The growth in the number and in the size of remittances and the stability of these monetary transfers have made them a prime target for policymakers. Because remittance flows go directly to households in emigrants' home countries, one has to wonder about their effects on household decision-making, particularly in relation to the number of children to have. While this is household specific, when considered at the community and country level, there are significant policy implications for remittance-receiving economies. Therefore, it is crucial to more fully understand the relationship between remittance inflows and fertility rates.


Investment in immunity is costly: one way in which hosts can ameliorate these costs is through immune priming, whereby hosts develop increased protection to future infection following previous exposure to a parasite or immune elicitor. Priming offers hosts a more efficient way of managing immune insult by allowing for a stronger and faster response to an immune insult. As well as investing in physiological immune defences, hosts can also leverage behavioural responses to reduce the costs of infection.
 Group-living in insects offers several benefits, such as predator avoidance. However, it can be costly in terms of increasing the risks of exposure to parasites. Group facilitation of disease resistance through a variety of processes collectively known as 'social immunity' is well established in the eusocial insects. Many gregarious insects share several features of their ecology with eusocial species, and should thus be predisposed to many of the same risks of infection, and the same evolved processes that mitigate these risks. A form of immune priming known 'social immunisation' has recently been described in eusocial insects, whereby immunologically naive individuals exhibit enhanced immunity against infection after being housed with infected nestmates. Whether similar mechanisms exist in gregarious but non-social insects is unknown, and it is this premise that forms the conceptual basis of this thesis.
 I investigated whether a non-social but gregarious insect, the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor), altered its immune investment following cohabitation with an immunestimulated conspecific. I examined the potential role of both physiological and behavioural defences in offering prophylactic protection against perceived pathogenic threat. I also investigated the potential mechanisms of such an form of immunisation by examining immune responses induced by cohabitation with conspecifics challenged by a live (and transmissible) bacterial infection and those challenged by either heat-killed bacteria or an artificial antigen (both non-transmissible). Finally, I examined the role of host behaviour in affecting immunisation, quantifying behavioural changes in immune-stimulated hosts (referred to as 'sickness behaviours') to try and identify visual or behavioural cues which may be utilised by naive hosts to stimulate prophylactic defences,
 There was no robust evidence for a parsimonious process of gregarious immunisation. However, there were differences between the sexes in their immune responses to infection threat, as well as in their induction of sickness behaviours following infection. Whilst there was little evidence for an upregulation of immunity in naive females, females appeared to exhibit enhanced tolerance of infection following cohabitation with a 'sick' conspecific, as they suffered no decrease in longevity despite the presence of relatively high parasite loads. Males showed the opposite pattern to that predicted by gregarious immunisation, decreasing their investment in physiological defence following exposure to 'sick' conspecifics.
 Despite finding no clear evidence for enhanced resistance through a straightforward process of gregarious immunisation, these data suggest that naive T. mollitor may be able detect social cues of infection produced by parasitised conspecifics. I propose that the immune responses displayed by both males and females constitute tolerance strategies which help hosts to minimise the costs of parasitism. Due to intrinsic differences in the life-history trajectories of the sexes, females are predicted to invest in immunological tolerance mechanisms aimed at self-preservation in order to preserve their capacity for future reproduction, whereas males are predicted to terminally invest in reproduction in order to maximise their fitness.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006

1626

Breast cancer cell lines and tumors are often resistant to the growth inhibitory effect of retinoic acid (RA). We recently demonstrated that functional inhibition of the RA receptor RARα in RA-sensitive breast (cancer) epithelial cells leads to epigenetic silencing of the RA receptor RARβ2 , which, in turn, leads to RA-resistance (Ren et al., Mol Cell Biol, 2005). Further, knock down of upper RARα transcriptional regulators apparently triggers a repressive domino effect that first silences RAR α and then RARβ2 . Induction of RARβ2 epigenetic silencing in non neoplastic human mammary epithelial cells leads to RA-resistance as well as loss of epithelial polarization. However, we also found evidence of non neoplastic mammary epithelial cells, which are RA-resistant and carry a silent RARβ2, still capable of undergoing epithelial cell polarization when grown in three-dimensional culture. These overall findings might indicate that non neoplastic epithelial cell morphology can be "dominant" over a RARβ2 epigenetic silent status, as we, and others, observed in breast tissue. This study was supported by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (DAMD17-02-1-0432) to NS.


We present a systematic investigation of the morphology and space-filling properties of polydisperse densely packed granular media in two dimensions. A numerical procedure is introduced to generate collections of circular particles with size distributions of variable shape and span constrained by explicit criteria of statistical representativity. We characterize the domain of statistically accessible distribution parameters for a bounded number of particles. This particle generation procedure is used with two different deposition protocols in order to build large close-packed samples of prescribed polydispersity. We find that the solid fraction is a strongly nonlinear function of the size span, and the highest levels of solid fraction occur for the uniform distribution by volume fractions. As the span is increased, a transition occurs from a regime of topological disorder where the packing properties are governed by particle connectivity to a regime of metric disorder where pore-filling small particles prevail. The polydispersity manifests itself in the first regime through the variability of local coordination numbers. We observe a continuous decrease of the number of particles with four contacts and the growth of two populations of particles with three and five contacts. In the second regime, radial distribution functions show that the material is homogeneous beyond only a few average particle diameters. We also show that the packing orientational order is linked with fabric anisotropy and it declines with size span.


The evolution of IT led Cloud computing technology emerge as a new prototype in providing the services to its users on rented basis at any time or place. Considering the flexibility of cloud services, innumerable organizations switched their businesses to the cloud technology by setting up more data centers. Nevertheless, it has become mandatory to provide profitable execution of tasks and appropriate  resource utilization. A few approaches were outlined in literature to enhance performance, job scheduling, storage resources, QoS and load distribution. Load balancing concept permits data centers to avert over-loading or under-loading in virtual machines that as such is an issue in cloud computing domain. Consequently, it necessitate the researchers to layout and apply a proper load balancer for cloud environment. The respective study represents a view of problems and threats faced by the current load balancing techniques and make the researchers find more efficient algorithms.


Following the great oxidation event (GOE), the isotope record of marine carbonate rocks suggests a massive burial of organic carbon in an event known as Lomagundi excursion (LE). It is estimated that during this period atmospheric oxygen attained levels much higher than during GOE [1]. It is proposed that as the LE declined, oxygen dropped to lower levels [1, 2], but the direct geochemical evidence for the state of atmospheric and ocean oxygenation both during and after the LE is missing. This time window is also represented by the 2.2-2.0 Ga Francevillian group of Gabon, well known for the earliest large colonial organisms [3]. In order to investigate the nature of marine water-column chemistry, samples representing the entire section were subjected to multielement (C, S, Fe, Mo, U) biogeochemical study. Geochemical data show deep water oxic conditions during deposition of the lower part of the section in agreement with the LE. Nevertheless the interlayered Mn deposits occured in ferruginous anoxic conditions reflecting sea-level changes. The upper part of the section reflect euxinic conditions, and together with #98Mo values, these data confirm a significant decrease in the oxygenation of ocean water in the aftermath of the Lomagundi Event.


Methods of measuring the vertical movement of points below ground are briefly reviewed, whereafter the application of one particular method is closely examined. The use of a mercury manometer, where only one leg of the mercury column is visible, is shown to be viable in South African temperature conditions and an improved method of determining the level of a buried settlement measuring cell, using a mercury column as a switch, is described.


The paper presents the results of a study of antioxidant activity of lipids isolated from bioproducer plants and peats sampled from a deposit on spurs of the Vasyugan Swamp. Analysis of antioxidants (AOs) is performed via the gasometric method using a model reaction initiated by cymene oxidation. It is found out that oxidation inhibitors of two types differing in reactivity and antioxidant content are present in peat lipids. In fuscum peats of the same type, the amount of AOs changes insignificantly with an increase in the depth of occurrence. A decrease in AOs of the second type is observed for peats with a high degree of decay.
The experiments on plant humification in a peat deposit conducted during 2 years confirm the neoplasm of AOs of the second type, which is the result of microbiological activity. The content of lipids in plants after 2 years of humification is slightly increased, while the increase in AOs amount exceeding their content in peat lipids of the upper horizon is also observed. The depth of occurrence and the type of peat affect the content of AOs and the O/C ratio, as evidenced by the linear correlation dependence. The relationship between the antioxidant activity of lipids and the C/N ratio is not established.


The aesthetic replacement of a single anterior tooth has been revolutionized by the advent of dental implant technology. The learning objective of this article is to enhance the knowledge of single tooth restorations through the discussion of the restorative techniques, soft tissue management, and aesthetic considerations. The techniques presented can be used to obtain predictable results in the anterior region for aesthetic, hygienic, and functional restorations.


Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a common optical technique used to monitor peripheral pulsation. Studies have shown that minimal variability in phase characteristics is critical to attain accurate estimation of timing-related measurements, such as heart rate and pulse transit time. Observed abrupt changes from baseline of these measurements have shown to identify abnormalities in clinical studies. This study investigates nominal fluctuations when different detection settings were used on the PPG signals. The results indicate that there can be differences in variations observed, and an appropriate detection setting can minimize phase-induced errors in clinical interpretation of timing-related physiologic measurements.


