Certification is an essential feature in organic farming, and it is based on inspections to verify compliance with respect to European Council Regulation—EC Reg. No 834/2007. A risk‐based approach to noncompliance that alerts the control bodies to activate planning inspections would contribute to a more efficient and cost‐effective certification system. An analysis of factors that can affect the probability of noncompliance in organic farming has thus been developed. This article examines the application of zero‐inflated count data models to farm‐level panel data from inspection results and sanctions obtained from the Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute, one of the main control bodies in Italy. We tested many a priori hypotheses related to the risk of noncompliance. We find evidence of an important role for past noncompliant behavior in predicting future noncompliance, while farm size and the occurrence of livestock also have roles in an increased probability of noncompliance. We conclude the article proposing that an efficient risk‐based inspection system should be designed, weighting up the known probability of occurrence of a given noncompliance according to the severity of its impact.


David Pinkney challenges accepted views of the timing of France's Industrial Revolution and the accompanying transformation of French society.Originally published in 1986.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the level of occupational stress amongst government-employed and private dental practitioners in eastern Nigeria. Materials and methods: A total of 62 questionnaires were randomly distributed among government-employed and private practicing dental surgeons with five years and above working experience in eastern Nigeria. The information collected included: years of practice; mode of remuneration; causes of stress during clinical practice; signs of onset of stress; reactions of individual practitioner during stress condition; and patient's management during practitioner's stressful moment. Fifty-seven questionnaires were returned anonymously representing 92% response rate, these were used in the data analysis. Results: Forty-two (73.3%) out of the 57 respondents were government employed dental practitioners while 15 (26.7%) were in full private practice. Thirty-three (78.5%) government-employed respondents, indicated patients' management and type of clinical procedures as the main cause of their stress. Staff and practice management were the main cause of stress amongst all 15 respondents in full private practice. It was also observed that most dental surgeons (73.3%) in full private practice were affected by time pressure and environmental factor. Irritability and impatience was high (69%) among government-employed practitioners compared to (26.7%) among private practitioners. Conclusion: Our findings showed that private dental practitioners experience more stress in dental practice than government-dental practitioners in our environment. This could be explained in terms of time pressure, environmental factor and remunerations. This calls for an establishment of more government owned dental centers, government employment and good remuneration for dental surgeons to reduce the level of occupational stress in our daily dental practice. Keywords: Occupational stress; Dental practice; Government-employed and Private dental practitioners; Eastern Nigeria


The water resources of Mediterranean countries are strongly affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities, which exert considerable pressure on the overall water security.  Understanding the relative contributions of each of the possible causal factors to the hydrological alteration is pivotal to design sustainable water resources management strategies. In this study, the hydrological alteration of the Isser catchment in Algeria is assessed and explained in terms of possible explanatory factors. A long term hydro-meteorological dataset was reconstructed and the nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was used to detect the alteration of streamflow and the possible causal factors. To identify the role of causal factors in the hydrologic alterations, two techniques were used.  First, Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM), which is an advanced data-based nonlinear time-series analysis tool, was used to identify causality in time-series. Second, a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) expert-based model was applied to assess the possible underlying causes for hydrologic alterations and to quantify the potential influences of human activities and climate change. The results of the trend analysis show a significant downward trend for streamflow (pvalue< 0.05) for the period 1971-2010. The CCM method shows that the streamflow alteration is unidirectionally caused by changes in precipitation, temperature, irrigation, evapotranspiration, and NDVI patterns and that there is little feedback from streamflow alteration to these causing factors.  The FAHP suggests that climate change is dominating the decreasing trend in streamflow, being responsible for 60 % of the alterations as compared to 40 % of the alterations caused by changes in the land use patterns and intensive water extraction.


The "discussion post" has been a staple in higher education online classrooms for decades. While educators of online learning widely rely on asynchronous discussion posting to engage students using institutional learning management systems (LMS), discussion posting requires mediation and motivation to sustain participation, is considered task-oriented by students, and has been frequently criticized for inauthentic dialogue. The Slides Strategy , which utilizes a collaborative Google Slide deck in concert with Parallaxic Praxis, a knowledge-generating framework, creates an effective environment for meaningful engagement – demonstrating student understanding of material, creating classroom community, and provoking rich, critical dialogue. Collaborative slides used as a pedagogical tool in this way encourage value of all perspectives, diverse modality and thought, and inclusivity through a platform that allows different literacies to cohabitate, working toward decolonizing academia. This paper contextualizes reflections from five asynchronous online courses taught by different instructors, and provides evidence assessing the effectiveness of this strategy through instructor and student perspectives. As educational institutions continue to grapple with an increasing reliance on, and need for, innovative, dynamic, and supportive online learning environments in a post-pandemic landscape, the Slides Strategy moves the online discussion post to a more authentic and critically reflexive academic conversation.


This paper discusses the design and compilation of the TRIS corpus, a specialized parallel corpus of Spanish and German texts. It will be used for phraseological research aimed at improving statistical machine translation. The corpus is based on the European database of Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS), containing 995 original documents written in German and Spanish and their translations into Spanish and German respectively. This parallel corpus is under development and the first version with 97 aligned file pairs was released in the first META-NORD upload of metadata and resources in November 2011. The second version of the corpus, described in the current paper, contains 205 file pairs which have been completely aligned at sentence level, which account for approximately 1,563,000 words and 70,648 aligned sentence pairs.


Companies in Indonesia have shareholders who are not dispersed or in other words theownership is only held by one majority shareholder. This study examined the effects ofinvestment decision on the firm value and the debt moderation on the effects of investmentdecisions on firm value. Debt moderation was used to test the agency conflict of debtuse on investment decision. The company samples in this research were 90 companies.This research was conducted by using panel data regression with moderation. This studyfound that investment decision had a positive effect on firm value and the use of higherdebt could lower the positive effect of investment decision on firm value.


the family and the relations between the sexes ('Eroticus', 'Advice on Marriage', 'A Consolation to his Wife', and 'Virtues in Women'), concluding with the 'Gryllus', a dialogue between Odysseus and one of Circe's bewitched pigs (who prefers not to return to human form). The result is a remarkably balanced sampling of the best of Plutarch the essayist, and the inclusion of two of the Delphic dialogues, surely among the most widely read pieces in the Moralia, adds an important dimension (lacking in the Penguin volume) to this composite presentation of Plutarch beyond the Lives. This modest volume makes accessible a very considerable portion of the essential primary sources for Plutarch's thought, which is to say, a considerable portion of the essential primary sources for the intellectual world of the Roman empire from the Flavians to Hadrian.


Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a critical product of polyunsaturated adipose acid peroxidation and represents a common biomarker of oxidative stress. The effect of different MDA concentrations on human biofluids reflects pathological changes, which has been seen in diverse types of sickness, such as leukemia, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related macular degeneration and liver disease. In this study, different types of silver nanoparticles, including silver nanoprism (AgNPrs), silver nanowires (AgNWs), and silver nanospheres (AgNSs), were synthesized and used for the chemosensing of MDA by colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods. Colorimetric tests were performed to identify malondialdehyde in the solution as well as the one-droplet-based microfluidic paper substrate as a miniaturization device for the monitoring of analytes in human real samples. The analytical quantification of the MDA was done using the UV-Vis method. Also, the utilization of the designed chemosensor for the analysis of MDA in real sample was evaluated in human urine samples. Using the spectrophotometric method, MDA was deformed in the linear range of 0.01192 to 1.192 mM with a low limit of quantification of 0.12 μM. Essential significant features of this study include the first application of AgNPrs with high stability and great optical properties without any reagent as an optical sensing probe of MDA and optimized OD-μPCD toward on-site and on-demand MDA screening in real samples diagnosis and the innovative time/color semi-analytical recognition strategy. Moreover, the prepared OD-μPCD decorated by AgNPrs could be a prized candidate for commercialization due to the benefits of the low-cost materials used, like paper and paraffin, and portability. This innovative process led to uniform hydrophilic micro-channels on the surface of cellulose, without the use of a UV lamp, clean room, and organic solvents. This report could be a pioneering work, inspiring simple and effective on-site semi-analytical recognition devices for harmful substances or illegal drugs, which simply consist of a piece of lightweight paper and one drop of the required reagent.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

PURPOSE: Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is one of top ten cancers in the United States. The overall 5-year survival rate of HNSCC has not improved in the past two decades. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), an oncogene, is a key regulator of the apoptosis to promote cell proliferation and apoptosis arrest. Therefore, targeting Bcl-2 is an attractive strategy for restoring a normal apoptotic process and inhibiting cancer cell growth in HNSCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of ∼22-nucleotide-long, endogenously expressed, highly conserved of noncoding RNAs with important regulatory functions in proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis. In this study, we screened eight cancer-associated miRNAs levels (mir-21, -124, -125b, -147, -200a, -200b, -200c and -429) in twenty five human tissue specimens and four cell lines, including twenty HNSCC specimens and five normal controls, and three HNSCC cell lines (JHU-13, -22 and -29) and one transformed oral keratinocytes cell line (OKF-6). Based on the screening data, we further investigated the mechanism of miRNA-125b (miR-125b) regulated Bcl-2 expression and the therapeutic potential of exogenous miR-125b in a miR-125b stable transfected HNSCC cell line. Design Methods: The miRNA expression level was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. A stable expressed exogenous miR-125b HNSCC cell line (JHU-22miR125b) was generated by using lentivirus transfection. Colony formation and MTT assayed cell growth and cell viability and Western blot was used to analyze protein expression. Results: The expression levels of mir-124 and mir-125b were significant lower in both tumor tissue and tumor cell lines than control, and mir-21 was significant higher in tumors. Thus, mir-125b was selected as a candidate for further study. The level of miR-125b in the transfected cell lines (JHU-22miR125b) was increased more than five times compared with the control cells (Transfected with vector only, JHU-22vector). The levels of Bcl-2 protein and cell viability were significantly lower in JHU-22miR125b than JHU-22 vector. CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 is a direct target in miR-125b regulated Bcl-2 expression. Exogenous miR-125b suppresses the proliferation and growth of cultured HNSCC cells. The effect of exogenous miR-125b on inhibition of HNSCC growth via suppressing Bcl-2 expression will be further validated in tumor xanografts. This work was supported in part by grants P20 CA118770 from National Cancer Institute.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 125. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-125


Some preschoolers with language impairment approach and manage peer interactions less effectively than typically developing peers. This article discusses assessment and intervention strategies for targeting preschoolers' social communication skills during peer entry and cooperative play situations. Essential features of effective interventions include identification of appropriate social communication targets, addressing and facilitating children's use of these targets during small group sessions with peers, and supporting generalization of newly acquired social communication behaviors to children's peer interactions within the classroom setting.


