A 2-page book embedding of a graph places the vertices linearly on a spine (a line segment) and the edges on two pages (two half planes sharing the spine) so that each edge is embedded in one of the pages without edge crossings. Testing whether a given graph admits a 2-page book embedding is known to be NP-complete. In this paper, we study the problem of testing whether a given graph admits a 2-page book embedding with a fixed edge partition. Based on structural properties of planar graphs, we prove that the problem of testing and finding a 2-page book embedding of a graph with a partitioned edge set can be solved in linear time. As an application of our main result, we consider the problem of testing planarity of clustered graphs. The complexity of testing clustered graph planarity is a long standing open problem in Graph Drawing. Recently, polynomial time algorithms have been found for several classes of clustered graphs in which both the structure of the underlying graphs and clustering structure are restricted. However, when the underlying graph is disconnected, the problem remains open. Our book embedding results imply that the clustered planarity problem can be solved in linear time for a certain class of clustered graphs with arbitrary underlying graphs (i.e. possibly disconnected).


INTRODUCTION
The objective was to evaluate the predictive value of the ROX index and describe the evolution of a population of patients admitted to intensive care for COVID-19 pneumonia who required high-flow oxygen therapy.

METHODS
Retrospective cohort study in patients older than 18 years with a positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-COV-2 who were admitted to intensive care unit with acute respiratory failure and required high-flow oxygen therapy for > 2 hours.

RESULTS
Of a total of 97 patients, 42 (43.3%) responded satisfactorily to treatment with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and 55 (56.7%) failed treatment, requiring orotracheal intubation and invasive ventilatory support. Of the 55 patients who failed, 11 (20%) survived and 44 (80%) died during intensive care admission (p < 0.001). No patient who responded satisfactorily to HFNC treatment died during hospitalization. The ROC analysis identified the 12-hour ROX index as the best predictor of failure with an area under the curve of 0.75 (0.64-0.85) and a cut-off point of 6.23 as the best predictor of intubation [Sensitivity 0.85 (95% CI 0.70-0.94), Specificity 0.55 (95% CI 0.39-0.70)].

DISCUSSION
In patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia treated with highflow oxygen therapy, the ROX index was a good predictor of success.


Background: Complete avulsion of the hoof in horses, also known as exungulation, is not a commonly reported injury and usually leads to euthanasia due to the great amount of tissue loss, intense pain, secondary complications, expensive and lengthy treatment. It can involve deep structures and cause different complications leading to chronic lameness. In stallions affected by such injury, the reproductive tract and performance may also be affected. The aim of this study was to report a case of complete avulsion of the right front hoof in a Criollo stallion and subsequent bilateral testicular degeneration.Case: A 10-year-old Criollo stallion was referred to the Veterinary Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Pelotas (HCV- UFPel) with a complete avulsion of the left front hoof. At admission, the stallion had clinical parameters compatible with intense pain and blood loss. Evaluation of the wound demonstrated that the distal end of the third phalanx (P3) was exposed but no fracture was detected on radiological evaluation. No other structure was apparently affected. Initially, anti-inflammatory (phenylbutazone) and opioid (morphine) was given for pain control and supportive fluid therapy was started to restore hydration. Antibiotic (Sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim) were administered for 10 days. Continued therapy with phenylbutazone, pentoxifylline, omeprazole and supplementation with methionine, biotin and zinc was also given. Local treatment was carried out by cleaning the wound, applying an antimicrobial ointment and dressing it with a bandage. Wound management was adapted according to the evolution and healing process. The stallion was kept in stall rest during its hospitalization time. In the second month after the injury, accumulation of liquid in the scrotum was observed. Clinical and ultrasound evaluation lead to a presumptive diagnosis of testicular degeneration. The stallion was discharged after three months when the wound was almost healed and the hoof had started to grow. Six month later, a follow up by the referring vet showed that the hoof was almost completely grown and the x-ray assessment demonstrated a cranial rotation and resorption of the distal end of the third phalanx.Discussion: The stallion of this report had a complete avulsion of the hoof capsule caused by trauma. Conservative treatment was established including wound cleaning and dressing to avoid contamination, control of pain and inflammation, antimicrobial care and supplementation to support hoof growth. Time period for wound healing and hoof growth was in agreement with other cases described previously. Bone sequestrum of the distal end of the third phalanx, and detachment of a fragment were observed in this case, followed by bone resorption. The stallion was closely monitored to prevent laminitis in the contralateral limb and no alterations were detected during the treatment period. Testicular degeneration was observed, probably caused as a consequence of hoof avulsion and due to a long period of stall rest. Degenerative alterations in testicles interfere with thermoregulation and spermatogenesis, affecting semen quality and reproductive performance. Rotation of the third phalanx was also observed six months later caused by the hoof loss. In conclusion, the patient of this report had a complete regrowth of the hoof capsule although a long intensive treatment was necessary to achieve this result. As a consequence, testicles degeneration may happen impairing its function as a stallion.Keywords: exungulation,hoof trauma, degenerative changes.


We performed a phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the modified fludarabine, cytarabine, and attenuated‐dose idarubicin (m‐FLAI) regimen in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Elderly (≥60 years) AML patients who had not previously received chemotherapy were enrolled in the study. Patients received two consecutive cycles of m‐FLAI chemotherapy as an induction. The m‐FLAI regimen comprised fludarabine (25 mg/m2, days 1–4), cytarabine (1,000 mg/m2, days 1–4), and attenuated‐dose idarubicin (5 mg/m2, days 1–3). The primary end point was complete remission (CR) rate. Secondary end points were overall survival (OS), event‐free survival (EFS), and treatment‐related mortality (TRM). There were 108 patients (median age 68.4 years, M:F = 64:44) enrolled in the study. CR was achieved in 56.5% of patients, and the TRM rate was 21.3%. Median OS and median EFS were 10.2 and 6.6 months, respectively. The mortality at 30 and 60 days was 15 and 21%, respectively. Performance status and comorbidity did not have prognostic value in this patient cohort. Bone marrow expression of CD117 was associated with increased EFS and OS. m‐FLAI is an effective induction regimen for previously untreated AML in elderly patients. In addition, bone‐marrow CD117 expression is an independent favorable prognostic factor in elderly AML patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01247493). Am. J. Hematol. 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Abstract In a qualitative study of a primary school, it was found that the technicist approach of an OFSTED inspection impacted against the holistic and humanistic values of the teachers, producing a high degree of trauma among them. This trauma was not a simple emotional response of the moment, nor was it a product of school failure or lack of leadership, for neither of these applied. It was, rather, socially and politically constructed. The teachers' reactions have to be seen against the background of government reforms over the last decade. In this context, the particular emotions released suggest that the inspection examined here had a latent function of deprofessionalisation. Professional uncertainty was induced, with teachers experiencing confusion, anomie, anxiety and doubt about their competence. They also suffered an assault on their personal selves, closely associated among primary teachers with their professional roles. This took the form of mortification, dehumanisation, the loss of pedagogic ...


It is shown that the inductive effect of a substituent can have contributions of both exchange and Coulomb type, but that the exchange terms can be treated empirically as though they arise from a short-range field effect. Calculations of the exchange terms for the halogens and the methyl group are in accord with the empirical values of inductive parameters deduced from spectroscopy. Evidence is given that for a methyl group the inductive perturbation is almost entirely of short range type and is probably dominated by the exchange terms but for a chloro substituent both the short range exchange repulsion and the long range Coulomb attraction are important.


Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of simultaneous intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for macular oedema associated with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Methods Twenty eyes of 20 patients with CRVO were enrolled. A mixture of TA (4 mg) and tPA (25 μg) was injected into the vitreous of 20 eyes with CRVO. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and macular thickness before and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure were measured. Results The BCVA improved three lines or more in 65%, 55%, 55% and 53% of eyes and the mean macular thickness decreased from 1072 μm to 455, 450, 480 and 409 μm (p<0.001) at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Fifteen (75%) of the 20 eyes required at least one additional injection to prevent a recurrence of macular oedema. The intraocular pressure increased in four eyes. Conclusion Overall, intravitreal injection of the TA/tPA mixture improved the BCVA by three lines or more in at least 50% of eyes and decreased the mean macular thickness at four time points without serious side effects. A randomised clinical trial is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment.


Good leadership in medicine is crucial, but unfortunately, often woefully inadequate. Those chosen to lead often have limited experience in leadership themselves, or worse, are appointed because of achievements that have nothing to do with their ability to lead. Serving as a guide for those in, or considering, leadership positions in medicine, this book demonstrates how to play to one's strengths and effectively recognise and overcome weaknesses. Describing how to form a functional team, and align your goals with those of upper leadership, advice is applicable to all disciplines and hierarchy structures. The author, David Greer, is a renowned clinician and educator, and has held department chair positions in several prestigious institutions, positioning him perfectly to educate on the qualities of a successful leader. Readers will learn how to work within a team, manage unforeseen crises and to embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth.


