Diagnostic dilemmas of biopsy specimens in the central nervous system (CNS) tumors are often the result of multiple factors, including fixation artifact, biopsy size, lack of immunohistochemical techniques to distinguish cell types, and unawareness of rare entities. Correct diagnosis and confirmation of diagnosis of primary CNS neoplasms is imperative and may require electron microscopic examination. In some instances, use of electron microscopy may be the only approach for accurate recognition of an entity. Although diagnostic electron microscopy is expensive and cost cutting is encouraged in today's practice of medicine, cost must be weighed against the consequences of even 1 patient developing CNS treatment-related necrosis or a radiation-induced neoplasm secondary to misdiagnosis of a benign entity. This study reviews the ultrastructural differences of three groups of diagnostically difficult CNS lesions: clear cell neoplasms (ependymoma, oligodendroglioma, central neurocytoma), rare entities containing astrocytes invested by a basal lamina (pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, the desmoplastic neuroepithelial tumors of infancy), and benign entities characterized by transitional cell forms (subependymoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma).


We present numerical simulations of mechanical and chemical permeability evolutions near a cooling pluton and its impacts on the formation of natural supercritical geothermal resources. Permeability behavior at the supercritical state and/or the brittle-ductile-transition (BDT) zone is of great interest for understanding and exploiting supercritical geothermal systems. Recent experimental studies suggest mechanical and chemical processes could have significant impacts on the permeability changes under the conditions. Watanabe et al. (2017) reported the effective stress primarily controls the permeability of fractured granitic rocks even at a temperature above the critical temperature of water. Furthermore, Saishu et al. (2014) showed that nucleation-driven silica precipitation could take place near the critical point and its instantaneous reaction may play an important role in the formation of a low permeable zone at depth and subsequent developments of shallower natural convective geothermal systems as well as deeper supercritical geothermal systems. This study is aimed at understanding permeability changes driven by the mechanical and chemical processes near a cooling pluton and investigate their impacts on the temporal and spatial development of potentially exploitable supercritical resources in granitic environments. For this purpose, we extended the multiphase flow simulator HYDROTHERM (Kipp et al., 2008; Weis et al., 2014) to include the new stress-dependent and silica dissolution/precipitation effects on its permeability model and modeled the system evolution in a 2D axisymmetric domain. Current results show that the extent and lifetime of the supercritical resources are largely affected by the permeability model as well as the host rock permeability, the intrusion depth, and its radius.


The research aims to understand how South Koreans at the University of Kansas feel about South Korea's increase in influence and its effect on the politics of Korean reunification. Previous research often lacked analysis of the cultural and social consequences of unification, and also lacked much qualitative data of the younger generation. My data includes interview transcriptions of South Korean exchange students studying at the University of Kansas. Within the individual interviews, I sought to understand the perspectives of the younger generation of South Koreans ages 18-30, in regard to the policies of Korean reunification and the political connection to South Korea's global cultural influence. The interviewer asked the students thirty open-ended, discussion questions to gather personal insight into the Korean relationship and discuss the experiences of each interviewee. The long individual interviews sessions uncovered the common trends in rhetoric among the students. The data revealed the younger generations' emotional connection to North Korea, opinions on South Korean President Moon, as well as the thoughts on the policies of Korean reunification. The research will continue to add to the discussions on the socio-economics of the Koreas and the academic dialogue surrounding Korean reunification.


Luyet et al. [1] found a 26% clinical failure rate with paravertebral catheter insertion using a landmark technique. Shelley and Macfie were therefore correct to question the risk/ benefit ratio of paravertebral catheters [2], particularly when compared with epidural block, and especially in relation to thoracic anaesthesia. However, the majority of paravertebral blocks are performed for breast surgery or for chronic pain intervention, and not for thoracic surgery. As Luyet et al. point out, success rates over 90% have been recorded with landmark techniques in several studies, and catheters are rarely required. Several of these studies used a multi-level technique by the caudal approach and not the cranial approach of Eason and Wyatt [3]. Hill and Greengrass [4] have published a series of studies totalling over 1000 patients using this approach, recording no pneumothoraces and no neurological complications. Shelley and Macfie make much of the potential for pneumothorax and neurological complications, but the literature does not support this assertion, particularly in relation to the caudal approach. There are anatomical reasons to prefer a caudal approach and in my experience of several thousand paravertebral blocks using this technique, my colleagues and I have not seen a single pneumothorax or neurological complication. Millions of paravertebral blocks must have been carried out worldwide, and yet there are only three papers describing a handful of neurological complications, with the majority reported over 50 years ago (and one of which was with alcohol!). The risk of such complications with thoracic epidural injection is low, but anatomical logic dictates that the risk must be far lower with paravertebral block, without medial direction of the needle. It is unfortunate that Luyet et al. did not use a caudal approach with a predefined depth of needle insertion from the transverse process and a pre-defined catheter insertion depth. As they did not, it is possible that the caudal approach would result in better success rates. We can conclude that with the Eason and Wyatt technique, with unregulated catheter insertion depth, success is unreliable. This does not necesarily mean we should choose ultrasound instead. In my experience, ultrasound takes three times as long to perform and is no more succesful than the landmark technique. I agree that there is a need for studies comparing ultrasound with landmark approaches. S. Tighe Countess of Chester Hospital Chester, UK Email: email@example.com


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis with different perimenopause status.

DESIGN
Descriptive study.

SETTING
Menopause clinic, Hat Yai Regional Hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
From April 1997 to September 2006, 1,796 women who underwent bone mineral density (BMD) measurement at Hat Yai Regional Hospital were recruited for the analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and the femoral neck using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer (DXA), Lunar Expert-XL. The value of BMD bone between -1 and -2.5 standard deviation is considered osteopenia, and more than -2.5 standard deviation reflected osteoporosis.

RESULTS
It was found that the prevalence of osteoporosis of lumbar spines and femoral neck was significantly higher in the late group of menopause (> 5 years since menopause) than in the early group of menopause (< 5 years since menopause) and than in the premenopause group. Osteoporosis at the lumbar spine was present in 1% ofpremenopause, 5.7% in the early group of menopause, and 10% in the late group ofmenopause. While osteoporosis at the femoral neck was present in 0. 1% of premenopause, 0% in the early group of menopause, and 0. 6% in the late group of menopause; both were statistically significant, (p < 0. 001). Osteoporosis in the present study was not correlated with a history of osteoporosis among members of the family, insufficient calcium food, alcohol intake, caffeine intake, smoking, or non-exercise. Non-hormone intake, low body mass index, early and late group of menopause were highly significant correlated with osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION
During the perimenopause, the quantity and quality of BMD declines gradually or even rapidly. Many factors are known to be associated with osteoporosis. For general public health concern, the risk assessment for all perimenopausal women should be evaluated, probably followed by BMD.


We would like to present, with great pleasure that the aim of the 2nd Virtual Conference on Advances in Electric Drives, Process Control and Automation (VCADPCA2020) is a platform for researchers, academicians as well as professionals from all over the world to present, discuss and promote advances in knowledge, research and practice in the field of Electric Drives, Process Control and Automation. VCADPCA2020 is offering a fantastic opportunity to attend a global scientific forum from the convenience of your desktop. No travelling, no hotel expenses, no time away from the office. The conference runs fully online, from paper submission, including reviewing, conference discussion and post conference processing. All papers will be referred to double tier approval process, single-blind peer-review and regular check. The online conference is a smart and affordable manner of presenting research results. Three leading universities VIT, India, Aalborg University Fibigerstræde, Denmark and University West, Sweden are organized this conference successfully on 9th June 2020. Keynote sessions are presented virtually from National and International experts in cutting edge technologies. The selected papers are presented by the authors virtually in the emerging fields like smart grid, power electronics, renewable energy, industrial automation, control and robotics. The panel members evaluated the research ideas and recommended for paper publications in IOP conference proceedings. List of Editorial Board members are available in this pdf.


An automatic image processing technique for analyzing the laser images of two-phase (oil and water) pipeline flow is proposed. The main steps of this technique include a new automatic thresholding method for conversion from gray-level to binary images, binary smoothing, labeling, examining, and calculating. The technique has proven reliable to automatically analyze the images of this two-phase-flow research. By random searching, bright water droplets (droplets with high gray level) are detected. Based on the characteristics of the bright droplets, the threshold is determined by the new thresholding method, called cross-edge-line thresholding. Experimental observation shows that this thresholding method can be used successfully for two-phase laser images. Binary smoothing is used to smooth the boundary of the extracted droplets. Labeling is then used to distinguish each separate droplet. In the examining step, elimination of faint droplets and nondroplets and multiplication by a possibility factor to account for droplets only partially immersed in the control volume are done to improve the performance of the technique.


Interpretation of seismic reflection records is a blend of quantitative science and visual art. An interpreter uses the rules of wave propagation, realistic limits on impedances of rocks and accepted principles of stratigraphic deposition and structural deformation to arrive at a geologic understanding of a seismic section. This application of science, however, seldom produces a unique answer, and the obligation to consider alternative interpretations provides plenty of latitude for creative imagining.


