Polarization effect in parametric amplifiers is studied. Coupled equations are derived from the basic propagation equations and numerical solutions are given for both one-wavelength-pump and two-wavelengthpump systems. Several parametric amplifiers driven by pumps at one wavelength and two wavelengths are analyzed and the polarization independent parametric amplifier is proposed.


What the contributors to this volume offer is neither a romantic version of the course of Polish history nor a jubilant account of the recovery of national independence and political choice. Rather, they offer a variety of tough-minded analytic perspectives on what comes when "the party's over" - not just the PSPR but the celebration marking its downfall. They focus on Poland's movement toward an internationally competitive market economy, a political democracy in which plural interests compete, and the constitution of a civil society that both tolerates and ameliorates conflict. The multidisciplinary contributors include Jan Mujzel, Keith Crane, Benjamin Slay, Kazimierz Poznanski; Jan Bossak, Wojciech Bienkowski, Wlodzimierz Wesolowski, Edmund Wnuk-Lipinski, Adam Sarapata, Andrzej Sicinski, Piotr Lukasiewicz, Krzysztof Nowak, David S. Mason, Adrzej Rychard, Krzysztof Jasiewicz, Jack Bielasiak, Janusz Reykowski, Stanislaw Gebethner, Miroslawa Marody, Edmund Mokrzycki, and Michael D. Kennedy.


Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Currently no causal therapy is available for this devastating disease. In COPD/emphysema the endogenous lung repair capacity is impaired due to decreased canonical WNT/β-catenin signalling in the alveolar epithelium. Canonical and non-canonical (β-catenin independent) WNT signaling pathways are interconnected, meaning that components of one pathway regulates the activity of the other. We investigated if non-canonical WNT signaling could affect β-catenin signaling in alveolar epithelial cells thereby contributing to COPD pathogenesis. Methods: Expression of the non-canonical ligands was analyzed in experimental and human COPD. The potential contribution of WNT-5A to COPD pathogenesis was investigated in vitro using primary human lung fibroblasts (PhF) and alveolar epithelial cells and in vivo in a mouse model of elastase-induced emphysema. Results: Non-canonical WNT-5A is differentially expressed and post-translationally modified COPD. WNT-5A is secreted by PhF, which was enhanced by components of cigarette smoke extract and TGF-β. Treatment of alveolar epithelial cells with WNT-5A impaired canonical WNT/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, mature WNT-5A inhibited WNT/β-catenin driven alveolar epithelial cell proliferation, wound repair and transdifferentiation. Lung-specific overexpression of WNT-5A in vivo aggravated airspace enlargement and loss of functional lung tissue in experimental emphysema. Conclusion: WNT-5A secretion by pulmonary fibroblasts attenuates canonical WNT/β-catenin signaling in the lung epithelium thereby compromising endogenous lung repair in COPD.


Milk has been recognized as a leading cause of food allergy in children; however, studies on cow's milk allergy (CMA) in adults are scanty. The known cross-reactivity of bovine serum albumin and bovine γ-globulin which are present in both milk and beef is recognized, so that, patients with allergy to cow's milk are often instructed to avoid beef. Our Objective was to determine the prevalence of allergy to beef meat in adult patients with allergy to cow's milk. Thirty adults with CMA were included in the study. The diagnosis of cow's milk and beef allergy was based on a thorough history concerning type of allergic symptoms and its link to the ingestion of milk and beef supported by skin prick test (SPT) with fresh milk and raw beef extracts and by determination of their serum specific IgE by enzyme linked immuosorbant assay (ELISA). Finally, cross reactivity test between milk and meat was performed. Three of 30 patients (10%) evaluated for CMA were found to have symptomatic sensitivity to beef, 2 gave urticarial symptoms and one gave gastrointestinal symptoms. Six patients (20%) had a positive SPT response to beef. On the other hand, beef specific IgE were positive in 18 CMA patients (60%). Concordance of positive specific IgE and SPT to meat was found in only 5 patients (17%). Mean cross reactivity between milk and beef was 31.6 ± 13.1% among studied patients. Patients allergic to milk protein are not necessarily to be allergic to beef, so, elimination of beef from the diet of adults with CMA should not be done except after investigations so as not to lose its nutritional value without benefit.


Feature generation is an open topic of investigation in graph machine learning. In this paper, we study the use of graph homomorphism density features as a scalable alternative to homomorphism numbers which retain similar theoretical properties and ability to take into account inductive bias. For this, we propose a high-performance implementation of a simple sampling algorithm which computes additive approximations of homomorphism densities. In the context of graph machine learning, we demonstrate in experiments that simple linear models trained on sample homomorphism densities can achieve performance comparable to graph neural networks on standard graph classification datasets. Finally, we show in experiments on synthetic data that this algorithm scales to very large graphs when implemented with Bloom filters.


We performed an experiment with cone targets in planar geometry devoted to the study of fast electron generation, propagation, and target heating.. This was done at LULI with the 100 TW laser at intensities up to 10 19 W/cm 2 . Fast electrons penetration, with and without cones, was studied with different diagnostics (Kα imaging, Kα spectroscopy, visible emission) for ω or 2ω irradiation. At ω, the pre-plasma generated by the laser pedestal fills the cone and prevents the beam from reaching the tip.


Presently, the donor flap of choice for microsurgical phallic reconstruction is the radial forearm flap. The success of several different design modifications confirms the reliability of the radial and ulnar forearm flaps. Farrow et al. described their experience with the "cricket bat" concept in 1980. To the previous "cricket bat" design, we now wish to add modifications. These modifications utilize longitudinal and transverse rotations of the linear forearm tissues to create a phallus--much like the transformation of a toy robot into a truck. Deepithelialized flaps and a full-thickness skin graft coronoplasty complete glans reconstruction. The "cricket bat-transformer" flap appears to produce the most predictable results in subtotal phallic reconstructions and phallic constructions in the pediatric and transgender patient groups.


Objective to analyze the main challenges of nursing in facing Coronavirus Disease-19 under the perspective of nurse managers in the west macro-region of Santa Catarina. Method it consists of a qualitative study, whose data collection was done through interviews with nurses who represent the management of health care network in the region. The analysis technique used was the Discourse of the Collective Subject (DCS). Results the legacy of Florence Nightingale to contemporary nursing practice; the weaknesses and the technical operational capacity with which nursing faces in the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS); the strategies for strengthening the Unified Health System and qualification of nursing practices; and the potentialities identified in the pandemic scenario were the main ideas that emerged. In the bicentennial year of Florence Nightingale, nurses recognize her legacy to public health practice and management. Several variables interfere in professional practice, such as epidemiological aspects, working conditions, and care management in a pandemic. Conclusion the pandemic scenario has taken nursing to a position of practical and scientific protagonism as a result of its proactivity and leadership in the search for knowledge based on scientific evidence.


The present study was undertaken with the aim of investigating the isolation and quantification of microorganisms from the citrus fruit samples collected from different areas of Dhaka city. Out of ten samples studied, the range of total viable bacterial proliferation was approximately 10 2 to 10 7 cfu/g. Among the specific bacterial pathogens, prevalence of Klebsiella spp. was found in five samples, Listeria spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. in four samples and Vibrio spp. in three samples only. The presumptive identification of these isolates was done by the conventional cultural, microscopic and biochemical tests. Fungal growth was also observed in four samples within the range of 1.2×10 3 to 3.6×10 3 cfu/g. Interestingly, Prunus mume/domestica (plum) showed the anti-bacterial activity against all the laboratory bacterial isolates tested. Among other samples, Tanarindus bacilus (tamarind) was found to exhibit activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., and Listeria spp. On the other hand, Monifera indica (mango) showed anti-bacterial efficacy against E. coli, Staphylococcus spp. and Listeria spp. and Citrus limon (lemon) only against Pseudomonas spp. and Listeria spp. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/sjm.v3i1.22750 Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.3(1) 2013: 30-33


A number of mutants with pleiotropic effects on mitochondrial metabolism have been isolated in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and for many the biochemical function that is impaired is not yet known. We report here the isolation and characterization of the LIP5 gene involved in lipoic acid metabolism which complements the g189 mutant (Tzagoloff, A., and Dieckmann, C. L. (1990) Microbiol. Rev. 54, 211-225). DNA sequence analysis of complementing yeast genomic DNA revealed an open reading frame predicting a protein of 414 amino acids. The protein sequence deduced from the gene shares 43% identical residues with the product of the Escherichia coli lip gene, which codes an enzyme involved in lipoic acid synthesis. The LIP5 mutant is not capable of synthesizing lipoic acid but still possesses the activity necessary for attachment of lipoic acid to protein. Relative to the E. coli lip gene product, the LIP5 protein has an amino-terminal extension with characteristics of mitochondrial targeting signals. Cells carrying a disrupted copy of the LIP5 gene show slow growth on ethanol-rich media and barely detectable growth on glycerol-rich media. Unlike other strains with defects in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, LIP5 mutants undergo a high frequency of mitochondrial DNA deletions.


The science and application of hydrogeology continues to grow apace and hence new textbooks are always welcome on our bookshelves to sit along side the pioneering 1970s classic Groundwater by Freeze & Cherry, and various texts since. Hydrogeology: Principles and Practice will, I predict, find an honourable place on many a bookshelf. It is a comprehensive hydrogeological text that lives up to its title of providing a thorough treatment of not only the principles, but also the practice of hydrogeology. Dr Hiscock has clearly spent …


The deployment of large-scale generative models is often restricted by their potential risk of causing harm to users in unpredictable ways. We focus on the problem of black-box red teaming, where a red team generates test cases and interacts with the victim model to discover a diverse set of failures with limited query access. Existing red teaming methods construct test cases based on human supervision or language model (LM) and query all test cases in a brute-force manner without incorporating any information from past evaluations, resulting in a prohibitively large number of queries.To this end, we propose Bayesian red teaming (BRT), novel query-efficient black-box red teaming methods based on Bayesian optimization, which iteratively identify diverse positive test cases leading to model failures by utilizing the pre-defined user input pool and the past evaluations. Experimental results on various user input pools demonstrate that our method consistently finds a significantly larger number of diverse positive test cases under the limited query budget than the baseline methods.The source code is available at https://github.com/snu-mllab/Bayesian-Red-Teaminghttps://github.com/snu-mllab/Bayesian-Red-Teaming.


