed second mesiobuccal (MB2) canals. MB2 canals and AP were investigated in 257 endodontically treated and 673 untreated maxillary molars, and the former were analyzed regarding missed/unmissed MB2 canals. The chi-squared test and odds ratio (OR) were used for statistics. The prevalence of MB2 canals in maxillary first molars was higher than that in second molars (p = 0.001). MB2 canals were 1.751 times more common in males than in females (OR: 1.751; 95% CI: 1.334-2.297), with a significant difference in the 18-39 age groups (p = 0.005). The risk for AP was 5.5 times greater in endodontically treated maxillary molars with missed MB2 canals than in those with unmissed MB2 canals (p = 0.012) (OR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.549-19.527). The findings of this study reveal that the likelihood of the MB2 canal is higher in the maxillary first molars of young adult males.


Background: Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy demonstrated activity in endocrine responsive locally advanced breast cancer. Proper duration of neoadjuvant therapy has not yet established. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of longer duration of letrozole alone or combined with triptorelin in pre-or postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Methods : Premenopausal and postmenopausal patients (pts) with ER and PgR-positive > 50% of the cells, HER2-negative, T2-T4b breast cancer were considered eligible. Patients received letrozole 2,5 mg per day (plus triptorelin 3,75 mg/month in premenopausal pts) for 3-9 months. Tumor response was measured by caliper, ultrasound (US) and mammography. The primary endpoint was overall tumour response (ORR) (complete response plus partial response), during the neoadjuvant treatment period for the intention-to-treat population. Results: Between 2009 and 2013, 54 pts were enrolled and 46 (34 pre- and 12 post-menopausal) pts were evaluable for ORR. Median age was 44 and 55 years, respectively. 44 patients are evaluable. The ORR was 77% in the premenopausal group and 67% in the postmenopausal group. One premenopausal patient had a pathological complete response (pCR). The mean time to complete/partial response was 4.9 months (95% CI: 3.8-6.0) in the premenopausal group and 3.6 months (95% CI: 0.8-6.4) in the postmenopausal group. Overall, 56% of premenopausal and 58% of postmenopausal pts underwent breast conservative surgery. Ki67-LI after surgery had a mean decrease of 33% (95% CI: 16%-50%, p-value = 0.0005) and 42% (95% CI: 18%-65%, p-value = 0.0030) in pre-and postmenopausal pts, respectively. Therapy was well tolerated in both groups with no grade 3/4 toxicity. The most common adverse events in both groups were hot flashes, fatigue, arthralgias/stiffness, and myalgias. Conclusions: The results of this preliminary analysis support neoadjuvant endocrine therapy for a duration of up to 9 months. The combination of letrozole plus triptorelin might represent an alternative neoadjuvant treatment option for premenopausal women with early stage endocrine-responsive breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P1-15-03.


The English private preparatory school evolved from a complex patter of private education which developed in the nineteenth century and which differed in degree and kind from earlier private education. Nineteenth century pattern if provision were determined by the prevailing philosophy of laissez-faire; by increased wealth and expectations of beneficiaries of the industrial revolution; by the improvement in modes of travel; by the introduction of middle class and professional examinations and by the character of those prepared to meet the demand. Social factors as in the case of some proprietary schools and religious factors, as in the case of yet other proprietary schools and many private schools of pious owners, all contributed to the shape the character of the supply which met the demand. Underlying much of this supply, however, was the economic factor of the private profit motive, which also characterised the private preparatory school. In the early years of the century there were classical schools for the sons of gentlemen which intended to specialise in the education of young boys from about eight to fourteen. Other smaller schools, kept by middle class spinsters and married women alike, contributed the evolution of the late nineteenth century preparatory school which by the 1880's had become an institutionalised phenomenon with close ties with the Royal Navy in providing a supply of young officer material but more especially with the public schools, whose characteristics they mirrored: the institutionalisation of these schools let to their political organisation in the 1890s. By 1914, these two forms of educational institution, with largely antithetical origins, had been closely linked to comprise the major part of secondary education in the independent sector of English education in the twentieth century.


these images may be found. Although these articles were produced for different audiences and vary considerably in content, they form a coherent whole. The book does assume prior knowledge of Hus's life and work, and that readers have a good idea of the chronology of events and access to a detailed map of Bohemia and central Europe, which may prove a barrier to the non-specialist reader. Nevertheless, this is an extremely valuable collection of studies that challenges current views of Jan Hus and will prove valuable to students and scholars alike.


Incidence of, mortality from and fatality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and fatal attack of presumed coronary origin (FCA) were registered between July 1970 and March 1974 in a well-defined Dutch countryside population. Patients with a documented previous AMI or aged 70 or older were excluded. AMI (431 cases) and FCA (124 cases) were considered separately. No differences in coronary history profile, age or sex distribution could be demonstrated. However, the period of premonitory symptoms preceding FCA was at a 5% level significantly shorter than in AMI, provided that the unstable angina was the first symptom of IHD. The combined fatality rate of AMI and FCA, counting death during the first 28 days only, was 25% under age 55 and 32% in age group 55-69 yr. None of the 171 cases under age 55 who survived the first 24 h died in the following 4 weeks, whereas 20 out of 384 in the older age group did: a significant difference at a 5% level. The incidence and mortality rates are presented for both AMI and FCA, subdivided in the age groups 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-69, per 1000 person years. The incidence was 1, 5, 10, 14 in males, and 0, 1, 2, 6 in females, respectively. Mortality was 0, 1, 3, 5 in males, and 0, 0, 1, 3 in females. The set-up of the survey, the diagnostic criteria and the comparability with recent studies are discussed.


Background: Post-neurosurgical meningitis is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity. In this study we aimed to compare the differences of clinical, laboratory features and outcomes between the post-neurosurgical meningitis caused by gram-negative bacilli (GNB) and gram-positive cocci (GPC). Methods: Cases of post-neurosurgical meningitis (with positive CSF culture) were included. After classifying patients as GNB and GPC groups, clinical and paraclinical data were compared. Results: Out of 2667 neurosurgical patients, CSF culture was positive in 45 patients. 25 (54.3%) were GNB, 19 (41.3%) GPC. The most common microorganisms were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=14, 31.1%), Coagulase negative staphylococcus (n=8, 17.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (n=6, 13.3%), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=4, 8.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=2, 4.4%), and Escherichia coli (n=2, 4.4%). There were no correlation between CSF Leakage, Surgical site appearance, presence of drain, Age and GCS between two groups (P=0.11, P=0.28, P=0.06, P=0.86, P=0.11 respectively). The only different laboratory indexes were ESR (86.8 mm/h vs. 59.5 mm/h, P=0.01) and PCT (13.1 ng/ml vs. 0.8 ng/ml, P=0.02) which were higher in GNB cases. 20% (n=5) of patients with GNB meningitis received preoperative corticosteroid, while none of GPC cases received (P=0.03). The median length of hospitalization for GNB and GPC cases was 56 and 44.4 days respectively (P=0.3). Conclusion: The GNB antibiotic coverage should be designed more carefully in post-neurosurgical meningitis especially in patients with recent corticosteroid therapy and elevated ESR and procalcitonin.


This chapter explores two psychological orientations that support democratic governance. First, robust democracies require citizens to tolerate others' efforts to participate in politics, even if they promote unpopular views. Research shows that citizens' political tolerance is influenced strongly by the depth of their commitment to democratic values, by their personality, and by the degree to which they perceive others as threatening. Cross-national research generalizes many of these findings to other countries. Second, robust democracies need citizens who will participate in politics. Almond and Verba's cross-national research shows that interpersonal trust and other features of political culture enhance citizen involvement in politics. Inglehart expanded the political culture framework in his work on post-materialism, interpersonal trust, life satisfaction, and cognitive mobilization. Recent theories of social capital also emphasize the role of generalized interpersonal trust, membership in voluntary associations, and norms of reciprocity in enhancing political participation and democracy.


