Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is caused primarily by cigarette smoking, is a major health problem worldwide. The progressive decline in lung function that occurs in COPD is a result of persistent inflammation of the airways and destruction of the lung parenchyma. Despite the key role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of COPD, treatment with corticosteroids - normally highly effective antiinflammatory drugs - has little therapeutic benefit. This corticosteroid resistance is largely caused by inactivation of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), which is critical for the transrepressive activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) that mediates the antiinflammatory effect of corticosteroids. Here, we show that in alveolar macrophages from patients with COPD, S-nitrosylation of HDAC2 is increased and that this abolishes its GR-transrepression activity and promotes corticosteroid insensitivity. Cys-262 and Cys-274 of HDAC2 were found to be the targets of S-nitrosylation, and exogenous glutathione treatment of macrophages from individuals with COPD restored HDAC2 activity. Treatment with sulforaphane, a small-molecule activator of the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), was also able to denitrosylate HDAC2, restoring dexamethasone sensitivity in alveolar macrophages from patients with COPD. These effects of sulforaphane were glutathione dependent. We conclude that NRF2 is a novel drug target for reversing corticosteroid resistance in COPD and other corticosteroid-resistant inflammatory diseases.


Background RA is the most common chronic inflammatory arthropathy. About 30% of patients are treated with BT. The optimisation of TB doses in patients in clinical remission of the disease is a strategy used in clinical practice. Primary endpoint was evaluate the clinical behaviour of RA in patients of the Rheumatology Unit of Valme University Hospital, who receive BT at optimised doses, according to the BT dose optimisation protocol elaborated in our unit. Materials and methods Observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study in a cohort of 32 patients diagnosed with RA, who are treated at optimised doses of TB (2008 −2014). A description of the baseline characteristics was made. The clinical evolution was measured by the DAS 28 at different times: prior to the initial reduction and subsequent reductions, at the end of the reduction and at the data collection visit. Result 62.5% are women, mean age at diagnosis of 42.6 years. The duration of RA at the start of BT was 98.63 months and the biological treatment time at the beginning of the optimisation was 160.66 months. The 75% of the sample was FR positive and 56.7% ACPA positive. The 59.4% were with etanercept. The mean DAS28 before the reduction of BT was 2.47. At the time of analysis 21 continued with optimised doses with DAS 28: 2.67 and 11 had discontinued the dose reduction régimen, 80% by increase of the activity Conclusions All the patients in our study were in clinical remission at the beginning of TB optimisation. The optimised TB can maintain a high percentage of patients in clinical remission. One-third of our patients are maintained in optimised doses for a long period. The main reason to finalise the optimisation regimen was an increase in the activity of the disease.


The spatial dispersion and social interactions were studied in 11 neighbouring pairs of radio-tagged tawny owls Strix aluco in a deciduous wood in Denmark from 1998–2001. The numbers and shapes of territories were stable throughout the survey and similar to a mapping made 40 years earlier. The home ranges of mates were of equal size and overlapped 82% in summer and 56% in winter. The inter-mate distances were on average 2.7% shorter than expected by chance. The activity distribution of neighbouring pairs overlapped 9% (95% CI: 2–15%) on average. Males and females did not differ in overlap with neighbours, and there was a similar overlap between neighbours of the same and opposite sex. Both sexes vocalized more often in the peripheries than in the centres of their territory. The vocal activity during May–September varied extensively among years and months in accordance with variation in the density of juvenile floaters. Males and females vocalized equally often and were involved in disputes with neighbours at similar rates. Usually, neighbouring disputes involved either one individual from each pair or all four. Disputes involving all four owls more often involved chasing and fighting than those involving one owl only from each pair. The dispute rate between neighbouring pairs correlated positively with home-range overlap. The total annual mortality was 21% (95% CI: 6–33%). Dead owners were usually replaced within 1–2 months. Two out of four cases of radio-tagged owls disappearing from their territory because of natural causes was due to take-overs by invading owls, suggesting that the risk of losing fitness resulting from eviction was important. The apparent co-operative territorial behaviour of tawny owl pairs is probably due to improved resource holding potential of pair coalitions compared to single individuals.


OBJECTIVES To complete a prospective evaluation of serum amylase and lipase levels before and after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for renal stones. We also compared these serum levels to those of patients undergoing percutaneous and ureteroscopic stone surgery. SWL injury to the pancreas should be noted by an increase in serum amylase and lipase. METHODS A prospective evaluation of 38 patients (16 who underwent SWL, 15 who underwent percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, and 7 who underwent ureteroscopic stone manipulation) who underwent treatment of renal calculi at our institution was completed. The control group was the combined group of patients who had undergone percutaneous nephrostolithotomy or ureteroscopic stone manipulation. The serum amylase and lipase levels were measured before the procedure, immediately after the procedure (2 hours), and 30 days after the procedure. ESULTS No statistically significant difference was found in the change from before to immediately after the procedure between the SWL group and the controls in amylase (median decrease 6 U/L vs 11 U/L, P .45) or lipase (median decrease 4 U/L vs 9 U/L, P .31). Also, no statistically significant evidence was seen in the change from before to 30 days after the procedure between the SWL group and controls in the amylase level (median increase 0 U/L vs 2 U/L, P 1.00) or lipase (median change 2 U/L increase vs 1 U/L decrease, P .96). CONCLUSIONS SWL does not appear to noticeably increase the serum amylase and lipase level directly postoperatively or 30 days after the procedure compared with baseline or compared with the controls. UROLOGY 77: 1288–1292, 2011. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.


This study examines the contribution of road and rail investment to the increase in economic activity in Israel. We focus on the contribution to the increase in commuting –– daily travel from home to work by people whose workplace is not in the district where they live –– because the bottleneck of the transport system occurs in the morning and afternoon rush hours when people travel to and from work. We estimate a model at the level of natural districts (of which Israel has fifty), and this shows that total infrastructure investment in 1993–2003 explains about two-thirds of the total increase of 240,00 commuters in that period, with men accounting for most of the increase. Using data on the different districts we also examined the impact of total road investment in 1992–2004 on men's wage level, and found that the investment increased wages by 10-14 percent.


Two-dimensional contingency or co-occurrence tables arise frequently in important applications such as text, web-log and market-basket data analysis. A basic problem in contingency table analysis is co-clustering: simultaneous clustering of the rows and columns. A novel theoretical formulation views the contingency table as an empirical joint probability distribution of two discrete random variables and poses the co-clustering problem as an optimization problem in information theory---the optimal co-clustering maximizes the mutual information between the clustered random variables subject to constraints on the number of row and column clusters. We present an innovative co-clustering algorithm that monotonically increases the preserved mutual information by intertwining both the row and column clusterings at all stages. Using the practical example of simultaneous word-document clustering, we demonstrate that our algorithm works well in practice, especially in the presence of sparsity and high-dimensionality.


This study examined student motivation and learning outcome achievement in shortened summer online courses when compared to their full-term online counterparts. Two courses were examined—a science course and a humanities course—each of which was taught as a full semester (15- week), fall term asynchronous online course and a shortened (5-week) summer term asynchronous online course. Both courses were designed with the assistance of an instructional designer and met design standards through an informal Quality Matters review. Further, both versions of each course were taught by the same professors who had both participated in online teacher training. The two versions of each course was identical in terms of content, assignments, layout, and rigor. In sum, this study held constant the variables of instructional design, instructor, and course content, and only course length was isolated as an independent variable. Student achievement of learning outcomes was measured by final course grades, single grades on a major project, and a post-course knowledge test. Motivation was measured using standard questions selected from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Results from 133 students in the full semester fall offerings and 66 students in the shortened summer offerings reveal that learning outcome achievement and motivation have no statistically significant difference when comparing course length or course term.


Gut microbial communities (microbiomes) profoundly shape the ecology and evolution of multicellular life. Interactions between host and microbiome appear to be reciprocal, and ecological theory is now being applied to better understand how hosts and their microbiome influence each other. However, some ecological processes that underlie reciprocal host–microbiome interactions may be obscured by the current convention of highly controlled transplantation experiments. Although these approaches have yielded invaluable insights, there is a need for a broader array of approaches to fully understand host–microbiome reciprocity. Using a directed review, we surveyed the breadth of ecological reality in the current literature on gut microbiome transplants with non-human recipients. For 55 studies, we categorized nine key experimental conditions that impact the ecological reality (EcoReality) of the transplant, including host taxon match and donor environment. Using these categories, we rated the EcoReality of each transplant. Encouragingly, the breadth of EcoReality has increased over time, but some components of EcoReality are still relatively unexplored, including recipient host environment and microbiome state. The conceptual framework we develop here maps the landscape of possible EcoReality to highlight where fundamental ecological processes can be considered in future transplant experiments.


Binding of labeled SM-A, SM-C, NSILA-S and insulin to human placental cell membranes was studied in trying to answer the question how many receptor populations were involved using one single organ system. The data suggest that all labeled SM-like substances bind to closely related if not identical receptor populations. The binding is reduced by very low concentrations of SM-like material and only by very high concentrations of insulin. In contrast, as already known from the literature, 125I-insulin binds mostly to a different receptor population, which is sensitive both to insulin and SM-like substances.Furthermore, the data indicate that 125I-SM-A and 125I-SM-C, in addition to binding to similar or identical receptors, also bind to separate receptor populations, suggesting that the labels are composed of more than one component.


