Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in developed countries. Previously, we reported a genome-wide linkage scan in 69 Finnish Hereditary Prostate Cancer (HPC) families, which replicated the HPC9 locus on 17q21-q22 and a locus on 2q37. We used ordered subset analysis (OSA) to detect other loci linked to HPC in subsets of families to detect other loci linked to HPC incorporating mean family age of onset as a trait-related covariate to address genetic heterogeneity. The overall mean age of onset across the families was 66.2±8.8 years while the range of individual onset ages ranged from 46-98 years and age of onset varies within families. The highest OSA LOD score was 2.876 (ΔLOD p=0.02) on 15q26.2-q26.3 in a subset of 40 families ascending by age at onset, suggesting that a subset of early age at onset families may be segregating a risk allele(s) at this locus. No other ΔLOD scores were significant after permutation testing. To better capture the effect of age on the linkage signals, we used LODPAL to perform a model-free linkage analysis in affected relative pairs, while adjusting for the age of each individual family member as a single covariate. Preliminary results revealed strong evidence of linkage to HPC on chromosome 15q (LOD=4.9, 132cM) and 8q (LOD=3.1, 157cM). Future analyses are planned which will use age of onset, PSA levels and other clinical characteristics to prioritize regions which may harbor genetic variants of large effect on PRCA. Citation Format: Cheryl D. Cropp, Claire L. Simpson, Tiina Wahlfors, Asha George, MaryPat S. Jones, Ursula Harper, Damaris Ponciano-Jackson, Teuvo Tammela, Johanna Schleutker, Joan E. Bailey-Wilson. Unraveling phenotype heterogeneity in prostate cancer susceptibility in Finland utilizing covariate-based analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3648. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3648


Background The cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) incubation period (IP) is defined as the time between parasite inoculation by sandfly bite and the onset of the first CL lesion. IP distribution is difficult to assess for CL because the date of exposure to an infectious bite cannot be accurately determined in endemic areas. IP current estimates for CL range from 14 days to several months with a median around 30–60 days, as established by a few previous studies in both New and Old Worlds. Methodology We estimated CL incubation period distribution using time-to-event models adapted to interval-censored data based on declared date of travels from symptomatic military personnel living in non-endemic areas that were exposed during their short stays in French Guiana (FG) between January 2001 and December 2021. Principal findings A total of 180 patients were included, of which 176 were men (97.8%), with a median age of 26 years. When recorded, the parasite species was always Leishmania guyanensis (31/180, 17.2%). The main periods of CL diagnosis spread from November to January (84/180, 46.7%) and over March-April (54/180, 30.0%). The median IP was estimated at 26.2 days (95% Credible Level, 23.8–28.7 days) using a Bayesian accelerated failure-time regression model. Estimated IP did not exceed 62.1 days (95% CI, 56–69.8 days) in 95% of cases (95th percentile). Age, gender, lesion number, lesion evolution and infection date did not significantly modify the IP. However, disseminated CL was significantly associated with a 2.8-fold shortening of IP. Conclusions This work suggests that the CL IP distribution in French Guiana is shorter and more restricted than anticipated. As the incidence of CL in FG usually peaks in January and March, these findings suggest that patients are contaminated at the start of the rainy season.


This paper presents a nonlinear fault detection and isolation system that is able to distinguish single faults that have the same fault signatures. The detection mechanism is based on nonlinear state estimation. Fuzzy set theory followed by parameter estimation of certain parameters of the fault-free model are applied for fault isolation. This parameter estimation step is used to differentiate between a variety of faults, including those with similar signatures. The proposed fault detection and isolation (FDI) method is validated using an air heater lab experiment. Actuator and sensor faults are considered and comparisons with other methods are presented and analyzed under different fault scenarios. The proposed FDI method shows significant advantages when it is applied to nonlinear model systems with fault-free models available.


How can we perform knowledge reasoning over temporal knowledge graphs (TKGs)? TKGs represent facts about entities and their relations, where each fact is associated with a timestamp. Reasoning over TKGs, i.e., inferring new facts from time-evolving KGs, is crucial for many applications to provide intelligent services. However, despite the prevalence of real-world data that can be represented as TKGs, most methods focus on reasoning over static knowledge graphs, or cannot predict future events. In this paper, we present a problem formulation that unifies the two major problems that need to be addressed for an effective reasoning over TKGs, namely, modeling the event time and the evolving network structure. Our proposed method EvoKG jointly models both tasks in an effective framework, which captures the ever-changing structural and temporal dynamics in TKGs via recurrent event modeling, and models the interactions between entities based on the temporal neighborhood aggregation framework. Further, EvoKG achieves an accurate modeling of event time, using flexible and efficient mechanisms based on neural density estimation. Experiments show that EvoKG outperforms existing methods in terms of effectiveness (up to 77% and 116% more accurate time and link prediction) and efficiency.


The present paper deals with the impact of manufacturing internationalisation, in the forms of international trade, cooperation agreement and FDI, on the logistics sector. Some descriptive statistics are provided for the Italian macro-areas and the logistics employment and an econometric analysis is carried out at the "regional-industry" level (20 NUTS2 regions and 11 logistics sub-sectors) with reference to the Italian case in the period 1996-2001. Results show that export and FDIs positively affect the logistics employment variation in 1996-2001, while import and cooperation agreements display a negative or not significant impact.


'Lingwu Changzao' (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Lingwuchangzao), a cultivar of Ziziphus in the Rhamnaceae family, is a traditional jujube cultivar in Ningxia, China. For 'Lingwu Changzao', morphological traits are prominent in characterizing fruit yield, quality, and consumer acceptance. However, morphological measurements for 'Lingwu Changzao' cultivation are limited. Therefore, the objective of this study is to measure the growing patterns of selected morphological traits during 'Lingwu Changzao' fruit development. Eight morphological traits, including four fruit traits (fruit length, diameter, weight, and flesh (mesocarp) thickness), three stone traits (stone length, diameter, and weight), and fruit firmness (also known as fruit hardness), were measured over a 3-mo (months) period, covering a completed fruit development period. Results indicate that the growing patterns of fruit traits coincide with double 'S' growth curves, which mainly present the growth of 'Lingwu Changzao' fruit. Increases of stone traits terminated in the early fruit growth period, while fruit traits continuously increased till the end of the 3-mo period. That implies a high fruit-stone ratio, i.e., a desirable quality attribute for 'Lingwu Changzao' as fresh-eating fruits. The results presented in this study can serve as one part of the standard dataset for jujube fruit cultivation in China, and it can also support decisions in plant breeding and field managements for 'Lingwu Changzao'.


Mammography is an effective tool for the early detection of breast cancer; however, most women referred for biopsy based on mammographic findings do not, have cancer. This study is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the number of benign cases referred for biopsy by developing tools to aid physicians in classifying suspicious lesions. Specifically, this study examines the use of an Evolutionary Programming (EP)/Adaptive Boosting (AB) hybrid, specifically modified to focus on improving the performance of computer-assisted diagnostic (CAD) tools at high specificity levels (missing few or no cancers). An EP/AB hybrid developed by the authors and used in previous studies was modified with two new fitness functions: 1) a function which favored networks with the high PPV values at thresholds corresponding to high sensitivities and 2) a function which favored networks with the highest partial ROC Az (normalized area about 90% sensitivity). The modified hybrid with specialized fitness functions was evaluated using k-fold cross-validation against two real-word mammogram data sets. Results indicate that the number of benign cases referred for biopsy might be reduced by over a third, while missing no cancers. If sensitivity is allowed to decrease to 97% (missing 3% of the cancers), the number of spared biopsies could be raised to over half.


ABSTRACT The significance of the most important legal act-the Constitution-to the social medium is evident. This constituent act of the nation determines the legal, political, moral and social life of the social medium. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Constitution-the content of this constituent act-is the object of everybody's attention. The Constitution is interpreted by lawyers, public leaders, state institutions, scholars and individual persons. The article analyses the wide-ranging subjects interpreting the Constitution and presents the types of its interpreters. The three most prominent groups of such subjects can be distinguished as: (i) institutions of constitutional justice, (ii) the scholarly doctrine, and (iii) other subjects. The article discusses the legal, scientific and social value of interpretations of the Constitution formulated by these interpreters. It is held that the most meaningful thing in this typology is distinguishing the interpretations according to the factor of their legal effects. The differing scientific, legal and social value of the interpretations does not deny the factor of the significance of their existence. It is recognised that a large number of interpretations of the content of the Constitution come from an immanently related state of discussions taking place in a state under the rule of law and democratic society.


Thin-layer electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry in 0.1 mol dm–3 NBu4PF6–dmf (dmf = dimethylformamide) have been used to characterize spectroscopically the sequentially reduced forms of [Re(bipy)(CO)3Cl], [Re(dpp)(CO)3Cl] and [{Re(CO)3Cl}2(dpp)][dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine, bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine]. Following the first reduction of each complex, the spectra exhibit similar absorption features in the near-UV region from 350 to 400 nm with a tailing absorption to ca. 500–600 nm. The excited-state absorption spectra of [Re(dpp)(CO)3Cl] and [{Re(CO)3Cl}2(dpp)] have also been obtained and exhibit similar features as in the spectroelectrochemical measurements. The spectra are consistent with reduction of the α,α′-dimine ligand and are dominated by π→π* transition of the ligand radical anion. Addition of a second electron to the monometallic complexes yields spectra that are characterized by a broad absorption band in the range 530–580 nm (Iµ= 10 900–12 100 dm3 mol–1 cm–1). In comparison, addition of a second electron to [{Re(CO)3Cl}2(dpp)] also yields a broad absorption at 550 nm (Iµ= 8800 dm3 mol–1 cm–1) and loss of the absorption at 357 nm, which is analogous to the spectrum for the doubly reduced [Re(dpp)(CO)3Cl] complex. Further reduction of the bimetallic complex results in identical spectral features as the doubly reduced complex with the main difference being an increase in absorbance over the entire UV/VIS region and a red shift of the lowest energy absorption to 576 nm. The spectroelectrochemical measurements for [{Re-(CO)3Cl}2(dpp)] suggest the second and third reductions result in reduction of the metal centres contrary to previous reports for electron localization in the bimetallic complex, which describe the second reduction as ligand based.