A detailed analysis of zoological and botanical engineering structures reveals remarkable ideas for developing new healthcare technologies. One eclectic example is the surface microprotrusions of Gecko lizard skins, featuring nanoscale tips that engage in bacterial repulsion and killing. However, building biomimetic synthetic nanostructures in long range for technological use is hampered by the lack of concentrated digital information for 3D nano‐fabrication. For instance, standard micro‐computed tomography (µCT), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging failed to replicate gecko spinules at the nanoscale. The authors now show that the latest generation of high‐power X‐ray microscopy (Zeiss X‐Radia 810) builds high contrast images of the gecko skin surface, and following 3D digital conversion the individual spinules, in the large array, are perfectly delineated at 150 nm and clearly featured the 50 nm nanotips crucial for bacterial cell rupturing. Consequently, the authors generate stenographic (STL.) digital file formats loaded with the instructions for 3D printing and the design blueprints for soft lithography replication. A further reconstruction of the digital data is undertaken into a 3D solid object using MeshLabs, yielding biologically realistic, virtual‐world spinule arrays. In this form, the authors are able to edit the spinules for optimal killing performance against bacterial cells.


While there have been many studies of ordinary citizens' institutional trust, there is very little knowledge about how national elites or leaders evaluate the trustworthiness of public institutions. This article contributes to filling this knowledge gap. Based on data from the Norwegian Power and Democracy Project's Leadership Study 2000, it is demonstrated that Norwegian top leaders have more trust in the main institutions of the society than citizens do in general. They rank, however, the various institutions in the same way. As found in studies of citizens' institutional trust, ideological orientation is an important cause of institutional trust among the top leaders. How they relate to the public/private cleavage as well as to the centre/periphery cleavage has significant impact upon their trust giving. The degree of trust in a particular institution is also positively affected by how much contact a top leader has with the leaders of this institution. The elites in Norway are involved in an extensive network of contacts and relations with leaders in other sectors and institutions. An indirect, and thus not always discernable effect of this network of relations seems to be that a higher degree of mutual trust is emerging among all the elites in the system.


This paper presents an adaptive fuzzy filter system that combines the outputs of several filters at any time. It is observed that each objective function associated with a filter yields differing capability in the filtering operation. Hence, all the objective functions are divided into 2 types: multiplicative type (Pi) and summation type (Sigma). In this paper, we present several filter combinations and show that each filter combination called hybrid filter, which consists of filters from both types, is effective in reducing Gaussian type and impulse noises. The outputs of the filters are combined depending upon the value of pixel compatibility, which is computed from the gray-level differences between the central pixel and its neighbours.


This work is dedicated to Professor Jerome A. Goldstein on the occasion of his 80 th birthday Abstract We consider three-dimensional (3D) Boussinesq convection system of an incompressible fluid in a closed sample of a porous medium. Specifically, we introduce and analyze a 3D Brinkman-Forchheimer-B´enard convection problem describing the behavior of an incompressible fluid in a porous medium between two plates heated from the bottom and cooled from the top. We show the existence and uniqueness of global in-time solutions, and the existence of absorbing balls in L 2 and H 1 . Eventually, we comment on the applicability of a data assimilation algorithm to our system.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the reproducibility of the PAPNET scanning station (Neuromedical Systems, Inc., Suffern, New York, U.S.A.) in selecting cells from a cervical smear.

STUDY DESIGN
We compared the images of 196 smears that were scanned on two occasions by the PAPNET scanning station on two monitors simultaneously and compared the cellular contents and technical records provided by the scanning station. The sample consisted of 62 positive smears (mild dysplasia and more) and 134 negative smears.

RESULTS
Although differences were found in the technical information provided by the scanning station (kappa = .65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .51-0.79) and in the reported percentages of air bubbles (kappa = .60, 95% CI = .51-.68), the detection of abnormal cases was not affected. Furthermore, the agreement on microscopic review was excellent (kappa = .92, 95% CI = .88-.96). In nine cases that did not differ in tech code or percentage of air bubbles, however, differences were found in the cellular content of the tiles that would have led to different advice for additional microscopic review. This would have had important clinical consequences in two cases because a serious abnormality would have been missed.

CONCLUSION
The consistency of the PAPNET scanning system is somewhat on the low side in providing technical information, although this did not affect the clinical outcome. In nine cases, for example, we found differences in the demonstration of cells in the tiles on the screen; two would have had clinical consequences. It is important to set goals for the performance of the machine and to incorporate them in the procedures to be used as standard practice. This is especially true when the scanning stations are going to be operated on site in the cytology laboratory.


An important landmark is reached in the evolution ofa scientific field when classification of its subject matter is based on the relevant, fundamental processes involved rather than on descriptions of the appearances of the phenomena of interest. In illustration, a fundamental turning point was reached when the debilitation and progressive susceptibility to bruising of shipboard scurvy could for the first time be classified as the process resulting from a deficiency of consumption of something variously present in fruits and vegetables (much later identified as ascorbic acid, vitamin C). In fact, such transition from classifications consisting essentially only of a description of appearances to those based on fundamental processes is basic to scientific progress generally; hence, examples abound from the full gamut of scientific concerns. Additional illustrations, among the many, include the classificatory and conceptual transitions that followed recognition: a. That rocks could be grouped on the basis ofthe processes involved in their formation as sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic. b. That the variations among the Galapagos finches studied by Darwin were the result of differential ecologic processes. c. That earthquakes were one aspect of tectonic processes. d. That the epidemic disease of the young which could for decades be described only as 'infantile paralysis' was a rare variant of a commonplace process initiated by infection with one of several similar and previously unknown viruses. e. That plague was a process in which a specific pathogen, Pasteurella pestis, rats, fleas, and people interacted.


Wet root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is one of the important diseases in chickpea worldwide. In the present study, 10 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were used to assess the molecular diversity of 50 chickpea isolates of R. solani. There was a great diversity among the isolates studied and was in the range of 52 to 93%. The isolates were highly variable in aggressiveness and caused up to 100% wet root rot incidence in chickpea. Accurate detection and identification of plant pathogens are fundamental to plant pathogen diagnostics and management. Therefore, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for accurate and sensitive detection of R. solani from mycelial DNA and infected chickpea plants. RAPD primer OPA 11 consistently amplified ≈1700 base pairs (bp) product in PCR only from the DNA of R. solani isolated from chickpea. The common DNA fragment was sequenced and used to design a pair of oligonucleotide primers amplifying 285 bp sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR). The specificity of the SCAR primers was evaluated. The detection sensitivity of R. solani was 0.5 ng for the genomic DNA and 5 ng for the DNA extracted from infected chickpea root samples. Also, SCAR primer was validated with Q-PCR to detect and quantify R. solani upto 1 pg from infected chickpea root samples. These new SCAR marker are useful for early detection and quantification of wet root rot pathogen in chickpea.

 Key words:  Anastomosis grouping, chickpea, wet root rot, quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), sequences characterized amplified region (SCAR).


The SH2-containing inositol-5'-phosphatase, SHIP, has been shown, by comparing SHTP+/+ and -/cells, to be. a critical negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3kinase (PI3K) pathway in many hematopoietic cell lineages. However, SHIP-/mice are neither polycythemic nor profoundly anemic and we wanted to know why. Our studies revealed that SHIP-/mice suffer from reticulocytosis and show an enhanced recovery from phenylhydrazine (PHz)-induced anemia accompanied by a more rapid accumulation of CFUE and late erythroid progenitors in the spleens of SHIP-/mice. In addition, following PHz treatment, SHIP-/plasma possesses higher erythroid growth-stimulating activity than SHIP+/+ plasma. Interestingly, however, erythropoietin (Epo) dose-response studies revealed little difference between SHIP+/-Iand -/progenitors and this may be because perturbed erythropoiesis in SHIP-/mice is caused by extrinsic mechanisms. Although SHIP becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in response to multiple stimuli, the kinase(s) responsible has not been identified. Using phosphospecific antibodies we developed, we found that the two NPXYs within SHIP are the major sites of tyrosine phosphorylation in response to cytokines, growth factors, G protein-coupled receptor ligands, immunoreceptor ligands and osmotic stress. Moreover, using the Src family inhibitor, PP2 as well as cells from Lyn-/mice, we found that the Src family is primarily responsible for SHIP'S tyrosine phosphorylation. Moreover, consistent with this being a direct effect, we found SHIP and Lyn associate in B-cells and this association increases with BCR + FcyRITB aggregation. Interestingly, Lyn-SHIP association appears to be mediated via Lyn's SH3 and a previously unidentified PXXP motif proximal to SHIP'S SH2 domain. Lastly, we investigated the role of SHIP in human hematopoietic cells using small interfering RNA to silence SHIP expression in the erythroleukemic cell line, TF-1. We demonstrated complete and long-lasting knockdown of SHIP protein in these cells and this resulted in a more rapid phosphorylation of Akt, GSK3|3 and ERK1/2 in response to GMCSF. Furthermore, SHIP-deficient TF-1 cells survived better with low or no cytokines but displayed reduced proliferation at high cytokine concentrations. Further investigation into the enhanced survival of SHIP-knockdown TF-1 cells suggested that this was mediated in part by the PI3K-induced maintenance of the pro-survival Bcl-2 member, Mcl-1.


[Objective] To screen the Chinese prescription to control chicken coccidiosis effectively and investigate the treating effects.[Method] Chinese Herbs were selected by the inhibition test of sporulation of Eimeria bovis oocysts and Bleeding inhibition test to compose Baonangjing prescription.A total of 120 Hy-Line chicks at 15 days old were randomly divided into 6 groups.Negative control group was fed with normal diet,and not inoculated with Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts,while the other 5 groups were inoculated with 1.0×104 Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts per chicken.Positive control group was treated by drugs;three Chinese Herbs groups were fed with diets containing 0.5%,1.0% and 1.5% Baonangjing prescription;drug treatment control group was treated with 0.01% sulfaquinoxaline sodium through drinking water.The physical and chemical indicators and anti-coccidia index (ACI) were measured in each group.[Results] The loss of red blood cell were reduced in the 1.0% and 1.5% Chinese Herbs groups,which was significantly different with that in positive control group (P0.01) and different with that in drug treatment control group (P0.05).The number of white blood cells in 1.0% and 1.5% Chinese medicine group was significantly lower than the positive control group (P0.01),and the coagulation time in those groups was significantly shorter compared with the positive control group (P0.05).The ACI in 1.5% Chinese medicine group reached 193.53.[Conclusion] Baonangjing prescription could control chicken coccidiosis by inhibiting sporulation of Eimeria bovis oocysts,killing coccidian and reducing bleeding.