While organic farming can reduce many of the environmental problems caused by agriculture, organic farming also includes some practices which are questionable in terms of environmental effects. Organic farming practices (rotations, fertilisation regimes, cover crop use) can differ significantly and this leads to large differences in its environmental effects. This leaves considerable scope to improve the environmental effects of organic farming. The environmental aspects of organic farming are discussed, and model simulations are used to illustrate how even moderate changes in organic rotations can have large effects on sustainability, here measured by a simple index of nitrogen lost by leaching relative to nitrogen harvested by the crops. In WP3.3.4 we are working to improve model simulation of organic rotations, and in WP7.1 we are making environmental assessment of organic cropping practices tested in the QLIF project, using model simulations and other approaches.


Make remittances payable to The Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal. On matters pertaining to the Editorial and Original communications address Dr. Dunbar Roy, Grand Opera House, Atlanta. Reprints of original articles will be furnished at cost price. Requests for the same should always be made on the manuscript. We will present, post-paid, on request, to each contributor of an original article, twenty (20) marked copies of The Journal containing such article.


Abstract A separator of a connected graph $G$ is a set of vertices whose removal disconnects $G$ . In this paper we give various conditions for a separator to contain a minimal one. In particular we prove that every separator of a connected graph that has no thick end, or which is of bounded degree, contains a minimal separator.


We present a first-principles study of 180 • ferroelectric domain walls in tetrag-onal barium titanate. The theory is based on an effective Hamiltonian that has previously been determined from first-principles ultrasoft-pseudopotential calculations. Statistical properties are investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. We compute the domain-wall energy, free energy, and thickness, analyze the behavior of the ferroelectric order parameter in the interior of the domain wall, and study its spatial fluctuations. An abrupt reversal of the polarization is found, unlike the gradual rotation typical of the ferromagnetic case.


In this paper we discuss the problem how to analyze the results of spectral volume scattering function measurements in natural waters and artificial ones. Analytical predictions and experimental proves of the remarkable changes in the properties of the light scattering at small angles after a filtration of water sample are presented. It was proposed that a certain correlations in the positions of scattering centers always exist in the water which were resulted in the volume scattering function of any natural water was strong forward peaked. Based on Mie theory the sums of scattering amplitudes and scattering radiances were calculated for a power-law particle size distribution while the maximal radius was varied. The square of the sum of the scattering amplitudes was compared with the value of the classical term. It is shown that in the "blue" a significant compensation of the effect of spatial correlation of particles occurs with an increasing of the maximum radius of particles, starting from the radius is about 0.2 μm. The contribution of the additional term decreases faster at general angles region. The spectral properties of light scattering by seawater during sequential filtration through nucleopore filters with a pore diameter of 2, 1, and 0.45 μm have been measured. The volume scattering function data at scattering angles from 6 to 90 degrees were analyzed. Water samples were taken from the surface of the Black Sea at the beginning of October. The Secchi depths are varied from 16 up to 19m. It was found that after filtration through a filter with pores diameter equaled to 1 μm, the typical deep at 30° of spectral slope of volume scattering function was appeared. Such deep becomes stronger after the next stage of filtration, when diameter of pores was equal to 0.45 µm. It is shown that the angular dependence of the exponent of the spectral slope obtained as a result of processing the experimental data is in consistent with theoretical predictions.


Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how procurement strategies may be designed to facilitate exploration and exploitation in construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a literature review of organizational research and construction management literature together with a brief interview study of Swedish clients and contractors.

Findings

The theoretical and empirical findings propose that small and simple projects with low uncertainty and scarce resources may focus on exploitation to enhance short-term efficiency through traditional procurement strategies including delivery systems that separate the actors and their activities (i.e. pure design-build- or design-bid-build-contracts), fixed price payment and price focus in bid evaluation. Large complex projects with high uncertainty and customization benefit from combining exploration and exploitation to enhance sustainable performance. This requires collaborative procurement strategies including joint specification through early contractor involvement, cost reimbursement coupled with incentive-based payment, bid evaluation based on multiple criteria and collaborative tools and activities in partnering arrangements.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to organizational learning literature by pinpointing the need for integrating procurement strategies that enhance combination of exploration and exploitation. The main contribution to the construction management literature involves the investigation of how procurement strategies may affect exploration and exploitation, as identified and articulated in the propositions developed in this paper.

Practical implications

From a practical perspective, the findings highlight the importance of tailoring procurement strategies to project characteristics to enhance a suitable balance between exploration and exploitation in construction projects.

Originality/value

The explicit focus on the operational project-level is uncommon but relevant in organizational learning literature.


Investors increasingly look for private equity funds to provide opportunities for co-investing outside the fund structure, thereby saving fees and carried interest payments. In this paper we use a large sample of buyout and venture capital co-investments to test how such deals compare with the remaining fund investments. In contrast to Fang et al. (2015) we find no evidence of adverse selection. Gross return distributions of co-investments and other deals are similar. Co-investments generally have lower costs to investors. We simulate net returns to investors and demonstrate how reasonably sized portfolios of co-investments have significantly out-performed fund returns.


Most term structure models of defaultable bonds have ignored personal tax effects. This research examines the effects of omitting taxes on empirical estimation of yield spreads and default probability. The model accounts for the effects of taxes on investor's trading strategy. It is found that ignoring the interactive effects of taxes and default results in a substantial underestimation of yield spreads between corporate and Treasury bonds. The problem of spread underestimation is more severe in percentage terms for high-grade bonds than for low-grade bonds. Failure to account for tax effects results in an upward-biased estimate of default probability, a bias positively related to maturity and tax rates and negatively related to bond quality.


Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the most common cause of disability in adults. The conventional approaches used for rehabilitation are Bobath, Brunstrom, Rood, etc and the physiotherapy measures that are often used include positioning, mat exercises, weight bearing, ice and pressure tapping. Music has been shown to enhance well-being, reduce pain, distract patients from unpleasant thoughts and symptoms and affect patients physiologically and psychologically. Meditation is a process of bringing about a state of self-awareness and inner calm and cause relaxation. These activities can improve self-esteem, happiness and day-to-day functioning in patients. Study design Pre- and postcontrol group design. Sample 60 subjects (38 males, 22 females) aged 50–70 years were allotted to three groups randomly. Method The outcome measures included Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Berg Balance Scale, Barthel ADL Index and Fatigue Severity Scale. The three groups underwent training for a period of 6 weeks. In addition to conventional management, group A listened to film and classical songs and group B underwent a meditation protocol. Group C served as the control. Results Disability, balance, fatigue and depression improved in group A by 12 (p<0.05), 7.4 (p<0.05), 6.4 (p<0.05) and 5.6 (p<0.01), respectively and in group B, improved by 6 (p<0.05), 2.2 (p<0.05), 3.2 (p<0.05) and 5.2 (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion Music therapy and meditation are more beneficial than conventional physiotherapy management alone and music therapy is found to be the better among them.


Over the past 220 years since European settlement, Australia has amassed a diverse array of historic heritage places. Currently there are approximately 200,000 places listed on statutory heritage lists across the nation. Owing to the public-good nature of heritage, community values for the preservation of historic places (both quality and quantity dimensions) is not readily observable from market transactions. Yet this information is critical for efficient management of heritage. This study uses a survey technique (Choice Modelling) to estimate value estimates. To the author's knowledge, it is the first study to use this approach to understand community preferences for alternative protection outcomes at a national level as opposed to site specific valuations.


When the countries pass through the stages of demographic transition, the size of their working age population for economic development mechanically increases which is referred as demographic bonus. Presently, the developed world has reached at an advanced stage of transition and delivering the ageing societies. The prolonging of the current economy of the developed world seems to be largely dependent on working age people of its own. Alternatively, the advanced economies are gently threatened by demographic ageing. This study has empirically explored the contribution of non-native population in prolonging the demographic bonus of Australia: a developed nation which officially welcomes the non-native population. The study further fits the models on the age and sex schedules of non-native population. The findings suggest that immigration could not stop the demographic ageing but figuratively it re-opens the local demographic window of opportunity up to a sufficient time and keep it prolong until migratory flows balanced out with the earlier flows .


A concise, systematic introduction to natural and artificial lighting design More than any building material, light produces spatial effects, generates moods, and "stages" architectural designs. In well-lit spaces, we feel good, and we are capable and effective; light promotes health. Moreover, especially in office buildings, the combination of a sensible natural lighting design with a corresponding approach to artificial lighting is a decisive factor in energy conservation. Assembled by experienced authors and experts from the worlds of practice and teaching, this new volume in the series Detail Practice provides an introduction to the most important aspects of natural and artificial lighting design. In addition to straightforward planning rules - such as ground plan design, building orientation, and the structuring of facades - it also introduces and explains current natural and artificial lighting systems with the help of example projects.


Prostate cancer in dogs belongs to the category of diseases that affect mainly elderly animals. Due to low frequency and slow development of this disease, the diagnosis and staging of these tumours present a challenge. The aim of this study was to highlight the role of contrast enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and staging in a case report of prostate adenocarcinoma in Rottweiler aged 7 years. Conventional ultrasound examination of the dog revealed a profoundly altered structure of the prostate, the presence of masses in both the kidney and liver parenchyma with hepatic veins consistent with turgor, and also a hyperechoic content of the gallbladder. Optimization of the examination with contrast substance revealed a vascular pattern of malignancy both in the prostate and kidney, and has excluded any bile and kidney determinations. Pathological examination revealed a primary tumour in the form of an anaplastic prostate adenocarcinoma with multiple secondary determinations in the lung, kidney and bone. Ultrasound enhanced with intravenously administered contrast substance is an optimal imaging technique that provides real-time information on the vascular space replacement formations behaviour in prostate and kidney, with a role in the diagnosis and staging of prostate tumours.