We report optical-optical-optical triple-resonant spectroscopic structure for BH that corresponds with scattering resonances formed by high-lying Rydberg states that couple strongly to decay channels for electron loss and boron-hydrogen bond cleavage to neutral atoms. Lineshapes and intensities provide information on state-to-state relaxation dynamics and interference between bound-bound and bound-continuum transition moments.


We propose a novel information retrieval (IR) method using semantic information from technical papers. The proposed method is suitable for use in digital libraries (DL). Users of digital libraries need to retrieve information which meets their semantic requirements. An important problem is the reduction of retrieval errors caused by differences in requests among individual users. To solve this problem, we used some techniques of natural language processing, and dictionaries that describe the relations between words and concepts. We describe the details of the proposed method and show experimental results that reveal the effectiveness of the method. We focus on technical papers written in Japanese.


We obtain an elliptic system of monopole equations on 8-manifolds with Spin(7) holonomy by minimizing an action involving negative spinors coupled to an Abelian gauge field.


Path-consistency algorithms, which are polynomial for discrete problems, are exponential when applied to problems involving quantitative temporal information. The source of complexity stems from specifying relationships between pairs of time points as disjunction of intervals. We propose a polynomial algorithm, called ULT, that approximates path-consistency in Temporal Constraint Satisfaction Problems (TCSPs). We compare ULT empirically to path-consistency and directional path-consistency algorithms. When used as a preprocessing to backtracking, ULT is shown to be 10 times more effective then either DPC or PC-2.


Abstract We examine a club model in which the club's policies are controlled by a homogeneous group of insiders. Their policy decision is to determine the number they will admit from two outsider groups. Countries have immigration policies, private clubs have membership policies, and professional practices also have membership criteria in which individuals may be screened. In all these organizations new members bring a material benefit to the organization, but do so at the cost of introducing a socially differentiated population of outsiders that the majority typically dislikes. It is the interplay of the material benefit and the social cost on which we focus. We characterize steady state equilibria and examine comparative statics results.


Today's MEMS devices are limited more so by the batteries that supply their power than the fabrication methods used to build them. Thick battery electrodes are capable of providing adequate energy, but long and tortuous diffusion pathways lead to low power capabilities. On the other hand, thin film batteries can operate at significant current densities but require large surface areas to supply practical energy. This dilemma can be solved by either developing new high capacity materials or by engineering new battery designs that decouple power and energy. Three dimensional batteries redesign traditional configurations to create nonplanar interfaces between battery components. This can be done by introducing hierarchical structures into the electrode shape. Designs such as these provide a maximum surface area over which chemical reactions can occur. Furthermore, by maintaining small feature sizes, ion diffusion and electronic transport distances can remain minimal. Manipulating these properties ensures fast kinetics that are required for high power situations. Energy density is maximized by layering material in the vertical direction, thus ensuring a minimal footprint area. Three dimensional carbon electrodes are fabricated using basic MEMS techniques. A silicon mold is anisotropically etched to produce channels of a predetermined diameter. The channels are then filled using an infiltration technique with electrode slurry. Once dried, the mold is attached to a current collector and etched using a XeF2 process. Electrodes of varying feature sizes have been fabricated using this method with aspect ratios ranging from 3.5:1 to 7:1. 3D carbon electrodes are shown to obtain capacities over 8 mAh/cm 2 at 0.1 mA/cm 2 , or nearly 700% higher than planar carbon electrodes. When assembled with a planar cathode, the battery cell produced an average discharge capacity of 40 J/cm 2 at a current density of 0.2 mA/cm 2 . This places the energy density values slightly less than thick-film microbatteries but with power density values larger than thin-film batteries. A 3D zinc-air battery was also fabricated by electrodepositing zinc into a silicon mold. This battery obtained over 12 mAh/cm 2 and utilized 93% of the available material.


As information delivery systems on the Internet increasingly evolve into World Wide Web browsers, understanding key graphical elements of the browser interface is critical to the design of effective information display and access tools. Image maps are one such element, and this document describes a pilot study that collected, reviewed, and evaluated image maps from homepages of educational institutions. World Wide Web browsers offer a high level of interaction through hyperlinks, most of which involve text or a simple image. Image maps, on the other hand, are complex visuals that contain multiple hyperlinks to a number of information resources. Effective image maps offer clearly defined multiple links or "hot spots," present visual content that supports the theme or purpose of the site, permit backtracking and bookmarking, help the user build mental models of the interrelationships of information resources, do not take too long to load, and do not clutter the display. Researchers developed a survey form, for use by nine independent viewers, that sought to evaluate sites by those visual, navigational, and practical criteria. Fifty-five surveys on institutional homepages were collected from the nine viewers, and they revealed primarily that viewers placed a higher premium on simplicity than on pure visual appeal. Artistically captivating image maps often violated rules of simplicity; individual hot spots were hard to distinguish, choices were too multilayered to allow for a quick return to the starting point, and loading was slow. Reproductions of 11 institutional homepages accompany the text. Two other figures include a bar graph comparing average viewer ratings by site and a list of tips for image map design. (Contains 16 references.) (BEW) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office ol Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY


The animated film Me & My Mum was released in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2014 and proved to be a huge box office hit, cashing in on the existing McDull animated films that are hailed as the best animations in Hong Kong. Previous scholarship suggests that the McDull animated film series is a symbol of Hong Kong local culture; it serves as a repository of the changing landscapes of Hong Kong and demonstrates hybrid identities. However, this article argues that the McDull animated film series is more translocal than local, a fact which reveals the dynamics of the Hong Kong–mainland China relationship after Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The translocalized McDull series demonstrates an obsession with Chineseness which helps to evoke the national identity. By aestheticizing powerlessness as cuteness through anthropomorphic animals, the McDull series used to be highly political; they grappled with the wounds of society in Hong Kong. However, the articulation of a well-rounded McDull in the translocalized film Me & My Mum indicates that it is conforming to the Chinese Communist Party's ideology of ideal children while the political power of aestheticizing powerlessness is repressed, revealing the dominant power of the Chinese film market.


Studies were performed to determine whether an alteration in coronary vascular resistance and a reduction in the reflow phenomenon occurred in the blood-perfused, heparinized canine heart after various periods of myocardial ischemia. Regional myocardial blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres. Proximal left anterior descending coronary artery blood flow was measured with a periarterial flow transducer. Reduced reflow to the ischemic portion of the left ventricle and increased resistance in the left anterior descending coronary artery were present after 120 minutes of myocardial ischemia. The reduction in reflow was specific to the subendocardium of the ischemic area. Saline and isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil) did not prevent the increase in coronary vascular resistance or the significant reduction in reflow to the subendocardial portion of the ischemic area. Hypertonic mannitol given so as to increase serum osmolality 40 mosmoles/kg prevented the increase in coronary vascular resistance and modified the reduction in the reflow phenomenon to the subendocardial portion of the ischemic area. Thus, both an increase in coronary vascular resistance and a significant reduction in reflow to the subendocardial portion of the ischemic area occur in the canine heart after 120 minutes of myocardial ischemia. Moreover, the increase in coronary vascular resistance can be prevented and the reduction in reflow to the subendocardial portion of the ischemic area can be modified by the administration of hypertonic mannitol.


Failure to accurately measure the outcomes of an experiment can lead to bias and incorrect conclusions. Online controlled experiments (aka AB tests) are increasingly being used to make decisions to improve websites as well as mobile and desktop applications. We argue that loss of telemetry data (during upload or post-processing) can skew the results of experiments, leading to loss of statistical power and inaccurate or erroneous conclusions. By systematically investigating the causes of telemetry loss, we argue that it is not practical to entirely eliminate it. Consequently, experimentation systems need to be robust to its effects. Furthermore, we note that it is nontrivial to measure the absolute level of telemetry loss in an experimentation system. In this paper, we take a top-down approach towards solving this problem. We motivate the impact of loss qualitatively using experiments in real applications deployed at scale, and formalize the problem by presenting a theoretical breakdown of the bias introduced by loss. Based on this foundation, we present a general framework for quantitatively evaluating the impact of telemetry loss, and present two solutions to measure the absolute levels of loss. This framework is used by well-known applications at Microsoft, with millions of users and billions of sessions. These general principles can be adopted by any application to improve the overall trustworthiness of experimentation and data-driven decision making.


Twenty-six Pleistocene tephra layers, four ash-flow tuff deposits, and four fluvial-lacustrine sediment sequences, interstratified with paleosols, occur in an area of 1,500 km 2 between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlan. Most of the tephra layers and one of the ash flows can be individually recognized in the field by mineralogy of Fe-Mg phenocrysts, texture, pumice color, and stratigraphic position. The texture, thickness, and distribution of the tephra layers indicate that they originated from five separate centers: the Pacaya volcanic complex, Agua Volcano, Acatenango or Fuego Volcanoes, the Lake Atitlan area, and the Laguna de Ayarza area. The exact sources of the ash flows are not known. Size of pumice clasts, pumice texture, and mineral content show that the basin-filling ash-flow tuff units are of primary origin and could not have resulted from inwash of previously deposited pumiceous tephra. Each ash-flow tuff apparently was deposited shortly after a tephra eruption. Reconnaissance work indicates that the H ash-flow tuff unit and its underlying tephra cover a major portion of the volcanic highlands — at least 16,000 km 2 and 7,500 km 2 , respectively. Their source probably lies close to the Lake Atitlan area. These units should be extremely useful as time-stratigraphic marker horizons in other parts of the Guatemalan highlands. Radiometric dating indicates that most major tephra and ash-flow deposits were deposited between 40,000 yr and 1.84 m.y. ago. Were similar eruptions to occur today, widespread devastation and loss of life could result.