Where does al-Qaida stand today in light of the Arab Awakening throughout the Middle East and North Africa? Why has the former failed while the latter has, partially, succeeded? This is a brief tour d'horizon of the vast region, its recent past, and its likely future.


The uniaxial strain effect in the (0001) plane on the electronic and optical gain properties of wurtzite GaN/AlGaN quantum well lasers is investigated on the basis of k·p theory. In order to obtain the required physical parameters, the first-principles band calculations are used. It is found that the uniaxial strain in the (0001) plane causes much lower threshold current density than the biaxial strain does. The relation between the uniaxial strain's direction and the optical polarization is clarified as well. As a result, we predict that the uniaxial strain in the (0001) plane is one of the preferable approaches for the efficient improvement of the GaN-based lasers performance.


A new method to determine both the coefficients of particle and rolling friction in distinct element method (DEM) was proposed. The coefficients are two of the most important parameters which have great effect on particle behavior in DEM. However, it is difficult to determine the values of the coefficients, which is applicable to multiple behaviors, from an experiment. We proposed the method to determine the two coefficients uniquely so that two indicators correspond to experimental results. As the indicators of static and dynamic behaviors, the angle of repose and the discharge flow rate were adopted, respectively. The values of the coefficients which can represent both static and dynamic behaviors of particles were determined by means of the method. The particle behavior in a rotating drum at three different rotational speed was simulated by using the determined coefficients in order to verify the applicability of them to dynamic behavior of particles under various conditions. The simulated behaviors for spherical particles corresponded to the experimental ones. The determined coefficients by means of the proposed method could be applied to the behavior of spherical particles at all of the rotational speeds. On the other hand, the simulated behaviors for irregularly shaped particles did not correspond to the experimental ones, in particular at higher rotational speed. It would be because the rolling friction of irregularly shaped particles depends on the particle velocity in a rotating drum.


This paper proposes an adaptive interference cancelling equalizer (ICE), which not only equalizes intersymbol interference (ISI), but also cancels cochannel interference (CCI) in the received signal in Rayleigh-fading environments, ICE is an adaptive multiuser detector for the frequency-selective fading environment commonly experienced by mobile communication channels. ICE employs a novel detection scheme: recursive least-squares maximum-likelihood sequence estimation (RLS-MLSE), which simultaneously estimates time-varying channel parameters and transmitted signal sequences. Diversity reception is used to enhance the signal detection performance of ICE. A computer simulation of a 40-kb/s QPSK time-division multiple-access (TDMA) cellular mobile radio system demonstrates the possibility of improving system capacity with ICE. Simulations of ICE with and without diversity are carried out under various fading conditions. For the maximum Doppler frequency of 40 Hz, ICE can attain an average bit-error rate (BER) of 10/sup -2/ under a single CCI carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of /spl sim/14 dB. Moreover, ICE for two independent CCI signals can attain the average BER of 1.5/spl times/10/sup -2/ with average CIR/spl ges/-10 dB.


3D printing enables sustainable product innovations through novel design, reduced use of materials, and local manufacturing. Sustainable 3D printing can further be realized using recyclable materials. Cellulose is an abundantly available renewable material. Modified celluloses, such as thermoplastic cellulose esters, are widely used in injection molding applications. The aim of this research was to study the properties of a cellulose-based composite (cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) polymer matrix with 20 wt. % microcellulose) in injection molding and granular extrusion-based 3D printing processes over multiple recycles. The impact of the processing methods on the composite's properties were investigated. Both injection molded and 3D printed samples were ground with plastic grinding mill to particle sizes below 3 mm after each preparation stage and reused as such in the next process cycle. Morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, and material degradation were analyzed. The thermoplastic cellulose-based compound was found to be directly recyclable for both processes without the need for any additional compounding steps. The polymer matrix was able to withstand at least seven processing cycles without degradation. However, microcellulose was found to be more sensitive to thermal stress. The mechanical and thermal properties of the cellulose-based composites remained close to initial levels throughout.


A novel and efficient low-temperature aqueous chemical method has been used to synthesize a new generation of smart and functional zinc oxide nanomaterials. The ZnO nanostructures are obtained and the physical and structural requirements of their applications in chemical sensors and solar cells are analyzed. Post-growth rapid photothermal annealing of nanostructures at 650degC in an atmosphere of N2 leads to the decrease in structure defects as compared to the as-grown nanostructures. The sensing behaviour of the nanostructured elements when exposed to 100 ppm ammonia is investigated.


The study investigated the effects of electricity consumption on capacity utilization in Nigeria from 1981 to 2017. The study made use of annual time series data which were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin (2018) and World Development Indicators (WDI). Unit root test of Augmented Dickey-fuller (ADF) and Philip Perron (PP) were used for preliminary test with Johansen co-integration test. The study employed Normalized co-integration and vector error correction mechanism in analyzing the data. The unit root results indicated that all variables were stationary at differenced of order I(1), while co-integration established a long run relationship among the variables. The normalized co-integration finding revealed that lnelec, lncabem and lnelecge have positive impact on the lncpu while lncrind and lnecp have negative impact on lncpu, on average. The coefficients of lnelec, lnecp and lnelecge were statistically significant at 5% and 1% levels of significance. Vector error correction mechanism technique showed that a unit rises in inelec, incabem and inelecge decreases incpu by 0.96%, 0.20% and 0.55% respectively on average in the long run while a percentage change in inelec, incabem and inelecge decreases lncpu by 0.186, 0.020 and 0.125% respectively on average, ceteris paribus in the short run. Therefore, the study recommended policies aimed at providing reliable and stable power supply thereby creating avenue for maximum capacity utilization in Nigeria industries.


Compactness of a congressional district is a traditional principle in adjudicating gerrymandering claims in political redistricting. During the last decade, many states have used compactness as an important criterion to constrain the presence of gerrymandering in the redistricting process. In this study, we conducted an array of spatiotemporal analyses aiming to evaluate the changes in compactness between the 112th and 113th Congressional districting plans in California and North Carolina, two states that have been well known for their heavy gerrymandering for years. We employed classic shape-based compactness measures, moment-of-inertia-based measures, and measures of partisan bias to assess the districting plans from multiple angles, including irregularity of district boundaries, spatial dispersion, population-weighted shape dispersion, and partisan symmetry. This new and combined use of spatial measures evidenced remarkable increases on the average compactness scores for California's Congress, suggesting general alleviation of the bipartisan gerrymandering in the previous plan. On the contrary, the partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina intensified in the current map, indicated by the substantial decline in the compactness scores for a majority of the districts. Analysis of partisan bias in the districting plans suggested a very slight bias toward Democrats in California in both districting plans. In North Carolina, the partisan advantage shifted from Democrats to Republicans during redistricting. Comparative analysis between the two families of spatial measures revealed the superiority of the moment of inertia family to the classic shape-based indexes for measuring compactness of congressional districts.


In this article the concept of the culture of poverty as defined by Oscar Lewis, and its critique was reviewed, and methodologies for exploring adaptation to poverty suggested. Lewis described the culture of poverty as a way of life, clusters of traits of some of poor people, that develop as an adaptation to living in poverty in a capitalist society, and from then are passed through generations. Lewis came to this idea from his Marxist background. The wording of the concept, however, was not very successful, as reflected by the number of misunderstandings and criticisms. Some of them, though, rise from a different understanding of culture.The theory behind the Lewis' concept was not developed well. The concept soon gained popularity among politicians and wider audience, but was largely discarded in the intellectual circles. The researchers, who tried to check the culture of poverty hypotheses, also came to ambiguous conclusions. It was partly due to the vagueness of the definition of the concept, and partly because of the research methods used.
The idealistic model of culture as consensus, because of the separation of "what is in the mind" vs. traits, behaviors, way of life etc., could be a clearer way to understand and analyze some of the poverty issues, especially when poverty is defined by consensus. However, for those interested in the issue of poverty, it would require a connection with other, more "materialist" variables in order to understand and explain the issue more fully: the idea of adaptation to the long-term deprivations can help to understand the behavior of people living in poverty better.


The study on the international relevance of the 1812 Spanish Constitution has usually focused on Southern European countries or Spanish America, where it was sometimes directly imported, neglecting other contexts beyond. The French Restoration was not, a priori, the right political field for a significant influence. But the history of the Constitution of Cadiz is so linked to France (as it was proclaimed during the Spanish Independence war and overthrown by the intervention of the French army in 1823), that it is worth to have a look at its reception: the distinguished role of the 1812 Constitution in the French political debate during the period shows that France was not an exception to the worldwide impact of the first liberal constitution in the 19 th Century.


Symplectic integrators do not, in general, reproduce all the features of the dynamics of the Hamiltonian systems which they approximate. For example, energy conservation is lost, and global features such as separatrices can be destroyed. We study these effects for a Hamiltonian system with a single degree of freedom and the simplest possible symplectic integrator. We look at a sequence of Hamiltonian systems of higher and higher dimension, that interpolate between the original Hamiltonian system and the symplectic integrator. In these intermediate Hamiltonian systems we can make concrete statements about energy conservation and separatrix splitting. The qualitative dynamics of the symplectic integrator seems to be inherited from these intermediate systems, and in some cases we can even deduce quantitative results for the symplectic integrator from those of the intermediate systems.