Background We sought to determine the association between chronic pain and participating in routine health screening in a low socioeconomic-status (SES) rental-flat community in Singapore. In Singapore, ≥ 85% own homes; public rental flats are reserved for those with low-income. Methods Chronic pain was defined as pain ≥ 3 months. From 2009−2014, residents aged 40−60 years in five public rental-flat enclaves were surveyed for chronic pain; participation in health screening was also measured. We compared them to residents staying in adjacent owner-occupied public housing. We also conducted a qualitative study to better understand the relationship between chronic pain and health screening participation amongst residents in these low-SES enclaves. Results In the rental-flat population, chronic pain was associated with higher participation in screening for diabetes (aOR = 2.11, CI = 1.36−3.27, P < 0.001), dyslipidemia (aOR = 2.06, CI = 1.25−3.39, P = 0.005), colorectal cancer (aOR = 2.28, CI = 1.18−4.40, P = 0.014), cervical cancer (aOR = 2.65, CI = 1.34−5.23, P = 0.005) and breast cancer (aOR = 3.52, CI = 1.94−6.41, P < 0.001); this association was not present in the owner-occupied population. Three main themes emerged from our qualitative analysis of the link between chronic pain and screening participation: pain as an association of "major illness"; screening as a search for answers to pain; and labelling pain as an end in itself. Conclusions Chronic pain was associated with higher cardiovascular and cancer screening participation in the low-SES population. In low-SES populations with limited access to pain management services, chronic pain issues may surface during routine health screening.


Abstract This article examines Russian military and defence intellectuals' reflection on Russia's military involvement in Syria. The research is based on a mix of open-source Russian military writings, mainly analytical texts in prominent Russian military journals. The aim of the study is to analyse Russian narrative of its military campaign in Syria. The first part begins by providing Russia's internal discussions about probable military coalitions-building variants, risks, and operational-level decisions and objectives. The second part deals with Russian Armed Forces' network-centric warfare capabilities and limitations. The article concludes by showing that in Syria Russia introduced a modified network-centric warfare as its main feature of new method of operations is the combination of advanced intelligence-command assets and old-fashioned munitions.


The service quality of any information based system could be evaluated by the high end user in such a way that the system developer or responsible intently might use these user experiences to improve, develop and benchmark their system. In this paper, questionnaire implemented to rate to what extent the academic admission system as a web site achieves performance. Data were collected from 21 users of the system, all of them are highly educated and have the experience of using the site. Quadrant and gap analysis were implemented to analyze the data weakness and strength. The major data analysis were performed on the data collected in terms of its importance and satisfaction to the users. A number of statistical tools have been utilized such as average value and standard deviation to accomplish the objective of this paper.


mice, hippocampal oscillations are affected by genetic background (Jansen et al., 2009). Genetic variation resulting in differences in brain oscillations may give rise to differences in cognition and intelligence in general. However, how genetic differences translate into differences in properties of oscillations and synchronization of neuronal activity is poorly understood. To address this issue, we studied cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying hippocampal fast network oscillations in acute brain slices of different mouse strains with known genetic differences. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) activation in cortical and hippocampal networks acute brain slices induces synchronized activity and network oscillations. During these oscillations , synchronized activity of pyramidal neurons alternates with synchronized activity of inhibitory interneurons (Hajos et al., 2004; Mann et al., 2005; van Aerde et al., 2009). Cellular mechanisms underlying mAChR-induced synchronization depend on synaptic communication between neurons (Fisahn et al., 1998; van Aerde et al., 2008, 2009). Ordered pyramidal and interneuron cell firing and inhibitory synaptic feedback constitute the underlying mechanism underlying oscillating neuronal networks at beta/gamma


The p53 tumor suppressor plays an important role in cell fate decisions upon diverse stress conditions. In response to stress, p53 functions as a transcription factor, activating transcription of a variety of its target genes responsible for several cellular responses, most importantly cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The p53 gene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in cancer. Dysfunction of the p53 protein due to gene mutations has been observed in ca 50% of all known human cancers. In the other half of human tumors, p53 is not functional due to extensive degradation by MDM2 or HPVE6/E6AP. Inactivation of p53 is essential for tumor survival, therefore the strategy aimed at restoring its functions is a promising approach for cancer treatment. Previously identified small molecule RITA has been shown to rescue p53 functions in tumor cells where it protects p53 from MDM2-mediated degradation. RITA reactivates p53 and triggers apoptosis in tumor cells while it does not affect normal cells. Here, we address the questions whether RITA can rescue p53 function upon its inactivation in HPV-E6 and point mutations in the p53 gene. Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancer types in women worldwide. It is causally linked to infection by the human papilloma virus whose E6 oncoprotein hijacks a cellular E3 ligase, E6AP (E6-associated protein), and targets p53 for degradation. Here, we show that RITA can reduce the interaction between p53 and E6AP, thereby reactivating p53 in cervical carcinoma cells. RITA rescued p53's transcriptional functions and induced apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner. Importantly, RITA suppressed growth of cervical carcinoma xenografts in vivo. We found that small molecule RITA rescued the function of various p53 mutants in tumor cell lines of different origin. RITA triggered p53-dependent growth suppression in cells that harbor mutant p53 and induced apoptosis. Similar to its effects in wild-type p53 expressing cells, RITA restored mutant p53's transcriptional activity. Thus, RITA can rescue the function of both wild-type and mutant p53. Notably, we found that 53BP1, an important mediator of DNA damage response, plays a critical role in the tumor-specific effects of RITA. Furthermore, we found that 53BP1 interacts with and stabilizes both wild-type and mutant p53 in tumor cells. 53BP1 regulates p53 stability upon DNA damage or oncogenic stress but not in untransformed cells. This suggests that 53BP1 confers tumor-selective p53 stabilization. However, depending on the p53 status, 53BP1 might function as an tumor suppressor in cells with wild-type p53, or as an oncogene when it stabilizes mutant p53. In conclusion, our findings show that RITA has specificity towards tumor cells expressing wild-type or mutant p53, and can serve as a lead compound for future development of target-specific anti-cancer drugs. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS I. Zhao,Y., Szekely, L., Bao, W. and Selivanova, G. Rescue of p53 function by small molecule RITA in cervical carcinoma by blocking E6-mediated degradation. Cancer Research 2010 Apr 15;70(8):3372-81 II. Zhao,Y., Grinkevich, V.V., Nikulenkov, F., Bao, W. and Selivanova, G. Rescue of the apoptotic-inducing function of mutant p53 by small molecule RITA. Cell Cycle, Accepted for publication. III. Bao, W., Nikulenkov, F.*, Zhao, Y.*, Spinnler, C., Bartek, J. and Selivanova, G. Crucial role f 53BP1 in the stabilization of wild-type and mutant p53 upon oncogene activation. Manuscript. *Authors contributed equally to this work.


type="main" xml:lang="en"> Temporal distribution of individual price changes is of crucial importance for business cycle theory and for the microfoundations of price adjustment. While it is routinely assumed that price changes are staggered over time, both theory and evidence are ambiguous. We use a large Belgian data set to analyze whether price changes are staggered or synchronized. We find that the more aggregated are the data, the closer is the distribution to perfect staggering. The results hold both for aggregation across products, and across locations. They are consistent with an economy in which idiosyncratic shocks are the main cause of price changes. (JEL E30, E31, D40)


Empirical studies suggest that consumption is more sensitive to current income than suggested under the permanent income hypothesis, which raises questions regarding expectations for future income, risk aversion, and the role of economic confidence measures. This report surveys a body of fundamental economic literature as well as burgeoning computational modeling methods to support efforts to better anticipate cascading economic responses to terrorist threats and attacks. This is a three part survey to support the incorporation of models of economic confidence into agent-based microeconomic simulations. We first review broad underlying economic principles related to this topic. We then review the economic principle of confidence and related empirical studies. Finally, we provide a brief survey of efforts and publications related to agent-based economic simulation.


