Abstract The article examines the legal structure and constitutional consequences of 'Next Generation EU' (NGEU)—the innovative recovery fund that the European Union (EU) established to address the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article sheds light on the complex normative constellation that was used to erect NGEU, and explains how this was satisfactorily done within the existing Treaty framework, by resorting to current legal bases. At the same time, however, the article underlines the profound constitutional consequences that NGEU has on the EU's architecture of economic governance. To this end, the article contrasts the strategy chosen to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to that embraced to tackle the euro-crisis a decade ago, and concludes emphasising how NGEU significantly contributes to the federalisation of the EU, endowing its fiscal union with a fiscal capacity analogous to that of other federal regimes.


This paper provides an assessment of the impacts of oil and discusses the opportunities and challenges for enhancing economic development in Sudan. One advantage of our analysis in this paper is that we provide a more comprehensive analysis using the most recent secondary data to discuss the positive and negative impacts of oil for enhancing economic development in Sudan. We explain that the various positive impacts of oil and the opportunities for enhancing development in Sudan's economy include the impacts of oil in satisfying domestic consumption and achievement of self sufficiency, increasing government and public revenues, rapid and impressive economic growth as measured by the growth in the GDP and its composition and structure, increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) and increasing the volume of foreign trade as measured by the volume and structure of exports. We find that while oil has recently contributed to the improvement of economic performance in the country, the recent heavy dependence on it, may lead to negative impacts and serious challenges for the Sudan since oil is an exhaustible resource and because of the instability of oil prices in the international market the revenue from oil is uncertain and volatile and may lead to instability of economic growth. Moreover, the increasing dependence on oil leads to increasing debate for and against the incidence of the Dutch Disease in Sudan economy, the lack of diversification and the challenges related to potential north-south conflict and division of the country.


Edge pedestal height and the accompanying ELM crash are critical elements of ITER physics yet to be understood and predicted through high performance computing. An entirely self-consistent first principles simulation is being pursued as a long term research goal, and the plan is planned for completion in time for ITER operation. However, a proof-of-principle work has already been established using a computational tool that employs the best first principles physics available at the present time. A kinetic edge equilibrium code XGC0, which can simulate the neoclassically dominant pedestal growth from neutral ionization (using a phenomenological residual turbulence diffusion motion superposed upon the neoclassical particle motion) is coupled to an extended MHD code M3D, which can perform the nonlinear ELM crash. The stability boundary of the pedestal is checked by an ideal MHD linear peeling-ballooning code, which has been validated against many experimental data sets for the large scale (type I) ELMs onset boundary. The coupling workflow and scientific results to be enabled by it are described.


Literary historians are increasingly recognizing the ways in which quantitative approaches can transform the way we interact with the archives. This essay uses mathematical and computational techniques developed by network scientists to reconstruct and analyze the social and textual organization of the underground community of Protestants living in England during the reign of Mary I, using an important body of original letters now held in the British Library and Emmanuel College Library, Cambridge, as well as early printed correspondence. These measures and algorithms reveal certain expected trends, such as the fact that many of the Marian martyrs featuring in John Foxe's famous "Book of Martyrs" were central to the organization of this network by every measure. But they also reveal the surprising importance of letter couriers and financial supporters to the survival of this community during a time of intense persecution.


Large electric power plant generators typically use gaseous hydrogen to remove heat from the generator windings and deliver the heat to the cooling water. Hydrogen is used in a closed cycle, and only a modest amount of makeup hydrogen is used daily to make up for hydrogen losses — typically about 300 to 700 scf/d. The range of hydrogen usage depends on several factors. In addition to hydrogen used for makeup, all power plants using hydrogen-cooled generators must plan for hydrogen supply to re-gas a generator after the generator has been degassed. Typical generator re-gas quantities are in the range of 15× the daily makeup amount, and must be available in a short period of time. Thus a generator which might require 300 to 700 scf of hydrogen over 24 hours for daily makeup may require 4500 to 10,500 scf of hydrogen in just a few hours for re-gas. The re-gas hydrogen is added back to the generator as quickly as the re-gas process allows — typically over 3–5 hours — so that an out-of-service generator can be brought online and producing revenue again. Hydrogen for power plant generator cooling can be supplied either through hydrogen delivered to the plant from a remote source in gaseous or liquid form, or can be made at the plant using an on-site hydrogen generator. Makeup hydrogen and re-gas hydrogen do not necessarily require the same source of hydrogen — because the requirements of re-gas hydrogen are very different from the requirements of makeup hydrogen, it may be more efficient to use two different approaches. On-site hydrogen generation for power plant hydrogen supply is widespread in the developing world, and is beginning to displace delivered hydrogen as the preferred approach in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Outside U.S., Canada and Europe, there may be no delivery infrastructure for hydrogen manufacture and delivery to the plant — a hydrogen-cooled power plant may need to take care of its own hydrogen needs to ensure that the plant can be operated. In the U.S., Canada and Europe hydrogen deliveries are available, but on-site generated hydrogen is gaining acceptance because it reduces costs and operational complexity, and improves safety. This paper will review several cases where on-site hydrogen generation has been used to reduce the cost of design, construction and operation of newly built power plants, both in the U.S., Canada and Europe and in areas where hydrogen is far less available.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


In quantum physics, recent investigations deal with the so-called "quantum trajectory" theory. Heuristic rules are usually used to give rise to "stochastic Schrodinger equations" which are stochastic differential equations of non-usual type describing the physical models. These equations pose tedious problems in terms of mathematical justification: notion of solution, existence, uniqueness, justification... In this article, we concentrate on a particular case: the Poisson case. Random measure theory is used in order to give rigorous sense to such equations. We prove existence and uniqueness of a solution for the associated stochastic equation. Furthermore, the stochastic model is physically justified by proving that the solution can be obtained as a limit of a concrete discrete time physical model.


Transcranial stimulation of the frontal lobes increases propensity of mind-wandering without changing meta-awareness Csifcsák, G.; Boayue, N.M.; Aslaksen, P.M.; Turi, Z.; Antal, A.; Groot, J.; Hawkins, G.E.; Forstmann, B.U.; Opitz, A.; Thielscher, A.; Mittner, M. DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00130 Publication date 2019 Document Version Final published version Published in Frontiers in Psychology License CC BY


The choice to pursue fertility treatments is a complex one. In this paper I explore the issues of choice, agency, and gender as they relate to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). I argue that narrative approaches to bioethics such as those by Arthur Frank and Hilde Lindemann Nelson clarify judgments about autonomy and fertility medicine. More specifically, I propose two broad narrative categories that help capture the experience of encounters with fertility medicine: narratives of hope and narratives of resistance. This narrative typology captures the inevitable conflict that women feel when they become subjects of fertility medicine. On the one hand, they must remain hopeful; on the other, they must not surrender themselves completely. Nelson's account of counterstories as narratives of resistance helps us see how women can reconcile the experience of a strong desire to have children with the desire to remain authentic and whole.


When a jack-up rig, equipped with skirted spudcans, is installed on competent seabed soil, limited penetrations (less than full base contact) can be experienced. In such a case, there are limitations in the existing guidelines with regard to the calculations of (V-H-M) capacity based on the conventional methods. In this paper, for a jack-up rig installed in the North Sea, experiencing penetrations less than full base contact, the assessment of footing-soil system stability and stiffness under storm load conditions is carried out. Finite element (FE) analyses are carried out by modelling the spudcan in 2D and in 3D (allowing for accurate modelling of the inner skirts). Due to the gap presence, large deformation, updated mesh (UM) analyses are carried out in order to account for increased (V-HM) bearing capacity developed due to additional penetrations and gained contact area of the underside of the spudcan and the seabed soil. Important conclusions are derived and recommendations given with regard to identifying the governing failure mechanisms and predicting the behavior and capacity in the elevated conditions of the skirted footings suffering limited penetrations during preloading.


