A new model, based on the BCS approach, is specially designed to describe nuclear phenomena $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z\pm 2)$ of double-charge exchange (DCE). After being proposed, and applied in the particle-hole limit, by one of the authors (F. Krmpotic [1]), so far it was never been applied within the BCS mean-field framework, nor has its ability to describe DCE processes been thoroughly explored. It is a natural extension of the pn-QRPA model, developed by Halbleib and Sorensen [2] to describe the single $\beta$-decays $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z\pm 1)$, to the DCE processes. As such, it exhibits several advantages over the pn-QRPA model when is used in the evaluation of the double beta decay (DBD) rates. For instance, i) the extreme sensitivity of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) on the model parametrization does not occur, ii) it allows to study NMEs, not only for the fundamental state in daughter nuclei, as the pn-QRPA model does, but also for all final $0^+$ and $2^+$ states, accounting at the same time their excitation energies and the corresponding DBD Q-values, iii) together with the DBD-NMEs it provides also the energy spectra of Fermi and Gamow-Teller DCE transition strengths, as well as the locations of the corresponding resonances and their sum rules, iv) the latter are relevant for both the DBD and the DCE reactions, since the involved nuclear structure is the same; this correlation does not exist within the pn-QRPA model. As an example, detailed numerical calculations are presented for the $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z+ 2)$ process in $^{48}$Ca $\rightarrow ^{48}$Ti and the $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z- 2)$ process in $^{96}$Ru $\rightarrow ^{96}$Mo, involving all final $0^+$ states and $2^+$ states.


Myocardial infarction and stroke are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Rupture of vulnerable plaques and subsequent thrombus formation can ultimately occlude the large blood vessels and be harmful to the patients. The newly described tandem stenosis (TS) mouse model of plaque instability has shed light on our understanding of human plaque destabilisation. The research in this thesis utilised the TS mouse model to investigate the roles of miRNA-142, S100a8/S100a9, Coronin1a in atherosclerosis development and plaque instability, and thus potentially develop effective therapies to prevent atherosclerotic complications in humans.


Currently, more than 350 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and mAb derivatives are under development as therapeutics. The prediction of mAb pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamics (PD) plays a key role in starting dose selection for first-in-human (FIH) studies. This article presents a brief overview of the biology and mechanisms of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) for mAbs. In addition, a detailed review of mAb human PK/PD prediction from nonclinical data is provided, including allometry for mAbs with linear or nonlinear PK, species-invariant time method, physiologically based PK (PBPK) modeling and target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) model, bioavailability projection and immunogenicity impact on PK prediction. Finally, from an industry perspective a decision tree of mAb human PK projection is proposed to facilitate drug development.


After recovering from a motorbike head injury, a 49-year-old man developed headache, double incontinence and subsequently coma. Because he could not afford the cost of a cranial CT scan, a lateral …


Though designed to measure vector winds over the ocean, new imaging techniques facilitate the use of NASA scatterometer data (NSCAT) in cryosphere studies. NSCAT provides data of unprecedented coverage, resolution, and quality which, when coupled with the scatterometer image reconstruction with filtering (SIRF) algorithm, enables images of /spl sigma//sup o/ at resolutions approaching 8 km over stationary targets. Such images are useful in ice mapping and classification, and multidecadal studies are possible by comparison with Seasat Scatterometer (SASS) data. The utility of NSCAT data in polar ice studies is illustrated through a review of two cryosphere applications of NSCAT data: (1) sea-ice mapping and tracking and (2) ice-sheet change in Greenland and Antarctica. The wide swath and frequent revisit, coupled with incidence and azimuth angle diversity makes NSCAT data very effective in mapping the extent of sea-ice. In Greenland, snow and ice "facies" are clearly delineated on the basis of the seasonally dependent radar backscattering cross section, due to sensitivity of radar backscatter to diagenetic changes occurring at and beneath the surface. Comparison of NSCAT and SASS data enables study of change in Greenland between 1978 and 1996.


As one of the most reliable power sources for portable and wearable electronics, aqueous zinc-ion batteries fully meet the requirement of high safety, while their energy storage ability is still limited by the lack of high-performance cathode materials. In this study, the poor electrical conductivity and sluggish interface reaction of cobalt molybdate (CoMoO4) nanosheets are well addressed by one-step phosphating treatment (denoted as P-CoMoO4), which serve as an advanced cathode material for rechargeable zinc-ion batteries. Primarily, the electronic structures are finely manipulated using enriched oxygen vacancies, therefore improving the electronic conductivity and reaction activity. Moreover, the modification of surface phosphate ions can reduce the required activation energy for redox reactions and consequently increase the reaction kinetics. Additionally, abundant metallic CoP nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the matrix of CoMoO4 nanosheets, boosting the exposure of active sites and interface reactions. As expected, the optimized P-CoMoO4 electrode shows a superior specific capacity (431.4 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1) and rate performance (43.8% capacity retention at 50 A g−1) relative to pristine CoMoO4. Furthermore, the assembled P-CoMoO4//Zn battery exhibits a remarkable energy density of 679.4 W h kg−1 at 8.6 kW kg−1, and an ultra-long life span (over 80% retention of the initial capacity after 12 000 cycles at 60 mV s−1). Hence, this work may offer a preferable option for high-performance cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.


This article investigates what it means to maintain a Pentecostal theology by asking whether Pentecostals have any theological distinctives to offer, and, if so, how they may be identified. The first part begins with two recent approaches that seek to articulate what is theologically distinctive for Pentecostals through an appeal to spiritual experience. Following a critique of those approaches, the author proposes a constructive framework within which theological distinctives may emerge. The article concludes by applying the framework to the doctrine of scripture as a test case in order to determine what may be theologically distinct in the Pentecostal confession about that doctrine.


In High Performance Computing research, modeling of systems performances allows to know the behavior of a system according to the users requirements. Also, a model gives a specification for the design, maintenance, scalability of a high performance computing infrastructure. In this work, a model of high bandwidth data transfer is presented based on the analysis of experimental data from two clusters: IDPOT and I-Cluster2 both of the Grid5000 project


Radiotherapy is currently used in around 50% of cancer treatments. Although highly effective it is also damaging to surrounding healthy tissues and needs to be improved by better targeting of cancer cells. Improved radiotherapy outcomes can be achieved by using nanoparticles, especially those with high atomic number (Z), that interact with ionising radiation to generate secondary electrons and reactive species that increase cellular damage. One of the most promising elements to use is gold, in the form of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) because of its biocompatibility and amenability to surface modification. For example, surface modification of AuNPs with simple sugars can improve their solubility and cellular uptake. Furthermore, positively charged AuNPs are thought to have an improved cellular uptake because of their interactions with negatively charged cell membranes.

This thesis is focussed on two research areas: (1) the development of dual action chemo-radiosensitising AuNPs and (2) the development of oligonucleotide-AuNPs for radiosensitisation.

(1) It is shown that sugar-PEGamine coated AuNPs demonstrate selective uptake and toxicity toward skin cancer cells with an IC50 of 1 μg/ml [Au], without damaging normal skin cells at this concentration. Oxidative stress and caspase-dependent apoptosis both play a key role in the toxicity of these AuNPs. Moreover, AuNPs coated with sugar and PEGamine show a strong radiosensitisation effect in combination with kilovoltage X-rays and a smaller effect with megavoltage X-rays.

(2) Oligonucleotide-phosphine-coated AuNPs are shown to demonstrate a limited uptake in the cellular cytoplasm compared to the previous AuNPs but increase AuNPs uptake into the cell nucleus. The limited uptake into the cells, as well as the DNA triplex forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) attached to the AuNPs, is still responsible for a radiosensitisation effect, although smaller than with sugar:PEGamine AuNPs. In the future, the uptake of the oligonucleotides AuNPs may possibly be improved by varying their size (from 3.5 to 2 nm) and/or adding a spacer between the NP and the TFO.


The extremely high susceptibility of MCT to any external action is reviewed. The stability concept is analysed through two different approaches, at the microscopic and the macroscopic scales. The choice among numerous potential candidates to IR detection can be helped by some selection criteria; these include stability, which can be estimated through microhardness measurements, or ordering, which refers to the electronic properties. The II-VI mercury-based ternary alloys can be compared with other candidates such as pyroelectric detectors, silicon and low-dimensional solids, mainly III-V superlattices. Some futuristic materials or exotic structures are proposed through the application of band-gap engineering and structural engineering concepts.


A highly stereoselective, one-pot, multicomponent method has been developed to synthesize pyrrolizidine- and N-methyl pyrrolidine-substituted spirooxindole derivatives. The [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction involves the reaction between the dipole azomethine ylides, generated in situ from the reaction between isatin and secondary amino acids such as L-proline or sarcosine, and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as the dipolarophile. The reaction condition was optimized to achieve excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. Products were obtained in good yield using ethanol as a solvent at the reflux temperature. The newly synthesized spirooxindole derivatives were evaluated for their antiproliferative efficacy against National Cancer Institute (NCI)-60 cancer cell lines and DNA G-quadruplex (G4) interaction capacity. Compound 14b produced selective cytotoxicity against leukemia, renal, colon, and prostate cancer cell lines at a 10 μM concentration. The G4 interaction studies further suggested that these spirooxindole derivatives were devoid of any activity as DNA G4 ligands.


Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify a set of communication-based predictors (including both acoustic and gestural variables) of masculinity-femininity ratings and (b) to explore differences in ratings between audio and audiovisual presentation modes for transgender and cisgender communicators. Method The voices and gestures of a group of cisgender men and women (n = 10 of each) and transgender women (n = 20) communicators were recorded while they recounted the story of a cartoon using acoustic and motion capture recording systems. A total of 17 acoustic and gestural variables were measured from these recordings. A group of observers (n = 20) rated each communicator's masculinity-femininity based on 30- to 45-s samples of the cartoon description presented in three modes: audio, visual, and audio visual. Visual and audiovisual stimuli contained point light displays standardized for size. Ratings were made using a direct magnitude estimation scale without modulus. Communication-based predictors of masculinity-femininity ratings were identified using multiple regression, and analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of presentation mode on perceptual ratings. Results Fundamental frequency, average vowel formant, and sound pressure level were identified as significant predictors of masculinity-femininity ratings for these communicators. Communicators were rated significantly more feminine in the audio than the audiovisual mode and unreliably in the visual-only mode. Conclusions Both study purposes were met. Results support continued emphasis on fundamental frequency and vocal tract resonance in voice and communication modification training with transgender individuals and provide evidence for the potential benefit of modifying sound pressure level, especially when a masculine presentation is desired.


The most common method of biophysical fetal monitoring is recording and analyzing the cardiotocographic signals. In analysis of the fetal heart rate signal special emphasis is paid to the deceleration patterns and their correlation to the uterine contractions. According to deceleration classification the most important is the distinguishing between the periodic and the episodic types. In visual analysis, this classification is based on fuzzy description of deceleration onset being ";abrupt"; or ";gradual";. Application of commonly used interpretation of these imprecise terms in computer aided monitoring systems very often leads to erroneous classifications. Therefore, the redefinition of the deceleration nadir phase, as a group of samples around the lowest point, is required. It ensures that the onset phase, which is very important in deceleration classification, will consist of only appropriate samples. For determination of nadir the new method based on three stage- analysis of samples frequency distribution was developed. To evaluate the proposed method we compared the results with reference data obtained from clinical experts.


This work was performed in the NE region of the Guanabara Bay, a highly impacted Brazilian coastal system, located in Rio de Janeiro State. It aimed to: i) identify and map the areas with occurrence of gas in the sediment, as well as its acoustic signature; ii) characterize the physical properties of the sediments and; iii) document the response of microbenthic organisms (living benthic foraminifera) to changes in quantity and quality of organic matter. Seismic surveys at the frequency of 12 kHz identified a large area with about 50% gas charged sediments in the study area. The main acoustic signatures of the shallow gas were black shadow and gas blanket. In addition, features related to gas seepages to the water column (acoustic plumes and pockmarks) and gas percolation within the sediments (intra-sedimentary plumes, turbidity pinnacles) were also identified. The gas has a biogenic origin and results from the high sedimentation rate between 0.03 to 0.9 cm.year -1 and from the decomposition of large amount of organic matter (10-20%). Vertical distribution of gas ranges from few centimeters to 9 m below the water-sediments interface. These occurrences are related to both gas migration from lower sedimentary layers to Holocene muds above, and to recent generation in near-surface sediments as the area display favorable conditions for gas production. Cores ranging from 150-240 cm in length have predominantly muddy sediments and variations in the P-wave velocity followed the changes in sediment density, controlled mainly by the presence of gas in sediments, bioclasts accumulation, textural variation and percentage of organic matter. The TOC content and Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters evaluated in nine surface sediment samples indicate that good to excellent amount of organic matter associated with moderate to good source potential for gas production is present in the study area. In these areas living benthic foraminifera are of reduced diversity and density. The assemblages are largely dominated by Ammonia tepida . Statistical results evidence that areas of intense gas release affect the benthic faunas since the benthic foraminiferal assemblages are reduced in diversity and density.


Long‐term erosion monitoring data in the Ethiopian highlands are only available from the Soil Conservation Research Program (SCRP) watersheds including the Anjeni watershed. The 113 ha Anjeni watershed was established in 1984 and fanya juu terraces were installed in 1986. Runoff and erosion data are available from three different plot sizes and at the watershed outlet. The objective of this study was to investigate how erosion processes and sediment rating parameters vary with plot size and the progression of the rainy monsoon phase. We analyzed runoff and sediment loss data from 40 plots and the watershed outlet. The dataset included erosion data from 24 newly constructed plots (3 m length) during the rainy monsoon phase of 2012 and 2013, and 16 long‐term plots (with 12, 16, 22, and 24% slopes and 3, 15 and 30 m lengths) and the watershed outlet during the period between 1986 to 1990. Sediment concentration (C) was fitted to runoff (Q) using a power regression equation (C = aQb). Sediment concentration and yield increased with increasing plot length from 3 m to 15 m, but sediment yield decreased as plot length increased to 30 m.The coefficients (a and b) were affected by plot size and the progression of the rainy monsoon phase. As plot size increases, the a value increased, while the b value decreased. Greater a values were observed during the beginning of the monsoon phase, while values of b were greater towards the end of the monsoon phase. Overall findings suggest that erosion from cultivated fields is primarily controlled by transport limitations at the beginning of the monsoon phase, while towards the end of the monsoon phase, as surface covers emerge, sediment availability will be reduced, and thus sediment source would be a limitation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PurposeThe social aspects of nature of science (NOS) have become more eminent but entrepreneurial perspectives of NOS continue to be neglected. Entrepreneurship is relevant to NOS and science education due to its role in scientific enterprises and its importance as a 21st-century skill required in all subjects, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. Due to the impact of initial teacher education (ITE) and the science curriculum on Initial Science Teachers' (ISTs) understanding, the paper aims to explore the impact of including entrepreneurship in NOS with ISTs.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative study investigated the changes in three ISTs by examining their understanding of entrepreneurship within NOS and their perspectives on the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the science curriculum following an intervention. The results were analysed through thematic and network analysis (NA).FindingsThe results indicated that following an intervention, ISTs developed a more holistic understanding of entrepreneurship in NOS and could see the benefits and rationale for including entrepreneurship in the science curriculum. However, certain concerns remained.Originality/valueAlthough entrepreneurship may contribute to NOS by promoting scientific development, enhancing interest in science and developing a holistic understanding of science, a thorough review of the relevant research literature suggests that studies investigating entrepreneurship in NOS are rare. The current paper fills this gap by exploring Irish ISTs' perspectives on positing entrepreneurship in NOS. The study suggests conducting further research on the integration of entrepreneurship in the science curriculum and its impact on ITE.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important molecular target for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). A recent phase III study (the FLEX study) revealed that the combination of the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab with conventional chemotherapy improved the survival of patients with NSCLCs. However, the survival benefit was only about 5 weeks. Therefore, the identification of a molecular marker for cetuximab sensitivity is urgently needed. In this study, we investigated a new molecular marker for cetuximab sensitivity and developed a combination therapy to improve the effectiveness of cetuximab. First, we established a NSCLC cell line that showed resistance to cetuximab by culturing a parental sensitive NSCLC cell line in the presence of increasing concentrations of cetuximab. Next, we performed microarray analysis to compare the gene expression patterns of cetuximab-sensitive and -resistant cell lines. Using pathway analysis, we found that the Akt and Wnt pathways were significantly activated in the resistant cell line as compared to their activation in the sensitive cell line. We confirmed this result by performing western blot analysis, which showed Akt phosphorylation and beta-catenin dephosphorylation in the resistant cell line. Therefore, the activation status of either the Akt or Wnt pathway is the candidate pathway that influences cetuximab sensitivity. Finally, we focused on the Akt pathway and treated both resistant and parental sensitive cell lines with the PI3-K inhibitor LY294002 in combination with cetuximab. This combination therapy induced a synergistic growth-inhibiting effect in both cell lines. The data suggest that the activation status of the Akt pathway is one of the markers for cetuximab sensitivity and the combination of an Akt pathway inhibitor and cetuximab would be a promising anti-EGFR therapy for NSCLCs.

Citation Format: Miyako Takata, Hiroki Chikumi, Kosuke Yamaguchi, Jun Kurai, Masaki Nakamoto, Naoto Burioka, Tadashi Igishi, Eiji Shimizu. Identification of a molecular marker for cetuximab sensitivity and development of a novel combination therapy for non-small cell lung cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2385. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2385

Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.


To a fast growing number of secondary school students, education seems to be losing its relevance. The remedy could very well lie in Whole Education, which represents a movement, a direction, a trend, an orientation, an attitude, and a new education mind-set that deals with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and emotions in a fashion that is not unrelated to the whole life and circumstances and conditions of individual students. This book suggests ways to bring about a more relevant and meaningful education for individual students and a safer, happier, and more dynamic life in society. Contents: Foreword; Preface; Introduction: What is it all About?; What is Whole Education; Whole Education and the Learner; Whole Education and the Teacher; Whole Education and the Curriculum; Whole Education and the Language Arts; Whole Education and the Social Sciences; Whole Education and the Life Sciences; Whole Education and Mathematics; Whole Education and the Liberal Arts; Whole Education and School Administration; Whole Education and the Community; The Implementation of Whole Education; Conclusion; Notes and Selected References; Index; About the Author.


Under condition of four potential fields, equations of motion and fluctuations in imaginary time are utilized to analytically derive the basic and fluctuating periodic instantons. It is shown that the basic instantons satisfy the elliptic or simple pendulum equations and their solutions are Jacobi elliptic functions, and fluctuating periodic instantons satisfy the Lamé equation and their solutions are Lamé functions. These results indicate that there exists the common solution family for different potential fields which are called the super-symmetry family.