A method of integrating compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) adapter measurements using virtual instrument software is presented. The program, CFL TEST VI, for CFL adapter testing is written in the graphical programming language LabVIEW. Important parameters such as input current, input wattage, lamp voltage, lamp current, and lamp wattage are acquired through an IEEE-488 interface. Data are analyzed and presented on a computer display as virtual meters and chart recorders. Lamp stabilization is determined by statistical analysis of the incoming data. The input and lamp current waveforms are transferred from the digital oscilloscope to the computer. The CFL TEST VI calculates the THD (total harmonic distortion) of the input line current, the RMS lamp current, the lamp current crest factor, etc. The VI then plots the input current waveform, lamp current waveform, and computed FFT (fast Fourier transform) waveform of the input current.<<ETX>>


SUMMARY: The spore, somatic and flagellar antigens of thirty-nine strains of Bacillus polymyxa have been investigated. The three antigens were serologically distinct and differed in thermal stability and in the appearance of the floccules after agglutination. The spore antigen was common to all the thirty-nine strains of B. polymyxa and appears to be species-specific. The somatic antigen was complex and absorption tests failed to show any clear-cut groups. On first isolation the organisms had flagellar antigens which were strain-specific, but after cultivation for some months on nutrient agar, an irreversible phase variation occurred which was associated with the appearance of group antigens. Five group-antigens have been recognized. One antigen was common to nearly all strains of B. polymyxa and also to the seven strains of B. macerans tested. Non-agglutinating antibodies were encountered in some flagellar antisera.


BACKGROUND
Myoclonus-dystonia is a movement disorder often associated with mutations in the maternally imprinted epsilon-sarcoglycan (SGCE) gene located on chromosome 7q21. Silver-Russell syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth restriction and a characteristic facies, caused in some cases by maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7.

OBJECTIVES
To describe and investigate the combination of a typical myoclonus-dystonia syndrome and Silver-Russell syndrome.

DESIGN
Clinical and neurophysiological examination as well as cytogenetic and molecular analyses.

SETTING
Movement disorder clinic. Patient A 36-year-old man with typical myoclonus-dystonia and Silver-Russell syndrome.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Clinical description of the disease and its genetic cause.

RESULTS
Cytogenetic analysis revealed mosaicism for a small chromosome 7 marker chromosome. Microsatellite analysis indicated loss of the paternal allele and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7. In keeping with the maternal imprinting mechanism, no unmethylated allele of SGCE was detected after bisulfite treatment of the patient's DNA, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated loss of SGCE expression. Molecular analysis ruled out mutations in the SGCE gene.

CONCLUSIONS
We identified a new genetic alteration-maternal chromosome 7 disomy-that can cause myoclonus-dystonia. This alteration results in repression of both alleles of the maternally imprinted SGCE gene and suggests SGCE loss of function as the disease mechanism.


We live in a local region that appears to have three dimensions of space and one of time, or 4-d spacetime.  But this may not be the case for the universe as a whole, because when we include what lies beyond the Hubble distance and what lies within individual subatomic particles, a wider range of possible and actual dimensionalities must be assumed.  If we consider the full range of dimensions however, it is seen there are specific maxima and minima, in terms of extent or compactness.  We also observe that certain mathematical properties we take for granted may in fact be emergent.  If we assume that associativity and commutativity are indeed emergent, this implies that interiority/exteriority and size/distance also emerge, which shapes the early evolution of the cosmos.  This paper discusses how these considerations impact Physics as a whole, and give us insights into the Cosmology of the early universe.


The photosynthetic responses of 37 tropical seaweeds (14 Chlorophyceae,S Phaeophyceae and 18 Rhodophyceae) were measured in a Gilson Warburg Apparatus under a variety of light and temperature regimes. The brown algae Padina vickersiae and Sporochnus pedunculatus exhibited the lowest saturation light intensity (263 ILE/m2/sec), while five green algae (Acetabularia crenulata. Cladophora coelothrix. Dictyosphaeria cavernosa. Monostrorna oxysperrnurn and Codiurn repens) had the highest light optima (3,843-4,258ILE/m2/sec). Overall, the Chlorophyceae exhibited the broadest range oflight optima; in contrast, the Phaeophyceae primarily had low light optima, while several Rhodophyceae had higher light optima. The thermal optima for 34 seaweeds ranged from 15-30°C. Catoglossa leprierii, Botryocladia occidentalis. Codiurn taylorii, Soliera tenera and Codiurn intertexturn exhibited relatively broad thermal optima, with C. leprierii having the most eurythermal response. The Chlorophyceae exhibited thermal optima between IS-30°C, the Phaeophyceae between IS-27°C, and most Rhodophyceae between] 8-24°C. Few taxa, except for Cladophora coelothrix and Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, had broad physiological tolerances to both high temperature and light regimes. Overall, the Phaeophyceae exhibited the most restricted temperature and light optima, while the Chlorophyceae and Rhodophyceae exhibited broader tolerances. Until recently there have been few comparative physiological investigations of Horida seaweeds. Previous studies of photosynthetic and respiratory responses of Horida seaweeds have been concerned with the estuarine intertidal red alga Bostrychia binderi (Dawes et a1., 1978; Durako and Dawes, 1980; Hoffman and Dawes, 1980; Davis and Dawes, 1981), the euryhaline subtidal red algae Graci/aria tikvahiae (Lapointe et a1., 1984) and Hypnea musciformis (Dawes et al., 1976; Durako and Dawes, 1980) as well as a few open coastal species, including the brown alga Sargassum (Prince, 1980), the green alga Batophora oerstedii (Morrison, 1984) and the red alga Eucheuma (Mathieson and Dawes, 1974; Moon and Dawes, 1976). Overall, the photosynthetic responses of these seaweeds show a broad tolerance to light and temperature, comparable to northern intertidal and shallow subtidal species (Stocker and Holdheide, 1938; Kanwisher, 1966; Mathieson and Burns, 1971; Mathieson and Norall, 1975a; 1975b; Brinkhuis et al., 1976). Even so the limited number of Horida seaweeds studied and the varied techniques employed make it difficult to generalize. The present study was initiated in order to compare the photosynthetic responses to light and temperature of a number of subtropical and tropical species from Horida. Of particular interest was whether the physiological responses of the plants could be correlated with their known distribution (both horizontal and vertical) and/or seasonal occurrence. METHODS AND MATERIALS Most of the samples for this study were collected during a series of autecologica] and floristic studies of Florida marine algae (Dawes et aI., ]974a; ]974b; Mathieson and Dawes, ]974; ]975); the remainder were collected during the same period (197 ]-]972) on the west coast of Florida (Table I). After being collected, the plants were maintained in an ice chest and were transported to the laboratory within a 0.5-7.0 h of collection. Standard size sections (i.e., 2.5-3.0 cm) were cut from terminal frond portions


Background Closed system transfer device (CSTD) mechanically prohibits the transfer of environmental contaminants into the system and the escape of hazardous drug or vapour concentrations outside the system. However, various CSTDs are not equally effective. Purpose We evaluated the impact of current and new CSTD systems on exposure of healthcare personnel to chemotherapy agents and how the new CSTD would fit into our workflow. Material and methods To ensure safety and compliance of a new CSTD system, our first step was a hands-on product demonstration to evaluate the new technology. The review included ease of use of the system and review of all system components. The second step was to take surface wipe samples. We used CytoWipe kits from Exposure Control. We carried out two compounding trials (existing CSTD and new CSTD), each lasting 3 weeks. Sampling locations in pharmacy included: Scale in the laminar flow cabinet (LAF) LAF surface. Counter with prepared chemotherapy. Floor in front of the LAF. Pass through surface. Vials. Baseline contamination was determined with initial cleaning with NaOH and HCl. During the trials, cleaning was performed per facility protocol (detergent, IPA and biocid B or C (KlerWipe) daily and 0.05 M NaOH weekly). Monitored drugs were cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil. Exposure Control analysed cyclophosphamide using a GC-MSMS method and 5-fluorouracil using a HPLC system with UV detection. Results We found that while both systems were easy to use, the new CSTD system provided enhanced safety by ensuring compliance without an option to bypass the system. The limited surface wipe sample analysis showed that cleaning and workflow were important factors in minimising exposure of healthcare personnel to chemotherapy agents. With the current CSTD system, cyclophosphamide contamination was found on surfaces 1, 2 and 4, and barely detectable on 5 and 6. No contamination with 5-fluorouracil was found. With the new CSTD, cyclophosphamide contamination was found only on surfaces 4 and 6 that had little or no correlation with compounding. No contamination with 5-fluorouracil was found. Conclusion The study showed that the new CSTD system ensures compliance, fits into our workflow and can help minimise exposure of healthcare personnel to chemotherapy agents. No conflict of interest


paper describes our subtopic mining system for the NTCIR-9 INTENT task. We propose a method that mines subtopics for each topic only using the given Chinese query log. Our method finds possible subtopics and estimates scores of them based on interest and clearness. In the Chinese subtopic mining, our best values of D#-nDCG were 0.3823 for l = 10, 0.4413 for l = 20 and 0.4241 for l = 30.


The editorial briefly discusses the Russian invasion of the Ukraine and the need for art-based disaster relief for those most affected. With reference to a previous Special Issue of the Journal of Applied Arts & Health (JAAH 9:2), the role of art, no matter the form,
 is discussed as an active agent of learning, resilience and of healing. Art-based psychosocial work aims to support individuals, families and groups affected by crisis, provide psychosocial well-being and prevent mental health crisis in times of trauma. Further the importance of self-care
 for those working in this field is highlighted. The editorial introduces the current journal issue's content which covers a range of research projects.