In the days before Virchow and his contemporaries had classified neoplasms, the surgeons of the last half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century occasionally encountered extremely painful and tender subepidermal and subcutaneous nodules of small size, characterized by paroxysms of pain of longer or shorter duration, sometimes spontaneous and sometimes induced by pressure, changes in temperature, and other physical variations in the environment. These nodules were first studied as a group by William Wood of Edinburgh in 1812. Very little of significance has been added to the clinical picture since his day. He gave them the name of painful subcutaneous tubercle and this was widely adopted by European and English writers, being latinized as tuberculum dolorosum or translated verbatim into other languages. As early as 1858, Virchow established the fact that multiple cutaneous leiomyomas could be tubercula dolorosa and in 1873 Axel Key described the first solitary leiomyomatous tuberculum dolorosum, which he removed from the subcutaneous tissues of the poet Strandberg9s finger.


International Space Station (ISS) is one of the greatest achievements in modern science especially in astronomy and engineering. The main function of the ISS is as an aerospace laboratory to conduct research and experiments related to the space environment which can not be done on earth. For the students in high schools, especially in MA Nurul Iman, there are still many who do not know the existence and function of the details of International Space Station (ISS). Therefore, it needs an interactive recognition media where users can see and know the function of the ISS more clearly and more interactive than the video or print media. The result of this thesis is an interactive multimedia introduction of International Space Station (ISS) International Space Station (ISS) the ISS and the ISS station parts functions. The results that can be drawn from making this application are effective for use as information medium introducing International Space Station (ISS).


The CSNS is a spallation neutron research facility being built at Dongguan in Guangdong Province [1]. The 324MHz Alvarez-type Drift Tube Linac (DTL) will be used to accelerate the Hion beam from 3 to 80.0 MeV with peak current 15mA. The R&D of a prototype structure at the low energy section of DTL is taking place at IHEP. The first unit tank 2.8m in length for the energy range from 3 to 8.88 MeV and 28 drift tubes containing electromagnetic quadrupoles are developed. This paper introduces the R&D status of the tank and 28 drift tubes. The measurement results of the focusing quadrupoles are also presented.


The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is not an exception in relying on the advancement of its construction industry to support rapid population growth. However, its need for infrastructure development is constrained by low productivity levels and cost overruns caused by factors such as delays in completing projects. Delays in construction projects are a global issue, and while theories such as Optimism Bias can explain some aspects of delays, in KSA, client-related causes of delays are very endemic in public sector projects. These have negative consequences on national development as well as public trust and expectations. Although several studies on delays in construction projects have been carried out globally, these problems have not been comprehensively tackled due to limitations in existing project management techniques. Therefore, to address this research gap, the aim of this study is to examine a new approach to reducing and managing delays in construction projects through Building Information Modelling (BIM), especially with regards to eliminating optimism bias and reducing the cost consequences that such delays have on Saudi public-sector projects.To achieve this aim, a qualitative approach has been adopted for data collection using multiple case studies to investigate how BIM would help the analysis and management of delays in specific kinds of projects. [Continues.]


Acoustic payload-equipped underwater gliders are proving to have great potential for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, as well as oceanic environment characterization. This article demonstrates their capabilities for seabed characterization using broadband signals received on a hydrophone-equipped Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider during the 2017 Seabed Characterization Experiment (SBCEX) conducted on the New England Mud Patch. In the experiment, a source ship maintained a fixed position while combustive sound-source signals were emitted at about 2 min intervals. The glider was programmed to follow a sawtooth-like track through the water column approximately 8 km from the source in an area where the water was ∼72 m deep. Two transmissions were received by the glider at depths separated by about 15 m. Trans-dimensional Bayesian geoacoustic inversion was applied to modal-dispersion data extracted from the received signals via a time-warping technique to study the consistency of the inversion results for signals received at different depths, and the advantages of including signal receptions at different depths in simultaneous inversion. The inferred geoacoustic properties are in good agreement with independent core measurements collected during a geophysical survey, and with other inversion results using data collected by dedicated bottom-moored receivers in the vicinity.


The performance of anytime algorithms having a nondeterministic nature can be improved by solving simultaneously several instances of the algorithm-problem pairs. These pairs may include different instances of a problem (like starting from a different initial state), different algorithms (if several alternatives exist), or several instances of the same algorithm (for nondeterministic algorithms).In this paper we present a general framework for optimal parallelization of independent processes. We show a mathematical model for this framework, present algorithms for optimal scheduling, and demonstrate its usefulness on a real problem.


Organic farming systems still depend on intensive, mechanical soil tillage. Frequent passes by machinery traffic cause substantial soil compaction that threatens soil health. Adopting practices as reduced tillage and organic matter retention on the soil surface are considered effective ways to control soil compaction. In tropical regions, however, the acceleration of soil organic matter decomposition and soil carbon turnover on the topsoil layer is influenced more rapidly by the oscillation process of drying and wetting. It is hypothesized therefore, that rapid reduction in soil organic matter hastens the potential for compaction to occur in organic farming systems. Compaction changes soil physical properties and as a consequence it has been implicated as a causal agent in the inhibition of natural disease suppression in soils. Here we describe relationships between soil management in organic vegetable systems, soil compaction, and declining soil capacity to suppress pathogenic microorganisms. Keywords—Organic farming systems, soil compaction, soil disease suppression, tropical regions.


1. Sarcolemmal vesicles shed by rabbit muscle were loaded with Ca2+ by means of A23187 or ionomycin. [Ca2+]0 was buffered between 0.8 and 20 microM. Membrane strength was measured by pipette aspiration. 2. At 20 microM Ca2+ many vesicles underwent autolysis, or were so weak that they burst instantly on aspiration. Between 10 and 2 microM Ca2+ a graded decrease in membrane strength was demonstrable. At 0.8 microM Ca2+ the mechanical properties of the sarcolemma remained unaltered. 3. Mg2+ carried by A23187 does not mimic the effect of Ca2+. The ionophore itself similarly did not cause a decrease in membrane tensile strength. 4. Pre‐treatment with BAPTA‐AM, so as to buffer internal Ca2+, partly protected vesicles against the decrease in membrane strength produced by Ca2+ loading. 5. Membrane strength was not restored by adding excess BAPTA to the bathing solution, so as to reverse the Ca2+ gradient. An irreversible degradation of the membrane consequent upon raised [Ca2+]1 seems indicated. 6. These findings are discussed in relation to the mechanisms which have been advanced to account for the role of elevated [Ca2+]1 in cell death. 7. An attempt to use staphylococcal alpha‐toxin as an alternative means to permeabilize the sarcolemma led to the incidental finding that this pore‐forming protein itself greatly weakens the membrane in doses lower than required for effective permeabilization.


Digital discourse, often referred to as computer-mediated communication, has revolutionized communication practices since the advent of the personal computer (Crystal, 2011), with ever-growing effects, as smart devices proliferate in every aspect of twenty-first-century human existence. Linguists in the francophone world first took note of these new digital interactional practices in the 1980s with the onset of conversation via Minitel (Levy, 1993), a French-born service that consisted of a computer terminal that connected via telephone lines to remote services like chatrooms, interactive games, and purchasing platforms, years before most Americans had ever heard of the world wide web (Mailland, 2017). Minitel terminals remained functional some 30 years later; the service was ultimately decommissioned in 2012 on account of outdated modems, an inability to support advancements in graphics and the earlier mass migration (in France and beyond) to the present-day internet (Mailland, 2017). But the introduction of virtual interactional spaces – in the francophone world and beyond – had marked the beginning of a new linguistic trend in which users found themselves regularly engaged in the production of written language infused with vernacular tendencies.