Lung and liver cancer are among the most deadly type of cancer. Despite improvements in treatment over the past few decades, survival in patients remains poor. MicroRNAs (miRNA) represent a novel class of small RNAs that function as negative regulators of gene expression, deeply involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several types of cancers. In our previous work we found that miR-221 and miR-222, are markedly upregulated in TRAIL-resistant and downregulated in TRAIL-sensitive non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Our data indicated that miR-221 and -222 modulate TRAIL sensitivity in NSCLC mainly by interfering with p27 kip1 expression and TRAIL-induced caspase machinery. Here, we show that miR-221 and miR-222, are overexpressed in aggressive NSCLC and Hepatocarcinoma cells (Calu-1 and Snu-387 cells) as compared with less invasive (H460 and Sk-Hep1 cells) and/or normal lung and liver cell lines. In all 20 different cell lines tested we found an inverse relationship between the expression of miR-221 and miR-222 and the tumor suppressor PTEN. By bioinformatic analysis, we identified one binding site for miR-221&222 in the 39 untranslated region of the tumor suppressors PTEN mRNA, and we demonstrated, by luciferase assay and by western blot, that PTEN is a direct targets of miR-221/222. Besides modulating AKT pathway, and thus cell survival, PTEN down-regulation enhances invasiveness and cellular migration as assessed by migration and invasion assays,through the activation,evidenced by western blot, of the ERKs pathway. Moreover, by MTT, Annexin-FITC assay and caspase 3/7 activity, we found that miR-221&222 overexpression induce cell survival and TRAIL resistance both in NSCLC and Hepatocarcinoma cells through the down-regulation of PTEN protein and activation of Akt pathway. In vitro and in vivo functional studies such as the use of anti-miRs oligonucleotides, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization on 20 primary lung and liver tumor specimens, suggest that miR-221/222 can be regarded as oncogenes in those types of cancer, because they directly target and down-regulate the tumor suppressor PTEN. Furthermore, their overexpression might be an important factor contributing to TRAIL resistance and to invasiveness of NSCLC and Hepatocarcinoma cells. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 1391.


The focus of these volumes is on the empirical evidence of trends and patterns in long term economic growth, viewed in particular from the perspective of economic history. There is a strong emphasis on international comparative studies, which are useful in that they highlight the common and unique characteristics of the growth process in individual countries. This authoritive collection offers a good representation of the major contributions by eminent scholars, a balanced exposition of the main issues in each field and an account of the evolution of the literature available on this subject.


Two new polyhalogenated monoterpenes (3E, 7E)-8-bromo-(2E)-chloromethylene-(5R, 6R)-dichloro-6-methyloctadien-1-al (1) and (1Z,3E,7E)-8,9-dibromo-(1Z,5R*, 6R*,9)-tetrachloro-6-methyloctatriene [corrected] (2), together with two known compounds (3 and 4), were isolated and identified from the red alga Plocamium cartilagineum collected along the eastern coast of Tasmania. The structures were established by spectroscopic techniques.


From the late eighth century onwards evidence for wine consumption and transportation gradually becomes more visible in the archaeological record in Etruria. By the end of the seventh century BC evidence for the large scale production and transport of wine becomes common. This generalized increase in the quantity and quality of the evidence for wine use in the later decades of the seventh century has previously been taken as evidence for the introduction of viticulture and wine production into Etruria replacing earlier Aegean and Phoenician imports. It is now becoming more and more apparent that the introduction of the vine, and the first production of wine took place long before the Etruscan period and that this leap in our evidence represents a phase of intensification in wine production rather than a genesis. This chapter suggests that it is not just a case of a wider use of wine, but a complete transformation in the modes of production, economic role and the social function of wine through the gradual transition from the Orientalizing to the Archaic period. There is a change in the scale and organization of viticulture, and Etruscan wine becomes a commodity exchanged and consumed across the western Mediterranean. This contribution aims to trace some of the causes and implications of this economic transformation in the production and use of wine.


The objective of this article is to make a special case for small jurisdictions when it comes to the question of judicial assistance by the establishment of a special forum, i.e. the establishment of a special chapter of common concerns with a vision and a road map relevant to the small jurisdictions themselves. It argues that judicial assistance to small states should go well beyond conventional judicial assistance focused on judicial personnel, including not only the conventional but also extending beyond. Conventional judicial personnel development should be coupled with institutional empowerment and system development if judicial assistance is to be of any real value to small states. Small states have specificities proper to themselves. Not to attend to those specificities whether in an up-front and/or complementary manner is to render whatever judicial personnel development programmes are given to them academic, theoretical and of little practical value in their context. Conversely, to address and to...


Advances In tissue culture technology have improved our knowledge about the regeneration of plants from cultures of a wide range of cells, tissue and organs In a greet diversity of plants, and have now provided a novel approach to crop improvement. The progress made in tissue cultures of major oil seed crops is reviewed. In Arachis hypogees, tissus and organ cultures have been attempted in the pest bot with very limited success.The contraints to Improving yields In A. hypogees and the approaches made to overcome them using tissue culture techniques are discussed in detail.


The port industry in North-east Asia, as the cases of economic, cultural, industrial, diplomatic and other activities among countries shows us dynamic interaction between hub ports. Japanese hub ports such as Kobe, Yokohama, and Osaka enjoyed the preoccupation effect in the liner trades and they transshipped the containers of neighbouring countries and ports from the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s, Busan port could improve its competitiveness in handling costs and connectivity for Japanese medium and small sized regional ports, and expanded its feeder networks to Chinese Northern regional ports in 1990s. A few Chinese ports could be the transshipment hub ports in North-east Asia which menaced the hub status of Kaoshiung and Taiwanese hub port in 2000s, and it may have weakened the feeder network around Korean ports. Through pair correlation, partial correlation, panel data, and panel regression, this study finds significant implications in clarifying interaction and interrelation among the hub ports in North-east Asia. First, the relationship among ports changes continually. Therefore, dynamic interaction among hub ports would continue in 21st century. Second, the panel data and panel regression show us that the container throughput of five hub ports are connected with each other and also have its own specific characteristics. Third, there could be lock-in-effect in port activity, which causes auto-correlation of panel data. Finally, the fluctuation of container throughput of hub ports is affected mainly by trade amount and less by berth length.


Management of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is aimed at reducing oesophageal acid exposure to achieve symptom relief. Therapy has traditionally included advice to the patient on diet and lifestyle management. Recent evidence suggests, however, that some specific dietary modifications may be applicable to the Japanese patient. For example, ingestion of Japanese sweet cakes or rice cakes should be avoided by the Japanese patient with GERD as these foods may provoke heartburn. Pharmacological therapy is, however, usually also required for effective symptom relief. While antacids and histamine H2‐receptor antagonists have a role in treating mild GERD, effective relief of many cases of oesophagitis is usually only achieved by using proton‐pump inhibitors such as lansoprazole, omeprazole and rabeprazole. In the Japanese population, variation in the genetic polymorphism of CYP2C19 (a cytochrome P450 isoenzyme) leads to considerable inter‐individual unpredictability in the activity of lansoprazole and omeprazole due to inter‐individual differences in the extent to which these agents are metabolized. Consequently, rabeprazole, which does not undergo hepatic biotransformation by CYP2C19, offers significant advantages over the other PPIs as a result of its more predictable activity. This, coupled with its more rapid onset of action, leads to a more efficient and less variable acid‐suppressing effect.


We study theoretically excitonic energy spectrum and optical absorption in narrowgap semiconductor quantum wells in strong magnetic field. We show that, in the presence of an in-plane field component, the absorption coefficient exhibit a double-peak structure due to hybridization of bright and dark excitons. If both Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit terms are present, the spectrum is anisotropic in in-plane field orientation with respect to [100] axis. In particular, the magnitude of the splitting can be tuned in a wide interval by varying the azimuthal angle of the in-plane field. The absorption spectrrum anisotropy would allow simultaneous measurement Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coefficients.