Objective:The objective of this article is to provide a summary of the perceptions of healthcare providers and family members toward their role in active patient care in the ICU and compare the views of healthcare providers with those of relatives of critically ill patients. Data Sources:The search was conducted using PubMed as the primary search engine and EMBASE as a secondary search engine. Study Selection:Studies were included if they were conducted in the ICU, had an adult patient population, and contained a discussion of active patient care, including perspective or actions of family members or healthcare providers about the active participation. Data Extraction:Titles and abstracts of articles identified through PubMed and EMBASE were assessed for relevancy of family involvement. The full article was reviewed of titles and abstracts involving family involvement of care in the ICU to assess if the topic was active care and if the article involved perceptions of healthcare providers or family members. The references of all selected articles were then evaluated for the inclusion of additional studies. Data Synthesis:Articles including perceptions of healthcare providers were grouped separately from articles including attitudes of family members. Articles that contained the perceptions of both healthcare providers and family members were considered in both groups but were evaluated with each perspective separately. Examples of specific patient care tasks that were mentioned in each article were identified. Conclusions:A positive attitude exists among both family members and providers toward the involvement of family members in active care tasks. Providers and family members share the attitude that a partnership is necessary and that encouragement for family members to participate is essential. The findings in this review support the need for more objective research regarding how families are caring for their loved ones and how family involvement in care is affecting patient and family outcomes.


Rees and Quimby are with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Range Weeds & Cereals Research Unit, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT; Pemberton is with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Spencer is with USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains Soil & Water Research Center, Sidney, MT, and Nowierski is with the Department of Entomology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT


Although the neuromuscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis was first described in the seventeenth century,1it was not until two centuries later that Erb2and Goldflam3firmly established the clinical features of this disease. During the next half century, references in the literature dealt mainly with the clinical and pathological aspects of the disease, and this information is well summarized by Keschner and Strauss.4Relatively little progress was made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis until the advent of the theory of chemical mediation of nerve impulses at synaptic junctions. With the recognition of the importance of acetylcholine in the transmission of the nerve impulse at the motor end plate in striated muscles, there rapidly developed intense interest in both physiologic and pathophysiologic aspects of this mechanism. This interest has been maintained and has led to many significant advances in our knowledge with


Magnetic resonance imaging has provided many advances in the field of neuro-ophthalmology. Refinements in magnetic resonance imaging allow excellent evaluation of the brainstem, cranial nerves, and sellar and suprasellar regions. Gadopentetic acid enhancement allows identification of subtle lesions, which may not otherwise alter morphology, as this agent may cross an abnormal blood-brain barrier. This year I have focused on imaging advances in evaluation of optic gliomas, radionecrosis of the optic nerves and chiasm, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and facial pain and hemifacial spasm.


This longitudinal study investigated the contributions of Chinese secondary school students' meaning in life in Grade 10 to vocational identity in Grade 12 in different Chinese settings. Whether vocational exploration and commitment reported by students (VECS) in Grade 11, and the vocational exploration and commitment reported by parents (VECP) of the students mediate the above link was examined as well. Participants comprised 435 students and their parents/guardians from Hong Kong, 422 students and their parents/guardians from urban Shanghai, and 308 students and their parents/guardians from rural Zhejiang. Partial mediation of the VECS in the relationship between meaning in life and vocational identity was significant in the Shanghai and Zhejiang rural samples. In the Hong Kong sample, the VECP was significantly predicted by meaning in life and could predict vocational identity. Associations between parental perceptions of vocational commitment and adolescents' own career development might therefore be weaker than previously believed. The pattern of the relationships between meaning in life, vocational commitment and identity, and the influence of parents on adolescents' career development in different Chinese local contexts are discussed herein.


Three patients suffered from somatic complaints related to excessive alcohol use. For the first patient, a 42-year-old man, the simple advice to quit drinking was enough for him to stop. A second patient, a 61-year-old woman, continued to deny drinking excessively despite several signs of excessive alcohol use. The third patient, a 45-year-old man, changed his drinking behaviour after receiving lifestyle intervention from the internist. All three patients needed a structural intervention to tackle the drinking problems in addition to medical treatment. The first lifestyle-intervention session takes 10 minutes and subsequent sessions take 5 minutes each. The intervention includes five elements: screening, placing on the agenda, inventory, making an appointment about change and reverting to the appointment about change. A trained nurse could also perform part of the intervention. Although lifestyle interventions seem to be expensive and time-consuming activities in the short-term, in the longer term they save time and money and lead to a satisfactory result for both the patient and physician.


Polycrystalline of (La1-xNdx)0.5Ba0.5MnO3 with x = 0, 1/6, 1/3, ½, 2/3, 5/6 and 1 has been prepared using solid state reaction. The effect of substituting neodymium at Lasite
on magnetoresistance (MR) effect has been investigated. The doped samples are calcined at 900oC for 12 hours, pelletized and sintered at 1300oC for 24 hours. The
magnetoresistance (MR) was measured at a magnetic field of H ≤ 1T at 90K, 100K, 150K, 200K, 250K, 270K and 300K. Overall, MR drops slowly when temperature rises. All doping concentration gives small variation range (~8.97% to ~63.49%). The highest MR value of 63.49 % was observed at 150K for sample of x = 1.0. The metal-insulator transition temperature, TP shifted towards lower temperatures as Nd
doping increased, Tp followed by decreasing of the activation energy (Ea), which are 254, 244, 218, 198, 146, 130 and 114 K for the bulks with x = 0, 1/6, 1/3, ½, 2/3, 5/6 and 1, respectively. In the semi-conducting portion, activation energy (Ea) decreases as the doping concentration increases.


Formal education can be improved by transferring responsibility from the teacher to the learner. A simple approach to this is the time contract. Time contracts have been used successfully in nine quasi-experiments but, despite these successes, some educators see this as subversive research.


The public sector is the biggest buyer on all national markets. The focus on public procurement and especially electronic public procurement has for several reasons increased in later years with ...


Adaptable models could greatly benefit robotic agents operating in the real world, allowing them to deal with novel and varying conditions. While approaches such as Bayesian inference are well-studied frameworks for adapting models to evidence, we build on recent advances in deep generative models which have greatly affected many areas of robotics. Harnessing modern GPU acceleration, we investigate how to quickly adapt the sample generation of neural network models to observations in robotic tasks. We propose a simple and general method that is applicable to various deep generative models and robotic environments. The key idea is to quickly fine-tune the model by fitting it to generated samples matching the observed evidence, using the cross-entropy method. We show that our method can be applied to both autoregressive models and variational autoencoders, and demonstrate its usability in object shape inference from grasping, inverse kinematics calculation, and point cloud completion.


The study is aimed to evaluate the impact of impurities like food waste, paper, textile and especially soil on the pyrolysis of waste plastics. For this purpose, emissions, gas and liquid products from pyrolysis of waste plastics and impurities were studied, as well as the transfer of element N, Cl, S from the substrates to the pyrolysis products. It was found that the presence of food waste would reduce the heat value of pyrolysis oil to 27 MJ/kg and increase the moisture in the liquid products, therefore the food residue should be removed from waste plastics; and the soil, enhance the waste plastics' pyrolysis by improving the quality of gas and oil products. The presence of food residue, textile and paper leaded to higher gas emissions.


Can children's media be a source of education and empowerment? Or is the commercial media market a threat to their sense of social and democratic values? Such questions about the appropriateness children's media consumption have recurred in public debates throughout the twentieth century. From Superman to Social Realism provides an exciting new approach to the study of children's media and childhood history, drawing on the theories of cross-media consumption and transnational history. Based on extensive Scandinavian source material, it explores public debates about children's media between 1945 and 1985. Readers are taken on a fascinating journey through debates about superheroes in the 1950s, politicization of children's media in the 1960s, and about television and social realism in the 1980s. Arguments are firmly contextualized in Scandinavian childhood and welfare history, an approach that demonstrates why professional and political groups have perceived children's media as the key to the enculturation of future generations.


A child treated for a desmoplastic medulloblastoma of the left cerebellar hemisphere at the age of 10 months developed a malignant astrocytoma in the same site 11 years later. Theories of origin of the second tumor, particularly in relation to concepts of the genesis of medulloblastoma in general, are discussed.


Experienced multimodal quality is often assessed using quantitative experiments disregarding participants' experienced quality factors. The goal of this paper is to explore multimodal quality by using both quantitative methods as well as qualitative methods. Monoscopic and stereoscopic visual presentation modes and related room acoustic simulations for small and large spaces were varied. The experiments were conducted using a 15″ autostereoscopic display and a 4.0 loudspeaker setup. Experienced quality was measured using both quantitative evaluation and Free-Choice Profiling with 20 naive participants. The results show that participants were qualitatively able to differentiate variables, although no quantitative excellence of stimuli was identified. The results also show that individual sensorial preferences are part of any multimodal quality evaluation. Therefore, we recommend using mixed methods to help in understanding heterogeneous multimodal quality. Individual sensorial preferences need to be further examined to improve multimodal quality evaluation experiments.


ABSTRACT A new species of the extinct genus Serphites Brues (Proctotrupomorpha: Bipetiolarida: Serphitidae) is described from two individuals preserved in Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian to Santonian) amber from Vendée, northwestern France. Serphites fannyae n. sp., is distinguished from its congeners and brief comments are made on the significance of finding a serphitid wasp in Vendean amber as well as potential character polarities in the family Serphitidae.


In summary, San Francisco's interest in the HydroVenturi approach is due to the value proposition of no moving parts underwater, compared to the underwater turbines of a LaRance river-type saltwater entranement, of a Blue Energy or Verdant Power vertical or horizontal axis-type propeller installation. A technology with no moving parts underwater makes tidal power attractive to San Francisco's well-established environmental community. This approach is viewed as the most environmentally benign for the bay area's endangered salmon runs, delta smelt, anchovies, dolphins, whales, seals, sea lions, and benthic creatures, other fish species and marine mammals. For these reason, San Francisco believes the time has come to harvest the City's tidal and ocean wave resources. Renewable energy development also creates jobs for the local community, at an anticipated rate of 10 jobs per Megawatt.


The leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a secretory glycoprotein and a pluripotent growth factor which acts in diverse cell systems. LIF has been reported to be heavily glycosylated. In this paper, we examine the transient expression of rat LIF (rLIF) in COS7 cells and its glycosylation by a PNGaseF treatment and lectin blot. rLIF expression in COS7 cells resulted in seven molecular species being produced with zero to six N-glycosyl moieties. Mutated rLIF proteins with substitutions at the seven possible N-glycosylation sites were also expressed. An analysis of the molecular weight of the mutated rLIF confirmed the six N-glycosylation sites. Bioassays of mouse leukemia cell lines were performed to analyze the contribution of the glycosyl moieties to their functions. We found that the glycosyl moieties at each of the N-glycosylation sites were not essential to their function of the protein, but the reduced functions to promote the proliferation of DA-1a cells that had been observed for some mutants suggests a biochemical role for the in vitro function.


Penile neuropathy is a common disease due to lesion of the sensory branch of the pudendal nerve, ie, the dorsal nerve of the penis. Sexual disorders (deterioration of erection) and sensory signs (hypoesthesia or paresthesia of the penis) are noted in patients with penile neuropathy. Electrophysiological recordings help guide the diagnosis (reduction of the sensory velocity of the dorsal nerve of the penis). Many etiologies can be found (traumatic, toxic, compressive), but the most common lesion is neuropathy related to diabetes.


To investigate the effects of nitroglycerin on collateral blood flow 10 open chest dogs underwent coronary occlusion followed by nitroglycerin infusion (80 to 300 micrograms . min-1) to lower mean systemic blood pressure by 20 mmHg, followed by phenylephrine infusion (10 to 40 micrograms . min-1) to restore blood pressure to the pre-nitroglycerin level. Myocardial blood flow was measured with microspheres. The contribution of overlapping normal zone tissue in the ischaemic zone was evaluated with the balloon perfusion technique. Collateral flow was measured with microspheres in the most ischaemic tissue. In addition "load line" analysis was used to calculate collateral flow from retrograde flow. Nitroglycerin lowered blood flow to non-ischaemic tissue, and tended to lower blood flow to ischaemic tissue. Phenylephrine restored blood flow to the value after coronary occlusion. Load line analysis data was similar to data on myocardial blood flow from the microspheres. Collateral resistance changed little during the experiment. Th effects of nitroglycerin on collateral blood flow are, thus, minimal. While it is possible that under special circumstances there may be some decrease in collateral resistance, the bulk of data from this study and others do not support the idea that systemic infusion of nitroglycerin in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction will affect collateral flow.


This study focuses on the northernmost part of the Mesoproterozoic Espinhaco Supergroup that crops out in the Chapada Diamantina. The fine-fraction K/Ar dating obtained on slightly metamorphosed sediments of the siliciclastic Espinhaco Supergroup shows a polyphase deformation history that corresponds to the Brasiliano (Pan-African) orogenic cycle. The isotopic results are interpreted to indicate three age domains coincident with three structurally different domains. Constrained by the Kubler Index ('illite crystallinity') and illite polytypism, the thermal conditions generated during the tectonic activity show a gradual trend from the craton margins to the interior from epizonal to diagenetic. The northern Chapada Diamantina is situated in the foreland of the Riacho do Pontal belt and comprises the sediments of the Espinhaco Supergroup northeast of the Irece basin. The K/Ar ages for < 2 µm illite fractions range between 645 and 621 Ma [mean 637±9 Ma (2s)] and for < 0.2 µm fraction range between 625 and 603 Ma [mean 614±9 Ma (2s)]. Samples from the central Chapada Diamantina east of the Irece basin are not affected by a Brasiliano deformation event and therefore, the N-S-trending structures are assumed to be older. The deformation of the southern Chapada Diamantina was established in conjunction with the formation of the Aracuai orogenesis and the inversion and reactivation of the Paramirim impactogen. The last stage of deformation in this area is recorded by the K/Ar fine-fraction dating between 470 and 460 Ma.


Objective: meet through the literature review the main aspects of epidemiology, perception of health professionals regarding the sexuality of the elderly and early diagnosis of HIV in the elderly population. Method: bibliographic references published in scientific journals available online located by PubMed, Medscape, SciELO, Lilacs and websites of UNAIDS and the Health Ministry, from 2000 to 2010, using the keywords: early diagnosis, HIV, SIDA, health professionals, elderly and sexuality, and 28 selected references. Results: The elderly population is part of a group of individuals who have epidemiological peculiarities, which may lead to late diagnosis of HIV, delaying the start of the antiretroviral therapy, and leading to a poor situation of their immune system. It is necessary that health professionals pay attention in this specific population and start to discuss sexuality issues (STD/SIDA) with the elderly. Conclusion: Early diagnosis of HIV among the elderly helps to decrease morbidity and mortality rates of infected patients, thereby increasing their quality and life expectancy.


The tablet tensile strength (T) of agglomerated mixtures of microcrystalline cellulose-Avicel PH 102 (MC), calcium carbonate (CC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (Povidone, PVP), lubricated with magnesium stearate (MS), and formed under a compaction pressure (P(c)) ranging up to 618MPa has been determined. The compactibility was defined through: ln(-ln(1-T/T(max)))=Slope x lnP(c)+Intercept. MC/CC mixtures added of an agglutinant, before and after lubrication, show an important positive effect on their tablet tensile strength compared to a lineal relationship. This positive effect becomes smaller with decreasing compaction pressures. By different mixing methods, the higher the mixing efficiency the higher the compactibility, following the order: spray-dried>wet massing>tumble mixing. The compactibility of MC/CC/PVP spray-dried mixtures with calcium carbonate content from 20 to 60% was equal to or greater than that of pure microcrystalline cellulose. After lubrication with 2% MS the compactibility decreased, only the mixture with the maximal tablet tensile strength attained the tensile strength of pure microcrystalline cellulose. The presence of the binder, the lubricant and higher compaction pressures allow the accommodation of higher calcium carbonate proportions in the mixtures, at the maximal tablet tensile strength of the series. The lubricant decreases in a greater extent the compactibility of mixtures with a continuous phase of MC/PVP than that of CC/PVP. This is attributed to the plastic behavior of the MC/PVP continuous phase compared to a calcium carbonate continuous phase able to disrupt the Povidone and the possible lubricant coatings allowing a stronger interparticle interaction.


This thesis researches visual comfort and glare conditions using a field study approach. Its goal is to evaluate to what extent the Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) metric reflects visual comfort, as assessed from both qualitative and quantitative data collected in a NZEB and LEED Platinum certified office building. Results suggest that ASE does not adequately represent human experience and visual comfort through the illuminance plan view approach, and that future versions of this metric should use an integrated approach with luminance metrics for more accurate visual comfort and glare analysis. Ultimately, this study recommends further validation of the IES LM-83-12 and LEED v4 simulation requirements to increase confidence on the use of the ASE metric. The annual-climate-based daylighting metrics released by the Illuminating Engineering Society in 2012 and adopted by LEED in 2014 made a relevant advancement by introducing Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) to predict daylight sufficiency and probability of glare, respectively. These new metrics address dynamic and temporal aspects of daylight not previously covered by other standards. However, the introduction of these metrics is still very recent, and current literature indicates an impending need for further refinement. To study these challenges, three objectives were delimited for this thesis: 1) Determine if ASE is a good proxy for visual comfort and glare in a field study of an existing high performance office space; 2) Categorize the daylighting performance and visual comfort in this same office space using a combination of occupant surveys and physical measurements; and, 3) Identify through a compilation of interviews with daylighting practitioners the challenges and benefits faced when applying these new metrics.In summary, this thesis examined the ASE metric and simulation requirements adopted by LEED v4 with comparative analysis involving occupant surveys, field measurements and simulation methods. While point-in-time glare and DGP analysis presented results in line with the occupant responses, ASE provided discrepant numbers in relation to annual DGP results. The conclusions indicate that ASE over-predicts glare occurrence due to unconfirmed thresholds definitions and simulation requirement limitations. Thus, this study suggests the review and fine-tuning of the ASE metric and simulation requirements for future LEED versions.


The evolution of large amplitude Tollmien-Schlichting waves in a supersonic boundary layer is investigated. Disturbances which have their wavenumber and frequency slowly varying in time and space are described using a phase equation type of approach. Unlike the incompressible case we find that the initial bifurcation to a finite amplitude Tollmien-Schlichting wave is subcritical for most Mach numbers. In fact the bifurcation is only supercritical for a small range of Mach numbers and even then for only a finite range of wave propagation angles. The modulational instability of large amplitude wavetrains is considered and is shown to be governed by an equation similar to Burgers equation but with the viscous term replaced by a fractional derivative. A numerical investigation of the solution of this equation is described. It is shown that uniform wavetrains are unstable.


Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is a serious complication. AKI could occur in 30% of patients, and 1-5% develop severe kidney injury. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of the Cleveland Clinic Score (CCS) to identify patients at higher risk of AKI after cardiac surgery.
Methods: This study included 100 patients, 83 were males, and the mean age was 52.47±11.3 years. All patients had elective operations; 30% had isolated valve surgery, 64% had isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and 6% had combined CABG and valve operation.
Results: Creatinine serum level ranged between 0.5-2 mg/dL with a mean of 0.98±0.32 mg/dL. Seventy-four patients had good renal function postoperatively, and their CCS was 1.45±0.36, while 26 patients had renal impairment, and their CCS was 12.5±0.44 (P= 0.001). Patients who had AKI were older (62.87±8.7 vs. 49.9±13.9; P<0.001) and had higher preoperative creatinine (1.1±0.32 vs. 0.94±0.31; P= 0.03). AKI was more common in diabetics (23 (88.5%) vs. 28 (37.85, P<0.001) and patients with COPD (6 (23.1%) vs. 3 (4.1%); P= 0.004). CCS score was significantly higher among the different degrees of severity of AKI.
Conclusion: Cleveland Clinic Score could be good for predicting acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.


This paper attempts to trace and find evidence for the linkages between the quality of governance, and development at the local level since the adoption of the fiscal decentralization policy in the Philippines in 1991. The concern since then over the links has been prompted by the observed persistent imbalances in local development – across and within regions – which many believe is due to the less than prudent exercise of the devolved powers and responsibilities – hence, low quality of local governance. To be sure, the decentralization has led to not a few innovations in local service delivery and financing, and in increased people's participation in local civic activities. However, the spread of innovation has been slow and there has been less than genuine participation in the mandated local special bodies. The uneven quality of local governance thus may have contributed to imbalanced regional growth. Evidence also indicate that the initial level of economic conditions determine the acceptable quality of local governance, which explains why certain poor areas remain in the vicious circle of penury and misgovernance. To help improve the quality of local governance, some policy inputs are suggested.


Suppose, you want to implement a structured editor for some term type, so that the user can navigate through a given term and perform edit actions on subterms. In this case you are immediately faced with the problem of how to keep track of the cursor movements and the user's edits in a reasonably efficient manner. In a previous pearl, Huet (1997) introduced a simple data structure, the Zipper, that addresses this problem – we will explain the Zipper briefly in section 2. A drawback of the Zipper is that the type of cursor locations depends on the structure of the term type, i.e. each term type gives rise to a different type of location (unless you are working in an untyped environment). In this pearl, we present an alternative data structure, the web, that serves the same purpose, but that is parametric in the underlying term type. Sections 3–6 are devoted to the new data structure. Before we unravel the Zipper and explore the web, let us first give a taste of their use.


Social scientists have begun to document the stratifying effects of over a decade of unprecedented charter growth in urban districts. An exodus of students from traditional neighborhood schools to charter schools has attended this growth, creating troubling numbers of vacant seats in neighborhood schools as well as concentrating larger percentages of high-need student populations like special education students and English Language Learners in these schools (Buras, 2014; Gabor, 2014; Knefel, 2014). In cities like Philadelphia, the maintenance of two parallel educational systems – one charter, the other district – has also strained budgets and contributed to fiscal crises that have further divested traditional district schools of critical resources (Popp, 2014). How are youth, teachers, and staff in neighborhood schools responding to these conditions and the moral associations that the "neighborhood school" has come to invoke within an expanding educational marketplace? What does it mean to attend and/or work in a traditional neighborhood school in the midst of the dramatic restructuring of urban public education? Using frameworks developed in anthropological and sociological studies of social stigma, I explore in this paper how the power of market stratification has come to influence the intensification of institutional stigmas around the traditional neighborhood school (Anyon, 1980; Goffman, 1963; Link and Phelan, 2001). Drawing on ethnographic data from a neighborhood school in Philadelphia, I center youth perspectives on their aspirations and life chances given their status as students in a non-selective neighborhood school in my analysis. I ultimately interrogate how notions of race, educational quality, and [lack of] school choice, impact this neighborhood school community's sense of worth and future as individuals as well as an institution.


OBJECTIVE
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of common autosomal recessive diseases and is characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. The reported prevalence is 1/10,000 live births with a carrier rate of one in 50. It is important in genetic counseling to identify the carriers with one copy deletion for the survival motor neuron (SMN(1)) gene. However, the duplication of the SMA locus makes the detection of SMA carriers difficult. This study aimed to determine the potential of the quantitative PCR analysis in the identification of SMA carriers.

METHODS
The SMN(1) gene copy number was detected by realdouble ended arrowtime PCR with TaqMan technology in 109 SMA parents of affected children and 40 normal controls.

RESULTS
The average copy numbers of SMN(1) in the individuals with known one copy of the SMN(1) gene and with the two copies were 0.777 +/-0.035 (CV=4.5%) and 2.064 +/-0.120 (CV= 5.8%) respectively. The average copy number of SMN(1) in all of the parents with affected individuals was 0.798 +/-0.108 (CV=13.5%), and that of normal controls was 2.106 +/-0.18 (CV=8.5%). About 98% of SMA patients' parents carried 1 copy SMN(1), and 95% of normal controls carried 2 copies.

CONCLUSIONS
The gene copy numbers for SMN(1) were one and two for SMA carriers and non-carriers, respectively. Our results suggested that the quantitative PCR analysis can distinguish the SMN(1) deletion carriers from non-carriers.


Rail-road crossings generate a range of transport, economic, social and environmental impacts. While much research has focused on selected impacts such as safety, little consideration has been given to wider impacts. The aim of this research was to therefore develop a holistic understanding of the impacts of rail-road crossings (both at-grade and grade-separated) and to identify key gaps in knowledge in this field. An international synthesis of rail-road crossing impacts was developed through a detailed literature review, which revealed a total of 18 different types of impacts associated with rail-road crossings. The review found that most research to date has focused on quantifying transport and economic impacts, particularly safety and road vehicle delay, with little consideration given to social and environmental impacts. A number of research gaps have been identified which provide a clear agenda for future research. These gaps include the use of empirical evidence to support impact assessments, and the need to better understand the impacts of grade separating railroad crossings in terms of safety, travel time variability, rail vehicle delay, traffic flow, land use, crime, and disability access.


Context: Exertional heat stroke is the third leading cause of death in US athletes. Elevations in core temperature in the digestive tract (TGI) have correlated with core temperature and are possible indicators of those at increased risk of heat stroke. Objective: The primary objective was to compare a.m. vs. p.m. TGI variation in collegiate football linemen during intense "two-a-day" preseason practice. A secondary objective was to compare longitudinal TGI in offensive and defensive linemen. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Setting: Division I Intercollegiate Athletics Football Program. Interventions: TGI was monitored during consecutive preseason sessions. Main Outcome Measurements: TGI, heat illness, weight changes, environmental stress, and subjective symptoms. Results: Mean TGI were 37.8°C and 38.3°C during a.m. and p.m. practices, respectively. The a.m. practices revealed higher TGI gain (1.8°C) compared to p.m. (1.4°C). The p.m. practices had higher maximum TGI than a.m. practices (39.1°C versus 38.8, P=0.0001). Mean time to maximum temperature (Tmax) was 1 hr and 30 min for a.m. and 1 hr and 22 min for p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher mean TGI than defensive players (38.0°C vs. 36.7°C, P = 0.069). The rate of rise in TGI was significantly greater in a.m. practices. A decrease in rate of TGI rise was seen from the first to last a.m. practices of the week (P = 0.004). Conclusion: Significant TGI elevations in asymptomatic athletes are common in extreme heat during football practice. Intense a.m. practices in full gear result in higher net temperature gain and rate of temperature gain than p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher TGI than defensive linemen. As players acclimatized, a decrease in the rate of TGI increase was appreciable, particularly in a.m. practices. Appreciating cumulative heat stress and variations in heat stress related to scheduling of practice is critical.


This paper advocates the use of a group of renderers rather than any specific rendering method. We describe a bundle containing four alternative approaches to visualizing volume data. One new approach uses realistic volumetric gas rendering techniques to produce photo-realistic images and animations. The second uses ray casting that is based on a simpler illumination model and is mainly centered around a versatile new tool for the design of transfer functions. The third method employs a simple illumination model and rapid rendering mechanisms to provide efficient preview capabilities. The last one reduces data magnitude by displaying the most visible components and exploits rendering hardware to provide real time browsing capabilities. We show that each rendering tool provides a unique service and demonstrate the combined utility of our group of volume renderers in computational fluid dynamic (CFD) visualization. While one tool allows the explorer to render rapidly for navigation through the data, another tool allows one to emphasize data features (e.g., shock waves), and yet another tool allows one to realistically render the data. We believe that only through the deployment of groups of renderers will the scientist be well served and equipped to form numerous perspectives of the same dataset, each providing different insights into the data. >


Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to outline the unique aspects of Vivekananda's interpretation of Vedanta philosophy. Design/methodology/approach - – The doctrine of the One and the many being the same reality is the philosophical core of the vast and varied treasury of Vivekananda's teachings and, indeed, of his life. Findings - – Vivekananda has given a remarkable interpretation of the Vedanta philosophy which is not only universal but also both inspiring and rational (and accommodative). Practical implications - – Combining service with spirituality, grounding religion in rationality and being very contemporary in its sensitivities, Vivekananda's thought is poised to become the ideology of the modern Indian nation. Originality/value - – Vedanta philosophy is inclusive of ethics that are well-grounded in Vedantic metaphysics and constitutes a very effective response to the inequities and corruption widespread in contemporary societies.