The value of hexavalent chromium as a reference toxicant was investigated by comparing the precision of two laboratories in preparing test solutions, examining the consistency of chromium exposure in the test chambers during experiments and determining the effect of nominal versus measured test concentrations on the calculated toxicity (EC50 or LC50). The sensitivities of the test animals to chromium were also determined.

The coefficients of variation associated with preparing chromium test concentrations were 51 and 63.8% in salt and fresh water, respectively, at one laboratory, and 136 and 14.8%, respectively, at the other laboratory. Hexavalent chromium remained stable in the hexavalent (as prepared) form during the toxicity test, with recoveries ranging from 77 to 114%. The precision of the analytical laboratory in measuring chromium-spiked fresh and salt waters ranged from 0.2 to 9.1%. The impact on the calculated EC50s or LC50s of using analytically measured versus nominal concentrations in the analyses was negligible. A comparison of seven species in 27 tests showed organism sensitivity (mean EC50 or LC50 as mg/L Cr6+) to chromium to be, in decreasing order of sensitivity: Ceriodaphnia sp. (0.031), Daphnia pulex (0.086), Mysidopsis almyra (5.1), Mysidopsis bahia (6.03), Cyprinodon variegatus (21.4), Pimephales promelas (26.1) and Lepomis macrochirus (182.9).

The 48-h LC50s for M. bahia were not significantly different (p < 0.05) either within or between laboratories during a 3-week study; values ranged from 5.49 to 7.72 mg/L Cr6+ in both laboratories (nominally) and from 4.21 to 7.23 mg/L Cr6+ when analytically verified by an independent laboratory. The acute toxicities of chromium to D. pulex differed significantly between laboratories, by almost one order of magnitude. Interlaboratory variability observed in D. pulex tests was attributed to differences in the test organisms' food. As reference toxicant tests, chromium tests are valuable benchmark indices of the relative health of test organisms over time or among laboratories. When toxicity test information is used in critical decision making, such as compliance with effluent permit limitations, a reference toxicant such as chromium contributes to quality control and assurance.


Therapeutic DNA-vaccination against drug-resistant HIV-1 may hinder emergence and spread of drug-resistant HIV-1, allowing for longer successful antiretroviral treatment (ART) up-to relief of ART. We designed DNA-vaccines against drug-resistant HIV-1 based on consensus clade A integrase (IN) resistant to raltegravir: IN_in_r1 (L74M/E92Q/V151I/N155H/G163R) or IN_in_r2 (E138K/G140S/Q148K) carrying D64V abrogating IN activity. INs, overexpressed in mammalian cells from synthetic genes, were assessed for stability, route of proteolytic degradation, and ability to induce oxidative stress. Both were found safe in immunotoxicity tests in mice, with no inherent carcinogenicity: their expression did not enhance tumorigenic or metastatic potential of adenocarcinoma 4T1 cells. DNA-immunization of mice with INs induced potent multicytokine T-cell response mainly against aa 209–239, and moderate IgG response cross-recognizing diverse IN variants. DNA-immunization with IN_in_r1 protected 60% of mice from challenge with 4Tlluc2 cells expressing non-mutated IN, while DNA-immunization with IN_in_r2 protected only 20% of mice, although tumor cells expressed IN matching the immunogen. Tumor size inversely correlated with IN-specific IFN-γ/IL-2 T-cell response. IN-expressing tumors displayed compromised metastatic activity restricted to lungs with reduced metastases size. Protective potential of IN immunogens relied on their immunogenicity for CD8+ T-cells, dependent on proteasomal processing and low level of oxidative stress.


Red teaming is a well-established methodology for ensuring and augmenting cyber system security; however, the training, expertise, and knowledge of appropriate tools and techniques required to perform effective red teaming come with a significant cost in time and resources. Large organizations such as the Department of Defense (DOD) use vulnerability assessment to identify software patches and other remediations for cyber systems to mitigate cyberspace exploitation. If a patch cannot be applied in a timely manner, for instance to minimize network downtime, measuring and identifying the impact of such unpatched vulnerabilities is left to scarce red teaming services. These services typically concentrate on initial access exploitation, which stops short of exploring the larger security impacts of cyber threats performing post-exploitation actions. This gap in post-exploitation red team analysis results in increased susceptibility to adversary offensive cyberspace operations (OCO) against DOD systems. This research extends the Cyber Automated Red Team Tool (CARTT), developed at the Naval Postgraduate School, by implementing automated red team post-exploitation analysis. The intent of this extended capability is to reduce the workload on limited DOD red teams and penetration testers by providing system administrators with the ability to perform deeper system analysis for the impacts of exploited vulnerabilities.


After 15 years operating the S-DALINAC the design quality factor for the superconducting cavities has still not been reached. Currently, the cavities are heat treated at 850 C in an UHV furnace installed in Darmstadt three years ago. We will report about the furnace, the heat treatment procedure and the results of subsequent surface resistance measurements. Prior to the heat treatment the field flatness of some of the 20 cell elliptical cavities has been measured, leading to unexpected operational findings to be reported: operating and frequency-tuning the cavity for several years led to heavy distortions of the field flatness. This might be an indication that the frequency tuning of the cavity done by compressing the cavity longitudinally, does not act uniformly on each cell even though the cavity is only supported at the end cells. The paper will close with a status report on machine operation and modifications undertaken during the last two years.


There is experimental and epidemiologic evidence that some minerals and trace elements play a role in hypertension. We designed an experiment in which salt and water sources were manipulated to examine the possible impact of this relationship. A strain of rats (Dahl rats) known to become hypertensive with sodium chloride ingestion was used to study the effect of salt source and water source on the induction of hypertension. The group on tap water and table salt had blood pressures (184 mmHg +/- 19) significantly higher than every other group in the experiment. The experimental animals receiving tap water plus table salt had the highest blood pressure levels, although they consumed the lowest quantity of sodium. Analysis of the tap water samples showed "soft water" by analysis of calcium and magnesium concentration. This could adversely affect blood pressure. The relatively high magnesium concentration in sun evaporated sea salt may play a protective role in hypertension induction. The zinc and copper present in tap water may play an exacerbating role.


We prove that for any $1 \le k<n$ and $s\le 1$, the union of any nonempty $s$-Hausdorff dimensional family of $k$-dimensional affine subspaces of ${\mathbb R}^n$ has Hausdorff dimension $k+s$. More generally, we show that for any $0 < \alpha \le k$, if $B \subset {\mathbb R}^n$ and $E$ is a nonempty collection of $k$-dimensional affine subspaces of ${\mathbb R}^n$ such that every $P \in E$ intersects $B$ in a set of Hausdorff dimension at least $\alpha$, then $\dim B \ge 2 \alpha - k + \min(\dim E, 1)$, where $\dim$ denotes the Hausdorff dimension. As a consequence, we generalize the well known Furstenberg-type estimate that every $\alpha$-Furstenberg set has Hausdorff dimension at least $2 \alpha$; we strengthen a theorem of Falconer and Mattila; and we show that for any $0 \le k<n$, if a set $A \subset {\mathbb R}^n$ contains the $k$-skeleton of a rotated unit cube around every point of ${\mathbb R}^n$, or if $A$ contains a $k$-dimensional affine subspace at a fixed positive distance from every point of ${\mathbb R}^n$, then the Hausdorff dimension of $A$ is at least $k + 1$.


Bone remodelling is characterized by a balance between bone resorption and bone formation. The osteoblasts are responsible for bone synthesis and the osteoclasts for bone resorption. A finely adjusted interaction between molecular mechanisms leads, via cytokines, hormones and growth factors, to a homeostasis of the bone metabolism. Here, the RANK/RANKL/OPG-system is actively involved in the differentiation and function of osteoclasts and seems to play a central role in most pathophysiological mechanisms. An increased osteoclast activity results in inflammatory destructive manifestations and/or osteoporosis whereas an increased osteoblast activity can result in osteopetrosis. The present overview describes the known pathophysiological relevant metabolic pathways in this remodelling process especially the effect of inflammation on bone metabolism, and presents the links from bench to bedside.


In view of global changes that took place in the last decade in consumer behavior, competition rate and economy in general conditions of doing business are changing. Trade organizations have to search for new ways of raising efficiency in their economic activity. The article analyzes the fast growing internet-trade market. It studies the practice of introducing category management methodology in the internetshop, which works on pets' goods market of the Ural federal district. During the research the following methods were used: system approach, comparative analysis, synthesis, economic modeling, as well as empiric and expert-analytical and statistic methods of economic analysis. The author prepared recommendations aimed at improvement of product range policy and demonstrated a great potential of the internet-shop, which could help develop strategy and tactics of product sub-categories being analyzed and forecast planned economic indicators. The present research is important for Russian trade companies, especially of the regional level. The author came to the conclusion that in case of adequate planning and product range management category management would provide an opportunity to improve economic figures of the company. Competitiveness of the company could be raised at the expense of meeting customers' needs taking into account their requests and expectations.


We study the convergence rates of solutions to drift-diffusion systems (arising from plasma, semiconductors and electrolytes theories) to their self-similar or steady states. This analysis involves entropytype Lyapunov functionals and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities.


The epidemiological, clinical and instrumental features of cerebral circulatory insufficiency are examined in an assessment of the criteria required for correct diagnosis. The need to refer to both direct and indirect criteria is illustrated in the light of a series of cases. From the 4th decade of life onwards, males are more prone to cerebral arteriosclerosis. Hypertension, diabetes and obesity are significant risk factors. The findings obtained by various methods of examination are critically discussed. Their correct interpretation naturally demands correlation with the clinical data.