Children with speech difficulties often have delayed phonological awareness development and associated literacy problems. Speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) typically use phonological and articulatory approaches in their treatment of such children. However, it is unclear to what extent phonological awareness training, originally designed to promote literacy skills, might also improve children's speech output. This article adopts a psycholinguistic approach to examine the nature and development of phonological awareness and to explore the relationship between phonological awareness training and phonological therapy. The role of phonological awareness in predicting literacy development in children is discussed, and principles for analyzing the psycholinguistic properties of therapy tasks are presented. Phonological awareness cannot be dealt with independently as it is an integral part of articulation and phonological intervention. Further, phonological awareness is a necessary "on-line" skill in the dynamic communication process between therapist and child. Failure to take this into account will result in inappropriately targeted therapy and pragmatic breakdown between the child and S-LP.


Complexity theory traditionally studies the hardness of solving classical computational problems. In the quantum setting, it is also natural to consider a different notion of complexity, namely the complexity of physically preparing a certain quantum state. We study the relation between two such state complexity classes: statePSPACE, which contains states that can be generated by space-uniform polynomial-space quantum circuits, and stateQIP, which contains states that a polynomial-time quantum verifier can generate by interacting with an all-powerful untrusted quantum prover. The latter class was recently introduced by Rosenthal and Yuen (ITCS 2022), who proved that statePSPACE $\subseteq$ stateQIP. Our main result is the reverse inclusion, stateQIP $\subseteq$ statePSPACE, thereby establishing equality of the two classes and providing a natural state-complexity analogue to the celebrated QIP = PSPACE theorem of Jain, et al. (J. ACM 2011). To prove this, we develop a polynomial-space quantum algorithm for solving a large class of exponentially large"PSPACE-computable"semidefinite programs (SDPs), which also prepares an optimiser encoded in a quantum state. Our SDP solver relies on recent block-encoding techniques from quantum algorithms, demonstrating that these techniques are also useful for complexity theory. Using similar techniques, we also show that optimal prover strategies for general quantum interactive protocols can be implemented in quantum polynomial space. We prove this by studying an algorithmic version of Uhlmann's theorem and establishing an upper bound on the complexity of implementing Uhlmann transformations.


Postpartum cerebral angiopathy (PCA) is a rare vasoconstriction syndrome that can lead to severe disability and death. The pathophysiology of PCA is unknown. A case of a 39-year-old woman who developed PCA 3 days after twin delivery is reported. She presented with right hemiparesis, aphasia and lethargy. Imaging studies demonstrated severe segmental narrowing of multiple cerebral arteries comprising the anterior and posterior circulations. She continued to deteriorate despite induced hypertension, immunosuppression, intravenous magnesium and oral nimodipine. Intra-arterial administration of nicardipine on three consecutive occasions reversed the angiographic vasospasm and led to symptom resolution. Definite improvement occurred after a 5 day course of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). The patient described in this report developed recalcitrant PCA-induced vasospasm which resolved with endovascular administration of nicardipine and immunotherapy with IVIg.


The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations can be distinguished from previous trade negotiations in terms of substance and process. The adoption of the mandate and the ongoing negotiations have taken place in the significantly reformed structure of the European Union (EU)'s Common Commercial Policy after the Lisbon Treaty's entry into force. Efforts at closer economic integration between the world's two biggest trading blocs has developed as the EU's focus shifts from the multilateral trade system toward bilateralism and regionalism, and a new generation of trade agreements emerges. The envisaged TTIP expands the coverage of the agreement to an unprecedented array of commercial relations. Including new issues, such as regulatory cooperation and investment, have impacted the process of negotiations and enhanced its transparency with the involvement of various stakeholders. TTIP as an arrangement may shape the content of the Common Commercial Policy: much of what is achieved could potentially be introduced in other trade negotiations.


College students find a sense of belonging at institutions in multiple ways. For college women, the relationships they form through their campus involvements are important. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the social integration experiences of sorority women living in residence halls. The researchers found sorority women had positive community experiences and enriched relationship opportunities through their involvement in sororities and residence halls. The women felt more connected to people through the relationships they formed because of sorority membership, whereas they felt more connected to campus as a whole because they lived in the halls.


The production of cellulases (filter paper activity, endoglucanase and β-glucosidase) by Cladosporium sp. NCIM 901 on different media in shake flask culture was compared. The culture filtrate of the organism exhibited highest total cellulolytic activity and extracellular protein content on 7 days interval during the course of its growth on Mary Mandel's mineral medium supplemented with 1% cellulose compared to other media. Various soluble carbon sources were tested in this study, cellulose supported the maximum production of cellulolytic enzymes (1.64, 0.75 and 1.1 U/ml of FPase, CMCase and β-glucosidase). Enhanced production of cellulolytic enzymes was observed when KNO3 was used as nitrogen source (1.71, 0.93 and 1.23 U/ml of FPase, CMCase and β-glucosidase). Among the lignocellulosic materials, sugarcane bagasse increased cellulolytic enzymes production (1.94, 0.95 and 0.98 U/ml of FPase, CMCase and β-glucosidase) and the next best was saw dust. Maximum yield of cellulolytic enzymes were observed when bagasse was physically pretreated (1.972, 1.103 and 1.112 U/ml of FPase, CMCase and β-glucosidase) and the reducing sugar concentration of 0.52 mg/ml was obtained.


Background: Our institution has been offering the General inpatient hospice (GIP) services within the premises of our hospital since 2013. Our previous data had suggested increased acceptance of hospice and GIP care with this model. We wanted to study the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic, on utilization of Hospice with this model of care. Objectives: Compare utilization of GIP at HUMC during the first COVID-19 surge, (3/1/2020–6/30/2020) to pre-COVID period (11/1/2019–2/29/2020). Methods: Using a retrospective chart review was done for GIP admissions from 11/2019 to 6/2020 at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), an academic hospital in New Jersey which was approved by HUMC institutional review board. Data was collected for demographics and comorbidities. Descriptive statistics were reported. Results: The primary findings show increased hospice referrals during the study period (3.02%) compared to the pre-covid time period (2.63%), P = .0592. Furthermore, GIP admissions increased from 122/13 440 (.91%) in the pre-covid period to 146/11 480 (1.27%) during covid, P = .0055. There were 54 patients admitted to GIP with COVID-19. Descriptive statistics showed male and female distribution was almost equal (53.70% vs. 46.30%), and mean age of 82 years. In GIP patients with COVID-19, majority patients were white patients, (66.67%) age group of 76–95 years old and had < 3 comorbidities (85.19%), about half were with hypertension, next chronic condition was diabetes. Conclusions: COVID-19 outbreak increased both hospice referral and admission in our model of care. Availability of GIP in the hospital setting may help acceptance and facilitation of these essential end-of-life care services.


The dominant account of the Great Recession in the United States' economy links the economic decline to the preceding boom in the sector of single-family housing and related financial markets. Even the existing explanations of the crisis in terms of the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT) have focused on this part of the U.S. economy. In this paper, we will argue that 1-4-family housing construction projects do not seem to be the right phenomenon to focus on, especially for the purposes of ABCT. Instead, we provide evidence that long-term private construction projects are prima facie a better candidate for at least a partial explanation of the boom and bust of the 2000s. We also propose a potential connection between the failure of long-term construction projects and the crisis in the subprime mortgage market.


In this study we investigated microsatellite variation in Dutch roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) populations. We used 65 tissue samples from culled animals from three populations (Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, National Park Zuid-Kennemerland and Flevopolder). The first two are dune populations and are about 3.5 kilometers apart. In both populations, roe deer have been present since the early 1950's. In the Flevopolder roe deer were first observed in 1959. From theoretical predictions, a decrease in heterozygosity of 20% due to genetic drift could be expected in the small Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen population, compared to the much larger Flevopolder population. However, the expected heterozygosity (He) at seven loci was 0.56 on average with no significant differences in He between populations. The probability that a decrease of 20% or more did occur but that it went undetected is smaller than 2.2%. All populations were significantly differentiated from each other and showed positive FST and Rho values, suggesting limited gene flow between populations. The fact that the decrease of genetic variation was smaller than expected is probably due to gene flow between the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen and National Park Zuid-Kennemerland, effective population size at the time of introduction being larger than assumed, and/or because the animals which were used for stocking came from different populations. Considering the amount of variation still present in the different populations, negative effects of reduced genetic variation are currently not expected, but in both dune populations the decrease in the amount of variation will continue.


Abstract The purpose of this analysis is to consider the Saltire Society's Book of the Year and First Book of the Year Awards in relation to wider issues pertaining to media representations of Scottish literary and publishing culture. Through a statistical analysis of the Society's Book of the Year and First Book of the Year shortlists and winners between 1988 and 2014, this examination shows the extent to which the Society's Literary Awards reflect, as opposed to subvert, historic and existing gender imbalances in Scottish literary and publishing culture. Indeed, despite critics arguing that there was a change in tide in the late 1980s and early 1990s regarding the balance in gender representation in Scottish literature, this analysis suggests that Scotland's book award culture, and in turn, literary culture more widely, remains dominated by men. Perceptions of the apparent 'balancing' of the gender disparity in Scottish writing do not align with the statistics discussed here, a fact further evidence by misconceptions held by members of the Society's own Literary Awards judging panels. Accordingly, this article contends that such inconsistencies lend credence to the argument that the Society's judges have participated in implicit stereotyping based upon culturally pervasive stereotypes' that Scottish women writers play a 'minor' role in Scottish literary and publishing culture.