We develop a dynamic decomposition of the empirical Beveridge curve, i.e., the level of vacancies conditional on unemployment. Using a standard model, we show that three factors can shift the Beveridge curve: reduced-form matching efficiency, changes in the job separation rate, and out-of-steady-state dynamics. We find that the shift in the Beveridge curve during and after the Great Recession was due to all three factors, and each factor taken separately had a large effect. Comparing the pre-2010 period to the post-2010 period, a fall in matching efficiency and out-of-steady-state dynamics both pushed the curve upward, while the changes in the separation rate pushed the curve downward. The net effect was the observed upward shift in vacancies given unemployment. In previous recessions changes in matching efficiency were relatively unimportant, while dynamics and the separation rate had more impact. Thus, the unusual feature of the Great Recession was the deterioration in matching efficiency, while separations and dynamics have played significant, partially offsetting roles in most downturns. The importance of these latter two margins contrasts with much of the literature, which abstracts from one or both of them. We show that these factors affect the slope of the empirical Beveridge curve, an important quantity in recent welfare analyses estimating the natural rate of unemployment.


Abstract In this introduction to a special issue of Environmental Education Research on New Materialisms and Environmental Education, we begin with a brief overview to this publishing project and to scholarship on new materialisms and environmental education. Against this backdrop, we then discuss various themes of significance arising from the broader tumult of thought that occurs in the 17 papers that bring these areas into conversation. In brief, papers gathered in this collection illustrate a series of engagements with: (1) new empiricism and post-qualitative inquiry; (2) the meeting of politics, ethics, and decolonial theory with new materialisms; (3) conceptions of nature, environment, sustainability and the human subject; and (4) new materialisms as environmental pedagogy. We recognise that readers will imagine, detect and respond in diverse ways to the papers and the thematics on their own terms too, noting that other inclusions in the collection would likely have generated different patterns and affordances for insight, challenge and debate. Thus, we argue that in some senses, the collection must remain open rather than closed, while we also invite further contributions on the topics, that engage with what the collection does and does not offer, and to rework it. In other words, we trust our introduction underscores the immanent performativity expected of many of the new materialisms, and highlights their potential to forge axiological pathways away from dominant onto-epistemologies of environmental education research. Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo


This study was used to find the impact of teachers' financial compensation on their job satisfaction at higher secondary level in both public and private sectors of Islamabad. All the teachers of Higher Secondary level from private and public sector of Islamabad were randomly taken as sample. Total 30 teachers were conveniently taken as sample. A survey design was selected to be used in this study. The questionnaire which was used in this study consisted of three parts. The first part of questionnaire was about the demographic factors. The second part was about compensation practices which include 12 questions that were used to determine the direct and indirect financial compensation of the teachers at higher secondary level in Islamabad while third part covered the teachers' job satisfaction. The measurement of variables such as variety, autonomy, task identity and feedback which were collectively used to determine teachers' job satisfaction. The major findings of this study were that mostly higher secondary schools have fixed pay system while few have variable pay system. Teachers' salary does not link with their productivity while teachers agree that the attraction and retention of employee depend on the compensation. When teachers feel opportunities for recognition; decision power about their work; planning of task; their contribution to productivity; and especially when teachers receive helpful suggestion and guidance from their supervisor then they will be more satisfied. Similarly, the compensation practices and job satisfaction are highly correlated with each other but compensation practice in itself has no significant impact on the job satisfaction. Male and female teacher have no significant difference as well as there is no significant difference between public and private teachers who have different qualification and age groups in higher secondary of Islamabad while teachers who have different teaching experiences have significant difference towards job satisfaction.


Studies reveal that academics who engage in doctrinal research in the discipline of law rarely describe their reasons for doing so or how they go about it. Perhaps this is because doctrinal research does not lend itself to straightforward explanation but rather is a genre of research." That is largely intuitively, rather than rationally, understood amongst lawyers and researchers". Doctrinal legal research in the field of international human rights scholarship appears to be no different; while this method of research infuses a great deal of human rights scholarship, there is a dearth of reflection on its intrinsic value or indeed purpose in the field and even less concrete instruction on what it entails in terms of its methodological requirements. In an attempt to fill this lacuna, this chapter begins with an overview of the doctrinal method in general terms, highlighting its strengths as well as its weaknesses. It goes on to consider the specific challenges facing the doctrinal analyst when researching in the field of international human rights, before analyzing some concrete examples of the doctrinal method in action in this context.


We propose a multistate joint model to analyze interval‐censored event‐history data subject to within‐unit clustering and nonignorable missing data. The model is motivated by a study of the neurocysticercosis (NC) cyst evolution at the cyst‐level, taking into account the multiple cysts phases with intermittent missing data and loss to follow‐up, as well as the intra‐brain clustering of observations made on a predefined data collection schedule. Of particular interest in this study is the description of the process leading to cyst resolution, and whether this process varies by antiparasitic treatment. The model uses shared random effects to account for within‐brain correlation and to explain the hidden heterogeneity governing the missing data mechanism. We developed a likelihood‐based method using a Monte Carlo EM algorithm for the inference. The practical utility of the methods is illustrated using data from a randomized controlled trial on the effect of antiparasitic treatment with albendazole on NC cysts among patients from six hospitals in Ecuador. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methods perform well in the finite sample and misspecified models that ignore the data complexities could lead to substantial biases.


The objective of this work was to select sorghum lines simultaneously responsive to phosphorus fertilization and with high productive efficiency regarding this nutrient. Thirty six sorghum inbred lines were evaluated in a randomized complete block design, with two replicates. The traits used to evaluate the productive efficiency were average yield and efficiencies of absorption, utilization, and use of phosphorus, with and without phosphorus fertilization. For the analysis of the responsivity to the nutrient, the evaluated traits were relative yield and apparent recovery, physiological, and agronomic efficiencies. The lines were genetically divergent as to the efficiencies of absorption, utilization, and use of phosphorus, and to the responsivity to the nutrient, suggesting the possibility of producing hybrids destined to different market niches. The most responsive lines were P9401, BR007B, BR008B, SC414-12E, and SC566, and the most efficient ones under low phosphorus availability were ATF40B, SC566, BR005R, CMSXS225, and BR012 (R6). The ATF40B, ATF54 (f61), ATF54 (f596), QL3, and SC566 lines showed better simultaneous performance for the different evaluated efficiencies and for the responsivity to phosphorus. The evaluation of productivity alone, under different phosphorus availabilities, already makes it possible to identify efficient and responsive lines to phosphorus.


Unlike in genotypic evolution, there are few general rules governing phenotypic evolution with one of them being the small-step evolution. More specifically, natural selection tends to favor mutations of smaller phenotypic effects than of larger ones. This postulate can be viewed as a logical extension of Fisher's Geometric Model (FGM). Testing this FGM postulate, however, is challenging as the test would require a large number of phenotypes, each with a clear genetic basis. For such a test, we treat the expression level of each gene as a phenotype. Furthermore, a mechanism of small-step expression evolution exists, namely via the control by microRNAs (miRNAs). Each miRNA in metazoans is known to weakly repress the expression of tens or hundreds of target genes. In our analysis of mammalian and Drosophila expression data, small step evolution via miRNA regulation happens frequently in long-term evolution. However, such small-step evolution does not lead to long-term phenotypic changes which would take too many such steps to accomplish. Furthermore, target site changes often cancel themselves out by continual gains and losses. The results suggest that the FGM postulate may be most appropriate for phenotypic fine-tuning near the expression optimum. In contrast, longterm expression evolution may occasionally take large steps (e.g., mutations in transcription factors) when big environmental shift happens. In another study (Lu et al. 2021), we further show how the small-step evolution of expression phenotypes is a manifestation of miRNAs' role in developmental canalization. In conclusion, the rules of phenotypic evolution may depend crucially on the genetics of the phenotype, rather than its metric properties.


ABSTRACT Background: The prevalence of both type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and cognitive impairment is high and increasing in older adults. We examined the extent to which DM diagnosis was associated with poorer cognitive performance and dementia diagnosis in a population-based cohort of US older adults. Methods: We studied 7,606 participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative cohort of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. DM and dementia diagnosis were based on self-report from participants or proxy respondents, and participants completed a word-list memory test, the Clock Drawing Test, and gave a subjective assessment of their own memory. Results: In unadjusted analyses, self-reported DM diagnosis was associated with poorer immediate and delayed word recall, worse performance on the Clock Drawing Test, and poorer self-rated memory. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, body mass index, depression and anxiety symptoms, and medical conditions, DM was associated with poorer immediate and delayed word recall and poorer self-rated memory, but not with the Clock Drawing Test performance or self-reported dementia diagnosis. After excluding participants with a history of stroke, DM diagnosis was associated with poorer immediate and delayed word recall and the Clock Drawing Test performance, and poorer self-rated memory, but not with self-reported dementia diagnosis. Conclusions: In this recent representative sample of older Medicare enrollees, self-reported DM was associated with poorer cognitive test performance. Findings provide further support for DM as a potential risk factor for poor cognitive outcomes. Studies are needed that investigate whether DM treatment prevents cognitive decline.