In the Chinese linguistic study, there is a kind of words that are called lihe words. These words can be separated by certain modifier words such as adjective, quantifier, and so on, but the meaning of the word is not changed. If we separated the pan of the lihe Chinese word as an independent word, it is not reasonable and easily makes some unnecessary ambiguous segmentation. So how to detect lihe word quickly and effectively is a real problem in Chinese natural language processing. In this paper, we introduced a model of processing lihe words, which use Semantics Extracting Tree to detect the lihe words quickly and accurately.


The current work includes the design and analysis of a medium size transport aircraft landing gear unit. A typical landing load case will be assumed for which structural analysis will be carried out. During landing, there will be three different types of loads i. Vertical load ii. Drag load iii. Side load Each of these loads will cause axial compression, bending and torsion on the strut of the landing gear. As a first approximation the landing gear space structure will be idealized as a statically determinate structure and a stress analysis will be performed using strength of Material approach. The stresses developed because of all three types of loading on the structural members of the landing gear will be calculated. A finite element model of the landing gear structure will be developed and analyzed. The FEA stress and deformation results will be compared with that obtained from "SOM" approach. These stresses and internal loads can then be used for the design of various structural members of the landing gear unit. Fatigue life to crack initiation will be estimated for a critical lug of the landing gear unit by considering the constant amplitude landing cycles I. INTRODUCTION


ABSTRACT In this study, first the relationship between electricity consumption (EC) and economic growth is analyzed using three different approaches to eliminate mis-specified statistical models and biased outcomes. Then, the relationship between primary energy resources, which are import-based and used to produce electricity, and current account balance (CAB) is investigated. The rationale behind analyzing the relationship between import-based energy consumption and CAB lies on understanding the potential positive and negative effects of energy consumption on economy. Statistical results show that (1) unidirectional causality running from EC to economic growth has been found for the case of Turkey and (2) there is a bidirectional causality running from import-based EC to current account deficit.


The development of ortho-enstatite from olivine has been observed in sheared peridotites and in basalt xenoliths, presumably due to the introduction of a silica–rich fluid phase into the rocks under crustal conditions; deformation appears to enhance the reaction. Care must be taken when using defect structures in orthopyroxene to determine mantle deformation conditions and mechanisms as not all grains are of mantle origin.


(Desmodesmus and Scenedesmus (Scendesmaceae, Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae) in aquatic environments from the Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) This paper is about the Desmodesmus An, Friedl & Hegew. and Scenedesmus Meyen flora, found at isolated ponds, interlinked ponds, swamps, dams and lotic environments, at the Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul. The taxonomic composition and how richness and density relate to the variables temperature and pH were evaluated. The study was based on 41 samplings collected in autumn and spring of 2003. A total of 14 species and two varieties of Desmodesmus, and two species and a variety of Scenedesmus were identified. Four new combinations (Desmodesmus granulatus (W.& G. S. West. ) Hentschke & Torgan, Desmodesmus heteracanthus (Guerr.) Hentschke & Torgan, Desmodesmus microspina (Chod.) Hentschke & Torgan and Desmodesmus spinosoaculeolatus (Chod.) Hentschke & Torgan) were proposed. The statistical analysis revealed that the variation of richness and density were influenced by pH (r = 0,53 e r= 0,97). Comparing autumn and spring, it is observed that the density average (ind. mL1) of


This paper proposes to focus on the design, implementation and evaluation of a dynamic online assessment (DOA) system. In addition to the facilities offered by the most commonly used static online assessments, DOA is also interactive in real-time. This paper focuses on the technology aspects of design and implementation of a DOA system.


Reaction mechanisms of photodegradation of cellulose have been proposed under consideration of the experimental facts obtained in report (1) to (VI). The degradation mechanisms are different according to wavelength of light used in irradiation experiments, i.e., (1) on irradiation by λ 1850A, the photochemically primary dissociation occurs in cellulose by its strong absorption of light of this wavelength, the reaction being independent of the presence of oxygen. At the comparatively early period of exposure, direct scission of glucosidic linkage predominates but on prolonged exposure, the formation of 2, 3- dialdehyde by splitting off H-atoms from secondary carbon atoms of the molecule occurs, the latter being easily degradated by alkali medium such as cuam solution. (2) On the other hand, coexistence of oxygen is indispensable to the photodegradation by λ 2537 A irradiation. In this case, absorption matter of λ 2537A is oxygen molecule (Herzberg band), because cellulose is transparent against visible and ultraviolet light having a wavelength longer than λ 2000 A. The main initial step of this reaction is as follows: the excited oxygen molecule thus formed abstracts a hydrogen atom from 1-carbon atom of pyranose ring to form cellulose radical and this reacts with oxygen and other cellulose molecule to produce cellulose peroxide as can be seen in the case of autoxidation of ordinary hydrocarbons. This peroxide is then decomposed photochemically and at the same time, the chain is broken into two chain fragments, accompanying the formation of δ-lactone as the end group of one fragment. The end group of the other fragment has the same configuration as ordinary cellulose molecule. The lactone end group is further hydrolyzed photochemically under the trace of water to form hydroxy-carboxilic acid end group.The quantum yields of each wavelength are calculated and the following values are obtained: γ (1850A)=1×10-2, γ(2537A)=0.5×10-2. Both values are far smaller than unity. The cause of these small values may be attributed mainly to the cristalinity of cellulose fine structure, i.e., in the case of λ 1850A irradiation, recombination of two dissociated chain fragments occurs in crystal region according to Franck-Rabinowitch theory, while in the case of λ 2537A irradiation, diffusion of oxygen molecule, necessary for photoxidation, into this region are difficult and in consequence, photoxidative degradation is inhibited. In both cases, role of crystal region reduces the quantum yield.


DASISH is an EU FP7 funded project that brings together the five ESFRI infrastructures within social science and the humanities to provide common solutions to common problems. The five infrastructures are CESSDA, CLARIN, DARIAH, ESS and SHARE. The work to improve survey quality in cross-national research includes three specific task sets, all connected to the development of tools for use in the DASISH survey projects, ESS and SHARE. An aim is that the tools developed under DASISH should also be able to serve other survey projects. The task sets comprise ... a software for improved coding of occupation, a multi-language questionnaire development tool suite consisting of three separate components that will communicate with each other: a questionnaire design documentation tool, a translation management tool and a question/variable data base, and finally ... a fieldwork monitoring system. This presentation gives an introduction to each of the DASISH task sets, with particular focus on the tasks to be presented in this section: a) the multi-language questionnaire development tool suite, where issues related to common requirements and a common metadata model for the three tools will be discussed, and b) the fieldwork monitoring, consisting of a transportable, standardised system of monitoring employing harmonised metadata files which can aid central field supervision, control and monitoring.


One important new context of communication for older adults is computer-mediated communication (CMC). Although the Internet has become an important resource for information, little is known about the ways in which individuals use this technology for social support. Older adults (mean age = 62) using SeniorNet and other related websites completed an on-line questionnaire (N = 136) investigating social support in the computer-mediated environment. Satisfaction with Internet providers of social support was significantly higher for high Internet users than for low Internet users whereas low Internet users were more satisfied with their non-Internet support networks than high Internet users. Internet companionship network size was significantly larger than Internet social support network size. Greater involvement with the on-line community was predictive of lower perceived life stress. Social support and companionship satisfaction were not related to the types of coping strategies used; however, the results indicate that direct action was the most common coping strategy for the sample.


ABSTRACT Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease that affects the central nervous system. It is believed to be an immune mediated disease, and although the etiology remains unknown, it is believed to occur from a combination of genetic risk factors and environmental risk factors. There is no single diagnostic test for MS, and diagnostic criteria have been developed to aid the provider in making an accurate and timely diagnosis. Once a diagnosis of MS is made, treatments directed toward the inflammatory immune response should be initiated. Currently, there are 10 treatments for MS: four interferon beta products; one glatiramer acetate; one monoclonal antibody—natalizumab; three oral treatments—fingolimod, teriflunomide, and dimethyl fumarate; and one immunosuppressant agent—mitoxantrone. Each of these agents has a different administration and different risks and side effects. Numerous agents are in late stage development, and it is possible that several more agents, all with different mechanisms of action, will become available over the next several years.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to prepare control blood for an external quality assessment scheme (EQAS) for international normalized ratio (INR) point-of-care testing (POCT) in the Netherlands and to assess the performance of the participants.

METHODS
Control blood was prepared from dialyzed pooled patient plasma and washed human erythrocytes. Samples of control blood were mailed to participants of the Netherlands EQAS from October 2006 through December 2012.

RESULTS
Most participants used CoaguChek XS (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) devices for POCT. The median between-center coefficient of variation (CV) of the reported INR decreased from 4.5% in 2006 to 2.6% in 2012. A few participants used the ProTime Microcoagulation System (ITC, Edison, NJ) for POCT. The median CV (per year) of the INR with the latter system was 7.0% to 10.6%.

CONCLUSIONS
The control blood samples were useful for external quality assessment in the Netherlands. The participants' performance with the CoaguChek XS system improved with time, demonstrating the value of external quality assessment.


INTRODUCTION
Diffuse superficial siderosis of the central nervous system (CNS) is a rare condition due to hemosiderin deposits in the subpial layers of the brain and spinal cord. The source of chronic or recurrent bleeding into the subarachnoid space is detected in only 50 % of cases. The most characteristic symptoms are cerebellar ataxia and sensorineural hearing impairment. T2-weighted gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging constitutes the diagnostic method of choice.