The high resolution statistics of a periodogram-type spectral estimate for a periodic deterministic signal plus Gaussian noise are well understood. If, however, the signal plus noise is first passed through a nonlinear memoryless device (such as a hard limiter), the situation becomes much more complicated. The main result of this correspondence is the derivation of the high resolution limit of the joint statistics of the I and Q components of a periodogram for a certain class of nonlinear devices with a deterministic periodic signal and Gaussian noise as input. This result permits the calculation of the asymptotic central moments of the spectral estimate formed from the foregoing periodogram. It then becomes possible to subject a device employing this technique for spectral estimation to a detailed performance analysis.


Central motor and sensory conduction was studied by percutaneous electrical stimulation of brain and spinal cord and by somatosensory evoked potential techniques respectively, in patients with adrenoleukomyeloneuropathy, cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1-associated myelopathy and tabes dorsalis. The results were all consistent with clinical and neuropathological findings in these disorders. Conductions in the corticospinal tract and posterior column could be evaluated separately with these two techniques. Percutaneous electrical stimulation technique would be useful for investigating conduction in the corticospinal tract in patients with spinal cord disorders.


Magnetic thin films have great potential as memory elements in digital computers. The properties of thin films are such that memories can be operated at speeds of the order of 100 nanoseconds or less, non-destructively in certain instances. While the elements themselves show great promise, there are many problems attendant to their use, the solution of which must dome from experts in packaging techniques.


BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has demonstrated several clinical manifestations which include not only respiratory system issues but also liver, kidney, and other organ injuries. One of these abnormalities is coagulopathies, including thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Because of this, the administration of low molecular weight heparin is required for patients that need to be hospitalized. In addition, Remdesivir is an antiviral that was used against Middle East Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola, Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and other diseases, showing satisfactory results on recovery. Besides, there is evidence suggesting that this medication can provide a better prognosis for patients with COVID-19. AIM To investigate in silico the interaction between Remdesivir and clotting factors, pursuing a possibility of using it as medicine. METHODS In this in silico study, the 3D structures of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), Factor I (fibrinogen), Factor II (prothrombin), Factor III (thromboplastin), Factor V (proaccelerin), Factor VII (proconvertin), Factor VIII (antihemophilic factor A), Factor IX (antihemophilic factor B), Factor X (Stuart-Prower factor), and Factor XI (precursor of thromboplastin (these structures are technically called receptors) were selected from the Protein Data Bank. The structures of the antivirals Remdesivir and Osetalmivir (these structures are called ligands) were selected from the PubChem database, while the structure of Atazanavir was selected from the ZINC database. The software AutoDock Tools (ADT) was used to prepare the receptors for molecular docking. Ions, peptides, water molecules, and other ones were removed from each ligand, and then, hydrogen atoms were added to the structures. The grid box was delimited and calculated using the same software ADT. A physiological environment with pH 7.4 is needed to make the ligands interact with the receptors, and still the software Marvin sketch® (ChemAxon®) was used to forecast the protonation state. To perform molecular docking, ADT and Vina software was connected. Using PyMol® software and Discovery studio® software from BIOVIA, it was possible to analyze the amino acid residues from receptors that were involved in the interactions with the ligands. Ligand tortions, atoms that participated in the interactions, and the type, strength, and duration of the interactions were also analyzed using those software. RESULTS Molecular docking analysis showed that Remdesivir and ACE2 had an affinity energy of -8.8 kcal/moL, forming a complex with eight hydrogen bonds involving seven atoms of Remdesivir and five amino acid residues of ACE2. Remdesivir and prothrombin had an interaction with six hydrogen bonds involving atoms of the drug and five amino acid residues of the clotting factor. Similar to that, Remdesivir and thromboplastin presented interactions via seven hydrogen bonds involving five atoms of the drug and four residues of the clotting factor. While Remdesivir and Factor V established a complex with seven hydrogen bonds between six antiviral atoms and six amino acid residues from the factor, and Factor VII connected with the drug by four hydrogen bonds, which involved three atoms of the drug and three residues of amino acids of the factor. The complex between Remdesivir and Factor IX formed an interaction via 11 hydrophilic bonds with seven atoms of the drug and seven residues of the clotting factor, plus one electrostatic bond and three hydrophobic interactions. Factor X and Remdesivir had an affinity energy of -9.6 kcal/moL, and the complex presented 10 hydrogen bonds and 14 different hydrophobic interactions which involved nine atoms of the drug and 16 amino acid residues of the clotting factor. The interaction between Remdesivir and Factor XI formed five hydrogen bonds involving five amino acid residues of the clotting factor and five of the antiviral atoms. CONCLUSION Because of the in silico significant affinity, Remdesivir possibly could act in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection blockade by interacting with ACE2 and concomitantly act in the modulation of the coagulation cascade preventing the hypercoagulable state.


Stable land rights can increase farmers' expectations regarding the future and encourage their adoption of green production methods, which is an important guarantee for promoting the development of green agriculture development. This paper takes the fertilizer use as an example and systematically investigated the impact of land tenure stability on the green production behavior of heterogeneous farmers based on a field survey data of 349 cotton-planting farmers from Xinjiang, China. Furthermore, this research aims to assess the differential impact of land tenure stability on different risk preferences, organizational forms and ethnic groups. This study is a continuation of previous studies on factors influencing green production behavior. The results show that land transfers have an inhibiting effect on farmers' green production behavior and this effect is more significant among risk-averse farmers, local farmers and minority nationalities farmers. The land tenure period can promote the green production of farmers and alleviate the restraining effect of land transfers on farmers' green production behavior. Additionally, farmers of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and large-scale households are more inclined to green production. The Chinese Government needs to further promote land transfer to large-scale households, improve the stability of land rights and adopt differentiated policies for heterogeneous farmers to encourage their green production.


Three-photon double ionization of an Ar atom has been investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy using an extreme ultraviolet free-electron laser. When the photon energy of the laser has been tuned to the resonances of the intermediate Ar+ ion, photoelectron peaks due to the resonant two-photon single ionization of the Ar+ ion have been observed. And it has been revealed that the appearance of the peaks is controlled by the mixing ratios of 3p4 core-configurations of the multi-configuration states. Furthermore, it has been shown that the laser intensity dependence of the Ar2+ ion production rate due to the resonant two-photon single ionization strongly deviates from that expected by perturbation theory.


ABSTRACT RNA isolation from the hepatopancreas of adult abalone is challenging, as indicated by the variable results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification. In this study, three RNA isolation methods were tested to evaluate their usefulness in RNA isolation from various abalone tissues. Unlike the conventional method (method I), methods II and III included additional centrifugation and lithium chloride precipitation steps, respectively. RNA quality assessment based on the RT-PCR amplification of ribosomal protein L3 (RPL3) showed little difference in the quality of RNA isolated from muscle, regardless of the isolation method used. While RNA isolated from the hepatopancreas using methods I and II resulted in lower levels of RPL3 amplification, method III was found to be a more effective method of RNA extraction from the hepatopancreas, as indicated by a 30–60-fold increase in the RPL3 level. Competitive inhibition experiments using mixtures of RNA prepared by each method were performed to investigate which RT-PCR step was inhibited by materials present in the RNA preparation. An almost complete absence of RPL3 amplification was observed in RT-PCR with a cDNA template prepared from a mixture of RNAs containing a small amount of hepatopancreatic RNA isolated using method I. A drastic decrease in the incorporation of a fluorescence-labeled nucleotide into cDNA was also evident in the reverse transcription containing hepatopancreatic RNA isolated using method I. These results indicate a distinct inhibition of cDNA synthesis by materials present in the hepatopancreatic RNA preparation isolated using method I, but not present when method III is used. A competitive inhibition experiment was performed using mixtures of cDNA prepared from RNA isolated by each method to investigate whether the materials used in the preparation inhibited the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) step. The level of RPL3 amplification was proportional to the amount of cDNA prepared from hepatopancreatic RNA isolated using method III. The comparable degree of amplification regardless of the amount of cDNA prepared from RNA isolated using method I, together with the low cDNA synthesis in the latter, indicated that it had little, if any, inhibitory effect on the PCR step. This study reports an RNA isolation method that is applicable to the hepatopancreas and other abalone tissues with similar efficacy.


The harmony of political relationship is the core and key aspect for constructing harmonious society.China is a large agricultural country and the farmers are the biggest social group.The degree of harmony of rural political relationship directly reveals the political civilization and the status of harmonious society of China.


The primary sector, mainly coffee production, has emphasis in the economy of Nepomuceno, which has approximately 27 thousand inhabitants and is located in Sul de Minas planning region. Thus, the objective of the article was to analyze the Nepomuceno's agricultural production between 1995 and 2017. Document analysis, bibliographic research and fieldwork were the methodological procedures adopted in the study. In the analyzed period, coffee production continued as the predominant agricultural activity in the municipality. Furthermore, there was a great decrease in rice cultivation and soybean culture growth in Nepomuceno. In general, agricultural productivity was increased in the interim studied, mainly due to the dissemination of chemical fertilizers, transgenic seeds and agricultural machinery in municipal agriculture.