© 2019 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Recent interest in ethical AI has brought a slew of values, including fairness, into conversations about technology design. Research in the area of algorithmic fairness tends to be rooted in questions of distribution that can be subject to precise formalism and technical implementation. We seek to expand this conversation to include the experiences of people subject to algorithmic classification and decision-making. By examining tweets about the "Twitter algorithm" we consider the wide range of concerns and desires Twitter users express. We find a concern with fairness (narrowly construed) is present, particularly in the ways users complain that the platform enacts a political bias against conservatives. However, we find another important category of concern, evident in attempts to exert control over the algorithm. Twitter users who seek control do so for a variety of reasons, many well justified. We argue for the need for better and clearer definitions of what constitutes legitimate and illegitimate control over algorithmic processes and to consider support for users who wish to enact their own collective choices.


Abstract: Regulatory subunits of type II cAMP‐dependent protein kinases (RII) (EC 18.104.22.168) from bovine brain and heart exhibit similar physicochemical and functional properties in vitro. However, the two forms of RII are markedly different in their (a) antigenic determinants, (b) cell and tissue distribution, and (c) subcellular localization. This suggests that each of these cAMP‐binding proteins may possess some unique structural features. To assess the degree of overall divergence between the primary structures of brain RII and heart RII, tryptic peptides derived from the two proteins were mapped by reverse phase HPLC on a C18 column. When the column effluent was monitored at 280 nm, 15 peptides were found only in the heart RII digest, while 5 other peptides were obtained only from brain RII. More complex HPLC profiles were observed by following peptide absorbance at 210 nm, but a similar level of diversity was apparent: 13 brain‐RII‐specific and 15 heart‐RII‐specific tryptic peptides were identified and resolved with a gradient (0–50%) of acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. In complementary experiments, classical two‐dimensional mapping analyses revealed that several 32P‐labeled tryptic fragments derived from autophosphorylated and photoaffinity‐labeled brain RII were separate and distinct from the 32P‐peptides isolated from similarly treated heart RII. The HPLC mapping data document a structural basis for the immunological disparity between brain RII and heart RII and suggest that the two cAMP‐binding proteins are different proteins rather than interconvertible forms of a single protein. The two‐dimensional maps further indicate that significant structural dissimilarities between brain RII and heart RII also occur within the functionally conserved autophosphorylation and cAMP‐binding domains.


Major obstetric haemorrhage (MOH) remains an important medical challenge worldwide, contributing to significant maternal morbidity and mortality. Prompt and appropriate management is essential if we are to improve outcomes and reduce substandard care that may result in adverse consequences. This review describes the current understanding of the pathophysiological aspects of MOH together with the principles of transfusion and haemostatic therapy, with emphasis on a coordinated multidisciplinary approach. We also highlight the current lack of evidence available from randomized controlled trials to inform best practice and the need to prioritize research in this key clinical area.


Since participants in a computational grid may be independent bodies, some mechanisms are necessary for resolving their differences. The contribution of this work is designing a bargaining protocol for agents representing grid participants in negotiating for computational resources. The protocol in this work discerns from existing protocols because agents in this work are programmed to follow a set of fuzzy rules for relaxing bargaining terms with the hope of increasing their chance of successfully acquiring resources before their deadlines. This relaxed-criteria bargaining protocol and an agent-based testbed for simulating grid resource allocation were implemented in Java 1.5. A series of simulations was carried out using the testbed, and favorable (preliminary) empirical results show that following the relaxed-criteria bargaining protocol, agents achieved higher success rates in negotiating for resources


PURPOSE
To investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on lipoxin A4 (LXA4) synthesis and how it regulates corneal epithelial wound healing through mitogen-activated kinases, extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and p38.

METHODS
Rabbit corneal epithelial (RCE) cells were stimulated with EGF or LXA4 at different times. In some experiments, cells were pretreated with 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) inhibitor cinnamyl-3,4-dihydroxy-α-cyanocinnamate (CDC), ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059, or p38 inhibitor SB203580. For wound-healing experiments, corneas from rabbits and 12/15-LOX (ALOX-15)-deficient mice were injured by epithelial removal and maintained in organ culture in the presence of EGF or LXA4 with or without inhibitors. Epithelial cell proliferation was assayed by immunofluorescence with Ki67 and cell counting. Scrape migration assays were performed in 6-well plates. LXA4 synthesis was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

RESULTS
EGF activated ERK1/2 and p38 in RCE cells in a sustained manner. EGF activation was partially inhibited by CDC. EGF and LXA4 increased corneal epithelial wound closure. ERK1/2 inhibition with PD98059 or p38 with SB203580 blocked the effect of LXA4 on wound healing. ALOX-15 corneas displayed inhibition of epithelial wound closure promoted by EGF, whereas LXA4 stimulation induced similar wound closure in wild-type and knockout mice. EGF-stimulated LXA4 synthesis in RCE cells was inhibited by CDC or the EGF receptor antagonist AG1478.

CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that EGF-stimulated epithelial wound healing is partially mediated through a 12/15-LOX-LXA4 pathway, and activation of ERK1/2 and p38 is required for LXA4 action.


Existing registries organize functionally similar services into groups without considering past service-usage from the consumers' perspective, a.k.a. pragmatics. Pragmatics can help registries to calculate service similarity more effectively and improve organization schemes. However, pragmatics are not available beforehand and their highly accumulated number over time creates time and space efficiency challenges. To be responsive to dynamically arrived pragmatics, we propose a self-adaptive service-organization approach that follows an iterative life-cycle for autonomously evolving organization schemes. To face the emerging efficiency challenges, our approach adopts a greedy online algorithm for the evolution of organization schemes that considers and stores only the top-k pragmatics of each service. We evaluate our approach on benchmark services and the results show that the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach are higher than those of a state-of-the-art service-organization approach, while a low total number of pragmatics is greedily stored by our approach.


Phytoplankton productivity and the factors that influence it were studied in the Logan River and southern Moreton Bay, a large embayment on the east coast of Australia. Phytoplankton productivity, dissolved and total nutrient concentrations, and turbidity were determined throughout high and low rainfall periods to characterize light and nutrient influences on productivity. Turbidity and nutrient concentrations were highest at upriver sites, but productivity was highest at the river mouth and within the river plume. Phytoplankton productivity peaked after rainfall events (>150 mg C m−3 h−1), commensurate with a decrease in dissolved nitrogen concentrations. Productivity responses to increased nutrient concentrations and light availability were determined in laboratory incubations. During summer, productivities at the bay sites were stimulated by nitrogen (N) enrichment, while productivities at upriver sites were stimulated by phosphorus (P) addition. Light stimulation of productivities was more pronounced at upriver sites than bay sites. The relative magnitude of nutrient and light stimulation of productivities indicate a predominance of light limitation upriver, significant N limitation within the Logan River plume, and little effect of light, N, or P at sites beyond the Logan River plume. Productivity decreased with seasonal decreases in temperature. Lower water temperatures in winter probably helped determine maximum rates of phytoplankton productivity. The combination of light and N limitation of productivity during summer, and temperature limitation during winter, account for low areal productivities (<0.6 g C m−2 d−1), compared with other rivers and estuaries worldwide.


This studie is using discourse analysis to examine Aftonbladets and Expressens leader articles. The purpose of the studie is to find out what kind of national defence the papers are promoting based on their attitudes towards Russia. In the analysis Laclaus och Mouffes notions of nodalpoints, floating signifiers and subject positions etc, are being used. Previous studies have showned that Russia usually is portrayed like a rising threat and as a danger to neighbour countries, including Sweden. The theories presented in this studie is somewhat unusal to use when investigating the image of Russia in massmedia. The theoretical framework consist orientalism, framing and hegemony. A total of sixteen articles have been analysed, and they were all leader articles. The results showed that Aftonbladet and Expressen agree upon how to perceive Russia. Both papers stated that Russia is a threat and also a mystery. The differencies is find in what kind of national defence the papers are argumenting for. Aftonbladet emphasized that sweden should still be nonaligned, but Expressen on the other hand, wants Sweden to join Nato. This studie have showned that even though the leaders in the studied papers have different political views, they both see Russia as an unchanging, mysterious , threatening country. The studie have also showned that orientalism is fruitfull to use when examining the image of Russia in western media.


Due to their high torsional and wrapping stiffness as well as economic and aesthetic reasons, multi spine composite concrete-deck steel-box girder bridges became a very popular choice in highway bridges. Currently, North American Codes of Practice have recommended some analytical methods for the design of curved multiple-box girder bridges, providing a geometrically defined criterion to establish when horizontally curved may be treated as a straight bridge. To meet the practical requirements arising during the design process, a simple design method is needed for straight and curved composite box girder bridges in the form of load distribution factors. This study consisted of an experimental and a theoretical investigation. The experimental investigation included testing up-to-collapse three bridge models. While the theoretical investigation used a finite element software to examine the behavior of 225 different bridges to extract stress distribution factors for maximum bending stresses that occur at the mid span.