CASE REPORTS
We report four patients of diffuse superficial siderosis of the CNS associated to cerebral amyloid angiopathy, oral anticoagulation, schwannoma VIII, and without known source of bleeding in one case. Two patients developed cerebellar ataxia, three of them present transient focal neurological episodes, one dementia and, the last one, the diffuse superficial siderosis of the CNS is a radiological finding. No clinical progression was observed during follow-up (2-11 years) in three of them. The patient with cerebral amyloid angiopathy progresses to dementia.

CONCLUSIONS
Transient focal neurological episodes were the most common symptom in our cases of diffuse superficial siderosis of the CNS. The natural history of this condition is not very known and may be regarded as a radiological finding.


Virtually all porosity is of secondary origin in the productive Lower Cretaceous Sarir Sandstones of the Calanscio area in the southeastern Sirte basin, Libya, where production is obtained from depths of about 8,000 to 13,000 ft (2,438 to 3,962 m). Principal reservoirs are fluvial sandstones now composed predominantly of quartz, but originally composed of up to 25% mud intraclasts, rock fragments, feldspars, and mica. Even though most of the original porosity was destroyed by compaction and cementation, deep-burial leaching of the non-quartz constituents created considerable porosity. Average porosity is 13%; the maximum is 31%. Most secondary pores are oversized molds of dissolved non-quartz grains. Skeletal feldspars and ragged metamorphic rock fragments are preserved i some layers. Commonly, feldspar and rock fragments are End_Page 889------------------------------ preferentially preserved in finer grained and muddy layers. However, even in some muddy sandstones, rock fragments, feldspars, and matrix were dissolved, creating secondary porosity. The probable paragenetic sequence of major diagenetic events was: (1) hematite-clay coatings (red-bed units only); (2) quartz-overgrowth; (3) local clay, carbonate, and sulfate cementation; (4) compaction (ductile grains deformed); (5) leaching of non-quartz grains, cement, and matrix; (6) crystallization of authigenic kaolinite and minor illite and halloysite in some secondary pores; (8) minor dolomite cementation and replacement. Hydrocarbons migrated after kaolinite had partly occluded some pores. The products of diagenesis vary according to original composition, porosity, and permeability. End_of_Article - Last_Page 890------------


An extensive analysis of Low Level Jets (LLJs) over the Southern North Sea is presented. The study is based on observational data from a wind LiDAR and a passive microwave radiometer, operated from May 2015 to October 2016 on the FINO1 platform, as well as on mesoscale simulations by WRF-ARW. Besides evaluations on LLJ occurrence, intensity, direction, height, wind shears and boundary layer stability based on 250 days of measurements, two case studies were investigated in detail. It indicates that LLJs are a very frequent phenomenon above the Southern North Sea as they occurred on the majority of the days during the measuring period. Our study suggests that highest probabilities for LLJs to occur are during winds within the sector East to South. Most detections were found for the period between the evening until morning while the lowest amount of detections was found at 1400 UTC. Considerable amounts of LLJs occurred at heights that are in the ranges of modern offshore wind turbine heights and rotor sizes. Moreover, the case studies showed strong wind shears and veering below the jet cores. Further findings suggest, that baroclinic effects in the coastal zone due to differential surface heating of land and sea as well as inertial oscillations may form and modify these jets.


It is a challenge for registered nurses (RNs) to meet children and young people who have a parent diagnosed with cancer. These children often suffer from shock, anxiety, outrage, fear and stress. Recent studies indicate that when next of kin have a professional person to talk to, their wellbeing increases. Moreover, when these children are involved in their parent's care they also begin to trust the nurse caring for their parent. However, there is little known of how nurses respond to a child's needs. Thus, aim of this study was to describe RNs' experiences of encounters with children as next of kin to a parent diagnosed with cancer. A qualitative descriptive study based on semi-structured group interviews, with a latent content analysis was carried out. One theme, 'sense of security' including three categories 'balanced meeting', 'de-dramatize healthcare' and 'learn from one another' was identified. Beyond the categories, there are six sub-categories: 'sense of insecurity', 'caring approach', 'providing information', 'participation', 'processing and follow-up' and 'increased knowledge'. The findings of this study highlight the importance of strengthening the RN's ability to create a caring relationship with children as next of kin.


A large amount of food waste is currently generated due to rapid global population growth, which results in environmental pollution and economical burdens for waste disposal. Composting is one of the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective methods for food waste treatment. This study aims to give insight into microbial community structure and functional strains of household food waste compost, which might optimize the composting process and help increase food waste treatment efficiency. The microbial community is characterized via 16S rRNA sequencing. The dominant microbes are assigned to the three phyla of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and the main fungi are assigned to the phylum of Ascomycota. We isolated some functional microbes from the compost microbiota, including Alcaligenes faecalis, Paenochrobactrum glaciei, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, and Proteus terrae. Moreover, we detected lipase and cellulase activities in the compost liquid. However, the measured lipase and cellulase activity is low, and further enhancement of the lipase activity in the food waste compost might increase waste treatment ability. Therefore, we isolated a cellulase and lipase harboring Bacillus cereus strain from municipal a wastewater treatment plant. The B. cereus strain have high-level lipase activity, which could be used for food waste treatment in the future.


Bopindolol is a potent and specific beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with partial agonist activity. In animal experiments it blocks both beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors and possesses a long duration of action. In the present study in healthy volunteers bopindolol was about ten times more potent than pindolol in reducing isoprenaline-induced and exercise-induced tachycardia. In experiments on exercise-induced tachycardia an oral dose of 2 mg produced a near maximum reduction of exercise heart rate, occurring within 2 to 3 h of administration. With higher doses (up to 12 mg) the maximum effect was reached earlier (between 1 and 2 h). The long duration of action of bopindolol observed in animal studies was confirmed in man. Twenty-four hours after 4 and 10 mg bopindolol more than 2/3 of the maximum effect was still present. After 48 h 38% of the maximum effect of 4 mg and 50% of that of 12 mg remained. Even at 72 and 96 h exercise-induced tachycardia was still significantly lowered after both doses of the drug. When bopindolol was administered once daily for 5 days there was a slight increase in the maximum reduction of exercise-induced tachycardia during treatment with 1 mg/day but not with 4 mg/day, which produced a near maximum effect.


With the advent of the COVID-19 post-epidemic era, human life has gradually transformed into a new form: less contact, avoiding dining together and reducing open shared spaces. The traditional lifestyle of human interaction, cultural participation, and sharing of emotions has changed, and this has become a new issue that needs to be resolved. This project aims to develop a naked-vision multi-level optical projection system as a cultural carrier and construct a new catering cultural field. We projected beautiful images of solar terms, poetry, and natural scenery on the dining table. The virtual animation mixed with the tableware in three-dimensional space to construct an immersive field of naked mixed reality. Innovative technical indicators are three-dimensional floating and touchable projection images. A multi-mirror staggered array optical element combined with a directional light projection system will achieve floating projection for engineering technology. The virtual image is projected into the physical space and completes the effect that the virtual image is "touchable and unavailable" (that is, it will pass through the virtual image when touched by the hand). To achieve the function of the interaction between floating images and people, we will use hand posture information to control the interface, define the floating image's imaging position through leap motion, match the operation behavior's position, and trigger the pre-designed animation content. This paper focuses on the display issue, and we will present another paper on the interactive issue.


The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, has become the largest threat to apiculture and honey bee health world-wide. Since it was introduced to the new host species, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), it has been responsible for the near complete eradication of wild and feral honey bee populations in Europe and North America. Currently, the apicultural industry depends heavily on chemical Varroa control treatments to keep managed colonies alive. Without such control the mite populations in the colony will grow exponentially and the honey bee colony will succumb to the development of overt virus infections that are vectored by the mite typically within three years.

Two unique sub-populations of European honey bees (on Gotland, Sweden and in Avignon, France) have adapted to survive for extended periods (over ten years) without the use of mite control treatments. This has been achieved through a natural selection process with unmanaged mite infestation levels enforcing a strong selection pressure. This thesis reveals that the adaptation acquired by these honey bee populations mainly involve reducing the reproductive success of the parasite, that the different populations may have evolved different strategies to do so, and that this mite-resistant trait is genetically inherited. In addition, results of this thesis demonstrate that chemical mite control treatments used by beekeepers to inhibit the mite population growth within a colony can actually worsen bee health by temporarily increasing the bee's susceptibility to virus infection.

The results of this thesis highlight the impact that apicultural practices otherwise have on host-parasite interactions and the development of disease in this system. Possible solutions to the threat of Varroa are discussed such as the potential to breed for mite-resistant honey bees, which may offer a sustainable long-term solution, and the need for better general beekeeping techniques that reduce the use of chemical treatments and inhibit the spread of disease.


Though the first choice of treatment for liver metastasis in colon cancer is surgical resection of liver, 30-60% of such patients experience a recurrence of liver metastasis. Even if reoperation is done optimally, the surgical resection of liver metastasis may not be a definitely curative treatment. For cases of liver metastasis from colon cancer that are non-resectable due to multiple liver metastases, other organ metastases (lung, bone, brain etc.), the advanced age of the patient, or other complications (cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, heart disease etc.), hepatic arterial infusion or systemic combination chemotherapies are selected. In the present paper, we report 3 cases of effective systemic chemotherapy utilizing CPT-11 for liver metastases from colon cancers. The method was UFT + irinotecan (CPT-11), cisplatin (CDDP) + tegafur + CPT-11, UFT + CPT-11 + etoposide (ETP) + pirarubicin (THP). The result obtained was a partial response (PR) in each case. As there were few adverse effects, we could provide treatment during a short-term admission or an outpatient basis. We thus obtained good post-chemotherapeutic QOL, and these regimens may be effective forms of chemotherapies in the future.