The era of big data has brought with it a richer understanding of user behavior through massive datasets, which can help organizations optimize the quality of their services. In the context of transportation research, mobility data can provide municipal authorities (MAs) with insights on how to operate, regulate, or improve the transportation network. Mobility data, however, may contain sensitive information about end users and trade secrets of mobility providers (MPs). Due to this data privacy concern, MPs may be reluctant to contribute their datasets to MA. Using ideas from cryptography, we propose an interactive protocol between an MA and an MP, in which MA obtains insights from mobility data without MP having to reveal its trade secrets or sensitive data of its users. This is accomplished in two steps: 1) a commitment step and 2) a computation step. In the first step, Merkle commitments and aggregated traffic measurements are used to generate a cryptographic commitment. In the second step, MP extracts insights from the data and sends them to MA. Using the commitment and zero-knowledge proofs, MA can certify that the information received from MP is accurate, without needing to directly inspect the mobility data. We also present a differentially private version of the protocol that is suitable for the large query regime. The protocol is verifiable for both MA and MP in the sense that dishonesty from one party can be detected by the other. The protocol can be readily extended to the more general setting with multiple MPs via secure multiparty computation.


A new double pass long wavelength band erbium-doped fibre amplifier (L-band EDFA) with a further improved gain is demonstrated using double pass technique with a first 5 m of the EDF is unpumped. The wasted conventional band (C-band) backward amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is used as a secondary pump source for the unpumped EDF. Our experimental results have shown that, compared to a conventional double pass amplifier, the gain coefficient can be improved considerably from 0.24 dB/mW to 0.40 dB/mW. The new amplifier uses only 67% of the pump power to achieve a gain value equal to that for the conventional amplifier. The maximum gain enhancement of 22.5 dB was observed at a signal wavelength of 1568 nm of while signal and pump powers were fixed at -30 dBm and 62 mW, respectively.


Phytochemical studies performed on 4 Indonesian epiphytic medicinal plants, Drynaria rigidula L., Hydnophytum formicarum Jack, Usnea misaminensis (Vain) Motyka, and Calymperes schmidtii Broth., revealed 11 known secondary metabolites (1-11), reported from these species for the first time. The methanol extracts and their fractions were screened against infective agents and cancer cells. The dichloromethane fractions of H. formicarum, U. misaminensis, and C. schmidtii showed activity against lung cancer cells with IC50 values of 35, 11, and 20 µg/mL, respectively.


Two systems that are not fluids but that have properties normally associated with fluids will be discussed: nematic elastomers, which are liquid crystalline rubbers whose shear modulus vanishes because of a spontaneous broken symmetry, and granular materials under flow. Kinetic–hydrodynamic equations for the latter materials will be used to discuss flows in Couette cells and down rough inclined planes.


Gravity changes occurring during the initial stage of the 2011–2012 El Hierro submarine eruption are interpreted in terms of the preeruptive signatures during the episode of unrest. Continuous gravity measurements were made at two sites on the island using the relative spring gravimeter LaCoste and Romberg gPhone‐054. On 15 September 2011, an observed gravity decrease of 45 μGal, associated with the southward migration of seismic epicenters, is consistent with a lateral magma migration that occurred beneath the volcanic edifice, an apparently clear precursor of the eruption that took place 25 days later on 10 October 2011. High‐frequency gravity signals also appeared on 6–11 October 2011, pointing to an occurring interaction between a magmatic intrusion and the ocean floor. These important gravity changes, with amplitudes varying from 10 to −90 μGal, during the first 3 days following the onset of the eruption are consistent with the northward migration of the eruptive focus along an active eruptive fissure. An apparent correlation of gravity variations with body tide vertical strain was also noted, which could indicate that concurrent tidal triggering occurred during the initial stage of the eruption.


Impulse turbine has been constructed to be used in the program of Hydraulic Machines, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, sede Bucaramanga. For construction of the impulse turbine (Pelton) detailed plans were drawn up taking into account the design and implementation of the fundamental equations of hydraulic turbomachinery. From the experimental data found maximum mechanical efficiency of 0.6 ± 0.03 for a water flow of 2.1 l/s. The maximum overall efficiency was 0.23 ± 0.02 for a water flow of 0.83 l/s. The design parameter used was a power of 1 kW, as flow regulator built a needle type regulator, which performed well, the model of the bucket or vane is built on a machine type CNC (Computer Numerical Control). For the construction of the impeller and blades was used aluminium because of chemical and physical characteristics and the casing was manufactured in acrylic.


Identifying multiple speakers without knowing where a speaker's voice is in a recording is a challenging task. In this paper, a hierarchical attention network is proposed to solve a weakly labelled speaker identification problem. The use of a hierarchical structure, consisting of a frame-level encoder and a segment-level encoder, aims to learn speaker related information locally and globally. Speech streams are segmented into fragments. The frame-level encoder with attention learns features and highlights the target related frames locally, and output a fragment based embedding. The segment-level encoder works with a second attention layer to emphasize the fragments probably related to target speakers. The global information is finally collected from segment-level module to predict speakers via a classifier. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, artificial datasets based on Switchboard Cellular part1 (SWBC) and Voxceleb1 are constructed in two conditions, where speakers' voices are overlapped and not overlapped. Comparing to two baselines the obtained results show that the proposed approach can achieve better performances. Moreover, further experiments are conducted to evaluate the impact of utterance segmentation. The results show that a reasonable segmentation can slightly improve identification performances.


We investigated the associations between ecological (density, shelter structure), morphological (body mass, hair morphology) and physiological traits (basal metabolic rate) of small mammals and ecological (seasonality of reproduction, microhabitat preferences, abundance, host specificity) and morphological (presence and number of combs) traits of their flea parasites that shape host selection processes by fleas. We adapted the extended version of the three-table ordination and linked species composition of flea assemblages of host species with traits and phylogenies of both hosts and fleas. Fleas with similar trait values, independent of phylogenetic affinities, were clustered on the same host species. Fleas possessing certain traits selected hosts possessing certain traits. Fleas belonging to the same phylogenetic lineage were found on the same host more often than expected by chance. Certain phylogenetic lineages of hosts harbored certain phylogenetic lineages of fleas. The process of host selection by fleas appeared to be determined by reciprocal relationships between host and flea traits, as well as between host and flea phylogenies. We concluded that the connection between host and flea phylogenies, coupled with the connection between host and flea traits, suggests that the species compositions of the host spectra of fleas were driven by the interaction between historical processes and traits.


Introduction. At the present stage of world economic relations, integrated business structures (IBS) are equal participants in international economic market. Acting as both a derivative and a conductor of globalization, they have become the structure-forming factors of world development, have an increasing impact on the functioning of the world economy, specific economic entities, and individual emerging markets.Research hypothesis. A full adaptation of foreign methods for evaluating and promoting brands will take into account the specifics of the Ukrainian economy, use branding as a source of corporate competitive advantages for Ukrainian business participants, and help improve the investment climate by strengthening national brands.Purpose of this article: to offer methodological tools for international branding of integrated business structures in Ukraine.Research methods: comparative analysis, ratings, graphical, tabular and specific methods of marketing research.Results: a methodological approach is proposed, according to which it is necessary, on the one hand, to distinguish between international branding technologies depending on the level of the country's economic development, and on the other, to take into account the mutual influence of the country's image, global competitiveness of its economy and the main directions of the branding development strategy of national companies; countries' approaches of implementing the international branding strategy are evaluated depending on their level of development, taking into account the importance of branding as a marketing tool and as a means of increasing companies' capitalization.Conclusions. The modern mechanisms of brand promotion in IBS strategies in Ukraine are evaluated on the basis of assessing the advantages and disadvantages of global marketing programs in assessing the effectiveness of international brands, choosing the best methods for expanding the brand portfolio; modern strategies and a global planning system for international branding are defined in terms of standardization criteria, product specifics, IBS capabilities and the international competitive environment, and criteria for brand relationships within the portfolio.


This paper provides an overview of the strategies and techniques of hate speech in online discourse (on online discourse or computer-mediated communication in general cf. e.g., Schwarzhaupt-Scholz 2004; Schmidt 2013; Dittler and Hoyer 2014; Seargeant and Tagg 2014). Based on a collection of online texts belonging to different genres (discussion forums, blogs, social media, tweets, homepages), this paper will provide a qualitative analysis of destructively impolite utterances in online interactions. This analysis will make use of the standard typologies of impoliteness and their recent extensions (such as Culpeper 1996, 2005, 2011; Kienpointner 1997, 2008; Kleinke and Bös 2015), but some modifications and elaborations of these typologies will also be taken into account. Moreover, social, cultural and political reasons for the recent dramatic increase in hate speech in online interactions will be explored. Finally, the problem of how to deal with this destructive use of language will be briefly discussed and some possible solutions will be suggested (cf. Banks 2010).


A new method for simulation of a binary homogeneous Markov process using a quantum computer was proposed. This new method allows using the distinguished properties of the quantum mechanical systems -- superposition, entanglement and probability calculations. Implementation of an algorithm based on this method requires the creation of a new quantum logic gate, which creates entangled state between two qubits. This is a two-qubit logic gate and it must perform a predefined rotation over the X-axis for the qubit that acts as a target, where the rotation accurately represents the transient probabilities for a given Markov process. This gate fires only when the control qubit is in state |1>. It is necessary to develop an algorithm, which uses the distribution for the transient probabilities of the process in a simple and intuitive way and then transform those into X-axis offsets. The creation of a quantum controlled n-th root of X gate using only the existing basic quantum logic gates at the available cloud platforms is possible, although the hardware devices are still too noisy, which results in a significant measurement error increase. The IBM's Yorktown 'bow-tie' back-end performs quite better than the 5-qubit T-shaped and the 14-qubit Melbourne quantum processors in terms of quantum fidelity. The simulation of the binary homogeneous Markov process on a real quantum processor gives best results on the Vigo and Yorktown (both 5-qubit) back-ends with Hellinger fidelity of near 0.82. The choice of the right quantum circuit, based on the available hardware (topology, size, timing properties), would be the approach for maximizing the fidelity.