We are witnessing a dramatic change in computer architecture due to the multicore paradigm shift, as every electronic device from cell phones to supercomputers confronts parallelism of unprecedented scale. To fully unleash the potential of these systems, the HPC community must develop multicore specific optimization methodologies for important scientific computations. In this work, we examine sparse matrix-vector multiply (SpMV) - one of the most heavily used kernels in scientific computing - across a broad spectrum of multicore designs. Our experimental platform includes the homogeneous AMD dual-core and Intel quad-core designs, the heterogeneous STI Cell, as well as the first scientific study of the highly multithreaded Sun Niagara2. We present several optimization strategies especially effective for the multicore environment, and demonstrate significant performance improvements compared to existing state-of-the-art serial and parallel SpMV implementations. Additionally, we present key insights into the architectural tradeoffs of leading multicore design strategies, in the context of demanding memory-bound numerical algorithms.


Recognizing the potentially ruinous effect of negative reviews on the reputation of the hosts as well as a subjective nature of the travel experience judgements, peer-to-peer accommodation sharing plat-forms, like Airbnb, have readily embraced the "response" option, empowering hosts with the voice to challenge, deny or at least apologize for the subject of critique. However, the effects of different re-sponse strategies on trusting beliefs towards the host remain unclear. To fill this gap, this study focus-es on understanding the impact of different response strategies and review negativity on trusting be-liefs towards the host in peer-to-peer accommodation sharing setting utilizing experimental methods. Examination of two different contexts, varying in the controllability of the subject of complaint, re-veals that when the subject of complaint is controllable by a host, such strategies as confession / apol-ogy and denial can improve trusting beliefs towards the host. However, when the subject of criticism is beyond the control of the host, denial of the issue does not yield guest's confidence in the host, where-as confession and excuse have positive influence on trusting beliefs.


With the increasing amount of big data available from high temporal resolution from smart meters and with the increasing digitalization of the customer expectation of digital service brings forward new business models, which might request significant improvement ICT capabilities for the DSO, as well as new decision support tools and new challenges to procure flexibility services from distributed generation, EV charging network, demand response or storage. Active network management and distributed generation along with the changing market structures are drivers for change towards the future cities. This paper will provide a better understanding on the actual state of the art for utilities and DSOs seeking their new role as Market Facilitator and Data Manager with additional insights from market segmentation as well as the potential role of the DSO in the integrated framework for smart cities. The InSmart project developed a mix of sustainable energy measures to improve the energy efficiency of each partner city, identified with specialised tools and models.


Neonatal mortality accounts for 40% of under-five child mortality. Evidence-based interventions exist, but attention to implementation is recent. Nationally representative coverage data for these neonatal interventions are limited; therefore proximal measures of progress toward scale would be valuable for tracking change among countries and over time. We describe the process of selecting a set of benchmarks to assess scale up readiness or the degree to which health systems and national programmes are prepared to deliver interventions for newborn survival. A prioritization and consensus-building process was co-ordinated by the Saving Newborn Lives programme of Save the Children, resulting in selection of 27 benchmarks. These benchmarks are categorized into agenda setting (e.g. having a national newborn survival needs assessment); policy formulation (e.g. the national essential drugs list includes injectable antibiotics at primary care level); and policy implementation (e.g. standards for care of sick newborns exist at district hospital level). Benchmark data were collected by in-country stakeholders teams who filled out a standard form and provided evidence to support each benchmark achieved. Results are presented for nine countries at three time points: 2000, 2005 and 2010. By 2010, substantial improvement was documented in all selected countries, with three countries achieving over 75% of the benchmarks and an additional five countries achieving over 50% of the benchmarks. Progress on benchmark achievement was accelerated after 2005. The policy process was similar in all countries, but did not proceed in a linear fashion. These benchmarks are a novel method to assess readiness to scale up, an important construct along the pathway to scale for newborn care. Similar exercises may also be applicable to other global health issues.


For sustainable water management, here is a necessity to consider alternatives, in addition to
conventional systems. The aim of this research is to develop and demonstrate a sustainables, from
and greywater reclamation system for WC flushing and it was started in 1994. In the UK there are no water quality standards for WC flushing water use. There were no design guidelines for greywater
water reclamation and no published study on the supply-dernandb alance, in detail, for water
recycling in institutions such as universities. The research has shown the feasibility of planned direct grey and storm water reclamation and recycling system to manage growing water and wastewater problems. This thesis is based on the information gathered from 4 universities, 3 hotels and 3 recreational centres, and experiences gained at Loughborough University during the development and demonstration of the full scale "in-house grey and roof water" reclamation and recycling systems. The water use, greywater quality and roof water characteristics were studied in detail and this information was used for the development of the reclamation and recycling system. The studies showed that the water usage at the university halls were not similar to usage in households. Unlike
large water supply schemes, small in-house systems generate a large peak factor for water use. To avoid deficit, in addition to personal washing waters, a top-up of laundry wastewater or roof water, and a well-designed balancing tank is necessary. The demonstration study shows that there was no standby mains' water used, which means that the water reclaimed was sufficient for reuse. The quality characterisation study shows that the greywater and first flush storm water roof runoff were polluted. The characteristics of combined grey and roof water are suitable for biological treatment. Based on the infomation, a lab-scale unit was developed; the reactor characteristics and performance such as head losses and removal efficiency were monitored; and the unit was refined. Two novel multi-barrier reclamation systems were developed to achieve sufficient quantity and near potable quality of water with minimum maintenance and cost. During 1997 the grey and roof water recycling system with laboratory tested physical and biological reclamation processes without the use of coagulants and disinfection were installed. The performance of the treatment system was
closely monitored until 1998. This provided benefits in near potable quality of reclaimed water, low head loss, reliability, failure free operation and simple maintenance. The reclaimed effluent from Project I and 2 met the UK/EU bathing water standards and was also able to meet the US
EPA standards for WC flushing. The microbial (using coliform as an indicators) quality of
reclaimed water without disinfection is acceptable for controlled recycling systems (carefully
monitored and fully informed). There were no odour problems in the treated water or sludge
blockages. Comparatively, Project I was more efficient at removing coliform, turbidity, solids
(suspended, dissolved, volatile), and Project 2 better at removing carbon (organic and inorganic). A simple cost benefit analysis done for the recycling system at Royce Hall of Residence showed 10 years pay back. More detailed cost-benefit analysis including comparisons of new built and retrofit recycling system and fife cycle analysis are recommended. This study shows that most of the people questioned were accepted and were willing to consider using the recycling system for toilet flushing, if the water was clear, colourless, odour free, carried no risk and gave cost-benefits. During the demonstration stage the users willingly accepted non-potable grey water reuse.


Author(s): APICELLA, Brian ANTHONY | Advisor(s): Blank, David | Abstract: This dissertation establishes that the Platonic dialogues Theaetetus, Sophist and Statesman comprise a tightly woven trilogy which is unified both thematically and philosophically. Its focuses on the last dialogue in this list, relatively neglected by commentators, the Statesman. Despite the fact that Plato seems to take pains to alert us to the thematic unity of the Theaetetus, Sophist and Statesman, not only has the unity of the dialogues not been adequately appreciated, but the Statesman has usually been treated as a mere curious appendage: a dialogue of interest primarily if not solely for insight into Plato's late political philosophy. This thesis proposes that the Statesman is, rather, the culmination of this very important trilogy of dialogues, and that one can have a proper understanding of the dialogues and the philosophical issues with which they are concerned only if one understands the relation of the Statesman to the prior two dialogues. In order to establish the unity of the three dialogues and the central importance of the Statesman for the epistemology developed in them, this dissertation seeks to show that the epistemological doctrines initiated but left in a state of incompletion in the initial dialogue, the Theaetetus, find partial completion in the next dialogue, the Sophist, but are fully worked out only in the Statesman. The epistemology developed in the trilogy is an interrelational epistemology, as other scholars have maintained. This dissertation argues for a modified version of the interrelational model on which axiological and hierarchical relations play a role of maximum importance. By brining this interrelational epistemology to fruition in the political context of the Statesman, where it is used to provide an account of human being and the polis, Plato discloses the ineluctably political nature of knowledge and philosophy.