It is known that friction deposited polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layers are able to nucleate crystallization of thin films of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). In order to investigate the influence of PTFE on the crystallization behavior and morphology of iPP in bulk, PTFE-particles of two different sizes in various concentrations were melt-blended with iPP and subsequently processed by injection molding. For one size of particles, high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) showed the presence of a PTFE scaffold consisting of highly fibrillated PTFE particles. With X-ray diffraction (WAXD) pole-figures, it was evidenced that, after melting and recrystallization of the iPP matrix, a strongly oriented crystallization of iPP on this PTFE scaffold takes place (quiescent crystallization conditions). With WAXD it was also shown that under processing conditions, PTFE acts as a nucleating agent for iPP and that PTFE strongly enhances the formation of processing induced morphologies. Impact and tensile performance of the mixtures were measured. Both the strain energy release rate (GI) and the E-modulus were found to increase upon introducing PTFE in iPP. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:458-468, 2005.


Radionuclide therapy is an important form of tumor internal radiation therapy (IRT), but its curative effect is restricted by the low radiation intensity and poor targeting ability of nuclides, which hampers efficient killing of DNA. Moreover, the limited penetration depth and nonuniform dose distribution of rays result in "blind" regions with residual living cancer cells, which increases the risk of tumor metastasis. Herein, we developed a new strategy to tactfully incorporate IRT with immunotherapy to achieve highly efficient synergistic therapy. Specifically, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) co-modified with radioactive iodine-131 and the twin arginine translocation (TAT) peptide (131I-AuNPs-TAT) were constructed, in which TAT-guided nuclei targeting provided highly concentrated β-rays to the most radiosensitive DNA. Meanwhile, β− electrons dashed on AuNPs with a sudden drop in speed can transform into low-dosage X-ray bremsstrahlung radiation. X-rays have a longer penetration depth than β-rays and are able to induce a strong immune response, thus eliminating the area that is blind to short-range β-rays resulting from the limited dose distribution. This method, named "internal radio-immunity therapy (IRIT)", is a unique approach that combines IRT with immunotherapy to not only enhance radiotherapeutic efficacy but also broaden the clinical applications of 131I, thereby demonstrating great potential for scientific research and clinical applications.


The extraordinary sensitivity of 129Xe, hyperpolarized by spin-exchange optical pumping, is essential for magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in life and materials sciences. However, fluctuations of the polarization over time still limit the reproducibility and quantification with which the interconnectivity of pore spaces can be analyzed. Here, we present a polarizer that not only produces a continuous stream of hyperpolarized 129Xe but also maintains stable polarization levels on the order of hours, independent of gas flow rates. The polarizer features excellent magnetization production rates of about 70 mL/h and 129Xe polarization values on the order of 40% at moderate system pressures. Key design features include a vertically oriented, large-capacity two-bodied pumping cell and a separate Rb presaturation chamber having its own temperature control, independent of the main pumping cell oven. The separate presaturation chamber allows for precise control of the Rb vapor density by restricting the Rb load and varying the temperature. The polarizer is both compact and transportable─making it easily storable─and adaptable for use in various sample environments. Time-evolved two-dimensional (2D) exchange spectra of 129Xe absorbed in the microporous metal-organic framework CAU-1-AmMe are presented to highlight the quantitative nature of the device.


We study the first-order axiomatisability of finite semiring interpretations or, equivalently, the question whether elementary equivalence and isomorphism coincide for valuations of atomic facts over a finite universe into a commutative semiring. Contrary to the classical case of Boolean semantics, where every finite structure can obviously be axiomatised up to isomorphism by a first-order sentence, the situation in semiring semantics is rather different, and strongly depends on the underlying semiring. We prove that for a number of important semirings, including min-max semirings, and the semirings of positive Boolean expressions, there exist finite semiring interpretations that are elementarily equivalent but not isomorphic. The same is true for the polynomial semirings that are universal for the classes of absorptive, idempotent, and fully idempotent semirings, respectively. On the other side, we prove that for other, practically relevant, semirings such as the Viterby semiring, the tropical semiring, the natural semiring and the universal polynomial semiring N[X], all finite semiring interpretations are first-order axiomatisable (and thus elementary equivalence implies isomorphism), although some of the axiomatisations that we exhibit use an infinite set of axioms.


The Ebola virus (EBOV) is a member of the family, Filoviridae, and is the etiological agent of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). This disease causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans and non-human primates, with human fatality rates reaching 90% during outbreaks of the Zaire subtype. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or antivirals for EBOV and our understanding of viral pathogenesis is limited. Therefore, further studies examining the pathogenic mechanisms of EBOV are necessary to fully understand and effectively treat EHF. The main Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) is the only viral protein found on the surface of the Ebola virion and is therefore responsible for mediating attachment and entry of the virus into host cells. However, expression of GP independently of other viral proteins induces dramatic morphological changes including cell rounding and detachment in those cells expressing GP. This phenomenon is referred to as GP-mediated cytopathology and is the focus of the work described herein. We have undertaken studies to identify the mucin domain, a highly glycosylated domain within GP, as sufficient to cause this cytopathology. We then have used a cell-biological approach to elucidate the mechanism by which this cytopathology occurs. The mucin domain forms a glycan shield at the plasma membrane, disrupting the function of host proteins in the vicinity of GP. We then show that GP-mediated shielding of major histocompatibility complex class I at the cell surface prevents the activation of CD 8+ T cells. Additionally, GP can sterically shield its own epitopes at the cell surface. This model of steric hindrance was also found to apply to the surface of pseudoviral particles, where access to a neutralizing epitope on GP is affected. Our data indicate that the EBOV GP forms a glycan shield with the ability to block antibody binding and disrupt protein function at the cell and virion surface. This study describes a novel viral mechanism for the disruption of surface protein function and suggests a possible mechanism for the evasion of host humoral and cellular immune responses.


The quantification of the tumour volume is essential for the assessment of therapy-induced changes. Traditional methods of assessing the response of neuroendocrine tumours using radiological methods yield poor results, particularly within the liver. The aim of this study was to establish whether it would be possible to identify a method using functional volumes to predict the response of tumours to various therapies. Twenty-two patients with neuroendocrine tumours of carcinoid type in the liver were treated with chemotherapy, chemo-embolization or 90Y-radiolabelled somatostatin analogues. All patients underwent 111In-pentetreotide single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT) scan pre- and post-treatment. The tumour functional volume, a measure of metabolically active tumour tissue, was calculated from the SPECT images using a 10-point display; regions of interest were drawn around 50% of the maximum tumour activity, slice by slice, and then multiplied by the slice thickness (9.3 mm). Any difference in functional volume was compared with the CT response, using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST), and clinical outcome. At 6 months after treatment, 14 patients showed a good clinical response, as measured by a reduction in pain, flushing or abdominal symptoms; the functional volume of the tumours in these patients decreased by a mean of 25% (range, 1–52%). Of the eight patients who showed no symptomatic relief, or in whom symptoms worsened, the functional volume increased by a mean of 74%. Using a change in functional volume of more than 25% as significant, SPECT predicted 13 of the 22 (59%) clinical outcomes correctly; if a 10% change was used, 18 of the 22 (81.1%) clinical outcomes were correctly predicted. However, CT, using RECIST, only predicted eight of the 22 (36%) clinical outcomes correctly. The assessment of the total functional volume by SPECT quantification is more useful than CT in monitoring tumour response after treatment, and the changes in functional volumes after therapy correlate well with the clinical response.


This study was designed to ascertain how much the representation of mental illness in Hollywood has changed from the early 1940s all the way up to the late 1990s, and the reasons behind these changes. Using both primary and secondary research including textual analysis and the use of academic books, journals and websites, this dissertation aims to examine the differences between portrayals of the mental patients themselves, in addition to the institutions in which they are housed. Over the course of the dissertation, it has emerged that the films I have used as case studies for my investigation; Now, Voyager (1942), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and Girl, Interrupted (1999), have not necessarily followed a linear progression in terms of sympathy and awareness towards mental illness in Hollywood, as was first theorised. They have instead been hugely impacted by the social and historical contexts of the time periods in which they were made, which have had noticeable effects on the character representations, the editing and composition of the films, and even the general narrative.


This regional session of the GBF brought together over 120 participants from 22 countries, ranging from indigenous comunity representatives to members of intergovernmental organisations. It was designed to feed directly into the deliberations of the CBD, in particular the discussion of SBSTTA (Jan-Feb 2000). Selected themes reflected key SBSTTA5 agenda items, and also highlighted regional concerns. Workshops included topics on sustainable use, the ecosystme approach to conservation, and alien and invasive species


An SPE cartridge based on an ampholine-functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic silica sorbent has been adopted for the analysis of aromatic amines including 4-aminobiphenyl, benzidine, 2-naphthylamine, p-chloroaniline, 2,4,5-trimethylaniline, and 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine. Crucial variables governing the extraction efficiency of the material such as the pH of sample, sample loading volume, solvent used for elution, and elution volume have been thoroughly optimized. The adsorption capacities for the six aromatic amines ranged from 0.17 to 1.82 μg/mg. The recoveries of aromatic amines spiked in textile samples ranged from 78.9 to 103.0%, with RSDs of 1.1-11.9% (n = 3). Moreover, the extraction efficiency of the ampholine-functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic silica sorbent was at least comparable with that of Oasis WCX.