The aim of this study was to review characteristics of behaviour change among children at risk in juvenile rehabilitation centres within Nairobi County, Kenya. The target population was all the children and managers of Juvenile rehabilitation Centres in Nairobi County. It consisted of 380 boys, 160 girls, 8 managers in Kabete and Getathuru and 4 managers in Dagorreti rehabilitation Centre, making a total of 552 respondents.  Children at risk in Juvenile rehabilitation Centres within Nairobi County were sampled using probability and non-probability sampling methods. To obtain a practicable sample from the target population, convenience, purposive, stratified random and systematic random sampling methods were used respectively. Questionnaires, interview schedules and focus groups were used in the study as tools for data gathering. Data gathered was entered, coded and analyzed using inferential statistics and SPSS. The qualitative data was organized, analyzed and reported into emerging themes. The study established that rehabilitation of children at risk in Juvenile rehabilitation Centres was not sufficiently addressed and it was only those children with severe and profound cases whose misbehaviours transformed to moderate levels. Educationists were left out during assessment, classification and in general, the behaviour change process despite their rich expertise in rehabilitation. The researcher recommended a multidisciplinary approach in behaviour change process. That is in Educational Assessment and classification of children at risk to specifically cater for the Children's special Needs in Education. That the government of Kenya moves all the Juvenile Rehabilitation Centres from Ministry of Labour and Social Services and be placed under the Ministry of Education which has adequate personnel required to rehabilitate a child. Keywords: Behaviour, Children at risk, Juvenile, Rehabilitation, Juvenile Rehabilitation Centres and Delinquency.


In this study I investigate the relation between firm-level insider-trading restrictions and executive compensation. Using a trading-window proxy for the existence of such restrictions, I test predictions that insiders will demand compensation for these restrictions and that firms will need to increase incentives to restricted insiders. I find that firms that restrict insider trading pay a premium in total compensation relative to firms not restricting insider trading, after controlling for economic determinants of pay. Furthermore, these firms use more incentive-based compensation and their insiders hold larger equity incentives relative to firms that do not restrict insider trading. These results hold after controlling for the endogenous decision to restrict insiders and are consistent with the notion that insider trading plays a role in rewarding and motivating executives.


Strong-field closed-loop control schemes using shaped ultrafast laser pulses have been used to selectively fragment a variety of molecules in recent years. The resulting pulses are often complex and resist an easy mechanistic interpretation. We report on the use of velocity map imaging to study the dissociative ionization of CO molecules by optimally-shaped ultrafast laser pulses. Using this technique, a mechanism is identified for the optimized CO{sup +} {yields} C + O{sup +} dissociation, and some of the observed control over the CO{sup +} dissociation branching ratio is ascribed to an angular discrimination effect. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the acquisition of two-dimensional velocity map images is rapid enough to incorporate directly into the adaptive control loop.


Morning and evening flights of Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) wintering near Overgaard, in east- ern Jutland, Denmark, were studied to assess the potential risk of collisions with medium sized or with large tur- bines, should a proposed wind park be developed in the area. The birds could be particularly prone to collisions during evening flights, as these took place in rather poor light conditions. Recorded heights of swan flights indicat- ed that a park consisting of medium sized wind turbines would be more critical in terms of collision risk than one with large turbines, with 38% of observed individuals flying within height range of the rotors in the former, only 13% in the latter.


Objectives To compare the clinical characteristics between the rapid cohort and the normal cohort of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in COVID-19 infections, analyze the variables with significant differences, and explore the influencing factors of rapid ESR. Methods Selected a total of 80 patients with ESR detection during hospitalization were measured in 146 patients who received medical observation in concentrated isolation hospital in Guizhou province in China , collected and compared demographic information, epidemiological data, clinical symptoms, laboratory test data and CT image data during the observation between rapid cohort and normal group of ESR. Results By comparison, the proportion of male in the rapid cohort was higher than female. The average age was more than 35 years old, with a large age gap. The proportion of severe and critical patients was more than 26.53% (13/49). However, in the normal cohort the proportion of female was more than male, and the average age was about 8 years lower than the rapid cohort, and the age gap was smaller. The proportion of severe and critical patients was 12.90%, which was less than half of the rapid group. In the two groups, the proportion of clustered cases accounted for more than 50%, and the average number of patients in one family was more than 3. The most common clinical symptoms were cough, sputum, fever, sore throat and weakness of limbs. There were significant differences in ALT, {gamma}-GT and C-reactive protein between the rapid and normal cohort (P<0.05), but no statistically significant in other indicators. Hemoglobin and C-reactive protein have a significant effect on erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Conclusions In this study, we found that ESR is related to Hemoglobin and C-reactive protein.


Background and Objectives: Sevoflurane and desflurane virtually equally dissolve in blood gases, yet current research suggests that desflurane helps in a quick return of airway reflex than sevoflurane however the return of cognitive activity fluctuates greatly. In order to compare the lengths of time required to recover after sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia, the current research was conducted. Materials and Methods: Current study was randomized that included 100 subjects who were posted for cholecystectomy (elective). Only adult and non-obese subjects were included in the study. The intended anesthetic agents sevoflurane and desflurane were utilized in the study and all the protocols were followed for the surgery. After the end of the surgery, tests for regaining cognitive function and airway reflexes were carried out, and different time intervals were recorded. The values were recorded and compared for the variances while considering the P < 0.05 as significant. Results: The mean T1 was 8.19 ± 3.28 min for sevoflurane and was 5.82 ± 4.02 min. There was no significant variance between the two agents for the T1, 2 (P = 0.013 and 0.110 respectively). After the inhalation anesthetics ceased at T1, desflurane patients responded to verbal commands more quickly than sevoflurane patients (5.824.02 vs. 8.193.28 min). The SOMCT and swallowing test were similarly completed more quickly by desflurane-treated patients than by sevoflurane-treated patients (T3VST4) (13.693.37 vs. 10.024.86 min, P = 0.008 and (14.094.30 vs. 9.824.50 min, P 0.001, respectively). For the T3, 4-time intervals, there was a significant difference between the sevoflurane and desflurane groups. Conclusion: Desflurane causes patients to recover more quickly from laparoscopic cholecystectomy under controlled circumstances than sevoflurane does.


This study was performed to provide efficient fund managing plans for hospitals by looking into the management of medical fees for accident insurance. Car insurance, industrial accident insurance and seamen`s insurance at a general hospital which is located in Busan during 29 months from January 1, 2009 to May 31, 2011 were assessed. The research data is the total number of 6,293 cases, including 2,251 car insurance cases, 2,350 industrial accident insurance cases, and 1,692 seamen`s insurance cases. There were some significant differences found, as car insurance and seamen`s insurance, including accident insurance, are types of insurance for which employers or traffic accidents offenders shall be the final premium payer. In addition, medical examination fees or premium payers are applied under their respective related laws. The findings suggest that it is necessary for managers of hospitals to prepare differentiated management schemes based on the characteristics of each insurer and schemes to ensure proper recovery strategies of uncollected medical account receivables.


BACKGROUND: Dissemination of cancer cells in peripheral blood has a strong negative impact on patient survival. Some groups have reported using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of progastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP) as a specific marker to detect micro-dissemination of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells in peripheral blood. We evaluated the correlation between the presence of micro-disseminated cancer cells in SCLC patients\#8217; blood and their clinical manifestations, including stage in the form of limited disease (LD) and extensive disease (ED), response to therapy, and survival. METHODS: Disseminated cancer cells were detected among the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in blood specimens from SCLC patients treated with chemotherapy alone and SCLC patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A blood specimen was collected at 3 points: before the start of treatment, 4 weeks after the 1st cycle of 1st line chemotherapy, and after the completion of 1st line chemotherapy. Control specimens were collected from non-small cell lung cancer patients and healthy individuals. Expression of proGRP was investigated by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: Expression of proGRP in peripheral blood was detected in about half of the SCLC patients. The rate of expressions in ED was higher than in LD, and the rates of expression in both LD and ED decreased after treatment. No expression was detected in the NSCLC and in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to detect disseminated cancer cells in SCLC patients by RT-PCR analysis for expression of proGRP. Expression of proGRP may be related to disease extent and prognosis. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5000.


The purpose of this paper is to assess the impacts of decoupling single farm payments in Scotland. It focuses on aggregate impacts on the agricultural products in domestic and external markets and the spill-over effect of this on the non-agricultural sector as well as an aggregate impact on the Scottish GDP. In order to capture system-wide impacts of the policy reform, a CGE model was formulated and implemented using a social accounting matrix constructed for Scotland. The simulation results suggest that the Scottish agricultural sector may encounter declines in output and factor us as a result of the policy reform. However, this critically depends on two factors: (a) the price effect of the policy reform on Scottish agricultural products relative to the EU average as well as the conditions of changes in world agricultural market prices; and (b) the extent to which customers would be sensitive to price effects of the policy reform. As far as the spill-over effect to the non-agricultural sector is concerned, decoupling of direct payments seems to have a positive spill-over effect. Similarly, the aggregate GDP effect is positive under all simulation scenarios. Critically, the simulation experiments indicate that policy shock may have a symmetrical outcome across the two sectors, with contractions in agriculture being accompanied by expansions in the non-agricultural sector, mainly because of factor market interactions between the two sectors.