In a group of 355 pts  submitted to Penile Prosthesis Implant (PPI) we recorded data on their relationships with the woman (wife, partner, girlfriend, lover); the aspects of their sexual life; if they were married, divorced or widowed; if they had a lover; if they frequented brothels; if they were satisfied of their actual couple's life; after operation we recorded data concerning if they had some difficulties utilizing the PPI and their level of satisfaction. After operation most pts (93%) confirmed their satisfaction. Relational aspects:  Unmarried pts: 6 pts (21-30 years old) who weren't able to penetrate their girlfriends managed to have regular sex with PPI and could marry. 42/46 unmarried pts after PPI decided to marry.  In the group of married pts 3 pts weren't able to penetrate  their wives; after PPI  they  managed to have regular intercourses and pregnancies. 15 widowers and 23 divorced  pts decided to have a PPI for possible sexual encounters or stable relationships. 96/271 (28,2%) married pts declared a stable extramarital relation that could represent the main reason for having a PPI.  The results of PPI are commonly accepted. Until now PPI may re-establish  penile rigidity and maintenance. In our opinion the simple act of penetrate and ejaculate in vagina, without considering the importance of personal, relational, emotional factors  often well linked to the specific woman, cannot be considered the ideal target of PPI.


Understanding the molecular structure of the hydration shells and their impact on the hydrogen bond (HB) network of water in aqueous salt solutions is a fundamentally important and technically relevant question. In the present work, such hydration effects were studied for a series of representative salt solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, and KBr) by soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and resonant inelastic soft X-ray scattering (RIXS). The oxygen K-edge XES spectra could be described with three components, attributed to initial state HB configurations in pure water, water molecules that have undergone an ultrafast dissociation initiated by the X-ray excitation, and water molecules in contact with salt ions. The behavior of the individual components, as well as the spectral shape of the latter component, has been analyzed in detail. In view of the role of ions in such effects as protein denaturation (i.e., the Hofmeister series), we discuss the ion-specific nature of the hydration shells and find that the results point to a predominant role of anions as compared to cations. Furthermore, we observe a concentration-dependent suppression of ultrafast dissociation in all salt solutions, associated with a significant distortion of intact HB configurations of water molecules facilitating such a dissociation.


Think tanks offer an organizational innovation that can seamlessly merge research, publicity and advocacy. The pronounced increase in their sheer numbers, coupled with their intensified advocacy and more articulate ideological positions, has contributed to growing academic interest. Conceptualizations, descriptions and categorizations of national and transnational think tanks have been put forth, with good results. Scholar definitions and conceptual understandings of what think tanks do have, however, not been sufficiently developed. In particular, the question of how the ability of think tanks to get others to use their ideas is left un-answered. Employing the concept of 'partial organizing' the aim of this paper is to analyse how think tanks work in order to be able to set policy agendas contrary to the interest of other actors. The paper is conceptual in its scope, but it draws on interviews at four think tanks in Washington DC, USA, for explaining and exemplifying the argument. It concludes that think tanks set policy agendas by partially organizing its environment.


This is an annotated guide to online and print information for UC Berkeley students job hunting in the professions of city, regional, and environmental planning; architecture; and landscape architecture.


This paper reports about the influence of working temperature (<; 190 °C) on time dependent performances of a single crystal diamond detector (SCD) covered with a thin 6LiF layer (LiDia). This detector is studied since it can be proposed as tritium production monitor in fusion reactors. The LiDia detector was produced at Rome "Tor Vergata" University, it is characterised by a layered structure and by the presence of a metal/diamond junction which produces a built-in potential (~ 1.9 V) sufficient to operate the detector without external biasing voltage. The measurements were performed up to 190 °C using both 5.5 MeV alphas and neutrons. The results pointed out the superior performances of diamond respect to other detectors (e.g. silicon) when operated at high temperature, however the present work pointed out that a diamond detector assembled to operate at room temperature can suffer of mechanical and electrical stress. Concerns about the behaviour of the metal/carbon barrier at high temperature is also pointed out. The results indicate that with a proper design LiDia diamond detectors can be suitable for operation at temperature much higher than 200 °C.


Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have been adopted as the building blocks of future military tactical networks. We believe that the dynamic nature of such networks makes the automation of both network management and network planning a necessity rather than just a desirable feature. The creation of DRAMA, a policy-based network management system designed for managing dynamic MANETs, is the first step of this automation effort. Since the current practice requires that policies be specified manually, which we have found to be a challenging task, it is highly desirable to automate the generation of network management policies by network planning. In this paper, we present our vision of automating the management and planning of future tactical networks, describe what has been accomplished and ongoing activities, and discuss future work towards achieving this vision


For the subgraph enumeration problem, there have been proposed very efficient algorithms whose time complexities are far less than the number of subgraphs. Although the number of subgraphs can increase exponentially with the graph size, they exploit compressed representations to maintain enumerated subgraphs compactly so as to reduce the time complexity. However, they are designed for enumerating a specific type of subgraphs only, e.g., paths or trees. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm framework, called frontierbased search, which generalizes these specific algorithms without losing their efficiency. We believe that our frontier-based search will be used to resolve various practical problems that include complicated subgraph enumeration.


In today's Internet world, web pages are facing a severe threat which uses the client-side browser attacks. The vulnerability-based attacks are based on client-side application which becomes the major threat to web pages. The spread of malware uses software vulnerabilities which attack the client application sending request to the server if whether the attack has occurred. This detection is based on client honeypot which detects the various malicious program linked with web pages. Client honeypots are active security devices in search of malicious servers that attack clients. The client honeypot poses as a client and interacts with the server to examine whether an attack has occurred. Often the focus of client honeypots is on web browsers, but any client that interacts with servers can be part of client honeypot. In this research paper, we propose a model of detecting embedded web pages using client honeypot.


The inverse electron demand Diels−Alder cycloadditions of heterocyclic azadienes have provided a robust methodology for synthesizing highly substituted and functionalized heterocycles. It is widely used in organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry in the divergent construction of screening libraries and bioorthogonal conjugation. Each heterocyclic azadiene was found to possess a unique reactivity toward different classes of dienophiles, display predictable modes of cycloaddition, and exhibit substantial substituent electronic effects impacting their intrinsic reactivity and cycloaddition regioselectivity. Synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine has been reported in the literature since the late 19th century, showing scientists' tremendous interest in its application. Herein we attempt to synthesize the 1,2,3,5-tetrazine, which is the less popular member of the family. Initial studies of its cycloaddition reactivity, stability, and scope illustrate that it displays similar properties to that of the isomeric 1,2,4,5-tetrazine. The lack of scientific focus on the compound despite its potential value has motivated us to develop an efficient synthetic route via N-methylene amide and azide cycloaddition. Although the attempt to prepare the desired tetrazine was unsuccessful, our designed method interestingly led up to a hydrolysis pathway that allowed us to explore the application of sodium azide further.


Magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate the remaining patellar tendon after its central one-third had been harvested for anterior cruciate ligament recon struction. Twenty patients were studied at either 6 weeks, 4, 6, 9, or 18 months postoperatively. The average thickness, width, cross-sectional area, and signal intensity of the operated and contralateral non- operated tendons were calculated and compared for each magnetic resonance imaging scan. A significant increase in the thickness was noted at all periods of followup, but no change in width occurred despite the defect being closed at the time of surgery. High signal intensity was present in the early periods, which signi fied edema and scar tissue. Signal intensity decreased at subsequent follow-up periods until at 18 months the operated tendon appeared normal. These findings in dicate that the patellar tendon has the potential to regenerate and remodel in the postoperative period.


Abstract Sepsis causes multiple organ injuries, among which the heart is one most severely damaged organ. Melatonin (MEL) alleviates septic myocardial injury, although a systematic and comprehensive approach is still lacking to understand the precise protective machinery of MEL. This study aimed to examine the underlying mechanisms of MEL on improvement of septic myocardial injury at a systematic level. This study integrated three analytic modalities including database investigations, RNA‐seq analysis, and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WCGNA), in order to acquire a set of genes associated with the pathogenesis of sepsis. The Drugbank database was employed to predict genes that may serve as pharmacological targets for MEL‐elicited benefits, if any. A pharmacological protein–protein interaction network was subsequently constructed, and 66 hub genes were captured which were enriched in a variety of immune response pathways. Notably, PIK3CG, one of the hub genes, displayed high topological characteristic values, strongly suggesting its promise as a novel target for MEL‐evoked treatment of septic myocardial injury. Importantly, molecular docking simulation experiments as well as in vitro and in vivo studies supported an essential role for PIK3CG in MEL‐elicited effect on septic myocardial injury. This study systematically clarified the mechanisms of MEL intervention in septic myocardial injury involved multiple targets and multiple pathways. Moreover, PIK3CG‐governed signaling cascade plays an important role in the etiology of sepsis and septic myocardial injury. Findings from our study provide valuable information on novel intervention targets for the management of septic myocardial injury. More importantly, this study has indicated the utility of combining a series of techniques for disease target discovery and exploration of possible drug targets, which should shed some light on elucidation of experimental and clinical drug action mechanisms systematically.


The purpose of an authentication code is La give proof that a message is authentic, i.e. it was not sent by an imposter and it has not been altered on its way to the receiver. Secrecy could also be an issue here, but in many cases the receiver just wants to be sure that the message is genuine. Unlike digital signature schemes, authentication codes aim at unconditional security. The opponent is assnmed to have unlimited computer power. Many constructions of authentication codes are based on elTor correcting codes. After an introduction, an overview of these techniques will be given.