With the security industry developing rapidly and the number of security systems increasing continuously in recent years, security systems provide a positive effect on society security in China, but many of them became vulnerable or even useless because of the problem of irrational allocation of resources. In order to evaluate security system efficiency to avoid these problems, we present the concept of efficiency entropy based on the Shannon information theory, and build an Efficiency Entropy Evaluation Model which can be used to evaluate the efficiency of the security system quantitatively. It represents security system effectiveness in single node layer and the entire security network layers. So the effectiveness of the whole security system is calculated quantitatively.


ABSTRACT One of the major questions in ecology is how species share their ecological space and what enables them to coexist. Partitioning of foraging niches should facilitate local coexistence. Thus, detailed data on foraging ecology are needed to provide insight into the assembly of communities. To this end, we quantified foraging behaviour of songbirds (Passeriformes) on 21 sites in woodlands and open forests of eastern Australia along a 3000 km long latitudinal transect spanning from the tropics to southern temperate regions. We obtained 5894 prey attacks by 2624 individuals from 112 species. Birds foraged mostly by gleaning (53.4% of attacks) on leaves (51.3%) in the outer part of crown (41.4%) and in medium foliage density (40.8%). Birds foraged along the whole vertical extent of vegetation, but individual species concentrated their foraging into particular strata. In the 41 best sampled species (minimum of 30 attacks recorded), we identified foraging guilds defined first by the foraging substrate and then by the foraging method. Specialisation on foraging substrate was positively correlated with specialisation on method. The organisation of guilds, patterns of substrate and method used across species, and species specialisation were similar to previous local-scale studies from eucalypt woodlands and forests, and from forests in northern temperate regions in Europe and North America. Thus, using our own data and comparisons with previous studies, we confirm a general pattern of foraging guild organisation of woodland and forest songbirds outside the tropics.


Objective: Estimation of fetal weight is essential in daily obstetric clinical practice. Most formulas for the estimation involve head measurement. However, predicting fetal weight by head measurement is virtually impossible when the fetal head is positioned low in the pelvic cavity. A convenient method for estimating fetal body weight without head measurement is therefore required. Methods: Women who delivered between August 2001 and June 2002 in our center were the subjects of the present study. All infants were delivered within 48 h of an ultrasound examination. Only thigh measurements were made in an attempt to obtain an estimation formula by conventional two-dimensional ultrasonography in 83 patients. As a parameter, femur length (FL) and the largest cross-sectional area at right angles to the long axis of the thigh were used. The derived formula was compared with an established equation in 58 parturients. Results: The FL value multiplied by the square root of the cross-sectional area of the thigh showed a significant correlation with the actual birth weight. A formula with only two parameters (FL and cross-sectional area of the thigh) was found by linear regression. Conclusion: The formula derived using only thigh measurements was found to be convenient among all the established formulas for estimated fetal body weight, and no head measurement was necessary.


The important things that company should know when they want to achieve higher sales is to know what are the factors affecting the decline in sales. For RISDA, they should know what are actually the factors affecting the decline in sales of palm oil based on the study done. Other than that, they should know how to solve the problem when their sales are decline and affect the income for the company. This research articles evaluate on what are the factors that contribute to the decline in sales of palm oil at RISDA Melaka for January-June 2010 and RISDA should aware with the findings. Even though the findings show that only 2 months the sales are decline, but they should take corrective action to make sure the decline in sales will not happen again in the future. After reviewing related literature the data from that literature has been summarized and is used to get the gap between the company used and the practice in the assessment to make the sales increase in the future and company will find the solution for their problems. The data of sales of palm oil have been collected from January until June 2010 to analyze on the trend of sales of palm oil at RISDA Melaka. From the data, it shows the relevant solution that RISDA can do to increase their sales of palm oil.


Background: Although leukoplakia shows a higher risk for malignant transformation to oral cancer, currently there are no clinically relevant biomarker which can predict the potentially high risk leukoplakia. This study aimed to investigate the genetic alterations such as DNA ploidy, telomerase expression and DNA repair capacity as predictive markers of malignant transformation risk of leukoplakia. Methods: The study was initiated in September 2005 and patients were followed up to March 2014. Two hundred patients with oral leukoplakia, 100 patients with oral cancer and 100 healthy, age and sex matched adults with normal oral mucosa as controls were recruited. The DNA ploidy content was measured by high resolution flow cytometry, level of telomerase expression was identified by TRAP assay and intrinsic DNA repair capacity was measured by mutagen induced chromosome sensitivity assay of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes. The Chi-square test or Fisher's Exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables between biomarkers. A p value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Analysis was performed with SPSS software version 16. Logistic regression was used to find the association between the dependent and three independent variables. Results: There was significant difference in the distribution of ploidy status, telomerase activity and DNA repair capacity among control, leukoplakia and oral cancer group (p<0.001). When the molecular markers were compared with histological grading of leukoplakia, both DNA ploidy analysis and telomerase activity showed statistical significance (p<0.001). Both aneuploidy and telomerase positivity was found to coincide with high-risk sites of leukoplakia and were statistically significant (p<0.002 and 0.02). All the leukoplakia and oral cancer patients were followed up for 8.5 years. Out of 200 cases of leukoplakia, 19 were found to be malignancy at the time of diagnosis. So for the calculation of risk of malignant transformation only 181 cases of leukoplakia were considered. Out of this 181 cases of leukoplakia, 12 (6.6%) underwent malignant transformation over a period ranging from 6 to 36 months. Univariate analysis showed DNA repair capacity and DNA ploidy as markers having significant risk association whereas multivariate analysis showed DNA repair capacity as the most significant marker to assess malignant transformation risk of leukoplakia (OR 52.9, 95% CI, 6.56 – 426.7). Conclusion: Genomic markers combined with clinical and histopathological evaluation can help identify the potentially high risk leukoplakia which can then be treated based on an individual approach.


The purpose of this empirical research is to evaluate the relationship between credit constraints and household risky assets in China. The life-cycle hypothesis theory and household portfolio choice theory is the basis of the research. Using a probit model, we find out that credit constraints do not have a clear impact on the probability of households to hold risky assets. Furthermore, the coefficients between age and risky assets are non-linear. Households in urban regions have a high positive coefficient with risky assets. As for now, the literature is missing theories on the relationship between credit constraints and household financial risky assets in China. Thus, this study will enrich the literature of household financial assets allocation by using a questionnaire survey from CHFS (China Household Finance Survey).


A study was made on 198 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated at a pediatric intensive care unit from January to August 1988, using pyocin typing and antibiotic typing as markers. The most frequent circulating pyocin types were 31.83 and atypical 23578. The germ showed high resistance in vitro to the antimicrobial drugs used and the resistance patterns were distributed in 19 different antibiotic types.


Binding of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to rat submandibular gland and its effect on guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) formation and salivary secretion were investigated. Membranes rapidly and specifically bound 125I-ANP. Binding was inhibited by unlabeled ANP (IC50 approximately 1.6 nM), but not by atriopeptin I, other COOH- and NH2-terminal deleted ANP fragments, or agents such as pilocarpine or substance P. Scatchard analysis revealed a single class of high-affinity sites (dissociation constant 0.74 +/- 0.25 nM; maximal binding capacity 20.5 +/- 6.3 pmol/mg protein). Intravenous infusion of ANP with pilocarpine caused a significant dose-dependent increase in the levels of cGMP detected in plasma and saliva. Because salivary cGMP may have originated in plasma, the effect of ANP on cGMP formation was evaluated in dispersed cells. ANP evoked a concentration-dependent increase in both cGMP synthesis and secretion (EC50 approximately 1.7 x 10(-8) M). The atrial peptide did affect basal or l-isoproterenol-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate synthesis in dispersed cells. When infused by itself and/or with pilocarpine, ANP did not alter the rate of spontaneous or pilocarpine-induced salivary flow, secretion of chloride, or protein release. The data demonstrate the presence of guanylate cyclase-coupled ANP receptors in submandibular gland; the atrial peptide, however, does not exert an effect of the secretory function of the gland.


Mathematics anxiety is common among pre-service primary teachers and many experience higher levels of maths anxiety than other university students. This study asks: What are maths anxious pre-service teachers' perspectives of "doing" mathematics in a whiteboard room? The Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (A-MARS) was used to identify high, medium and low levels of maths anxiety in a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (n=196). Semi-structured interviews (n=6) explored perspectives that were analysed through Vygotsky's sociocultural dimensions of the intrapersonal and the interpersonal, as well as the physical environment of the whiteboard room. Results show that doing maths in a whiteboard room was positive and engaging for participants because the room afforded positive interpersonal interactions and fostered an engaging learning environment that served to ease their maths anxiety. The whiteboard pedagogy is thus recommended in pre-service teacher education.


To represent very large or small values, large range is re-quired as the integer representation is no longer appropriate. These values can be represented using the IEEE-754 standard based floating point representation. This paper presents high speed ASIC implementation of a floating point arithmetic unit which can perform addi-tion, subtraction, multiplication, division functions on 32-bit operands that use the IEEE 754-2008 standard. Prenormalization unit and post normalization units are also discussed along with exceptional handling. All the functions are built by feasible efficient algorithms with several changes incorporated that can improve overall la-tency, and if pipelined then higher throughput. The algo-rithms are modeled in Verilog HDL and the RTL code for adder, subtractor, multiplier, divider, square root are syn-thesized using Cadence RTL complier where the de-sign is targeted for 180nm TSMC technology with proper constraints.