ABSTRACT The article offers an ethnographic analysis of the imagination of the city as a mortgage environment: a space of sociability mediated by interest rates, legal language, square metres, actuary calculations and temporalities, real estate brokers, political and financial corruption, and so on. A central aim is to understand what it may mean for our contemporary political theory and anthropology to say that a society's democratic imagination rests on a real estate and mortgage ontology. Such an imagination renders the city as a political project 'in construction': an ongoing, 'building-in-progress' development, whose social rhythm is inflected by a permanent temporal and spatial suspension; a holding in abeyance characterised by the hopeful and yet fearful economy of credit. The mortgage durée of a city-in-construction delineates the contours of our political ruins, but in this ruinous circumstance, amidst the hubris, it offers also the resources and materials for critique and reconstruction.


Changes in the glycogen reserves of epaxial and heart muscle of trout were followed after stream planting. Muscle glycogen recovered quickly in large fish; more slowly in smaller ones, and was related to earlier reported changes in liver glycogen and blood lactic acid. Heart glycogen increased initially, but fell again shortly after feeding became stabilized. Muscle glycogen reserves of wild trout were lower in the presence of hatchery fish than in their absence. A depletion of some metabolite, such as glycogen, in conjunction with an increased body demand due to raised basal metabolism was suggested as a factor in delayed mortality.


Objectives
Low fruit and vegetable consumption is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for obesity and chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer. The aim of the ROUND (WoRld Map of COnsUmption of Fruit and Vegetables and Nutrient Deficits) Project is to evaluate global consumption of fruit and vegetables and to characterize the distribution of related nutrient deficiencies.

Methods
Data relating to adult consumers from dietary surveys worldwide were identified, obtained, and assessed. Analyses were performed using Bayesian hierarchical models.

Results
Data from different worldwide surveys were included in the analysis. Results show considerably variation between countries, even for those of middle-high income. For example in 2007, the mean per capita daily consumption of fruit (including fruit juice) and vegetables (and total) were: USA 325 g and 505 g (830 g, Census data); Germany 624 g and 106 g (730 g); Finland 429 g and 130 g (559 g); Netherlands 345 g and 133 g (478 g), and France 238 g and 145 g (382 g); (EFSA data). In 2012, an estimated 6.7 million deaths worldwide were attributable to a low intake of fruit and vegetables in both high and low-middle income countries.

Conclusions
ROUND analysis of data on adult fruit and vegetable consumption identifies diversity across nations, which can inform policies and assist in setting priorities for improving global health.

Funding Sources
ZETA RESEARCH S.r.l.


Time-temperature integrators (TTIs) are simple and cost-efficient tools which may be used to predict food quality. Enzymatic TTIs are devised to indicate food quality in the form of color alterations from green to red, based on the cumulative impacts of temperature and time period on the enzymatic reactions. In this study, the quality of ground beef patties was investigated for the parameters of pH levels, color, VBN, water holding capacity, and total microbial counts, depending on various storage temperatures (5, 15, and 25 o C). TTIs were attached to the surface of the ground beef patties in order to evaluate the degree of correlating colorimetric changes with the determined quality parameters. Through the Arrhenius equation, activation energy and constant reaction rates of TTI, VBN, and total microbial counts were calculated as to observe the relationship between enzymatic reactions of the TTI and food spoilage reactions of the ground beef patties. VBN and total microbial counts were already increased to reach decomposition index (VBN: 20, total microbial count: 7-8 Log CFU/g) of meat at middle stage of storage period for each storage temperature. Although activation energy of TTI enzymatic reactions and food spoilage reactions of the ground beef patties were similar, the change of TTI color was not a coincidence for food spoilage at 5 o C and 15 o C of storage temperature. It was suggested that TTI should be designed individually for storage tem


We developed and validated an HPLC method with intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization to determine methylmalonic acid, a unique biochemical marker for methylmalonic aciduria. Methylmalonic acid in urine and an internal standard were derivatized with pyrenebutyric hydrazide and separated on a C8 column. The derivatives were detected by monitoring the fluorescence at 475 nm (excitation wavelength 345 nm). At a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, the detection limit was 0.33 pmol on the column and the calibration curve was linear up to 1 mmol[sol ]L in urine. In a retrospective study on a relatively large number of known methylmalonic aciduria cases (n = 48), the method enabled us to differentiate methylmalonic aciduria cases from healthy controls (n = 52), regardless of age of patients at sampling or years of specimen storage. No interference was observed from isomeric or other dicarboxylic acids, or other urine constituents. As described, the method can be used retrospectively or prospectively for the diagnosis of methylmalonic aciduria and can be easily adopted by laboratories with no access to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.


Faced with the problems of rising co~ts and budget cuts, public recreation and leisure service providers have increasingly turned to private business and industry in search of strategies and solutions. A look at the work and worker research upon which such strategies and practices have been based, however, reveals an industrial bias that has all but neglected employees and jobs in areas outside of the industrial work setting. A lack of research attention paid to the realm of human or social service provision is particularly evident. It may be that managers of public recreation and leisure service organizations have much to gain from efforts in business and industry. However, research exploring similarities and differences between these occupational areas should be conducted to determine the appropriateness, generalizability, and  implications of employing industrial and business management practices in public recreation and leisure service provision.?


Significant progresses have been made in the establishment of cadastre databases in developing countries and the use of cadastre as a base to the development of land information systems based on Geographic Information System (GIS). How to interoperate and share these homogenous data is still a big problem in the applications of cadastral databases. This paper presents a GML (Geography Markup Language) approach to model cadastral spatial features for data interoperability and sharing. The advantages of GML in data interoperability are that (1) it provides an open and standard way to share and interoperate spatial data, and (2) it enables on-line and variety of spatial data interoperability on the Web. The cadastral spatial feature models are first defined based on geography markup language. An application schema is then defined, in which the cadastral features are described as CityModel, StreetModel, BlockModel, LandModel and BuildingModel, and the relationships between them are defined as CityMember, StreetMember, BlockMember and Landmember. The creation of a GML document is discussed in details. Furthermore, a GML-based cadastral WebGIS system is developed based on Java, Document Object Model (DOM) and Simple Application Interface for XML (SAX), and the implementation of the system is illustrated through a case study, which shows the feasibility of the proposed spatial feature models and data interoperability based on GML.


Class Incremental Semantic Segmentation (CISS) has been a trend recently due to its great significance in real-world applications. Although the existing CISS methods demonstrate remarkable performance, they either leverage the high-level knowledge (feature) only while neglecting the rich and diverse knowledge in the low-level features, leading to poor old knowledge preservation and weak new knowledge exploration; or use multi-level features for knowledge distillation by retraining a heavy backbone, which is computationally intensive. In this paper, we for the first time propose to efficiently reuse the multi-grained knowledge for CISS by fusing multi-level features with the frozen backbone and show a simple aggregation of varying-level features, i.e., naive feature pyramid, can boost the performance significantly. We further introduce a novel densely-interactive feature pyramid (DEFY) module that enhances the fusion of high- and low-level features by enabling their dense interaction. Specifically, DEFY establishes a per-pixel relationship between pairs of feature maps, allowing for multi-pair outputs to be aggregated. This results in improved semantic segmentation by leveraging the complementary information from multi-level features. We show that DEFY can be effortlessly integrated into three representative methods for performance enhancement. Our method yields a new state-of-the-art performance when combined with the current SOTA by notably averaged mIoU gains on two widely used benchmarks, i.e., 2.5% on PASCAL VOC 2012 and 2.3% on ADE20K.


The low-dose oral standard antiandrogen treatment with cyproterone acetate (CPA), Diane, is frequently associated with unsatisfactory results regarding moderate to severe seborrhoea/acne/acne and/or mild to moderate hirsutism. This multicenter double-blind study (n = 164) was, therefore, initiated to analyze the effectiveness of a medium dose oral regimen, i.e. the addition of 10 mg of CPA during the first 15 days of the Diane-treatment cycle. Good or satisfactory results after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were observed in 61, 81, 95 and 97% of patients with moderate to severe seborrhoea (n = 79); in 53, 95, 98 and 100% of patients with moderate to severe acne (n = 62); and in 10, 28, 45 and 55% of patients with mild to moderate hirsutism (n = 89), respectively. The regression of moderate facial hirsutism and severe facial acne occurred faster and was more complete under the medium-dose than with the low-dose regimen. Side effects corresponded to those of conventional oral contraceptives except for a higher frequency of mastodynia. Both regimens caused a significant suppression of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, while testosterone, triiodothyronine and thyroxine were lowered insignificantly. In contrast, cortisol, prolactin and insulin increased significantly. The extent of these changes did not differ in both modes of treatment. The medium-dose regimen (total dosage per cycle: 192 mg of CPA) is more effective than the low-dose regimen (42 mg of CPA per cycle) in the treatment of patients with moderate hyperandrogenism who do not require the high-dose oral standard antiandrogen therapy (1000 mg of CP A per cycle).


