Nanocarriers such as liposomes have been attracting attention as novel therapeutic methods for inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. The physicochemical properties of intravenously administered nanomedicines enable them to target inflamed tissues passively. However, few studies have attempted to determine the influences of nanoparticle surface characteristics on inflammation site accumulation. Here, we aimed to study the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification and surface charge on liposome ability to accumulate in inflammatory sites and be uptake by macrophages. Four different liposome samples with different PEG modification and surface charge were prepared. Liposome accumulation in the inflammation sites of arthritis and ulcerative colitis model mice was evaluated by using in vivo imaging. There was greater PEG-modified than unmodified liposome accumulation at all inflammation sites. There was greater anionic than cationic liposome accumulation at all inflammation sites. The order in which inflammation site accumulation was confirmed was PEG-anionic > PEG-cationic > anionic > cationic. PEG-anionic liposomes had ~2.5× higher fluorescence intensity than PEG-cationic liposomes, and the PEG-liposomes had ~2× higher fluorescence intensity than non-PEG liposomes. All liposomes have not accumulated at the inflammation sites in healthy mice. Furthermore, cationic liposomes were taken up to ~10× greater extent by RAW264.7 murine macrophages. Thus, PEG-cationic liposomes that have the ability to accumulate in inflammatory sites via intravenous administration and to be taken up by macrophages could be useful.


Summary: Glutamine synthetase (EC 188.8.131.52) was purified about 430-fold from the nitrifying bacterium Nitrobacter agilis by affinity chromatography on Blue Sepharose CL-6B and gel filtration on Sepharose 4B. The enzyme (apparent mol. wt 700000), which consisted of 12 subunits, each of mol. wt 58000, required a divalent cation for both biosynthetic and transferase activities. Regulation of glutamine synthetase both by a feedback inhibition involving amino acids and by an adenylylation/deadenylylation mechanism was studied. The enzyme was highly adenylylated (75-90%) in cell free extracts from cells grown on nitrite as the sole source of nitrogen. The adenylylated form of the enzyme could be deadenylylated by treatment with snake venom phos-phodiesterase. An isoactivity pH of 7·4 was recorded for glutamine synthetase.


Following the request of Palestine as a Party-State to the Status of the International Criminal Court, the Prosecutor decided to start a preliminary investigation into the situation of Palestine. The preliminary investigation resulted in a request from the Prosecutor to the Pre-Trial Chamber I for clarification of the Court's jurisdiction in relation to the occupied territories of Palestine. Many significant issues concerning the status of Palestine as a State and its legal borders were raised during the preliminary investigation, both by the Prosecutor and during the examination of the Chamber. Although both the Prosecutor and the Chamber have approved that the Court has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, including those occupied by Israel, the prospect for the success of the trials by the Court depends on the cooperation of the international community as a whole and the State-parties to the ICC Status.


The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of Cleome serrata by hydrodistillation was analyzed by employing GC-FID, GC-MS and RI. Fourteen compounds comprising 90.4% of the total oil composition were characterized. The main components identified were (Z)-phytol (53.0%) and di(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) (14.7%). The oil was evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial activities against nine pathogenic microorganisms using the filter paper disc diffusion method. Moderate antimicrobial activity was observed against five of the pathogens assayed. In addition, the essential oil was tested against the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus. Strong knockdown insecticidal activity was observed.


Sensor networks have recently received an increasing interest both in industry and academia and are applicable to a wide range of distributed applications. In such networks, sensors organize themselves to collect or disseminate information in the network, routing messages to specific sensors, {\em etc}. Given the limited resources of those devices, energy consumption is a first class concern. At the core of data management in distributed systems, lie some basic functionalities such as broadcast or anycast. In this paper, we focus on providing a suite of *-cast (anycast, $k$-cast, broadcast) functionalities in a fully decentralized manner. More specifically, we present the design and evaluation of {\sc Solist}, implementing the *-cast suite for wireless sensor networks. {\sc Solist} is fully decentralized, and let the sensors get organized into a multi-layer structure, largely inspired from structured peer-to-peer systems, yet limiting the overall energy consumption. A type is associated to each sensor, and the \mbox{*-cast} functionalities are implemented at a type granularity regardless of the number of types and their distribution within the network. This enables to reach any (anycast), $k$ ($k$-cast), or all (broadcast) sensors of a given type in a large-scale network. Sensor nodes of the same type are logically clustered and each of those types remains reachable from any point in the system as long as the network is connected. We evaluate {\sc Solist} through simulation and show that {\sc Solist} provides those functionalities while achieving a reasonable trade-off between performance and energy consumption.


This paper presents implementation of triangular critical conduction mode (CRM) modulation scheme to three-level boost (TLB) converter and proposes a three-level CRM modulation scheme for the topology. Compared to conventional triangular method, the proposed one performs full-utilization of three-level capability and synthesizes quadrangular inductor current waveform. By adjusting a designable period of the proposed scheme in a switching cycle, several variables including operating frequency, inductor current peak and component rms currents can be decreased. As a result, converter efficiency can be improved and current stresses of circuit components can be mitigated. In this paper, details of TLB operation principle, analysis of the proposed scheme and effects of adjustable design parameter are provided. A 700-W TLB converter prototype has been set up in order to verify the effectiveness of proposed CRM modulation scheme.


We demonstrate a bidirectional wavelength-division-multiplexing self-healing ring network for hub/remote nodes with a single strand of fiber. In this network, self-healing can be achieved within 8 ms. The transmission capacity can be doubled in the operating state. We observed the improvement of power penalty due to the spectral filtering in the realized network with 2.5-Gb/s directly modulated signals.


Pipelines are the most economical way to transport hydrocarbons. In Mexico, PEMEX manages more than 60,000 Km of oil and gas land and marine pipelines. Therefore, their structural integrity must be carefully assessed. Pipeline managers require reliable and realistic codes in order to back up their decisions about design, maintenance and operation. In particular, for safety prediction, the failure modes and uncertainties involved in each loading condition need to be incorporated in the analysis in order to specify the pipelines use thresholds that keep them over acceptable safety levels within their operating lifetimes [1, 2]. For these reasons, a structural reliability formulation appears to be the appropriate framework to perform the evaluation. In this paper, the land pipeline reliability is estimated for the internal pressure, bending and tension failure mode conditions. These loading conditions are applied individually and tension and bending in a combined fashion, and random variability on the internal pressure, steel mechanical properties as well as the degradation effect of internal corrosion due to the transported fluid is included. So far, seamless pipeline is considered as used in Mexico. A set of internal pressures and mechanical properties are randomly generated through Monte Carlo simulation and the pipeline response under each simulated condition is obtained by making use of commercial software. The response analysis resorts on the nonlinear finite element method and it involves the calculation of maximum stresses and stress concentration factors under no corroded and corroded conditions. The following limit states are assessed: 1) the margin between maximum stresses due to internal pressure, tension and bending and the material capacity and 2) the margin between stress concentration factor and fracture initiation toughness. The above described limit states are calculated for no corroded condition and, once the critical failure modes are identified, corrosion effect is included on them. The failure probability is estimated from the response statistics for the considered limit state. The Cornell reliability index and the respective safety factor are also estimated. These results may be further extended and used for risk assessments and code calibration for design, inspection and maintenance of pipelines in Mexico.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


This study aims to measure the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (I-Cube) in the educational process from the perspective of students at Qatar University (QU). It was conducted during the Spring semester 2017. The study's sample comprises 64 female students enrolled in the "Technology for Children" course, a required course at QU College of Education. The students were divided into two groups: The first group (G1) includes 30 students, who were assigned to visit the QU Interactive Cube (I-Cube) Lab and to interact with whatever available instructional applications. They were also required to read an article on Virtual Reality, its nature, concept, features, and the way it can be applied in the field of education. The second group (G2), which consisted of 34 female students, was also assigned to read the article, but did not to visit the I-Cube Lab. Both groups had to respond to an opinion questionnaire about the effectiveness of Virtual Reality in education. The questionnaire was conducted twice to measure the effect of the treatment on the performance of both groups. The results showed a significant difference between G1 and G2 in favor of G1 (I-Cube visiting and reading). The findings also indicated that there was a significant difference between the pre and post-performance of G1 in favor of the post-performance. However, there was not any significant difference between the pre- and post-performance of G2 (reading only). That is an indication that the Virtual Reality through the I-Cube Lab has a great impact on the learning process based on the point of view of the students at QU College of Education.


In this paper we will consider the usage of knowledge modelling and design with conceptual design and analysis in improving the knowledge description of medical data. There exists many XML and information system (IS) based approaches for producing easy to use, reliable, trustworthy and coherent medical systems and services, like the concepts of HL7. In computer applications web, web services and semantic web based technologies and tools are being used in the business and ecommerce scenarios to produce user-focused, (business) process oriented services in future medical IS. Our case is focused on laboratory exams and their knowledge analysis for predicting and analyzing the usage of various drugs by patients. We show with our case the role of semantic knowledge modelling in coordinating various medical services in a real hospital setting, and hope to extend our work in the future towards semantic web based applications that improve and ease the patient treatments in the IS of the future hospitals.


Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising form of cancer treatment that uses native or genetically engineered viruses to target, infect and kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, this form of therapy is not effective in a substantial proportion of cancer patients, partly due to the occurrence of infection-resistant tumor cells. To shed new light on the mechanisms underlying therapeutic failure and to discover strategies that improve therapeutic efficacy we designed a cell-based model of viral infection. The model allows to investigate the dynamics of infection-sensitive and infection-resistant cells in tumor tissue in presence of the virus. To reflect the importance of the spatial configuration of the tumor on the efficacy of virotherapy, we compare three variants of the model: two 2D models of a monolayer of tumor cells and a 3D model. In all model variants, we systematically investigate how the therapeutic outcome is affected by properties of the virus (e.g. the rate of viral spread), the tumor (e.g. production rate of resistant cells, cost of resistance), the healthy stromal cells (e.g. degree of resistance to virus) and the timing of treatment. We find that various therapeutic outcomes are possible when resistant cancer cells arise at low frequency in the tumor. These outcomes depend in an intricate but predictable way on the death rate of infected cells, where faster death leads to rapid virus clearance and cancer persistence. Our simulations reveal three different causes of therapy failure: rapid clearance of the virus, rapid selection of resistant cancer cells, and a low rate of viral spread due to the presence of infection-resistant healthy cells. Our models suggest that improved therapeutic efficacy can be achieved by sensitizing healthy stromal cells to infection, although this remedy has to be weighed against the toxicity induced in the healthy tissue.


By Kelsie Gilkey, Environmental Studies
 Advisor: Amy Townsend-Small
 Presentation ID: PM_ATRIUM06
 Abstract: I am working with the Green Cincinnati Project to promote sustainable behaviors. I will not only participate in these behaviors, but also recruit twenty other to do so as well. I will recruit people from my personal life. My project centers around sustainable food consumption. This includes eating less meat, using reusable grocery bags, not using produce bags, using food wraps, limiting food waste, and buying local. Each week, I will gather information from these participants to see what changes they are making. From there, I will record progress and construct graphs or tables to display this data. Finally, I will present my findings to show what the work of twenty people making more sustainable food choices for a month makes.


Widely deploying sensors in the environment and embedding them in physical objects is a crucial step towards realizing smart and sustainable cities. To cope with rising resource demands and limited budgets, opportunistic networks (OppNets) offer a scalable backhaul option for collecting delay-tolerant data from sensors to gateways in order to enable efficient urban operations and services. While pervasive devices such as smartphones and tablets contribute significantly to the scalability of OppNets, closely following human movement patterns and social structure introduces network characteristics that pose routing challenges. Our study on the impact of these characteristics reveals that existing routing protocols subject a key set of devices to higher resource consumption, to which their users may respond by withdrawing participation. Unfortunately, existing solutions addressing this unfairness do not guarantee achievable throughput since they are not specifically designed for sensed data collection scenarios. Based on concepts derived from the study, we suggest design guidelines for adapting applicable routing protocols to sensed data collection scenarios. We also follow our design guidelines to propose the Fair Locality Aware Routing (FLARoute) technique. Evaluating FLARoute within an existing routing protocol confirms improved fairness and throughput under conditions that compromise the performance of existing solutions.


The User Requirements Notation (URN) enables the graphical modeling of requirements with goals and scenarios, and jUCMNav is a free, Eclipse-based tool that supports modeling and analysis with URN. Concern-Driven Development (CDD) enables requirements engineers to encapsulate and reason about concerns, whether they are crosscutting (i.e., aspects) or not. However, to truly capitalize on the benefits promised by CDD, concerns need to be encapsulated across software development phases, i.e., across different types of models at different levels of abstraction. Recently, URN was extended to support aspect-oriented concepts. This demonstration focuses on the new concern-driven modeling features of jUCMNav, together with its capabilities to compose aspects together, and to transform aspectual scenario models into design models in the Reusable Aspect Models notation. jUCMNav is hence one of the few tools that enable CDD from requirements to design.


Following reports of concern among health-care workers regarding the occupational risk of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a symposium was designed in 1987 to demonstrate to health-care providers at three hospitals in The Bronx, New York, the low risk of occupational HIV infection and techniques for avoiding infection. After the symposium, 103 of the health-care providers who had attended it completed a questionnaire assessing the impact of the symposium on their attitudes; the responses from 100 of these providers were used in this study. Twenty-nine of the responding providers reported that the symposium had increased their concerns regarding their risk of HIV infection; this group was composed of seven of the 15 medical students who responded, 12 of the 36 housestaff, seven of the 28 faculty, and three of the 21 other medical staff. The findings of the present study suggest that a symposium designed to decrease concerns of occupational HIV infection among health-care workers may have the opposite effect on some of those who attend it, especially medical students. Education alone may be inadequate to reassure some providers. The authors recommend small-group sessions addressing the emotional aspects of health-care providers' concerns.


We present GazeDirector, a new approach for eye gaze redirection that uses model-fitting. Our method first tracks the eyes by fitting a multi-part eye region model to video frames using analysis-by-synthesis, thereby recovering eye region shape, texture, pose, and gaze simultaneously. It then redirects gaze by 1) warping the eyelids from the original image using a model-derived flow field, and 2) rendering and compositing synthesized 3D eyeballs onto the output image in a photorealistic manner. GazeDirector allows us to change where people are looking without person-specific training data, and with full articulation, i.e. we can precisely specify new gaze directions in 3D. Quantitatively, we evaluate both model-fitting and gaze synthesis, with experiments for gaze estimation and redirection on the Columbia gaze dataset. Qualitatively, we compare GazeDirector against recent work on gaze redirection, showing better results especially for large redirection angles. Finally, we demonstrate gaze redirection on YouTube videos by introducing new 3D gaze targets and by manipulating visual behavior.1


Pathological low birth weight 'fetal growth restriction' (FGR) is an important predictor of adverse obstetric outcomes including stillbirth. It is more common amongst native lowlanders when gestating in the hypoxic environment of high altitude, whilst populations who have resided at high altitude for many generations are relatively protected. Genetic study of pregnant populations at high altitude allows for exploration of the hypoxic influence on FGR pathogenesis.Pregnant women were recruited from Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital, Ladakh between February 2017- January 2019 in this study. Principal component, admixture and genome wide association analysis (GWAS) were applied on umbilical cord blood DNA samples from 316 neonates, to explore ancestry and the genetic influence on low birth weight.Our findings support Tibetan ancestry in the Ladakhi population, with subsequent admixture with neighboring Indo-Aryan populations. Fetal growth protection was evident in Ladakhi neonates. Seven loci from five different genomic regions (ZBTB38, ZFP36L2, HMGA2, CDKAL1, PLCG1) previously associated with birthweight, were likewise similarly associated here. In summary, the Ladakhi population show evidence of enrichment of variants in genes that may help mitigate altitude-associated fetal growth restriction, supporting novel biological pathways and therapeutic targets for FGR, worthy of further investigation.


Heat and mass transport in low-temperature, low-pressure H2O systems are important processes on Earth, and on a number of planets and moons in the Solar System. In most occurrences, these systems will contain other components, the so-called noncondensible gases, such as CO2, CO, SO2, CH4, and N2. The presence of the noncondensible components can greatly alter the thermodynamic properties of the phases and their flow properties as they move in and on the planets. We review various forms of phase diagrams that give information about pressure-temperature-volume-entropyenthalpy-composition conditions in these complex systems. Fluid dynamic models must be coupled to the thermodynamics to accurately describe flow in gas-driven liquid and solid systems. The concepts are illustrated in detail by considering flow and flow instabilities such as geysering in modern geothermal systems on Earth, paleofluid systems on Mars, and cryogenic ice-gas systems on Mars and Enceladus. We emphasize that consideration of single-component end-member systems often leads to conclusions that exclude many qualitatively and quantitatively important phenomena.


A programmable digital clock generator that produces a wide range of clock frequencies with fine resolution is described. The clock generator consists of a noise-shaping control loop and a number-controlled oscillator. The generated clock has a time-varying period. When this clock is used as the sampling clock in a switched-capacitor filter (SCF) to set its frequency response, the time-varying period causes nonuniform sampling, which is acceptable under certain conditions that are described. Measured performance of a 2-/spl mu/m CMOS implementation of the clock generator is presented. Also, measured data for the clock generator driving two SCF's are reported. >


As the number of people living with dementia grows across the world, finding solutions to complex situations is becoming more and more urgent. One such situation is supporting people with dementia to walk outdoors even though the condition can affect way-finding and communication abilities. In clinical discourse this situation is typically framed in terms of people with dementia 'wandering' and solutions are aimed at caregivers, rather than the individual with dementia. In this paper I argue for a disability rights perspective, where the citizenship of the person with dementia is central and particular care arrangements are situated within a broader socio-political context. Such a shift involves acknowledging a person's rights to mobility and social inclusion and understanding relations between individuals and between individuals and service providers. In my view it is only by making this shift that the full potential and parameters of location technologies in the care of citizens with dementia can be researched and realised. ?