Temporal-difference and Q-learning play a key role in deep reinforcement learning, where they are empowered by expressive nonlinear function approximators such as neural networks. At the core of their empirical successes is the learned feature representation, which embeds rich observations, e.g., images and texts, into the latent space that encodes semantic structures. Meanwhile, the evolution of such a feature representation is crucial to the convergence of temporal-difference and Q-learning.
In particular, temporal-difference learning converges when the function approximator is linear in a feature representation, which is fixed throughout learning, and possibly diverges otherwise. We aim to answer the following questions: When the function approximator is a neural network, how does the associated feature representation evolve? If it converges, does it converge to the optimal one?
We prove that, utilizing an overparameterized two-layer neural network, temporal-difference and Q-learning globally minimize the mean-squared projected Bellman error at a sublinear rate. Moreover, the associated feature representation converges to the optimal one, generalizing the previous analysis of Cai et al. (2019) in the neural tangent kernel regime, where the associated feature representation stabilizes at the initial one. The key to our analysis is a mean-field perspective, which connects the evolution of a finite-dimensional parameter to its limiting counterpart over an infinite-dimensional Wasserstein space. Our analysis generalizes to soft Q-learning, which is further connected to policy gradient.


This paper represents a novel smooth trajectory planning algorithm which uses the natural behavior model of a mobile robot (MR). The shortest path in the free configuration space is obtained by using the visibility graph method. It is modified according to dynamic constraints which are implicitly included in natural behavior of the mobile robot. The modified path becomes a smooth, easily trackable near time and distance optimal trajectory. For every point of it, translating/steering velocities and accelerations and reaching times are known. It is applicable to the real time dynamic configuration spaces, because of simplicity and low computational time.


Geodynamic reconstructions of the eastern Mediterranean suggesting either westward anatolian extrusion, or gravitational collapse of thickened lithosphere, can be ruled out because plates velocity vectors increase from eastern Anatolia to the Aegean and Greece. This contradicts the basic rule that the velocity field decreases moving away from the source area of the energy, i.e. the supposed squeezing of Anatolia due to the Arabia indenter, or the collapse of the Anatolian orogen. Moreover the topographic gradient between Anatolia and the Ionian deep basin is too small (<1 °) for providing sufficient energy relief able to explain present deformation. The simplistic view of the westward Anatolian escape would rather close the Aegean Sea. We interpret the extension in western Turkey, Aegean sea, Greece and Bulgaria as a result of the differential convergence rates between the northeastward directed subduction of Africa relative to the hangingwall disrupted Eurasian lithosphere. Considering fixed Africa, the faster southeastward motion of Greece relative to Cyprus- Anatolia determines the Aegean extension. A new IERS-based solution is presented. The differences in velocity are ascribed to differential decoupling with the asthenosphere. Unlike west-Pacific backarc basins where the asthenosphere replaces a subducted and retreated slab, the study area represents a different type of extension associated to a subduction zone, where the hangingwall plate overrode the slab at different velocities, implying internal deformation. The slab may be folded by the isostatic rebound of the mantle beneath the ' backarc'rift, and stretched for the increasing length of the slab between Greece and Anatolia. A sort of window then formed both in the slab and between the two upper plates, allowing uprise of mantle derived Na-rich magmas.


BACKGROUND
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare disease. Treatment options for recurrent disease are limited. Although somatostatin analogues might have a role as anticancer agents in MTC, the evidence is inconclusive.

PATIENT FINDINGS
A 64-year-old male was diagnosed with MTC in January 2010. Total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (stage IVA, pT2pN1bM0, R1) was performed, followed by adjuvant locoregional radiotherapy. Two years later, in January 2012, the patient developed recurrent metastatic disease, evidenced by elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and calcitonin levels, and a positive uptake (Octreoscan®) in the right adrenal gland and pancreatic head. A further computed tomography (CT) scan revealed metastases in the right adrenal gland, the duodenal bulb, and two pancreatic lesions, which were later confirmed as metastases by endoscopic ultrasound and cytology, and therefore salvage surgery was ruled out. Treatment with Somatuline Autogel® (120 mg subcutaneously every 28 days) was initiated in September 2012, and 11 months later, calcitonin and CEA levels had both normalized, and a new CT scan showed that the metastatic lesions had disappeared or shrunk markedly. An Octreoscan performed in January 2014 and a repeat contrast-enhanced CT in February 2014 showed sustained tumor response. The patient remained in remission until February 2016, when a new Octreoscan revealed recurrent disease in the right adrenal gland, a nodule in the right upper pulmonary lobe, and nodal disease in the celiac trunk. CEA and calcitonin levels remained normal, although with a slight increase in calcitonin levels (47 pg/mL).

SUMMARY
The unusual case is described of a patient with metastatic MTC involving the adrenal gland, duodenum, and pancreas, who achieved a sustained response to somatostatin analogues after 11 months of treatment. The patient remained in remission for nearly 3.5 years from initiation of treatment with somatostatin analogues.

CONCLUSIONS
The case presented here is one of the few described in the literature in which long-term treatment with somatostatin analogues resulted in a sustained tumor response in a patient with metastatic recurrent MTC following curative-intent surgery. These findings suggest that prolonged treatment with somatostatin analogues may be beneficial in asymptomatic cases with a low tumor burden and a positive Octreoscan following recurrence. More data are needed to confirm these findings.


The preparation and reactivity of hexylene-glycol boronic esters (2-alkyl-, 2-vinyl- or 2-aryl-4,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborinanes) are reviewed, with particular consideration for comparison with other stable boronic esters derived from pinacol or neopentylglycol. Hexylene-glycol boronic esters are efficiently prepared by various methods (quenching of organometallics with trialkoxyboranes, hydroborations, metal-catalyzed C–X and C–H borylations), starting from storable, readily available reagents. The hexylene-glycol boronic esters are air, water, and chromatography stable, and readily soluble in organic solvents. They can be superior in reactivity to pinacol boronic esters. The chapter aims to demonstrate that expensive, sometimes sluggishly reacting pinacol boronic esters should often be replaced by other, less expensive, more reactive boronic esters such as their hexylene-glycol counterparts in the context of modern metal-catalyzed reactions.


Despite the original distinction between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and senile dementia, both are currently considered to be one single disease based on their common neuropathological findings. We have reviewed the literature to investigate whether there is proof to assume the existence of subgroups of AD. Historically, there is a division based on the age at onset. Although typical cortical symptoms may be more prominent in early onset cases they may be encountered in senile cases too. Cortical neuronal loss may be more severe in early onset patients, but hippocampal neuronal loss is equally severe in both groups. In older patients cerebral reserve is reduced by age-related neuronal loss and a small amount of AD-type lesions might be sufficient to cause dementia. Aphasia has been proposed as indicator of a subgroup. However, it probably occurs in all AD patients when the cortical degenerative process progresses. AD cases presenting with aphasia are rare and more often prove to be Pick's disease or primary progressive aphasia. Extrapyramidal signs are present in 25% of patients without neuroleptics and in 90% of all patients. They are usually of mild intensity, appear during the course of the disease and are found to be of extranigral origin. Myoclonus may also be encountered at any stage, although more frequent in early onset AD. Its presence is often associated with a more progressive course. Most AD cases are sporadic and some are familial, suggesting an autosomal dominant transmission. Molecular genetics reveals that some patients with familial early-onset AD have a mutation on chromosome 21. Other genes, probably on chromosome 19, may be associated with late onset familial cases, suggesting heterogeneity in familial AD. White matter involvement on computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging has been reported to be more prominent in a subgroup of AD patients, with later onset and confusional symptoms. The typical bilateral temporo-parietal hypometabolism on positron emission tomography and hypoperfusion on single photon emission computed tomography, is not found in all AD cases but may be indicative of a subgroup. Based on this review of the literature one homogeneous subgroup emerges: "probable" AD patients displaying memory disturbances with predominant cortical signs (especially aphasia), with a low prevalence of confusion and white matter involvement, exhibiting symptoms at a relatively early age but not exclusively below 65 years, and with a higher prevalence of genetic predisposition and more widespread neuropathological lesions at postmortem examination.