The chemical and topological structure of polymer networks can seldom be orthogonally controlled. For example, novel network topologies are often accessed via the direct incorporation of supramolecular assemblies into the network structure, introducing potentially undesirable chemical components. Here, we address this deficiency by programming topology into network precursors through the incorporation of self-assembly motifs in leaving groups, which become "traceless topological modifiers." Our method enables us to control polymer network topology using self-assembled structures as templates that are not themselves incorporated into the network. We demonstrate this strategy using a model network formed through potassium acyltrifluoroborate (KAT) ligation. Two four-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based star polymers prepared with either O-ethyl or O-octyl carbamoyl hydroxylamine chain ends serve as network precursors, where differences in chain end hydrophobicity produce different self-assembly states in solution. Addition of a bis-KAT reagent to these star polymers induces amide bond formation and concomitant expulsion of the ethyl or octyl traceless topological modifiers, producing topologically isomeric PEG gels with identical chemical compositions yet vastly different physical properties. This work highlights the impact of topology on polymer network properties and provides a new strategy, traceless topological modification, for polymer network design.


Background: Injuries of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) are common shoulder injuries that often lead to pain and dysfunction of the affected shoulder. Regardless of operative or nonoperative treatment, a relatively large number of patients remain symptomatic and experience pain. However, the specific source of persistent pain in the ACJ remains ambiguous. Purpose: To investigate the presence of sensory nerve fibers or pain-generating neurotransmitters within the intra-articular disk of the ACJ to determine its potential role as an independent pain generator in ACJ disorders. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Twelve paired ACJs from 6 fresh human cadavers (mean age, 56 years; range, 41-82 years) were harvested and freed from surrounding soft tissues, leaving only the ACJ capsule intact. The specimens were placed in 4.5% formaldehyde fixative for a minimum of 48 hours. Coronal plane sections were obtained and demineralized in EDTA for a week, embedded in paraffin for 12 hours, and dehydrated overnight. With a rotation microtome, 2-μm sections were cut and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to investigate tissue architecture and confirm the presence of a fibrocartilaginous intra-articular disk. The sections were immunohistochemically stained with antisera against S100, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and substance P (SP) to detect for neural tissue. Additionally, a nerve fiber count per 10 high-power fields representing an area of 0.2 mm2 was conducted for S100 stains. All sections were examined for the presence of positive immunoreactivity to S100, NPY, and SP. Results: The presence of a fibrocartilaginous intra-articular disk could be observed in all 12 examined ACJs. In all specimens, an immunoreactivity to S100, NPY, and SP could be observed within the superior peripheral region of the intra-articular disk. High-power field nerve counts of the S100 stains revealed a mean ± SD of 7.9 ± 2.28 nerves per 10 high-power fields (range, 4-12). Conclusion: The documented immunoreactivity to S100, NPY, and SP indicates the presence of somatic and autonomic nerve fibers within the intra-articular disk of the ACJ. Clinical Relevance: Confirming the presence of nerve fibers within the intra-articular disk of the ACJ suggests that the disk itself could be an independent source of pain after injury and thus a possible explanation for recalcitrant pain after treatment.


We administered recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) at 5 micrograms/kg/day by intravenous drip infusion for 21 consecutive days in autologous bone marrow transplanted patients. The period of posttransplant neutropenia was markedly shortened by the rhG-CSF treatment; mean days required for neutrophil recovery (greater than 500/mm3) of 14.3 days in the rhG-CSF group (n = 21) versus 27.8 days in the historical control group (n = 11). More importantly, the numbers of febrile days between day 15 and day 28 were found to be fewer in the rG-CSF group than in control group. These effects were obtained without delay in the recovery of other blood cell series and without any side effect. We conclude that the posttransplant use of the rhG-CSF is beneficial for prevention and treatment of infectious complications after autologous bone marrow transplantation.


Plant growth promoting rhizo and endophytic bacteria were isolated from different parts of pepper from south eastern Ethiopia. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGP) are those that may be used to promote plant growth and suppress plant diseases. The objectives of this study were to identify and characterize PGPB indigenous to pepper rhizosphere and endophyte bacteria in Ethiopia, and to determine their capacity to suppress Phytophthora capsici in pepper. From a total of 60 isolates, 20 were selected based on their in vitro antagonism activity of phytopathogens and plant growth promoting traits. From the total 60 strains representing, 38 rhizosphere, and 22 endophytic bacteria were identified based on biochemical assays of semi-automated Vitec 2 compact and ten potential bacteria further identified by molecular methods. Results revealed that only one isolate of rhizosphere and three endophytic bacteria showed more than 50% suppression of test pathogens. The isolates were evaluated for their ability to solubilize phosphate, as well as for ammonia, indole acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, and biofilm production. The selected isolates produced (0.2–93 µg mL− 1) of indole-3-acetic acid, without supplemented with tryptophan, while supplemented with tryptophan it produces (11.23–159 µg mL− 1). The activities of plant growth-promoting were assessed by measuring their effect on the number of lateral roots, root and shoot length of Arabidopsis plants, and germination percentage of pepper plants. Pepper plants grown from seeds that were treated with these PGPB strains showed significantly higher levels of germination, seedling vigor, and growth, compared to non-treated control plants. Since these PGPB inoculants showed multiple characters useful to the host plants, they may be used as an alternative in the production of new, safe, and effective seed treatments as bio-fungicides. Generally, this work exhibits the potential of bacterial isolates to control Phytophthora infection and promote plant growth.


Abstract The Class II 6.7-GHz methanol maser is a tracer of high mass young stellar objects. We present results of a 44-GHz class I methanol maser and 22-GHz water maser survey using the KVN (Korean VLBI Network) 21-m single dish radio telescopes towards 284 6.7-GHz maser sites. Class I methanol maser and water maser emission is detected towards 116 (41%) and 136 (48%) sources, respectively. About 50 sources have a peak flux density higher than 10 Jy at 44-GHz. They are candidates for VLBI studies using the KVN.


Ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) is a most prevalent weed in Bizerte region and caused losses in yield. Farmers used herbicides to control ryegrass in cereal crops. Thirteen herbicides (ALS inhibitors, ACCase inhibitors and PSII inhibitors) were used in the field experiment to evaluate their efficacy and their effect on yields of wheat and of ryegrass. The trial was installed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in Bizerte. Seeds of ryegrass collected from Bizerte during surveys were the subject of the resistance detection to the ALS inhibitor herbicides [AmilcarWG® (mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron)] and to the ACCase inhibitor herbicides [Topik® (clodinafop-propagyl)] by a pot experiment method. The results of the field experiment showed that only Tolurex® [Chlortoluron (PSII inhibitor)] has the best efficacy (83.6%), but all other herbicides (ALS and ACCase inhibitors) have insufficient efficacy on ryegrass. Then, over 60% of ryegrass populations were escaped to treatments ACCase and ALS-inhibiting herbicides that are not statistically different. The low efficacy of herbicides (ALS and ACCase inhibitors) was not explained by a high density of ryegrass, but by the presence of herbicide resistance in ryegrass populations in Bizerte. These results were confirmed by the pot experiment method. The count of the surviving plants of ryegrass (30 DAT) in pot experiment method revealed that 70% of ryegrass populations are resistant to both herbicides inhibitors (ACCase and ALS). Similarly, the percentage of reduction in fresh weight of ryegrass, compared to untreated control, showed over 80% of the ryegrass populations was resistant to ACCase inhibitor herbicides and to ALS inhibitor herbicides.