Over a 2-year period, from 12 September 1991 to 11 September 1993, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed on 1475 patients with benign gallbladder disease in Kunming General Hospital, Yunnan, China. Of these, 28 cases (1.9%) were converted to open surgery. Various complications were documented in 27 instances including extrahepatic bile duct injury in 4 cases (0.3%), postoperative haemorrhage requiring laparotomy in 3 cases (0.2%) and bile leak from cystic duct stump in 1 case (0.07%). There was 1 (0.07%) death in the series. The junction between the gallbladder infundibulum and the cystic duct is an important landmark which laparoscopic surgeons must identify in the course of the procedure. Because the junction remains a comparatively constant landmark, in difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy, excessive dissection of the bile duct would be unnecessary. During dissection of the hepatic hilus, blund dissection is recommended and the blind use of cautery and haemostasis should be avoided.


The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of current theories for organizations' decisions about employee benefits, an area that has traditionally received little attention from researchers in the field of human resource management. Drawing on organizational and economic theories, we offer alternative explanations for observed patterns in the adoption and design of flexible benefits plans. By critically analyzing current theories in the context of flexible benefits plans, we hope to gain insights not only into the factors that may determine organizations' benefits decisions, but also into the strengths and weaknesses of the theories themselves. We find that the conflicts, overlaps and limitations inherent in the theories as applied to benefits issues are substantial. The implications for future research are discussed.


A stereo endoscope measurement system for the firearms' chamber is exploited with the stereo endoscopic technique and it put forward a new detection method for the damage depth and scorching area and it solved the technical problems of the nondestructive detection. It has realistic significance for the improvement of the work efficiency, measurement precision and data statistic. The software design thoughts of the image acquisition card, the stereo camera calibration and the stereo matching are presented in the paper with the stereo vision theory and it obtains the preliminary research results.


A survey of trees has been conducted in one hectare of subtropical rainforest in Lamington National Park. All stems greater than 5cm diameter at 1.3m (dbh) were identified, their diameters measured and their positions plotted within the hectare. This is used to examine both the structure and the floristic composition of the vegetation. This reference plot exhibits high species richness and diversity, largely because of its location at a point of overlap between southern and northern floristic elements. The most important families on the plot are Sterculiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Cunoniaceae, Rutaceae, and Lauraceae. The plot is dominated in terms of basal area by the family Sterculiaceae and within it, the genus Argyrodendron, which is represented by two species. Much floristic and structural information is lost if only those stems greater than 10cm dbh are analysed. The survey results are presented as baseline information for Australian sub-tropical complex notophyll vine forest at mid-elevation on basalt. These data are a contribution to the understanding of stand dynamics with respect to future disturbance and change. The need for a series of similar permanent vegetation plots across the range of diverse structural and floristic rainforest associations evident within the Australian flora is emphasised.


The present study was carried out in Ardabil Province to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational healths of high school teachers with their organizational commitment. The organizational health was conceptualized on the basis of Hoy et. al. (1991) Conceptualization as a construct consisting seven dimensions including institutional integrity, principal influence, consideration, initiating structure, resource support, morale and academic emphasis. To asses organizational commitment, the three dimensional model of Meyer and Allen (1990) was used. The statistical population of the study composed of all state High school male teachers of Ardabil province in the Academic year 2006-2007(1385-1386). The statistical samples of 350 state High school male teachers were selected using the multi-steps sampling method. The method use in the research is descriptive –co relational and the data were collected using OHI-S and OCQ (New edition) questionnaires. The result of data analysis indicates a positive correlation between organizational health with its seven dimensions and the organizational commitment in its three types. From among dimensions of organizational health, morale, academic emphasis, principal influence, resource support and initiating structure are predicators of organizational commitment. 40 percent of organizational commitment variance is predictable by the change in these five dimensions. From among prediction variables, the share of principal influence, morale, resource support is higher in predicting of organizational commitment; and the share of technical level is higher in prediction organizational commitment than the other two levels.
Key Words: organizational health, organizational climate, organizational commitment, Affective commitment, continuance commitment, normative commitment


Abstract A photon-counting retinal densitometer is described that has been designed optically and electronically for improved sensitivity and reliability. The device allows measurement of visual pigments through the undilated natural pupils of subjects at relatively low levels of measuring lights, and serves also as an adaptometer for direct comparisons between pigment bleaching or regeneration and light or dark adaptation. Instrumental control and data collection are by computer to permit rapid and simple data analysis and comparisons between subjects. The methods by which the sensitivity and reliability have been enhanced are described in detail, and some examples of experimental results are presented.


Pygo is a nuclear protein containing two conserved domains, NHD and PHD, which play important roles in embryonic development and carcinogenesis. Pygo was first identified as a core component of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. However, it has also been reported that the function of Pygo is not always Wnt/β-catenin signalling dependent. In this review, we summarise the functions of both domains of Pygo and show that their functions are synergetic. The PHD domain mainly combines with transcription co-factors, including histone 3 and Bcl9/9l. The NHD domain mainly recruits histone methyltransferase/acetyltransferase (HMT/HAT) to modify lysine 4 of the histone 3 tail (H3K4) and interacts with Chip/LIM-domain DNA-binding proteins (ChiLS) to form enhanceosomes to regulate transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we summarised chromatin modification differences of Pygo in Drosophila (dPygo) and vertebrates, and found that Pygo displayes a chromatin silencing function in Drosophila, while in vertebates, Pygo has a chromatin-activating function due to the two substitution of two amino acid residues. Next, we confirmed the relationship between Pygo and Bcl9/9l and found that Pygo-Bcl/9l are specifically partnered both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Finally, we discuss whether transcriptional activity of Pygo is Wnt/β-catenin dependent during embryonic development. Available information indications that the transcriptional activity of Pygo in embryonic development is either Wnt/β-catenin dependent or independent in both tissue-specific and cell-specific-modes.


One remarkable feature of the nervous system is its ability to rapidly and spontaneously switch between activity states. In the extreme example of sleep, animals arrest locomotion, reduce their sensitivity to sensory stimuli, and dramatically alter their neural activity. Small organisms are useful models to better understand these sudden changes in neural states because we can simultaneously observe whole-brain activity, monitor behavior and precisely regulate the external environment. Here, we show a spontaneous sleep-like behavior in C. elegans that is associated with a distinct global-brain state and regulated by both the animal's internal physiological state and input from multiple sensory circuits. Specifically, we found that when confined in microfluidic chambers, adult worms spontaneously transition between periods of normal activity and short quiescent bouts, with behavioral state transitions occurring every few minutes. This quiescent state, which we call μSleep, meets the behavioral requirements of C. elegans sleep, is dependent on known sleep-promoting neurons ALA and RIS, and is associated with a global down-regulation of neural activity. Consistent with prior studies of C. elegans sleep, we found that μSleep is regulated by satiety and temperature. In addition, we show for the first time that quiescence can be either driven or suppressed by thermosensory input, and that animal restraint induces quiescence through mechanosensory pathways. Together, these results establish a rich model system for studying how neural and behavioral state transitions are influenced by multiple physiological and environmental conditions.Unique brain states govern animal behaviors like sleep and wakefulness; however, how the brain regulates these dramatic state transitions is not well understood. Brain activity can be influenced by a complex interaction between sensory circuits that monitor the external environment, neural circuits that control behavior, and internal chemical signaling. Here, we describe a platform to study behavioral states in a context that allows us to record whole-brain activity while controlling the environment and monitoring animal behavior. Specifically, we identify a pattern of sleep bouts in the roundworm C. elegans that occur when they are confined to microscopic fluidic chambers. This behavior platform provides a powerful system to study how neural circuits interact with chemical signaling to drive brain state transitions.


Derandomization by means of mirroring has been recently introduced to enhance the performances of (1,λ)-Evolution-Strategies (ESs) with the aim of designing fast robust local search stochastic algorithms. This paper compares on the BBOB-2010 noiseless benchmark testbed two variants of the (1,2)-CMA-ES where the mirroring method is implemented. Independent restarts are conducted till a total budget of 104 D function evaluations per trial is reached, where D is the dimension of the search space. The results show that the improved variants increase the success probability on 5 (respectively 7) out of 24 test functions in 20D and at the same time are significantly faster on 9 (10) functions in 20D by a factor of about 2-3 (2-4) for a target value of 10-7 while in no case, the baseline (1,2)-CMA-ES is significantly faster on any tested target function value in 5D and 20D.


This research was aimed to redesign the existing syllabus for Bee 1 and Bee 2 in think e to clarify the steps how to redesign the existing syllabus to be an effective syllabus for Bee 1 and Bee 2 level. The subject of this study was the syllabus for teaching Bee 1 and Bee 2 level. It was evaluated and analyzed to be redesigned into an appropriate syllabus for young learners. The researcher also used SWOT to analyze the existing syllabus. The result found several factors that made the existing syllabus for Bee 1 and Bee 2 should be redesigned. The factors were the standard format of the syllabus, the content of Theme-Based syllabus design, students' competence, and the teachers' obstacles in creating lesson planning. The content of the syllabus were the course description, basic and standard competence, themes, materials, activities, methodology, and tasks. Then, the steps to redesign the previous syllabus in think e was evaluating the previous syllabus, understanding the students' characteristics, and finding out the students' needs in learning English. Continually, to make a strong foundation in learning English for young learners, the study recommended to apply a strategy to build the students' critical thinking and encouraged the students to be active in the lesson.


Photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collectors are hybrid solar collectors that convert solar and ambient energy into thermal and electrical energy. Integrated PVT-HP, in which PVT collectors are combined with a heat pump, offers an efficient and renewable option to replace conventional fossil fuel-based energy systems in residential buildings. Currently, system concepts in which the selection, design and control of the components are aligned towards the system performance are lacking. The development of a system model enables the comparison of a variety of system parameters and system designs, informed decision making based on the energetic performance and the market diffusion of PVT-HP systems. This contribution presents a simulation model of a PVT-HP system. By means of numerical simulations, with simulation program TRNSYS, the energetic performance of a PVT-HP system and the system components are investigated. It is shown that the PVT-HP can cover the annual energy demand of a residential building. The corresponding Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) is equal to 3.6. Furthermore, the effect of varying weather conditions, occupancy and building orientations on the performance of the reference system is analyzed. The SPF for the investigated scenarios varies between 3.0 and 3.9. Lastly, two system parameters, the PVT collector area, and the PVT collector type are varied as an initial step in the optimization of the system performance. To sum up, the presented PVT-HP model is suitable for dynamic system simulation and the exploration of the system concepts. The simulation study shows that a PVT-HP system can cover the annual energy demand of a residential building. Lastly, parametric variations showcase the optimization potential of PVT-HP systems.


There is dearth of quantified information on water requirement of crops growth in the soil amended with leaf litters of agro-forestry trees. In this light, a completely randomized design with five replicates was laid down to assess the effect of watering regimes on the growth of Citrus tangelo seedlings in the screen house of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State. C. tangelo seedlings were subjected to 200 mL of water at five watering regimes (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 day's interval). Tissue analysis was carried out to determine the nutrient uptake in seedlings. Watering significantly (P<0.05) influences seedling growth and nutrient uptake. Significant height (9cm), number of leaves (8), leaf area (22.65 cm 2 ) and phosphorus uptake (18.11 mg/100 g) were recorded for C. tangelo planted in Jacaranda mimosifolia soil and subjected to daily watering regime. Daily watering of C. tangelo enhances its growth and nutrient uptake. Daily watering of C. tangelo is recommended for its mass production for agro-forestry programmes. Keywords: Watering regimes, leaf litters, seedling growth, nutrient uptake, Agro-forestry


In a recent article, "Vaccine Refusal Is Not Free Riding", Ethan Bradley and Mark Navin (2021) argue that vaccine refusal is not akin to free riding. Here, I defend one connection between vaccine refusal and free riding and suggest that, when viewed in conjunction with their other arguments, this might constitute a reason to mandate Covid-19 vaccination.


The alignment A20 of Mg+(L3) ions after electron impact ionization has been measured for the range of impact energy E0=300 eV down to 59.8 eV; the latter value is close to the threshold energy E(L3)=57.54 eV. The experimental alignment values agree reasonably with the results of a BA calculation for E0>100 eV but disagree with DWBA results in the full range of energy. From the alignment value obtained near threshold, A20=-0.18(5), it is concluded that two-electron partial waves with L=0 and L>0 contribute to the Wannier threshold cross section.


A commercial aluminum 7034 alloy, produced by spray casting and having an initial grain size of ~2.1 μm, was subjected to equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) through six passes at 473 K. In the as-pressed condition, the microstructure was reasonably homogeneous and the grain size was reduced to an ultrafine grain size of ~0.3 μm. This alloy contains MgZn2 and Al3Zr precipitates which restrict grain growth. In tensile testing at 673 K after processing by ECAP, an elongation of >1000% was achieved at a strain rate of 1.0 × 10-2 s-1 corresponding to high strain rate superplasticity. Quantitative cavity measurements were conducted on the specimens after tensile testing for both the as-received condition and after ECAP. These measurements reveal a significant number of small cavities in the samples and especially in the sample that exhibited a very high elongation. This paper describes the morphology of cavity development in the spray-cast aluminum alloy in both the as-received and as-pressed condition.


This work proposes a novel and scalable reinforcement learning approach for routing in ad-hoc wireless networks. In most previous reinforcement learning based routing methods, the links in the network are assumed to be fixed, and a different agent is trained for each transmission node — this limits scalability and generalizability. In this paper, we account for the inherent signal-to-interferenceplus-noise ratio (SINR) in the physical layer and propose a more scalable approach in which a single agent is associated with each flow and is trained using a novel reward definition and according to the physical-layer characteristics of the environment. This allows a highly effective routing strategy based on the geographic locations of the nodes in the ad-hoc network. The proposed deep reinforcement learning strategy is capable of accounting for the mutual interference between the links and is capable of producing highly effective routing solutions over the entire network in a scalable manner.


Abstract Data acquisiton technology has gone through a transition from general reconnaissance of large surface areas to detailed mapping of identified subsurface structures. The technological requirements to support this transition have provided advances in source/receiver configurations, hardware and software systems for land and marine, and data acquisition methods. This paper presents trends, developments and applications of segments of these technologies in the land and marine environment. Special emphasis will be devoted to tuned source receiver arrays for marine, marine streamer attitude sensing and land source development. The trend toward increased accuracy in navigation will be discussed as it is related to the trend toward increased spacial sampling. Methods for achieving increased spacial sampling will be discussed for both the land and marine environment. The paper will conclude with a short discussion on future trends in data collection technology. Actual and model data will be presented where applicable.


It has long been known in the literature how to include income taxes in the valuation of companies. These taxes can be neutral and therefore do not influence the company value, provided certain conditions are met; essentially, a firm's cash flows have to be taxed the same way as those of a financial investment, which requires the use of economic depreciation. In this paper, we clarify how to value a company when its owner becomes liable for inheritance tax. Here, too, this type of tax is irrelevant when all assets are equally taxed. However, if some assets, e.g. business assets, are treated preferentially, which is the case in most European jurisdictions, the company value rises. We show that a considerable increase can be observed within realistic parameters for European countries.


Abstract Spinach, (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a popular vegetable. The hepatoprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of spinach (EESO) was studied against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress (OS) and liver injury in rats. Pretreatment of rats with EESO, at 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight for 21 consecutive days significantly prevented the CCl4-induced hepatic damage as indicated by the serum marker enzymes (SGOT, SGPT, ALP and GGT) and bilirubin levels. Parallel to these changes, the leaves extract also prevented CCl4-induced OS in rat liver by inhibiting lipid peroxidation (LPO) and restoring the levels of antioxidant non-enzymatic biomarker, such as total protein (TP) and non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) in liver tissue. The biochemical changes were consistent with the histological findings of the liver tissue suggesting marked hepatoprotective effect of the leaves extract in a dose-dependent manner, besides, a significant reduction was also observed in pentobarbital-induce...


Purpose
The factory production stage constitutes the bridge in the supply chains of modular integrated construction (MiC) projects. It embodies the fundamental differences between MiC and site-based construction. However, there is a poverty of knowledge of the uncertainties and risk events at the production stage. This study aims to investigate the critical production risk factors (PRFs) for MiC projects.

Design/methodology/approach
Comprehensive literature research and expert review identified and validated 22 candidate PRFs for MiC projects. A structured questionnaire survey was then used to gather opinions of domain experts in 18 countries on the relative impact of the validated PRFs for MiC projects. The collected data were analysed using multiple statistical techniques.

Findings
Statistical analysis identified nine critical PRFs for MiC projects. The top five include dimensional conflicts between modules during production; delays in production materials procurement; defective design; design information gap between designer and manufacturer; and limited capacity of manufacturers.

Originality/value
The study addressed the gap associated with identifying critical risk factors peculiar to the factory production stage of MiC projects. Its novelty lies in providing an opposite assessment of severities and prioritization of critical PRFs for MiC projects. The prioritized critical PRFs for MiC projects may inform resource allocation. Thus, it provides valuable information to MiC production specialists and project managers in their production risk planning and management strategies. The identified PRFs contribute to the theoretical checklist of MiC supply chain risk factors and may assist practitioners in assessing the severity levels of the PRFs of their MiC projects.


This paper deals with the functional morphology of the pelvic girdle and fins in various genera of hill stream cyprinid and sisorid fishes. The pelvic plate of Pseudecheneis shows the greatest modification; it is unusually large and reaches the coracoids of the pectoral arch in front.

The elaborate working of the pelvic muscles and their function in bringing about effective adhesion by the pelvic fins is described in detail. The formation of a new muscle, M. pars retractor ischii of the M. mesioventralis, is reported in Garra and Psilorhynchus (Cyprinidae) and in Glyptothorax and Pseudecheneis (Sisoridae). In Pseudecheneis, the complete separation of this muscle from the M. mesioventral, and modification of the M. protractor ischii, are discussed in relation to the crawling habit of the genus. The appearance of the M. arrector pel vicalis ventralis in Glyptothorax and Pseudecheneis among sisorids has been associated with the adhesive function of the outer ray.


In this work we develop a general analytical framework to study the fairness characteristics of the IEEE 802.11a MAC protocol. We prove that equally sharing the channel bandwidth among the nodes leads to a significant inefficiency because nodes transmitting at low bit rates (i.e., having bad channel conditions) consume more channel resources than nodes transmitting at high bit rates. To solve this problem we extend the 802.11 backoff algorithm to guarantee equal temporal shares to all the nodes in the network. This is achieved by prioritizing the channel access using different contention windows. We analytically describe the behavior of the modified MAC protocol, called TF-802.11a protocol, and we exploit our analytical results to determine how to select the average backoff for each available bit rates in order to achieve a channel utilization fairness. An extensive set of simulations confirms the throughput gain provided by the proposed temporal fair MAC protocol with respect to the standard protocol.