This thesis traces the etymology of 'materialism' using a Foucauldian discourse analysis to bring to the fore the word's use as discursive mode of power. Through examining over 5000 texts, spanning across 400 years, I trace a line from the origins of materialism in philosophical thought of the Renaissance and Enlightenment eras to its uptake in American rhetoric and integration into the consumer behaviour literature. This approach leads to a reconceptualization of materialism. Commonly viewed in consumer studies as a measurable value, trait, or motive inherent in the consumer, I situate materialism as external to the consumer. The word's history, especially in consumer studies, demonstrates that it embodies moral condemnations. I find that accusations of materialism rise in discourses during moments of intense social dislocations. It is wielded by social groups as part of a play for status. In this analysis, concepts of power as per Foucault and social distinctions as per Bourdieu, are used to explain the motives residing behind the use of the word. These motives, which reflect sociocultural dynamics and geo-political agendas, manifest in the meanings attributed to 'materialism', and the directionality of the allegation. Thus I argue that 'materialism', at its essence, is an epithet used to advance or demobilise a set of interests. This is what I term, delegitimizing discourse—words used to debase other social groups. Studying 'materialism' as a case in point, I note that groups use delegitimizing discourse either an assimilative measure—rhetoric geared towards indoctrination—or as a defensive mechanism—rhetoric used to debase threatening elements and behaviours. It is hoped that this new perspective will encourage academics to be rethink their approach to studying materialism, or in the least, to be aware of what is being measured, and what moral judgements and interests they are perpetuating through their continued studies.


Stressful parental (usually maternal) environments can dramatically influence expression of traits in offspring, in some cases resulting in phenotypes that are adaptive to the inducing stress. The ecological and evolutionary impact of such transgenerational plasticity depends on both its persistence across generations and its adaptive value. Few studies have examined both aspects of transgenerational plasticity within a given system. Here we report the results of a growth-chamber study of adaptive transgenerational plasticity across two generations, using the widespread annual plant Polygonum persicaria as a naturally evolved model system. We grew five inbred Polygonum genetic lines in controlled dry vs. moist soil environments for two generations in a fully factorial design, producing replicate individuals of each genetic line with all permutations of grandparental and parental environment. We then measured the effects of these two-generational stress histories on traits critical for functioning in dry soil, in a third (grandchild) generation of seedling offspring raised in the dry treatment. Both grandparental and parental moisture environment significantly influenced seedling development: seedlings of drought-stressed grandparents or parents produced longer root systems that extended deeper and faster into dry soil compared with seedlings of the same genetic lines whose grandparents and/or parents had been amply watered. Offspring of stressed individuals also grew to a greater biomass than offspring of nonstressed parents and grandparents. Importantly, the effects of drought were cumulative over the course of two generations: when both grandparents and parents were drought-stressed, offspring had the greatest provisioning, germinated earliest, and developed into the largest seedlings with the most extensive root systems. Along with these functionally appropriate developmental effects, seedlings produced after two previous drought-stressed generations had significantly greater survivorship in very dry soil than did seedlings with no history of drought. These findings show that plastic responses to naturalistic resource stresses experienced by grandparents and parents can "preadapt" offspring for functioning under the same stresses in ways that measurably influence realized fitness. Possible implications of these environmentally-induced, inherited adaptations are discussed with respect to ecological distribution, persistence under novel stresses, and evolution in natural populations.


Local sterilization and tissue repair which generally termed as LSTR, brings a radicular change in the field of conservative
dentistry. Efficacy against antibacterial environment and non-surgical healing of periapical lesions much better than
calcium hydroxide. LSTR 3Mix-MP, Using an antibacterial drug combination, therapy is a novel caries, pulpal treatment
of primary tooth and root canal treatment. LSTR 3Mix-MP aims to eliminate causative bacteria from lesions and after
sterilization, the host's natural tissue recovery process usually the lesions are repaired or resolved. LSTR 3Mix MP where
TAP (triple antibiotics paste) such as: Metronidazole, Ciprofloxacin, Minocycline and Vehicle MP Macrogol/polyethylene
glycol and propylene glycol used to prepare. TAP has great antibacterial efficacy particularly against enterococci which
remains after successful root canal treatment, effective eradication of the causative microorganisms during root canal
treatment procedures. Residual infection in Root canal therapy has always been an area of interdermind or vague for
a treating dental surgeon. Lesion sterilization and tissue repair (LSTR) therapy is a non-surgical or non-conventional
endodontic treatment procedure that involves non-instrumentation or minimal instrumentation followed by placement of
a triple antibiotic paste in a medication along with Macrogol and Propylene glycol.


Background Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has caused wide global disseminations and serious clinical outcomes in pediatric patients, and the purpose of this study was to analyze drug resistance, molecular epidemiology, and clinical characteristics of CRKP from children in Shanghai, China. Methods A retrospective study was conducted from January 2016 to December 2017, and a total of 170 CRKP isolates were collected. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the broth microdilution method. MAST D73C and polymerase chain reaction were used for the analysis of carbapenemase types. Multilocus sequence typing of K. pneumoniae was performed for genetic relationship. Clinical data were also reviewed. Results Of the 170 CRKP isolates, blaOXA-232 was mainly detected with a proportion of 42.35%, followed by blaNDM-1 (20.59%), blaKPC-2 (17.65%), blaNDM-5 (16.47%), and blaIMP-4 (1.18%). The predominant gene was blaOXA-232 in 2016 (54.46%; 55/101) and blaNDM-1 in 2017 (31.88%; 22/69). All these 170 CRKP isolates showed high resistance to cephalosporins and carbapenems (>95%), except for tigecycline and colistin. Sixteen distinct sequence types were observed with ST15 being mostly identified (41.76%). Most CRKP harboring OXA-232 type carbapenemase belonged to ST15, while NDM-1 type belonged to ST37 and KPC-2 type belonged to ST11. Furthermore, other β-lactamase genes including blaTEM, blaCTX-M, and DHA-1 were also found in this study. Clinical data reviewed that more than half of the patients produced clinical infections (112/170), mainly lower respiratory tract (58/112) and bloodstream (21/112) infections. A majority of these children had received therapy of antibiotics before CRKP isolation, especially for carbapenems (76/170) and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (91/170). Conclusions Our data revealed the increasing incidence of OXA-232-producing K. pneumoniae from pediatric patients in Shanghai, and infection control measures should be conducted to limit the spread of CRKP strains.


In this paper, the impact of forced cooling on the dielectric recovery of ultrahigh pressure nitrogen arc is experimentally investigated. The dielectric recovery is studied by applying 10-kV high voltage pulse at different instances after current zero. The current amplitude and the half cycle duration are kept at 425 A and 540 µs respectively. To examine the pressure dependence on the dielectric recovery, three different pressure cases are investigated: 1, 20 and 40 bar. First, dielectric recovery of nitrogen arc is studied without forced cooling by adopting a free-burning arrangement at different filling pressures. Afterwards, a puffer arrangement is used to investigate the impact of forced cooling on dielectric recovery. When the puffer arrangement is used, the position of the puffer disc and the blowing pressure are recorded. It is found from the experiment that, the arc voltage before current zero rises because of enhanced cooling due to forced gas flow. Unlike free-burning arcs where the dielectric recovery just after current zero, i.e., the thermal phase, is found to deteriorate in case of higher filling pressures of 20 bar and 40 bar, the gas flow generated from puffer with high filling pressure significantly improves the recovery process even in the thermal phase.


Background and aims Recurrent cancer and metastases depend on the perioperative immune competence which is impaired by surgery, anaesthesia and opiates. Continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) attenuates the surgical stress response and decreases anesthetic requirements, affording rapid rehabilitation and good early and late outcome. Methods 45 ASA I-IV patients, age ranged from 36 to 81 years, underwent abdominal surgery for cancer (gastrectomy, colectomy radical prostatectomy, hysterectomy, cystoprostatectomy) by laparotomy or laparoscopy under CSA. Puncture at L2-L3, in the latera decubitus. A 23-gauge spinal catheter over a 27-gauge pencil point needle (Wiley Spinal) was introduced 3 cm intratechally. First dose : Bupivacaine 20 mg (15 mg = 3 ml isobaric + 5 mg = 1 ml hyperbaric) + Sufentanil 7,5 µg + Dexametasone 4 mg = 1 ml ; total volume 5 ml Complementary bolus of 10 mg plane Bupivacaine were required every 90 minutes Patient-controlled spinal analgesia 48 to 72 hours : Top-ups on demand: Bupivacaine 2,5 mg + 0,1 mg Morphine in 3 ml volume Results Mean duration of surgery: 180 +/20 min. Perfect haemodynamic stability and total muscular relaxation were achieved. Maximum consumption of LA and opiates in the first 24 hours: 7,5 mg Bupivacaine + 0,3 mg morphine. Pain intensity: VAS 1-2. Postoperative ileus: 36 h. PDPH 0.Pruritus: 20%. Nausea: 15%. Conclusions For major abdominal surgery, CSA is safe and efficient, avoiding general anaesthesia and the use of muscular relaxants, making possible early mobilisation, and active nursing, earlier nutrition and decreasing respiratory morbidity rate.


Approaches to wavelet-based denoising (or signal enhancement) have generally relied on the assumption of normally distributed perturbations. To relax this assumption, which is often violated in practice, we derive a robust wavelet thresholding technique based on the minimax description length (MMDL) principle. We first determine the least favorable distribution in the /spl epsiv/-contaminated normal family as the member that maximizes the entropy. We show that this distribution, and the best estimate based upon it, namely the maximum-likelihood estimate, together constitute a saddle point. The MMDL approach results in a thresholding scheme that is resistant to heavy tailed noise. We further extend this framework and propose a novel approach to selecting an adapted or best basis (BB) that results in optimal signal reconstruction. Finally, we address the practical case where the underlying signal is known to be bounded, and derive a two-sided thresholding technique that is resistant to outliers and has bounded error.