Past space suits and the current Shuttle suit, which are constructed primarily from fabric, use the Integrated Thermal and Micrometeoroid Garment, which insulates the astronaut from his environment. The new generation of hard suits affords designers the opportunity to incorporate thermal control into the suit structure. Environmental influence on the suit temperature and heat flux can then be minimized with a high reflectance coating. Candidate coatings have been identified and ranked on the basis of thermophysical properties; wear, corrosion and atomic oxygen degradation resistance; and coating process and cost. Laboratory determination of properties, thermal cycling and wear resistance tests are underway to identify the optimum coating. A computer model is being developed to evaluate various environmental configurations. Preliminary results are presented here.


Abstract The spatial distribution of windthrows and dead-standing trees as well as the occurrence of two bark beetle species, Ips typographus and Tomicus piniperda, were studied at forest-clearcut edges in southern Finland. More than 80% of the recorded dead trees were situated within the first 15 m from the clearcut border. The number of dead-standing spruces attacked by I. typographus did not depend on the amount of windthrows at the same site. According to logistic regression analysis, the distance from a clearcut border had a negative effect on the likelihood of I. typographus being present in the windthrows. The results indicate that windthrows do not necessarily increase bark beetle-induced tree mortality under endemic wind conditions. The accumulation of dead trees at forest-clearcut edges may support the diversity of saproxylic species, but may also maintain populations of harmful bark beetles under non-epidemic conditions.


We propose a novel way of creating graphs from multiple ultrasound (US) video sweeps. A three-node graph models three video sweeps which are obtained from a fetal US sweep protocol. The nodes are assigned binary sequences which represent the frame-level detection of the fetal head across all video frames in a sweep. We build 382 subject-level graphs and use them for automatic breech detection using a graph convolutional network. We experiment with weighting the edges of the graphs using three metrics: 1) discrete Fréchet distance, 2) dynamic time warping, and 3) Pearson correlation coefficient. These metrics are computed from the node signals, per subject. We find superior performance is achieved using Pearson correlation weighted graphs, over a baseline multi-layer perceptron (MLP), achieving an increase in classification accuracy of 28%. Finally, we experiment with creating statistical priors of graphs that correspond to the overall pattern seen for breech and for cephalic presentation, using a set of subjects independent to the 382 cohort. We compute the weights of the edges of these statistical graphs and assemble each set into two templates of edge weights that model the relationship between different video sweeps for breech and cephalic presentation respectively. We find that using the Pearson correlation template of edge weights during testing increases classification accuracy by 14%, over a baseline MLP.


The methods of a previous paper are used to discuss the effect of a magnetic field on the thermoelectric power of a metal containing two overlapping energy bands of normal form. Exact solutions of the transport equation are obtained for the three limiting cases of high temperatures, low temperatures and very strong magnetic fields, and it is shown that the formulae can be generalized to give approximate expressions for all temperatures and all fields. The magnetic change of the thermoelectric power is found to be small at very low and high temperatures, and to pass through a maximum at intermediate temperatures. The transverse galvano- and thermomagnetic effects are also considered, and the formulae which hold for free electrons are generalized so as to be approximately valid for all temperatures. For free electrons, the Hall coefficient remains constant as the temperature decreases, the Righi-Leduc coefficient increases, and the Ettingshausen and Ettingshausen-Nemst coefficients decrease and change sign at very low temperatures. The corresponding formulae for a metal containing two bands are also obtained, and are used to show that the theoretical predictions for free electrons cannot hold for real metals except in special cases. Finally, the two-band model is used to discuss the effect of the magnitude of the magnetic field on the coefficients of the transverse effects.


This paper addresses the coordination of the Smart Distribution Grid applications with advanced applications in other power system domains, especially in the transmission operation and customer domains. The paper discusses the holistic approach to the role of Smart Distribution Applications in the support of the wide area situational awareness, dynamic optimization, and self-healing operations of the power system.


This article deals with the cultural policy implemented with in the system of cultural autonomy as embedded in the third (1970) revision of the constitution. Cultural autonomy and cultural policy are both approached from the vantage point of the concept of "institutionalization". That concept focusses on the conditions under which social relations come to be viewed as problematic. It sensitizes us to the ways in which the problematic character is expressed and subsequently "solved" through processes of planned and unplanned change. Central to the concept is that such "solutions" evolve within a given institutional order which can, in its turn, create new problems. A postulate is advanced, i.e. that the heritage of former institutional solutions to ideological and socio-economic conflicts has been of crucial importance to the evolution of cultural autonomy. In other words, cultural autonomy has been more deliniated by the need for pacification and preservation of the prevailing political system than by the need for the "development of the cultural identity of the Flemish people". The latter functions principally as legitimation on the level of political rhetoric. The existing "tribal life" as expressed in the "verzuiling", has been re-confirmed and chosen as a starting point for cultural policy. A first paragraph shows us how cultural autonomy has been restrained within the established power relations. This manifests itself in the growing influence of political parties when formulating or resolving problems, in the fragmentary nature of solutions, shuttling ambiguously between a federal government and autonomy, and last but not least in the preponderating concern for the protection of philosophical and ideological tendencies as they appear in the Cultural Pact. The second paragraph covers the Cultural Pact and a number of normatieve decrees defined as problematic by consumer's associations. Originally meant as a safeguarding of the liberal "minority" in Flanders and subsequently bent for protection of all philosophical and ideological tendencies, the Cultural Pact promotes a further politization and'verzuiling1 of cultural policy. The vertical pluralism in the cultural field is completed in the horizontal pluralistic organs, in which representatives of confessional-political groups are co-opted. The acts formalising the Cultural Pact has influenced the contents of the normative decrees. In the third pargraph attention is drawn to the structural processes determining both cultural autonomy and cultural policy. In contradistinction to the ideological and socio-economic oppositions, the community oppositions are not institutionalized. This means, among other things, that the confessional-political groups, as exponents of ideological oppositions, occupy precisely that area that is of crucial importance in political decision-making i.e. the area in which the execution of decrees, laws and regulations and the establishment of government ways and means is organized. That is why the solution to problems clearly introduced as community problems does not take shape from the "communities" but from the "zuilen". The so-called "Flemish identity" is immediately re-cast in the mould of the philosophical-ideological oppositions.


Background: Ischemic stroke comprises 85% of all stroke cases. Stroke is the third major cause of mortality worldwide and an important cause of long term disability contributing to major economic burden in most of the countries. Since inflammatory response is a key factor for ischemic damage of neurons, the markers of inflammation are supposed to have some predictive value in outcome of the ischemic stroke patients.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the biochemical markers of inflammation and atherosclerosis (CRP and TNFα) in acute ischemic stroke patients and compare them with controls. Also to correlate these parameters with stroke severity, short term outcome after 7 days and long term outcome at 6 months using modified Rankin scale and Barthel Index.
Method and Material: The present study was conducted on 45 acute ischemic stroke patients and 80 age and sex matched. The biochemical markers of inflammation and atherosclerosis (CRP and TNFα) in acute ischemic stroke patients were estimated and compared with controls. These parameters were analyzed for correlation with stroke severity (NIHSS), short term outcome after 7 days and long term outcome at 6 months using modified Rankin scale, Barthel Index and DWI MRI volume of infarct. The first blood sample was taken within 72 hours of onset of stroke and second sample was taken 7 days following the first sampling
Results: Broadly the results showed that CRP and TNF α levels on the day of admission were higher in the experimental group as compared to controls. Difference was statistically significant. After 7 days, the levels of serum CRP and TNF α were high when compared to controls, however, the difference between day 1 and day 7 were not found to be statistically significant. When the biochemical parameters were correlated with the severity of stroke in NIHSS score, it was found that CRP on the day of admission and around 7th day correlated significantly with the severity of stroke assessed on both occasions. Correlating with the DWI MRI, volume of infarct, it was found that CRP on the day of admission as well as after 7 days correlated with the volume of infarct, therefore CRP levels correlate with the extent of tissue damage following ischemia. TNFα level did not correlate with the volume of infarct. CRP levels around 7th day also correlated with short term and long term outcome of patients assessed by modified Rankin scale and Barthel Index.
Conclusion: Measuring CRP around one week following the stroke has the greatest prognostic value.


Electric power is an indispensable consumer commodity for a little over a century now as all electric equipment in dwellings, commercial, and industry sectors are essentially dependent on electricity. Heat recovery steam generator, HRSG is an important system in combined cycle power plants. Indeed, excess vibrations induced on such devices may gradually lead to fatigue failure that affect the process of power output. This work investigates, models, and simulates the vibrations response of a fluid carrier pipe housed inside the cavity of the system while experiencing highly pressurized nearly perpendicular external force of extremely hot flue gas on the outside and pressurized water and water vapour from the inside. Transient and steady-state vibrations from initial conditions and the forcing function analysis are performed to account for the variation of damping, amplitude, and frequency responses of the system. Initial parameters used in the systems' model are from industry subsequent to the OEM instructions. However, we introduce a new set of parameter values so as to observe the vibrational behaviour by varying these parameters. The purpose of performing a parameter-based vibration analysis is that parameter variation may point to different responses in the system. Indeed, this in turn indicates which set of parameters are suitable for rectifying the primary causes of undesired vibrations. To account for the consequence of mass flowrate, the model covers low pressure, intermediate pressure, and high-pressure constituents. The results obtained from the model are for the relationships of amplitude and phase angle as functions of frequency of the system. From these data, different interactions of quantities such as force, damping ratio, and number of dampers and vibration supports are observed. These results implores the implementation of new set of parameters to improve the agility of the system and minimize the impact of excess vibrations.