Abstract An integrated safety design and radionuclide (RN) retention strategy is developed to support the Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) demonstration. This demonstration aims to showcase viability for rapid deployment of a novel reactor by leveraging the advances in materials, manufacturing, and computational sciences through a highly integrated and agile design and development approach. This strategy provides a logical description and understanding of how RNs are contained within the facility. Rather than discussing fission product barriers individually between separate design and safety basis reports, this paper provides a consistent description and narrative to better facilitate regulatory interactions and focus safety design efforts. The principal barriers credited include the various coating layers in the tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particle, the silicon carbide (SiC) matrix hosting the particles within the fuel element, the helium pressure boundary, and the confinement system. The choice and assumed performance of the credited barriers are highly conservative, which is a direct reflection of the low hazard that the TCR demonstration presents and the need to simplify and focus the safety review process accordingly. However, the strategy and the associated framework are generalized and may be adopted and tailored to support other advanced reactor demonstration efforts.


Abstract Cardiovascular diseases have been recognized as the main cause of death all over the world. Recently, the established cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has become known as an index of arterial stiffness of the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle. CAVI reflects the progress of arteriosclerosis, and a rapid rise in CAVI indicates arterial smooth muscle cell contraction. Considering the vasculature of the atheroma where vasa vasorum penetrates the smooth muscle cell layer and supplies blood to the intimal atheromatous lesion, a rapid rise of CAVI means "choked" atheroma. Thus, we proposed a "smooth muscle cell contraction" hypothesis of plaque rupture.


Growth charts are widely used in health care settings throughout the world in order to monitor children's growth. Changes in the growth pattern can be an early indicator of medical problems. Children with Down syndrome differ from typically developing children in their growth patterns, so it is helpful for their measurements to be plotted on specific charts that have been standardised on a population of children with the syndrome. In 2002 our group produced new charts using data collected from 1100 healthy children with Down syndrome in the UK and Ireland (6000 measurements). In 2011 these charts were revised and re-issued in a new format which closely mirrors the 2009 UK-WHO charts. New methods of statistical analysis have been employed to calculate the growth curves. These charts incorporate a number of new features including: ▶ Revised advice about monitoring the growth of preterm babies. ▶ Head circumference growth lines extended to age two. ▶ A specially designed "BMI look-up chart" providing information about assessing overweight. ▶ "Low lines" for exceptionally small children, which can be used to monitor the growth of children who have had serious medical problems that may have affected their growth. Copies of these charts are included in a new version of the specific Down syndrome supplement for the UK Personal Child Health Record launched in 2011. Members of the Growth Chart Committee of the RCPCH have worked closely with us on this project. The charts have been available commercially since June 2011 but feedback on the new format was collected up to the end of 2011. This has resulted in a number of revisions to the latest version, which will now carry the logos of both the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group and the RCPCH, and which will be available at the RCPCH Spring meeting. By presenting it at this meeting we hope to bring it to the attention of a wide audience.


Contractor Renormalization (CORE) is a numerical renormalization method for Hamiltonian systems that has found applications in particle and condensed matter physics. There have been few studies, however, on further understanding of what exactly it does and its convergence properties. The current work has two main objectives. First, we wish to investigate the convergence of the cluster expansion for a two-dimensional Heisenberg Antiferromagnet(HAF). This is important because the linked cluster expansion used to evaluate this formula non-perturbatively is not controlled by a small parameter. Here we present a study of three different blocking schemes which reveals some surprises and in particular, leads us to suggest a scheme for defining successive terms in the cluster expansion. Our second goal is to present some new perspectives on CORE in light of recent developments to make it accessible to more researchers, including those in Quantum Information Science. We make some comparison to entanglement-based approaches and discuss how it may be possible to improve or generalize the method.


Modern ultraviolet (UV) cameras, when combined with UV-transmitting lenses/filter arrangements, can be used to detect radiation dose in air. Ionizing radiation excites nitrogen molecules in ambient air, the resulting decay includes weak emission of ultraviolet photons. Previous work has proven this phenomenon is detectable using highly-sensitive electronically cooled cameras traditionally used in astronomy for lowbackground imaging. While the ability to detect the presence of radiation (i.e. qualitative measurement) has been demonstrated at Sandia National Laboratories, there are several challenges in correlating images to known dose-fields (quantitative measurement). These challenges include: a low signal to background ratio, interferences due to electronic noise and direct radiation interactions with the camera, and a complex source-dependent detection efficiency. Based on measurements of low-level radioactive sources as well as high-level sources at several irradiation facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, researchers are developing deeper understanding of these challenges in an attempt to engineer a system that can be used for quantitatively measuring radiation dose fields remotely. This thesis will describe these efforts and share the lessons learned from several experiments.


209 Formulation and Characterization of Felodipine as an Oral Nanoemulsions Sumaya B. Hamed and Shaimaa N. Abd Alhammid * Ministry of Health and Environment, Baghdad, Iraq. Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq Abstract Felodipine is a calcium-channel blocker with low aqueous solubility and bioavailability. Lipid dosage forms are attractive delivery systems for such hydrophobic drug molecules. Nanoemulsion (NE) is one of the popular methods that has been used to solve the dispersibility problems of many drugs. Felodipine was formulated as a NE utilizing oleic acid as an oil phase, tween 80 and tween 60 as surfactants and ethanol as a co-surfactant. Eight formulas were prepared, and different tests were performed to ensure the stability of the NEs, such as particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, dilution test, drug content, viscosity and in-vitro drug release. Results of characterization showed that felodipine nanoemulsion (F3) with (oleic acid 10%) ,(Smix 60% of tween80 :ethanol in a ratio of 3:1), (DDW 30%) was selected as the best formula, since it has a particle size of (17.01)nm, low PDI (0.392), zeta potential (-22.34mV), good dilution without drug precipitation , higher percent of drug content (99.098%) with acceptable viscosity , and complete release of the drug after (45 min.) with significantly higher (P<0.05) dissolution rate in comparison with the pure drug powder. The selected formula (F3) subjected to further investigations as drug and excipient compatibility study by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) The outcomes of the (FTIR) explain that the distinctive peaks for felodipine were not affected by other components and displayed the same functional group's band with very slight shifting. This indicates that there was no interaction between felodipine and other NE components. Therefore, these excipients were found to be compatible with felodipine. In conclusion, the NE was found to be an efficient method to enhance the dispersibility and permeatioins of drugs that have poor water solubility (lipophilic drugs).


This article attempts to explore the current and important issues for the development of ecotourism in the U.S. Ecotourism, the idea that nature based tourism could contribute social and environmental benefits, burst into public consciousness in the late 1980s and became virtually a phenomenon in the 2000s. In many countries, it became a substantial focus of debate, generating numerous conferences, new courses and challenging policy development at all levels of government, the tourist industry and the government movement. Therefore, an initial framework for implementing and promoting the ecotourism principles and practices in the United States should be laid without delay. While this study focused mainly on the benefits for ecotourism, the successful ecotourism requires active participation from host communities, the private sector, and NGOs, who, working together with federal, local and state government can successfully implement the best practices of ecotourism.


No serious attempt to answer the question 'What is hate speech?' would be complete without an exploration of the outer limits of the concept(s). This book critically examines both the ordinary and legal concepts of hate speech, contrasting social media platform content policies with national and international laws. It also explores a range of controversial grey area examples of hate speech. Part I focuses on the ordinary concept and looks at hybrid attacks, selective attacks, reverse attacks, righteous attacks, indirect attacks, identity attacks, existential denials, identity denials, identity miscategorisations, and identity appropriations. Part II concentrates on the legal concept. It considers how to distinguish between hate speech and hate crime, and examines the precarious position of denialism laws in national and international law. Together, the authors draw on conceptual analysis, doctrinal analysis, linguistic analysis, critical analysis, and diachronic analysis to map the new frontiers of the concepts of hate speech.


Abstract The microstructure of a 17wt%Cr-3wt%C white cast iron with relatively high Mo addition (7 wt.-% Mo) has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Mo dissolves partly in the matrix and partly in the typical Cr-rich M7C3 eutectic carbide and also leads to microstructural modification by forming a fine Mo-rich lamellar structure at interdendritic regions with a volume fraction of 11 %. The Mo-rich phase in this lamellar structure may also be a carbide of the M6C type and is believed to form at the later stage of solidification by a subsequent eutectic reaction. Destabilization heat treatment at 1000°C for 4 hours followed by air hardening results in precipitation of M7C3 and M23C6 secondary carbides, transformation of dendritic and eutectic austenite to martensite with some austenite being retained, and modification of local chemical composition, importantly an increase in the Mo and C content in the matrix. This causes a significant improvement in hardness, corrosion and dry wear properties. Tempering at 450°C for 4 hours leads to more temper-carbide precipitation and formation of ferrite, possibly by decomposition of retained austenite. However, an improvement in properties was not observed.


We discuss a number of techniques for determining the Minkowski dimension of bounded subsets of some Euclidean space of any dimension, including: the box-counting dimension and equivalent definitions based on various box-counting functions; the similarity dimension via the Moran equation (at least in the case of self-similar sets); the order of the (box-)counting function; the classic result on compact subsets of the real line due to Besicovitch and Taylor, as adapted to the theory of fractal strings; and the abscissae of convergence of new classes of zeta functions. Specifically, we define box-counting zeta functions of infinite bounded subsets of Euclidean space and discuss results pertaining to distance and tube zeta functions. Appealing to an analysis of these zeta functions allows for the development of theories of complex dimensions for bounded sets in Euclidean space, extending techniques and results regarding (ordinary) fractal strings obtained by the first author and van Frankenhuijsen.