In an attempt to clarify the pathophysiological role of endothelin (ET), a novel vasoconstrictor peptide, we administered this peptide into the medium of isolated perfused rat kidney (IPK). ET increased renal vascular resistance by 53%, and reduced inulin clearance by 29% in IPK at a higher concentration of 500 PM. However, fractional excretion of sodium and urine flow rate were increased by 160% and 109%, respectively. These findings suggest that ET modulates the tubular sodium reabsorption as well as the renal hemodynamics.


The belief propagation (BP) decoding of LT codes on BEC recovers only a small subset of the source symbols when the overhead is smaller than a particular value, at which point an avalanche of decoding takes place. In this paper, a degree distribution modification method is proposed to solve this problem. The encoder adopting the modified degree distribution equals to an encoder adopting the original degree distribution which produces the encoded symbols from the original source symbols and some so-called known symbols, whose values are known to both encoder and decoder. The mean degree of the modified degree distribution is always smaller than that of the original one. Theoretical analysis gives the improvement of the intermediate recovery rate. Simulation results show that the proposed modification method is effective to Robust degree distributions and the fixed degree distribution, on both BEC and AWGN channels.


more than one distinct species of microbe. The introduction of Dr. Klein's report, which is included in Dr. Thorne Thorne's personal report to his President, is a valuable contribution to the literature of progress in that laboratory research which has led to the present stage of knowledge in respect of the meahs whereby the expert may aid in the prevention of the spread of cholera by his ability to diagnose where doubt has arisen in clinical and other phases of the malady. The illustrations in the volume add considerably to its interest, both in the shape of maps and charts, and In regard to Dr. Klein's researches. The outbreak of diarrhceal illness at the GTreenwich Workhouse in October was investigated by Dr. Bulstrode, whose report and that of Dr. Klein on the bacteriological aspect of the case are given. From October 4th to the 24th, 240 inmates and 5 nurses were attacked, and 4 imported cases had occurred, 11 deaths taking place, all of them in the period October 8th to 12th. The main clinical features were abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, contracted features, feeble voice, interlse thirst, and extreme collapse. The incidence of the disease was on ages over childhood, and especially on persons over 60-years of age. Bacteriological study negatived the idea of true cholera, but a distinct micro-organism, of the proteis vulgaris type, was found. It deserves mention that antecedently to the workhouse outbreak there was in certain parts of Greenwich a small amount of disease prevalent which was clinically the counterpart of that reported later in the workhouse; and strong suspicion of importation of the disease exists, and its infective quality, when once introduced, is amply borne out by the subsequent bebaviour of the malady in the institution. Of the workhouse staff 16, and of the nursing staff 33, per cent. were attacked. How far water may have been the cause of the disease cannot be said, since, although there was nothing to connect the locally used well and the disease at the time of examination of the water, there may have been conditions of water at the time of chief operation of the epidemic which this later investigation did not discover.


Essential oil composition of Centaurea austroanatolica Hub.-Mor. and Centaurea kizildaghensis Uzunh., E. Dogan & H. Duman were analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixty and fourty six compounds were identified in the essential oils of C . austroanatolica and C . kizildaghensis , respectively. The major components were determined hexadecanoic acid (21.3%), caryophyllene oxide (4.8%), dodecanoic acid (4.2%) and heptacosane (3.5%) in C . austroanatolica oil, hexadecanoic acid (24.4%), phytol (9.3%), caryophyllene oxide (3.8%) and salvial-4(14)-en-1-one (3.1%) in C . kizildaghensis oil.


We consider the kinematical and dynamical evolution of Friedmann Universes with a mixture of non-interacting matter and a ghost-like field, in a scenario analogous to that advocated by the Quintom model. Assuming that the conventional matter dominates today, we find that the ghost component can bring the future expansion and the past contraction of the model to a finite halt. Moreover, at the moment the expansion or contraction stops, we find that the tendency of the Universe is to bounce back and re-collapse or re-expand. Therefore, the presence of a (never dominant) ghost-field with negative density could, in principle, drive the Universe into an eternal cycle of finite expansion, collapse, and re-expansion. Our study outlines the key features of such a scenario and provides a simple condition for it to occur. We also derive an autonomous set of differential equations and then employ dynamical-system techniques to identify two families of fixed points, with and without spatial curvature respectively. The members of the first family correspond to coasting Universes and are stable in the Lyapunov sense. Those of the latter family are unstable repellers when their matter satisfies the strong energy condition and Lyapunov stable in the opposite case.


Direct torque control is used over Field oriented control (FOC) because of its simple control structure and in steady state, transient state operating conditions shows better torque control. Direct torque control has the advantages like robust and fast torque responsive. But in low speed operation stator flux estimation raises difficulty due to improper working of an open loop voltage model observer and existence of an open loop integrator. Hence an adaptive flux observer is implemented which eliminates open loop integration, therefore improves the machine performance by minimizing stator current distortions, fast response of rotor speed, stator flux electro-magnetic torque without ripple, constant switching frequency. Voltage distortions are modelled using a non-linear inverter. In this paper a novel approach is seen where fuzzy logic controller is adapted which overcomes high torque ripples and improves the system performance. Simulation results are carried out for the proposed system.


Nigeria became an independent country in October 1 st 1960 after about a century occupation by the British colonial masters. Unfortunately the military struck in January 16 1966 and ruled the country for over 30 years. Nigeria has therefore been governed for a longer period (over thirty years) of her independence by the military. It is also interesting to note that the first colonial Governor –General, Lord Lugard was a British soldier; he amalgamated the Lagos Colony, the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate together to become what his wife named Nigeria. The various controversial military interventions might be undesirable, but it was not unexpected; it might have done some harm, yet it recorded some successes. This paper aims at examining why the interventions were expected and argue that it was not a total failure and disaster as most political and historical scholars had painted . This paper relying mainly on secondary sources examines the remote and the immediate causes as well as the aftermath of the military intervention. The paper concludes that the military interventions were not entirely 'wasted years', but 'created' some 'new management elites' who contributed a lot to the economic, social and political developments of the country.


This report focuses on the feasibility of the power-to-ammonia concept. Power-to-ammonia uses produced excess renewable electricity to electrolyze water, and then to react the obtained hydrogen with nitrogen, which is obtained through air separation, to produce ammonia. This process may be used as a "balancing load" to consume excess electricity on the grid and maintain grid stability. The product, ammonia, plays the role of a chemical storage option for excess renewable energy. This excess energy in the form of ammonia can be stored for long periods of time using mature technologies and an existing global infrastructure, and can further be used either as a fuel or a chemical commodity. Ammonia has a higher energy density than hydrogen; it is easier to store and transport than hydrogen, and it is much easier to liquefy than methane, and offers an energy chain with low carbon emissions. The objective of this study is to analyze technical, institutional and economic aspects of power-to-ammonia and the usage of ammonia as a flexible energy carrier.


Abstract:This article suggests that the libertines Valmont and Merteuil privilege promises because their futural orientation implies a godlike control of people and events, and because promises offer the possibility of being broken, of further pleasure to be derived from transgression. Moreover, it demonstrates how promises constitute paradoxical markers of the interlocutor's desire, rather than the speaker's sincerity; a desire that the libertines expertly exploit, although they too can fall victim to this dynamic. The article concludes with a consideration of why promises are made to be broken in "Les Liaisons dangereuses," focusing on the absence of patriarchal figures in the text.


In topic identification (topic ID) on real-world unstructured audio, an audio instance of variable topic shifts is first broken into sequential segments, and each segment is independently classified. We first present a general purpose method for topic ID on spoken segments in low-resource languages, using a cascade of universal acoustic modeling, translation lexicons to English, and English-language topic classification. Next, instead of classifying each segment independently, we demonstrate that exploring the contextual dependencies across sequential segments can provide large improvements. In particular, we propose an attention-based contextual model which is able to leverage the contexts in a selective manner. We test both our contextual and non-contextual models on four LORELEI languages, and on all but one our attention-based contextual model significantly outperforms the context-independent models.


The quasar 3C 273 is a well-known superluminal source. More than 10 radio components have been detected moving away from the nucleus with different superluminal speeds and position angles. The pattern of ejection suggests the existence of a precessing inner jet, whose kinematics has been discussed by Abraham & Romero (1999). We now present a binary black hole model for the central engine of 3C 273 where the rapid precession is tidally induced in the primary accretion disk inner region by a secondary black hole in a non-coplanar orbit. Using - and X-ray data we estimate upper limits for the mass of the primary, and then we compute the relevant parame- ters of the system for a variety of disk models. We also discuss some of the implications of the model for the electromagnetic and gravitational radiation from 3C 273.