This research employs survey-based correlational model. This study has been carried out to reveal the relationships among perceived multi-dimensional social support and satisfaction with life, job satisfaction and job stress. The research data were gathered from 355 teachers working at schools in Hatay city in 2018-2019 academic year. Data were achieved by "Perceived Multi-Dimensional Social Support Scale", "Job Satisfaction", "Job Stress" and "Satisfaction with Life". The relationships between multi-dimensional social support and job satisfaction, job stress and satisfaction with life have been determined in the measurement model. Structural equation model shows that perceived social support has a positive impact on teachers' job satisfaction and satisfaction with life, in reverse, a negative impact on teachers' job stress. Besides this, perceived social support positively affects teachers' satisfaction with life through the partial mediation effects of job satisfaction and job stress. It has been concluded in this study that increasing perceived social support is an effective strategy for increasing job and life satisfaction and decreasing stress of teachers.


PURPOSE
Conversion coefficients are commonly used to estimate the radiation dose in projectional radiography from the dose-area product (DAP). This study investigates whether conversion coefficients can also be used for dosimetry in fluoroscopic procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) were placed into an anthropomorphic phantom (Alderson Rando Phantom) to measure the dose absorbed by the gonads and uterus. A standardized enteroclysis in double contrast technique (Sellink/Herlinger) was simulated and the DAP was measured. Three examinations with 70, 80 and 90 kV were carried out with a fluoroscopy time of 15 minutes each. The relations between the DAP and the organ dose were analyzed and a linear regression was performed to determine the conversion coefficients [mSv/cGycm (2)].

RESULTS
The DAP and the organ dose measured by TLD were strongly correlated (r > 0.95) for all examined organs.

CONCLUSION
The strong correlations between TLD-measured organ doses and DAP recommend the use of conversion coefficients for the dosimetry of fluoroscopic procedures.


In this paper, we are concerned with convergence rate of Euler-Maruyama (EM) scheme for stochastic differential delay equations (SDDEs) of neutral type, where the neutral term, the drift term and the diffusion term are allowed to be of polynomial growth. More precisely, for SDDEs of neutral type driven by Brownian motions, we reveal that the convergence rate of the corresponding EM scheme is one half; Whereas for SDDEs of neutral type driven by jump processes, we show that the best convergence rate of the associated EM scheme is close to one half.


&NA; Creativity is crucial to the capacity to do science well, to communicate it in compelling ways, and to enhance learning. Creativity can be both practiced and enhanced to strengthen conservation science professionals' efforts to address global environmental challenges. We explore how poetry is one creative approach that can further conservation scientists' engagement and learning. We draw on evidence from peer‐reviewed literature to illustrate benefits of integrating science and poetry, and to ground our argument for the growth of a science‐poetry community to help conservation scientists develop skills in creative practices as a component of professional development. We present examples from literature as well as two short poetry exercises for scientists to draw on when considering writing poetry, or deciding on forms of poetry to include, in their practice. Opportunity exists to grow science‐poetry projects to further our understanding of what such initiatives can offer.


Experiments were conducted to investigate row spacing effects on wheat yield and grain quality and the interactions between row spacing and cultivars, plant population density, nitrogen application rate, time of sowing, fertiliser placement and row spread from 2000 to 2002 in the south coast region of Western Australia. In the experiments that were conducted following pasture or lupins, wider row spacings of 240 and 360 mm consistently reduced wheat yield and increased grain protein and small grain screenings compared with a narrow row spacing of 180 mm. Average plant numbers were reduced in the wider rows in all experiments. This result, possibly related to increased competition for water as the seeds were placed closer together in the wide rows, may also have been related to reductions in wheat grain yield. The yield decline in wider rows was lowest for the long season cultivar Camm with a May sowing in 1 experiment and at the higher N rate in another experiment. The response of Camm at wider row spacings can be partially explained by its higher dry matter production as measured in 2000 and may also help to explain the observed advantage of Camm in suppressing weed growth at all row spacings. In 2002, the row spread (seed width within the row) was varied from normal 25 mm widths to 50 and 75 mm widths. Yield was increased at the widest row spacing (360 mm) by using the wider row spreads of 50 or 75 mm. Fertiliser placement methods significantly affected plant establishment but not grain yield. Grain quality (protein percentage, small grain screenings and hectolitre weight) was reduced in wider rows in some cases or unaffected in others. This research has demonstrated that yield reductions due to wide row spacing can be minimised by using a long season cultivar when sown in May, by using adequate N fertiliser and by increasing the spread of seed across the row.


Fault localization is time-consuming and difficult, which makes it the bottleneck of the debugging progress. To help facilitate this task, there exist many fault localization techniques that help narrow down the region of the suspicious code in a program. Better accuracy in fault localization is achieved from heavy computation cost. Fault localization techniques that can effectively locate faults also manifest slow response rate. In this paper, we promote the use of pre-computing to distribute the time-intensive computations to the idle period of coding phase, in order to speed up such techniques and achieve both low-cost and high accuracy. We raise the research problems of finding suitable techniques that can be pre-computed and adapt it to the pre-computing paradigm in a continuous integration environment. Further, we use an existing fault localization technique to demonstrate our research exploration, and shows visions and challenges of the related methodologies.


Stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve is commonly used in the measurement of somatosensory evoked potential (SEP). To improve the efficiency of stimulation, the potential field and current density distributions under the surface electrodes were modeled and simulated. In our model, three layers were assumed: (1) the air environment, (2) electrode and paste (3) human body (skin and soft tissues). The mirror method was used to analyze the potential field of point charge. Integration of the field and the area of the stimulus gave the potential field of one surface electric pole. The potential field distribution of the bipolar stimulator was obtained by superimposition of two unipolar fields. Finally, the current density distribution was calculated by Laplace equation. The analytical solution of the potential field was found and the numerical solution of the current density distribution calculated. The potential field and current density distributions were simulated by 2-D plot. From the model and simulation, the potential and current density distributions were not found to be uniform under transcutaneous stimulation electrode and the maximum current density is located under the poles. We recommend that bipolar stimulator should be applied axially along the stimulated nerve course.


Legal and economic scholars have increasingly drawn attention to the impact of property rights issues on economic prosperity for Indigenous communities around the world. In the context of a constitutional provision entrenching Indigenous rights in a state whose resource industries have an international strategic significance, Canadian courts have been and are currently engaged in a process of creatively developing the parameters of various Indigenous rights, including Indigenous property rights. This Article will argue that in doing so, they have developed certain characteristics on those property rights that seemingly undermine Indigenous communities' own opportunities to make economically beneficial choices concerning uses of their own lands for resource development. The Article will ultimately suggest that this case study raises concerns about the idea of courts focused on public law considerations being positioned so as to develop the private law characteristics of Indigenous property rights. To do so, focusing first on the Supreme Court of Canada's landmark Aboriginal title decision in the Tsilhqot'in case, Part II of this Article engages first in the complex legal doctrinal task of trying to unpack certain aspects of just what the Court actually said on Aboriginal title and its parameters. Part III builds upon that description of the nature of the Aboriginal title property right and related writing by economic scholars to consider the economic implications of characteristics of that property right, which exhibits — relative to what would have been possible with different drafting of the judicial rules — uncertainties of scope and incentivization of attempts to create further uncertainty, simultaneous imposition of roles to multiple decision-makers on uses of the property and of surprisingly fragmented ownership characteristics, and significant restrictions on alienability of property rights. These characteristics may lead to significant economic consequences both in the context of Indigenous communities contracting with outsiders (such as with resource development proponents) and in the context of members' own use of the land. The latter parts of Part III try to show the practical consequences for specific resource developments that might be considered by Indigenous communities, such as in the context of a mining development. Part IV, engaging with broader law and economics scholarship on the efficiency of common law adjudication processes, tries to offer some explanations of why the courts are developing these rights in ways that have these economic characteristics, in part by showing how the context in which they are operating is distinct from traditional common law contexts in which scholars have shown why courts have developed legal doctrines that fit more closely with economic efficiency. Part V tries to offer some policy responses that could help to promote the development of more economically functional property rights for Canadian Indigenous communities. Although the particular discussion is situated within Canadian legal doctrine, it will also conclude by referencing broader implications, both for American resource investors and for analogous contexts elsewhere in the world, including for the possibility that courts are not best situated to develop the shape of Indigenous property rights when their adjudicative processes are structured in certain ways.


elarus is a country also known as Belorussia (White Russia, Weißrussland) in Eastern Europe, which was occupied by the PolishLithuanian common state for centuries until it became a part of Tsarist Russia in the late 18th century. Belarus faces many identity problems, but the most important one is the ethnolinguistic challenge to separate Belarussian national feature. This research paper investigates the focal problems of Belarussian ethnolinguistic, historical, political and national identity features using the methodology of text description and analyzing some relevant academic literature and historical sources. Historical and geopolitical background of Belarussian ethnonational identity question deserves special attention in the paper, which is supported by theoretical framework for ethnic and national identity research by eminent scholars. The fundamental conclusion of the paper is that Belarussian ethnonational identity has been historically developed outside of Belarus as a product of political Russophobia andtherefore it is extremely fragile among the people of Belarus today.


To solve the problem of traditional C/S model which can't perform Cross-Platform perfectly, a design of instant communication system on the basis of B/S and C/S is proposed in this thesis. This system takes full advantage of Web2.0, exerts the advantages of B/S model and adopts popular Web technique: CSS combined with DIV, and Ajax asynchronous transmission; It uses excellent layered structure model: the data access layer, the business logic layer, the user interface layer; It applies input validation and character filtration for security so that SQL injection attack and other attacks can be avoided, thus the stability of the system can be ensured.