The Watergate crisis brought the doctrine of executive privilege--which recognizes the right of the president to withhold information from the coordinate branches of government--to the forefront of political discourse in the United States. Although presidents for years had exercised some form of that controversial power, no single event had ever had such an impact on the exercise of executive privilege. President Richard M. Nixon's extreme claims of executive privilege--based on his unsupported argument that executive privilege is an unrestricted presidential power that cannot be challenged by another branch of government--had the effect of giving a bad name to that doctrine.(1) In the post-Watergate years, Congress has become vigilant in its efforts to challenge presidential claims of executive privilege through the use of public hearings to shape public opinion, the subpoena power, contempt of Congress charges, and litigation. When it comes to executive privilege, the post-Watergate presidents have had to operate in the shadow of Richard M. Nixon. This article examines the use of executive privilege in the Gerald Ford administration. Drawing primarily from Ford White House documents, I show how Ford tried to manage executive privilege controversies in the immediate post-Watergate years when, for many people, the phrase executive privilege had become synonymous with Nixonian abuses of power. The Ford years represent an important transitional stage in the modern presidency. As he was the first post-Watergate president, members of Congress and the media vigorously challenged Ford's authority and veracity, even though such challenges were more suited to his predecessor. To be sure, his candor and efforts to lead an "open presidency" did much to move the nation beyond the cynicism and rancor of the Nixon years. Nonetheless, many members of Congress and political commentators believed that an important lesson of the Nixon years was that power in the hands of the executive leads to abuses of authority. Congress embarked on an unprecedented reform effort to invigorate its own authority in the separation of powers system and to limit the exercise of presidential powers. Congress also embarked on unprecedented investigations into the activities of the U.S. intelligence community. It was against this backdrop that a number of executive privilege controversies arose during the Ford years. As the following analysis of White House documents shows, Ford crafted a strategy of making the occasional withholding of information possible by avoiding adopting a formal policy on executive privilege, avoiding the much maligned phrase executive privilege as much as possible, and citing statutory authority instead of presidential prerogatives as the basis for keeping secrets. That strategy was prudent, given Congress's post-Watergate efforts to vigorously challenge presidential claims and exercises of independent powers. Ford understood that politically he would fail in his efforts to withhold information if he adopted a strategy of publicly defending presidential prerogatives. He chose instead to manage access to information disputes on a case-by-case basis and avoid drawing attention to the controversial doctrine of executive privilege. Consequently, Ford carefully chose only a few executive privilege battles with Congress--ones that he considered to be the most important secrecy issues in his administration and that he thought he could win. The White House documents reveal that, although Ford pledged to conduct an "open presidency," his actions were calculated to protect the institutionalized secret presidency. Consequently, despite a widespread perception after Watergate that profound change in the operation of the presidency had occurred, Ford projected the image of openness and change while crafting a strategy to protect presidential powers and maintain continuity. Ford's "Policy" toward Executive Privilege Ford's immediate predecessors--John F. …


The CFP for this spring 2007 issue of Praxis invites us to consider the writing center and the classroom as separate entities with complementary, but ultimately distinct, practices, methods, and goals. This perspective is by no means new. When the first writing labs emerged in the 1940s, they imagined themselves as a counterpoint to the traditional classroom; indeed, many initial explorations of what writing centers could become began with an assertion of what they were not.[1] From those earliest years until now, however, a third entity has existed alongside these seemingly dichotomous forms. The writing center class (or "workshop," as it's sometimes called) does represent an alternative to the traditional classroom.[2] It typically meets a handful of times at most; students earn neither credits nor grades for attending, and they sign up voluntarily. At the same time, the material and pedagogical conditions of the writing center class–a group of students, an "expert" instructor, handouts, desks, a chalkboard–can appear quite conventional. In short, by combining elements of the traditional classroom and the writing center, the writing center class is a hybrid form. Those who want to offer this kind of instruction–and there are many reasons to do so–must carefully negotiate that hybridity if they want to succeed.


This document was prepared by Sarah Bradshaw, consultant for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), under the supervision of the Women and Development Unit, in close collaboration with the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division and the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters in Mexico City, in the framework of the Project Improve damage assessment methodology to promote natural disaster mitigation and risk reduction awareness and preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean" (ITA/99/130). The paper analyses the socio-economic effects of hurricane Mitch using a gender approach and proposes new analysis indicators for crisis situations that may better reflect Women's disadvantageous position relative to men. The first section of the document discusses key concepts used in gender and disaster analysis, in the context of the region and hurricane Mitch. The following section examines the direct and indirect impacts, and looks at how they have affected women, as well as the responses to Mitch at three levels: first, that of individuals and their strategies for coping with the crisis; second, the actions of governments and the coordinated bodies of civil society; and third, reconstruction initiatives carried out by national and international organizations. The final section attempts to draw together the salient points and challenges suggested by the analysis. It also offers some recommendations for integrating this approach into future emergency and reconstruction scenarios and for reducing Women's current vulnerability."


Oxidoreductases of the thioredoxin superfamily possess the C-X-X-C motif. The redox potentials vary over a wide range for these proteins. A crucial determinant of the redox potential has been attributed to the variation of the X-X dipeptide. Here, we substitute Lys for Gly at the first X of Escherichia coli thioredoxin to investigate how a positive charge would affect the redox potential. The substitution does not affect the protein's redox potential. The equilibrium constant obtained from pairwise reaction between the mutant and wild-type proteins equals 1.1, indicating that the replacement does not significantly affect the thiol-disulfide redox equilibrium. However, the catalytic efficiency of thioredoxin reductase on the G33K mutant decreases approximately 2.8 times compared to that of the wild type. The mutation mainly affects K(m), with little effect on k(cat). The mutation also inhibits thioredoxin's ability to reduce insulin disulfide by approximately one-half. Whether the mutant protein supports the growth of phages T3/7 and f1 was tested. The efficiency of plating (EOP) of T3/7 on the mutant strain decreases 5 times at 37 degrees C and 3 x 10(4) times at 42 degrees C relative to that of the wild-type strain, suggesting that interaction between phage gene 5 protein and thioredoxin is hindered. The mutation also reduces the EOP of phage f1 by 8-fold at 37 degrees C and 1.5-fold at 42 degrees C. The global structure of the mutant protein does not change when studied by CD and fluorescence spectra. Therefore, G33K does not significantly affect the overall structure or redox potential of thioredoxin, but primarily interferes with its interaction with other proteins. Together with the G33D mutation, the overall results show that a charged residue at the first X has a greater influence on the molecular interaction of the protein than the redox potential.


Nickel-iron-silicon nitride nanocomposite thin films were prepared by electrodeposition technique. The deposition was performed at current density of 11.5 A dm-2. Nano-size silicon nitride was mixed in the electrolyte bath as dispersed phase. The effects of silicon nitride nanoparticulates in the nickel-iron nanocomposite thin films were investigated in relation to the amount of silicon nitride in the plating bath. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the deposited nickel iron film has face-centered cubic structure (FCC). However, a mixture of body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) phases were observed for nickel iron-silicon nitride nanocomposite films. The crystallite size of Ni-Fe nanocomposite coating decreased with increasing amount of silicon nitride in the film. From elemental mapping procedure, Si3N4 nanopaticles were uniformly distributed in the Ni-Fe film. The presence of silicon nitride increased the hardness of the film. The microhardness of the nickel-iron nanocomposite increased from 495 HV for nickel-iron film to 846 HV for nickel-iron nanocomposite film with 2 at. % Si. The coercivity of Ni-Fe nanaocomposite films increases with decreasing crystallite size.


This paper identifies the type and intensity of relationships that exist between strategic knowledge management (SKM) practices, innovation performance and organizational Performance. By doing so, it covers theoretical gaps about the analysis of these relationships in emerging countries. Data was collected from a sample composed by 127 Southern Brazilian firms and PLS-SEM was used for testing the hypotheses. The relevance of SKM practices for innovation and organizational performance is supported. The research has also shown the level of efficiency and use of each SKM practice. The findings allow Brazilian practitioners to identify those actions which stronger influence on innovativeness and performance. The results also have shown that Brazilian firms are focused on management of explicit knowledge, and there are some opportunities for improving performance if they focus more on tacit knowledge. The suggestions about priority practices and managing of tacit knowledge are relevant contributions to support managerial decisions for resource allocation oriented to improve innovation and performance.