If one reviews the literature with zeal, it is increasingly apparent that few organs escape recruitment when IBD is chronic or progressive. Insights into mucosal pathophysiology have helped with understanding the more frequent extraintestinal manifestations, but the mechanisms attendant to the development of less common events (e.g. acute pancreatitis, concurrent gluten sensitive enteropathy, or active pulmonary disease) remain either poorly studied or obscure. It is particularly interesting, however, to read reports of abnormal pulmonary function, generally of the obstructive type, correlated to measurements of abnormal intestinal permeability in patients with either active pulmonary sarcoid or pulmonary involvement in Crohn's disease. It has been further speculated that similarities in the mucosal immune system of the lung and intestine are responsible for evidence of bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with active IBD. Finally, it is important to recognize that extensions of the inflammatory process are not restricted to the development of organ-based events but may be responsible for some of the most frequent systemic abnormalities detected in IBD patients. It is now also well confirmed that the cytokine environment in IBD can support activated coagulation and, in some clinical situations, overt vascular thrombosis. The cerebrovascular complications of IBD are well recognized and range from peripheral venous thrombosis to central stroke syndromes and pseudotumor cerebri. Reports of focal white matter lesions in the brains of patients with IBD or an increased incidence of polyneuropathy may be other clinical examples of regional microvascular clotting. Microvascular injury appears to be more ubiquitously present, with reports ranging from a speculated primary causative role (e.g., granulomatous vasculitis in the mesenteric circulation) to the utility of nailbed vasospasm, in Crohn's disease, as a clinical marker for disease activity. It is also reported that IL-6 suppression of erythropoietin production is a major feature of the chronic anemia seen in active IBD. Moreover, the capacity of peripheral monocytes from active IBD patients to secrete TNF and IL-8 is reported predictive for the degree of therapeutic response from recombinant erythropoietin. These collected observations constitute another excellent example of the symmetry between basic science and clinical utility. It is from the context of applied basic science that many future therapies will arise. Empiricism will lose much of its appeal as clinical observations will be increasingly translated into cellular language. Already in animal models, elemental diets diminish IL-6-related acute inflammatory injury, and reductions in dietary lipid alter the antigenicity of bacteria. Provocatively, in humans, unconfirmed reports have even associated diet therapy with the resolution of uveitis and pyoderma gangrenosum. It is likely that efforts will also be made to induce oral tolerance if specific triggering proteins are discovered or to alter bowel flora if such an arcane area of investigation becomes resurgent.


The large majority of today's cars and trucks travel by using internal combustion engines that burn gasoline or other fossil fuels. The process of burning gasoline to power cars and trucks contributes to air pollution by releasing a variety of emissions into the atmosphere. Emissions that are released directly into the atmosphere from the tailpipes of vehicles are the primary source of vehicular pollution. With the increase in urbanization and industrialization and due to poor control on emissions, a great amount of particulate and toxic gases are produced. So, in our proposed system we use of a spectrophotometer (Spectrophotometry method) as a sensor to identify the toxic gas. Missions are measured during regular basis and informed to the user if above the permitted level and the failure of the sensor. If the user doesn't take any action within a week the alert is passed to the server of the pollution monitoring center through Internet of Things (IoT). The center decides the fine amount and intimates the user.


Experiments on steel-concrete interface are performed to investigate and determine the mechanical roles and properties of interface parameters. The intrinsic different nature of bonded and unbonded interfaces are addressed based on the experimental observations that were obtained from two types of tests considering bonded and unbonded interfaces. The unbonded tests are performed for the specimens that are in unbonded when the initially bonded specimens are tested first. Four cases of lateral confinements including pure slip, and low and medium levels of lateral pressure are taken into account to investigate the effects of lateral confinements on interface behavior. It is shown that the maximum shear strengths, the levels of residual strengths and the Mode II fracture energy release rates are linearly related to the confinement levels. Based on the experimental evidences obtained from this study, the values of interface parameters required in a steel-concrete interface constitutive model will be presented in the companion paper.


Compound distributions allow construction of a rich set of distributions. Typically they involve an intractable integral. Here we use a quadrature approximation to that integral to define the quadrature compound family. Special care is taken that this approximation is suitable for computation of gradients with respect to distribution parameters. This technique is applied to discrete (Poisson LogNormal) and continuous distributions. In the continuous case, quadrature compound family naturally makes use of parameterized transformations of unparameterized distributions (a.k.a "reparameterization"), allowing for gradients of expectations to be estimated as the gradient of a sample mean. This is demonstrated in a novel distribution, the diffeomixture, which is is a reparameterizable approximation to a mixture distribution.


Two phases of a pilot scheme to supply LPG in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in 2017, and follow up research conducted by UNEP DTU Partnership, reveal a strong desire and willingness to pay (WTP) among refugee households for LPG as an alternative to traditional biomass for cooking. This reflects the relatively high financial and non-financial costs of woodfuel and charcoal use in the camp, which in turn is a function of the size and profile of the camp. Where there is a willingness to pay (WTP) for any given good or service, but where the market is constrained in meeting this demand (such as in a refugee camp), there is a need for an intervention to create a market. This market creation plan is the outcome of various discussions with key stakeholders which took place between November 2017 and January 2018, the full list is presented in section 7. It intends to give a clear picture of the opportunities and challenges, along with the different options available to developing a market for LPG in the Kigoma region. The aims and intended outcomes of the LPG market creation programme support the Tanzanian government's ambition to scale up the use of LPG across the nation. In the context of the refugee camps in Kigoma, it also addresses the GoT's aim to help reduce deforestation and conflict risk with the local communities surrounding the camps. It is also aligned with UNHCR's protection remit and with the emerging global framework of actions to supply clean, sustainable and affordable energy for displaced people, as part of global efforts to deliver on SDG7. Following comments and feedback provided by the UNHCR, a shorter concept note will be developed, targeted at funding agencies and donors.


Large natural/spontaneous shunts on splenoportovenography were demonstrated in 10 of 93 patients with non‐cirrhotic portal fibrosis. There was significantly less bleeding in patients with spontaneous shunt than in those having no shunt. Large oesophageal varices (grade III‐IV) were seen more frequently in patients without spontaneous shunt.


A scheme for powerand bandwidth-efficient communication on the linear Gaussian channel is proposed. A scenario is assumed in which the channel is stationary in time and the channel characteristics are known at the transmitter. Using interleaving, the linear Gaussian channel with its intersymbol interference is decomposed into a set of memoryless subchannels. Each subchannel is further decomposed into parallel binary memoryless channels, to enable the use of binary codes. Code bits from these parallel binary channels are mapped to higher-order near-Gaussian distributed constellation symbols. At the receiver, the code bits are detected and decoded in a multistage fashion. The scheme is demonstrated on a simple instance of the linear Gaussian channel. Simulations show that the scheme achieves reliable communication at 1.2 dB away from the Shannon capacity using a moderate number of subchannels.


Pou4f2 acts as a key node in the comprehensive and step‐wise gene regulatory network (GRN) and regulates the development of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Accordingly, deletion of Pou4f2 results in RGC axon defects and apoptosis. To investigate the GRN involved in RGC regeneration, we generated a mouse line with a POU4F2‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein expressed in RGCs. Co‐localization of POU4F2 and GFP in the retina and brain of Pou4f2‐GFP/+ heterozygote mice was confirmed using immunofluorescence analysis. Compared with those in wild‐type mice, the expression patterns of POU4F2 and POU4F1 and the co‐expression patterns of ISL1 and POU4F2 were unaffected in Pou4f2‐GFP/GFP homozygote mice. Moreover, the quantification of RGCs showed no significant difference between Pou4f2‐GFP/GFP homozygote and wild‐type mice. These results demonstrated that the development of RGCs in Pou4f2‐GFP/GFP homozygote mice was the same as in wild‐type mice. Thus, the present Pou4f2‐GFP knock‐in mouse line is a useful tool for further studies on the differentiation and regeneration of RGCs.


Active-set quadratic programming (QP) methods use a working set to define the search direction and multiplier estimates. In the method proposed by Fletcher in 1971, and in several subsequent mathematically equivalent methods, the working set is chosen to control the inertia of the reduced Hessian, which is never permitted to have more than one nonpositive eigenvalue. (We call such methods inertia-controlling). This paper presents an overview of a generic inertia-controlling QP method, including the equations satisfied by the search direction when the reduced Hessian is positive definite, singular and indefinite. Recurrence relations are derived that define the search direction and Lagrange multiplier vector through equations related to the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker system. We also discuss connections with inertia-controlling methods that maintain an explicit factorization of the reduced Hessian matrix. 35 refs., 5 figs.


Abstract In this paper I am going to argue that we should take actions to be prime. This will involve clarifying what it means to claim that actions are prime. I will consider Williamson's construal of actions as prime in a way that parallels his treatment of knowledge. I will argue that we need to be careful about treating our actions in the way suggested because of an internal relation between the success condition of an action and the action itself; a parallel relation does not hold for most cases of knowledge.


OBJECTIVE Autoantibodies directed against tyrosine phosphatase IA-2 antibody (IA-2 Ab) are diagnostic for autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Conventional assays target the intracellular domain of IA-2. Among patients with ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD), characterized by presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), >60% of adults lack three classic islet autoantibodies—IA-2, GAD65, and ZnT8 Abs—associated with type 1 diabetes. We aimed to determine whether apparently autoantibody-negative ("A−") KPD patients possess occult IA-2 Ab directed against full-length IA-2 (IA-2FL) or its extracellular domain (IA-2EC). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We developed an assay that targets IA-2FL and IA-2EC and used it to analyze 288 subjects with A− KPD. RESULTS Ten A− KPD patients were positive for IA-2EC Ab (3.5%), and three were also positive for IA-2FL Ab (1.0%), similar to frequencies in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of IA-2FL Ab and IA-2EC Ab improves the accuracy of the Aβ classification of KPD patients.


European eels (Anguilla anguilla), collected from the Ceyhan River (Adana, Turkey) in 2002, were examined in terms of the presence of swimbladder nematoda. The existence of infection with Anguillicola crassus, a pathogenic swimbladder parasite, was identified in 50 out of 64 specimens. The total number of parasites, prevalence (%), parasite abundance and mean intensity of parasite values of July and November samples were 93, 82.86%, 2-7, 3.31 ± 1.32 and 56, 72.41%, 1-5, 3.20 ± 1.30, respectively. There was no significant histopathological destruction in the internal organs of the infected eels.