To put into practice the conventional determination of resistivity by the galvanic method, requires a relatively large amount of labor and is, therefore, expensive. At the basis of any interpretation are the lateral or vertical variations of re sistivity. The high cost of resistivity maps execution generally means that fewer measurements are made than desirable, with the result that, either (i) the explored area is not large enough to establish a reasonable background, against which the anomaly areas are to be delineated, or (ii) the anomaly areas are obscure and lack definition. The application of electromagnetic techniques (EM) for measuring soil resistivity or conductivity has been known for a long time. Conductivity is preferable in inductive techniques, as instrumentation readings are generally directly proportional to conductivity and inversely proportional to resistivity. The operating principle of this method is: a Tx coil transmitter, supplied with alternating current at an audio frequency, is placed on the ground. An Rx coil receiver is located at a short distance, s, away from the Tx coil. The magnetic field varies in time and the Tx coil induces very small currents in the ground. These currents generate a secondary magnetic field, Hs, which is sensed by the Rx receiver coil, together with primary magnetic field Hp. The ratio of the secondary field, Hs, to the primary magnetic field, Hp, (Hs/Hp) is directly proportional to terrain conductivity. Measuring this ratio, it is possible to construct a device which measures the terrain conductivity by contactless, direct-reading electromagnetic technique. (linear meter.) This latest technique for measuring conductivity by electromagnetic induction, using Very Low Frequency (VLF), is a non-invasive, non-destructive sampling method. The measurements can be done quickly and are not expensive. The Electromagnetic induction technology was originally developed for the mining industry, and has been used in mineral, oil, and gas exploration, hydrogeology studies, and archaeology. In these applications, differences in conductivity of subsurface layers of rock or soil may indicate stratified layers or voids that could be of interest. Key-words: electromagnetic, inductive, conductivity, contactles


Respiratory function studies were carried out in 22 infants who had successful repair of diaphragmatic herniae of the Bochdalek type. Thoracic gas volume was initially reduced in only 3 of these, but subsequent studies showed that improvement occurred. There were no consistent abnormalities in either dynamic compliance or mean pulmonary conductance. This is evidence that there is rapid adaptation which compensates for any alteration in the parenchymatous tissue in the lungs or abnormalities in the bronchial tree in infants soon after the repair of congenital diaphragmetic herniae. Further studies are necessary to determine the changes in these lungs with growth.


Astrocytes are ideally positioned to respond to invading pathogens of the central nervous system (CNS) and produce key inflammatory mediators following exposure to neurotropic rhabdoviruses such as rabies virus and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). However, the mechanisms by which resident CNS cells perceive such viral challenges have not been defined. Recently, several cytosolic DExD/H box RNA helicases including retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) have been described that function as intracellular sensors of replicative RNA viruses. Here, we demonstrate that primary human astrocytes constitutively express RIG-I and show that such expression is elevated following exposure to VSV. Evidence for the functional nature of RIG-I expression in these cells comes from the observation that this molecule associates with its downstream effector molecule, interferon promoter stimulator-1, following VSV infection and from the finding that a specific ligand for RIG-I elicits astrocyte immune responses. Importantly, RIG-I knockdown significantly reduces inflammatory cytokine production by VSV-infected astrocytes and inhibits the production of soluble neurotoxic mediator(s) by these cells. These findings directly implicate RIG-I in the initiation of inflammatory immune responses by human glial cells and provide a potential mechanism underlying the inflammation and neuronal cell damage associated with acute rhabdoviral infections of the CNS.


This paper presents a discrete time optimal asset buying problem with a predetermined final deadline where an available budget is limited. A cost is paid to search for assets called the search cost. A seller who shows up offers a price for the asset and then the buyer decides whether or not to buy the asset by comparing the offered price to his optimal selection threshold. When the budget becomes less than the search cost or the price of the asset the buyer can get a necessary loan with some interests. We clarify the properties of the buyer`s optimal selection threshold in order to maximize the expected value of budget which is left after paying all the search costs and the price of the asset at that point in time.


Abstract Presidential candidates frequently tout their political experience on the campaign trail, telling voters that it has prepared them to deal with complex problems, make weighty decisions, and show leadership. The value of that argument was put to the test in the 2008 presidential campaign by Hillary Clinton against her opponent, Barack Obama. This paper uses a multilevel model to analyze the value of national and state political experience on overall presidential greatness, as judged by seven surveys of academic experts. Overall, there is no evidence that political experience improves the likelihood of strong presidential performance, and even some weak evidence that political experience in certain political positions, most notably mayor and member of Congress, leads to poorer performance. In the end, great presidents are not great simply because they have spent their lives in politics and learned important lessons. Other personal and historical factors are likely to be more important.


There are plenty of optimization models for positioning or allocation problem by method. The set covering(SC) problem has many practical applications of modeling not only real world problem but also in military. As our air defense weapon systems are getting older and declining the performance, new plans for acquisition of high-tech air defense weapon system are being conducted. In this paper we estiablished simulation model for optimal allocation of KDX which carries new missile defense weapon system by using partial set covering considering both attacker and defender side. By implementating simulation model, we assess the available scenarios and show the optimal pre-positioning of KDX and interceptor's allocation. Furthermore, we provide a variety of experiments and extensive scale sized situations for Korea Indigenous Missile Defense (KIMD) and support decision-making for efficient positioning of unit.


This paper investigates the use of low-discrepancy sequences for computing volume integrals in geometric modelling. An introduction to low-discrepancy point sequences is presented which explains how they can be used to replace random points in Monte Carlo methods. The relative advantages of using low-discrepancy methods compared to random point sequences are discussed theoretically, and then practical results are given for a series of test objects which clearly demonstrate the superiority of the low-discrepancy method. Low-Discrepancy Sequences Monte Carlo methods of integration are used widely for calculating volume integrals in solid modelling. The Monte Carlo method uses randomly generated points inside a box enclosing an object of interest to calculate volume integrals. For example, the volume of the object can be estimated as the ratio of number of points that are contained within the object to the total number of points generated, multiplied by the volume of the box. Naturally, such a method is subject to errors because of the random nature of the sampling, and in particular we cannot guarantee that all parts of space will be sampled equally well. Quasi-Monte Carlo methods [4] use pseudorandom sequences of numbers, called low-discrepancy sequences, for computing multi-dimensional integrals, where here pseudo-random indicates that the sampling is to be done in a rather more structured manner.


Coordination of base stations is essential in the mitigation of inter-cell interference in cellular communication systems. One of practical solutions is a cluster-based intercell scheduling where base stations in each cluster determine their transmissions in cooperative fashion. In spite of potential performance improvement, the inter-cell scheduling may result in conflict between clusters. However, a dynamic coordination in the cluster level is difficult due to the prohibitive burden of intercluster communication. In this paper, we address the coordination of clusters in the downlink of cellular networks. We propose a rule of inter-cluster coordination, namely nominal scheduling order with penalty (NSOP) which does not require communication between the clusters. Dynamic system level simulations are performed to examine the performance of the NSOP in various interference scenarios. It is observed that the proposed NSOP effectively strikes a balance between the inter-cluster interference avoidance and the intra-cluster multi-user diversity by means of a simple penalty factor.


This paper considers the participation of FSUE «VNIIFTRI» in international comparisons: in the field of physicalchemical measurements, particularly in pH-metry and ionometry (pX); in the sphere of measuring inorganic components in various matrices. Measurement and calibration capabilities are presented – CMC lines in the BIPM database.


Background/Aims: Single-port and reduced-port laparoscopic surgeries are performed as a less invasive form of surgery than conventional laparoscopy. In this study, short-term patient outcomes were compared between reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (RPLDG) and conventional laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) to evaluate the feasibility of RPLDG for gastric cancer. Methods: Between August 2010 and July 2011, 38 patients underwent LADGs that were performed by a single surgeon. Of these, 20 patients underwent RPLDG, and 18 patients underwent conventional LADG. Short-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: Surgical procedures, total operation time (278.8 versus 228.7 min, p = 0.0002) and time for lymph node dissection (181.3 versus 136.3 min, p = 0.0001) were significantly longer in the RPLDG group compared with the LADG group, while the volume of blood loss during reconstruction was reduced (17.5 versus 49.6 ml, p = 0.0019). Cosmetic satisfaction in the RPLDG group showed significant superiority over that in the conventional LADG group (p = 0.0252). Conclusion: RPLDG was shown to be an acceptable and satisfactory procedure for the treatment of gastric cancer. To confirm the feasibility of this surgical procedure, it is necessary to conduct a well-designed randomized controlled study comparing RPLDG and conventional LADG in many patients.


Previous examinations of the literature suggests that high-growth firms (HGFs) exist in all or most industries, are not overrepresented in high-tech, and if anything appear to be slightly overrepresented in services. In an updated overview, we find that more recent studies, employing better statistical methods, show a clear link between technological sophistication and HGFs. In a tobit model we examine what factors explain the presence of HGFs across 5-digit-NACE-industries in Sweden 1997-2005. We find that technological sophistication is crucial for the prevalence of HGFs in an industry, particularly in services. These results are in line with both current research and previous research concerning Sweden. We conclude that innovation is crucial for firm growth.