The one-third power law models how human speed of motion depends on the path's curvature. This paper studies the interest of using this law for humanoid robot walking control along a planar reference trajectory. We predicted that humanoid robots following a reference trajectory may benefit from one-third power law speed profiles by reducing closed-loop drift and energy consumption. To robustly execute reference trajectories, we use contracting morphed Andronov-Hopf oscillators, regularized to follow a power law while converging to a planned cyclic trajectory. The walking pattern generator of HRP-2 uses these guiding dynamics to walk along elliptic trajectories. In dynamic simulation, we observe minimal geometric drift with the one-third power law, demonstrating increased precision compared with constant speed and other power laws. Closed-loop experiments on HRP-2 result in a small drift of all power law motions from the reference trajectory, showing the efficiency of the control architecture. We observe that the one-third power law controller demands less compensatory action, and therefore lowers the burden on the hardware. Slowing in curved movement regions also unexpectedly allows for faster overall movement.


This paper presents a new method of speckle reduction by incorporating the refined Lee filter in the spatial domain with wavelet shrinkage. Experimental results are very encouraging. Speckle is suppressed to a great extent without affecting the edge sharpness significantly.


Past work by or group and others has shown the modulation of specific genes following exposure of cells to ionizing radiation. Many classes of genes have been found to be modulated in response to ionizing radiation, including those encoding cytoskeletal elements, cell growth arresting proteins, cytokines, and cellular oncogenes. The functions of this specific modulation of gene expression are currently being investigated by several groups: it has been suggested that gene modulation in response to radiation plays a role in the cellular repair of DNA damage, cell survival, or cellular transformation. Several groups have examined induction of nuclear proto-oncogenes following exposure to DNA-damaging agents. In all experiments, we examined modulation of gene expression by ionizing radiations in Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts, which are normal diploid cells that can be neoplastically transformed by low doses of ionizing radiations. Cells plated in 100-mm Petri plates containing 10 ml of medium were irradiated with {sup 60}C {gamma}-rays or fission-spectrum neutrons (0.85 MeV) from the JANUS reactor. All irradiations were performed at 37{degrees}C on cycling cells; equitoxic doses of neutrons and {gamma}-rays were selected on the basis of survival data.


Currently, there is no proven neuroprotective or neurorestorative therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). Several advances in the genetics of PD have created an opportunity to develop mechanistic‐based therapies that hold particular promise for identifying agents that slow and even halt the progression of PD, as well as restore function. Here we review many of the advances in the last decade regarding the identification of new targets for the treatment of PD based on understanding the molecular mechanisms of how mutations in genes linked to PD cause neurodegeneration. Ann Neurol 2008;64 (suppl):S3–S15


Abstract Objective To determine the effectiveness of a workplace wellness programme intervention in improving participants' behaviour towards choosing a healthy diet and the correlation with health indicators. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting Wellness programme in the Midwest, USA. Subjects Employees (n 12 636) who participated in a wellness programme for three consecutive years during years 2004 to 2013 and who completed web-based health risk questionnaires. The wellness programme included annual health screening, laboratory measures, health risk questionnaire and personalized health-care programme. Participants' food group intakes, BMI and health indicators were compared between the first and last year of participation. McNemar's non-parametric test was used for paired nominal data. Pearson correlations were computed for paired food and health indicator measurements. Correlations between dietary intake and BMI, cholesterol and TAG were computed using Pearson correlations and McNemar's test. Results There were negative correlations between intakes of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, healthy eating pattern and health outcome indicators such as BMI and TAG levels. Additionally, the percentage of employees who increased their consumption of fruits (16·88 v. 12·08 %, P<0·001), vegetables (15·20 v. 11·44 %, P<0·001) and dark green leafy vegetables (12·03 v. 7·27 %, P 0·001) was significantly higher than the percentage of participants who decreased their intake of these food groups during the third-year follow-up. Conclusions The wellness programme improved some health indicator parameters and had a positive impact on increasing participants' intakes of fruits, vegetables and whole grains at the third year of follow-up.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and risk factors of falls among stroke patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A prospective cohort study was designed to study the stroke patients who were admitted to the Thai Red Cross Rehabilitation Center from February 2004 to July 2005. Related variables offaller and non-faller groups were compared.

RESULTS
Of 151 patients, 24 (15.9%) experienced at least one fall. The incidence rate was 3.44/1000 patients/ day. Most of the falls (71.4%) occurred during the daytime, in the bathroom (37.1%), and by the bedside (22.9%). Falls frequently occurred while transferring (22.9%) and walking (20%). Barthel ADL Index (BAI) score was the variable that significantly differentiated the fallers from the non-fallers (p = 0.013). Patients with BAI score of > or = 12 had 3 times more risk to fall.

CONCLUSION
About 16% of stroke patients fell during rehabilitation. More attention should be paid during the transfer and ambulation. Furthermore, a safety area should be provided in every bathroom and by the bedside.


The historical tension between the powers of states and the rights of individuals sets the context for this look at the evolving role of non-state actors in international relations. Global connectivity has diluted state power, blurred borders and added a new dimension of non-state actor empowerment. The author's firsthand observations, drawn from a career as a Canadian diplomat, bear witness to the ever-increasing role of non-state actors in foreign policy and international relations. This practitioner's perspective presents some personal observations on how non-state actors have helped to shape Canada–Asia relations, with brief and selective examples from the author's work in and on Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The piece also offers some concluding thoughts on the significance of this phenomenon for the broader conduct of international relations and the study of foreign policy.


The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of diet containing mung bean sprouts waste as grass substitution and night feeding management on behaviour of garut sheep. Twelve growing male lambs of the garut sheep were used in this experiment. The diets that formulated on dry matter (DM) basis were ration G (40% native grass + 60% concentrate) and ration W (40% of mung bean sprouts waste + 60% concentrate). The feeding management were Daylight-Feeding (DF: feeding time at 6 am) and Night-Feeding (NF: feeding time at 6 pm). This experiment used randomized block design with four combinations of diet and feeding management (G-DF, G-NF, W-DF,W-NF) as treatments. The animals were reared in individual cages and fed the diets at a daily rate of 4 % DM/kg of BW. The behavior were recorded by CCTV during experiment. Parameters of behavior included ingestive, resting, and agonistic were investigated from CCTV records with focal sampling method and one-zero time recording. Data that observed on daylight and night period were analyzed by using Anova. Ingestive behavior that observed on daylight and night period were significantly affected by treatment, but resting behavior were significant on night period observation. Meanwhile agonistic behavior that observed on daylight and night period were not significant. On daylight period, ingestive behavior frequency of the sheep with GDF dan W-DF were higher than G-NF and W-NF, but showed the contrary result on the night period. Resting behavior frecuency of the sheep with G-DF dan W-DF were higher than GNF and W-NF on night period and tends to be otherwise in the daylight period. It can be concluded that there were differences in ingestive and resting behavior of the garut sheep between daylight and night time feeding management, both fed with mung bean sprouts waste and grass diets.


ABSTRACT: Using specific primers, we measured the infection status of Wolbachia, WO, Cardinium, and Spiroplasma in Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) collected from 14 locations in China, and conducted phylogenetic analysis of the three endosymbionts. The results showed that eight geographical populations of C. suppressalis were infected by Wolbachia. The infection rates of Wolbachia in four geographical populations had no significant difference between 2011 and 2012 (P>0.05). There were five geographical populations infected with Cardinium and seven geographical populations infected with Spiroplasma. Seven populations of C. suppressalis carrying Wolbachia were also infected with WO. The maximum parsimony tree shows that Wolbachia from C. suppressalis, Pieris rapae, Coliaserate poliographus and Tetranychus urticae fall into the same clade. Cardinium from C. suppressalis joins together with Cardinium from Oppiella nova. Spiroplasma in C. suppressalis has a close relationship with that of Fannia manicata. In conclusion, infections of three endosymbionts showed regional differences, and there were eight geographical populations infected with more than one endosymbiont. Our study found, for the first time, double infection with Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in one sample from Xinzhou. Phylogenetic analysis of the three endosymbionts proved that the endosymbionts can transfer horizontally between different individuals of the same or different hosts.


This paper mainly deals with the utility of hydrocarbons , R404a and other ecofriendly refrigerants in the low temperature circuit for semen preservation. The energy-exergy analysis have been carried out to find out the feasibility of above ecofriendly refrigerants in the Four stage cascade refrigeration system using R1234ze in high temperature circuit and R134a in primary intermediate circuit and R410a in secondary intermediate circuit. It was observed that the use of hydrocarbon is feasible for improving thermal performance of the above system by considering safety measures. The best second law performance was observed using R600a and low performance was observed using ethylene in the low temperature evaporator circuit without safety measure the system using R404a in low temperature evaporator circuit gives better performance using ethylene in low temperature circuit.


The fifth Oriental Language Recognition (OLR) Challenge focuses on language recognition in a variety of complex environments to promote its development. The OLR 2020 Challenge includes three tasks: (1) cross-channel language identification, (2) dialect identification, and (3) noisy language identification. We choose Cavg as the principle evaluation metric, and the Equal Error Rate (EER) as the secondary metric. There were 58 teams participating in this challenge and one third of the teams submitted valid results. Compared with the best baseline, the Cavg values of Top 1 system for the three tasks were relatively reduced by 82%, 62% and 48%, respectively. This paper describes the three tasks, the database profile, and the final results. We also outline the novel approaches that improve the performance of language recognition systems most significantly, such as the utilization of auxiliary information.