The current biochemical definition of severe GH deficiency (stimulated peak GH < 3 micro g/liter) provides good separation of GH-deficient (GHD) adults from normal subjects, although it may not account for all patients with impaired GH secretion. The vast majority of normal subjects display a peak GH level in excess of 7 micro g/liter in response to the insulin tolerance test. Using a peak GH response of 7 micro g/liter as an arbitrary upper limit, we investigated the effects of partial GH deficiency (GH insufficiency, GHI; peak GH response of 3-7 micro g/liter) on the body composition of hypopituitary adults. GHD adults (n = 30, peak GH < 3 micro g/liter) were of shorter stature than the controls. Body mass index was not significantly increased, but waist/hip ratio (0.885 vs. 0.818, P = 0.001) and skinfold thickness (78.2 vs. 59.6 mm, P = 0.003) were greater than control subjects. Bioimpedance analysis revealed these patients to have reduced lean body mass (LBM) (44.4 vs. 51.2 kg, P = 0.023) and increased fat mass (FM) (25.7 vs. 18.4 kg, P = 0.039). Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) analysis of body composition confirmed reduced LBM (43.6 vs. 50.6 kg, P = 0.010) and increased FM (26.0 vs. 19.2 kg, P = 0.015). The excess FM was observed to be primarily truncal in distribution. Similarly, GHI adults were of shorter stature but with increased waist/hip ratio (0.871 vs. 0.818, P = 0.006) and skinfold thickness (80.8 vs. 59.6 mm, P = 0.003), compared with controls. Bioimpedance analysis revealed a reduction in LBM (44.9 vs. 51.2 kg, P = 0.020). DXA studies confirmed the reduced LBM (45.0 vs. 50.6 kg, P = 0.041) and additionally noted an increase in percent FM (32.9 vs. 27.4%, P = 0.019). All measures of body composition in the GHI patients were intermediate between those of the controls and GHD patients. Serum leptin levels were significantly elevated in both the GHD (41.5 vs. 20.7 ng/ml, P = 0.009) and GHI (36.7 vs. 20.7 ng/ml, P = 0.022) adults, compared with healthy controls. The excess FM observed using DXA in the GHD and GHI adults equated to 6.5 kg (8%) and 3.5 kg (5.5%), respectively, relative to healthy controls. In summary, we have shown that adults with GHI have abnormalities of body composition characteristic of GHD. The degree of abnormality of body composition lies between that of healthy subjects and GHD adults and correlates with the IGF-I level. Any future trials of GH replacement in patients with GHI must await further studies to establish the exact impact of this relative deficiency on the broad spectrum of biological end points influenced by GH status.


Primary neural cells derived from human xenografts migrate extensively following transplantation into the adult rat CNS. However, it is unknown whether cells from allografts have the same capability to migrate within the adult rat brain. Moreover, it is unclear whether human‐derived cells migrate to this extent as an inherent property of being in a xenograft environment, or whether it is due to the large size of the developed human brain compared with the adult rat brain. In order to address these issues we have designed an experimental paradigm to investigate the potential for cells derived from grafts of primary rat, mouse and human foetal striatal tissue to migrate following intrastriatal transplantation in an adult rat model of Huntington's disease (HD). Green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing rat and mouse donors and an antibody specific to human nuclear antigen enabled identification of graft‐derived cells within the host brain, and double‐labelling with GFP and neuronal nuclear antigen or immunostaining with human‐specific tau identified graft‐derived neurons. Twelve weeks post‐transplantation, cells had migrated throughout the host in all groups; however, human cells and neurons had migrated significantly more than rat or mouse cells. These results demonstrate that neural cells derived from allografts are capable of migrating in the adult rat CNS and that the extent of migration is most likely determined by the size of the mature donor adult brain. This has important implications for the use of allo‐ and xenogeneic tissue as a source for transplantation in treating diffuse neurodegenerative disorders such as HD.


Near-infrared emission from semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) usually results from radiative relaxation of excitons. By binding an additional electron or hole through chemical or electrochemical doping, charged three-body excitons, so-called trions, are created that emit light at lower energies. The energy difference is large enough to observe weak trion photoluminescence from doped SWNTs even at room temperature. Here, we demonstrate strong trion electroluminescence from electrolyte-gated, light-emitting SWNT transistors with three different polymer-sorted carbon nanotube species, namely, (6,5), (7,5) and (10,5). The red-shifted trion emission is equal to or even stronger than the exciton emission, which is attributed to the high charge carrier density in the transistor channel. The possibility of trions as a radiative relaxation pathway for triplets and dark excitons that are formed in large numbers by electron-hole recombination is discussed. The ratio of trion to exciton emission can be tuned by the applied voltages, enabling voltage-controlled near-infrared light sources with narrow line widths that are solution-processable and operate at low voltages (<3 V).


Study involves the comparison between wear properties of commercially pure Mg, Mg-4Zn, Mg-4Zn3MnO2 and Mg-4Zn-3MnCl2 by addition of Zn and Mn (by changing their sources). The wear behaviour of all systems investigated under applied loads of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 N at the room temperature. The wear tests carried out by pin-on-disk type wear testing machine at sliding speed of 0.25 m/s for a total sliding distance of around 452 meter. The result shows that the wear property of pure magnesium improved by addition of 4.0% zinc but by addition of manganese in improvement of wear properties is not noticeable. At lower load condition (5N & 10N) the highest wear resistance obtained in Mg-4Zn-3MnCl2 system. At higher load (20N, 25N & 30N) wear resistance remain almost equal in all systems (Mg-4Zn, Mg-4Zn-3MnO2 & Mg-4Zn-3MnCl2).


Abstract : Pulse-forming networks (PFNs) are critical for many pulsed power applications; they perform conversion of prime electric energy into short pulses needed to energize large loads. They require high energy density, fast discharge speed (milliseconds to nanoseconds) capacitors. Medical defibrillators also require high performance capacitors that can deliver pulsed energy to the patient heart in approximately 5 milliseconds at 800 volts (implantable) or over 2,000 volts (external). Current commercial electrostatic capacitors usually have an energy density well below 3 J/cc due to the limitation of dielectric material performance and reliability constraints. The capacitors usually occupy a large fraction of the volume and contribute to the major cost in both the PFNs. The bulky size of capacitor components severely impedes the miniaturization of many electronic devices. The energy density (UE) of a linear dielectric material is proportional to its dielectric constant (K) and the square of its dielectric breakdown strength (DBS). Therefore, high K and DBS are critical to achieve a high energy density in capacitors. DBS is determined by both intrinsic and extrinsic (process-related) factors, but there is a general consensus that except for very thin films deposited on a substrate, the breakdown in practical components is limited by defects introduced during film processing. There have been many improvements over the last 10 to 20 years in polymer resin purity, capacitor film quality, metallization design, and capacitor fabrication so that energy densities of 1 to 3 J/cubic cm are now available with predictable lifetime for mission critical applications. It is uncertain if more process improvements can be expected to yield further energy density. In this paper, we present our recent progress in the development of high-K polymer dielectric materials, the commercial scale production of high-quality capacitor film, and the test of our first generation prototype capacitors.


The European project EUDAT built a data e-infrastructure, called Collaborative Data Infrastructure (CDI), connecting 16 data and computing centres to support over 50 research communities spanning across many different scientific disciplines. One of the main challenges to implement such infrastructure was to enable the users to manage their data in the same way across the different data centres despite each centre has its own peculiarities at hardware, software and policy level. Therefore, EUDAT adopted iRODS to deal with this heterogeneity relying on its features:  To define a common abstraction layer on top of the difference storage systems.  To provide a shared set of software interfaces and clients to perform data management operations.  To enforce a common set of policies.  To federate different administrative regions. On the other hand, each community has its own characteristics and often it requires specific customizations to cope with its data life cycle. Hence, beyond this common horizontal layer, through iRODS, EUDAT can offer the flexibility of a vertical integration with the community's tools and policies. In order to implement those policies and functions, in the context of this project, we extended iRODS with a set of rules and scripts, which form, together with the underlying software stack, the B2SAFE service. It allows the replication of data collections across different iRODS zones, takes care to assign a unique identifier to each data object and collection, to log every failed transfers and to store a minimal set of metadata together with the data themselves. The unique identifiers are stored in a de-centralized registry, called B2HANDLE, which makes them globally resolvable and persistent. In this article, we introduce the B2SAFE architecture and highlight the integration between iRODS and the B2HANDLE system and the corresponding workflows.