Background: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines provide recommendations for which patients diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer should have a referral for genetic evaluation. However, in a community setting without access to an on-site genetics provider, providing genetic counseling or testing could be more difficult. Objective: The study objective was to evaluate which patients within a community cancer program appropriate for genetic referral actually received counseling or testing, and identify any changes in practice after initiation of an on-site genetics program. Methods: Utilizing an institutional tumor registry database, patients from a community oncology program were identified who met a subset of NCCN guidelines for genetic referral from June 2015 through June 2017. Patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer, breast cancer diagnosed at or before age 45, male breast cancer, and triple negative breast cancer diagnosed at or before age 60 were included. A retrospective electronic chart review was performed to evaluate for genetic referral and uptake of genetic testing. Patients who received genetic testing prior to a cancer diagnosis were excluded from evaluation. Results: A total of 103 patients were included (35 ovarian cancer; 62 breast cancer ≤ age 45; 1 male breast cancer; 17 triple negative ≤ age 60). A total of 76 patients had genetic testing (74%). An additional 5 patients were offered genetic testing or referred for a genetic consult but declined, bringing the total referred or tested to 78.6%. Patients with breast cancer indications had the highest rate of genetic testing (88%). Patients with ovarian cancer were tested at a lower rate (45%). A secondary analysis was performed comparing the length of time between diagnosis and testing before and after the initiation of an on-site genetics program in late July 2016. For patients with breast cancer diagnosed at or under age 45, prior to on-site genetics availability, the average time to test was 62 days (6-1021 days, with 2 patients tested prior to their diagnosis). After the genetics program started, the average time to test was 23 days (6-141 days). For patients with triple negative breast cancer diagnosed at or under age 60, the time to test went from 106 days (8-767 days) to 29 days (6-116 days). For patients with ovarian cancer, time to test went from 296 days (80-810 days) to 116 days (13-230 days). Conclusions: Within our community cancer program, there was a reasonable rate of genetic referral or genetic testing for patients with breast cancer indications per a subset of the NCCN guidelines. The rates of referral or testing were worse for ovarian cancer patients, reflecting the more acute presentation of many of these patients. There exists opportunity for improvement for testing of ovarian cancer patients including availability of inpatient consultation or testing. In addition, this study did not evaluate those patients meeting NCCN guidelines for testing based on family history, which may reflect different referral or testing patterns. For all indications, the average time from diagnosis to testing decreased with the initiation of an on-site genetics program. Citation Format: Kristine M. King, Shannon Huffaker, Dione Froman. Evaluation of adherence to NCCN guidelines regarding genetic evaluation of patients with breast or ovarian cancer diagnoses in a community hospital setting [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-38.


Korean Animal Improvement AssociationABSTRACTThe data including milk yields, fat and protein percent for 628,395 heads collected by National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, 15 type traits and final score for 62,262 heads collected by Korea Animal Improvement Association, which were born in 1998 to 2004, and net profits calculated from milk price and raising expenses of individuals were used to estimate genetic parameters. The highest positive genetic correlation, 0.81, was shown between body depth(BD) and loin strength(SR). Genetic correlations between body depth(BD) and udder depth(UD), front teat placement(TP) and front teat length(TL) were '0.23, which were lowest among the linear type traits. Furthermore, medium level of negative genetic correlations were shown the milk yield with milk contents rate traits. Mostly low level of positive genetic correlations were shown between the milk traits and linear score traits except milk yield and stature. Most of the genetic correlations of between the linear score traits and net profit were low level of positive or negative genetic correlations. Among the genetic correlations, body depth(BD), angularity(DF) and rear attachment width(UW), and final score(FS) with net profit were high as 0.17, 0.17, 0.18 and 0.18, respectively. Finally all of the genetic correlations between net profit and milk traits were positive and higher than the linear traits with positive genetic correlations. The results of this study suggest that net profit has been related with the linear traits, such as body depth(BD), angularity(DF) and rear attachment width(UW) traits, and furthermore, milk traits including yield and contents rates influence positively and greatly on net profit. (Key words :Milk yield traits, Linear type traits, Net profit, Genetic parameter, Genetic parameter)


Abstract This paper presents air pollution as a 'post-human' public health phenomenon. It draws on an ethnography of a multidisciplinary research project called Weather Health and Air Pollution to explore the material ways in which air pollution challenged scientists' conceptualisations of harm and health. The epidemiologists on WHAP used statistical techniques to correlate data of air pollution concentrations with mortality and morbidity data collected by hospitals in order to establish a quantified measure of the health effects of exposure to air pollution. Initially, these correlations were problematic: plotted data points failed to map over temporal patterns. A series of negotiations followed. As a result of these, the concept of 'season' emerged as a temporal figure through which the very existence and meaning of air pollution was put to the test. Indeed, attempts by researchers to hold stable the notion of toxicity signalled the problem of trying to assess the bodily response to a polluted environment that has supposedly 'already been'. The paper concludes by arguing how contemplating health through the lens of the material dimensions of time allows public health to: first, view health problems as constituted through bodies and environments, rather than as a relation separating the two; and second, open up indeterminacies and uncertainties as a generative condition of air pollution, and perhaps public health more generally.


ABSTRACT All flaviviruses contain conserved RNA structures in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) that are important for flavivirus RNA replication, translation, and pathogenesis. Flaviviruses like Zika virus (ZIKV) contain multiple conserved RNA structures in the viral 3′ UTR, including the structure known as dumbbell-1 (DB-1). Previous research has shown that the DB-1 structure is important for flavivirus positive-strand genome replication, but the functional role of the flavivirus DB-1 structure and the mechanism by which it contributes to viral pathogenesis are not known. Using the recently solved flavivirus DB RNA structural data, we designed two DB-1 mutant ZIKV infectious clones, termed ZIKV-TL.PK and ZIKV-p.2.5′, which disrupt DB-1 tertiary folding. We found that viral positive-strand genome replication of both ZIKV DB-1 mutant clones is similar to wild-type (WT) ZIKV, but ZIKV DB-1 mutants exhibit significantly decreased cytopathic effect due to reduced caspase-3 activation. We next show that ZIKV DB-1 mutants exhibit decreased levels of sfRNA species compared to ZIKV-WT during infection. However, ZIKV DB-1 mutant 3′ UTRs exhibit unchanged sfRNA biogenesis following XRN1 degradation in vitro. We also found that ZIKV DB-1 mutant virus (ZIKV-p.2.5′) exhibited enhanced sensitivity to type I interferon treatment, and both ZIKV-DB-1 mutants exhibit reduced morbidity and mortality due to tissue-specific attenuated viral replication in brain tissue of interferon type I/II receptor knockout mice. We propose that the flavivirus DB-1 RNA structure maintains sfRNA levels during infection despite maintained sfRNA biogenesis, and these results indicate that ZIKV DB-dependent maintenance of sfRNA levels support caspase-3-dependent, cytopathic effect, type I interferon resistance, and viral pathogenesis in mammalian cells and in a ZIKV murine model of disease. IMPORTANCE The group of viruses termed flaviviruses cause important disease throughout the world and include dengue virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and many more. All of these flaviviruses have highly conserved RNA structures in the untranslated regions of the virus genome. One of the shared RNA structures, termed the dumbbell region, is not well studied, but mutations in this region are important for vaccine development. In this study, we made structure-informed targeted mutations in the Zika virus dumbbell region and studied the effect on the virus. We found that Zika virus dumbbell mutants are significantly weakened or attenuated due to a decreased ability to produce non-coding RNA that is needed to support infection, support virus-induced cell death, and support escape from the host immune system. These data show that targeted mutations in the flavivirus dumbbell RNA structure may be an important approach to develop future vaccine candidates. The group of viruses termed flaviviruses cause important disease throughout the world and include dengue virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and many more. All of these flaviviruses have highly conserved RNA structures in the untranslated regions of the virus genome. One of the shared RNA structures, termed the dumbbell region, is not well studied, but mutations in this region are important for vaccine development. In this study, we made structure-informed targeted mutations in the Zika virus dumbbell region and studied the effect on the virus. We found that Zika virus dumbbell mutants are significantly weakened or attenuated due to a decreased ability to produce non-coding RNA that is needed to support infection, support virus-induced cell death, and support escape from the host immune system. These data show that targeted mutations in the flavivirus dumbbell RNA structure may be an important approach to develop future vaccine candidates.


Twenty-two cases (nineteen Plasmodium falciparum and three P. vivax) of severe malaria among 200 pregnant women from District Jabalpur, M.P. were studied for malaria parasite density. Almost all of them were found anaemic. The patients were treated with quinine/chloroquine intravenously but seventeen Pf cases died within 96 h of admission in hospital. Out of twenty-two, thirteen were primigravidae.