The relationship between anxiety and depression may be more than the simultaneous expression of two commonly observed but distinct emotional states. Clinical studies suggest that anxiety is not only accompanied by symptoms of depression but may be an expected precursor syndrome in the development of at least some forms of depression. Recent genetic and epidemiological data further indicate that at least some forms of anxiety and depression may represent different phenotypic manifestations of the same genetic predisposition resulting from varying environmental conditions. Animal studies further suggest a causal relationship between anxiety and the development of a behavioral syndrome called "learned helplessness," an animal model of depression produced by exposing the animal to inescapable stress. Many of the behavioral and physiological features of the syndrome resemble those observed in depressed patients. Recent findings show that the administration to rats of anxiogenic inverse agonists of the benzodiazepine-GABA receptor complex produces the same behavioral syndrome evoked by inescapable stress. Moreover, pretreating animals with benzodiazepine anxiolytics can completely prevent the development of learned helplessness after exposure to inescapable stress. Together, the data suggest a common neurobiological substrate for some forms of anxiety and depression.


Exercise is a physical cause of allergic reactions, including exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIAna), exercise-induced urticaria (EIU), exercise-induced asthma (EIA), and exercise-induced rhinitis (EIR). Since its first description in 1979, EIAna has been reported with variable clinical manifestations, with exercise alone, and in combination with food ingestion. Elevated serum histamine levels and cutaneous mast cell degranulation have been noted. Exercise-induced urticaria appears as small, punctate lesions that differ from the classic coalescent type seen with EIAna. Variant forms of EIAna with cholinergic urticarial lesions manifesting systemic collapse and/or respiratory distress have been studied. Exercise-induced urticaria and cold-induced urticaria may cause elevated plasma histamine levels coincident with the onset of pruritus and hives. Theories accounting for EIA include respiratory heat loss, water loss, and mast cell activation. Although some studies have shown increased plasma histamine with EIA, others have not. Recently, bronchoalveolar lavage in atopic subjects with EIA has been evaluated preexercise and postexercise, with no significant differences in histamine or tryptase, suggesting a pathogenesis of EIA independent of the mast cell. Exercise-induced rhinitis, with varying degrees of rhinorrhea, congestion, and sneezing, has been increasingly recognized in athletes who run, cycle, and ski. Cold-air-induced rhinorrhea in laboratory challenges displays a mediator release pattern similar to that produced by allergen-induced nasal challenges. Therapeutically, H1 antihistamines are recommended for EIAna both as pretreatment and acute therapy. H1 antihistamines may be helpful in EIU, but are recommended for EIAna both as pretreatment and acute therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Samples of three-leaved yam (TLY) tubers were subjected to different boiling times using different concentrations of trona solution. The effects of these conditions on the proximate composition and physico-chemical properties were analyzed. The fat and fibre contents were not affected by changes in trona concentration and boiling time. The moisture and ash content increased with increase in trona concentration and boiling time while protein showed a decreasing trend: The values for swelling index, water absorption capacity, blue value index and total soluble solids showed significant increases (P ≥ 0.05) with increase in trona concentration and boiling time.

 Key words: Three-leaved yam, boiling time, trona concentration, proximate composition, physico-chemical properties.


Crop irrigation uses a majority of a total world water supply, at the same time displaying low efficiency. As the expected, future water requirements are higher than the current ones; there is a risk of a growing deficit of water for the agricultural use. Hence, there is an arising need for better understanding the effects of water deprivation on the crop plants. Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a vegetable crop cultivated in arid and semi‐arid parts of the world. Because of its high water demands, the eggplant is a convenient model organism for studies concerning the effects of water deficit on the plant growth. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of short‐term water deficit on eggplant leaf cuticular waxes and total sterols. Water deprivation did not affect the amount and composition of aliphatic components of cuticular waxes. Significant decrease in the total cuticular sterols and the increase in cuticular cholesterol were observed as an effect of water deficit. In contrast, some of the free internal sterols were more abundant in water‐deprived plants. The possible importance of these observations, including increased biosynthesis of defensive compounds and the need to maintain the cell membrane stability, was discussed.


Hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) of the short-lived radicals of 4-carboxy, 4,4'-dicarboxy, and 3,3',4,4'-tetracarboxy benzophenones (4-CBP, DCBP, and TCBP, respectively) formed in their photoreaction with tyrosine were obtained from analysis of geminate CIDNP spectra. These HFCCs were compared to HFCCs calculated using density functional theory. From this comparison, it was established that the CIDNP pattern of TCBP originates from contributions of three types of TCBP radical structures: the non-protonated anion radical and two anion radical structures with a protonated carboxylic group at position 3 or 4 (or 3' or 4'). This allowed us to conclude that the mechanism of the quenching reaction is proton coupled electron transfer (PCET): electron transfer is followed by proton transfer to one of four possible positions with similar probabilities. The same CIDNP pattern and therefore the same reaction mechanism was established for histidine. For 4-CBP and DCBP, triplet quenching proceeds also via PCET, again with formation of the anion radical with a protonated carboxylic group.


Comprehensive smokefree policies in health care settings can have a positive impact on patients' smoking behaviour, but implementation is impeded by concern that surreptitious smoking may increase fire incidents. We investigated the incidence of routinely reported fire and false alarm incidents in a large mental health organisation in England over an 81-month period when different elements of a smokefree policy were implemented. We used negative binomial regression models to test associations between rates of fire and false alarm incidents and three hospital smokefree policy periods with mutual adjustment for occupied bed days: (1) an indoor policy which allowed disposable e-cigarettes; (2) a comprehensive policy which allowed disposable e-cigarettes; and (3) a comprehensive policy with all e-cigarette types allowed. We identified 90 fires and 200 false alarms. Fires decreased (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.35, 95% CI: 0.17–0.72, p = 0.004) and false alarms increased (IRR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.02–2.76, p = 0.043), each by approximately two-thirds, when all e-cigarette types were allowed, after adjusting for bed occupancy and the comprehensive smokefree policy. Implementation of smokefree policies in mental health care settings that support use of all types of e-cigarettes may reduce fire risks, though measures to minimise effects of e-cigarette vapour on smoke detector systems may be needed to reduce false alarm incidents.


Cu2O is a good candidate material for use as a p-type absorber in solar cells. Here, uniform ZnO nanorod (NR)–Cu2O core–shell structures are fabricated and their diode performances are studied. ZnO NRs are grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass using a hydrothermal method. Cu2O is then deposited on the ZnO NRs using bottom-up RF magnetron sputtering. The crystal structures of the deposited ZnO NRs and Cu2O are characterized using X-ray diffraction. From secondary electron microscopy analysis, the uniform core–shell structure and its size are identified. UV-vis spectroscopy measurements show that the optical bandgap of the Cu2O in this structure is 2.3 eV. The diode characteristics of the fabricated nanostructures depend on the thickness of Cu2O; 2.7 μm-thick Cu2O on ZnO NRs shows diode properties. Lastly, we propose a band alignment model based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and demonstrate a possible approach for fabricating CuxO–ZnO nanohybrids for further improvements to device efficiency, highlighting a need for interfacial band offset medication for oxide heterojunction solar cells.


Pellets can be defined as small, free flowing, spherical or semi-spherical solid units, typically from about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and intended usually for oral administration, manufactured by the agglomerates of fine powders or granules of bulk drugs and excipients using appropriate processing equipment. Pellets can be prepared by many methods, the compaction and drug-layering being the most widely used today. Regardless of which manufacturing process is used, pellets have to meet the following requirements. They should be near spherical and have a smooth surface; both considered optimum characteristics for subsequent film coating. Pellets may have varied applications in varied industries. It just requires an innovative bend to use it to derive maximum profitability. The smooth surface & the uniform size of the pellets allow uniform coating not only for each pellet but also from batch to batch.


Master Dissertation Professional Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences Universidade Federal de Santa Maria EVALUATION OF THE PROFILE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY Mycobacterium tuberculosis FRONT OF AGENTS TUBERCULOSTATIC UNDER THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF SANTA MARIA. AUTHOR: VANESSA ALBERTINA AGERTT ADVISER: MARLI MATIKO ANRAKU DE CAMPOS Defense Place and Date: Santa Maria, July 31 st , 2012. The Mycobacterium genus includes M. tuberculosis complex (CMTB) species and others called nontuberculous mycobacteria (MNT). The CMTB bacilli cause tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infectious disease, which commonly affects the lungs. Since the MNT cause other mycobacterial infections. The correct diagnosis of diseases caused by mycobacteria is essential for determining treatment. The tuberculosis treatment regimen in Brazil is recommended by the National Tuberculosis Control/Ministry of Health (PNCT/MS) and was recently modified. The main changes proposed by the Technical Advisory Committee of PNCT/MS were: to introduce a fourth drug, ethambutol, during the attack and take the combination of drugs in tablet form, with fixed-dose combinations (FDC) 4 in 1, for intensive treatment phase, and 2 in 1 for the maintenance phase. Due to the high incidence of tuberculosis in Brazil and worldwide, the emergence of resistant strains and the deployment of new therapies by the Ministry of Health, this study aimed to evaluate the susceptibility to antituberculosis or individually associated clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the University Hospital Mary. The antimicrobial susceptibility alone or associated (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) was evaluated using the microdilution method (MMC) and compared to the proportion method (MP), gold standard method for susceptibility to mycobacteria. The MMC has proven to be a rapid, easily performed and well correlated with the MP. We have found various clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis resistant to one, two or three drug when tested against four drugs alone. However, when they were tested against four drugs associated with the FDC no strain was considered resistant. This fact is against the concept of FDC which aims to unite the four anti-TB drugs to combat the resistance of the bacilli.