In this paper, we have a tendency to vindicate the importance of using literature in foreign language learning, respectively English as foreign language learning, as a material which would kindle productive skills of speaking and writing and receptive skills of reading and listening. Not being the supporter of all-literary text English language courses, we state the benefits of the literature to language learning. We cannot overlook the fact that there is a lack of experience and material for promoting the literature in language curriculums and the rareness of this method can be one other element intimidating, thus, disheartening for the wide range of teachers. The dichotomy of the category of teachers who support the inclusion of literature in foreign language learning and those who oppose it, make this method tap in one place and create more discussion on its suitability and practicality than a factual application of the same. We can similarly encounter aloofness from the students who are likewise not used to the presence of literature in ELT. Nevertheless, taking into consideration affluent linguistic contribution and communication provoking nature, we believe that it is the teacher who should bear the load of using resources which would make students spirited and eager in literature usage. The paper similarly aimed at numbering the gains of incorporation of the literature in language learning for achieving the ultimate objectives.


The issue of organizational sense-making has been much researched and written about in recent years. Yet, how structurally such sense-making attempts are facilitated remains relatively unexamined. In this article, the authors explore the underlying processes to be accomplished, sustained, and extended. `Episteme,' the underlying code of a culture or epoch that governs its language, its logic, its schemas of perception, its values and its techniques, etc., is what makes individual and collective meaning and sense-making possible. In this article, the authors identify three epistemes of organizational sense-making for legitimizing and justifying managerial actions and decision-making within the context of a family-owned newspaper called the Courier. This is done through a study of the justifying narratives employed in the collective sense-making process.


There exist a number of large repositories and search engines collecting ontologies from the web or directly from users. While mechanisms exist to help the authors of these ontologies manage their evolution locally, the links between different versions of the same ontology are often lost when the ontologies are collected by such systems. By inspecting a large collection of ontologies as part of the Watson search engine, we can see that this information is often encoded in the identifier of the ontologies, their URIs, using a variety of conventions and formats. We therefore devise an algorithm, the Ontology Version Detector, which implements a set of rules analyzing and comparing URIs of ontologies to discover versioning relations between ontologies. Through an experiment realized with 7000 ontologies, we show that such a simple and extensible approach actually provides large amounts of useful and relevant results. Indeed, the information derived from this algorithm helps us in understanding how version information is encoded in URIs and how ontologies evolve on the Web, ultimately supporting users in better exploiting the content of large ontology repositories.


By the time of early modernity, a widely deployed tenet of Christian thought had begun to vanish. The divine ideas tradition, the teaching that all beings have an eternal existence as aspects of God's mind, had functioned across a wide range of central Christian doctrines, providing Christian thinkers and mystical teachers with a powerful theological capacity: to illuminate the Trinitarian ground of all creatures, and to renew the divine truth of all creatures through human contemplation. Already by the time of the Middle Platonists, Plato's forms had been reinterpreted as ideas in the mind of God. Yet that was only the beginning of the transformation of the divine ideas, for Christian belief in God as Trinity and in the incarnation of the Word imbued the divine ideas tradition with a remarkable conceptual agility. The divine ideas teaching allowed mystical theologians to conceive the hidden presence of God in all creatures, and the power of every creature's truth in God to consummate the full dynamic of every creature's calling. This book takes the form of a theological essay that brings to life the striking role of the divine ideas tradition in the teaching of its central exponents, and also suggests how the divine ideas might constructively inform Christian theology and spirituality today. Especially in an age of global crises, when the truth of the natural environment, of racial injustice, and of public health is denied and disputed for political ends, the divine ideas tradition affords contemporary thinkers a creative and contemplative vision that reveres the deep truth of all beings and seeks their mending and fulfillment.


Objective: Diabetic foot infections (DFI) is one of the most common and debilitating complications of diabetes. Mean platelet volume (MPV), which is reported routinely in complete blood count has been shown to be increased in patients with diabetes. Higher MPV values have also been shown to be related with increased risk of cardiovascular events and thrombosis. In this study we aimed to study MPV values in DFI during the acute stage and after treatment, and its relationship between inflammatory markers. Patients and Methods: Data of all diabetic patients with DFI followed up in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit of Gazi University Hospital between 2004-2012 were reviewed. Forty-seven patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis were included into the study. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count, and MPV levels were recorded at baseline and after treatment from the computerized patient registry database. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 59.4 ± 10.0 years. Thirty-one (66%) patients were male. Median duration of diabetes was 15 (3-30) years. Median HbA1c was 7.9% (5.2-14). ESR, CRP, WBC and platelet counts were significantly decreased after treatment when compared to the baseline (p 0.05). MPV did not correlate with ESR, CRP and WBC counts before and after treatment in diabetic foot osteomyelitis. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that values of MPV might not be used as a marker in DFI. Prospective studies with larger number of patients are needed to evaluate the role of MPV in diabetic foot infections.


Corticosteroids are by far the most effective controllers of asthma. They suppress inflammation mainly by switching off multiple activated inflammatory genes, which is achieved by reversing histone acetylation via the recruitment of histone deacetylase 2. Through suppression of airway inflammation, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and control asthma symptoms. The use of ICS, which is now recommended as the first-line therapy for all patients with persistent asthma, controls asthma symptoms and prevents exacerbations. Inhaled long-acting β2 agonists added to ICS further improve asthma control and are commonly given as combination inhalers, which improve compliance and control asthma at lower doses. The use of ICS, which are absorbed from the lungs into the systemic circulation, has negligible systemic side effects at the doses most patients require. Systemic corticosteroids are used in the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma and as maintenance therapy in patients with severe asthma that is not controlled by the maximum dose of ICS. Oral steroids have numerous metabolic and endocrine side effects. Therefore, the lowest dose needed to control the disease should be used.


A form of diffuse pulmonary calcification called microlithiasis alveolaris pulmonum by Puhr,1in 1933, has been reported sporadically only in European countries until recently, when two reports from the United States appeared simultaneously.2The essential feature of this disease is a striking radiological appearance resembling miliary tuberculosis, caused by innumerable intra-alveolar concrements throughout the lung; in contrast to the degree of radiological and pathological changes, there are relatively few clinical symptoms until the late stages of the disease. Because of the increasing use of survey roentgenograms involving larger segments of the population, it is quite likely that this condition may be seen more frequently in the future. An awareness of its existence may lead to earlier recognition and avoidance of prolonged hospitalization. Since the pathology of our case has been described in detail elsewhere,2bthe objective of this paper is to present clinical aspects of the disease


Although the nature and circumstances of traumatic amputation are beyond the control of prehospital emergency care providers, their actions on scene and during transportation may still have a great influence upon both morbidity and mortality. Familiarity with the body's physiological response to major trauma and the military paradigm of treatment may well prove life-saving, as will understanding the potential need for an aggressive approach to haemorrhage management (including the use of tourniquets) and rapid transportation to definitive care. Where appropriate, effective cooling of the amputated part will maximize the possibility for successful replantation (surgical reattachment), although a poor cooling technique is likely to cause further cellular damage through either freezing or tissue maceration. This article will discuss the types of amputation and the key factors in the management of these types of injuries.


. We have performed simultaneous multi-frequency polarization VLBA observations of the compact radio sources 3C395 and 4C 39.25 which show both stationary and superluminal components in their parsec-scale structures. Those of 3C 395 have been reported elsewhere. Here we report on high resolution maps of the total intensity and polarized radio emission of 4C 39.25, trace the magnetic field configuration along the jet, and explore different possibilities for the nature of the components within the framework of the bent shocked relativistic jet model.