Dynamic transcriptional and epigenetic changes enable rapid adaptive benefit to environmental fluctuations. However, the underlying mechanisms and the extent to which this occurs are not well known. MutS Homolog 1 (MSH1) mutants cause heritable developmental phenotypes accompanied by modulation of defense, phytohormone, stress-response and circadian rhythm genes, as well as heritable changes in DNA methylation patterns. Consistent with gene expression changes, msh1 mutants display enhanced tolerance for abiotic stress including drought and salt stress, while showing increased susceptibility to freezing temperatures and bacterial pathogen P syringae. Our results suggest that chronic cold and low light stress (10 °C, 150 μE) influences non-CG methylation to a greater degree in msh1 mutants compared to wild type Col-0. Furthermore, CHG changes are more closely pericentromeric, whereas CHH changes are generally more dispersed. This increased variation in non-CG methylation pattern does not significantly affect the msh1-derived enhanced growth behavior after mutants are crossed with isogenic wild type, reiterating the importance of CG methylation changes in msh1-derived enhanced vigor. These results indicate that msh1methylome is hyper-responsive to environmental stress in a manner distinct from the wild type response, but CG methylation changes are potentially responsible for growth vigor changes in the crossed progeny.


Mulching techniques are used for the conservation of moisture beneath the root zone and to reduce the evaporation rate. Soil moisture distribution under the mulching techniques is also important for good crop growth and root development. Soil water movement is dependent on the physical properties of water as well as equally depends on the conservation techniques. The present study was carried out in the School of Agriculture, Lovely professional university to study the soil moisture distribution under different mulching treatments. The four mulching methods and one no mulch technique were used as a conservation technique and moisture content were measured at 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm depth vertically and the same distance laterally. From the experiment, the results showed that the black and silver plastic mulch conserved maximum average moisture content (22.33 and 22.67 %) up to 20 cm depth. The lateral and vertical water movement in plastic mulch was superior to the no mulch technique. Minimum soil moisture content (15.26 %) was recorded in the soil mulch technique at 5 cm depth and it decreases as the lateral distance increases from the emitter. Paddy straw mulching technique conserved better moisture at depth 0-10 cm compared to no mulch and soil mulch technique.


Hypericum perforatum is a valuable medicinal plant with anti-depressant activity. Hypericin is the major compound responsible for such activity. In the present study, the effect of four nano-capsulated hormones of 2,4-epibrassinolide, spermidine, salycilic acid and cycocel were investigated on the amount of hypericin based on HPLC analysis in two locations (Saman and Isfahan). For each hormone, the normal form was also compared with nano form. The expression patterns of the key genes (Hyp-1, pks1, pks2) for hypericin production was also evaluated using qRT-PCR. Moreover, GC-MS analysis was also performed for determination of the compounds in studied treatments. The major compounds were germacrene D (3.29–33.53%), β-caryophyllene (0-4.08) and α-longipinene (0-24.05%). In most cases, nano-hormones led to increase in these components. Significant changes were obtained in expression of key genes in hypericin synthesis as a result of nano-hormones treatments in Isfahan site. Overall, nano-hormones revealed higher increase in expression of all genes as compared with normal hormones in this site. The expression of Hyp-1, Pks1 and Pks2 was significantly increased using spermidine, 24-epibrassinolide and cycocel in Isfahan location in both nano-hormones and normal ones, while the expression of Hyp-1 was decreased in SA treatment in Isfahan location. Based on HPLC analysis, hypericin ranged from 0.21 in control to 0.51 mg 100 g− 1 DW in nano-SA in Isfahan site. Finally, the expression of the key genes were mostly elevated in colder climates and nano-form formulation.


Despite significant advancements in understanding physiological properties of the carotid body, little attention has been paid to its organogenesis. This review addresses the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying organogenesis of the carotid body in mammals. The carotid body consists of two types of cells, that is, glomus cells and sustentacular cells, that are derived from different origins. Glomus cells are derivatives of neural crest cells which form sympathetic ganglia. Sustentacular cells are derivatives of mesenchymal neural crest cells which colonize the third pharyngeal arch and form the wall of the third arch artery. Gene‐targeting studies indicate that three elements are required for carotid body organogenesis: the carotid sinus nerve (CSN), third arch artery, and superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCG). The CSN sends sensory fibers and Schwann cells to the wall of the third arch artery. The third arch artery provides mesenchymal cells, which give rise to sustentacular cells. The nerve process from the SCG sends glomus cell progenitors into the carotid body primordium. The presence of stem cells in the adult carotid body was recently highlighted. The origin of stem cells, however, remains controversial. Based on embryonic development of the carotid body, this review proposes the origin of stem cells.


Hydroponically cultured cucumber plants supplied with 4 μᴍ Fe chelated either with EDTA or citrate and treated with Cd (10 μᴍ) and Pb (10, 50 μᴍ) from their one- or fourleaf stage were grown up to five-week-old age. The decrease in the chlorophyll content was the most pronounced in plants treated with Cd from a younger age, and in the case of Fecitrate. The chlorophyll a/b ratio of Cd stressed plants was also significantly lowered. In later treated plants the accumulation of chlorophyll was inhibited and the chlorophyll a/b ratio decreased only in the vigorously growing young leaves. Pb treatment had only a slight effect on both parameters. The changes in the chlorophyll-protein pattern of thylakoids were strongly related to their chlorophyll content but the response of each complex was different. Cd reduced the amount of chlorophyll containing complexes in the order of photosystem I > light-harvesting complex II > photosystem Il-core, while light-harvesting complex II appeared somewhat more sensitive than photosystem I in Pb treated plants. In accordance, a decline or blue shift of the long wavelength fluorescence emission band of chloroplasts was observed referring to disturbances also in photosystem I antenna assembly. The accumulation of chlorophyll and chlorophyll-proteins did not show close relationship to the heavy metal content of leaves which was the highest in the first of the intensively expanding leaves in the time of the treatment. The extraordinary sensitivity of photosystem I, and the relative stability of photosystem II under Cd treatment were similar to the case found in iron deficient plants. However, the pattern of chlorophyll content of leaf storeys of Cd treated plants rather followed the changes in their Mn content


This issue of IEEE Internet Computing is focused on data-driven applications in sensor networks, which, in a literal sense, might not seem to have much to do with user experience (UE). We are hoping to offer some insights into how UE people might think about this problem area and others like it, what issues they might raise, and what opportunities could arise by considering those issues. The final message is that, although sensor-network management presents a unique set of challenges, the usual rules of user-centered design still apply: know your users; know their tasks; design, test, and repeat. In some highly technical domains, you might be designing for skilled, experienced users with a clear foundation of domain knowledge and expertise. From a UE design perspective, this means that the designers can assume the presence of this knowledge about the domain, and design the system around it. The interface that results could well be impenetrable to anybody outside the domain, but that might be okay - there's nothing wrong with building interfaces for experts if that's who your users are. The catch is that the UI designers has to learn enough about the domain that they can do the design, because so much of what makes it an effective interface is bound up in the domain's details. That's the route that gets you a great interface, and a great user experience.


Owing to the availability of wide (GHz) bandwidth at mm-wave frequencies, there is growing interest in high-speed mm-wave communications systems. However, the limited physical size and volume of the antenna and RF system do pose several major challenges. This article presents CSIRO's research on hybrid adaptive antenna arrays and associated digital-beamforming algorithms for achieving high-speed long-range communications in the millimeter-wave frequency bands. The hybrid antenna array consists of a number of analog subarrays, followed by a digital beamformer. Two subarray configurations - the interleaved subarray and the side-by-side subarray - are described. The adaptive angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimation and beamforming algorithms in both the time and frequency domains are discussed. The performance of the system was evaluated by simulations. An early stage proof-of-concept adaptive antenna array prototype in the 71 to 76 GHz E band is presented.


Range and payload of current electric aircraft is limited primarily due to low energy density of batteries. However, recent advances in battery technology promise storage of more than 1 kWh of energy per kilogram of weight in the near future. This kind of energy storage makes possible the design of an electric aircraft comparable to, if not better than existing state-of-the art general aviation aircraft powered by internal combustion engines. This thesis presents the conceptual and preliminary design of a four-seat, general aviation electric aircraft with a takeoff weight of 1750 kg, a range of 800 km, and a cruise speed of 200 km/h. An innovative configuration design will take full advantage of the electric propulsion system, while a Lithium-Polymer battery and a DC brushless motor will provide the power. Advanced aerodynamics will explore the greatest possible extend of laminar flow on the fuselage, the wing, and the empennage surfaces to minimize drag, while advanced composite structures will provide the greatest possible savings on empty weight. The proposed design is intended to be certifiable under current FAR 23 requirements.