A technique combining cold-isostatic-pressing (CIP) and sinter forging was applied to the fabrication of Bi-2223 bulks, and pre-sintering was conducted after (route 1) and before CIP (route 2). Both of them involve sinter forging twice and no post-annealing. The effect of pre-sintering and deformation rate on the critical current density Jc is investigated. Such obtained Bi-2223 bulks had a cross-sectional area of ~1 cm2 and therefore the total critical current is close to meeting some technical applications. The Jc results from route 1 are much higher than from route 2 although both reached highest Jc at the deformation rate 80%. The main reason is that route 1 produces much larger, plate-like, better-contacted grains whereas by route 2 much smaller, round-shaped and poorly contacted grains were obtained.


Ambient air pollution is associated with increased incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease. Time-series studies have shown that a 10 µg/m3 increase in mean 24 hour PM2 concentration increases the relative risk for daily cardiovascular mortality by 0.4% to 1.0%. In recent years, increasing concerns have been levelled at the ultrafine component of PM. Ultrafine particles are formed during combustion of materials, and are therefore abundant in the furnace area of metal smelter plants. In connexion with an ongoing project concerning occupational exposure to fine and ultrafine particles and risk of cardiovascular disease, an update of two large smelter worker cohorts has been performed. Mortality data were received from the Norwegian Causes of Death register for the period 1960–2014. The combined cohort consisted of 19 660 men, with nearly 650 000 person-years of follow-up. Preliminary analyses showed that both total mortality (SMR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07–1.11) and mortality from all cardiovascular diseases (SMR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.06) were significantly increased compared to the Norwegian general male population. Workers with employment in furnace work had total mortality SMR 1.18 (95% CI 1.15–1.21) and cardiovascular mortality SMR 1.09 (95% CI 1.04–1.14). Smelter workers with no furnace work had total mortality SMR 1.01 (95% CI 0.99–1.04) and cardiovascular SMR 0.99 (95% CI 0.95–1.02). The further data analyses are currently in progress.


Iron complexes are important spin crossover (SCO) systems with vital roles in oxidative metabolism and promising technological potential. The SCO tendency depends on the free energy balance of high- and low-spin states, which again depends on physical effects such as dispersion, relativistic effects, and vibrational entropy. This work studied 30 different iron SCO systems with experimentally known thermochemical data, using 12 different density functionals. Remarkably general entropy-enthalpy compensation across SCO systems was identified (R = 0.82, p = 0.002) that should be considered in rational SCO design. Iron(II) complexes displayed higher ΔH and ΔS values than iron(III) complexes and also less steep compensation effects. First-coordination sphere ΔS values computed from numerical frequencies reproduce most of the experimental entropy and should thus be included when modeling spin-state changes in inorganic chemistry (R = 0.52, p = 3.4 × 10(-3); standard error in TΔS ≈ 4.4 kJ/mol at 298 K vs 16 kJ/mol of total TΔS on average). Zero-point energies favored high-spin states by 9 kJ/mol on average. Interestingly, dispersion effects are surprisingly large for the SCO process (average: 9 kJ/mol, but up to 33 kJ/mol) and favor the more compact low-spin state. Relativistic effects favor low-spin by ∼9 kJ/mol on average, but up to 24 kJ/mol. B3LYP*, TPSSh, B2PLYP, and PW6B95 performed best for the typical calculation scheme that includes ZPE. However, if relativistic and dispersion effects are included, only B3LYP* remained accurate. On average, high-spin was favored by LYP by 11-15 kJ/mol relative to other correlation functionals, and by 4.2 kJ/mol per 1% HF exchange in hybrids. 13% HF exchange was optimal without dispersion, and 15% was optimal with all effects included for these systems.


Background and Aims: A tendency to metabolic acidosis exists with the use of amino acid-based peritoneal dialysis solution, especially when two exchanges are performed with the solutions. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether metabolic acidosis is a considerable problem in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) when amino acid-based peritoneal dialysis solution is used. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 119 PD (62 female, 57 male) patients. The first group con sisted of 47 patients who had used amino acid-based PD solution once a day. The second group included 72 patients who had not used the solution. Results: Mean age was 47 ± 13 years. Blood bicarbonate concentration and serum albumin levels were significantly lower in first group than that of the second group (25.12 ± 3.38 mmol/L vs. 26.91 ± 4.32 mmol/L, P: 0.018 and 2.82 ± 0.46 g/dL vs. 3.15 ± 0.50 g/dL, P: 0.001, respectively). On the other hand, blood urea nitrogen concentration and use of essential amino acid preparation were meaningfully higher in the first group than those of the second group (66.17 ± 13.70 mg/dL vs. 52.79 ± 16.55 mg/dL, P: 0.001 and 33 (47.8%) patients vs. 14 (28%) patients, P: 0.022, respectively). However, there was no meaningful difference between these groups for serum pH value and presence of metabolic acidosis. Conclusions: Although mean blood bicarbonate concentration was significantly lower in amino acid-based PD solution group than that of the control group, it was in normal range in both the groups and there was no significant difference between pH value and presence of metabolic acidosis among them. Therefore, metabolic acidosis is not a considerable problem in PD patients when amino acid-based peritoneal dialysis


The latest South Australian blackout is playing into the political debate in Canberra about national energy policy. The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is again calling on state Labor governments to abandon aggressive renewable energy targets and get behind his government's more modest goals. The Federal Opposition is calling on the Turnbull Government to give more details about what the national energy regulator did to try and prevent the blackout.


Lynne Rudder Baker's "The Ontological Status of Persons" is a sophisticated attempt to answer the difficult, perennial philosophical question, "What is the relationship of human beings to the natural world?" According to Baker's double-stranded answer, our having reflective consciousness implies that we are not identical with our bodies, yet we are physical beings who are united with our bodies in a strong metaphysical sense. This answer combines dualistic and materialistic elements in an extremely interesting and novel way. Baker calls the view that we are essentially animals Animalism. The animalist maintains that each of us is identical with a human animal. Baker argues that if Animalism is correct, then we have ontological significance in virtue of our being human animals or organisms, but not in virtue of our being persons. Baker opposes Animalism with the Constitution View. This view implies that we are essentially persons, but only accidentally animals. A further implication is that none of us is identical with a human animal; rather each of us is constituted by a human animal. According to the Constitution View, we have ontological significance in virtue of being persons, but not in virtue of being animals. On the plus side, Baker's metaphysical theory that some physical objects constitute others accommodates our intuitive or folk-ontological beliefs about the existence and persistence conditions of statues and statue-shaped pieces of bronze, credit cards and credit card-shaped pieces of plastic, and so on. On the minus side, as Baker acknowledges, there is a worry that this metaphysical theory multiplies physical objects unnecessarily. According to Baker's Constitution View, person is a primary-kind. Such a kind, she says, need not be a kind of a broader kind such as animal. I'm not sure exactly what Baker means by this. In particular, I wonder if she doubts Chisholm's view that, necessarily, a person is a kind of substance. Baker defends the view that there are primary-kind properties that m essential to one thing and accidental to another. Baker's view is illustrated by


The aims of this study are to compare learning outcomes of Islamic Religious Education using active knowledge sharing learning strategies and lecture strategies. This research was conducted at MTs Bina Taruna Marelan with 60 students as the sample in this study. The research method used in this study is a quantitative method with the type of experiment. The main instrument used in data collection is an objective test instrument consisting of 20 questions. The material provided is about Zakat Fitrah and Malls. The comparative analysis used is the t test statistic for two large samples which do not have a relationship with each other. The results showed that learning outcomes using active knowledge sharing learning strategies obtained an average value of 73.50 included in category B (good). While using lecture learning strategies obtained an average value of 62.83 included in category C (enough). So that the active knowledge sharing learning strategy is more effective by 16.88% of the lecture learning strategy in improving the learning outcomes of Islamic Religious Education grade VII students of MTs Bina Taruna Marelan.


We investigated the seasonal and spatial occurrence of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Ross Sea region of the Southern Ocean derived from passive acoustic data. Two Autonomous Multichannel Acoustic Recorders (AMARs) moored about 10 m above the seabed were deployed in the austral summer of 2018 and recovered 1 year later. The northern AMAR (A3) was located on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge at 63.7°S and the southern AMAR (A1) at 73.1°S on the Iselin Bank, part of the continental slope of the Ross Sea. Sperm whale echolocation signals were detected using signal processing scripts and validated by visual inspection of spectrograms. Our results demonstrate that sperm whales are present in the Ross Sea region year-round. At A1, sperm whale vocalisations were detected in every month between February and November, but absent in December and January. Whales were detected most often in February with an average of 0.310 detections per hour. Sperm whale vocalisations were detected at station A3 in every month except February when we had no observations. Our results contrast to a paucity of reported sightings of sperm whales from fishing and research vessels in the Ross Sea region between December and February. Probabilities of detecting sperm whales at A3 were on average 14.2 times higher than at A1 for the same month and monthly mean detections per hour were an average of 74.4 times higher at A3 than A1. At A1, we found a significant preference for day-time foraging rather than during the night or nautical twilight. In contrast, at A3, no clear day/dusk/night/dawn differences in sperm whale occurrence were found. Low sea-ice concentration (< 80%) and open water within ∼50 km were necessary but not sufficient conditions for higher detection rates of sperm whales (>0.1 detections per hour). Overall, our research provides baseline information on sperm whale occurrence and establishes a method to track long-term change to help evaluate the conservation value of the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area.