Studies on human patients and experimental animals indicate that hyperbaric O2 can opacify the lens nucleus and damage the lens epithelium in vivo. Here we investigate the effects of hyperbaric O2 on cultured rabbit lens epithelial cells (LECs). When the cells were exposed to 50 atm O2 (99% O2 + 1% CO2) for 3 hr there were no immediate effects on morphology, viability and transport processes (uptake of 86Rb and 14C-alpha AIB). In addition, the O2 treatment did not lower the high level of reduced glutathione or increase the low level of oxidized glutathione. However, 50 atm O2 did produce a near doubling in the glycolytic rate which maintained ATP at levels only slightly lower than normal. Although the 3-hr O2 treatment was not lethal, it completely inhibited cell division for 2 days. After 2 days, growth was initiated and, at day 7 the rate of growth was faster than the controls (control cells were treated with ambient air or 50 atm N2 for 3 hr). Cells treated with 8 atm O2 for 3 hr exhibited a slowed rate of growth, relative to controls, while exposure to 2 atm O2, did not inhibit mitosis. Changes in morphology (multilayering and elongation) of cells exposed to 50 atm O2, but not the controls, were evident 7 days after the 3-hr exposure. The incorporation of [35S]methionine into individual polypeptides and [3H]thymidine into DNA was significantly inhibited immediately following a 3-hr treatment with 50 atm O2, but both parameters recovered within 2 days. DNA strand breaks were observed in LECs following hyperbaric O2 treatment as low as 4 atm O2 for 3 hr and increased with higher pressures of O2, but not N2. Treatment with 50 atm O2 nearly doubled the activity of the DNA repair enzyme, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, and decreased the level of its substrate NAD+; the latter effect was reduced by 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of the enzyme. Thus, although LECs tolerated brief exposures to high pressures of O2 without cell death, DNA damage occurred at relatively low pressures of O2. All of the effects of hyperbaric O2 on LECs occurred without any alteration of the normal levels of reduced and oxidized glutathione. It appears that GSH is important in maintaining cell viability during exposure to an elevated level of O2, but that it is incapable of preventing O2-induced effects on growth and DNA.


Abstract The objective of the following research was to determine the effect of LGB genotypes on subclinical mastitis in Valle del Belice dairy sheep. Ewes were classified as affected or not by subclinical mastitis within a lactation based on i) a positive culture in one of the test-days and ii) more than 750,000 somatic cells. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted to assess the significance of LGB genotypes on MTB and MTC. The LGB genotypes significantly affected MTB (p=0.0387), and showed a tendency on MTC (p=0.1104). Least square means showed that in the analysis for MTB, individuals with genotypes BB and AB had a higher frequency of subclinical mastitis. Moreover, the least square differences showed that the incidence was significantly higher in BB ewes than in AA ewes (p>0.001), and a tendency of a higher incidence among AB ewes than in AA ewes (p=0.0630). In conclusion, the results of this work show that LGB genotype BB seems to be less favourable in terms of mastitis resistance in Valle del Belice sheep breed.


We read with interest the recent correspondences from Hickey et al. [1] and Riou et al. [2] reporting bosutinib-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pleural effusion. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionised the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). However, TKIs are associated with potentially serious lung complications, which are particularly associated with dasatinib; the incidence of dasatinib-induced pleural effusion ranges from 15% to 35% [3, 4]. Dasatinib-related PAH has been reported in ∼0.45% of dasatinib-treated patients [5]. Bosutinib (developed by Pfizer (New York, NY, USA) in 2015) is a second-generation TKI approved for patients with CML that is resistant or intolerant to imatinib, nilotinib or dasatinib [6]. Bosutinib can induce parenchymal, pleural and vascular lung disease http://ow.ly/qMiQ30dMVK5


The modeling and characterization of Schottky diode on AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT structure for rectenna device is presented. The rectenna device can be used as a wireless power supply where it can capture microwave power and convert to the dc power to generate the others devices or circuits on a chip. Design and simulation of Schottky diode on AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT structure was carried out. From the simulated results, it was found that the operating frequency of the Schottky diode is tunable based on the length of coplanar waveguide.


An expression is obtained for the reconstruction of a complex optical signal from the modulus of the Gabor transform of the signal spectrum. It is shown that the temporal resolution of systems with an image-converter streak camera can be improved by spectral expansion of the signal and by mathematical processing of the results obtained.


Objective: Mental health services in Malaysia often face competition from traditional healers especially among patients with psychosis. The objective of the study is to determine whether patients who sought help earlier from traditional healers had longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), and more adverse experiences in pathways to psychiatric care. Methods: This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study of 50 inpatients with first-episode psychosis in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical manual, 4 th edition) Clinical Version for Axis I Disorders (SCID-CV) was used for establishing diagnosis. Onset of psychosis was defined as any one positive symptom with a score of >3 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Socio-demographic data, information on pathways and treatment delaying factors were determined through face-to-face interview and semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Fifty-four percent of the patients had at least one contact with traditional healers prior to consulting psychiatric service, and it was the most popular first point of non-psychiatric help-seeking contact (48%). Contact with traditional healers was not associated with age, gender, ethnic, education level, longer DUP or treatment delay, and admissions with violent behaviour or police assistance. Of those who had sought help from traditional healers, one third were recommended by at least one of their traditional healers to seek medical help. Conclusion: Consultation involving traditional healers was a popular choice, and not associated with treatment delay. Traditional healers in an urban setting may be potential collaborators in managing patients with first-episode psychosis. Future research should explore the frontiers of such collaborative work. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 11(2), July – Dec 2010: XX XX


The world capital asset†pricing model is the benchmark model in international finance. However, recent research finds that the premium on the world market factor is insignificant. In this paper, we investigate if the world market risk premium is particularly significant on US macroeconomic announcement days. Empirically, we apply the methodology to daily country exchange†traded funds. Our findings suggest that although the world market risk premium is insignificant on nonannouncement days, it is strongly significant on US macroeconomic announcement days. In addition, we find that US monetary policy announcements are the most important macroeconomic announcements to drive the world market risk premium. Our findings are consistent with the notion of monetary policy uncertainty and the empirical literature that connects policy uncertainty with systematic risk.


Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are among the aggressive factors causing gastric ulcer. They cause oxidative damage in the gastric tissue and lead to intracellular calcium deposition. Lercanidipine is a calcium channel blocker derived from the third generation dihydropyridine. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of lercanidipine on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers. A total of 24 albino Wistar male rats were divided into four groups; those who received indomethacin 25 mg/kg (IND), 5 mg mg/kg lercanidipine +25 mg/kg indomethacin (LC-5), 10 mg/kg lercanidipine+25mg/kg indomethacin (LC-10) and healthy rats who received 0.5 mL distilled water. Six hours after the application of indomethacin, the animals were sacrificed by high dose thiopental sodium. The stomachs of the animals were excised to perform a macroscopic analysis and the ulcerous region was measured on millimeter paper. All the stomachs were subjected to a biochemical analysis. Macroscopic analysis revealed hyperaemia on the gastric surface of the indomethacin group. Ulcerous tissues formed by oval, circular or irregular mucosal defects in varying diameters and depths were observed on the whole surface of the stomach. Hyperaemia was lower and ulcerous region was smaller in groups LC-5 and LC-10 compared to IND group. Malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels were significantly lower and total glutathione and cyclooxygenase-1 activity were higher in groups LC-5 and LC-10. Lercanidipine did not change the cyclooxygenase-2 activity. Lercanidipine in doses 10 mg/kg is more effective compared to 5 mg/kg. Lercanidipinine can be useful in the treatment of NSAID-induced gastric damage.


Standard constructions of history pose a celebratory narrative of progress via modern individualist development. In contrast, decolonial perspectives emphasize the coloniality inherent both in Eurocentric modernity and in the individualist selfways associated with Eurocentric modernity. The coloniality of modern individualist selfways is evident not only in the racialized violence that enabled their characteristic experience of freedom from constraint, but also in the epistemic violence that results from the imposition of these ways of being as a developmental standard. Research in West African settings illuminates these forms of epistemic violence. Standard accounts tend to pathologize West African ways of being as immature or suboptimal in relation to a presumed universal developmental pathway toward psychological autonomy. A decolonial response, rooted in decolonial perspectives of Southern theory or epistemology, follows two analytic strategies that disrupt standard accounts. One strategy draws upon local understanding to illuminate the adaptive value of West African patterns. Rather than manifestations of backwardness on a trajectory of modern individualist development, these ways of being reflect developmental trajectories that emerged as an adaptation to cultural ecologies of embeddedness. The other strategy draws upon West African settings as a standpoint from which to denaturalize the modern individualist selfways that hegemonic perspectives regard as just-natural standards. Rather than naturally superior forms, the widespread promotion of modern individualist selfways has harmful consequences related to the narrow pursuit of personal fulfillment and corresponding disinvestment in broader solidarities. With the growth orientation of modern individualist development pushing the planet toward a future of ecological catastrophe, decolonial perspectives direct attention to West African and other communities in the Global South for ways of being, rooted in Other understandings of the past, as a pathway to a sustainable and just future.


The social construction of Expert Systems (ES) is presented as series of power struggles and dramatic imbalances which were introduced to organizations. After analyzing the various players' roles in ES implementation, the article presents first the main 'guilty' entity for organizational ES failures: the Information Technology department (IT); then, a social explanation is suggested for the 'zigzagging' history of ES, arguing that they resurrected as 'Business Rules' in purification process which enabled their comeback. Unlike current discourse which attributes ES challenges to technical issues or usual users' and experts' resistance, the social analysis in this article suggests that IT was the most threatened entity and the most contributing to ES failures. Additional Science, Technology and Society (STS) theories are used for comparison and to assist in a new proposed explanation for ES historical journey.