Fretting is defined as a complex process of relative, oscillating micro-displacements of contacting surfaces, as a result of which destruction of the surface layers of these contacting elements takes place [33, 34]. Adhesive damaging of surfaces and the formation of fatigue cracks causes the creation of wear particle as well as their subsequent oxidation and hardening. These products act as an abrasive and are broken up, and their amount increases until the contacting surfaces are separated by a layer of oxide particles and wear conditions are stabilized. Materials conveyance processes, which take place with intensive oxidation, are also observed in the contact area [19]. Four primary mechanisms are responsible for fretting wear processes: adhesion, fatigue, abrasion, and corrosion [20]. Depending on the type and direction of motion, fretting is divided into: tangential, radial, torsional, and rotational fretting [36–38]. Its main consequence is a drastic reduction of the durability and the operational reliability period of devices. The phenomenon of fretting applies to most biomaterials, including metals, polymers, as well as ceramic materials [5, 14, 22, 37]. Advances in implantology impose the application of materials fulfilling ever-greater requirements concerning biofunctionality, with preservation of full biotolerance of implants in the human body [10, 25]. Metallic materials are widely used in dental prosthetics and surgery. They are used, among other things, to reconstruct or replace missing teeth and as elements of orthodontic apparatus for correction of malocclusions [2, 23]. The most commonly used materials are precious metals (gold, platinum, palladium), alloys of cobalt, titanium, and nickel, as well as austenitic steels [3, 5, 6, 11]. It should also be mentioned that, due to the toxic properties of some of these materials Jan Ryszard DąbRowski Marcin klekoTkA Jarosław siDun


Using framework of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hy pothesis, this paper evaluates relationship between irrigation and income across developing countries; and fa ctors affecting the income-irrigation relationship. The EKC hypothesis for irrigation implies that irrigation demand will be greater at the initial development stage, but subsequently it declines as the income increases. The r elationship between irrigation and income is analyzed ac ross 66 countries from Asia Africa and Latin America and from 1972-92. The empirical results provide a strong evidence for an EKC type of relationship for irrigation (percent o f crop area irrigated) for both Asia and combined of 66 countries, which implies that income elasticity of irrig ated area is a nonlinear. This means that there is no leapfrogging type of jump in the irrigation and agricultural dev elopment process. The information on income elasticity of irrigation has huge implications for analy zing demand for irrigated area, deriving water demand in agriculture and other sectors, and for planning water uses (allocation) across sectors. This is also important fo r improved understanding of irrigation impacts in the societ ies.


A method for preparing a pharmaceutical microdispersion exhibiting enhanced bioavailability, including the steps of providing a thermodynamically stable pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one lipophilic pharmaceutical agent incorporated in a physiologically acceptable liquid carrier, the liquid carrier comprising one or more lipophilic solvents such as fluorochemicals and preferably at least one nonfluorinated co-solvent, and combining the stable pharmaceutical composition with an amount of at least one miscible diluent sufficient to initiate phase separation of the lipophilic pharmaceutical agent from the pharmaceutical composition wherein a microdispersion of the pharmaceutical composition is formed. Also disclosed are microdisperse pharmaceutical compositions and kits for forming such compositions.


Food waste is a compelling and yet hugely under-researched area of interest for social scientists. In order to account for this neglect and to situate the fledgling body of social science scholarship that is starting to engage with food waste, the analysis here does a number of things. It explores the theoretical tendencies that have underpinned the invisibility of waste to the sociological gaze alongside the historical transitions in global food relations that led to the disappearance of concerns about food scarcity – and with them, concerns about food waste – from cultural and political life. It also sketches out some of the processes through which waste has recently (re-)emerged as a priority in the realms of food policy and regulation, cultural politics and environmental debate. Particular attention is paid to the intellectual trajectories that have complemented food waste's rising profile in popular and policy imaginations to call forth sociological engagement with the issue. With this in place, the stage is set for the individual contributions to this Sociological Review Monograph – papers that engage with food waste in a number of contexts, at a variety of scales and from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Together they represent the first attempt collectively to frame potential sociological approaches to understanding food waste.


Employing a framework of commercial nationalism, this article analyses how a post-Celtic Tiger Irish government aligned with elite interests has doubled down on its commitment to corporate citizenship. Despite the depredations of this era being directly attributable to the irrational exuberance of the Celtic Tiger period and lapses in financial regulation, Ireland post-2008 is marked by a radical forgetfulness and defined by 'Shock Doctrine' regulatory policies that have installed corporatism at the heart of everyday life. Key features of this landscape include ongoing governmental facilitation of tax avoidance by multinational corporations, the hollowing out of public services, the normalization of under-employment and a burgeoning housing crisis. We show here how the popular images and narratives of the period index a shift toward corporate impregnability and a public culture in which individuals absorb greater risk and take up positions of heightened precarity.


A functional membrane, composed of the nanoparticles of methylene blue (MB) and Nafion, was constructed during the present study. The materials were characterized by the methods of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Visible and FT-IR. The average diameter of new nano-particles was estimated to be about 60 nm. A novel Nafion-riboflavin membrane was also constructed and characterized by the methods of SEM, TEM and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The estimated average diameter of the new nanoparticles was about 60 nm. The functional membranes of Nafion-riboflavin and Nafion-methylene blue showed a quasi-reversible electrochemical behavior, on the gold electrode, with a formal potential of -562 \pm 5 and -305 \pm 5 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively. Some electrochemical parameters were also estimated, indicating that the systems present good and stable electron transfer properties. Our data proved that Nafion can be an interesting and helpful material in constructing Nanoparticles of different electro-active materials and in their stable immobilization.


This research project was conducted on behalf of Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC), a charity that provides support services for women who have experienced sexual violence. As part of their regular review of activities, they asked for a project which would focus on identifying the sexual violence service needs of the Gloucestershire LGBTQ community including identifying any barriers in accessing sexual violence services. In 2015 1.7% of the population in the UK identified themselves in the Office of National Statistics survey as lesbian, gay or bisexual with the largest population group between the ages of 16-25. Each year, in England and Wales approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are victims of rape and sexual assault which constitutes 19.9% of women and 3.8% of men having experienced some form of sexual assault since the age of 16 according to the Crime Survey England & Wales. As the statistics above demonstrate, women are far more likely to experience rape and sexual assault, however there is no accessible UK data, and very little service provision, disaggregated by LGBTQ status or addressing the specific needs of the LGBTQ community.


In this retrospective study of treatment-naive PLWH initiating antiretroviral therapy, the score for the depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was significantly higher at baseline (median, 6.0; interquartile range, 2-11) than at 12 months (3.0; 0-8; P < .001). Baseline depression and lack of insurance are associated with 12-month depression, but receipt of efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy is not.


Evolution![Figure][1]

CREDIT: ANDREW FORBES

A number of genes that have been identified among different species and habitats may be drivers of sympatric speciation—that is, speciation occurring within a population without physical isolation. These genes are generally believed to cause population-level divergence under strong selection, and hence it is expected that closely linked genes will experience genetic separation, resulting in "genomic islands" of divergence. However, in light of ongoing gene flow, the remaining genomic landscape is expected to remain relatively homogenous.

Michel et al. tested this hypothesis in a model organism for sympatric speciation, Rhagoletis flies, that utilize different host species—apple versus hawthorn flies, diverging approximately 150 years ago. Surveying the genomes of apple and hawthorn flies across a latitudinal gradient and mimicking natural conditions inducing diapause and eclosion, the authors found that large portions of the genome are divergent and are not merely islands linked to the putative drivers of divergence. Based on these results, they conclude that loci located throughout the genome are under selection and that these differences are not due to genetic drift. This supports the view that genomic continents of divergence may occur even during early stages of speciation.

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107 , 10.1073/pnas.1000939107 (2010).

 [1]: pending:yes


Every pathologist in active practice must be aware of and follow, set standards and recommendations for the diagnosis of breast carcinoma in order to ensure that the patient has the preconditions for an adequate therapy, regardless of the particular hospital setting. According to present-day knowledge, the standard obligatory examinations include conventional morphology (staging, typing and grading of the tumour) and the analysis of the steroid hormone receptor status (estrogen and progesterone). The immunohistochemical determination of tumour growth fraction with the Ki-67 antibody is economically justifiable, since it serves as an adjunct for histological/cytological tumour grading, a method that has a poor level of reproducibility. Since the introduction of herceptin immunotherapy, the determination HER-2/neu overexpression has gained a practical role and should now be included as an obligatory component of the diagnostic testing. Additional tumour markers are not components of routine diagnosis and these should be limited to clinical studies as long as their prognostic and therapeutic value have not been proven.


We have developed an alkaline barrier slurry(named FA/O slurry) for barrier removal and evaluated its chemical mechanical planarization(CMP) performance through comparison with a commercially developed barrier slurry.The FA/O slurry consists of colloidal silica,which is a complexing and an oxidizing agent,and does not have any inhibitors.It was found that the surface roughness of copper blanket wafers polished by the FA/O slurry was lower than the commercial barrier slurry,demonstrating that it leads to a better surface quality.In addition,the dishing and electrical tests also showed that the patterned wafers have a lower dishing value and sheet resistance as compared to the commercial barrier slurry.By comparison,the FA/O slurry demonstrates good planarization performance and can be used for barrier CMP.


This article aims to answer the main question raised – is Rorty's moral philosophy possible? To what extent is it possible to treat it as an authentic theory? Rorty's criticism of Kant and the Kantians, as one of the key points of contemporary moral philosophy, determines the posture in the moral domain and provides a certain place in discourse. The article states that, despite the fact that Rorty's moral philosophy is not based on a particular theoretical concept, it can be considered as a fragmented whole consisting of several parts, one of which is the agent's openness to the choice of moral identity. At the same time, we will critically question the position of Rorty himself – while maintaining the suspicion towards the sources of moral knowledge, he maintains an insufficient distance with one of his own sources of moral knowledge, namely historical progress.