Babysnatching is one thing but Babyswapping? Inspector Wexford had not previously encountered the phenomenon of one ginger haired baby in its pram being swapped for another of the opposite sex. But novelty was only one aspect of a crime which came eventually to reveal a far more sinister range of characteristics.Darkly imagined and beautifully observed,Ruth Rendells stories reveal her startling insights into the criminal mind.


The assumption that archaeologists will behave ethically in fieldwork, analysis, and publication relies on a further assumption, that they have been taught what ethics mean in those contexts. Though the ethics of participation in archaeological contexts have been defined (and refined) over the life of the discipline, the emergence of digital technologies as tools, and the centering of digital methodologies in archaeology have created new areas requiring ethical consideration. The adoption of discipline-wide standards of digital archaeological ethics has been slow, and the output of digitally centered archaeological data and published products has outpaced ethical discussion and implementation of ethical guidelines. The result is a generation of archaeologists who are versed in digital forms, but whose work is ungrounded in consensus-led ethical frameworks that explicitly reference the digital. This paper details how ethics should be considered as digital archaeology moves forward, with discussions of existing successes and failures.


[1] Although recent research suggests that contaminant plumes behave as geobatteries that produce an electrical current in the ground, no associated model exists that honors both geophysical and biogeochemical constraints. Here, we develop such a model to explain the two main electrochemical contributions to self-potential signals in contaminated areas. Both contributions are associated with the gradient of the activity of two types of charge carriers, ions and electrons. In the case of electrons, bacteria act as catalysts for reducing the activation energy needed to exchange the electrons between electron donors and electron acceptors. Possible mechanisms that facilitate electron migration include iron oxides, clays, and conductive biological materials, such as bacterial conductive pili or other conductive extracellular polymeric substances. Because we explicitly consider the role of biotic processes in the geobattery model, we coined the term "biogeobattery." After theoretical development of the biogeobattery model, we compare model predictions with self-potential responses associated with laboratory and field scale investigations conducted in contaminated environments. We demonstrate that the amplitude and polarity of large (>100 mV) self-potential signatures requires the presence of an electronic conductor to serve as a bridge between electron donors and acceptors. Small self-potential anomalies imply that electron donors and electron acceptors are not directly interconnected, but instead result simply from the gradient of the activity of the ionic species that are present in the system.


Inkjet printing has been used to produce resonant radio frequency coils that are comparable to those produced by conventional printed circuit board (PCB) methods. The coils, which consist of a conductive loop and in-series capacitors, form part of a receiver circuit that is used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The resonant circuit is selective at the predetermined frequency of 400 MHz. The required electrical components (resistor, capacitor, and inductor) were produced by inkjet printing, with scaling experiments for resistor and capacitor performed before the complete loops with integrated capacitors were printed. Numerical simulation was used to determine the required values for the components. The inkjet printed circuit was combined with a small tuning and matching board before being connected to a network analyzer and the MRI hardware. With a matching of -38 dB at 400 MHz the achieved results were comparable to those from standard PCB techniques. The performance of the inkjet printed component as a receiver device for nuclear magnetic resonance and MRI was verified by imaging reference phantoms and a whole kiwifruit; it compares favorably to standard MRI devices. Inkjet printing can, therefore, be considered a feasible technique for producing MRI receiver circuits on flexible substrates.


INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the integration of traditional medicine into each country's health systems by formulating and implementing national policies and laws in accordance with the country's own situation. This study aims to examine and analyze the national laws and regulations in Iran concerning the integration of traditional medicine into the health system of the country based on the WHO definition. METHODS: Policy document analysis was performed through content analysis according to the WHO components for the integration of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) into health systems. All government and state websites were explored to locate policy-associated documents and laws. Only documents were ultimately included in the study that had been approved by a senior official of a ministry. RESULTS: Nine policy documents related to T&CM were found. In these documents, reference was made to the availability of education (26 cases), regulation (20 cases), availability of therapies (17 cases), research (15 cases), and insurance coverage (7 items). CONCLUSIONS: While policies and laws on the integration of T&CM in Iran have been formulated, this research showed that these policies have been implemented slowly or, in cases, not implemented at all. The government and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education need to take measures in this regard after they have evaluated the policies and programs. Given the tendency of the Iranian people to T&CM, the insurance of T&CM and the development of clinics and hospitals should be prioritized.


The general objective of this paper is to investigate the physical mechanisms and processes involved in the propagation of arc over the surface of ice. In the present research work, high-speed imaging and optical emission spectroscopy techniques were synchronized with the electrical measurements to study the various parameters of arc on an ice surface, i.e. channel radius, propagation velocities, arc column temperature and electron density. These results, together with observation of the propagation patterns and arc foot geometries, calculation of arc energy and the examination of the state of thermal equilibrium provide background information for understanding the ice-covered insulator flashover phenomenon. Arc root structure, current profile, propagation pattern and velocity were investigated under different type of applied voltage and different polarities. Water film conductivity and thickness, relative air humidity and the direction of arc propagation were also analyzed as influencing parameters of arc propagation. The effects of different possible mechanisms, e.g. collision and thermal ionization, buoyancy force and electrostatic force, on different stages of arc propagation has been discussed.


Objectives: Given some of the shared organic and psychogenic pathophysiologic mechanisms in tinnitus and erectile dysfunction (ED), we hypothesized that newly-onset tinnitus may be associated with ED. This study aims to explore the relationship between these two medical conditions using a nationwide population-based database. Design: A case-control study Setting: Taiwan Participants: We retrieved data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Dataset, 19,329 patients with ED and 19,329 propensity score-matched patients without ED (controls). Main outcome measures: The diagnosis date was the date of the first ED claim for ED, which was the index date for cases. We defined the date of the control patient's first utilization of ambulatory care during the index year of their matched case as their index date. Tinnitus during a one-year period before the index date was the exposure of interest. Results: Of the 38,658 sampled patients, 1247 (3.23%) had been diagnosed with tinnitus within the year prior to the index date, 792 (4.10%) among cases and 455 (2.35%) among controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that cases were more likely to have had a prior tinnitus diagnosis compared to controls (OR=1.772; 95% CI=1.577-1.992; p<0.001). After adjusting for co-morbid medical disorders and social economic factors, cases were more likely than controls to have a prior diagnosis of tinnitus (OR=1.779, 95% CI=1.582-2.001, p<0.001). Conclusions: This investigation detected a novel association between ED and newly-onset tinnitus. Physicians should be alert to the possibility of developing ED in patients treated for tinnitus.


This study compares and analyzes the clinical performance of recent dental graduates over a 15-year period. A majority of the 981 board examiners, cumulatively surveyed, observed an increase in diagnosis/treatment planning and periodontal skills, and a decrease in operative and prosthodontic skills, while many other skills were performed at approximately the same level.


Collagen synthesis was measured in liver slices obtained from mice with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. Enlarged fibrotic livers from these mice contained 20 times more collagen than normal. This model of hepatic fibrosis results from an inflammatory granulomatous host response to Schistosoma mansoni ova in portal tracts, rather than from direct lover cell injury as with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis. Collagen synthesis, as measured by the formation of labeled protein-bound hydroxyproline, occurred in granulomas isolated from fibrotic livers. Labeled collagen that cochromatographed with type I collagen was extracted with neutral salt solution from liver slices incubated with labeled proline. The free proline pool of the liver was doubled in infected mice; coordinately, liver slices from these animals showed maximal collagen production when the concentration of free proline in the medium was raised to 0.4 mM, the same level measured in the fibrotic livers. Under such conditions, collagen synthesis was at a rate equivalent to the formation of 5.4 nmol of protein-bound hydroxyproline per g liver in 6 h. In comparative incubations in medium containing 0.2 mM proline, fibrotic liver slices produced 16-fold more collagen than normal slices. The proline analogue, L-azetidine 2-carboxylic acid, effectively inhibited synthesis of labeled collagen by fibrotic liver slices. These studies show the synthesis of collagen in a reproducible animal model of the most prevalent form of human liver fibrosis. Difinitition of the controlling factors in this system is of interest for the general problem of fibrosis produced by immunological responses.