The present study evaluated the survival and integration of human postmitotic neurons (hNT) following transplantation into the traumatically injured rodent brain. Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 47) were subjected to lateral fluid percussion brain injury of moderate severity (2.4-2.6 atm). Sham animals (n = 28) were surgically prepared, but did not receive brain injury. At 24 h following injury or sham surgery, the rats were re-anesthetized and approximately 100,000 hNT cells (freshly cultured or previously frozen) or vehicle were stereotactically injected into the ipsilateral cortex. Animals were examined for neuromotor function at 48 h, 7 days, and 14 days posttransplantation using a standard battery of motor tests. Animals were sacrificed at 2 weeks postinjury and viability of hNT grafts was assessed by Nissl staining and MOC-1 immunohistochemistry, which recognizes human neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) expressed on hNT cells. Transplanted hNT grafts remained viable in 83% of brain-injured animals at 2 weeks following transplantation of either fresh or frozen hNT cells. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry revealed a marked increase in the number of reactive astrocytes following brain injury in both vehicle and hNT implanted animals. These reactive astrocytes appeared not to impede grafted cells from sending projections into host tissue. Despite the survival of transplanted cells in the traumatically injured brain, hNT cells had no significant effect on posttraumatic neurologic motor function during the acute posttraumatic period. Since hNT cells are transfectable, prolonged survival of these transplanted cells in the posttraumatic milieu suggests that grafted hNT cells may be a suitable means for delivery of therapeutic, exogenous proteins into the CNS for treatment of traumatic brain injury.


This paper describes how Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation commonly uses hydrated lime and liquid anti-stripping additives to mitigate asphalt-aggregate stripping susceptibility of hot mix asphalt mixes. Based on empirical experience of observed field performance in Saskatchewan, the addition of lime is thought to not only improve stripping resistance, but also the mechanical behavior of the mix. However, the addition of lime requires adequate voids in the mineral aggregate of the mix, and contractors have the added difficulty of handling lime during construction, making liquid anti-stripping products more appealing. Although the influence lime has on Saskatchewan mixes has been evaluated in the past, none of the investigations involved determining its effect in terms of fundamental mechanistic mix behavior. In addition, the long-term performance of liquid anti-stripping additives has not been well established in Saskatchewan field state conditions. This laboratory study investigated the mechanistic behavior of a typical Saskatchewan hot mix asphalt concrete modified with hydrated lime, with a liquid anti-stripping additive, and without any anti-stripping treatment as control. Specifically, triaxial frequency sweep characterization was performed to evaluate the various mixes. The mechanistic properties of the various asphalt mixes considered in this research were characterized across dynamic stress states, across a range of load frequencies, at 20°C. In summary, this research found that hydrated lime improved the mechanistic behavior of asphalt concrete mixes relative to the unmodified specimens and the samples modified with liquid anti-stripping additive at 20°C. Minimal difference was observed in the mechanistic behavior of the unmodified asphalt concrete specimens and the specimens modified with liquid anti-stripping additive. However, liquid anti-stripping additive appeared to increase the radial strain behavior of the asphalt mix considered in this study. This increase in radial strain resulted in a similar Poisson's ratio behavior to that of the lime-treated mix.


A soluble polypyrrole without any substituent groups was obtained by controlling the oxidation level of polypyrrole in the presence of oxygen. Upon the exposure to the 325 nm ultraviolet excitation from a helium-cadmium laser, thin films of the non-substituted polypyrrole could give off strong photoluminescence with its peak at about 530 nm. To elucidate the origin of the recorded strong photoluminescence, we measured the absorption spectra of the polypyrrole thin films with ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy and our data indicated the appropriately oxidized polypyrrole are free of polarons. With the help of the electronic structures calculated with Hückel tight-binding method, the intense photoluminescence is interpreted in terms of the direct electronic transitions from the conduction band to valence band of the conjugated polymer.


This article examines literary representations of Central Europe and its image in the works of Milan Kundera, Ingeborg Bachmann and others. At the same time the paper is devoted to the problems of territoriality, "feeling of border", specificity of Central European multicultural society, and processes of culture interaction. Central Europe is the space of different and special kind of tolerance. The case of Central European tolerance is a key to understanding spiritual and artistic life in the 20th century. When we try to find more special character of Central European spiritual life and narration, the feelings of nostalgia and innumerable flashbacks in time are more typical. The author offers to look at the Central European literary nostalgia as a possibility to situate Central European culture and spirituality geographically and territorially.


Is a bel Be nefits Advisor and East Herts Citizens Advice Ser vice Partnership and supported by the Big Lottery Fund. The partnership between the Isabel Hospice and East Herts Citizens Advice Service (EHCAS) was formed in 2010 to enhance the services for patients assessed as requiring support for financial, legal matters, employment, utilities, debt, housing, immigration and nationality, taxation and discrimination as well as relationship advice to ensure that the most up to date information is made available. Evidence has shown that people living with life limiting illness such as cancer do not receive benefits and other forms of support for which they are eligible. The complexities of the welfare system can seem overwhelming at a time when they are struggling to come to terms with their situation. Isabel Hospice is the service provider for Specialist Palliative Care in Eastern Hertfordshire that has a population of around 358, 000. From October 2010 to June 2012 the Isabel Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialists provided benefits assistance to more than 1,700 clients. The Benefits Advisor was then able to offer more specialist advice to 400 clients. It is imperative that the Benefits Advisor role is kept fully up to date with welfare reform and able to ensure that the Clinical Nurse Specialists are kept updated with changes. It is estimated that the annual amount awarded to those under the care of Isabel Hospice as a result of the Partnership was in excess of £368,000. The top five benefits in which assistance has been given were for Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance, Bereavement Support and funeral payments, council tax benefit and employment allowance. The Partnership has enabled the East Herts Citizens Advice Service to reach clients that it would not have been able to before. At such a stressful time it can be difficult to fit in a further appointment or even travel to the EHCAS - working collaboratively has enabled more patients and carers to receive the appropriate services to enhance the challenges faced when living with Life Limiting Illness either in the home, Day Services or our In- patient Unit.


The typical features of patients with gastroenterology pathology, which have no nosological specificity were analysed: initially chronic course of diseases, combination of diseases, personal features with prevalence of depressions and frustration, an allergization, increase in frequency of a metabolic syndrome and a chronic focal infection.


As the use of opto-microwave systems having microwave modulation bandwidth is increasing, the efficient measurement of opto-electronic S-parameters will be very useful to their overall design and characterization. A new generation of tools is required for the measurement of fundamentals parameters such as the microwave frequency response, bandwidth, gain and return loss of microwave photonic components. Current lightwave measurement techniques are primitive when compared with conventional RF and microwave network analysis. A solution for accurate measurements is a system based on the development of an automated bilateral calibration which could be implemented into a millimeter network analyzer (modulation frequency exceeding 20GHz) in order to fully characterize some optical and opto-electronic components. This lightwave network analysis is based on the microwave modulation response of optical components and optical fibres as lines of transmission, which require technologically compatible standards of calibration, along with an extended definition of S-parameters.


BACKGROUND
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the second most consumed food in the world. One way to meet this demand is the expansion of wheat cultivation to the Brazilian Cerrado in the southeastern region. However, one of the major limitations is that there are few studies related to wheat climate risk zoning. Thus, this study aimed to determine the agroclimatic zoning of wheat by estimating the water needs satisfaction index (ISNA) in the southeastern region of Brazil. For this purpose, a 60-year historical series of meteorological data was used to calculate the potential evapotranspiration, crop evapotranspiration and climatological water balance values. To define the agroclimatic zones of wheat and sowing date, the ISNA method was used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the variations. To obtain the agroclimatic zoning of wheat, the geostatistical method of kriging interpolation was used.

RESULTS
The regions with the highest rainfall are the south of Minas Gerais and the coast of São Paulo. The sowing period directly impacts the development of the crop, the available water capacity (CAD) and the ISNA values indicated the spring and summer had better cultivation conditions, and the best window for wheat cultivation is concentrated in the fall due to the limitation of biotic factors.

CONCLUSION
Although in terms of altitude (>700 m) Minas Gerais has 39.4% of the area suitable for wheat cultivation. So, climatic variations within and between the states of the southeastern region should be considered for the positioning of wheat cultivars in these regions to obtain the maximum yield. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Optical communication systems increasingly require electro-optical modulators that deliver high modulation speeds across a large optical bandwidth with a small device footprint and a CMOS-compatible fabrication process. Although silicon photonic modulators based on transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have shown promise for delivering on these requirements, modulation speeds to date have been limited. Here, we describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a fast, compact electroabsorption modulator based on TCOs. The modulator works by using bias voltage to increase the carrier density in the conducting oxide, which changes the permittivity and hence optical attenuation by almost 10 dB. Under bias, light is tightly confined to the conducting oxide layer through nonresonant epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) effects, which enable modulation over a broad range of wavelengths in the telecommunications band. Our approach features simple integration with passive silicon waveguides, the use of stable inorganic materials, and the ability to modulate both transverse electric and magnetic polarizations with the same device design. Using a 4-μm-long modulator and a drive voltage of 2  Vpp, we demonstrate digital modulation at rates of 2.5 Gb/s. We report broadband operation with a 6.5 dB extinction ratio across the 1530–1590 nm band and a 10 dB insertion loss. This work verifies that high-speed ENZ devices can be created using conducting oxide materials and paves the way for additional technology development that could have a broad impact on future optical communications systems.