Based on quasi-stable state heat-transfer control mode, finite difference equation of thermal conductivity in laser welding is deduced. Physical parameter (specific heat) substitutes for phase-changing latent heat, then critical temperature of thermal conductivity welding is determined, so finite difference equation can be solved by MATLAB software. Temperature field distribution is simulated to weldment.Influence of technological parameters such as laser power and welding speed on temperature field are investigated systematically by numerical simulation, these can establish theoretical basis for optimization of technological parameters in laser welding.


A prospective study of 132 patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in the ICU was carried out to determine the causative agents, the value of the clinical, biological, and radiologic features in predicting the etiology, and to define prognostic factors. The study group included 98 men and 34 women (mean age: 58 +/- 18 years). The most frequent underlying condition was COPD (51 patients, 39 percent). On admission, 35 patients were in shock, 71 were mentally confused, and 81 (61 percent) required mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization. The clinical, laboratory, and radiologic parameters were of little value for predicting the etiology in patients with severe CAP. An etiologic diagnosis was made in 95 (72 percent) patients. The most frequent pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (43 cases [45 percent]), Gram-negative bacilli (14 cases [15 percent]), and Haemophilus influenzae (14 cases [15 percent]) Mortality was 24 percent. It was significantly associated with a age more than 60 years, septic shock, impairment of alertness, mechanical ventilation requirement, bacteremic pneumonia, and S pneumoniae or Enterobacteriaceae as the causes of the pneumonia. Recommendations for antibiotic chemotherapy in patients with severe CAP admitted to the ICU are included.


In North China, there is a preliminary proposal for ERL-FEL light source (BXERL-FEL) with its aim at "one machine, two purposes" (the XFEL and ERL work simultaneously). One of the key technologies is the merger section. In this paper, we give the physical design of the merger section for BXERL-FEL w...


With the rapid growth of workplaces, there is also an increase of the risk employees are exposed to. A high percentage of the injuries suffered annually are work related and many of those are due to the decrease in alertness of employees as they get tired. As a result, many of the injuries are fall related, touching a hot object etc. Therefore, safety in the workplace can be increased if employees can be monitored continuously and warning them when they come close to a restricted (hazardous) area.
The current paper presents an in-depth analysis of existing approaches to 3D object tracking which can be deployed to monitor workers and try to prevent injury. The final goal is to design, implement and test an SoC capable of performing real time object tracking in 3D which can send the coordinates to a standalone computer to be displayed and processed.


In the Higgs mechanism, mediators of the weak force acquire masses by interacting with the Higgs condensate, leading to a vector boson mass matrix. On the other hand, a rigid body accelerated through an inviscid, incompressible and irrotational fluid feels an opposing force linearly related to its acceleration, via an added-mass tensor. We uncover a striking physical analogy between the two effects and propose a dictionary relating them. The correspondence turns the gauge Lie algebra into the space of directions in which the body can move, encodes the pattern of gauge symmetry breaking in the shape of an associated body and relates symmetries of the body to those of the scalar vacuum manifold. The new viewpoint is illustrated with numerous examples, and raises interesting questions, notably on the fluid analogues of the broken symmetry and Higgs particle, and the field-theoretic analogue of the added mass of a composite body.


Finding the all-pairs shortest-paths on a large graph is a fundamental problem in many practical applications such as bioinformatics, internet node traffic and network routing. In this paper, we present the designs of two efficient parallel algorithms for many-core GPUs using CUDA. Our algorithms expose substantial fine-grained parallelism while maintaining minimal global communication. By using the global scope of the GPU's global memory, coalescing the global memory reads and writes, and avoiding on-chip shared memory bank conflicts, we are able to achieve a large performance benefit with a speed-up of 2,500x on a desktop computer in comparison with a single core program. Our algorithms are scalable, which can handle graphs with size larger than the memory available on the GPUs and when multiple GPUs are added into the system.


Studies aimed at synthesizing surfactants from biomass-based feedstocks using Pd-catalyzed telomerization of 1,3-butadiene resulted in the development of a highly active catalyst system. A ligand screening was performed, and Pd/tris(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphine (TOMPP) was identified as the most promising catalyst. A solvent- and base-free protocol was developed, which allows efficient and selective conversion of a wide variety of polyol substrates (e.g., glycerol, diols, carbohydrates, and sugar alcohols). In the case of hemi-acetal bearing sugars, catalyst deactivation was observed and mechanistic studies showed that extensive formation of ligand-derived phosphonium species depleted the amount of available ligand. Stoichiometric coordination reactions gave insight into the phosphine alkylation mechanism and demonstrated the reversibility of the observed reaction. A simple and efficient one-pot synthesis method was developed for the preparation of [Pd((1-3,7,8η)-(E)-octa-2,7-dien-1-yl)(PR3)]+ complexes, which are key reactive intermediates. Based on these studies, an extended telomerization mechanism is proposed, which accounts for the formation of ligand-derived phosphonium species and the reversibility of reaction pathways.


Salmonellae in the environment remain a potential source of disease. Low numbers of salmonellae have been detected and enumerated from environmental samples by most-probable-number methods which require careful colony selection from a plated agar medium. A modified xylose lysine brilliant green medium was prepared to control the loss of selectivity caused by heating the brilliant green component. Added agar reduced colony spreading. The medium contained 47 g of xylose lysine agar base per liter; the agar content was adjusted to 2%, autoclaved, cooled to 50 degrees C, and then amended just before pouring to include H2S indicator and 7 ppm (7 ml of 1:1,000 brilliant green per liter) of unheated brilliant green dye. H2S-positive salmonellae were easily detected from sewage sludge compost to the exclusion of most other gram-negative bacteria. As a result, fewer non-salmonellae were picked for further most-probable-number analysis, greatly reducing the work load associated with the most-probable-number method. Direct plating was possible for enumerating salmonellae in laboratory composts containing ca. 10(3) or more salmonellae.


Neutral to Earth Voltage (NTEV) rise in the commercial building has been categorised as one of the major Power Quality problems. Based on the IEEE Std 1695 and HydroQuebec standards, the tolerable limit for the NTEV rise should be below 10V. However, its magnitude tends to exceed the tolerable threshold value due to several factors, such as nonlinear load, heavy neutral current load, lightning strikes, and improper wiring connection. Based on the corresponding problems, the NTEV rise contributes to the heating, incorrect operation and malfunctions of equipment, frequent tripping, and electromagnetic interference to the system. Therefore, the development of a comprehensive technique is required to identify the NTEV rise in the commercial building, where the conservative effort to solve the standing problems can be minimised. The objectives of this research are to identify the source that contributes the NTEV rise in the commercial building. Thus, the initial work carried out in this study focuses on the derivation of the grounding system modelling, which is related to NTEV in the commercial building during multi-frequency variation. The RLC grounding system is proposed in this derivation model, where its performance is compared with the conventional grounding system to produce the profile of the NTEV in normal condition, similar to the profile of an actual data measurement. Furthermore, the mathematical models of NTEV rise are also developed according to problems caused by loose termination, open conductor and lightning strike. In relation to the NTEV models, a classification technique is developed by employing the combination of S-transform (ST) and several types of classifier tools. The classifier tools utilised in this study comprised the Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN), General Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN). Moreover, a novel technique is developed to identify the source location of NTEV rise in the commercial building. In this state, the identification techniques are concentrated on the problems due to loose termination and open conductor. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique, the simulations are carried out on the 7feeder distribution system and 13-node distribution system using MATLAB/Simulink software. Fourier Transform (FT) with respect to DC component analysis is utilised in a novel technique to identify the standing problems that occur either on the upstream or downstream location. The results showed that the RLC model of the grounding system outperformed the conventional grounding system in terms of percentage error, mean squared error (MSE) and Pearson correlation coefficient. The result of the percentage error, MSE and Pearson correlation coefficient using the RLC model are 2.5473,0.0165 and 0.9503, respectively. In addition, the results of the NTEV rise have also been successfully derived in the mathematical model. The results of the classification have shown that the SVM classifier outperformed the other classifiers in terms of accuracy value. The overall accuracy results of PNN, GRNN, K-NN, and SVM are 94.7%, 97.7%, 97.7%, and 98.3%, respectively. Finally, the results of a novel technique could identify the source location of the NTEV rise when the problems occur either on the upstream or downstream location with respect to the measurement points. The upstream and downstream locations are seen identified based on the negative and positive polarities of the proposed technique.


Abstract This paper reports the results of compressive strength and elasticity studies of light-cured polymer matrix ceramic composites (LC PMCCs). The main purpose was to obtain new data on experimental composites and compare them with commercial composites from the world's leading manufacturer. The objective was to investigate the relationship between the content of reinforcing components in the composites studied and the stability of their strength in time, expressed as the number of fatigue thermal cycles.


The economic benefits many African countries derive from international wildlife tourism are very few, especially when viewed from existing potentials in terms of resources and uniqueness. African wildlife tourism has natural barriers to entry and thus is basically a monopolistic market. However, the countries have done virtually nothing to take advantage of this situation. Rather than focusing on cost recovery or revenue maximisation, the governments should therefore aim at maximising profits from international tourism. Uganda is the case study of this paper in this regard. Data collected from a travel cost survey indicates that in 1997, even under uniform pricing, Ugandan's profit from gorilla tracking in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone could have been increased by between USD 30,000 and USD 220,000 (depending on assumptions about social costs). Besides, unlike most government revenue sources, monopoly prices on international tourism do not impose deadweight losses on the domestic economy.