Methyl esters of castor oil derived carboxylic acids such as 10-undecenoic acid and ricinoleic acid are useful as biofuels, biolubricants and plasticizers. Esterification of these fatty acids was studied for the first time with near-critical and supercritical methanol without adding any external catalysts. Reaction kinetics were studied for esterification in a wide range of temperatures (523–673 K) and molar ratios (from 1 : 1 to 40 : 1) at a constant pressure of 20 MPa. Conversions of >90% were obtained for both the carboxylic acids within an hour of reaction time. Different kinetic models were developed and used to correlate the conversions at various temperatures and molar ratios.


Purpose: To investigate the health benefits of Gingko biloba L. leave extract EGb 761 in patients with diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSP). Method: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo trial, patients ( n = 156) received Gingko biloba (120 mg/day) or placebo for 6 months. Efficacy of Gingko biloba extract EGb 761 was assessed on the reduction in the scores of "Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire" (SF-MPQ) and improvements in latency, amplitude and conduction velocity of four sensory (ulnar, median, peroneal and sural) and four motor (ulnar, median, peroneal and tibial) nerves. Results: Gingko biloba significantly improved the mean scores of sensory, affective, visual analogue score (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI) of SF-MPQ on 3 and 6 month post-treatment. At the start of experiment in the Gingko biloba-treated group, scores for sensory, affective, VAS and PPI domains were 12.90 ± 7.21, 4.40 ± 1.79, 4.38 ± 1.69 and 3.24 ± 0.78 respectively. After 6-months treatment with Gingko biloba , scores for sensory, affective, VAS and PPI domains were reduced (p < 0.01) to 7.24 ± 4.91, 3.11 ± 1.81, 3.37 ± 1.35 and 2.45 ± 0.65 respectively. Contrarily, in the placebo-administered group, sensory domain was (p < 0.01) deteriorated after 6 month (4.70 ± 1.87) compared to the baseline (4.04 ± 1.67). Gingko biloba extract EGb 761 failed to influence the electrophysiological measures when compared with the placebo group. The common adverse effects observed with Gingko biloba were somnolence and dryness of mouth compared with the placebo-treated patients Conclusion: Gingko biloba extract EGb 761 seems to be an effective and safe drug for reducing symptoms of DSP without any apparent effect on the electrophysiological attributes of sensorimotor nerves. Keywords: Diabetic polyneuropathy, Diabetes mellitus, Electrophysiological parameters, Gingko biloba , Sensorimotor nerves, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire


Acute liver failure (ALF) occurs when the rate and extent of liver cell death are not adequately balanced by regenerative activity. Two forms of liver cell death are recognized: apoptosis and necrosis. A number of causes of ALF have been shown, predominantly in experimental animal models, to induce one or the other form of liver cell death. Nonetheless, an insult capable of inducing apoptosis may cause cell death by necrosis, particularly if the degree of mitochondrial damage is sufficient to exhaust stores of adenosine triphosphate. Here we consider mechanisms of liver cell injury in ALF, including evolving knowledge of signaling pathways leading to hepatocellular apoptosis and necrosis. Factors that have an impact on the adequacy of hepatic regeneration along with the pathophysiology of complicating multiorgan failure are also reviewed. Prognostic criteria are discussed, especially in relation to current concepts of mechanisms of liver cell death and multiorgan dysfunction.


We studied the specificity of naturally acquired IgM bactericidal for strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that varied in sensitivity to the lytic action of normal human serum (NHS) and the relative ability of these strains to deplete the classical (CP) and alternative (ACP) C pathways. Lysis of both highly sensitive and relatively insensitive strains was inhibited by the same gonococcal lipooligosaccharides (LOS), as well as by Salmonella minnesota Re LOS and three hexosamine-containing glycose polymers. A polymer of N-acetylgalactosamine phosphate was the most inhibitory; a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine phosphate only partially inhibited. Neither 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (dOc1A) nor a polymer that contained dOc1A but not hexosamine inhibited NHS lysis. A co-polymer of N-acetylgalactosamine-dOc1A inhibited both bactericidal activity and the binding of IgM to the LOS of a highly serum-sensitive (sers) gonococcal strain. Carboxyl reduction of the dOc1A in this polymer did not affect its inhibitory capacity for gonococcal antibody, but abolished its binding to homologous antibody induced by vaccination. CP activity was not affected by vaccination. CP activity was not affected by absorption of NHS with gonococcal strains, whereas ablation of CP activity markedly but variously diminished lytic activity for highly sers strains. ACP activity was variously depleted by gonococcal strains, and the proportion of bacteria that could be lysed through the ACP varied among strains and among different populations of a given strain. The titer at which a strain was sensitive to NHS lysis was a function of its ACP consumption (p = 0.006), which accounted for 70% of the differences in titer among strains. Analyses of the absorbed sera revealed that the gonococci had variously depleted properdin from NHS as assessed by using an Ag-capture solid-phase RIA. Addition of purified properdin to absorbed sera restored ACP activity to normal levels. Western immunoblots of gonococcal lysates showed that purified properdin bound directly to a 39-kDa outer membrane protein. We conclude that both CP activation by IgM binding to LOS epitopes, one of which contains hexosamine, and ACP activation, which is a function of strain-specific direct binding of properdin, can initiate lysis of sers strains and that ACP activation, also enhances lysis and accounts for variations in sensitivity of sers strains.


terms the amount needed-,C30-C40m a year at most-is trivial; fortunately, chronic renal failure is rather rare. There is no margin of inefficiency in the performance of dialysis which contractual dialysis can exploit; it comes down simply to the fact that until and unless the United Kingdom health service spends more on services for renal failure then some of those who should benefit from the treatment will die, and tinkering with the available budget in politically fashionable ways will not help them. Finally, despite twofold variations in rates of treatment throughout the United Kingdom for terminal renal failure,4 few renal physicians actually "turn down" more than a handful of patients each year. Of course, there remains great variation in patients considered "suitable" in different parts of the country, and Mrs Ward is right to attack this, but a crucial point in the undertreatment of renal failure in the United Kingdom is underreferral.5 Why do many physicians and general practitioners not refer patients whom the dialysis units would regard as entirely treatable ? There appears to be a subtle feedback from the attitudes of the local dialysis unit to the local physicians and practitioners, perhaps relating to events in the distant past, when treatment was much more experimental than it is today. This particularly applies to older patients-even in our own region (South West and South East Thames), where intake now approaches 50/million/year (over 300 patients/year), we are still referred few patients over 70 years of age, and almost none over 80. STEWART CAMERON Renal Unit, Guy's Hospital, London SEI 9RT


The wreaths were consistently used throughout the ancient Greek and Roman world, as well as later in Byzantium, in the major events of religious, political and social life. Crowning rewarded someone who successfully completed a difficult task, undertook an office or achieved a major victory. It indicated that the one crowned was purified and ready to transcend the mundane and ascend mentally into a morally and spiritually superior world.


Abstract The growth of lava domes is often associated with cyclic variations of ground deformation, seismicity and mass flux of gas and magma. We present a model of cyclic volcanic activity which is controlled by degassing of supersaturated magma, magma flow into the conduit, gas escape from the permeable magma, deformation of the conduit walls and the friction between the walls and the plug at the top of the conduit. When the difference between magma pressure and ambient pressure exceeds the static friction, motion begins, bubbles expand and overpressure relaxes. Bubble expansion builds permeability, allows gas escape and faster depressurization. Depressurization and crystallization of the magma build supersaturation and gas diffusion from melt to bubbles. Gas flux into bubbles and magma flux from the chamber act to increase pressure. The rate of extrusion is controlled by the gas pressure, driving the motion, and by the rate- and state-dependent friction along shear zones between the plug and the host rock. When the magma overpressure drops to the dynamic strength of the slip surfaces, the plug sticks and blocks the vent. As bubble volume is now constant, exsolution of gas from the supersaturated melt leads to pressurization and begins a new cycle.