The X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a rare immunodeficiency, characterized by absence or accentuated diminuition of all the isotypes of serum immunoglobulins and greater susceptibility to infections, mainly after the sixth mouth of life. The authors present nine patients bearers of XLA, with recurrent infectious processes (pneumonias 7/9, otitis 7/9, sinusitis 5/9, sepsis 5/9, diarrheas 3/9, infectious arthritis 3/9, meningitis 3/9, pyodermitis 3/9, viral encephalitis 1/9), with the beginning of symptoms on average in a nine months life. The laboratory examination showed absence of antibody response, with normal cellular immunity. The patients received immunoglobulin with control of the infectious processes. Five children received prophylactic antibiotic therapy for sinusitis control. The precocious diagnosis of XLA is of extreme importance, with institution of therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin for reduction in infectious process occurrence and complications, besides improving the patient's life quality.


Our relationship to death is changing. The prevalence of death and dying online has created new ways of understanding those we have lost. This includes the diversification of aesthetics traditionally associated with mortality. Online environments have provided new opportunities for interacting with the dead, putting the theory of continuing bonds into practice but also creating a data boom that is an overwhelming digital legacy. The question of how we can make meaning from the things left behind will explore the entanglement of people with data, documents, traces, things, collections and archives both online and in our homes. This develops an understanding of materiality that considers the digital as a unique material, incorporating the affordances of digitality into our experiences of personal collections. It uses crafting, narrative and curation to draw these collections together, offering a plurality of experiences and aesthetics.
In association with The Hospice of St Francis, this research uses co-design as a methodology for constructing three unique collaborations between the bereaved, a creative practitioner (art therapist or designer) and the collection itself. These collaborations create an emergent process for exploring the qualities of inherited things. The co-design process informs the use of materials and concepts, with the aim of creating meaningful artefacts for exhibiting. The participants are able to steer the overall direction and focus of this practice research from the first session, narrating the collection to the final construction of crafted responses. It follows through into the public exhibition where the use of language, curation and aesthetics are developed collaboratively. This research can be applied to hospices developing a creative and digital agenda, in addition to public engagement through the collaborative exhibition. It also has strong relevance to the fields of art therapy and co-design, bringing them into conversation and sharing methods.


This paper addresses itself to the problem of adding a high-speed graphic, supergroup bandwidth data channel to an existing message loaded baseband. The complete results of a numerical approach obtained by use of a digital computer are presented, as well as practical design curves developed to assist system planners in calculating peak-to-rms factors and rms value of composite, data-plus-message, baseband loading. The analysis deals with one facsimile supergroup added to an existing micro- wave telecommunication system.


With the extensive growth in technology, healthcare sector has benefitted a lot recently. Looking into the academic research and validation in the area of medical image processing and visualization, many platforms and the open-source resources are available. Insight toolkit (ITK) and visualization toolkit (VTK) are extensively used for medical image processing and 3D visualization respectively. Resources used to develop an application using ITK-VTK and same resources be used to deliver it to the users such as, clinicians, doctors etc. This can be achieved by using respective hardware and the infrastructure. In the proposed article, the infrastructure and resource used to build and deploy the application and remote access given to the users are elucidated.


Ependymoma is a circumscribed glioma composed of uniform glial cells with bland nuclei in a fibrillary matrix. It is characterized by the presence of perivascular pseudorosettes. Unusual histopathological findings have rarely been reported in ependymomas, 0.5% of all diagnosed cases. Such unusual and exceedingly rare histological findings include osseous or chondroid metaplasia. To the best of our knowledge, only 15 cases of osseocartilaginous ependymomas have been reported in English literature. We report a 3-year-old boy who presented with ataxia, vomiting, and headache for three months. Radiological imaging revealed a posterior fossa lesion. Histopathological examination of the lesion confirmed a posterior fossa ependymoma with chondro-osseous metaplasia. The present case outlines the clinical presentation, histopathological findings, and outcome of chondro-osseous metaplasia in ependymomas. To date, the etiology of chondro-osseous metaplasia in ependymomas remains uncertain. Further research exploring such phenomenon is of paramount importance to explain how these tumors develop.


In the field of computational biology, fluorescence microscopy images often constitute the input source of information. The process of binarization of raw images to delineate interesting objects requires image segmentation into signal and background pixels.

Several methods to perform image segmentation exist, the Otsu method being a popular unsupervised example. The Otsu method's lack of probabilistic predictions in terms of accuracy is a limiting factor when it comes to evaluation of the segmented images and their correctness.

Based on the assumption that the background intensity distribution is Gaussian we present a new unsupervised probabilistic segmentation algorithm. The new algorithm uses Bayesian decision theory to classify pixels as signal and background respectively, and provides a prior estimate for the fractions of correctly classified pixels.

Segmentation tests performed on artificial fluorescent images show that the new algorithm performs significantly better for high level of additive noise than the Otsu method. For a low level of additive noise, the new algorithm performs similarly to the Otsu method. Furthermore, the new algorithm provides a prior estimate for the fraction of correctly classified pixels close to the true values.

We hope the new algorithm will constitute a good alternative to already established methods, offering precise probabilistic image segmentation.


Background Food insecurity (FI) is an adverse social determinant of health (SDoH) prevalent among pediatric cancer patients and associated with poorer health outcomes in general pediatrics. Receipt of federal SNAP benefits reduces FI in general pediatrics, and is thus a marker of appropriate resource support to mitigate adverse SDoH. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Consortium Trial 16-001 is the first pediatric oncology clinical trial to prospectively collect parent-reported SDoH, including income, SNAP receipt, and FI. We investigated whether income-eligible pediatric ALL families were successfully receiving SNAP benefits, and whether SNAP receipt was associated with FI. Methods Secondary analysis of children aged 1-17 years with de novo ALL enrolled on the DFCI 16-001-embedded SDoH cohort study at 6 US centers from 2017-2022. We utilized parent-reported SDoH data at diagnosis (T0) and 6-mos (T1) into therapy to identify families as (1) SNAP-eligible, proxied as household income <130% Federal Poverty Level based on federal guidelines; and (2) food insecure, based on validated 2-item screen. McNemar's test compared SNAP receipt at T0 vs T1 among those eligible at both timepoints. Associations between SNAP eligibility, SNAP receipt, and FI were evaluated with chi-square tests. Results At T0, among 262 evaluable families, 21% reported FI. A total of 20% (n=53) were SNAP-eligible, of whom 60% (n=32) reported FI and 53% (n=28) were receiving SNAP. Among 28 SNAP-recipient families, 61% reported FI. Similarly, at T1, among 223 evaluable families, 25% reported FI. A total of 28% (n=62) were SNAP-eligible, of whom 58% (n=36) reported FI and 58% (n=36) were receiving SNAP. Among 36 SNAP-recipient families, 56% reported FI. A significantly higher proportion of the 33 families SNAP-eligible at both T0 and T1 were receiving SNAP at T1 (70%) compared to T0 (52%) (p=0.034). Among eligible families, SNAP receipt was not associated with lower odds of FI at T0 (OR 1.03, p=0.96) or T1 (OR 0.83, p=0.73). Discussion FI, a well-defined adverse SDoH associated with inferior health outcomes, is highly prevalent among a trial-enrolled pediatric ALL population. Despite care delivery at highly resourced centers with dedicated staff to address social needs, a substantial proportion of likely eligible families (as proxied by income) were not receiving SNAP benefits 6-mos into therapy. Further, receipt of SNAP was inadequate to ameliorate FI in this cohort, with ~60% of SNAP recipients reporting concurrent FI both at T0 and T1. Ensuring successful connection of eligible families to existing benefits is an essential first step. However, high rates of FI among SNAP recipients indicate that resource navigation, though necessary, is not sufficient to address FI for this population. These data provide immediate targets for health equity interventions—including systematic benefits navigation, direct resource provision, and policy-based approaches for benefits augmentation—to address adverse SDoH and improve cancer outcomes.
 Citation Format: Rahela Aziz-Bose, Yael Flamand, Puja J. Umaretiya, Lenka Ilcisin, Ariana Valenzuela, Peter D. Cole, Lisa M. Gennarini, Justine M. Kahn, Kara M. Kelly, Bruno Michon, Thai-Hoa Tran, Jennifer J. G. Welch, Lewis B. Silverman, Kira Bona. Food insecurity and receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits among income-eligible US pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients enrolled on a multi-center clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B096.


Mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall is a very rare, benign tumour with distinct clinical, radiological and histopathologic characteristics. The lesion develops during foetal life, and is present at or shortly after birth with an extrapleural mass arising from the rib cage with or without respiratory distress and marked rib deformity. Several imaging techniques have been used for diagnosis, but a definitive diagnosis is established only by histopathological examination. Such lesions are composed of a varying admixture of hyaline cartilage that has features resembling growth plate cartilage, along with fascicles of spindle cells, woven bone and hemorrhagic cysts. Accurate diagnosis of mesenchymal hamartoma is important since many chest wall masses in children are malignant. We report a case of mesenchymal hamartoma of the left posterior chest wall surgically resected in an infant who was found to have a palpable mass at birth. Two years after surgery, the patient is alive and well, with no evidence of recurrence.