To the Editor: The demise of fluorescent tinea capitis may not be as complete as Prevost (1) and others have suggested, and regional differences may still be important to note. The Arizona experience both in Tucson (2,3) and Phoenix (4) has been remarkable in that the majority of tinea capitis seen in children remains the fluorescent variety caused by Microsporum canis. In Arizona, Trichophyton lonsurans is only rarely isolated from childhood tinea capitis or tinea corporis. There is no obvious reason for the relative paucity of T. tonsurans cases. Although it is commonly thought that this organism was imported from Mexico and Puerto Rico, the very active border traffic between Arizona and Mexico has not seemed to favor that particular fungus (5). Whether an extremely arid climate has impeded the ability of T. tonsurans to gain prominence here is speculative, and it is of interest in this regard that similarly dry Kuwait has a high percentage of M. canis infections (6). It will be of interest to learn whether similar pockets of fluorescent tinea capitis remain in other areas of the country. There are good reasons to recognize regional variations. Zoophilic infections such as M. canis are not only diagnosable by Wood's light examination, but tend toward self-healing. These infections also have less potential for interperson and epidemic spread than do the anthropophilic species.


The proportion of students studying in international distance education programmes has risen dramatically in the last decade, particularly in developing countries like South Africa. Although there has been some research in UK distance education, there is little known about academic trajectories of distance education students in other countries. One promising approach of assessing students' learning through the use of learning analytics is through measuring students' learning gains and learning trajectories. Longitudinal data was collected for 69,935 undergraduate Science students from across 30 different qualifications at UNISA. Our multilevel modelling indicated that students made positive learning gains over time, whereby most variance (78.9%) was within-student, followed by the variance due to individual differences (18.3%). Theoretical implications and practical applications for these findings in the context of distance education as well as the appropriateness of the selected method in the context of Africa will be discussed.


A series of tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA) salts of V-included Keggin-type polyoxoanions with W (TBA4PW11V1O40 and TBA5PW10V2O40) and Mo (TBA4PMo11V1O40 and TBA5PMo10V2O40) as addenda atoms were prepared using a hydrothermal method. These synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance (DRS UV-Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), CHN elemental analysis (EA), inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS), and N2 physisorption techniques to assess their physicochemical/textural properties and correlate them with their catalytic performances. According to FT-IR and DRS UV-Vis, (PVXW(Mo)12−XO40)(3+X)− anions are the main species present in the TBA salts. Additionally, CHN-EA and ICP-MS revealed that the desired stoichiometry was obtained. Their catalytic activities in the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde were studied at 5 bar of O2 at 170 °C. Independently of the addenda atom nature, the catalytic activity increased with the number of V in the Keggin anion structure. For both series of catalysts, TBA salts of polyoxometalates with the highest V-substitution degree (TBA5PMo10V2O40 and TBA5PW10V2O40) showed higher activity. The maximum benzyl alcohol conversions obtained were 93% and 97% using (TBA)5PMo10V2O40 and (TBA)5PW10V2O40 as catalysts, respectively. In all the cases, the selectivity toward benzaldehyde was higher than 99%.


While safety is a critical criterion of the autonomous wheelchair and attracted much attention over the last few decades, the user comfort has not been considered as an important factor yet. Therefore, this article proposes a path following controller for an electric powered wheelchair (EPW) which aims to assure the comfort and safety of users during the navigation tasks. This controller is a combination of transverse feedback linearization (TFL) and model predictive control (MPC) techniques. The main contribution of this work is to consider the jerks and acceleration of EPW, directly linked to the user's relaxation, as constraints in solving an optimal control problem to design MPC controller. TFL allows to achieve path invariance properties, which is useful for path following task. The simulations are conducted in both circular path and arbitrary path in a typical office environment. Simulation results illustrate the perspective of the proposed approach where the desired path is well followed and the constraints on user's comfort are respected.


Inherited retinal diseases include a number of disorders which typically affect photoreceptor/retinal pigment epithelial function, and can lead to severe visual impairment. Advances in molecular genetics have allowed the identification of many of the genes responsible for particular conditions, and progress in viral gene transfer technology has enabled the replacement of specific genes into the retina. The first human clinical trial of gene therapy for inherited retinal disease was carried out at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, involving 12 patients with RPE65 deficiency - an early-onset retinal dystrophy. The results from this trial are described and provide evidence for the safe administration of viral vectors in the eye, and also demonstrate improvements in retinal function in a number of patients. However, the extent and duration of the response did not match that observed in prior animal studies, suggesting improvements in gene expression level may be required in humans. In addition, consideration for future involvement of the foveal region is highlighted, since retinal thinning was observed in a number of patients following subretinal delivery. Achromatopsia is an inherited disorder of congenitally absent cone photoreceptor function. Gene replacement therapy in animal models of achromatopsia has shown evidence of restored cone function, suggesting that this condition may be an appropriate target for gene therapy in humans. Recent studies have suggested that achromatopsia is a progressive condition with deterioration in cone structure with age, implying that the window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention may be narrow. In this study of retinal structure and function (in preparation for a gene therapy trial) in 40 patients with achromatopsia, an age-associated deterioration in cone structure was not identified, suggesting that the age range for potential intervention is wider than recently suggested, and prospective patients should be assessed on an individual basis, irrespective of age.


In this paper, we propose a distance based energy efficient multiple relay selection algorithm for cooperative virtual Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO). The fundamentals of this method is to forward the source signal using the node which minimizes the end-to-end total path distance, such that the total energy cost per bit is reduced at the relay and at the source. An energy efficient multiple relay selection algorithm is proposed to minimize the energy cost per bit while achieving a target system performance in terms of BER at the destination. The core of the proposed relay selection method is selecting the node set that minimize the overall path lengths. We present the impact of the relay location and the constellation size for different MIMO configuration, and prove numerically that minimizing the sum of all path link length leads to lower energy consumption under the same performance requirement for MIMO, Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) and Single-Input-Multiple-Output (SIMO) configuration. We compare the performance of MIMO, SIMO and MISO in terms of energy consumption and we present the results in terms of energy cost per bit against transmission distance. The results presented show that the proposed algorithm outperforms non optimized MIMO and traditional virtual MIMO communication in terms of energy consumption per bit for fixed rate and variable rate systems.


Economists regard information and feedback as important ways for self-correction in a system. This study analyses one aspect of information and feedback in the South African education system. Continuous assessment (CASS) carries a 25% weight in the final matriculation (Grade 12) mark and, more importantly, provides feedback on performance that affects examination preparation and effort. Weak assessment in schools means that pupils are getting wrong signals that may have important consequences for the way they approach the final examination. Moreover, similarly wrong signals earlier in their school careers may also have affected their subject choice and career planning. This study analyses data on CASS and compares it to the externally assessed matric exam marks for three years for a number of subjects. There are two signalling dimensions to inaccurate assessments: (i) Inflated CASS marks give students a false sense of security that they are well-prepared for the matric exams, thereby leading to unrealistic expectations and diminished effort. (ii) A weak correlation between CASS and the exam marks means poor signalling in another dimension: Relatively good students may get relatively low CASS marks. This indicates poor reliability of assessment, as the examination and continuous assessment should both be testing the same mastery of the national curriculum. The paper analyses the extent of each of these two dimensions of weak signalling in South African schools, by subject, province, socio-economic background of schools, and public versus independent schools. The analysis draws disturbing conclusions for a large part of the school system.


In this paper, we report a case of autism in a child who was cured of Kawasaki disease and the condition of autism was significantly improved. Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as cutaneous mucosal lymph node syndrome, was first reported by Japanese doctor Tomaku Kawasaki in 1967. In recent years, domestic and foreign studies believe that the pathogenesis of KD is significantly related to infection, genetic susceptibility and immune response, and its pathogenesis and treatment still need to be further studied. The occurrence of autism may be based on genetic predisposition and triggered by environmental factors during the critical period of immune establishment at the age of 1-3 years, which causes immune-mediated inflammation, changes the permeability of gastrointestinal tract and blood-brain barrier, and leads to chronic inflammation in the central nervous system, thereby affecting neurogenesis, migration and synaptic construction.


New research in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Maternal Medicine has found that cervical length measurement is a reliable indicator for predicting preterm delivery in women with threatened preterm labor.


We demonstrate the lithiation process in graphitic anodes using in situ neutron radiography and diffraction in a single-layer pouch cell. The variation in neutron absorption contrast in graphite shows a direct correlation between the degree of lithiation and the discharge potential. The experimental neutron attenuation line profiles across the graphite electrode at various discharge times (potentials) were compared with lithium concentration profiles computed using a 3D electrochemical transport model. In conjunction with imaging/radiography, in situ neutron diffraction was carried out to obtain information about the local structural changes during various stages of lithiation in carbon. Combined in situ radiography and diffraction supported by 3D multiscale electrochemical modeling opens up a powerful nondestructive tool that can be utilized to understand the multiscale nature of lithium transport as well as observe various inhomogeneities at a cell level.


Approximately 70% of counselees undergoing cancer genetic counseling and testing (CGCT) experience some degree of CGCT‐related psychosocial problems. We evaluated the efficacy of an intervention designed to increase detection and management of problems 4 weeks after completion of CGCT. In this randomized, controlled trial, 118 participants completed a CGCT‐related problem questionnaire prior to an – audiotaped – telephone session with their counselor 1 month after DNA‐test disclosure. For those randomized to the intervention group (n = 63), a summary of the questionnaire results was provided to the counselor prior to the telephone session. Primary outcomes were discussion of the problems, counselors' awareness of problems, and problem management. Secondary outcomes included self‐reported distress, cancer worries, CGCT‐related problems, and satisfaction. Counselors who received a summary of the questionnaire were more aware of counselees' problems in only one psychosocial domain (practical issues). No significant differences in the number of problems discussed, in problem management, or on any of the secondary outcomes were observed. The prevalence of problems was generally low. The telephone session, combined with feedback on psychosocial problems, has minimal impact. The low prevalence of psychosocial problems 1 month post‐CGCT recommends against its use as a routine extension of the CGCT procedure.