In this communication, we report an excellent new highly conjugated and rigid electron donor (diindolocarbazole) for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters. The donor–acceptor structure with diindolocarbazole donor induces high oscillator strength as well as high probability for the radiative transition, suitable frontier molecular overlap with proper intramolecular charge transfer and a large dihedral angle with out-of-plane structure between electron donor and acceptor; this results in high photoluminescence quantum yield, small singlet–triplet energy splitting, and extremely short delayed fluorescence exciton lifetime. The fabricated organic light emitting diode with new donor applied green emitter exhibits a remarkably high external quantum efficiency of 31.4% without any out-coupling technique. It also shows extremely low efficiency roll-off characteristics with the highest luminance of 71 160 cd m−2 as well as good operational device stability.


Present study was aimed to determine the anti-MRSA effect of Lantana camara flower ethanol extract. These flowers are used to treat microbial infections in traditional medicinal practices of India. The ethanolic extract of Lantana camara flowers were subjected to preliminary antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion method and found to be active against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli as well as Gram-positive methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Biochemical property of the extract was established by phytochemical analysis. The preliminary biochemical tests showed the presence of reducing sugars, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, and phenolic, these groups of compounds have previously been reported to exhibit anti-microbial effects.


The objective of this study was to analyse students' metacognition skills in mathematics problem solving. The data were collected through metacognition survey from 35 seventh grade students, 14 were Field Dependent (FD) and 21 were Field Independent (FI) students respectively and the data were descriptively analysed. The results of the analysis showed that students of FI type tended to be more frequent in metacognition skills than FD type in developing planning and evaluating actions in solving mathematical problems. While metacognition skill in monitoring the implementation of problem solving of both types of students was likely to be the same.


Introduction: Overweight and obesity, conditions defined by an excess amount of fat mass, have become increasingly prevalent in children. As a result, they represent serious medical, financial and social burdens for society. Low levels of physical activity (PA) are believed to be partially responsible for fueling this dramatic increase in excess body fat. School-based physical activity interventions offer a novel solution to this problem as children spend the greatest portion of their day in school. Furthermore, these interventions provide an opportunity to reach children from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to determine if Action Schools! BC, a school-based physical activity model, could positively affect change in percent (%) body fat in elementary school (Grades 4-6) children. The secondary objective was to determine if Action Schools! BC could have a positive effect on change in % body fat in children considered overweight or obese at baseline. Methods: This was a 29-month randomized controlled trial. Students were randomized by school to the intervention (INT, 7 schools, n=235) or control (CONT, 3 schools, n=111) condition. The AS! BC model was a school-based model specifically designed to deliver 150 minutes of physical activity per week through physical education class and classroom-based activities. Percent fat was measured using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Group means were compared for age, race, body composition (height, weight, BMI, fat mass, % fat, lean mass, % lean) and lifestyle variables (general physical activity score (1-5), min / day of physical activity). Differences in maturity status and number of menarcheal girls were also evaluated. Physical activity delivered in schools (minutes/week) was assessed using activity logs filled out by teachers. Students with ^ 33% body fat at baseline (n=73) were considered overweight or obese and included in a subgroup analysis. Sex-specific multi-level models were used to compare change in percent fat between INT and CONT groups. Covariates included baseline % fat and change in height. In the secondary analysis, change in menarcheal status was also added to the model. Results: At baseline, students were 10.2 (± 0.6) years and INT and CONT groups were of similar racial background (>50% Asian, 30-40% Caucasian, 10-15% Other ethnicities). Students were mainly pre-pubertal (53% Tanner 1) although girls tended to be mature than boys. Teachers delivered an average of 152 minutes/week of physical activity (adjusted for school) in the INT schools compared with 94 minutes/week in CONT schools. After adjusting for covariates, girls in the INT group lost slightly less % body fat (-0.9%) compared with girls in the CONT group (-1.0%) (95% CI: -1.0-1.2). Boys in the INT group lost slightly more % body fat (-1.9%) compared with boys in the CONT group (-1.8%) (95% CI: -1.7-1.5). In the subgroup analysis, INT girls lost more % body fat than CONT girls (-3.6% vs. -3.0%, 95% CI: -3.8 to 2.7) and INT boys lost more % body fat than CONT boys (-3.5% vs. -2.3%, 95% CI: -4.5-2.2). Conclusions: Action Schools! BC was a feasible, school-based model that led to an increased delivery of physical activity opportunities in schools. However, a greater dose of physical activity over a longer timeframe may be required to win the fight against childhood obesity.


To participate in smarter transportation systems, vehicles need to increase their environment awareness. This could be achieved by enabling vehicles to communicate with their environment. Once vehicles become connected, an ecosystem of applications and services could be developed around them, enabling the information exchange with other connected devices and contributing to a Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS). The environment of connected and cooperative vehicles is characterized by its heterogeneity. Numerous stakeholders are involved in providing various services, each of them with specific requirements. Moreover, countries may have specifics regulations. Therefore, a single access technology to connect all these heterogeneity is impossible. For ubiquitous connectivity it is necessary to use existing wireless communication technologies such as vehicular WiFi (ITS-G5, DSRC), urban WiFi, 802.15.4, and cellular. In such heterogeneous network environment, applications and services cannot take into account all technology particularities. A ITS communication architecture should hide to the application the underlying differences of access networks, providing seamless communication independently of the access technology. Based on the ITS architecture designed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), we proposed the AD4ON, a modular decision maker architecture capable to choose the best available communication profile and path for each data flow in an heterogeneous and dynamic network environment. The proposed architecture manages requirements and preferences from different actors (e.g., applications, users, administrators and regulators). It considers the context information (e.g., vehicle speed, battery level), and it takes into account the route conditions between two communicating devices. It could make proactive decision taking into account short-term previsions about the network environment.


On 22 May 2017, a homemade bomb was detonated in the foyer of Manchester Arena as people were leaving the Ariana Grande concert. Twenty-three people (including the bomber) were killed and over 800 were injured. Within hours of the attack, people of Manchester began to leave flowers, candles, soft toys, balloons, written notes and other items in St Ann's Square and other locations around the city. In June 2017, the Manchester City Council tasked Manchester Art Gallery to oversee the removal and collection of material objects from St Ann's Square. Manchester Art Gallery ultimately stored more than 10,000 objects to form what is now known as the 'Manchester Together Archive' of the public response to the Manchester Arena attack. An associated research project, co-designed by the author with Manchester Art Gallery staff, aimed to document creatively the evolving thinking, interactions with different stakeholders and decision-making about the archive, as well as the impact of those decisions on institutional life, policy and practice.After reviewing the literature on museum practices around spontaneous memorials, this paper goes on to critically reflect on how cultural professionals in Manchester addressed the gap in their experience with spontaneous memorials by adapting or diverting from standard collecting processes. It aims to demonstrate that this was a creative process of negotiating the interaction between their professional ethics and a strong sense of civic and social responsibility, which led to a new museum practice altogether. The paper argues that this museum practice was also the result of accepting and inviting the migration of the memorial's characteristics (as a public, spontaneous and mass participation heritage performance) into the resulting Manchester Together Archive and the collecting process itself. This meant that the archive was not a 'collection' of the spontaneous memorial, but another form and manifestation of the memorial itself, which offered a perspective of cultural remembrance that is driven by a focus on process, rather than permanence. The paper concludes with some brief thoughts on how this new museum practice around the Manchester Together Archive is impacting already on Manchester Art Gallery's broader policy and practice and its process of rethinking its spaces, activity and engagement with its publics.


We propose and demonstrate a novel modulation scheme termed as generalized frequency division multiplexing - orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (GFDM-OFDM) for intensity-modulated direct-detection (IM-DD) optical communication systems. In our scheme, the low-frequency band is allocated to a GFDM signal to achieve a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), while the high-frequency band is filled with an OFDM signal that is robust to frequency-domain variations. By this means, the PAPR of the whole signal can be reduced and the high-frequency fading effects induced by the electronic components can be mitigated, leading to an improved system performance. Simulation results show that our proposed GFDM-OFDM format outperforms OFDM and GFDM formats in terms of optical receiver sensitivity for both the back-to-back (BTB) and 10-km transmissions. The GFDM-OFDM signal achieves receiver sensitivity improvements of approximately 3.0 dB and 1.6 dB, compared to the OFDM and GFDM signals, respectively.


Menon's method of estimation of the Weibull parameters is extended to the analysis of multiple samples of a common size. A methodology is developed for testing the equality of shape parameters among the populations from which the samples are drawn. When the shape parameters are judged to be equal, point and interval estimates of the common shape parameter are constructed. An analysis of variance approach is shown to be valid for testing the equality of scale parameters when a common shape parameter is hypothesized. A post hoc multiple comparison test is developed for assessing which scale parameters differ. Confidence intervals on a percentile may be set for any of the sample populations using the estimated common shape parameter. Tables of the percentage points of the distributions needed for testing hypotheses and constructing interval estimates were obtained by Monte Carlo sampling and are given for a useful range of sample sizes and number of samples. The result is a comprehensive, easily computed, method of analyzing uncensored sets of Weibull data such as occurs when the flexural strength of brittle materials is observed under different conditions of formulation, finishing or test environment. An example analysis of data of this type is included.