Forty-nine sourses of Russian and foreign literature dedicated to the role of endothelial dysfunction in the development of pulmonary hypertension and chronic cor pulmonale were analyzed. Data on endothelium-dependent vasoactive mediators are presented in the article.


In this paper we present the results of an experimental analysis of IPSec performance. IPSec serves as a security service to protect a communication session over unreliable networks using several cryptographic functions. The different IPSec features used to obtain confidentiality, authentication, replay protection, and integrity introduce performance costs brought about by the increased processing overhead. The performance parameters of interest are delay and throughput. However, there is a tradeoff between performance and security. The results of the performance tests indicate the vulnerability of a Denial-of-Service attack against a gateway running IPSec due to resource exhaustion.


The deformation microstructure produced by heavy cold rolling (from 70 % to 95 % reduction) of pearlitic structure with various amounts of rolling and the tensile strength of the cold rolled sheets were studied in the plain carbon steels with various carbon contents (0.6, 0.76, and 1.0 mass % C). The deformation microstructure was classified into the following three types; 1) Irregularly Bent Lamella (IBL): lamellae originally inclined with large angles to the rolling plane and irregularly bent after deformation, 2) Coarse Lamella with Shear band (CLS) : the rhomboidal blocks of weakly deformed lamellae bounded by shear band, 3) Fine Lamella (FL): heavily deformed lamellae aligned parallel to the rolling direction with fine interlamellar spacings. As rolling reduction increases, the proportion of FL increases. The tensile strength of cold rolled specimens increases with rolling reduction. Work hardening with respect to true strain by cold rolling is similar to that obtained by wire drawing. After 92 % cold rolling of 1.0 mass%C steel, the tensile strength over 2 500 MPa was achieved.


With the rapid evolution of the Internet, security has become a major area of concern and, consequently, an interesting research area. Different applications transmit sensitive information over the Internet, which creates increased chances for attackers to look into every piece of data, unless it is secured using secure socket layer SSL certificate. However, the present SSL certificates too face challenges because of various attacks, and these certificates need to be verified before transmitting information. In this paper, we show how the concepts of learning automata LA can be used to verify SSL certificates. The proposed LA-based system can detect safe or unsafe SSL certificates. The LA reward/penalty scheme is used to build the trust value for SSL certificates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We recently identified a novel tumor-suppressor gene, DPC4, at chromosome 18q21.1 and found that both alleles of DPC4 were inactivated in nearly one-half of the pancreatic carcinomas. Here, we analyzed 338 tumors, originating from 12 distinct anatomic sites, for alterations in the DPC4 gene. Sixty-four specimens were selected for the presence of the allelic loss of 18q and were further analyzed for DPC4 sequence alterations. An alteration of the DPC4 gene sequence was identified in one of eight breast carcinomas and one of eight ovarian carcinomas. These results indicate that whereas DPC4 inactivation is prevalent in pancreatic carcinoma (48%), it is distinctly uncommon (< 10%) in the other tumor types examined. The tissue restriction of alterations in DPC4, as in many other tumor-suppressor genes, emphasizes the complexity of rate-limiting checkpoints in human tumorigenesis.


The ancient Greeks played a fundamental role in the history of mathematics and their ideas were reused and developed in subsequent periods all the way down to the scientific revolution and beyond. In this, the first complete history for a century. Reviel Netz offers a panoramic view of the rise and influence of Greek mathematics and its significance in world history. He explores the Near Eastern antecedents and the social and intellectual developments underlying the subject's beginnings in Greece in the fifth century BCE. He leads the reader through the proofs and arguments of key figures like Archytas, Euclid and Archimedes, and considers the totality of the Greek mathematical achievement which also includes, in addition to pure mathematics, such applied fields as optics, music, mechanics and, above all, astronomy. This is the story not only of a major historical development, but of some of the finest mathematics ever created.


Double helical DNA is a negatively charged polyelectrolyte and exists in the nucleus of living cells as chromatin, a highly compacted but dynamic complex with histone proteins. The first level of DNA compaction is the linear array of the nucleosome core particles (NCP), which is a well-defined structure of 145–147 bp DNA with the histone octamer, connected by linker DNA. Higher levels of chromatin compaction include two routes which may overlap: intramolecular folding of the nucleosome array resulting in formation of the 30 nm fibre and intermolecular aggregation (self-association) between different arrays (or distant fibres of the same chromosome). This review describes how the polyelectrolyte properties of chromatin are illustrated by experimental results of folding and self-association of well-defined model chromatin, in the form of recombinant nucleosome arrays, and how these properties can be understood from computer modelling. Chromatin compaction shows considerable similarities to DNA condensation. However, the structure of condensed chromatin is sensitive to the detailed molecular features of the nucleosome–nucleosome interactions which include the influence of the histone tails and their modifications.


Especially during last years, fundamental discoveries of various species and modifications of carbon nanotubes have stimulated research on their application including in human medicine. The success of these applications depends significantly on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the carbon nanotubes and their supplements. In our presentation we report on the synthesis of Fe-filled carbon nanotubes, their structural and magnetic properties and propose novel types of such functionalised and filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes with various advantages for an application in human medicine, especially in anti-tumour therapeutic concepts. These nanotube structures represent multi-functional nano-scaled containers for different medical treatments including magnetically guided hyperthermia. Furthermore these chemical inert and stable carbon nanocontainer can be act as a new drug delivery carrier system. In principle, both, a filling of nanotubes by an open-fill-close process or an attachment of argents on the outside of the carbon nanotube is possible.


Starting from a mean field calculation for the static capacitance of a MIS-nanostructure with a near back gate [P.N. Racec, E. R. Racec and U. Wulf, Phys. Rev. B 65, 193314, (2002)] we develop an approach to determine the equivalent small-signal circuit. The analyzed system has an open character, taken into account in the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. The Coulomb interaction is treated in Hartree approximation. Consistent with our static calculations we determine the charge-charge correlation function in the random phase approximation to find the ac-admittances. The small-signal circuit consists of a voltage-dependent capacitance and a resistance in series. Beyond a characteristic frequency c ν they become frequency dependent. The characteristic frequency is given by the life time of specific resonance which develops in the system.


Despite the unprecedented success in using immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of lung cancer, melanoma, hypermutable tumors of various localization, etc., a significant proportion of patients receiving these drugs do not respond to treatment. Predictive markers routinely used in the selection of patients for immunotherapy, in particular, the level of expression of PD -L1 and the presence of microsatellite instability, have certain limitations. Over the past decade, many other biomarkers designed to predict response to immunotherapy have been proposed, namely: tymor mutation burden, composition of lymphocytic infiltrate; allelic composition of the major histocompatibility complex; relationship between the numbers of different formed elements of blood as well as between its biochemical parameters; microflora of the digestive tract, etc. These markers can directly or indirectly reflect the immunogenicity of the tumor itself, as well as the state of systemic and intratumoral immune response. The predictive power and reliability of these markers are extremely different. When preparing this review, we conducted a literature search for recent studies regarding predictors of efficacy for immune checkpoint inhibitors published in the journals included in the databases, such as Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus.


Scientists are a poorly covered area of research in the field of celebrity studies. This article attempts to rectify this issue by discussing representations of science and scientists in a televised Nobel Banquet on Swedish public-service television, SVT. The televised Nobel Banquet is a genre hybrid that consists of two genres; namely, science communication and award show. Drawing on cultural, media, and gender studies, this article examines the mediated persona of the scientist in the televised Nobel Banquet via contextualised textual analysis. The main questions of this article are as follows: in what ways do the media, the genre, and the idea of geniality affect the representation of the scientist? The article suggests that the increasing 'celebrification' of scientists is characteristic of the past several decades, and that, among other factors, this has been due to the entry of aspects of entertainment into banquet broadcasts. Through such processes, the 'celebrity-scientist' has emerged within the high-status sphere of science. However, a very specific type of celebrity is represented in the Nobel context: the celebrity-scientist is commonly a white man of high education whose fame has been reached through hard work in competition with others of the same kind. This representation of a scientist and its associated quality of genius will here be examined from a gender perspective.


The article presents the assessment of prognostic value of perioperative level of C-reactive protein in the development of post-operative cardio-vascular complications in patients with ischemic heart disease and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The sample consisted of 99 patients with stable forms of ischemic heart disease and underwent the planned coronary artery bypass grafting. The average age of patients was 58 +/- 4.19 years. All patients were applied direct revascularization of myocardium in conditions of artificial blood circulation. The patients were divided on the groups depending on occurrence of post-operational cardio-vascular complications. The group I consisted of 42 patients with non-complicated post-operational period (42%). The group 2 consisted of 57 patients with cardio-vascular complications and included the subgroup of 24 patients with fibrillation of atriums developed in post-operational period. The concentration of C-reactive protein was analyzed in blood serum one day before the operation and at first and seventh days after operation. The post-operative period after application of coronary artery bypass in conditions of ischemic heart disease is characterized by activation of inflammation reaction evaluated by concentration of C-reactive protein. The pre-operation level of C-reactive protein can be used as prognostic marker of development of cardio-vascular complications, post-operative fibrillation of atriums after application of coronary artery bypass in particular


Hierarchical porous carbons (HPC) were synthesized by a combination of self-assembly and chemical activation method. A mesoporous carbon with large-size pore was used as raw materials. N2 sorption measurement indicated that plenty of micropores generated within the mesopore wall in the mesoporous carbon during KOH activation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement demonstrated a high electrocatalytic activity of HPC electrode for triiodide reduction. The overall conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells with HPC counter electrode was 6.48%, which is similar to that of the device with conventional Pt counter electrode.