The articles in this special issue provide insights from a variety of mentoring interventions that were implemented across the NIH Diversity Program Consortium (DPC). Many of the articles highlight examples of how the Entering Mentoring and Entering Research curricular materials, available through the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), were adapted and implemented for research mentors and research trainees at Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) institutions. Other articles report the outcomes of programs developed and offered more broadly by the NRMN. This overview provides background information on NIH DPC-wide efforts and the Entering Mentoring and Entering Research curricula.


We present an approach to make molecular optimization more efficient. We infer a hypergraph replacement grammar from the ChEMBL database, count the frequencies of particular rules being used to expand particular nonterminals in other rules, and use these as conditional priors for the policy model. Simulating random molecules from the resulting probabilistic grammar, we show that conditional priors result in a molecular distribution closer to the training set than using equal rule probabilities or unconditional priors. We then treat molecular optimization as a reinforcement learning problem, using a novel modification of the policy gradient algorithm - batch-advantage: using individual rewards minus the batch average reward to weight the log probability loss. The reinforcement learning agent is tasked with building molecules using this grammar, with the goal of maximizing benchmark scores available from the literature. To do so, the agent has policies both to choose the next node in the graph to expand and to select the next grammar rule to apply. The policies are implemented using the Transformer architecture with the partially expanded graph as the input at each step. We show that using the empirical priors as the starting point for a policy eliminates the need for pre-training, and allows us to reach optima faster. We achieve competitive performance on common benchmarks from the literature, such as penalized logP and QED, with only hundreds of training steps on a budget GPU instance.


Vanadate and Bafilomycin A1 were shown to inhibit the ATPase activity of the reconstituted binding protein-dependent ATP-binding Cassette (ABC) transporter for maltose (MalFGK2) of Salmonella typhimurium in the micromolar range. This is in sharp contrast to the recent finding that the isolated ATPase subunit MalK was insensitive to both compounds. Our data provide the first experimental evidence for the view that functional coupling of the ATPase domain of an ABC transporter to the membrane-integral domains is crucial for conferring sensitivity to vanadate and bafilomycin A1. Possible consequences for the mode of action of ABC transport proteins are discussed.


Aim: To evaluate the changes in arterial blood pressure during periodontal procedures under local anesthesia in hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients and to compare effects related to gender, age, and different types of blood pressure medications on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Materials and Methods: Fifty-nine patients enrolled and consented to participate in this study. Twenty-eight were diagnosed with hypertension and thirty one were nonhypertensive. Their blood (BP) was measured once during the consultation visit. During the scaling and root planning (SRP) visit BP was measured at three time points: before local anesthesia (LA) injection, immediately after LA and at the end of the procedure. During the surgical visit BP was determined at the same three time points as the SRP visit. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between hypertensive and normotensive patients, males versus females, age groups and different types of blood pressure medications during SRP and surgical visits under local anesthesia. Conclusion: Although age, gender, blood pressure medications and hypertensive status have no significant influence on the arterial blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive patients


Why Swedish women convert to Islam?"Many Western converts – irrespective of religion – long for wholeness. Those I have interviewed, strive for homogeneity as they see heterogeneity, complexity, and ambiguities as threatening and problematic. This longing for wholeness is expressed on many different levels.They wish to have stable heterosexual gender roles and are confident with the traditional, patriarchal family model. They argue that the absolute truth can be found in Islam, and they wish to live in a theocratic society ruled by Islam


Biotin deficiency was induced in newborn rats by feeding pregnant rats a biotin-deficient, avidin-rich diet. Signs typical of biotin deficiency are seen as soon as the young rat develops its fur. Deficiency of pyruvate carboxylase (PC) activity in the brains of the young animals (70%) is higher than has been reported before. The highest PC activity is found in the brain stem of control and biotin-deficient rats. Normally fed rats show, shortly after birth, a maximum in liver PC activity, which is absent in biotin-deficient animals. The biochemical changes observed in these rats seem to indicate that a specific deficiency of PC activity was induced as exemplified by hyperlactatemia and hypoglycemia and the absence of increased plasma concentrations of propionic acid and beta-methylcrotonic acid. This offers the possibility to use biotin deficiency in the rat as an animal model for patients with lactic acidosis in whom PC deficiency has been postulated.


D-beta-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase of beef heart mitochondria is a lipid-requiring enzyme, bound to the inner membrane. The orientation of this enzyme in the membrane has been studied by comparing the characteristics of the enzyme in mitochondria and 'inside-out' submitochondrial vesicles. We observe that the enzymic activity is (1) latent in intact mitochondria; (2) relatively stable to trypsin digestion in mitochondria but rapidly inactivated in submitochondrial vesicles by this treatment; and (3) released more rapidly from submitochondrial vesicles by phospholipase A2 digestion than from mitochondria. Conclusive evidence that D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase is localized on the matrix face of the mitochondrial inner membrane is provided by the correlation that the enzyme is released from submitochondrial vesicles before the membrane becomes leaky to cytochrome c. The arrangement of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in the membrane is discussed within a generalized classification of the orientation of proteins in membranes. The evidence indicates that D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase is an amphipathic molecule and as such is inlaid in the membrane, i.e. the enzyme is partially inserted into the hydrophobic milieu of the membrane, with the polar, functional end extending into the aqueous milieu.


Abstract The species Zadiprion falsus Smith is a defoliating insect considered of major importance, due to its pest behavior. Little knowledge about its behavior and geographic? distribution is a limitation to determine control and prevention measures against these organisms. The objective of the present work is to know the potential geographic? distribution of Z. falsus throughout Mexico, as well as to determine the ideal conditions for its establishment and propagation. In order to do this, ecological niche models and potential distribution of both Z. falsus and its host plants were used applying the MaxEnt algorithm. It was determined that the variables that have greater influence on their distribution are the isothermality and the average temperature of the coldest quarter. A total of 14 species of host pines (Pinus) were recorded for Z. falsus, and it was concluded that there is a close relationship between the distribution of Z. falsus and the distribution of its host plants.


A number of methods are at present available for the numerical solution of linear ordinary differential equations over a restricted range of the independent variable. Of these perhaps the most commonly used are methods based on finite differences which have as their aim the construction of a table of values of the dependent variable at stated intervals of the independent variable. The appropriate method to be used depends upon the boundary conditions. Thus for second-order equations, for example, if boundary conditions occur at each end of the range of integration the relaxation method of Southwell (6) is suitable, whereas if this is not the case resort may be made to step-by-step methods or the recently proposed method of Allen and Severn(1). This method, applicable to equations of any order, brings the problem within the scope of normal relaxation methods at the expense of an increase in the order. In all such methods the accuracy attainable for a given (small) amount of labour is a worth-while consideration, and methods have been suggested by Fox (3) and Fox and Goodwin (4) for improving this by the use of comparatively large intervals of the independent variable.


Background Living with HIV/AIDS is associated with negative emotional and bodily symptoms; however, there is paucity of data on the prevalence and associated factors depression among this population. This study investigate the prevalence and factors contributing to depression among HIV-positive adults on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in O.R. Tambo Eastern Cape, South Africa. Method This cross-sectional descriptive study involved 334 adults receiving ART in the two Community Health Centers in OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used to collect data, in addition to a semi-structured questionnaire on coping mechanism and challenges in seeking help with depressive symptoms. Multiple logistic regression analysis were used to assess the factors associated with depression among the HIV-positive adults. Results The prevalence of depression among the HIV-positive adults receiving ART was 44%, and the majority of the patient's depression fall within the borderline and moderate threshold. The prevalence of depression was significantly higher among females (71.0%; p < 0.0003) and unemployed (73.0%; p < 0.0014) HIV-positive adults. Participants not benefiting from any form of social grant exhibited higher prevalence of depression (79%). Race (p=0.590), age (p=0.338) and married participants (p=0.511) show no statistical significant association between HIV-positive adults accessing ART and depression. Unadjusted logistic regression model show being female (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.23-3.23; p < 0.003) and unemployed (OR =1.73, 95% CI: 1.08-2.77; p < 0.014) were significantly associated with a likelihood of depression. Majority of the participants who could express their feelings of HIV disease and challenges in accessing ART felt more depressed (85%) compared to those who could not express their feelings.Conclusion The rate of depression among HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART is high. Early detection of depression and the challenges associated with accessing treatment and treating would help in improving the compliance to treatment as well as quality of life.


Received May 27, 2022 Revised May 25, 2023 Accepted Jun 14, 2023 A systematic study on the development of the assessment instrument of the concept of kinematics which is one of the basic concepts of physics has not yet been conducted. This systematic study reported the characteristics, quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the instrument assessment regarding the concept of kinematics. This systematic review method has used a systematic approach based on the practical guidelines of systematic reviews by Petticrew and Roberts and has used PRISMA diagrams for the process of searching and selecting articles, who reviewed 12 articles published between 1985 and 2021. The research findings show that the instrument of concept mastery of kinematics using multiple-choice formats, while others combine the true-false and multiple-choice formats. Almost all instruments of mastery of the concept of widely used kinematics have reported validity assessment (content validity, construct validity) and internal consistency reliability. However, predictive validity, discriminatory validity, and temporal stability reliability have not been reported. Other results indicate that the development of further assessments must pay attention to five important aspects: the validity and reliability of instruments, the scopes and specificity of the concept of kinematics, the conformity with the intellectual level of students, the effectiveness and efficiency of instrument assessment, and the fulfillment of research gaps. This study can help educators and researchers choose and develop an appropriate instrument assessment to reveal students' understanding of the concept of kinematics.