—Predicting how a person will respond can be very useful, for instance when designing a strategy for negotiations. We investigate whether it is possible for machine learning and computer vision techniques to recognize a person's intentions and predict their actions based on their visually expressive behaviour, where in this paper we focus on the face. We have chosen as our setting pairs of humans playing a simplified version of poker, where the players are behaving naturally and spontaneously, albeit mediated through a computer connection. In particular, we ask if we can automatically predict whether a player is going to fold or not. We also try to answer the question of at what time point the signal for predicting if a player will fold is strongest. We use state-of-the-art FACS Action Unit detectors to automatically annotate the players facial expressions, which have been recorded on video. In addition, we use timestamps of when the player received their card and when they placed their bets, as well as the amounts they bet. Thus, the system is fully automated. We are able to predict whether a person will fold or not significantly better than chance based solely on their expressive behaviour starting three seconds before they fold.


Musculoskeletal injuries are a major cause of wastage in Thoroughbred racing and equestrian sport. Epidemiological studies in racehorses have demonstrated that risk of
injury vary between trainers and with differences in training regimens, but few havestudied such between-yard differences in riding horses.
The aim of the thesis was to quantify and compare training regimes, management and measures of injury in racehorses, riding school horses and showjumping horses at herd level, and measure the effect of different training regimens on skeletal adaptation in two-year-old racehorses with bone biomarkers.
Analysing data from an animal insurance database, rates of locomotor problems varied substantially among 136 riding schools. A field study of 19 riding schools with
high or low utilization of insurance (HUIO/LUIO) for orthopedic injuries demonstrated differences in management strategies and influence on injury rate and longevity.
Experienced managers, highly qualified chief instructors and gradual introduction to riding school work for new horses protected against orthopedic injury.
Showjumping and racehorse training was analysed longitudinally. Ten racehorse trainers in the UK with 194 horses participated. The total number of training days
(DAR) was 43,373. Data analysed in the showjumping study were delivered by 31 riders with 263 horses, in four European countries (39,262 DAR). Both showjumping
riders and racehorse trainers varied in volume and components of daily training. The mean daily training in the showjumping yards was between 19 and 49 min per DAR.
The mean percentages of days lost to training were 23 and 5 in the racehorses and showjumpers respectively. In Thoroughbred racehorses bone biomarker patterns varied
between yards, indicating differences in skeletal response.
Conclusions from the thesis support previous results showing orthopedic injury to be a main reason for wastage in horses, and that risk of injury, training regimens and
management varies between yards. As analysis of training factors and injury is a new field of study in riding horses, further studies are required to expand the understandingof the multifactorial causes of orthopedic conditions. However, based on results from the thesis and other studies, certain aspects with the potential to influence soundness should be considered by trainers, riders and coaches. This includes a gradual progression of training to allow adaptation to increased loads, training components that improve fitness and prepare for the load required in competition and races, andvariation, both of training activities and training load, i.e. periodization.


ABSTRACT This paper shares a unique approach to primary Health and Physical Education (HPE) whereby students learn about personal, social and community health through intergenerational arts-led pedagogies. Drawing on socio-critical, socio-cultural and salutongenic perspectives, the unit of work that the students engaged with was underpinned by an assumption that health is complex, socially constructed and should be problematised. We share a case study of one Grade 5/6 class (age 10-12) that participated in a unit of work where they connected with senior citizens from the same geographical community to learn about personal, social and community health. The unit of work served to problematise the potholes of traditional HPE where health is typically politicised, moralised, risk-focused and individualised. Data collection consisted of artwork, observations, field notes, and semi-structured focus-group interviews with 23 students (mean age=11) and 18 seniors (mean age=73). The findings suggest that the intergenerational arts-led pedagogies, allowed for more nuanced understandings of health and health assets to develop, which made visible in practice a combination of socio-critical, socio-cultural and salutogenic approaches in practice. The findings also offered a novel insight into how people from different generations can link together and co-construct shared meanings of personal, social and community health. In the case study presented here, the intergenerational linking and connection led to preconceptions and stereotypes of each other to be challenged, and for traditional power balances to loosen and shift over time and context. We can see these changes as pedagogical possibilities whereby students have the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and understanding of personal, social and community health. These possibilities can only come to fruition, however, if teachers are supported to experiment and be creative in their pedagogical work. We conclude that there is rich potential for intergenerational arts-led HPE.


The article examines the use of MUDs (Multi‐User Dungeon) / MOOs (MUDs Object Orientated) in on‐line teaching and learning. They allow computer based communication in real time, in an environment defined in a central database. Examples are in use at CoMentor and Diversity University. University of Leeds has been using an experimental MOO to run IT user support sessions at one of its remote sites, the University teaching hospital. The article describes this service, and gives an example of a typical interaction. The article concludes by reflecting on the benefits and limitations of the technology in teaching and learning.


The role of the state in regulating the business environment is high and there are situations where the state must promote the suspension of the company's business and liquidation of the company, if it results in the improvement of the business environment. The research aim is to analyze the State Revenue Service (SRS) impact on taxpayer's business directly or partly directly by using enactments and as a result the impact on the company's liquidation. The author compiled statistics from the SRS public reports about the SRS activities to put the business environment in order and promote fair competition in business using tools for taxpayer operation-restricting measures. And also schematically presented the provisions of the regulatory enactments regarding the suspension and renewal of the taxpayer's economic activity, as well as exclusion from the Register of Enterprises in case if the violation does not relate to the employment of employees without a contract. Used methods: the monographic method, statistical methods, logical analysis and synthesis, the graphics method, the logical and constructive methods were used in analyzing results and making judgments. The present research used the author's previously made research, the Latvian enactments The Commercial Law and The Law on Taxes and Duties, the annual reports of the State Revenue Service of the Republic of Latvia and their statistics. Starting from 2013 in the average for 11073 taxpayers per year the SRS suspend their economic activity. Started from 2014 the SRS terminated the taxpayer activity in 29321 cases and from this amount the 27076 taxpayers were registered in the Register of Enterprises and mostly are limited liability companies. According to the statistical data author concludes that SRS is very active to put the business environment in order and it affects on the number of excluded entities from Registers of Enterprises too. During 2012 – 2017 were registered 83121 entities and excluded 53645 entities in the Register of Enterprises, and in the same time of period (2012 – 2017), SRS suspended 50335 taxpayer's economic activities but renewing the economic activities only 4.93% of them. JEL Codes: G38, H26, M48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15544/ssaf.2019.02


Image intensifiers (Gen II) have been quoted in the past of having On/Off, or rejection ratios of 107. In this paper we investigate the relationship of the On/Off ratio with incident wavelength. The data shows that the On/Off ratio can vary by as much as 102 with values of only 104 at ~200nm for a given image intensifier. This low On/Off ratio can limit the sensitivity of an intensified CCD camera under certain conditions where there is an abundance of UV, such as combustion. This is particularly true in situations where the CCD exposure and readout times, typically milliseconds, takes longer than the required 'On' time of the photocathode, which is typically nanoseconds. Test data also shows the advantage of switching the MCP on and off simultaneously with the photocathode, which brings the rejection ratios up to >108.


Phototropin, a plant blue light photoreceptor, mediates important blue light responses such as phototropism, chloroplast positioning and stomatal opening in higher plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, two phototoropins, phototropin 1 and 2, are known. Recently, in the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a phototropin homolog was identified. It exhibits photochemical properties similar to those of higher plant phototropins and is involved in multiple steps of the sexual life cycle of Chlamydomonas. Here, we expressed Chlamydomonas phototropin in Arabidopsis to examine whether it is active in a distantly related plant species. The Arabidopsis mutant deficient in both phototropin 1 and 2 was transformed with a vector containing Chlamydomonas phototropin cDNA fused to a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The resulting lines were classified into high, medium and low expressers based on RNA gel blot and immunoblot analyses. Typical phototropin responses were restored in high expression lines. These results demonstrate that Chlamydomonas phototropin is functional in higher plants. Hence, the basic mechanism of phototropin action is highly conserved, even though its apparent physiological functions are quite diverse.


A new measuring method for the detection of fine spectra of electromagnetic and acoustic emission (EME and AE) signals from small cracks is described. It requires wide band ultra-low noise amplifiers, analogue filters, the optimization of signal to noise ratio of sensors and the application of noise elimination methods. Analyses of noise sources in sensors and preamplifiers are given. They are thermal noise, polarization noise and low frequency 1/f noise. Measuring set-up background noise suppression involving also the electromagnetic shielding allows us to detect signals in the range of 1 to 100 nV. This measuring set-up was used to observe crack initiation in granite samples. AE and EME signals show different behaviour in the first interval of about 20 μs just after crack initiation. For the first stage of crack initiation the frequency spectrum of EME signal is given by the eigen vibrations of crack walls, by the internal friction and the sample electrical conductivity. We observed that the crack opening and crack wall vibration create the high frequency signal in the frequency band up to 10 MHz. These signals were observed in the first time interval of about 20 μs. After that the frequency spectrum is given by the sample eigen vibration or the sample boundary conditions, and we have observed the spectra in the frequency range 100 kHz to 2 MHz.