Abstract This paper presents a novel unsupervised abstractive summarization method for opinionated texts. While the basic variational autoencoder-based models assume a unimodal Gaussian prior for the latent code of sentences, we alternate it with a recursive Gaussian mixture, where each mixture component corresponds to the latent code of a topic sentence and is mixed by a tree-structured topic distribution. By decoding each Gaussian component, we generate sentences with tree-structured topic guidance, where the root sentence conveys generic content, and the leaf sentences describe specific topics. Experimental results demonstrate that the generated topic sentences are appropriate as a summary of opinionated texts, which are more informative and cover more input contents than those generated by the recent unsupervised summarization model (Bražinskas et al., 2020). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the variance of latent Gaussians represents the granularity of sentences, analogous to Gaussian word embedding (Vilnis and McCallum, 2015).


Aims First Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients who use cannabis experience more frequent psychotic and euphoric intoxication experiences compared to controls. It is not clear whether this is consequent to patients being more vulnerable to the effects of cannabis use or to their heavier pattern of use. We aimed to determine whether extent of use predicted psychotic-like and euphoric intoxication experiences in FEP patients and controls and whether this differs between groups. Methods We analysed data on lifetime cannabis using patients (n=655) and controls (n=654) across 15 sites from six countries in the EU-GEI study (2010-2015). We used multiple regression to model predictors of cannabis-induced experiences and to determine if there was an interaction between caseness and extent of use. Results Caseness, frequency of cannabis use and money spent on cannabis predicted psychotic-like and euphoric experiences, independent of other experiences (p≤0.001). For psychotic-like experiences there was a significant interaction for caseness x frequency of use (p<0.001) and caseness x money spent on cannabis (p=0.001) such that FEP patients had increased experiences at increased levels of use compared to controls. There was no similar significant interaction for euphoric experiences (p>0.5). Conclusions and Relevance FEP patients are particularly sensitive to increased psychotic-like, but not euphoric experiences, at higher frequency and amount of cannabis use compared to controls. This suggests a specific psychotomimetic response in patients related particularly to heavy cannabis use.


Multi-terminal High-Voltage Direct Current (MTDC) networks are emerging as the promising technology in modern transmission systems for efficient and bulky renewable energy sources transfer over long distances. Nonetheless, the computational burden introduced for modeling MTDC networks with detailed models is heavy due to the inherent switching events of the Voltage Source Converters (VSCs). Transient system-level studies with less simulation time step-size can be achieved with Average-Value Models (AVMs). This paper delivers step-by-step modeling of the MTDC network with AVM -VSC in a systematic approach for steady-state and dynamic operation studies using Matlab/Simulink platform. The interaction between the MTDC network hierarchical control layers with the AVM -VSC model is covered and developed for a 4-terminal radial MTDC network. The DC voltage droop control is applied for the receiving end converters for the purpose of transmission losses optimization and to achieve power-sharing according to the converters ratings.


Abstract : The contribution of ground forces to the defense of the Pacific Basin has long taken a tertiary priority to consideration of maritime and air force roles in this vast arena teaming with potentials for conflict. Much has been written about protection of sea and air lines of communication. However, it may serve us well to consider why those maritime and air forces were there. Ground forces controlled the terrain, and determined who could claim possession of same. Today, vast numbers of ground forces stand poised to defend their chosen holdings of terrain, be that continental or oceanic, legitimate or non-legitimate. The Government of Japan has, within constitutional constraints and practicable political realities, also adhered to this scheme of prioritization. This has been with the full implication, encouragement, and cooperation of the Government of the United States, during and after occupation. However, the role of ground forces must be given its due in competition for resources and in planning to provide a solid core around which ground power can be forged. The Ground Self Defense Force can be this core. The two governments, for their continued mutual security, should give a higher priority to development of the GSDF as a sustainable force capable of rapid deployment and reinforcement to defend Japanese territories, trained and equipped to operate with U.S. forces in all areas. These forces can then be factored into the strategic and operational planning for defense of the region in a manner which will take advantage of the latent potential which now marks time.


In 2005, an education reform swept across Quebec high schools, leading to the disappearance of a mandatory sexual health curriculum. Arguing that the responsibility for children's sexual health education fell on multiple shoulders, the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) of Quebec proposed that teachers, nurses, community organizations, and parents, work together to regularly include discussions of sexuality in different facets of school life, from classroom discussions to extracurricular projects. Instead of this, news reports and recent studies show that sexual health education is inconsistently offered across the province, and often not offered at all. Time constraints, diverging ideologies between stake-holders, feelings of confusion over the ministerial guidelines and stakeholders' roles, and a lack of teacher education are major challenges to the effective delivery of sexual health education in Quebec. In this article, I explore these issues, and compare the provincial sexual health education framework with the Public Health Agency of Canada's Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education to illustrate gaps in Quebec's current approach to providing sexual health education in the schools. Finally, I critically examine the key elements of the recent pilot project announced by the Quebec Ministry of Education, and suggest that education policy-makers take the past reform issues and the Public Health Agency's guidelines into consideration as they move forward with the new sexual health education initiative.


Ethylphenidate was recently reported as a novel drug metabolite in two overdose fatalities where there was evidence of methylphenidate and ethanol coingestion. This study explores the pharmacokinetics of ethylphenidate relative to methylphenidate and the major metabolite ritalinic acid, in six healthy subjects who received methylphenidate and ethanol under controlled conditions. Subjects (three males, three females) received a single oral dose of methylphenidate (20 mg; two 10-mg tablets) followed by consumption of ethanol (0.6 g/kg) 30 min later. Methylphenidate, ritalinic acid, and ethylphenidate were quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ethylphenidate was detectable in the plasma and urine of all subjects after ethanol ingestion. The mean (+/-S.D.) area under the concentration versus time curve for ethylphenidate was 1.2 +/- 0.7 ng/ml/h, representing 2.3 +/- 1.3% that of methylphenidate (48 +/- 12 ng/ml/h). A significant correlation was observed between the area under the concentration versus time curve of methylphenidate and that of ethylphenidate. In view of the known dopaminergic activity of racemic ethylphenidate, it remains possible that under certain circumstances of higher level dosing, e.g., in the abuse of methylphenidate and ethanol, the metabolite ethylphenidate may contribute to drug effects.


BACKGROUND
Control of pests in stored grain and the evolution of resistance to pesticides are serious problems worldwide. A stochastic individual-based two-locus model was used to investigate the impact of two important issues, the consistency of pesticide dosage through the storage facility and the immigration rate of the adult pest, on overall population control and avoidance of evolution of resistance to the fumigant phosphine in an important pest of stored grain, the lesser grain borer.

RESULTS
A very consistent dosage maintained good control for all immigration rates, while an inconsistent dosage failed to maintain control in all cases. At intermediate dosage consistency, immigration rate became a critical factor in whether control was maintained or resistance emerged.

CONCLUSION
Achieving a consistent fumigant dosage is a key factor in avoiding evolution of resistance to phosphine and maintaining control of populations of stored-grain pests; when the dosage achieved is very inconsistent, there is likely to be a problem regardless of immigration rate.


The continual political, commercial and economic relations and frequent military conflicts and clashes of the Pashtuns with neighbouring states or tribal formations or with similar structures to which Pashtuns were in a subordinate status were constantly resulting in intensive cultural and linguistic contacts. This article pays a modest tribute to the studies, insufficient for the present, concerning interrelations of the written Pashto with the Persian, Turkic and Indian languages in the sphere of their vocabularies during the period from the earliest literary monuments in Pashto (i.e. from the middle of the XVI century) up to the beginning of the XIX c., for which purpose texts of Afghan classic poetry, prose treaties and chronicles have been used That was a period of large-scale borrowing of foreign words through the channels of the written language and colloquial speech. Arab-Persian loanwords which had no tangible bounds as to their entry into the literary Pashto were very numerous (about a half of the Pashto vocabulary) in comparison with Indian loanwords and have been rnore organically included into the Pashto vocabulary, though at the same time all the borrowings, irrespective of their source-language, have been more or less equally adapted phonetically and morphologically. On this account the aspects of their presentation in this article are different: borrowings from Persian have been given only general characteristics, while concrete ancl detailed lists of Indian and Turkic loanwords are given because their quantity in the analysed texts was limited to such an extent that we have consinered it relevant to publish them almost completely.


Using the compartmental analysis method, the distribution of sucrose, glucose, and fructose and their efflux from the free space, cytoplasm, and vacuole were determined in melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. Prince) fruits picked 14 days after pollination (DAP), 28 DAP and 42 DAP.1. At all stages, the greatest percentage of total sugar was accumulated in the vacuole. The main sugars accumulated in melon early and late in the season were fructose and sucrose, respectively. Concentration of sugar in the free space increased from 44 mM at 14 DAP to 103 mM at 42 DAP, while that within the cell (cytoplasm+vacuole) increased slightly from 234 mM to 279 mM.2. Permeability of the plasma membrane to sucrose, glucoseand fructose was higher than that of the tonoplast and increased with fruit maturation. 3. CCCP restricted the release of sugar by reducing the rate of efflux across the plasma membrane and tonoplast while PCMBS restricted the release of sugar by reducing efflux across the plasma membrane.4. S-ABA of 10-5 M as compared to 10-4 M restricted the release of sugar from fruit discs; restriction was due to a reduction in the velocity constant of efflux of sugar across the plasma membrane. Thus, S-ABA may stimulate the accumulation of sugar in fruit flesh.