When the first issue of The Cartographic Journal appeared 50 years ago, I was in Kenya working as an Education Officer for the Government of Kenya and at the same time conducting research for my Ph.D. thesis on rural development in Fort Hall District (renamed Muranga) in which I was working. In thinking about what cartography means to me I thought it would be interesting to compare what I was doing cartographically 50 years ago to what I am doing cartographically today. Cartography featured largely in my research on rural development, while I was in Kenya and formed a complete separate volume of my Ph.D. thesis. The technology I had available was very basic pen-ink and Letraset! Fortunately, there was one base map available at the unusual scale of 1 : 79 200. I never did discover the reason why the Survey of Kenya chose this scale, but I suspect that it was the size of the paper on which the whole District could be printed on one sheet. Using this base map I collected and mapped large amounts of thematic information, both qualitative and quantitative relating to economic and socio-cultural development in the District. I was an early proponent of what is now known as Volunteered Geographic Information. My high school students and their parents helped me collect information for my maps including, among other things, detailed rainfall statistics from a network of rain gauges in the network of primary schools, traditional periodic market information, qualitative surveys in questionnaire form on the effect of land consolidation, the location of village wells, the location of maize mills, transportation routes and costs and even the archaeological sites of the pit dwellings of the pre-Kikuyu people knows as the Gumba (Taylor, 1966). Education was a very important commodity to the people of the District and, as a result, cooperation and enthusiasm in providing and collecting the information I was seeking was never a problem. Much of the material was also integrated into the teaching of geography at the only secondary school which took 30 students a year from a primary school population of over 30,000 pupils. With a team of students, we could attend a market, record all of the prices for different products as well as where both buyers and sellers had come from. This allowed the mapping of market catchment areas. For transportation, we could stop all of the buses, including the minivans known as 'matatus', record what goods as well as people they were carrying, the fares being charged and the time taken to reach the main tarmac road to Nairobi. Depending on the season and the intensity of the rainy season, this could vary from 2 hours to days stuck in the mud! Mapping this original information was a major means of understanding the development challenges facing the District. Of special interest to me as a geographer were spatial relationships between and among different distributions and I attempted to do this by using hand drawn transparent overlays. This analytical methodology was very basic but nevertheless useful but after two or three overlays it was very difficult to see anything, especially since without electricity I could not construct even a primitive light table. In 1967, I became involved with the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics where Howard Fisher and his colleagues were developing the early SYMAP computer programs as well as GRID, an overlay program based on a raster matrix. I could put in XY coordinates by hand at a distance manually using a SYMAP ruler and send these by mail to Harvard to be processed. Using GRID I could stack up as many as 20 variables which greatly increased my ability to identify spatial relationships. Harvard also developed early three-dimensional representation programs which were particularly interesting. By this time I had left Kenya and was working at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada where I continued to analyse and map the large amounts of information I had collected in Kenya. Using the 3D programs, I was able to test hypotheses such as that on 'growth centres' for example. The theory argued that wealth would spread from an urban growth centre out into its rural hinterland. When I used a two-dimensional representation of average farm income to create a three dimensional representations of Muranga District, I found that the situation was exactly the opposite to that expected of the theory. The closer the small farmer was to the growth centre of Thika the poorer the average income was and this was shown very dramatically by the representation. The town of Thika is in the lower right hand corner of Figure 1 which shows average farm income. This was an early use of visualisation as an analytical tool. I bought my first digitizer in 1968. It was a custom made Autotrol and cost US$24,000 which was a very large sum The Cartographic Journal Vol. 50 No. 2 pp. 187–191 50th Anniversary Special Issue, May 2013 # The British Cartographic Society 2013


The RSE NNC RK branch "Institute of Atomic Energy" has been conducted investigations in the field of nuclear power safety since the late 1982. These investigations have recently resulted in accumulation of a vast amount of experimental data widely applied in creation, verification and validation of calculation codes intended to analyze behavior of nuclear reactors under transient and emergency modes including analysis of reactor conditions in the course of propagation of severe accident with fuel melting. However, a positive effect of application these data has drastically dropped because there is no systematic approach for solution such problems like collection, processing and storing of experimental results along with planning and conducting of the experiments to receive the data that are missed but required for complete understanding of severe accident propagation. In this connection it is obviously that data integration as information-analytical system (IAS) will make it possible to create multifunctional tool for data storing, processing and analysis as well as to get the data much more applicable useful.


BACKGROUND
Carney complex (CNC) is a multiple neoplasia syndrome caused by PRKAR1A-inactivating mutations. One-third of the patients, however, have no detectable PRKAR1A coding sequence defects. Small deletions of the gene were previously reported in few patients, but large deletions of the chromosomal PRKAR1A locus have not been studied systematically in a large cohort of patients with CNC.

SETTING
A tertiary care referral center was the setting for analysis of an international cohort of patients with CNC.

METHODS
Methods included genome-wide array analysis followed by fluorescent in situ hybridization, mRNA, and other studies as well as a retrospective analysis of clinical information and phenotype-genotype correlation.

RESULTS
We detected 17q24.2-q24.3 deletions of varying size that included the PRKAR1A gene in 11 CNC patients (of 51 tested). Quantitative PCR showed that these patients had significantly lower PRKAR1A mRNA levels. Phenotype varied but was generally severe and included manifestations that are not commonly associated with CNC, presumably due to haploinsufficiency of other genes in addition to PRKAR1A.

CONCLUSIONS
A significant number (21.6%) of patients with CNC that are negative in currently available testing may have PRKAR1A haploinsufficiency due to genomic defects that are not detected by Sanger sequencing. Array-based studies are necessary for diagnostic confirmation of these defects and should be done in patients with unusual and severe phenotypes who are PRKAR1A mutation-negative.


Silicon growth at high growth rates is e.g. interesting for the production of solar cells. The growth of silicon from silane was systematically studied both in experiments and by computational modelling. The influence of two different buffer gases and of iodine as additive were investigated. In a cold-wall CVD reactor, growth rates of up to 1 micron/h were achieved, similar to modelling predictions. The morphology and growth rate as a function of pressure, temperature, flow rate, buffer gas and additive were studied. The samples were analysed by optical microscopy, SEM and in part by XRD and XPS. The morphology as well as the growth rate can be varied in a wide parameter range.


A modified phenomenological model of the microwave surface impedance is proposed. The model is based on the experimental data of measurements of the microwave characteristics of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) films. Numerous experimental results are analysed. The model description of the HTS single crystals and the HTS epitaxial films are compared. It is shown that these two objects are of different physical nature and should be described by different models. The phenomenological model of the HTS film surface impedance based on the modified two-fluid model takes into account specific features of the HTS films. The model of the real and imaginary parts of the surface impedance uses the model parameter γ, which is responsible for the superconducting and normal charge carrier density. This parameter is used for a description of the temperature dependence of the London penetration depth λL(T) including λL(0). The relaxation time model also uses the γ parameter in combination with the residual resistance parameter α. One can conclude that the parameter γ is the main characteristic of the model and can be considered as a figure of merit of the HTS film microwave properties.


Background FOSB is reported to be an oncogene in a variety of tumors. However, the expression and role of FOSB in glioma remain obscure. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression of FOSB in glioma and its biological role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods Western blot, immunohistochemical staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expression of FOSB in clinical samples. FOSB was knocked down in cells to determine the effects of FOSB on the phenotypic changes of tumors by plate cloning, CCK-8 assay, and Transwell assay. Finally, subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice was used to observe the tumorigenesis of glioma cell lines after the knockdown of the FOSB gene. Results FOSB expression was higher in glioma compared with normal brain tissue. After the downregulation of FOSB, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 increased. Plate cloning and CCK-8 experiments showed that the proliferation of glioma cell lines decreased. The Transwell assay demonstrated that the glioblastoma cell lines had lower migration ability after the knockdown of FOSB. Finally, the tumor volume of U87 glioma cells in group sh-FOSB was smaller than that in the control group. The TUNEL staining in vitro showed that the apoptosis of sh-FOSB glioma cells increased. Conclusion FOSB was highly expressed in glioma tissues. The viability of glioma cells decreased, and the ability of glioma cells to proliferate and migrate was reduced when FOSB was downregulated. Hence, FOSB may promote the development and migration of gliomas.


The conductance change after fertilization in the oocyte of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis has been followed by the whole cell patch-clamp technique. Two new inward currents, which are absent in unfertilized eggs, are elicited by hyperpolarization from a holding potential of +20 mV, which is the resting potential soon after fertilization. These currents reach their maximum level during the first meiotic division cycle, and then decrease in intensity, becoming almost undetectable at the 2-cell stage. These currents are most easily seen at high concentrations of barium. At least one, and likely both, of these currents appears to be carried by Ca ions. One of the currents is blocked by low concentrations of gadolinium; the other one is blocked by higher concentrations, although gadolinium at these levels does not block fertilization and the associated early depolarizing jump of the eggs. Thus these currents are not carried by channels that mediate the fertilization current. However, gadolinium blocks normal transition to 2-cell stage and blocks current oscillations synchronous to free calcium oscillations that occur normally in eggs around meiosis II. The electrical signature of calcium-release activated currents, taken together with these findings, suggests that these inward currents ensure a calcium entry pathway throughout meiosis. A plausible function of these currents may be to refill the Ca stores that are depleted after fertilization and that are required to progress into mitotic cell division. This interpretation is reinforced by experiments on unfertilized eggs with intracellular Ca stores depleted by thapsigargin, where both the newly described currents are observed.