The use of bowling media in RA Muslimat NU 1 Tulus Rejo Kec. Pekalongan has not been used. Researchers are interested in developing bowling media with the aim of developing cognitive, because early childhood in RA Muslimat NU 1 Tulus Rejo Kec. Pekalongan in terms of cognitive ability is still undeveloped. The purpose of this study is to find out the development of Media Bowling Against Cognitive Development (Symbolic Thinking) Early Childhood. This research methodology uses (research and development). The development procedure according to Borg and Gall's theory consists of seven stages. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that, the use of bowling media in children aged 5-6 years in RA Muslimat NU 1 Tulus Rejo Kec. Pekalongan can improve children's cognitive abilities.


In this article, we share findings from a qualitative case study of a virtual youth photovoice program implemented across three regions of the United States. The purpose of the program was to engage youth in research on a social issue relevant to them during an unprecedented year marked by two public health crises, COVID-19 and anti-Black racial violence. Results of an analysis of curriculum and archival program materials lend support for online strategies for youth engagement including individualized support and online audiovisual presentations with avatars. Racial justice and trauma-informed adaptations were designed to be responsive to youth needs for flexible programming and safe spaces. Themes captured in the first online gallery of youth photos include (1) tools for mental health, (2) meaningful connection, and (3) community advocacy, bringing attention to structural issues as well as family and community strengths. Findings suggest photovoice can be thoughtfully adapted for youth researchers and support individual and group storytelling in response to collective trauma.


In order to study the effects of temperature, oxygen, salinity and time of day on survey trawl catches, we modeled observed catches of juvenile, small, medium and large hakes per station as functions of zenith angle of the sun, geographical position, year, temperature, salinity, oxygen and depth. We used data from summer demersal surveys conducted during the period 2002–2015, together with a computation of the corresponding light level data from which the solar zenith angles were obtained, and fitted the generalized additive models to these data. Based on best model results, important covariates were oxygen, depth, geographical position and temperature. The best models explained 70%, 69%, 57% and 57% of the variability in catches of juvenile, small, medium and large Merluccius capensis, respectively, and 71%, 68%, 81% and 70% of juvenile, small, medium and large Merluccius paradoxus, respectively. The significant effects of temperature, oxygen, depth and geographical position on survey catches of hake of different size groups indicate that survey size structure may be affected by the behavior of both species towards environmental conditions. Greater care should therefore be taken when interpreting hake survey biomass estimates, based on swept area method, especially those that were collected during exceptional unfavourable environmental conditions. It would also be highly desirable if the oceanographic conditions are collected on each trawl station in order to improve understanding of the linkage between resources and environmental conditions.


ABSTRACT This study employs positioning theory to examine the discursive power struggle and negotiation over the rights and duties of the news media in the United States and illustrates how journalists discursively construct their professional identity within a specific situational interaction. The examination of 480 editorials by 570 news organizations—which were published in response to President Trump's the news media "is the enemy of the people" accusation—reveals that news organizations around the country attempted to discursively re-position themselves and thus alter the local moral order defined by President Trump. Findings show that news organizations used three positioning practices (self-positioning, second-order or other positioning and third-order positioning) to not only reclaim professional, institutional and societal legitimacy respectively, but also undermine Trump's legitimacy as an attacker and change the anti-press narrative he promoted. In this process journalists dynamically construct their professional identity by altering their position within different storylines, which also created inconsistencies in their claims to their professional legitimacy.


How does the non-executant state ensure that its agents are fulfilling their obligations to deliver nationally determined policies? In the case of elected local government in England and Wales, this function is carried out by the Audit Commission (AC) for Local Authorities and the Health Service for England and Wales. Since being established in 1983, it is the means by which local authorities are held to account by central government, both for its own purposes and on behalf of other interested stakeholders. Although the primary function of the AC is to ensure that local authorities are fulfilling their obligations, it does so by using different methods. By acting as a regulator, an independent expert, an opinion former and a mediator, the AC steers local authorities to ensure that they are compliant with the regulatory regime and are implementing legislation properly.


To encourage first-graders to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables, a garden-enhanced nutrition education program was developed and taught to them. The study was a pilot to assess the feasibility of garden-based education programs for elementary-school students. The first-grade children learned about nutrition in the classroom while growing vegetables outdoors in their own gardens. This experience resulted in the children's increased willingness to taste those vegetables grown in the gardens. Improving children's desire to taste vegetables is thought to be the first step in developing healthier consumption patterns.


Autonomous driving systems generally employ separate models for different tasks resulting in intricate designs. For the first time, we leverage singular multimodal large language models (MLLMs) to consolidate multiple autonomous driving tasks from videos, i.e., the Risk Object Localization and Intention and Suggestion Prediction (ROLISP) task. ROLISP uses natural language to simultaneously identify and interpret risk objects, understand ego-vehicle intentions, and provide motion suggestions, eliminating the necessity for task-specific architectures. However, lacking high-resolution (HR) information, existing MLLMs often miss small objects (e.g., traffic cones) and overly focus on salient ones (e.g., large trucks) when applied to ROLISP. We propose HiLM-D (Towards High-Resolution Understanding in MLLMs for Autonomous Driving), an efficient method to incorporate HR information into MLLMs for the ROLISP task. Especially, HiLM-D integrates two branches: (i) the low-resolution reasoning branch, can be any MLLMs, processes low-resolution videos to caption risk objects and discern ego-vehicle intentions/suggestions; (ii) the high-resolution perception branch (HR-PB), prominent to HiLM-D,, ingests HR images to enhance detection by capturing vision-specific HR feature maps and prioritizing all potential risks over merely salient objects. Our HR-PB serves as a plug-and-play module, seamlessly fitting into current MLLMs. Experiments on the ROLISP benchmark reveal HiLM-D's notable advantage over leading MLLMs, with improvements of 4.8% in BLEU-4 for captioning and 17.2% in mIoU for detection.


Violence is an everyday experience for many, perhaps most, children. The recognition that children routinely face violence at home, at school, and in their neighborhoods is being increasingly acknowledged by academics, practitioners, and policymakers. Child protection has long been concerned with the risk of violence to children in their families, but children are also at risk of violence from their peers. Children are victims as well as perpetrators of violence. The experience of violence is gendered; girls are more likely to be at risk of sexual violence from boys and men, and boys are at risk of violence from other boys. Indeed, the investment of many boys in a cultural script that associates masculinity with violence may explain why boys are more at risk of violence as they transition to adulthood. The study of violence and childhood has been dominated by the fields of social work, psychology, and criminology, and surprisingly little work has been done in this field by scholars of childhood studies. A dominant narrative in these fields is concern about who the child/youth will become if he or she is exposed to violence or perpetrates violence. Separate OBO entries deal with violence against children in the form of War, Child Maltreatment, or Discipline and Punishment.


In order to explore the value of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in the detection of partial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 20 (20q(-)) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), spectrum Green fluorescein directly labeled yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clone 912C3 which spans the breakpoint cluster region in band 20q12 was used as probes to perform interphase FISH on the marrow cells from 52 cases of MDS and 5 normal controls. 200 to 300 cells were scored for each case and cases which had cells with a green hybridization signal>7.16% were defined as 20q(-) positive. The results of FISH were compared with those of conventional cytogenetics (CC) assay. The results showed that among 52 cases of MDS, 7 (13.5%) cases were positive by FISH, however, of which, 4 cases were positive and the other 3 cases were negative by CC assay. It is concluded that YAC912C3 and interphase FISH providing a powerful technique in the detection of 20q(-) in MDS is an important complement to CC assay.


Riemannian submersions between Lie groups and Riemannian homogeneous spaces are investigated. With the help of connections, some characterizations dealing these spaces are obtained.


"Studying Technological Change" synthesizes nearly four decades of research by Michael Brian Schiffer, a cofounder of the field of behavioral archaeology. This new book asks historical and scientific questions about the interaction of people with artifacts during all times and in all places. The book is not about the history or prehistory of technology, nor is it a catalog of methods and techniques for inferring how specific technologies were made or used. Rather, it supplies conceptual tools that can be used to help craft an explanation of any technological change in any society.The behavioral approach leads to new questions, creative research employing diverse lines of evidence, and, often, counterintuitive explanations. In behavioral archaeology, one never loses sight of the materiality of human behavior. Needless to say, advocates of other research approaches will find much in this book to dispute. But critics cannot gainsay the productivity of the behavioral approach nor the fact that it has furnished fresh insights into episodes of technological change.