Colombia is the largest producer of palm oil in America. An estimate of the carbon footprint of a Colombian agro-industrial company during 2011 is presented in this paper. Only the operations conducted within the company's processing plant are considered. Greenhouse gas emissions are estimated by applying the methodology proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which considers the physical chemical properties and emission factors for fuels and activities described by the Colombian Mining and Energy Planning Unit. The carbon footprint is found to be 115,352 t CO2 for the studied year. Of these emissions, 58% correspond to anaerobic open lagoons for water treatment, 41% to stationary combustion equipment, and only 1% to transportation vehicles and heavy machinery owned by the company. By identifying emission sources and estimating the carbon footprint, this company is now able to set objectives leading to a reduction in emissions and the implementation of strategies to minimize environmental effects caused by this process.


The presence of weeds which have developed resistance to chemical herbicides is a problem of rapidly growing importance in Australian agriculture. We present an optimal control model of herbicide resistance development in ryegrass, the weed for which resistance is most commonly reported. The model is used to select the optimal combination of chemical and non-chemical control measures taking account of the trade off between short term profits and the long term level of herbicide resistance. Results indicate that given the threat of resistance there are benefits from integrating a combination of chemical and non-chemical control measures. The optimal strategy is found to include a declining herbicide dosage as resistance develops, with compensatory increases in the level of non-chemical control.


Abstract A sample of 422 Mexicans from a medium-sized city responded to the New Environmental Paradigm-Human Exception Paradigm (NEP-HEP) scale, which assesses peoples' beliefs about human-environment relations. The NEP scale contains questions referring to the need for a "natural balance" and "limits to human impact on nature." In contrast, implicit in the HEP scale is a view of humankind as different from and with control over nature. The responses of the interviewees revealed higher levels of adherence to the NEP than to the HEP. However, confirmatory factor analysis showed the covariances between pro-NEP and pro-HEP factors to be high and significant, indicating that the participants did not see the two paradigms as mutually exclusive, as do members of some industrialized societies. The results point to a more holistic view of human relations with the environment, in contrast to the dualistic vision of some western countries.


Researchers are actively trying to gain better insights into the representational properties of convolutional neural networks for guiding better network designs and for interpreting a network's computational nature. Gaining such insights can be an arduous task due to the number of parameters in a network and the complexity of a network's architecture. Current approaches of neural network interpretation include Bayesian probabilistic interpretations and information theoretic interpretations. In this study, we take a different approach to studying convolutional neural networks by proposing an abstract algebraic interpretation using finite transformation semigroup theory. Specifically, convolutional layers are broken up and mapped to a finite space. The state space of the proposed finite transformation semigroup is then defined as a single element within the convolutional layer, with the acting elements defined by surrounding state elements combined with convolution kernel elements. Generators of the finite transformation semigroup are defined to complete the interpretation. We leverage this approach to analyze the basic properties of the resulting finite transformation semigroup to gain insights on the representational properties of convolutional neural networks, including insights into quantized network representation. Such a finite transformation semigroup interpretation can also enable better understanding outside of the confines of fixed lattice data structures, thus useful for handling data that lie on irregular lattices. Furthermore, the proposed abstract algebraic interpretation is shown to be viable for interpreting convolutional operations within a variety of convolutional neural network architectures.


Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) plays a critical role in regulating the expression of many genes essential for normal functioning of liver, gut, kidney, and pancreatic islets. A nonsense mutation (Q268X) in exon 7 of the HNF4alpha gene is responsible for an autosomal dominant, early-onset form of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (maturity-onset diabetes of the young; gene named MODY1). Although this mutation is predicted to delete 187 C-terminal amino acids of the HNF4alpha protein the molecular mechanism by which it causes diabetes is unknown. To address this, we first studied the functional properties of the MODY1 mutant protein. We show that it has lost its transcriptional transactivation activity, fails to dimerize and bind DNA, implying that the MODY1 phenotype is because of a loss of HNF4alpha function. The effect of loss of function on HNF4alpha target gene expression was investigated further in embryonic stem cells, which are amenable to genetic manipulation and can be induced to form visceral endoderm. Because the visceral endoderm shares many properties with the liver and pancreatic beta-cells, including expression of genes for glucose transport and metabolism, it offers an ideal system to investigate HNF4-dependent gene regulation in glucose homeostasis. By exploiting this system we have identified several genes encoding components of the glucose-dependent insulin secretion pathway whose expression is dependent upon HNF4alpha. These include glucose transporter 2, and the glycolytic enzymes aldolase B and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and liver pyruvate kinase. In addition we have found that expression of the fatty acid binding proteins and cellular retinol binding protein also are down-regulated in the absence of HNF4alpha. These data provide direct evidence that HNF4alpha is critical for regulating glucose transport and glycolysis and in doing so is crucial for maintaining glucose homeostasis.


The estimation of loss reserves for incurred but not reported (IBNR) claims presents an important task for insurance companies to predict their liabilities. Recently, individual claim loss models have attracted a great deal of interest in actuarial literature, which overcome some shortcomings of aggregated claim loss models. The dependence of the event times with the delays is a crucial issue for estimating the claim loss reserving. In this paper, we propose to use semi-competing risks copula and semi-survival copula models to fit the dependence structure of the event times with the delays in individual claim loss model. A nonstandard two-step procedure is applied to our setting in which the associate parameter and one margin are estimated based on an ad hoc estimator of the other margin. The asymptotic properties of the estimators are established as well. A simulation study is carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods.


Objective: In this study the inhibitory effect of E. arvense extract on trypsin activity and the effect of trypsin on E. arvense extract were studied. In addition the nature of the interaction between the extract and trypsin was investigated. Methods: The inhibitory effect ethanol extract of E. arvense on trypsin activity was determined using trypsin enzyme assay. The structural effects of the extract-trypsin interaction for the extract were analyzed by FTIR. Finally, the HPLC analyses were carried out to analyze the individual components of the extract and the supernatant and soluble precipitate phases. Results: E. arvense extract was found to decrease total percent activity of trypsin to 5% in 24 hour at 24 °C. FTIR analyses indicated that the interaction between trypsin and E. arvense extract caused changes in the structure and hydrogen bonding behavior and composition of the extract proteins. These interactions also caused the extract lipids to accumulate in the insoluble precipitate phase. Most of the phenolics remained in the supernatant phase enhancing the inactivation of trypsin. However, the precipitated compounds were shown to be of apolar in nature as shown in the HPLC chromatograms. Conclusion: The methods that were used showed that the high phenolic content of E. arvense was the main reason for the inhibition of trypsin enzyme activity by denaturing the enzyme.


Grebe-type chondrodysplasia exhibits a severe form of limb shortening and appendicular bone dysmorphogenesis. Here we report a family with seven males and six females who inherited the disorder in an autosomal recessive fashion. While the carrier parents did not exhibit any apparent skeletal abnormalities, all affected patients had a similar phenotype with unaffected axial and craniofacial bones. Since mutations in the cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein 1 (CDMP1) gene have been reported in similar acromesomelic chondrodysplasias, we examined genomic DNA from affected and normal subjects for possible mutations in CDMP1. In affected subjects, an insertion of a C at nucleotide 297 of the coding sequence was discovered. This insertion produced a shift in the reading frame at amino acid residue 99, causing premature termination of the polypeptide six amino acids downstream. DNA samples from 41 control subjects did not show this mutation. The truncated CDMP1 protein in these subjects is predicted to cause a total loss of its signaling function. The present report confirms that CDMP1 plays an important role in the regulation of axial bone growth during development and suggests that its absence does not impair other developmental processes.