Corporate governance is usually viewed in the context of strengthening shareholder rights and enhancing shareholders' welfare. However, the impact of corporate governance on bondholders is much less understood. We explore how corporate governance influences the cost of debt financing. Using broad governance metrics encompassing fifty governance attributes reported by The Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), we document that stronger corporate governance is associated with a higher cost of debt. As governance strengthens by one standard deviation, the cost of debt rises by as much as 11 %. The results are robust even after controlling for both firm-specific and issue-specific characteristics. Our results are important because they suggest that corporate governance has a palpable effect on critical corporate outcomes such as credit ratings and bond yields. More importantly, we show that, while corporate governance may mitigate the agency conflict between managers and shareholders, it appears to exacerbate the agency conflict between shareholders and bondholders (the agency cost of debt).


CONNECTING THE DOTS: ISSUES OF ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY AMONG TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS Andrew G. Taylor, B.A. Marquette University, 2015 This study explored issues of identity, identification and the identification (attachment) process of training and development professionals employed in medium to large organizations. This research focused on determining what resources training and development professionals identified with, how these resources were expressed and acted on and finally what challenges or tensions are results of this identification process. The findings of this project illustrate unique identity related resources and challenges specific to the training and development industry; furthermore, this study analyzes these results and presents both theoretical and practical implications. Notable findings of this study suggest that training and development professionals primarily identify with helping others and prefer to execute job duties that directly develop or assist others within the organization. Additionally, this service to others mindset often is expressed when training professionals are able to help make sense of organizational messages for other employees, and this work often subordinates the training and development professional. Thus, this research suggests that the identity related challenges that training and development professionals encounter stem from being an unknown or misunderstood part of the larger organizational mission; furthermore, training and development professionals may communicate an organizational message that they do not experience in practice.


Abstract Integration of petrographic observations, mineral chemistry, garnet Sm-Nd isochrons, and MnNaCaKFMASH pseudosection phase equilibria models constructed with THERMOCALC provides quantitative metamorphic pressure-temperature-time (P-T-t) paths which allow determination of assemblage/reaction history for pelites. Examples are presented for the Cretaceous to Tertiary magmatic arc of the North American Coast Plutonic Complex. Metamorphism in the western Coast Plutonic Complex of southeastern Alaska and in the North Cascades of Washington resulted from at least three widespread events from > 100 Ma to c. 60 Ma, and in both areas partly resulted from crustal thickening, evidenced by local occurrences of kyanite after andalusite. Pressure-temperature pseudosections constructed from bulk rock compositions and the intersection of garnet core composition isopleths provide estimates for the pressure and temperature of garnet core growth. Intersections of these isopleths indicate garnet growth 18 to 85 °C above the predicted garnet-in reaction temperatures. Rim and near-rim garnet compositions and matrix mineral chemistry provide estimates for near-peak metamorphic conditions. Finite pressure-temperature-time paths of garnet zone metamorphism were determined from the combined core growth and pressure-temperature conditions determined from near-rim garnet and matrix mineral compositions. The western Coast Plutonic Complex near the Stikine River, southeastern Alaska, displays a complex pattern of regional metamorphism overprinted by contact metamorphic aureoles. Many of the c. 90 Ma aureoles contain andalusite, andalusite plus sillimanite, or andalusite plus kyanite with complex replacement textures. A pseudosection constructed for a contact metamorphic rock on Kadin Island (95GL11c), predicts that garnet grew c. 555 ± 10 °C and 4.8 ± 0.7 kbar, above the garnet-in line and the aluminium silicate triple-point pressure. These results suggest that andalusite in samples from this aureole likely grew prior to garnet and that the pressure may have increased by ≤ 1 kbar during metamorphism. The southern part of the North Cascades in Washington also contain complex aluminium silicate replacement textures with early andalusite and later kyanite and sillimanite. A sample (96NC67), collected near the andalusite-bearing aureole of the Mt Stuart batholith, contains sillimanite and c. 10 mm garnet crystals containing staurolite inclusions in their cores. Temperatures estimated from the garnet core of this sample are within the pseudosection staurolite stability field, compatible with initial garnet growth significantly above the garnetin line. The garnet rim thermometry estimate of c. 668 ± 59 °C for this sample is c. 85 °C higher than the core growth temperature. The calculated P-T-t path provides important information for interpreting regional and contact metamorphism. An extensive region NE of the Mt Stuart batholith in the North Cascades underwent a significant pressure increase; however, the timing and nature of medium- to high-pressure metamorphism is controversial. Quantitative P-T-t paths constructed for garnet growth along the NE margin of the batholith indicate that 87-85 Ma garnet growth was younger than the nearby Mt Stuart batholith (93.5 ± 1.4 Ma, U-Pb zircon). Garnet core and rim segments are isochronous indicating a short interval for garnet growth. P-T-t paths indicate that garnet growth occurred in the sillimanite stability field during a maximum pressure increase of 1 to 2 kbar, after rocks passed through the andalusite stability field (Mt Stuart contact metamorphism). Careful sampling, hand-picking, acid leaching, and isotopic analysis of garnet provide geologically consistent ages with uncertainties of ≤ 1.0 Ma. Thermodynamic modelling in the MnNaCaKFMASH system provide reasonable P-T predictions for pelite mineral stability that can be integrated with isotope ages to provide quantitative P-T-t paths. The P-T-t paths developed for both regional and contact metamorphic rocks allow critical evaluation of tectonic models and of interpretations for mineral textures.


BACKGROUND
Almost 2,000 new cases of lung cancer are reported in Norway every year. Only 16-17% are operated upon with resection.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Over the 1995-98 period, 1,035 not resected cases with localized lung cancer were reported to the Cancer Registry of Norway; 166 cases were excluded for various reasons. Records from the Cancer Registry with additional information from clinicians were revised by the authors with regard to staging and operability.

RESULTS
Of 869 evaluable patients, 386 were inoperable due to advanced disease, and in 86 the situation was not adequately clarified. Of the remaining 397, 270 were classified as being operable and 127 possibly operable. Of the operable patients, small cell lung cancer was considered as the sole contraindication to surgery in 61 patients despite being in stage 1. Poor lung function was noted as contraindication to surgery in 50 patients. However, most of them were inadequately investigated. In 124 patients one or more other risk factors were considered as contraindications, but the impact of some of them seemed to have been overestimated.

INTERPRETATION
The study showed that the information about stage routinely submitted to the Cancer Registry was unsatisfactory. We believe that more patients with localized disease in the present series should have been operated on.


Techniques for making precise and accurate radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements on samples containing less than a few hundred micrograms of carbon are being developed at the NOSAMS facility. A detailed examination of all aspects of the sample preparation and data analysis process shows encouraging results. Small quantities of CO2 are reduced to graphite over cobalt catalyst at an optimal temperature of 605°. Measured 14C/12C ratios of the resulting targets are affected by machine-induced isotopic fractionation, which appears directly related to the decrease in ion current generated by the smaller sample sizes. It is possible to compensate effectively for this fractionation by measuring samples relative to small standards of identical size. Examination of the various potential sources of background 14C contamination indicates that the sample combustion process is the largest contributor, adding ca. 1 μg of carbon with a less-than-modern 14C concentration.


BACKGROUND
Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) frees the diabetic patient with end-stage nephropathy from dialysis and daily insulin injections. Herein, we review consecutive cases of SPKT with bladder drainage performed at our institution over an 8-year period.

METHODS
The study population included 21 patients (16 males and 5 females) who underwent SPKT between September 2001 and September 2009. Seven patients had type-1 diabetes and 14 had type-2 diabetes. Nineteen patients were on dialysis at the time of transplantation. Donation after cardiac death donors were selected for SPKT. The mean human leukocyte antigen match was 2 (range 0 - 4). SPKT was always performed using bladder drainage and vascular anastomoses to the systemic circulation. Immunosuppressive treatment consisted of anti-lymphocyte globulin induction followed by tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone.

RESULTS
The mean hospital stay was 45.43 days. After a mean follow-up of 39.4 months, survival rates for patient, kidney, and pancreas were 76.2%, 76.2%, and 66.7% at 1 year; 76.2%, 59.3%, and 55.6% at 5 years; and 57.1%, 39.5%, and 41.7% at 8 years, respectively. Major complications included anastomotic leaks, reflux pancreatitis, and rejection. Six patients died from septic shock (n = 3), duodenal stump leak (1), cardiac arrest (1), or renal failure (1). Eight kidney grafts were lost due to acute rejection (n = 2), chronic rejection (3), and death with a functioning graft (3). Pancreatic graft failure (9) was caused by thrombosis (n = 1), rejection (2), duodenal stump leak (1), and death with a functioning graft (5).

CONCLUSIONS
SPKT is a valid therapeutic option for uremic diabetics although few hospitals in China can undertake SPKT.


OBJECTIVE
 The main aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of caudal cervical vertebral stabilization using bicortical transpedicular pins with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) versus transvertebral body polyaxial screws and connecting rods with or without an interbody distractor.

STUDY DESIGN
 Ten canine cervical vertebral columns (C2-T3) were used. Four models (intact, transvertebral body polyaxial screw with interbody distractor [polyaxial + distractor], transvertebral body polyaxial screw without interbody distractor [polyaxial - distractor] and bicortical transpedicular pins/polymethylmethacrylate [pin-PMMA]) were applied to C6-7 sequentially on the same specimens. Angular range of motion (AROM) in the form of flexion and extension was measured at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 in all groups.