Single chicken thymic nurse cells (TNC) placed onto the chorionallantoic membrane (CAM), showed that intra-TNC lymphocytes (TNC- L) possess a strong graft-versus-host reactivity (GVHR) in allogeneic MHC combinations. This reaction shows the morphological, phenotypic, and functional characteristics of a classical GVH reaction (GVHR). The induction of a GVHR was significantly higher for TNC-L as compared with thymocytes or peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The specificity of the GVHR was shown by serial transfer experiments onto appropriate allogeneic and syngeneic secondary embryonic hosts. In immunofluorescence analyses with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to the chicken alpha/beta and gamma/delta T cell receptors (TCR) and the CD3, CD4, and CD8 equivalents, an enrichment of CD3+/CD4+/CD8- and CD3+/CD-4- /CD8+, TCR-alpha/beta + and TCR- gamma/delta + cells was observed inside TNC as compared with extra-TNC thymocytes. A large proportion of CD4+ and/or CD8+ TCR- gamma/delta + cells were demonstrated inside TNC. A minor population among TCR- gamma/delta extra-TNC thymocytes also expressed CD4 and/or CD8 molecules. Based on functional tests and double staining experiments, we propose that CD4+/CD8+ thymocytes enter the TNC where they may undergo positive selection for MHC restriction and further differentiation to CD4 or CD8 single-positive cells. Taken together these data support the concept that TNC contribute a specialized thymic microenvironment for T cell differentiation and maturation.


Serotonin syndrome is a potentially fatal increase in serotonergic activity in both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. The etiology can vary from therapeutic drug use, deliberate overdose or drug interactions that all lead to an increase in serotonin activity. There are a number of drugs from different classes that can cause serotonin syndrome either alone at high doses or when combined. We present here a case of a 74-year-old Caucasian female that presented to the emergency room with altered mental status, tachypnea, tachycardia and agitation. She reported taking her usual escitalopram as well as tramadol given to her by a friend to alleviate a headache. She was found tachycardic with a fever of 102.9 °F. She very quickly became combative and had to be sedated and intubated. Laboratory test results were remarkable for severe rhabdomyolysis for which she was treated aggressively with hydration. The patient was extubated on the fifth day after admission once her vitals were stable. Unfortunately, she then developed an intracranial bleed. She was ultimately transferred to another facility with the expectation of being evaluated by a neurosurgeon for the bleed. This patient was diagnosed with serotonin syndrome. J Med Cases. 2016;7(12):554-557 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2702e


Respiratory diseases are responsible for a significant number of deaths and considerable suffering in humans. Accumulating evidence suggests that oral disorders, particularly periodontal disease, may influence the course of respiratory infections like bacterial pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oral periodontopathic bacteria can be aspirated into the lung causing aspiration pneumonia. The teeth may also serve as a reservoir for respiratory pathogen colonization and subsequent nosocomial pneumonia. The overreaction of the inflammatory process that leads to the destruction of the connective tissue is present in both periodontal disease and emphysema. This overreaction may explain the association between periodontal disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The mechanisms of infection could be the aspiration into the lung of oral pathogens capable of causing pneumonia, colonization of dental plaque by respiratory pathogens followed by aspiration, or facilitation of colonization of the upper airway by pulmonary pathogens by periodontal pathogens. The present article briefly reviews the epidemiologic evidence & role of periodontopathogens in causing respiratory infections.


invasion and is now irrelevant or of historical interest only, although it does include a useful typology of actors and conflict determinants. It describes the impossibility of reform and the escalation in the level of conflict, arms race, and external support. Using SIPRI'S extensive 'registers' it points to South Africa's regional military dominance but also notes the ecological limitations on the exercise of power. Its empirical analysis suggests that further conflict and radicalization are likely in the region. By contrast the EIU special report examines continuities in regional exchange, investment, and infrastructure, indicating the constraints on escalation and social change. Unlike the disjointed, heavy style of the SIPRI book, this text is succinct and readable; like the SIPRI analysis it too is largely descriptive but its policy implications are also clear. Its preoccupation with the economic issue-area leads to a particular concern for communication and integration. The EIU presents an economic explanation and justification for regional detente and focuses on the central 'accord' between South Africa and Zambia. Like SIPRI, it is less concerned with the prospects of the small black states of Southern Africa, but it is highly informed and persuasive about the political economy of major regional actors, dealing particularly with the salient issues of dependence on trade, capital, technology, and labour and with the issues of parastatals, transit, and regional instability. Together these two new monographs advance our understanding of Southern Africa but the EIU 'political economy' perspective tends to be more persuasive than the SIPRI 'power politics' approach; the former's focus on exchange and inequalities pr8vides the major reason for the radicalization and escalation described in the latter.


This study examined the effectiveness of the after-action review (AAR)-also commonly termed debrief-and 4 training characteristics within the context of Villado and Arthur's (2013) conceptual framework. Based on a bare-bones meta-analysis of the results from 61 studies (107 ds [915 teams and 3,499 individuals]), the AAR leads to an overall d of 0.79 improvement in multiple training evaluation criteria. This effect is larger than some of the largest training method effects reported in Arthur, Bennett, Edens, and Bell (2003), and it is also larger than Tannenbaum and Cerasoli's (2013) estimate of the effect of the AAR on task performance (d = 0.67). Two training characteristics consistently contributed to the effectiveness of the AAR: (a) alignment to the individual or the team, and (b) objective performance review media. The effects of the other training characteristics were often interactive. Most notably, the facilitation approach contributes to the effectiveness of the AAR in combination with the individual versus the team and the type of review media, with the most effective combinations being the self-led facilitation approach coupled with a team-aligned AAR, and the self-led approach coupled with objective media. Additionally, the AAR that is highly structured is more effective than a less structured AAR in the military, but high and low structured AARs display comparable effectiveness in healthcare. Overall, this study suggests that the effectiveness of the AAR should be understood as a function of the combined influence among multiple interacting characteristics. Future theoretical development and research should be directed at better understanding these interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).


This paper is concerned with the process of risk allocation for a generic multivariate model when the risk measure is chosen as the Value-at-Risk (VaR). We recast the traditional Euler contributions from an expectation conditional on an event of zero probability to a ratio involving conditional expectations whose conditioning events have strictly positive probability. We derive an analytical form of the proposed representation of VaR contributions for various parametric models. Our numerical experiments show that the estimator using this novel representation outperforms the standard Monte Carlo estimator in terms of bias and variance. Moreover, unlike the existing estimators, the proposed estimator is free from hyperparameters under a parametric setting.


In terms of the contemporary plastic industry, world production of polyvinyl chloride is second only to polyolefins. Recyclable by almost all known methods, polyvinyl chloride offers high strength, good insulating properties, as well as resistance to acids, oxidising agents and solvents. At the same time, the ability to process polyvinyl chloride into products is limited by its lack of stability at high melt viscosity temperatures, since hydrogen chloride released during its heating catalyses further process of polymer decomposition. Thus, due to the softening temperature of polyvinyl chloride being higher than its decomposition temperature, it cannot be processed in its pure form. Consequently, functional polyvinyl chloride-based materials tend to be composites. By varying the composition of mixtures, plastic masses characterised by either very soft (plastic compounds) or hard (vinyl plastics) structures can be obtained. The properties of polyvinyl chloride-based polymer products are largely determined by the structure and morphology of the polymer. In the present work, the properties of industrial suspension polyvinyl chloride (Sayanskkhimplast JSC, Irkutsk Oblast) were studied in detail for the first time. The molecular weight of the polymer determined by the viscometric method was 1.0 · 106. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that polyvinyl chloride mass loss started to occur at 160 °C. Following the complete IR band assignment of the polymer, the polyvinyl chloride under study was established to contain no foreign substances (impurities of stabilisers, emulsifiers and additives). The diffraction curve of the polymer was established to be qualitatively similar to equivalent partially crystalline polymers. Two amorphous halos were detected at 2θ of 24° 30′ and 39° 30′ below a group of crystalline peaks. The crystallinity degree of polyvinyl chloride was determined and mechanisms for the formation of its regular and irregular structure were proposed.


We investigated the cause of a phenolic smell in tomatoes. But this time prothiofos and 2, 4-dichlorophenol were not detected in the tomatoes. When we analyzed pesticide residues in soil of the tomato field, we detected tolclofos-methyl in the range of 0.02-2.2μg/g and 2, 6-dichloro-p-cresol, a decomposition product of tolclofos-methyl, in the range of 0.03-0.15μg/g. We also detected tolclofos-methyl and 2, 6-dichloro-p-cresol, each in the range of 0.01-0.02μg/g, in the tomatoes. 2, 6-Dichloro-p-cresol has a phenolic smell. We concluded that 2, 6-dichloro-p-cresol accounted for the phenolic smell, at least in part.


Melaleuca acacioides F. Muell., formerly regarded as a single species, is considered to consist of three taxa, M. citrolens sp. nov., M. acacioides subsp. acacioides and M. acacioides subsp. alsophila, the last based on M. alsophila Benth. 2: Melaleuca irbyana R. Baker and M. pallescens Byrnes are treated as subspecies of M. tamariscina Hooker and new combinations M. tamariscina subsp. irbyana and M. tamariscina subsp. pallescens are made. 3: Two subspecies of M. minutifolia F. Muell. are recognised, M. minutifolia subsp. minutifolia and subsp. monantha, which is described as new.


Resources for learning about and conducting public opinion and other research surveys, including recruitment, questionnaire design, and online survey software.


: The process of changing from an enthusiastic childbirth educator through stages of unease, discontent, and disillusionment is described. The source of burn-out was a growing realization of the disparity between the humane childbirth practices described in classes and the routines of the hospital. Childbirth educators can feel free of this conflict of interest only when they receive referrals from community sources, and establish themselves as representatives of the parents rather than the hospital and doctors.