Bus mass rapid transit System (BRTS) is an innovative, high capability, lower price transport solution which will considerably improve urban quality. transport System in most Indian cities is rapidly deteriorating due to the increasing travel demand and inefficient transportation. There square measure numerous issues connected with transport such tremendous increase in range of accidents, Environmental degradation, Congestion, Overcrowding as a result of inadequate system, Frequency of service and schedule isn't strictly adhered. the matter of pollution, safety and unskillfulness have reached at a awful level in most of the key cities in Bharat as a result of intense growth of its population -both of individuals and motorcars, combined with inefficient transport system and poor social control of environmental laws etc. Thus, there's a good have to be compelled to guarantee clean, efficient, affordable, effective Associate in Nursingd safe public transportation and for this Bus mass rapid transit System might become an acceptable answer. Bus mass rapid transit (BRT) Systems have emerged joined of the necessary mode of transport. they're Motorized Transport relatively versatile, simply accessible, and economical and additionally price effective in terms of having the ability to move an outsized range of individuals (rather than vehicles). BRT systems will simply be custommade to community wants and incorporate progressive, inexpensive technologies that lead to a lot of passengers and fewer congestion. Performance improvements of BRTS is required to be done to overcome the above effects. This can be measured and evaluated by various tools like; BEAD tool, SPSS and various kinds of surveys. In the present study performance evaluation of BRTS is discussed.


Terrestrial, shellbearing gastropods were collected at Rocky Branch Nature Preserve, Clark County, Illinois. A total of three hundred nineteen specimens were collected representing five families and fifteen species. Two species of the family Endodontidae, eight species of the family Poly gyridae, three species of the family Zonitidae, and one species in e ach of the families Pupillidae and Succineidae were colle cted. In addition, an attempt was made to find the relation ship between species diversity and dominant woody vegetation and soil quality. The land at Rocky Branch Nature Preserve ranges from lowland flood plain to high second growth forest. The dominant trees of the lowland were maple and elm, which produce an alkaline soil with high concentrations of calcium. The dominant trees of the second growth upland forest are oak and hickory, which produce an acid soil and lower calcium concentrations. More specimens of land snails were collected (one hundred and ninety-nine) from the upland forest than from the flood plain (one hundred twenty) . There seemed to be a direct relationship between calcium and pH, but relationship of these two physical properties to organic matter is more complex. Quantitative levels of organic matte r appeared meaningless without qualitative data of the tree species involved.


The experiments deal with the effect of complete myocardial anoxia on the oxygen usage and carbohydrate metabolism of the heart. Work was performed on heart muscle slices and on the whole heart in the closed chest dog. In experiments on the whole heart, arrest of the coronary circulation resulted in a gradual decline in myocardial oxygen usage after 2 hours. After 4 hours, the myocardial oxygen usage was negligible. Severe alterations in carbohydrate metabolism were observed, such as a significant increase in myocardial lactate production. In experiments on tissue slices, myocardial oxygen usage declined more rapidly. After 1 hour, only 40% of the initial Q o2 remained. Aerobic glycolysis takes place in heart muscle slices as indicated by a significant increase in the RQ of this preparation.


191 migraine patients reported previous allergic diseases, tendency to vertigo and collapse, attacks of tachycardia, blood coagulation disorders, surgically treated cysts and fibromas and inflammatory diseases of various organs significantly more frequently than a control group similar in age, sex and social standing (N equal to 150). 140 patients reported retrospectively on the efficacy and side effects of different drugs. Ergotamine preparations showed a significantly better effect than others. The shorter the untreated attack, the more effective the preparations appeared to be. The younger the patients the better the effect of Dihydergot for interval treatment of migraine. Acupuncture was not successful. 16% of the patients abused their drugs.


The General Rhône Council has set up a new task force, the "Green Brigades", which reflects awareness that the environment can serve as a means towards social and professional reinsertion. The field of activity is maintenance of open spaces on sites that are cleaned up on behalf of local authorities: removal of bulky matter, renovation of banks and riverbeds, clearing or making of footpaths, etc.


The European Union's current pressure on the Member States to adopt both the Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package is leading to an accelerated drive to put in place measures to meet the 2030 climate targets. At the same time, many discussions at the international bilateral meetings of EU country representatives raise the question of the realism of setting climate targets, and therefore, the ability to meet these commitments. The results elaborated in this analytical study offer a realistic picture of the possibilities of meeting strategic climate targets using the example of the use of forest dendromass. The data assess the possibility of achieving a 22% share of renewable energy sources (RES) in gross final energy consumption by 2030 in the Czech Republic. The study points out that at present, the use of forest dendromass from primary production is at its maximum and meeting the climate targets for increasing the share of RES in the energy mix represents a major problem in the long term. The findings published in this study also point to the objective threat of the increased use of dendromass in the energy sector to the maintenance of sustainable forest management and the preservation of forest quality.


When users search for the routes between two places using map based services, these services compute and provide the top candidate routes based on shortest geometric distances or ideal time consuming. However, other real factors like physical exertion and practical time consuming will influence user experience, and the environmental factors like steep slope and traffic jam that result in these real factors need to be considered. For example, when users travel on foot or by bicycle, if there are many steep slopes on the routes, it will be difficult or easy to be tired. In this paper, we propose an approach computing weighted distance considering these environmental factors. We rank the candidate route results generated by Google Map using elevation information. We integrate the elevation information in the route results to assist users to make decision. The solution can also be used in other scenarios that need to consider environmental factors.


The activity of metronidazole and spiramycin, singly or in combination, was tested in vitro and also in vivo, in the eradication of infection caused by Bacteroides spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, alone or in combination. The MICs of metronidazole for the B. melaninogenicus and B. fragilis strains were significantly reduced by the addition of spiramycin (from 0.25 and 0.5 mg/l, to 0.062 and 0.125 mg/l, respectively). Antimicrobial synergy between metronidazole and spiramycin was noted against Bacteroides spp. in abscesses caused in mice by subcutaneous injection of Bacteroides spp. alone or in combination with S. aureus. Furthermore, an additional reduction in the number of S. aureus was noted in mixed infections with bacteroides that were treated with metronidazole alone. The antimicrobial synergy in vitro and in vivo between metronidazole and spiramycin may have clinical implications that deserve to be further investigated.


Abstract A mechanism is proposed, based on the assumption of ventilation, to explain the middepth northward flow observed in the North Atlantic. The main feature of the solution is that the outcropping line of an intermediate layer at high latitudes is uniquely specified by the condition that the middepth waters of the subtropical gyre may be "sucked up" by the positive Ekman pumping of the subpolar gyre. This model is consistent with several characteristic features of the circulation in that region such as its vertical structure, the greater northward extension of the warm waters in the eastern ocean and the shape of the large scale Mediterranean water plume. In a variation of the model, the observed isopycnal slopes along the eastern coast are included in the analysis; this implies the existence of eastern boundary layers.


The logarithmic Colebrook flow friction equation is implicitly given in respect to an unknown flow friction factor. Traditionally, an explicit approximation of the Colebrook equation requires evaluation of computationally demanding transcendental functions, such as logarithmic, exponential, non-integer power, Lambert W and Wright Ω functions. Conversely, we herein present several computationally cheap explicit approximations of the Colebrook equation that require only one logarithmic function in the initial stage, whilst for the remaining iterations the cheap Padé approximant of the first order is used instead. Moreover, symbolic regression was used for the development of a novel starting point, which significantly reduces the error of internal iterations compared with the fixed value staring point. Despite the starting point using a simple rational function, it reduces the relative error of the approximation with one internal cycle from 1.81% to 0.156% (i.e., by a factor of 11.6), whereas the relative error of the approximation with two internal cycles is reduced from 0.317% to 0.0259% (i.e., by a factor of 12.24). This error analysis uses a sample with 2 million quasi-Monte Carlo points and the Sobol sequence.


The genus Belloliva (Gastropoda: Olividae) consists of small (<15 mm) operculate species and was hitherto thought to be essentially confined to coastal waters of southern and eastern Australia. We report a small radiation from deep water (100–1000 m) in the Coral Sea and New Caledonia, consisting essentially of undescribed species. The new genus Calyptoliva, which differs from Belloliva by the absence of a mantle filament and the presence of a mantle lobe, is also represented in the same area by new species. Based on correlation with shell characters, we suggest that the olivid mantle lobe is responsible for secreting the primary spire callus that overlies the suture, rather than producing the columellar callus as was previously believed (Marcus and Marcus 1959). Belloliva and Calyptoliva combine a suite of shell, radular, and anatomical characters that is shared with either the Olivinae or the Ancillariinae. This raises the question of the distinctiveness of the two classically recognized subfamilies within the family Olividae. All species have paucispiral protoconchs with inferred limited larval dispersal, and many have extremely narrow distributions, sometimes endemic to a single guyot, or they show discrete geographical differentiation. New species: Belloliva iota sp. nov., Belloliva alaos sp. nov., Belloliva apoma sp. nov., Belloliva ellenae sp. nov., Belloliva obeon sp. nov., Belloliva dorcas sp. nov., Calyptoliva bolis gen. nov., sp. nov., Calyptoliva amblys sp. nov., Calyptoliva tatyanae sp. nov.