RESULTS
 Treated vertebral specimens had significantly less AROM than unaltered specimens. There was no significant difference in AROM between the experimental groups at C6 and C7. Angular range of motion ratio in flexion-extension was 80.8, 72.7 and 78.3% for polyaxial + distractor, polyaxial - distractor and pin-PMMA groups, respectively, which were less than the intact group. There was no significant increase in the range of motion of the adjacent vertebrae after stabilization.

CONCLUSION
 Stabilization obtained with transvertebral body polyaxial screws was comparable to that from the well-established bicortical pins/PMMA construct. Association of an intervertebral distractor did not change AROM of the polyaxial screw constructs.


If you are looking for the best market, industry or sector to invest in; the "best-in-class" companies to invest in or work with; and need good, current and objective insights to do so, then this is the book for you. Using ground-up fundamental analysis and two new analytical frameworks, you will be able to identify which market, sector or industry to get into and even compare companies at the ability and capability levels. Complemented by a website that will provide up-to-date information on the markets, sectors, industries and up to 1,500 key global companies, the book will be a valuable resource for any business and individual. Objective and quantitative analysis is made real and possible for SMEs, Start-Ups, corporate and individual investors.


Regulation of T cell effector functions by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene products has been extensively researched. Investigations in this area have established several important concepts of immunobiology. First, genes within the I-region of the MHC profoundly affect development of immune responses through their effects on cell-cell interactions. In the course of analyzing antigen-induced T cell activation, investigators identified specific Ir-genes by demonstrating that certain strains of mice were unable to develop immunity to defined antigens. It is now accepted that immune response defects in murine species are potentiated by cell surface molecules encoded within the I-subregion of the MHC, called Ia. Those molecules coded within the I-A subregion have the potential to be expressed by many different cell types. Second, induction of helper T cell effector function requires recognition of antigen in association with I-region encoded, cell surface molecules. For example, only a single structural combination of antigenic determinant and Ia molecule can deliver the inductive signal(s) to potential helper T cells. This fundamental aspect of helper T cell activation, now documented in numerous experimental systems, is referred to as MHC- or I-region restricted, antigen recognition. MHC-restriction is a characteristic of T cells mediating delayed-type hypersensitivity, help, and cytotoxicity. Third, several lines of evidence have established that T cell recognition of self-MHC molecules is a modifiable phenotype; conferred by a receptor having both variable and constant regions and not encoded by genes in the MHC. The development of both thymic grafted homozygous nu/nu mice and irradiation-induced bone marrow chimeras as experimental models resulted in a better understanding of the mechanism of MHC-restricted, antigen recognition. It was observed that expression of MHC gene products by the host is sufficient to select a new immune response phenotype for cellular interactions. The selection process takes place during T cell maturation, in the absence of antigen and under the dominant influence of the thymus, even though there is ample evidence for selective pressure in the extrathymic environment. For example, the self-MHC recognition repertoire of T cells in P----F1 chimeras undergoes an initial expansion which results in an F1 immune response phenotype. This expansion is followed by an apparent contraction back to the immune response phenotype of the parental donor. The contraction is time dependent and reflects accessory cell turnover in the irradiated host.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Introduction Flexible sigmoidoscopy (bowel scope) reduced colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in a population aged 55–64.[1]Patients progressed to colonoscopy based on 'high risk' features (Table 1).[1] Based on these pivotal findings, the UK bowel scope (BS) surveillance programme was introduced in 2013 to individuals aged 55. The Wolverhampton bowel cancer screening centre was the first UK site to fully roll out the programme. The correlation between BS findings and subsequent colonoscopy has not previously been evaluated in this specific cohort. Method We prospectively collated data from all BS patients at our centre and identified those undergoing colonoscopy between August 2013–2016. We assessed conversion rates, compliance with BS protocol and correlated endoscopic and histological findings to identify predictors for detection of pathology at colonoscopy. Univariate analysis was performed using Pearson's chi2. Indication N* New adenoma OR (95% CI) p-value ≥3 polyps 78 45 (57.7%) 1.46 (0.88–2.43) 0.14 Size≥10 mm 196 86 (43.9%) 2.13 (1.39–3.27) <0.001* High grade dysplasia 16 5 (31.3%) 0.82 (0.28–2.41) 0.72 Any villous histology 190 69 (36.3%) 1.09 (0.72–1.67) 0.66 >20 hyperplastic polyps 3 0 - - None of the above 57 9 (15.8%) 0.29 (0.14–0.62) 0.001* Villous only histology 10 7 (70.0%) 4.41 (1.12–17.36) 0.02* Results 11 711 bowel scopes were performed, with an adenoma detection rate (ADR) of 8.5%, and conversion to colonoscopy in 421 patients (3.6%). 386 were included for analysis after excluding incomplete colonoscopy/histology. All patients were aged 55 (64.8% male). Additional ADR at colonoscopy was 35.2%, with malignant diagnoses in 1.5% (all detected at BS). The adenoma miss rate at BS was 5.2%. On univariate analysis (Table 1), polyp ≥10 mm was the only indication associated with increased ADR at colonoscopy (OR 2.13, p<0.001). Additional predictors identified included villous (not tubulovillous) histology (OR 4.41, p=0.02), and male gender (OR 2.35, p<0.001). These factors also significantly predicted new ≥10 mm adenoma. 57 (14.8%) underwent colonoscopy outside protocol, which reduced ADR (OR 0.29, p=0.03). After excluding high risk indications, changing the conversion criteria from any villous to villous only histology altered sensitivity from 27.2% to 83.3%, and specificity from 84.5% to 80.5%. Conclusion At BS, male gender, ≥10 mm polyps, and villous histology are predictors of proximal colonic pathology. Further analyses are required to clarify the benefits of converting low-risk tubulovillous adenomas at BS to colonoscopy. Reference . WS Atkin, Lancet2010;375:1624–33 Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This paper presents a new robust nonlinear excitation controller design for synchronous generators in multimachine power systems to enhance the transient stability. The mismatches between the original power system model and formulated mathematical model are considered as uncertainties, which are modeled through the satisfaction of matching conditions. The exogenous noises appearing from measurements are incorporated with the power system model including the two-axis model of synchronous generators. The partial feedback linearization technique is used to design the controller which transforms the original nonlinear multimachine power system model into several reduced-order linear and autonomous subsystems. The desired control law is obtained for each subsystem and implemented in a decentralized manner provided that the dynamics of the autonomous subsystems have no effects on the overall stability of the system. The analysis related to the dynamics of noisy autonomous subsystems is also included and the proposed controller has the excellent capability to decouple these noises. Finally, the performance of the proposed control scheme is evaluated on an IEEE 39-bus benchmark power system following different types of large disturbances. The performance of the proposed controller is compared to that of a partial feedback linearizing controller, which is designed without robustness properties, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.


The literature on atomization of melts has been reviewed. Models have been developed and applied to analyze the phenomena associated with centrifugal atomization of melts using rotating disk method. Some suggestions and guidelines for the development and operation of a centrifugal atomizer have been given. Previous experiments of melt atomization and present observations of water disintegration at the edge of a rotating disk have confirmed that the disintegration of melts or water occurs in one of three basic modes: direct droplet formation (DDF), ligament formation (LF) and film formation (FF). Wave theories have been used to analyze the disintegration of melts in the different regimes. The equations for the fastest growing wave number have been derived. Models for the calculation of powder particle sizes have been suggested and the calculated results have compared with available experimental data in the literature. Calculations have shown that disk diameter and disk rotating speed are two very important atomizing parameters. The type of melt and melt superheat also affect the powder particles size. In general, fine powder particles can be obtained by increasing disk rotating speed and using large diameter disk, provided that the melt does not solidify on the disk. In the DDF regime waves forming at the periphery of a disk are responsible for the break up of melts. The fastest growing wave number depends on the disk speed, disk diameter and properties of melt. In the FF regime sheet wave theory of Dombrowski and Johns was used to study the collapse of the melt sheet. The fastest growing wave number is a complex function of the speed and thickness of film and the properties of melt and atomizer atmosphere. The effects of disk diameter, disk rotating speed and melt flow rate on atomization are achieved through influencing the speed and thickness of film. The studies on the flow of melts on rotating disks have shown that the film forming on the disk was very thin, about tens of microns and the tangential velocity of melts was much higher than the radial velocity. The analysis of heat transfer of melts on a rotating disk has shown that partial solidification of melts on the disk is possible. To obtain a good atomization condition it is necessary to control the partial freezing of melts on the disk. A large melt superheat and a high melt flow rate are required to prevent melts from freezing on the disk. The use of a small diameter disk can also avoid freezing of the melt on the disk. Combining the calculations of heat transfer on the disk with the prediction of wave theory for particle sizes, it is shown that a disk of small diameter rotating at high speed is desirable for the production of fine powders.The cooling ability obtained by centrifugal atomization using the rotating disk method depends on the design of atomizer, the operating conditions and the type of material to be atomized. A large diameter disk on which solidification of melt is avoided and a high disk rotating speed result to the formation of fine powder particles which experience a high cooling rate. The nucleation undercooling of melt depends on particle size, disk speed, material to be atomized and the nucleation condition. A small particle size and a high disk speed lead to a large undercooling. The times for the completion of solidification of powder particle of typical sizes produced by centrifugal atomization have been calculated and their effects on the atomizer vessel diameter have been discussed.