In Cloud Computing (CC), load balancing tasks remain an essential problem of spreading resources from a data center to ensure that each Virtual Machine (VM) has a balanced load to achieve maximum utilization of its capabilities. In the CC world, load balancing is a Non-Polynomial (NP) problem solved with metaheuristic algorithms. A new Quasi Oppositional Dragonfly Algorithm for Load Balancing (QODA-LB) was developed to achieve the optimal resource scheduling in a CC setting. The proposed QODA-LB algorithm uses three variables to compute an objective function: run time, running cost, and load. The QODA-LB algorithm assigns tasks to VM based on its potential and the derivative objective function. Also, the QODA-LB algorithm uses the principle of Quasi-Oppositional Based Learning (QOBL) to increase the standard Dragonfly Algorithm's (DA) convergence rate. A comprehensive series of experiments were conducted, and the findings were analyzed in a variety of ways to ensure the efficient performance increased by the QODA-LB algorithm. The simulation's results demonstrated optimum load balancing efficiency and outperformed the leading approaches.


The primary objective of this study was to elucidate gene organization and to integrate the genetic linkage map for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with a physical map using ultrasensitive fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques for detecting signals from restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) clones. In the process, a single landmark plasmid, p18S5Shor, was constructed that identified and oriented all seven of the chromosome pairs. Plasmid p18S5Shor was used in all hybridizations. Fourteen cDNA probes selected from the linkage map for barley H. vulgare 'Steptoe' x H. vulgare 'Morex' (Kleinhofs et al. 1993) were mapped using an indirect tyramide signal amplification technique and assigned to a physical location on one or more chromosomes. The haploid barley genome is large and a complete physical map of the genome is not yet available; however, it was possible to integrate the linkage map and the physical locations of these cDNAs. An estimate of the ratio of base pairs to centimorgans was an average of 1.5 Mb/cM in the distal portions of the chromosome arms and 89 Mb/cM near the centromere. Furthermore, while it appears that the current linkage maps are well covered with markers along the length of each arm, the physical map showed that there are large areas of the genome that have yet to be mapped.


The general aim of the present thesis was to develop a theory on caring and uncaring encounters within nursing and health care from the patient's perspective.Results of an analysis of two phenomenological studies (paper I), as well as research findings from five other phenomenological studies (papers II-VI), were used to develop the theory.Caring and uncaring can be conceptualized on a continuum symbolizing five basic modes of being with another, which, for example, involves a neutral mode of being with another, where the individual is perceived as neither caring nor uncanng.There are two major metaphors in the theory, that of the bridge, symbolizing the openness in communication and the connectedness experienced by the recipient of care in an encounter perceived as caring. The other metaphor is the wall, which symbolizes negative or no communication, detachment and lack of a caring connection, experienced by the recipient in an encounter perceived as uncaring.In the theory the importance of professional caring within nursing and health care is proposed, essentially involving competence, caring, and connection. The above-mentioned 'bridge' is developed through mutual trust and the development of a connection between the professional and the recipient. This connection is a combination of professional intimacy and a comfortable distance of respect and compassion -- professional distance. On the other hand, uncaring involves perceived indifference and incompetence, creating distrust, disconnection and the above-mentioned 'wall' of negative or no communication.The recipient of professional caring is influenced positively. Theconsequences, which are an increased sense of well-being and health, can be summarized as empowerment. Uncaring, however, has the negative consequences of decreased sense of well-being and health, which can be summarized as discouragement. Empowerment and discouragement in this context are defined as subjective experiences of the recipients of care.The importance of seeing the recipient in his or her inner and outer contexts is emphasized in the theory. The inner context involves perceived needs, expectations, previous experiences and sense of self, which in the perspective of the recipient of nursing can be summarized as both a sense of vulnerability and the need for professional caring. The perceived hospital environment comprises the recipient's outer context.It is concluded that nurses and other health professionals can, by theirprofessional caring or lack of it, be powerful sources of empowerment ordiscouragement to those whom they are pledged to serve.


The objective of this study was to find out what factors affect the success of mergers, what kind of methods there are to measure the success, and what kind of methods are used in Finnish forest companies, and how systematic the measuring is. The success of two Finnish forest industry mergers was evaluated. A framework for interviews was made on the basis of literature concerning mergers and acquisitions, and this framework was the basis in acquiring a view of the Finnish forest industry on measuring the success of mergers. The success indicators introduced in literature are partly applied in the latter part of the study and the success of the mergers is evaluated. The most significant factors influencing mergers according to the interviewees were the consolidation of the entire industry and the company's own strategy. Measuring the success of the merger was considered to be problematic and there seemed to be no consistent practice. The numerical evaluation implies that both studied companies have reached economies of scale in total costs. According to the calculations the profitability of the firms has developed into favourable direction after the mergers and also shareholders have got benefits through increased dividends.


In the world of multimedia computing, new fields of applications are constantly emerging. As client-server systems (CSS) become more widespread, one of the goals of business information strategies is the ownership of one or more personal computers (PCs) by each person. This goal is gradually becoming a reality. At the same time, technological innovation has been remarkable. With the standardization of high-performance video compression technology, companies have begun bringing multimedia (text, video, sound, and picture) into the system as part of the business information strategy. This movement involves developing services for providing diverse information and support for both internal decision-making as well as product presentations. Such a system must also be coupled with a storage system for holding the large quantity of multimedia information. In addition, system flexibility must be matched with user requirements, and the creation of the system content must be considered. These items are all major technology themes. To meet these needs, Hitachi developed an office media server system. Using standard protocols for general servers, workstations, PCs, and the Internet, the office media server was developed with particular attention given to compatibility with existing systems. In the future, as an even more effective business information system is sought, the peripheral environment will be augmented with such items as authoring applications.


The Golden Bowl marks a shift in James's account of the relations between the commodity form, sexuality, and gendered identities. Whereas James's earlier fictions develop their interest in the interimplication of consumer and sexual desires through an emphasis on the exchangeability of the female body, in this novel the pre-eminent human commodity is a male, Amerigo. The connections drawn between commodity fetishism and masculinity in the representation of the Prince have implications that call into question the naturalness of heterosexuality and orthodox gender identities.


Reinhard Goering's play Die Südpolexpedition des Kapitäns Scott (1929) tells the story of the famously tragic British polar expedition led by Robert F. Scott in 1911–12. As the first public staging of the story, the play created considerable controversy in Britain when it premiered in Berlin in 1930. A late Expressionist drama, it offered perspectives on the expedition quite different to those coming out of Scott's homeland. In this article, Hanne Nielsen and Elizabeth Leane contextualize the play within Goering's own career; outline its performance history; examine its reception in both Germany and Britain; and analyze the play text in terms of its innovative treatment of Scott's story. Hanne Nielsen is a postgraduate student at Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury. Her background is in Antarctic Studies and German literature and she is currently undertaking a study of representations of Antarctica on stage. Elizabeth Leane is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Tasmania, where she holds a research position split between the School of Humanities and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. She has written and edited several books, most recently Antarctica in Fiction (Cambridge University Press).


During 2016 Shanghai University International Forum on Biomedicine (Cardiovascular Disease): from basic research to clinic study, Annals of Translational Medicine ( ATM ) has the honor to interview Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler.


A segment of DNA containing the L-glutamate oxidase (gox) gene from Streptomyces platensis NTU3304 was cloned. The entire nucleotide sequence of the protein-coding portion consisting of 2130 bp (710 codons, including AUG and UGA) of the cloned DNA fragment was determined. The gox gene contained only one open reading frame (ORF) which coded for a 78-kDa polypeptide, the precursor of active extracellular Gox. Mature Gox is composed of three subunits, designated as alpha, beta, and gamma, with molecular masses of 39, 19, and 16 kDa, respectively. Analyses of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the subunits revealed that the order of subunits in the precursor polypeptide encoded by the ORF, from N-terminus to C-terminus, is alpha-gamma-beta. The presence of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding motif place Gox as a member of the flavoenzyme family. Furthermore, a negative effect of glucose on the biosynthesis of Gox was observed when it was used as carbon source.


The aramid fiber reinforced metal laminates(AFRMLs) used for the wing part fair flight suffer the cyclic bending moment of variable amplitude during service. The fatigue crack propagation and delamination behavior in AFRMLs containing a saw-cut and circular hole was investigated using the average stress criterion(ASC) model. Mechanical tests were carried out using the cyclic bending moment of 4.9 Nㆍm and delamination was observed by ultrasonic C-scan images. In case of AFRMLs containing a saw-cut fatigue crack propagated in aluminum matrix, inducing delamination. However, in case of AFRMLs containing a circular hole, delamination formed with two types under cyclic bending moment of 4.9 Nㆍm. First, delamination formed along the fatigue crack in aluminum matrix. Second, delamination formed without any fatigue crack around the circular hole. Therefore, delamination was formed depending on the stress distribution near the circular hole.


The question for this study is whether significant environmental matters relevant for financial reporting raise concerns for auditors. 18 New Zealand audit partners and managers from the North and South Islands were interviewed for their views on the research question. This study adopted an interpretive methodology. Legitimacy theory informed the interpretation of the research findings. The research findings revealed that auditors could risk omitting environmental matters and environmental risks exposure in audit planning if disclosures are not made in the financial report or communicated to the auditor; also for new clients or clients not operating in obviously environmentally sensitive industries or sector. The auditors are challenged by the prolific environmental laws and regulations. AGS-1010 recommended that auditors apply the accounting standard for 'Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets', however, it is subjective and creates some confusion in its application. Generally, auditors do seek technical advice but there are few suitable qualified environmental experts in New Zealand to assist them. Therefore, the research findings provided evidence which indicates that significant environmental matters relevant for financial reporting do present real concerns for auditors. The general implication is that the audit of significant environmental matters seems to extend the boundary of financial audits, reflecting perhaps unreasonable expectations of auditors' knowledge of environmental issues and auditing environmental matters.