Obesity is a pro-inflammatory state that contributes to the development of metabolic disorders such as hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we evaluated the inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice by Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg L. water extract (PJT). Lipid accumulation measurement indicates that PJT markedly inhibited adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR results demonstrated that the mRNA expression of adipogenic transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein- α (C/EBPα) in 3T3-L1 cells were significantly down-regulated by PJT treatment. Oral administration of PJT (100, 300, and 500 ㎎/㎏, b.w/daily for 4 weeks) was conducted in high-fat diet induced obese mice and C57BL/6 mice. The PJT-administered group of HFD-induced mice had a lower body weight gain, along with decreased serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol compared with the control mice, however, the HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio was increased. Furthermore, the elevated mRNA expression levels of adipogenesis related genes in the white adipose tissue of obese mice were significantly suppressed by PJT. These results indicate that PJT exhibits anti-obesity effects in obese mice by decreasing in serum lipid levels and lipogenesis related gene.


Although ocean-floor basalts form a very convergent group from the point of view of their major element compositions, the variation that they do show can be interpreted in geological terms to a certain extent, though analytical variation must contribute substantially to that observed. Multivariate statistical methods demonstrate a high-level fractional crystallization trend in 94 selected ocean-floor basalts caused by precipitation of calcic plagioclase, forsteritic olivine and augite. After this effect is subtracted, a moderate amount of variation remains which can be interpreted as caused by crystal-liquid processes involving amphibole, though this is less certain. A new average of ocean-floor basalt compositions is presented, and it is suggested that the term 'oceanic tholeiite' should not be retained.


Effective separation and purification of antibiotic has been an important issue in the pharmaceutical industries. A novel antibiotic adsorption has been developed in biotechnology to achieve high efficiency and economical separation processes. Application in separation and purification processes often used the ability of zeolites and other molecular sieves to exclude larger molecules to enter the pores and admit smaller ones. In this study, three types of zeolites which are Y, Beta and ZSM-5 have been used to study the effect of their performance on the antibiotic purification. The zeolite is used as an immobilized metal ion affinity stationary phase for antibiotic purification. The adsorption of Rifampicin antibiotic using zeolites was studied. Rifampicin adsorbance was analyzed by using UV/VIS Spectrophotometer. The zeolite Beta is recognized to have highest adsorption capacity compared to zeolite Y and ZSM-5. The adsorption capacity of Rifampicin depends on their types of structure, pore size of the zeolite, surface area as well as pore volume of the zeolite. The effect of pH on adsorption capacity was studied at four different pHs, namely 5, 7, 8, and 9. It is found that the adsorption capacity is the highest at pH 8 which is the nearest to the pKa of Rifampicin. Increase in pH lower than pKa value result in increasing adsorption capacity. But,increase in pH higher than pKa value results decreasing adsorption capacity. This is postulate due to the electrostatics repulsion between antibiotic molecules and the surface of adsorbent. Lastly, it can be concluded that the most efficient zeolite is Beta at pH 8.The adsorption isotherms data on Rifampicin are fitted to the Langmuir model.


PurposePrefabricated technology is gradually being applied to the construction of subway stations due to its characteristic of mechanization. However, the prefabricated subway station in China is in the initial stage of development, which is prone to construction safety issues. This study aims to evaluate the construction safety risks of prefabricated subway stations in China and formulate corresponding countermeasures to ensure construction safety.Design/methodology/approachA construction safety risk evaluation index system for the prefabricated subway station was established through literature research and the Delphi method. Furthermore, based on the structure entropy weight method, matter-element theory and evidence theory, a hybrid evaluation model is developed to evaluate the construction safety risks of prefabricated subway stations. The basic probability assignment (BPA) function is obtained using the matter-element theory, the index weight is calculated using the structure entropy weight method to modify the BPA function and the risk evaluation level is determined using the evidence theory. Finally, the reliability and applicability of the evaluation model are verified with a case study of a prefabricated subway station project in China.FindingsThe results indicate that the level of construction safety risks in the prefabricated subway station project is relatively low. Man risk, machine risk and method risk are the key factors affecting the overall risk of the project. The evaluation results of the first-level indexes are discussed, and targeted countermeasures are proposed. Therefore, management personnel can deeply understand the construction safety risks of prefabricated subway stations.Originality/valueThis research fills the research gap in the field of construction safety risk assessment of prefabricated subway stations. The methods for construction safety risk assessment are summarized to establish a reliable hybrid evaluation model, laying the foundation for future research. Moreover, the construction safety risk evaluation index system for prefabricated subway stations is proposed, which can be adopted to guide construction safety management.


Niobium tin was one of the first superconductors to be made into relatively small high field magnets forty-six years ago. Conductors made from it are widely used for a range of different applications and development efforts are still being carried out to improve properties and reduce costs. The paper describes some of the work being carried out by the authors to make such improved conductors for fusion, high-energy physics and other applications. Three different types of niobium-tin conductors are described: 1. Low loss material with modest current density for fusion magnets. 2. High current density, higher loss material for high field high energy physics magnets. 3. Tubular type, low cost material with intermediate current density and small subelement size that could have application in a wide range of different magnets. Some of the advantages and drawbacks of each type of conductor are described together with illustrative properties.


Social networks have become an inseparable part of our modern life. Social network, if used properly, can be very beneficial for all the users in every respect. There are many researched applications of Social network in different fields, its application in Health Education was not mentioned anywhere properly, though. For the survey, the students of Bachelors' levels, majoring in Health and Physical Education in constituent and affiliated colleges of T.U. of Kathmandu Valley were selected from the different colleges. Altogether 171 students, who were acquainted with Social network, were selected as respondents for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data and interview guidelines were used to obtain qualitative data from teachers.
The students and teachers profoundly used Social network still they should use it for educational purpose. The communication gap between teachers and students were clearly perceived.


AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO

Following exposure to DNA antimetabolites, the CHK1 kinase is activated as part of the replication checkpoint and is essential for tumor cell viability in this context. RNAi-mediated knockdown of CHK1 during DNA antimetabolite exposure leads to several signature phenotypes, notably the rapid and irreversible induction of dsDNA breaks, which can be quantitatively assayed via the \#947;-H2AX marker of DNA damage. CHK2 status does not impact replication checkpoint override phenotypes, implying a non-redundant role for CHK1 during DNA antimetabolite exposure. These observations refined the target profile for a putative CHK1 inhibitor, specifically establishing a requirement for minimal CHK2 cross-reactivity. Using the available siRNA data as a basis, high-throughput functional screens of replication checkpoint override were developed. These tracked mechanism-based accumulation of \#947;-H2AX, were highly discriminatory and led to the discovery of SCH 900776. SCH 900776 is a potent, selective inhibitor of CHK1 (IC50 = 0.002 uM) and binds with high affinity to the CHK1 kinase domain (Kd = 0.002 uM). SCH 900776 does not significantly inhibit other kinases (including CHK2) and exhibits selectivity versus a range of other enzymes and ion channels. SCH 900776 induces rapid override of the replication checkpoint induced by multiple DNA antimetabolites, causing accumulation of DNA damage. Using the \#947;-H2AX assay, replication checkpoint override following SCH 900776 exposure is dose-dependent (EC50 = 0.125 uM), readily apparent following short exposures and occurs in multiple tumor cell lines. Cellular responses to SCH 900776 exposure were similar to those observed following siRNA-mediated depletion of CHK1. Importantly, similar DNA damage phenotypes were not observed following replication checkpoint override in proliferating normal fibroblasts, suggesting this mechanism of action may selectively impact tumor cell lines. The in vitro biomarkers of replication checkpoint engagement and override were translated in vivo (mouse, rat and dog) and facilitated accurate calibration of mechanism-based activity, relative to onset of dose-limiting toxicities. In combination with gemcitabine, SCH 900776 rapidly induced biomarker responses in xenograft tumor tissue and surrogate skin samples which were correlated with enhanced efficacy. Doses of SCH 900776 required for mechanism-based activity in vivo were well below those associated with toxicity, suggesting this compound has a wide therapeutic index. Importantly, efficacious doses of SCH 900776 in combination with gemcitabine did not adversely alter the nadir or rebound kinetics of hematological parameters in Balb/C mice, relative to gemcitabine monotherapy. In summary, high-content functional screening led to the discovery of SCH 900776, a selective CHK1 inhibitor with potent, mechanism-based activity against the replication checkpoint induced by DNA antimetabolites.

Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2490.


Due to the emerging development in the energy industry, the demand for electricity consumption has sharply increased for each country. Therefore, a new recovery of energy resources is needed in consequence of the decreasing dependency on conventional energy resources, while sustaining energy security in the aspect of energy supply and climate change issues. The fuel cell is one of the most potential resources to be explored in order to overcome the constraints of the current energy generation. The aim of this paper is to discuss the entire cycle of the fuel cell system. It is starting from biogas production up to the recent studies related to life cycle assessment on fuel cell studies. Most of the researchers focused on the technical part of fuel cells; however, a comprehensive environmental assessment is essential to fully recognize the impact of fuel cells. Furthermore, this conceptual paper provided an idea on understanding the concept of fuel cell and referred to recently published articles related to life cycle assessment. Hopefully, this study can provide the guideline in determining the future energy for this country, in order to be less dependent on the current resources of energy supply.


Introduction Physical exercise programs have been suggested to soften or reverse balance deficits and postural deviation. Objective This study investigated the influence of a systematic aquatic exercise program on body balance. Method Healthy young adult volunteers of both genders, aged 18–30 years were assessed. The experimental group (EG, n = 20) was subjected to 24 sessions of aquatic exercises of 50 minutes long, performed three times a week, and the control group (CG, n = 25) suffered no intervention. A 3-D force platform was used to calculate the center of pressure displacement (COP) in anteroposterior and mid-lateral directions with or without visual information. The individuals were assessed in pre or post-training. Results The results demonstrated a decrease in body oscillation in both visual conditions, with post-training values lower than pre-training ones. Visual information was not expressive for EG post-training. Conclusion It was concluded that the program was effective for body balance improvement.


Goiter in iodine-sufficient areas has been linked to water-borne goitrogens in watersheds and aquifers rich in coal and shale. In the present study, the potential antithyroid and goitrogenic effects of coal-water extracts (CWE) were investigated in vivo in rats after chronic and acute oral administration of CWE, and in vitro by a thyroid peroxidase (TPO) enzyme system. CWE was prepared by continuous extraction of ground (40 mesh) Appalachian coal with goitrogen-free water (GFW). Female Buffalo rats fed on Purina iodine-rich diet (12 micrograms I-/day/rat), were given ad lib CWE (50 mg/ml; approximately 20 mL/day/rat) or GFW (controls) for 2 months. At the end of the experiment, 125I 1 microCi, was injected i.p. and 4 h later the thyroid glands were removed, weighed, and analyzed histologically and for total 125I and 125I-labeled compounds. Rats on CWE had larger thyroid glands [7.2 +/- 0.3 mg/100 g (mean +/- SE) vs 5.0 +/- 0.5 controls; p < 0.005] with distinct histological changes of smaller thyroid follicles, some with columnar epithelium, and with more dense colloid than in controls, and had significant inhibition of the coupling mechanism for production of thyroid hormones [125MIT + DIT/125T3 + T4: 5.1 +/- 0.2 vs 3.9 +/- 0.1 controls, p < 0.005; and 125T3 + T4 (%): 10.6 +/- 0.3 vs 12.6 +/- 0.4 controls, p < 0.005]. Female Sprague-Dawley rats under the same conditions as Buffalo rats were given acutely by GI tube 2 mL of CWE (5 g/mL) or GFW (controls).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


In this paper, we propose a novel attitude control strategy for a hydrofoil catamaran over its whole operating range based on Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy controller via parallel distributed compensation (PDC) method, which aims to overcome some drawback of the conventional linear quadratic regulator (LQR). First, the T-S fuzzy system and PDC algorithm are introduced. The nonlinear mathematical model of the hydrofoil catamaran is then derived to verify the proposed control strategy. The advantage in interpolation of the T-S fuzzy model ensures that the feedback gain can be obtained smoothly, while the boat's speed is shifting over the operating envelope. At the same time, the merit of the LQR control is also well retained. By use of the Matlab's LMI toolbox, a common positive definite matrix P can be found so as to guarantee the global stability of the fuzzy control system of the hydrofoil catamaran. Finally, based on the simulation model of the boat HB200B-A1, the effectiveness of the nonlinear mathematical model and the proposed T-S fuzzy controller using PDC method is demonstrated.


Author(s): Kurup, Naina | Advisor(s): Jin, Yishi | Abstract: Synapses are the functional connections between neurons and their targets.Synapse degeneration or dysfunction underlie several neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders ranging from autism to Alzheimer's disease, making the study of synapse formation and maintenance highly relevant. Various types of synapses exist within the human nervous system, including en passant synapses, which form along the axon, and terminal synapses, which form at the ends of axons. The nervous system of the nematode C. elegans also forms en passant and terminal synapses, which when coupled with a transparent body, a known connectome and ease of genetic manipulation, makes it an ideal model for the study of synaptogenesis. In the first part of my dissertation, I elucidate the cellular mechanisms that regulate a unique synapse rewiring paradigm in C. elegans motor neurons, where pre-exisiting en passant synapses are completely eliminated and new synapses are formed without any alteration in overall axon morphology. My studies have identified a novel role for dynamic microtubules in facilitating this process, through the modulation of synaptic vesicle transport during remodeling. I also provide in vivo evidence for how molecular motors kinesin and dynein, which move towards opposite ends of the microtubule, engage in a tug-of-war to determine the overall direction of motion of synaptic vesicles. In addition, I uncovered an unexpected role for intermediate filament proteins in regulating microtubule dynamics during synapse formation, and a novel kinase that regulates synapse maintenance after remodeling. Finally, I explore how post-translational modifications of tubulin alter long distance synaptic vesicle transport to terminal synapses, using the mechanosensory neurons in C. elegans as a model. Taken together, my dissertation enhances our current understanding of the different pathways regulating synapse dynamics.


Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the support activities of dietitians during disasters were able to address the problems faced by mothers about their children's diet and nutrition. Methods: Dietitians (7 in total) and mothers (8) were selected by the snowball sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used to conduct focus group interviews about children's diet and nutrition. Verbatim data were generated, and an inductively qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted. Results: Six categories were generated for each group. Dietitians responded to problems that mothers had regarding their children's diet and nutrition via 2 activities: [dealing with allergy food shortages] and [school lunch support]. Conclusion: It is important for dietitians to recommend stockpiling allergy-friendly foods to accommodate children with allergies and achieve early resumption of school lunches to meet children's nutritional needs.


Background: The pathogenesis and the inflammatory cell profile of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are subject to a continuous debate. Recent studies demonstrate that eosinophils contribute to inflammation, which suggests involvement of Th2 lymphocytes. A classification of COPD into different immunophenotypes, depending on the inflammatory cell profile, may facilitate the development of targeted treatments

Aims: To investigate the peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subset quantities in COPD phenotypes

Method: Whole blood samples obtained from COPD patients and healthy controls were incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies (CD3+ FITC, CD8+ PE and CD4+ APC) and prepared with Ficoll-paque density gradient centrifugation for immunophenotypical analysis by flow cytometry

Results: 3 different T-lymphocyte profiles in COPD patients are seen. Group A) normal CD4+ CD8+ (mean CD4+ 60.88 %; CD8+ 35.94%; %sputum eosinophils 3.75) comparable to the control group; Group B) higher than normal CD8+ and low CD4+ count (mean CD4+ 39.13%; CD8+ 57.35;sputum eosinophils 5% ); Group C) high CD4+ and low CD8+ count (mean CD4+ 81.44; CD8+ 17.88; sputum eosinophils 0.7%)

![Figure][1]

Conclusion: There are distinct subgroups of COPD patients identifiable by their T- lymphocyte profiles. Whether this infers a separate pathoimmunobiology in COPD needs further investigation.

 [1]: pending:yes