Objective Genes involved in bone and tissue remodelling in the vertebrates include matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp-9), receptor activator of necrosis factor κ-β (rank), cathepsin-k (Ctsk) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP). We examine whether these markers are expressed in cells of zebrafish embryos of 1-5 days post fertilization. We also examine adult scales, which are known to contain mature osteoclasts, for comparison. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, in situ hybrdisation, histochemistry and serial plastic and paraffin sectioning were used to analyse marker expression. Results We found that mmp-9 mRNA, TRAcP enzyme and Ctsk YFP protein were expressed in haematopoietic tissues and in the cells scattered sparsely in the embryo. Ctsk and rank mRNA were both expressed in the branchial skeleton and in the developing pectoral fin. In these skeletal structures, histology showed that the expressing cells were located around the developing cartilage elements, in the parachondral tissue. In a transgenic zebrafish line with YFP coupled to Ctsk promoter, Ctsk expressing cells were found around pharyngeal skeletal elements. To see whether we could activate osteoclasts, we exposed prim-6 zebrafish embryos to a mixture of 1 µM dexamethasone and 1 µM vitaminutes D3. These compounds, which are known to trigger osteoclastogenensis in cell cultures, lead to an increase in intensity of Ctsk YFP expression around the skeletal elements. Conclusion Our findings show that cells expressing a range of osteoclast markers are present in early larvae and can be activated by the addition of osteoclastogenic compounds.


Abstract The success of any forestry operation depends on the careful choice of the clones to be planted. At existing yield levels, the differences among clones are becoming smaller, leading to the need to use experimental strategies for a more successful choice. To obtain information in regard to better experimental strategies, data from two clonal tests of eucalyptus were used. One of the tests consisted of 35 clones and another of 48 clones. In both tests, the experimental plot consisted of 100 plants at commercial spacing (12 m2 per plant). The trait wood volume was evaluated, taking the relative position of the plant in the plot as a reference. The data were evaluated by different means, and it was observed that the use of border plot in clonal tests in eucalyptus is not necessary. Experimental accuracy with 15 to 20 plants is similar in comparison to the plot with 100 plants.


DOE`s Biofuels Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) has led the nation in developing short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) and herbaceous energy crops (HEC) as feedstocks for renewable energy. Over the past 15 years, the BFDP has examined the performance of 154 woody species and 35 herbaceous species in field trials across the US. One result of this effort to date has been the prescription of silvicultural systems for hybrid poplars and hybrid willows and agricultural systems for switchgrass. Selected clones of woody species are producing dry weight yields in research plots on agricultural land that are 3 to 7 times greater than those obtained from mixed species stands on forest land, and at least 2 times the yields of southern plantation pines. Selected switchgrass varieties are producing dry weight yields 2 to 7 times greater than average forage grass yields on similar sites. Crop development research is continuing efforts to translate this potential, in a sustainable manner, to larger, more geographically diverse acreage. Research on environmental aspects of biomass crop production are aimed at developing sustainable systems that will contribute to the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. Systems integration aims to understand all factors affecting bringing the crop to market. Factors affecting price and potential supplies of biomass crops are being evaluated at regional and national scales. Scale-up studies, feasibility analysis and demonstrations are establishing actual costs and facilitating the commercialization of integrated biomass systems. Information management and dissemination activities are facilitating the communication of results among a community of researchers, policymakers, and potential users and producers of energy crops.


Species delineation in Euphrasia has long been a challenge for taxonomists. In this paper, DNA sequences are used to evaluate the morphological taxa of Taiwanese Euphrasia as well as to elucidate the phylogenetic relationship among them. ITS sequences of 147 samples of Euphrasia, one Aeginetia, and one Pedicularis from Taiwan along with nine samples of Euphrasia from abroad were studied. Six non-native species of Section Euphrasia were used as outgroups and 14 haplotypes from four taxa of Taiwanese Euphrasia, E. tarokoana Ohwi, E. nankotaizanensis Yamam., E. transmorrisonensis Hayata, and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana (Ohwi) T. C. Huang & M. J. Wu, served as the ingroup to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree according to the criterion of maximum parsimony. Based on the phylogenetic tree, three monophyletic haplotype lineages of the ingroup were obtained, closely correlating with geographical distributions (with some overlap in adjacent regions). However, plants of different taxa are found in the same lineage. Lineage I includes all four Taiwanese taxa, whereas lineage II includes two taxa, E. transmorrisonensis, and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana. Lineage III includes three taxa: E. nankotaizanensis, E. transmorrisonensis, and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana. Different taxa share a common haplotype. Euphrasia nankotaizanensis, E. transmorrisonensis, and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana share haplotype E; E. nankotaizanensis and E. transmorrisonensis share haplotype D; and E. transmorrisonensis and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana share haplotypes G and N. The shared haplotypes may reflect retained ancestral polymorphisms at a neutral locus (ITS) through a series of recent speciation events (lineage sorting). The nucleotide additivities are found frequently among taxa. For example, the A+B additivity pattern of E. tarokoana and E. transmorrisonensis var. durietziana could reflect hybridization. Nucleotide additivity also provided insight into reticulate relationships among populations within and between taxa. Lineage sorting and hybridization might be mechanisms driving speciation in Taiwanese Euphrasia, resulting in retention of morphology and adaptation to distinct habitats. According to ITS evidence, we reconfirm four taxa of Euphrasia in Taiwan.


Childhood obesity is complex and requires a 'systems approach' that collectively engages across multiple community settings. Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention through Community Engagement (SCOPE) has implemented Live 5-2-1-0—a multi-sector, multi-component childhood obesity prevention initiative informed by systems thinking and participatory research via an innovative knowledge translation (KT) model (RE-FRAME). This paper describes the protocol for implementing and evaluating RE-FRAME in two 'existing' (>2 years of implementation) and two 'new' Live 5-2-1-0 communities to understand how to facilitate and sustain systems/community-level change. In this mixed-methods study, RE-FRAME was implemented via online resources, webinars, a backbone organization (SCOPE) coordinating the initiative, and a linking system supporting KT. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using surveys and stakeholder interviews, analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Existing communities described the consistency of Live 5-2-1-0 and extensive local partnerships/champions as catalysts for synergistic community-wide action; new communities felt that the simplicity of the message combined with the transfer of experiential learning would inform their own strategies and policies/programs to broadly disseminate Live 5-2-1-0. RE-FRAME effectively guided the refinement of the initiative and provided a framework upon which evaluation results described how to implement a community-based systems approach to childhood obesity prevention.


In the present study involving patients with bone metastases arising from prostate cancer, we measured urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) as a marker of collagen breakdown activity, serum total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase activities and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA). This study included 20 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and 23 patients with carcinoma, 11 of had with bone metastases. DPD excretion in urine was significantly greater in prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis than in those with localised prostate cancer or BPH (p 0.05). The serum markers of bone formation (total alkaline phosphatase (T-ALP) and bone ALP (B-ALP)) displayed higher mean concentrations in the group with positive bone metastases than in the group with local disease (p<0.001 for both). Serum T-ALP and B-ALP levels and urinary excretion of DPD were significantly correlated with the Soloway score (p=0.03, p=0.01 and p=0.01 respectively). Urinary DPD and serum B-ALP and T- ALP may provide useful information for supplementing PSA and bone-scan results in evaluating bone-metastatic activity.


The synthesis and utility of attachable cyclopenta[b]naphthalene solvatochromic fluorophores related to Prodan are described. Two fluorophores were selected for functionalization and bioconjugation studies. The skeletons were chemically modified to include reactive functional groups and showed minimal alteration of the optical properties when compared to the parent dyes. The functionalized fluorophores were covalently attached to the carboxyl group of a fatty acid, and azido- and thiol-containing amino acids, demonstrating their potential for labeling biomolecules.


Material contrasts across faults are a common occurrence, and it is important to understand if these material contrasts can influence the path of rupture propagation. Here we examine models, solved numerically, of rupture propagation through one type of geometric complexity, that of a fault branch stemming from a planar main fault on which rupture initiates. This geometry, with a material contrast across the main fault, could be representative of either a mature strike‐slip fault or a subduction zone interface. We consider branches in both the compressional and extensional quadrants of the fault, and material configurations in which the branch fault is in either the stiffer or the more compliant material as well as configurations with no material contrast. We find that there are regimes in which this elastic contrast can influence the rupture behavior at a branching junction, but there are also stress states for which the branch activation will not depend on the orientation of the mismatch. For the scenarios presented here, both compressional and extensional side branches are more likely to rupture if the branch is on the side of the fault with the more compliant material versus the stiffer material. The stresses induced on the branch fault, by rupture traveling on the main fault, are different for the two orientations of material contrast. We show how the interactions between rupture on the two faults determine which faults are activated.


Objectives: This study proposes a new form of English translation in comparison with that shown in English books related to Sasang Constitutional medicine formulae which have been published up to now. Methods: This study formulated a new form of English translation guidelines by making a comparative analysis of the English translation cases listed in 『Korean-English Dictionary of Oriental Medicine』, 『Longevity and Life Preservation in Eastern Medicine』, and 『Introduction to Sasang Constitutional Medicine』. Results: This study as a common rules suggested that names of preparation form should be placed at the very end of the formula name and the first letters of the major words of the formula name should be capitalized. In addition, for the sake of accuracy in English translation of the formula name, this study divided the formula names into 8 types. The 8 sorts of types include: Ⓐ Materia Medica + Preparation Form, ⓑ Materia Medica + Indication + Preparation Form, © Materia Medica Numbers + Preparation Form, ⓓ Indication + Preparation Form, ⓔ Concept + Preparation Form, ⓕ Concept + Materia Medica + Preparation Form, ⓖ Concept + Indication + Preparation Form, ⓗ Etcetera. In these types, medicinal herbs should be written in scientific name, and translation of indication can follow Noun+~ing participle form. In case of the terms having a Korean-medicine-based meaning, this study aimed for source-oriented translation. Conclusions: This study provides a general English translation method and examples of the formula names for Sasang constitutional medicine.