Pharmacist Influence in Buprenorphine Treatment Outcomes for Opioid Dependence TOTHE EDITOR: Treatment of opioid dependence with agonist-type agents is a relatively new practice for community-basedpharmacists. Buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tabletsare Food and DrugAdministration-approved agonist-type agentsthat are usedfor the treatmentor detoxificationof the opioid-dependent patient. Since treatmentof chemicaldependence with theseagents is becomingmore commonin the outpatient setting,pharmacists mustbe equallyprepared to counselthesepatients as in otherchronicdiseases. Wereportthe resultsof an exploratory quasi-experimental study that examined the impactof differingpharmacist-patient counseling techniqueson abstinence and treatmentretentionin opioid-dependentsubjects in urban andruralbuprenorphine provider physician settings. Methods. The studywas approved by the Duquesne University InstitutionalReviewBoardlHuman SubjectsResearchCommitteeafter full boardreview. Forty-two subjects wereenrolled. Subjects enrolledin the control cohort(n = 20) werecounseled regarding theirmedication therapy at thefirstvisit.Experimental cohortsubjects (n=22)werecounseled regarding theirmedication therapy withadditional dialogue encouraging participation in nonpharmacologic treatmentof chemicaldependence. The dialogue was guidedwith the use of an algorithm that providedthe pharmacist with prompting lines of questions.This questioning reinforced the importance of involvement in lifestylechangeand nonpharmacologic treatment, suchas supportgroupattendance and drugrehabilitationparticipation. Repeatedinteractions witheach experimental subject at subsequentvisits encouraged the developmentof a therapeutic alliance. Results. Demographics betweengroups and overall were similar to those of previouslyreported studies and clinical trials.J•3 Four experimental and 5 control subjects completing the 90 day enrollment remained abstinent and in treatment. Relapse rates of experimental and control cohorts were 81.8% and 75.0%. respectively.No significance wasfoundin pharmacist influence uponrelapse to opioidabuse.Therate of buprenorphine treatmentrechallengeamong relapsingsubjectswas higherin the experimental group(10; 45.5%)than in the controlgroup (4; 20.0%). Including subjects whocompleted the enrollment periodabstinent,as wellas thosewhoreturnedandcompleted treatment following one relapse, overall abstinencerates yielded 13experimentalsubjects (59.1 %) versus8 controlsubjects (40.0%). Despitethe lackof statistical significance, the trendtowardexperimental subject willingness to rechallenge treatmentfollowingrelapse and remain abstinentmay be due to therapeutic alliance formation and reinforcement of adjunctive nonpharmacologic treatmentas emphasizedin the algorithm. Both the development of a therapeutic allianceand reinforcement of nonpharmacologic adjunctive therapyhave beenfoundto be important influences on abstinenceinotherstudies of addiction andas described in a personal communication (Daniel AlfordMD MPH,Assistant Professor, BostonUniversity Schoolof Medicine, BostonMedical Center,andColleenlaBelle RN, Nurse Program Manager. Office Based Opioid Treatment Program, BostonMedical Center.2004Sept 14).4,$ The trend towardpositiveabstinenceand treatmentretentionrates is leading us to further studythiscounseling technique in a larger,communitypharmacy population. Withthe development of medications thatare dispensed in community pharmacies to assist individuals withaddiction disorders, pharmacist reinforcement maybe an effective tool in an overall abstinence program. In addition, a survey is beingdeveloped thatwill assesspharmacist attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge deficits in the areaof opioiddependence. Results of this surveywillbe used to guidecurricular decisions and aid in the development of pharmacist practitioner educational programs.


Cleanrooms are utilized in electronics, semiconductor, aerospace, pharmaceutical, automotive, optical, medical device, and food processing facilities where air cleanliness is required to prevent defects in high-tech or high-value products. Compared to general commercial space, cleanrooms typically use 5 to 50 times the energy for the same area. One key reason is the high volume of conditioned and filtered air required to make the room air cleaner, which is measured in room-average particle concentration.
 The technology in this study uses real-time continuous particle sensors as feedback signals to automatically adjust fan speed. The system can modulate fan speed and provide the correct amount of airflow into the cleanroom to prevent over-supply and save energy. In typical manufacturing cleanrooms, the unoccupied state (evenings and weekends) is approximately two times longer than the occupied state (operational work hours), and particle generation (from personnel, equipment, and process) is much lower during the unoccupied state. Limited components and parts are required to apply the technology in this study into the design of a new cleanroom or to integrate the technology into existing cleanroom fan systems.


INTRODUCTION
Adolescent mental health problems are widespread; however, there are still very few data on risk and protective factors for general and specific psychopathology. This study examined the structure of common mental health problems in Russian adolescents and the associations of temperamental effortful control and perceived school safety to the latent factors of adolescent mental health, taking age and gender into account.

METHODS
Data were collected on 1850 adolescents (53% female) aged 12-18 using the self-report Eurasian Child Mental Health Study questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the abbreviated Effortful Control scale of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the structure of common mental health problems and to examine the associations with age, effortful control, and school safety.

RESULTS
The five-correlated-factors model comprising internalizing, body dissatisfaction, psychosomatics, externalizing, and substance use, and the bifactor-(S-1) models with internalizing and externalizing as reference domains and four specific factors showed an adequate fit to the data and sufficient reliability and validity. Analyses established full metric invariance of these models across gender. Effortful control showed a general association with adolescent mental health problems and a specific association with externalizing problems. School safety showed specific negative associations with externalizing and substance use and with girls' internalizing problems.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide a strong basis for further cross-cultural research into the structure and determinants of adolescent mental health and highlight the need for effective interventions.


We have been demonstrated the crystal phase transition for lead-free cesium manganese bromine perovskite nanocrystal synthesized by the modified hot-injection method due to change the concentration of solvent (trioctylphosphine; TOP). The compositions to be synthesized were determined by the amount of TOP solvent, and the structure phase of nanocrystal was changed from hexagonal CsMnBr3 to tetragonal Cs3MnBr5 as the amount of TOP solvent increased. The emission peaks of CsMnBr3 and Cs3MnBr5 nanocrystals were observed at 650 nm (red) and 520 nm (green), respectively. After a durability test at 85 °C and 85% humidity for 24 h, the lead-free perovskite CsMnBr3 nanocrystal powder maintained its initial emission intensity, and the metal halide Cs3MnBr5 nanocrystal powder exhibited an increase in red emission due to the post-synthesis of CsMnBr3 nanocrystals.


This paper considers two contrasting viewpoints: Complex responsive processes which deal with interactions in the present, and complex adaptive systems which focus on learning through the production of what are called mental models. The paper shows that rather than being contradictory, these viewpoints are – at least in some respects - complementary. Complex responsive processes involve reflections on interactions that take place in time. But you cannot stop time so these present reflections always refer back to a present now gone. Complex adaptive systems are analytic tools. They are not explicitly in the present or in time at all, but they shape our thoughts and actions which are in the present. They shape how we behave, respond and think in a context. In this way we can combine, or reorganise, the approach to complex responsive processes and complex adaptive systems to show how humans address the complex notions of our world.


This paper reviews the current development of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for the application area of robot communication. The study of the control and operation of multiple robots collaboratively toward a common goal is fast growing. Communication among members of a robot team and even including humans is becoming essential in many real-world applications. The survey focuses on the AI techniques for robot communication to enhance the communication capability of the multi-robot team, making more complex activities, taking an appreciated decision, taking coordinated action, and performing their tasks efficiently.


Visualizing interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) mesh is important to understand cell behavior and regulatory mechanisms by the extracellular environment. However, long term visualization of three-dimensional (3D) matrix structures remains challenging mainly due to photobleaching or blind spots perpendicular to the imaging plane. Here, we combine label-free light-sheet scattering microcopy (LSSM) and fluorescence microscopy to solve these problems. We verified that LSSM can reliably visualize structures of collagen matrices from different origin including bovine, human and rat tail. The quality and intensity of collagen structure images acquired by LSSM did not decline with time. LSSM offers abundant wavelength choice to visualize matrix structures, maximizing combination possibilities with fluorescently-labelled cells, allowing visualizing of long-term ECM-cell interactions in 3D. Interestingly, we observed ultrathin thread-like structures between cells and matrix using LSSM, which were not observed by normal fluorescence microscopy. Transient local alignment of matrix by cell-applied forces can be observed. In summary, LSSM provides a powerful and robust approach to investigate the complex interplay between cells and ECM.


This study presents the electromagnetic design of a new permanent magnet generator. The machine consists of two rotors at both sides and a stator between them. The rotors have 32 rare earth disc magnets in total and the stator has 24 coils. It is a three-phase machine which produces directly sinusoidal output. According to the finite element analysis (FEA), it can produce 340 W at 1000 rpm for the air gap of 5 mm. While some distortions are seen in the waveform at lower rotor speeds such as 100- 200 rpm, the rated values are obtained at 1000 rpm. The simulations prove that the magnetic flux density of 0.6 T can be available in the air gap due to the usage of a core. The machine is easy to maintain and can be converted to a one-phase machine easily after the changes of rotor structures.


Milk yield, lamb birth weight and weaning weight responses to shearing during winter in sheep were investigated. A total of 46 Karayaka ewes were allocated into two treatment groups. Pregnant ewes in one group were shorn on day 100 of gestation (Shorn, n=24) and the remaining ewes were left unshorn to serve as controls (Unshorn, n=22). The ewes were maintained on pasture during the day and housed in the evenings. Lamb birth weight, weaning weight and ewes' daily milk yield in fifteen dayintervals until weaning (75 days) were recorded. Shearing ewes on day 100 of pregnancy increased gestation length (p<0.01) compared to unshorn ewes (147.8±0.45 vs. 145.9±0.42 days). Birth weights of lambs from shorn ewes on day 100 of their pregnancy were higher (p<0.01) than those from unshorn ewes (3.7±0.11 vs. 3.2±0.07 kg). Shearing pregnant ewes increased (p<0.05) the lamb weaning weight at day 75 post-lambing (23.6±1.10 vs. 19.5±0.91). It also increased milk yield (p<0.05). Milk yields on day 75 of lactation were 302±33 and 425±25 g per day for unshorn and shorn ewes on day 100 of pregnancy, respectively. Lamb survival at weaning was higher (p<0.05) in lambs from shorn ewes compared to those from unshorn ewes. In conclusion, shearing pregnant ewes in winter months enhanced milk yield, lamb birth weight, lamb weaning weight and lamb survival. It is suggested that increasing both lamb birth weight and subsequent milk yield of dams by shearing ewes on day 100 of pregnancy during winter may improve postnatal lamb viability. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 12 : 1669-1673)