Droop based control schemes for power electronic converters have been object of extensive research in the last decade and have arguably become the most popular solution for converter control in microgrid applications. The protection from over-currents and over-voltages are critical features of control schemes for converters required to operate in both stand-alone and parallel-connected modes, but these aspects are marginally treated in literature on microgrids. This paper analyzes possible schemes that can be applied for protection and active limitations of voltages and currents in droop based controls for microgrids based on cascaded voltage and current control loops. Implementation aspects are discussed in detail and performances are compared by numerical simulations.


Brain metastases in breast cancer develop for 24-32 months after the detection of the primary tumor. The study included patients with brain metastases who were divided into three groups: the first group--with early chemoradiotherapy (CRT) without induction chemotherapy (IC) by capecitabine; the second group--with delayed CRT with 4 or 8 courses of IC by capecitabine; the third group (a historical control) who received only whole brain radiation therapy. The median time to progression of intracranial metastases was 15.3, 12 and 5 months, respectively. The median time to the intracranial progression significantly less in the third group (5 months) compared with the first (15.3 months) (p = 0.0007) and the second (12 months) (p = 0.027) groups. The overall survival rate was 22.1, 15.1 and 6.8 months in three groups, respectively.


Abstract Background Dalbavancin and oritavancin are long acting lipoglycopeptide antibiotics (LaLGP) approved for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by susceptible gram-positive organisms. These antibiotics have shown promise in treatment of non-FDA approved gram-positive infections including bacteremia, endocarditis, pneumonia, and osteomyelitis. The aim of this review was to determine indication, length of therapy, treatment failures, and adverse drug events (ADE) in patients receiving LaLGP at our institution. Methods Retrospective study of adult patients that received LaLGP within an integrated health system consisting of 3 hospitals and 2 outpatient infusion centers, between July 2016 and February 2022. Data collection included dosing regimen specifics for both LaLGP and non-LaLGP, indication and justification for LaLGP use, culture results, labs, ADE, incidence of readmission and Emergency (ED)/Urgent Care presentation, and treatment failure defined as readmission or return to the ED/Urgent care within 90 days of therapy completion. Results 36 patients received LaLGP during the study period. A majority of patients received LaLGP for an indication other than ABSSSI (64%)(Table 1). Four patients were lost to follow-up but included in analysis of indication and justification for LaLGP use. Staphylococcus aureus (30% MRSA, 26% MSSA) was the most commonly identified pathogen in patients who received LaLGP for non-ABSSSI indications. Justification for use of LaLGP over standard therapy is shown in Table 2. The median duration of standard therapy prior to transitioning to LaLGP was 7 days. Table 3 shows agent selection, number of doses, and outcomes for ABSSSI indications vs non-ABSSSI indications. ABSSSI patients received a maximum of 2 doses; non-ABSSSI indications received 1-8 doses. Re-admission rates were higher in the ABSSSI group compared to non-ABSSSI while ED/Urgent care presentations were higher in non-ABSSSI indications. Conclusion LaLGP is a viable option for therapy completion after improvement is seen while on standard therapy in patients where daily outpatient antimicrobial therapy is not feasible. While LaLGP is currently only approved for ABSSSI, they appear to be safe and effective for other indications. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.


S, G. OH, Y. K. AHN, A Comparative Study on Orientation density of Head and Trunk to the Front with/without music during Fouette Turns. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, Vol. 00, No. 0, pp. 00-00, 2013. Fouette turns are repeated pir- ouettes which begin as a normal pirouette en dehors but include a movement that allows the rotational momentum lost to friction to be regained once each revolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate on orientation density of head/trunk to the front with and without music to which dancers perform the Fouette turn in time. 10 female dancers(21.0±1.4 years old, height; 165.3±3.9 cm, weight: 50.5±5.7 kg) who are the students of S University participated in this study. It took shorter time to perform one revolution of fouette turn with music (930 ms) than without music (961 ms), which reason may be the shorter time of phase 2 in which the rotational momentum is not produced but lost to fiction. Orientation density of trunk to the front was smaller with music (.176) than without music (.196), while the one of head had not significant difference between with and without music. And the path length of marker on 2 nd left metatarsal bone during one revolution was smaller with music (35.7 cm) than without music (40.2 cm) but the difference was not statistically significant (p=.267).


In the present study, additive main effects and multiplicative interactions (AMMI) biplot analyses was used to dissect genotype x environment interaction (GEI) and to identify location specific and widely adapted genotypes for root branches, diameter and length in ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal]. Trials were conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications over three consecutive years at three different locations. ANOVA analysis revealed environment, G×E interaction and genotype effects to contribute significantly (p less than 0.001) towards total sum of squares for root branches (61.00%, 22.18% and 14.00%); root diameter (51.06%, 24.26% and 15.34%) and root length (65.67%, 20.82% and 11.39%). Further, the GEI for these traits was mostly explained by the first, second and third principal component axis (IPCA1, IPCA2 and IPCA3). AMMI1 and AMMI2 biplot analyses showed differential stability of genotypes for root branches, diameter and length with few exceptions. Environmental contribution towards the genotypic performance from AMMI1 and AMMI2 analysis for root traits except environment Bhi16 contribution for root diameter and root length. AMMI1 biplots and simultaneous selection index (SSI) statistics identified SKA-11 as the most desirable genotype for root branches and length while SKA-26 and SKA-27 for root diameter. The ashwagandha genotypes identified for root attributes could be advocated either for varietal recommendation or in varietal development program.


In this paper a wide passband filter with common-mode suppression based on left handed metamaterial transmission line at GHz frequencies is proposed. The concept presented in this work is validated by 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The proposed filter includes a periodic structure which is loaded by series and shunt resonators. The overall structure causes negative magnetic permeability for even mode excitation, yielding an ultra-wide stopband for common-mode signals. Additionally, the structure makes simultaneously negative electrical permeability and magnetic permeability for odd mode excitation that introduce a wide passband filter with bandwidth of 5 to 7 GHz. The analysis is based on transmission line theory and Bloch-Floquet theorem, consequently dispersion relations and wave propagation properties have been derived. The periodic structure consists of 5 unit cells and the overall device size is 0.283 λg ×0.377 Ig with a real size of 7.5 mm ×10 mm. Rogers 4003 with dielectric constant of 3.55 is chosen as substrate of the device. By using the proposed filter, common-mode suppression level of over 30dB is obtained from DC to 16GHz. While suppressing common-mode noise, the filter can also be used as a high selective and low insertion loss passband filter for differential-mode signals. Insertion loss of the desired differential signals is less than 2dB. Comparing with previous works the physical realization of the structure can be simpler and cheaper. It is a 3-layers PCB with straightforward geometry without via utilization.


In his book The Lost Senses: Deafness and Blindness (1845), deaf (1 British writer and missionary John Kitto declares that deaf people cannot write poetry. Kitto argues, "For want of hearing others speak, it is next to impossible that [a deaf person] should have that knowledge of quantity and rhyme which is essential to harmonious verse." (2) However, after explaining this personal disqualification, Kitto provides specimens of his own verse to demonstrate his attempt at "the tuneful art" (1:171). Kitto suggests that "if the reader can discover the formal errors-the bad rhymes--the halting, hopping, stumping feet-which I am unable to detect, then my proposition is demonstrated; but if he can make no such discoveries, it must then be admitted with some qualification" (1:171). While Kitto's poetry provides evidence of his poetic ability, his preface exposes his anxieties about writing in a genre that he believed required the ability to hear. Kitto's strange vacillation between declaring the impossibility of a deaf poet and demonstrating the viability of his own poetry reflects the complicated position inhabited by a nineteenth-century deaf poet writing in English. Kitto, like all other nineteenth-century poets, both hearing and deaf, was facing a cultural climate that linked written poetry with orality, especially in terms of formal features including rhythm and rhyme. Kitto was not the only deaf poet who felt ambivalent about participating in a genre tied to sound and speech: about a dozen American and British deaf poets, who used signed languages or fingerspelling to communicate, published one or more volumes of work during the Victorian period. These deaf poets often acknowledged that their position was contradictory in a cultural paradigm that invested poetry with a special relationship to aurality and orality. This essay will investigate how these nineteenth-century deaf poets balanced cultural beliefs about the primacy of sound to poetry with their own desire to sever hearing ability from poetic ability and will explore what this tension reveals about nineteenth-century perceptions of the relation between sound and poetry. By considering both the formal conventionalism and the thematic radicalism of their constructions of sound in poetry, I will argue that these poets mobilized the tension between sound and deafness. This essay will posit that nineteenth-century deaf poets ambivalently maintained an idea of "vocality" in their poetry while underscoring how that imagined "voice" was a silent construct of print. My argument about nineteenth-century deaf poetry also intervenes in contemporary critical conversations about sound in poetry because deaf poetry disrupts any model of poetry that imagines sound as essential to poetic craft and consumption. Despite the potential barriers to deaf poetic production, poetry was a valued element of nineteenth-century deaf culture. Important events in the deaf community, including deaf school graduations, for instance, were commemorated with poems written and signed by pupils. (3) Furthermore, the vast network of periodicals created by and for deaf people, including the widely circulated deaf school newspapers known as the Little Paper Family, (4) published poetry by deaf writers in monthly poetry columns. The nineteenth-century poets I will examine were all heavily involved with this culture of deaf poetry. They constitute what I will propose is the canon of nineteenth-century deaf poetry in English from the 1830s to the 1890s. While these poets had diverse class, gender, national, racial, educational, audiological, and historical experiences, in this essay I focus on the one important quality they shared: a concern that their deafness might preclude poetic achievement. (5) For example, early poets like Kitto (1804-1854) (6) and American poets John Burnet (1808-1874) (7) and James Nack (1809-1879) (8) did not have deaf forebears to validate their desire to write poetry. …