201 The Seed Depot is a service for CSSA members. Price: packets are $1.00 apiece. Generally 20–25 seeds are included per packet, unless the list specifies otherwise; one packet per species per order is the general rule, but some varieties are available in larger quantities. Please inquire first. Please list some substitutes, or substitutions will be made at the Director's discretion. Postage: U.S., $5.00 per order; Canada and other countries, $15.00. Payment must be in U.S. currency — cash or money order — or check drawn on a U.S. bank (payable to CSSA Seed Depot). California customers should add 7.25% sales tax on the seeds + postage total.


In last 20 years Slovenian civil law has experienced a revival and it tried to get rid of the former influences of socialism and communism. Slovenia does not have a uniform civil code. Civil law is governed by the four headline acts: Code of Obligation (from 2001 with changes), Property Code (from 2002 with changes), Marriage and Family Relations Act (from 1976, but with last official consolidated text from 2004 and later changes) and Succession Act (from 1976 with changes). Especially noticeable changes were made in the area of property law, which in last 20 years has undergone several substantive changes. The new Code of Obligations has largely succeeded former Yugoslav obligation law, but in some areas it has brought new radical changes (e.g. contract of donation, life care contract, loan agreement). Succession and family law are still governed by the law from year 1976, but family law was subjected important changes, especially regarding the children and foster care. In 2005 an Act on Same sex registered partnership. A new Family Code was also adopted, but the Slovenes in the referendum in March 2012 decided against the new Family code, so that it is now in the process of change. In 2012, a first draft of the Succession Act was also created. It was subjected least changes since 1991.


BACKGROUND
Despite significant differences in age of onset and incidence of breast cancer between Caucasian (CA), African-American (AA) and Korean (KO) women, little is known about differences in BRCA1/2 mutations in these populations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations and the association between BRCA1/2 mutation status and secondary malignancies among young women with breast cancer in these three racially diverse groups.

METHODS
Patients presenting to our breast cancer follow-up clinics selected solely on having a known breast cancer diagnosis at a young age (YBC defined as age <45 years at diagnosis) were invited to participate in this study. A total of 333 eligible women, 166 CA, 66 AA and 101 KO underwent complete sequencing of BRCA1/2 genes. Family history (FH) was classified as negative, moderate or strong. BRCA1/2 status was classified as wild type (WT), variant of uncertain significance (VUS) or deleterious (DEL).

RESULTS
DEL across these three racially diverse populations of YBC were nearly identical: CA 17%, AA 14% and KO 14%. The type of DEL differed with AA having more frequent mutations in BRCA2, compared with CA and KO. VUS were predominantly in BRCA2 and AA had markedly higher frequency of VUS (38%) compared with CA (10%) and KO (12%). At 10-year follow-up from the time of initial diagnosis of breast cancer, the risk of secondary malignancies was similar among WT (14%) and VUS (16%), but markedly higher among DEL (39%).

CONCLUSIONS
In these YBC, the frequency of DEL in BRCA1/2 is remarkably similar among the racially diverse groups at 14%-17%. VUS is more common in AA, but aligns closely with WT in risk of second cancers, age of onset and FH.


We demonstrate optically pumped telecom-band lasing in single InAs/InP nanowires at room temperature. Telecom-band single nanowire lasers made by the bottom-up vapor-liquid-solid approach, which is technologically important in optical fiber communication systems, still remain challenging. Here, we report telecom-band single nanowire lasers operating at room temperature based on multi-quantum-disk InP/InAs heterostructure nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that highly uniform multi-quantum-disk InP/InAs structure is grown in InP nanowires by self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid mode using indium particle catalysts. Optical excitation of individual nanowires yielded lasing in telecom band operating at room temperature. We show the tunability of laser wavelength range in telecom band by modulating the thickness of single InAs quantum disks through quantum confinement along the axial direction. The demonstration of telecom-band single nanowire lasers operating at room temperature is a major step forward in providing practical integrable coherent light sources for optoelectronics and data communication.


The Capacity Profile (CAP) classifies additional care needs, subdivided into five domains of body functions (physical health, motor, sensory, mental, and voice/speech) of children with stable conditions. Construct validity of the CAP was established in 72 children (56 males, 16 females) with cerebral palsy (CP); median age 2 years 7 months, range 2 years 6 months to 3 years; 34 unilateral and 37 bilateral spastic‐type CP, one dyskinetic‐type CP. Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) classification was 24 in level I, eight in level II, 18 in level III, 14 in level IV, and eight in level V. All CAP domains were significantly associated (p<0.001) with the Functional Skills (rho=−0.42 to −0.85) and Caregiver Assistance scales (rho=−0.42 to −0.82) of the Dutch Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory. The CAP‐motor domain and GMFCS were strongly correlated (rho=0.91, p<0.001). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the CAP domains contributed 74% to mobility (CAP‐motor 66%, mental 6%, voice 2%); 75% to self‐care (CAP‐voice 61%, mental 12%, physical 2%); and 70% to social functionality (CAP‐mental 68%, voice 2%). CAP demonstrated good construct validity in young children with CP. The independent contribution of CAP domains to daily function underscores the importance of comprehensive assessment with regard to all domains of body functions in heterogeneous conditions like CP.


DOCUMENT RESUME EA 032 154 McEwan, Patrick J. Comparing the Effectiveness of Public and Private Schools: A Review of Evidence and Interpretations. Occasional Paper. Columbia Univ., New York, NY. National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. OP-No-3 2000-06-00 49p. Teachers College, Columbia University, Box 181, 230 Thompson Hall, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027-6696. Tel: 212-678-3259; Fax: 212-678-3474; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Web site: http://www.ncspe.org. For full text: http://www.ncspe.org/pub1ications_files/990_0P03.pdf. Reports Evaluative (142) EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. Academic Achievement; Access to Education; *Catholic Schools; *Educational Assessment; *Educational Attainment; Educational Quality; *Educational Vouchers; Elementary Secondary Education; Labeling (of Persons); Mathematics Achievement; Outcomes of Education; Private Education; Public Education; Reading Achievement; *School Choice; *School Effectiveness This paper explores two questions: (1) Do private schools produce greater academic achievement or attainment than public schools? and (2) Does this evidence provide guidance on the potential impact of voucher plans? Based on recent experimental evidence, it finds that Catholic elementary schools have modest effects on the mathematics achievement of poor minority students in grades 2-5 but not in grades 6-8 or among nonblack students. The evidence on elementary reading achievement shows no consistent effects. In secondary schools, the nonexperimental evidence shows no consistent effects on achievement. In contrast, the evidence on attainment is strikingly consistent, indicating that Catholic schools increase the probability of high school completion and college attendance, particularly for minorities in urban areas. However, the latter findings are subject to a caveat: Statistical corrections for selection bias may not fully eliminate bias and may even worsen it. Overall, the evidence is instructive regarding the potential impact of small-scale voucher programs, particularly those encouraging attendance in existing Catholic schools. However, the evidence is notably unhelpful in predicting the effects of large-scale voucher programs, particularly the effects of newly created private schools on outcomes or the effects of competition on public schools. (Contains 59 references.) (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.


We survey the geometry of Lagrange and Finsler spaces and discuss the issues related to the definition of curvature of nonholonomic man- ifolds enabled with nonlinear connection structure. It is proved that any commutative Riemannian geometry (in general, any Riemann- Cartan space) defined by a generic off-diagonal metric structure (with an additional affine connection possessing nontrivial torsion) is equiv- alent to a generalized Lagrange, or Finsler, geometry modeled on non- holonomic manifolds. This results in the problem of constructing non- commutative geometries with local anisotropy, in particular, related to geometrization of classical and quantum mechanical and field theories, even if we restrict our considerations only to commutative and non- commutative Riemannian spaces. We elaborate a geometric approach to the Clifford modules adapted to nonlinear connections, to the the- ory of spinors and the Dirac operators on nonholonomic spaces and consider possible generalizations to noncommutative geometry. We argue that any commutative Riemann-Finsler geometry and general- izations my be derived from noncommutative geometry by applying


Most manufacturing companies are facing volatile and unpredictable demand due to trends such as increased global competition, shorter business cycles and broader product ranges. To survive in this competitive and fast-changing environment, it is necessary to improve flexibility and become truly agile. The required flexibility levels have to consider volume fluctuations, product mix fluctuations and customer lead time requirements. Tools and strategies that enable the supply chain to meet these requirements, without compromising on the unit cost, must be implemented. In tomorrow's competitive landscape, supply chain cost-efficiency focus must be accompanied by a high degree of agility.


The vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAP-B) is a tail-anchored protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). VAP-B functions as an adaptor protein to recruit target proteins to the ER and execute various cellular functions, lipid transport, membrane traffic, ER stress etc. Recently, VAP-B has been shown to regulate the nuclear envelope protein transport through the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC). We showed here that VAP-B directly binds to Rab3 GTPase activating protein 1 (Rab3GAP1), the catalytic subunit of Rab3GAP, through the two phenylalanines (FF) in an acidic tract (FFAT)-like motif of Rab3GAP1. Rab3GAP consists of two subunits, the catalytic subunit Rab3GAP1 and the non-catalytic subunit Rab3GAP2. VAP-B binds to Rab3GAP1 even in the Rab3GAP1/2 heterodimer complex. A single amino acid substitution of the FFAT-like motif reduces the binding activity of Rab3GAP1 to VAP-B. On the other hand, the FFAT-like motif mutation increases the binding activity of Rab3GAP1 to ERGIC-53, the ERGIC marker protein. Overexpression of Rab3GAP1 affects nuclear envelope formation more potently than that of Rab3GAP1 FFAT-like motif mutant. These results suggest that the binding of VAP-B to Rab3GAP1 is implicated in the regulation of nuclear envelope formation through ERGIC.