This article proposes three reflexive movements. The first one offers an introduction to Fees Must Fall, pointing to some aspects that allow us to understand it as a social movement and some of its basic features. The second movement is a theoretical one, constructing the notion of emancipatory politics. It is based on the distinctions suggested by Jacques Ranciere between 'police and politics' and by Michael Neocosmos between 'excessive and expressive' politics. It will also present the Freirean notion of 'conscientisation and dialogicity', emphasising the learning experience from the political praxis within emancipatory social movements. The third movement offers, as conclusion, an apocalyptic politics as suggested by Žižek, envisioned through the lens of Christian eschatology, as a critical approach to social movements towards the radical transformation of society.


The earth-abundant quaternary compound Cu2BaSnS4 is being currently studied as a candidate for photovoltaics and as a photocathode for water splitting. However, the chemical stability of this phase during synthesis is unclear. The synthesis of other quaternary tin–sulphur-based absorbers (e.g., Cu2ZnSnS4) involves an annealing step at high temperature under sulphur gas atmosphere, which can lead to decomposition into secondary phases involving Sn loss from the sample. As the presence of secondary phases can be detrimental for device performance, it is crucial to identify secondary phase chemical, structural and optoelectronic properties. Here we used a combination of in situ EDXRD/XRF and TEM to identify a decomposition pathway for Cu2BaSnS4. Our study reveals that, while Cu2BaSnS4 remains stable at high sulphur partial pressure, the material decomposes at high temperatures into Cu4BaS3 and the hitherto unknown compound Cu2Ba3Sn2S8 if the synthesis is performed under low partial pressure of sulphur. The presence of Cu4BaS3 in devices could be harmful due to its high conductivity and relatively lower band gap compared to Cu2BaSnS4. The analysis of powder diffraction data reveals that the newly identified compound Cu2Ba3Sn2S8 crystallizes in the cubic system (space group I3d) with a lattice parameter of a = 14.53(1) A. A yellow powder of Cu2Ba3Sn2S8 has been synthesized, exhibiting an absorption onset at 2.19 eV.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

There have been several elegant studies showing non coding resident microRNA and circulating extracellular microRNA alterations in ccRCC. MicroRNAs have been reported to be epigenetically regulated. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are currently in clinical development for ccRCC. The objectives of the study were i) to determine the effect of the HDAC inhibitor vorinostat and the VEGF blocker bevacizumab on circulating microRNAs in serum of ccRCC patients with either objective response (Responders) or progression (Progressors); ii) To evaluate serum levels of secreted growth factors (VEGF, FGF2, HGF), apoptotic markers (sFAS-L and TRAIL), invasion and metastatic markers (SDF and OPN), and cytokines (IL8). MicroRNAs were isolated from the serum of ccRCC patient treated with vorinostat and bevacizumab and determined their expression by Exiqon's miRCURY LNATM microarray system. ELISA and Luminex analysis methods were used to measure the secreted growth factors, apoptosis markers, metastasis and invasive makers, and cytokines. In silico bioinformatics analysis was performed to determine the target molecules of the altered microRNAs. Additionally, we have evaluated the possible role of altered microRNA on the regulation of secreted factors in the serum to determine if microRNA could serve as a biomarker of the response to treatment. Exiqon microarray analysis revealed the differential regulation of 134 microRNAs in the post-vs pre-treatment of vorinostat and bevacizumab. The analysis of microRNA expression in Responders and Progressors at the baseline, pre, and post treatment revealed the differential expression of 10 microRNAs in the serum. We found downregulation of miR-20a, miR-142-3p, miR-154, miR-199a-5p, and miR-let-7b and up regulation of miR-99a, miR-605, miR-485-3p, miR-365, and miR-451 in the Responders at baseline. MicroRNA miR-20a and miR-let7b were significantly up regulated after treatment. In addition, miR-605, miR-485-3p, and miR-365 were found to be significantly downregulated after treatment. These results suggest the role of vorinostat and bevacizumab in the alteration of microRNAs miR-20a, miR-let7b, miR-605, miR-485-3p, and miR-365. In patients who progressed there was no downregulation of miR-let7b or upregulation of miR-605, miR-485-3p, and miR-365 following treatment, suggesting the potential role of these microRNAs in the observed response. We also observed downregulation of secreted VEGF, FGF2, SDF, OPN, sFAS-L, and IL8 in Responders following treatment. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the role of microRNAs in the regulation of these markers. Our results suggest the regulation of selected circulating microRNAs in serum of ccRCC patients treated with vorinostat and bevacizumab and the potential role of microRNAs as biomarkers for response in ccRCC patients receiving epigenetic therapies in combination with antiangiogenics.

Citation Format: Sreenivasulu Chintala, Kiersten M. Miles, Remi Adelaiye, Roberto Pili. Modulation of circulating microRNAs in serum of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients treated with vorinostat and bevacizumab. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4395. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4395


The information loss paradox associated with black hole Hawking evaporation is an unresolved problem in modern theoretical physics. In this paper, we revisit the entanglement entropy via the Euclidean path integral (EPI) of the quantum state and allow for the branching of semi-classical histories along the Lorentzian evolution. We posit that there exist at least two histories that contribute to EPI, where one is an information-losing history while the other is information-preserving. At early times, the former dominates EPI, while at late times the latter becomes dominant. By so doing we recover the essence of the Page curve and thus the unitarity, albeit with the turning point, i.e., the Page time, much shifted toward the late time. One implication of this modified Page curve is that the entropy bound may thus be violated. We comment on the similarity and difference between our approach and that of the replica wormholes and the island conjecture.


Summary
The suckling NCS mouse proved to be a more sensitive and a more consistent subject for intestinal colonisation than the conventional suckling mouse.
An oral challenge dose with (5–10) x 106 coliforms, enteropathogenic or non-pathogenic, was followed by intestinal colonisation. The clearance of the introduced strains from the gut started at the weaning period in mice and was usually complete at 25–30 days of age.
However, the NCS mouse proved to be a suitable model for the differentiation of enteropathogenic from non-pathogenic coliforms on the basis of mortality, as only the enteropathogenic virulent E. coli serotypes caused deaths, apparently due to toxic effects.
Sections from the intestine of mice infected orally with doses of 106
E. coli 026:B6 or 0111:B4 showed no pathological changes.
Lung infections, following the oral challenge of mice with coliform strains, did not seem to be the sole cause of deaths as infections of the lungs via the intranasal route were not associated with mortality.
The dynamics of the implantation and of the clearance of intestinal coliforms were considered. Antagonistic activities involving the introduced coliforms and the resident bacterial groups such as coliforms, enterococci, lactobacilli and bacteroides were not observed.


Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is an underutilised species with potential to contribute nutritional and food security in marginal areas. Growth, phenology and yield of a local bambara groundnut landrace from Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal, characterised into three selections according to seed coat colour, namely Brown, Red and Light Brown, were evaluated under irrigated and rain-fed field conditions at Roodeplaat, Pretoria, over two seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12). Trials with three replicates were planted under rain-fed and irrigated conditions with seed colour as a subfactor. Emergence (up to 35 d after planting), plant height, leaf number, leaf area index, chlorophyll content index and stomatal conductance were measured in situ. Yield and components of yield were determined at harvest. The Red, Brown and Light Brown landrace selections emerged well (84%, 81% and 51%, respectively). Plant physiological and growth parameters of stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content index, plant height, leaf number, leaf area index and biomass accumulation were lower under rain-fed relative to irrigated conditions. Adaptations were landrace selection-specific, with the Brown and Red landrace selections showing better adaptation to rain-fed conditions. Under rain-fed conditions, bambara groundnut landrace selections flowered, senesced and matured earlier relative to irrigated conditions. Consequently, there were lower yields under rain-fed compared with irrigated conditions. The Red and Brown landrace selections may have drought-avoidance mechanisms. Seed colour may be used as a selection criterion for drought tolerance in bambara groundnut landraces.


The interaction of plants with insect herbivores and fungal pathogens can affect community dynamics, but there is little information on how this antagonistic interaction may be altered in human‐disturbed tropical systems. We examined whether the amount and quality of foliar damage on the pioneer herbs Heliconia latispatha and Heliconia collinsiana are distinct on road edges and secondary riparian vegetation compared with natural gaps in continuous forest (controls) in Mexico. We also investigated some physical and biological mechanisms that may jointly explain such differences. The overall insect damage in H. latispatha was similar between road edges and natural forest gaps (8.0% vs. 7.2% of leaf area). Damage by caterpillars, however, decreased from 4.2 percent in forest gaps to 0.5 percent on road edges, whereas damage by leaf‐cutting ants increased from 0 to 5.8 percent. In secondary riparian vegetation, where none of the leaves sampled were attacked by ants, overall herbivore damage in H. collinsiana was less than half that observed in forest gaps (3.0% vs. 6.7%), and driven mainly by differences in caterpillar damage (2.5% vs. 6.2%). By contrast, attack by leaf fungal pathogens was two to three times greater in both human‐disturbed habitats than in gaps (8.2–9.6% vs. 3.7–4.2%). Potential mechanisms underlying these differences involved human‐induced shifts in air and soil temperature driven by greater light availability, as well as changes in relative humidity, leaf toughness, foliar condensed tannins, and local abundance of herbivores. Our results indicate that human disturbance alters insect herbivory and may increase proliferation of leaf disease.