Stress or injury-induced phenomena, such as impaired wound healing and immune depression, may be related to impaired function of certain leukocyte populations. Since vitamin A prevents some aspects of stress, we studied its effect on various white cell populations in normal and injured rats. Supplemental vitamin A (150,000 IU/kg chow) to normal rats resulted in marked increases in thymic weight and lymphocytes without any effct on adrenal weight. The basal chow contains 13,700 IU vitamin A per kg. In rats subjected to moderately severe injury (dorsal wounding or unilateral femoral fracture), supplemental vitamin A greatly diminished the thymic involution observed in chow-fed controls and delayed or minimized the accompanying adrenal hypertrophy. In uninjured rats, supplemental vitamin A induced in three to four days a temporary circulatory leukocytosis characterized by lymhocytosis, monocytosis, and a relative neutropenia. These changes in the blood picture persisted one day after femoral fracture. On the second and third day postfracture the lymphocyte and neutrophil values returned to normal while the monocytosis persisted. Polyvinyl alcohol sponges implanted next to the fracture site demonstrated that supplemental vitamin A consistently increased the number of white blood cells migrating into the wound area and showed significantly larger numbers of monocytes/macrophages. These data suggest that vitamin A influences the numbers and nature of white cells involved in immune, inflammatory, and wound healing processes. In addition to the known antiglucocorticoid activity of vitamin A, these effects may represent a direct beneficial action of dietary vitamin A supplements for stressed and injured animals.


: Limb perfusion in spontaneously hypertensive rats demonstrated increased vascular resistance at maximum vasodilatation which may be related to structural specifics: the development of smooth muscle hypertrophy in resistive vessels and, obviously, decreased total number of functioning arterioles. The obtained "perfusion pressure - noradrenaline dosage" curves provide further evidence to this effect. The shift to the left shown by these curves and their greater steepness in spontaneously hypertensive rats are due to increased vascular reactivity to pressor effects.


Reflecting upon recent debates concerning the practitioner-researcher divide in the field of industrial, work and organizational (IWO) psychology, Garry Gelade advocates a series of changes to the publication policy of the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (JOOP), in an attempt to increase its appeal to HR practitioners. While his overall intention - the increased application of psychological knowledge, tools and techniques to the enhancement of productivity and well-being in workplace settings - is to be welcomed, unfortunately, several of his recommendations are misplaced, reflecting a number of misconceptions concerning the nature and role of scientific journals in the science and practice of IWO psychology. Taken as a whole, the package of policy changes he advocates is likely to prove counterproductive. Accordingly, modifications to his recommendations are offered, with a view to ensuring that JOOP continues to meet the needs of its prime constituents.


We introduce novel multi-agent interaction models of entropic spatially inhomogeneous evolutionary undisclosed games and their quasi-static limits. These evolutions vastly generalise first- and second-order dynamics. Besides the well-posedness of these novel forms of multi-agent interactions, we are concerned with the learnability of individual payoff functions from observation data. We formulate the payoff learning as a variational problem, minimising the discrepancy between the observations and the predictions by the payoff function. The inferred payoff function can then be used to simulate further evolutions, which are fully data-driven. We prove convergence of minimising solutions obtained from a finite number of observations to a mean-field limit, and the minimal value provides a quantitative error bound on the data-driven evolutions. The abstract framework is fully constructive and numerically implementable. We illustrate this on computational examples where a ground truth payoff function is known and on examples where this is not the case, including a model for pedestrian movement.


Genetic polymorphisms of hemoglobin, transferrin, amylase, alkaline phosphatase, and ceruloplasmin, interior blood indices, and the reproductive function of servicing bulls were studied. Correlations between the heterozygosity level with respect to blood protein systems and enzymes and interior blood indices and the reproductive function of servicing bulls were detected.


Traditionally rope design and selection has been an empirical craft, but this is no longer adequate when the choices have multiplied into hundreds of thousands and severe engineering demands apply to some uses, especially for long periods off-shore. This paper outlines a quasi-static analysis which has been developed for structured ropes and embodied in computer codes for prediction of the quasi-static and long-term properties of ropes. In this fundamental stage the codes compute tension and torque from their dependence on elongation and twist, thereby allowing the breakage of both ropes and splices to be predicted and improved designs developed.


Abstract Ectopic pregnancies occur when the implantation of a fertilized ovum occurs outside of the endometrial cavity. The majority of ectopic pregnancies encountered in clinical practice are located within the fallopian tube. Abdominal pregnancies represent 1% of all ectopic pregnancies. Primary omental pregnancy, in which the extrauterine site of implantation is the greater omentum, is the least common form of abdominal pregnancy. The rarity of an ectopic pregnancy in the omentum and the absence of clinical symptoms often delays diagnosis and proper identification before rupture. The authors describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who had hemoperitoneum from a ruptured omental ectopic pregnancy that mimicked adnexal implantation. Her omental pregnancy was diagnosed through intraoperative exploration and osteopathic structural examination findings.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of MIRE exposure and Tai Chi exercise on balance and fall risk in community-dwelling older adults with lower-extremity disease (LED).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In this double-blinded randomized controlled study, 49 older adults were randomly allocated into the MIRE group (n=25), in which the participants were exposed to 30 min of MIRE and performed 40-45 min of Tai Chi exercise, three sessions/week; and the sham group (n=24), in which the participants only performed the Tai Chi exercise. We measured the ankle/brachial index (ABI), as well as scores of the Berg balance scale (BBS), Tinetti clinical scale (TCS), and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) before and after 3-months of intervention.

RESULTS
A significant increase in ABI and scores of BBS, and TCS, was observed, along with a significant decrease in TUG scores in the MIRE group. The sham group showed a significant increase in the ABI, and TCS score, and a significant decrease in the TUG score, with a non-significant change in the BBS score. Comparison between both study groups illustrated that the patients in the MIRE group experienced improved balance and decreased fall risk.

CONCLUSIONS
Three months of MIRE exposure and Tai Chi exercise improved balance and reduced the risk of falls in community-dwelling older adults with LEDs.


Metal alkoxides are the most commonly used sol-gel process precursors. Most
alkoxides show excessive reactivity towards water. That leads to rapid hydrolysis, metal
hydroxide formation, and immediate precipitation. The reactivity of alkoxides can be
reduced by modification with chelation agents. Chelation influences the gelation process,
which is reflected in gel structure and properties of the final material. In this short review,
the chelation process, the oligomerization phenomena, and the influence of the chelating agent on the gel structure are discussed. Peculiarities of the use of FTIR and NMR, as methods particularly suitable for the investigation of chelation process, are described taking ethyl acetoacetate as an example.


Silicon carbide (SiC) is a material that possesses hardness and robustness to operate under high temperature condition. This work is a pilot in exploring the feasibility of cubic piezo element on the SiC wafer with integrated proof mass as horizontal cantilever with perpendicular displacement with respect to the normal plane. With the advance of electronic circuitry, the power consumption is reduced to nano-watts. Therefore, harvesting ambient energy and converting into electrical energy through piezoelectric material will be useful for powering low power devices. Resonance is a property which able to optimize the generated output power by tuning the proof masses. The damping ratio is a considerable parameter for optimization. From analytical study, small damping ratio will enhance the output power of the piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH). This paper will present mathematical modelling approach, simulation verification and the conditional circuit named versatile precision full wave rectifier.


The glassfrog Centrolene daidaleum is considered endemic to the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes, and is known only from eight localities between 1,600 and 2,060 m, on the western slope of this mountain system. Herein we report the first record of this species from Venezuela based on specimens coming from the Sierra de Perija, Zulia state. The species' altitudinal range is extended, and some ecological information is provided.


The growing interest in object-oriented analysis and design methods (OOMs) in the software development industry can be attributed to the support they give to some of the more significant software engineering principles, for example, separation of concerns and generality. On the other hand, most OOMs, like their structured analysis and design predecessors, produce models that are not amenable to rigorous semantic analyses. This problem can be attributed to the lack of firm semantic bases for the modeling notations and concepts. In this paper we show how a particular OOM, the Fusion analysis method, can be made more formal while preserving its essential qualities. Our approach involves integrating the Z formal specification style with the Fusion method. The result is an OOM that produces semantically analyzable Fusion models of behavior at the requirements level.


Normal papillary muscles are typified by a cellular architecture in which myocytes are arranged in orderly arrays, whose alignment is approximately parallel to the lines of tension within the muscle. To examine the contribution of directed tensile force to the maintenance of myocyte architecture within the papillary muscle, we studied the histologic effects of abrupt disruption of tension on the myocytes of the left ventricular papillary muscles in 84 patients who died after mitral valve replacement. Focal contraction band necrosis or coagulation necrosis was seen in 57 cases (68%) and fibrosis in 71 cases (85%). Zonal lesions sarcoplasmic condensations adjacent to intercalated discs were present in 49 cases (58%) and correlated negatively with survival time. Myocyte disarray in 26 cases (31%) was more frequent with longer survival and became an interconnecting random network of myocytes. All 10 patients who survived more than 1 year had disarray, as did eight of 10 patients who survived 1 month to 1 year. Myocyte atrophy in 19 cases (23%) correlated with the degree of acquired disarray. Multivariate regression analysis of these five histologic features showed significant prediction of survival time by myocyte disarray only. This finding demonstrates that the development and progression of disarray is not significantly associated with any of the other lesions studied. Since surgical disruption of normal lines of tension causes papillary muscles to function in a setting that approaches idealized isotonic contraction, it appears that myocyte disarray may be acquired over time in such a physical state. The findings support the concept that while myocyte orientation usually arises during development as a direct consequence of force distribution within the myocardium, disarray may also be acquired postnatally in regions of myocardium in which force distribution is altered.