The position of the Catholic Church in Sweden has radically changed in the last forty years. At the beginning of the 1960s, the Catholicism was commonly regarded as a threat to Swedish cultural identity, not least among members of the ruling Social-Democratic Party. Today, the Catholic Church is an accepted part of Swedish society. This article discuss this process of change and its impact on Swedish attitudes towards European integration from 1945 up to the present time. Special attention is paid to ecumenical relations, the Swedish Catholic Church's engagement in European Catholic co-operation, and its relationship with the Swedish State. A hypothesis is that the integration of the local Catholic Church into Swedish society can be seen as an important precondition for the development of a more positive Swedish attitude towards European integration.


The Costa Rican talk of crime is fundamentally based on the assumption that a formerly explicitly nonviolent nation has been transformed into a battleground for social violence — that is, on the belief that an alarming "crime wave" is occurring today while there was no crime at all in the past. On the basis of this assumption, the fear of crime and the call for zero tolerance and drastic law enforcement actions have been increasing. In this paper I discuss the Costa Rican talk of crime from a historical perspective to demonstrate that crime has always been a topic that has generated pervasive feelings of insecurity and social pessimism. I argue that social changes in Costa Rican society and the paradigmatic shift in economic and social-welfare politics since the 1980s have been essential in the transformation of the talk of crime. As part of this transformation, the politicization of crime since the 1990s has been one of the most powerful changes in the dominant discourse.


The extent to which accumulations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) may be correlated to the concentration of PAH metabolites in fish was examined. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and SPMD were exposed over a 4-wk period to a mixture that was designed to simulate the composition of PAH in produced water discharges in the North Sea. Fish bile and whole SPMD were analyzed after exposure in a high, low, and a control treatment tank. PAH metabolites were detected and quantified by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (GC-ToF-MS) and PAH in SPMD by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The level and duration of exposure were generally reflected in both matrices. Exposure water concentrations, calculated from SPMD accumulations, showed some considerable differences from nominal concentrations for volatile compounds. Concentration factors (CF) for fish based on SPMD-derived water concentrations ranged from 2.9 to 354.3 L/g. CF increased with hydrophobicity with more variation at higher log K ow. Regression analysis of accumulations of individual compounds in fish and SPMDs showed reasonable but compound-specific correlation, r 2 = .54−.85 (C1-phenanthrenes/anthracenes and pyrene, respectively). Comparison of the two exposures suggests that fish CF may not be entirely independent of water concentrations. Overall the results show that accumulation of up to four-ring PAH in SPMD may be related to internal exposure of fish to these substances when exposed through water, as evidenced by metabolite concentrations. The usefulness of using SPMD to measure exposure concentrations in a large-scale flow-through study is also examined.


Champions of telemedicine, the systematic application of information and telecommunications technology to the practice of healthcare, have been very patient. By the 1980s, pilot projects begun amid great hopes in the 1950s and 1960s had fizzled out for the most part. More recently, however, telemedicine has undergone something of a resurgence, as technology has begun catching up with aspirations. Perhaps nowhere is this renaissance so vitally needed as in India. With their dependence on high-bandwidth real-time technologies, most telemedicine projects of the past decade have been ill suited to India. Now, though, new hopes are being engendered there by the confluence of low-bandwidth telemedicine with a growing middle class, an improving telecommunications infrastructure, a world-class software industry, and a medical community open to new ideas.


Abstract Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a novel and minimally invasive technology. Since the US Food and Drug Administration approved unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus-MRgFUS for medication-refractory essential tremor in 2016, studies on new indications, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), psychiatric diseases, and brain tumors, have been on the rise, and MRgFUS has become a promising method to treat such neurological diseases. Currently, as the second most common degenerative disease, PD is a research hotspot in the field of MRgFUS. The actions of MRgFUS on the brain range from thermoablation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening, to neuromodulation. Intensity is a key determinant of ultrasound actions. Generally, high intensity can be used to precisely thermoablate brain targets, whereas low intensity can be used as molecular therapies to modulate neuronal activity and open the BBB in conjunction with injected microbubbles. Here, we aimed to summarize advances in the application of MRgFUS for the treatment of PD, with a focus on thermal ablation, BBB opening, and neuromodulation, in the hope of informing clinicians of current applications.


Though the phenomenon of dragload is known for many decades, there is a lack of clear guidelines to evaluate the amount of dragload. The development of dragload depends on relative movement between pile and surrounding soil which is a complex phenomenon and requires a detailed numerical analysis. Bitumen layer has been used in the past with varying degree of success in reducing the dragload but the reduction appears to depend on number of parameters. No procedure is available in literature to estimate the dragload when a slip layer is applied on pile surface. This paper investigates performance of two commercially available bituminous coats to reduce the negative skin friction on pile. Direct shear test apparatus was used to model the interface friction between soil and coated pile surface. The lower half of direct shear box was replaced with either a concrete block or a mild steel block representing pile surface. Two types of bituminous coats namely Shalikote and bitumen having penetration value of 30-40 were evaluated in this study. Shearing resistance of pile material-coat-soil is found to be influenced by normal stress, coat thickness, and rate of shear. Laboratory results are compared with published field data where coated and uncoated piles have been load tested.


Background and Aims: Restorative proctocolectomy is the most common operation in patients with ulcerative colitis. The aim was to evaluate long-term changes in our operative treatment and early and late complications related to restorative proctocolectomy. Material and Methods: The study comprised 352 (149 females) patients over 18 years of age with ulcerative colitis who underwent restorative proctocolectomy in 1985–2009 median follow-up time of 5 years. Results: The indication for surgery was active chronic colitis in 168 (47.7%), acute colitis in 159 (45.2%), and cancer or dysplasia in 25 (7.1%) patients. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was performed using hand-sewn anastomosis with mucosectomy in 283 patients and stapled anastomosis in 69. A shift from hand-sewn to stapler ileal pouch-anal anastomosis took place in 2005. Covering ileostomy was carried out in 133 (37.8%) patients. There were 82 (23.3%) J-pouch-related complications. The operative mortality was 0.3%. There were significantly fewer leakages and early re-operations when covering ileostomy was used than when it was omitted: 6.0% versus 16.4% (p = 0.004), 4.5% versus 11.9% (p = 0.02), respectively. There were more strictures in hand-sewn than in stapled ileal pouch-anal anastomoses (17.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.001). Pouchitis occurred at least once in 134 (38.1%) patients. Conclusion: The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis technique used in restorative proctocolectomy had changed over the past years from hand-sewn to stapled anastomosis. Covering ileostomy seemed to protect against major complications. Pouchitis was the most common late complication.


Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for many complex diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), produced hundreds of disease-associated loci—the majority of which are noncoding. The number of GWAS loci is increasing very rapidly, but the process of translating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from these loci to genomic medicine is lagging. In this study, we investigated 4,734 variants from 152 IBD associated GWAS loci (IBD associated 152 lead noncoding SNPs identified from pooled GWAS results + 4,582 variants in strong linkage-disequilibrium (LD) (r2 ≥0.8) for EUR population of 1K Genomes Project) using four publicly available bioinformatics tools, e.g. dbPSHP, CADD, GWAVA, and RegulomeDB, to annotate and prioritize putative regulatory variants. Of the 152 lead noncoding SNPs, around 11% are under strong negative selection (GERP++ RS ≥2); and ~30% are under balancing selection (Tajima's D score >2) in CEU population (1K Genomes Project)—though these regions are positively selected (GERP++ RS <0) in mammalian evolution. The analysis of 4,734 variants using three integrative annotation tools produced 929 putative functional SNPs, of which 18 SNPs (from 15 GWAS loci) are in concordance with all three classifiers. These prioritized noncoding SNPs may contribute to IBD pathogenesis by dysregulating the expression of nearby genes. This study showed the usefulness of integrative annotation for prioritizing fewer functional variants from a large number of GWAS markers.


The research problem is about to generate artificial fractal landscape surfaces from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using a stochastic algorithm by Geographic Resources Analysis Support System Geographic Information System (GRASS GIS) software. Fractal surfaces resemble appearance of natural topographic terrain and its structure using random surface modelling. Study area covers Kuril- Kamchatka region, Sea of Okhotsk, North Pacific Ocean. Techniques were included into GRASS GIS modules (r.relief, d.rast, r.slope.aspect, r.mapcalc) for raster calculation, processing and visualization. Module 'r.surf.fractal' was applied for generating synthetic fractal surface from ETOPO1 DEM GeoTIFF using algorithm of fractal analysis. Three tested dimensions of the fractal surfaces were automatically mapped and visualized. Algorithm of the automated fractal DEM modelling visualized variations in steepness and aspect of the artificially generated slopes in the mountains. Controllable topographic variation of the fractal surfaces was applied for three dimensions: dim=2.0001, 2.0050, 2.0100. Auxiliary modules were used for the visualization of DEMs (d.rast, r.colors, d.vect, r.contour, d.redraw, d.mon). Modules 'r.surf.gauss' and 'r.surf.random' were applied for artificial modelling as Gauss and random based mathematical surfaces, respectively. Univariate statistics for fractal surfaces were computed for comparative analysis of maps representing continuous fields by module 'r.univar': number of cells, min/max, range, mean, variance, standard deviation, variation coefficient and sum. The paper includes 9 maps and GRASS GIS codes used for visualization.