The current "storm" of lightweighting, a revolution in materials, processes, and business models, which is brewing on the horizon of the auto industry, inspires researchers and engineers to develop and apply new wrought magnesium alloys with improved properties. For wider applications in the automotive and aerospace industries, the enhancement of strength, thermal stability and formability of magnesium alloys is required. In recent years, Mg-Zn-Y series alloys have received a considerable attention from the research community due to their improved mechanical properties. The present study was aimed at evaluating the influence of Y addition to Mg-Zn-Mn system based on phase formation, mechanical response and texture development with special attention paid to recrystallization, hot characterization and relative activity.

The dissertation evaluated the strain hardening and deformation behavior of as-extruded Mg-ZnMn (ZM31) magnesium alloy with varying Y contents via compression testing at room temperature, 200°C and 300°C. Alloy ZM31+0.3Y consisted I-phase (Mg3YZn6); alloy ZM31+3.2Y contained I-phase and W-phase (Mg3Y2Zn3); alloy ZM31+6Y had long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) X-phase (Mg12YZn) and Mg24Y5 particles. With increasing Y content the basal texture became weakened significantly. While alloys ZM31+0.3Y and ZM31+3.2Y exhibited a skewed true stress-true stain curve with a three-stage strain hardening feature caused by the occurrence of {10 Ī 2} extension twinning, the true stress-true strain curve of alloy ZM31+6Y was normal due to the dislocation slip during compression.

The evolution of flow stress, texture and microstructure during the compression tests has been studied under various conditions of temperature and strain rates. Optical metallography, EBSD techniques and X-ray diffraction were employed to study the microstructural development and texture evolution. The deformation activation energy was calculated and the processing maps were generated to determine the optimum hot working parameters. In addition, viscoplastic selfconsistent model was successfully used to predict the experimental textures.

Lastly, the strengthening mechanisms in each Mg-Zn-Mn-Y material are established quantitatively for the first time to account for grain refinement, thermal mismatch, dislocation density, load bearing, and particle strengthening contributions. The present work laid the foundations for a better understanding the role of Y elements on deformation behavior in magnesium alloys.


Fe-based coatings were widely used in the corrosive environment of various indus-tries. It was replacing expensive cobalt-based alloys, which face a ban in the future due to serious health and environmental risks. The aim of the present work was to compare low temperature corrosion behavior of some Fe- and Co-based coatings produced by High-Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) thermal spraying. Polarization and elec-trochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at 25°C. The microstructures were analyzed using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to characterize the morphologies of both Fe- and Co-based coatings and analyze the exposed products along the surface and cross-section of specimens. The results revealed that the high-chromium Fe-based coating protected the underlying substrate better than Co-based coating.


This paper aims at providing a regional approach regarding VAT rate at E.U. level and its links with the level of economic development, using data from Eurostat for the 2004-2013 period. World-wide taxation levels reflect, in a certain measure, the economic state of a particular country. If the tax level within a country is higher, the living standards are also higher, whereas a low taxation level that incites economic growth, will eventually rise. The main indicators considered in the analysis presented in this paper, as most relevant to the subject at hand, are: taxes on income in conjunction with the level of the GDP, business demography, employee compensation, poverty thresholds, income distribution, employment rate and the number of newly founded enterprises.


Stereospecific assignments are made for gamma- and delta-methylene hydrogens in a protein by means of estimation of vicinal 1H-1H spin-spin coupling constants from a short-mixing-time TOCSY experiment. 3J alpha beta coupling constants, as measured from a P.E. COSY map, are shown to be well correlated with alpha-beta cross-peak intensities of a short-mixing-time (10 ms) TOCSY map. The procedure is illustrated by application to a trypsin-inhibitor protein (M(r) approximately 7 Kd). Thus, gamma-methylene hydrogens of isoleucine residues have been stereospecifically assigned on the basis of 3J beta gamma 1H-1H coupling patterns and intraresidue cross-peak intensities in a NOESY map; gamma-hydrogens of other residues, such as lysine and arginine, have been stereospecifically assigned solely on the basis of cross-peak intensity patterns resulting from coupling of two beta-hydrogens to two gamma-hydrogens, and in conjunction with stereospecific assignments of beta-methylene hydrogens. However, intraresidue NOE intensities are needed if one or two pairs of coupling constants cannot be estimated because of cross peaks either overlapping or occurring proximal to the diagonal. The delta-methylene hydrogens have been stereospecifically assigned on the basis of coupling between two gamma-hydrogens and two delta-hydrogens, in combination with stereospecific assignments of gamma-hydrogens. Stereospecific assignments of side chains should contribute to the overall precision and accuracy of NMR-determined three-dimensional solution structures of proteins.


This article, an invited paper for the Louisiana Law Review's 2020 We the Jury symposium, examines the bias dichotomy in jury selection. On the one hand, the law seeks to identify and remove jurors with explicit or implicit biases that can deny a party a fair trial. The peremptory challenge historically has served as an important tool for parties to address these juror biases, in particular implicit juror biases that often fall below the radar of challenges for cause. Yet, on the other hand, the law increasingly has acknowledged how lawyers deploy their own improper biases against jurors during jury selection. The peremptory challenge has been an especially effective, and harmful, tool for lawyers to operationalize their own improper biases.

Several commenters and judges have again called for elimination of the peremptory challenge to resolve this bias dichotomy, in large part due to the failures of the Batson rule to detect and deter discriminatory strikes. This paper examines and credits the persuasive arguments in support of this position. But this paper also cautions against such a binary solution to this bias dichotomy if criminal defendants go along for this ride–and the law so far has remained largely symmetrical between the prosecution and defense in anti-bias jury selection rules. The paper considers durable virtues of the peremptory challenge for individuals defending against the State in an adversary system that remains deeply imbued with its own systemic and individual biases. These virtues may still justify the peremptory challenge in some form, despite their acknowledged vices.

The paper concludes by championing emergent non-binary solutions to the bias dichotomy with which different jurisdictions are experimenting. For example, the Washington Supreme Court recently adopted General Rule 37, which significantly revises the Batson rule better to reach and remedy both explicit and implicit lawyer bias in exercising peremptory challenges. These nuanced approaches, the paper argues, may permit the law more effectively to regulate the vices of the peremptory challenge while preserving its virtues, particularly for criminal defendants.


AC impedance measurement was found as an efficient tool to elucidate the charge storage and transfer in dye-sensitized solar cells. The imaginary impedance of the apparent space charge region at the dye adsorbed TiO/sub 2//electrolyte interface was inversely dependent on the density of photoexcited electrons. For a given TiO/sub 2/ material, the thicker the thickness of the substrate, the higher the charge storage and the slower the charge transfer of the resulting DSC. Accordingly, the existence of an optimized thickness of TiO/sub 2/ substrate is inherent for the highest overall conversion efficiency of a DSC fabricated with a given TiO/sub 2/ material. The combination of the charge storage or the density of photoexcited electrons in the porous TiO/sub 2/ film and the prompt charge transfer between it and TiO/sub 2//TCO glass interface was worthwhile to note for improvement on the overall conversion efficiency of DSC.


We introduce a novel synthetic strategy in which high molecular weight comb copolymers with aliphatic side chains can collapse into single-chain nanoparticles (SNCPs) via photodimerization of anthracene under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. By deliberately selecting hydrophobic comonomers with disparate solvency, we demonstrated that we could control chain collapse. We attribute these results to the formation of pseudo-unimicellar structures, whereby polyisobutylene (PIB) side chains are preferentially solvated, thereby compressing anthracene moieties to form a denser crosslinked core. The control of hydrophobic interactions is a common occurrence in proteins and we believe that our approach can be further extended to achieve multi-compartment SCNPs whereby each section is responsible for a given function.


extreme reluctance, to the condusion that, in the presenst circumstances, I could not regard the pas-sage of some appropriate measure through Parliament as justifying an end to organized resistance to the elimination of facilities for independent practice from the hospitals of the NMH.S. in contexts where no alternative exists. Practical coope,ration by Government in relating the rundown of facilities to the provision of alternatives, with the acceptance of a smatll residue of facilities where no alternative outside the N.H.S. can be provided, would of course be quite another matter. As we have undoubtedly seen a hardening of the Secretary of State in the recent past so, I trust, we sihalll see a hardening of attitudes in the profession. I cannot believe that we would be right to allow our natural reluctance to resist parliamentary authority to persuade us to leave a shackled profession behind for succeeding generations. As some of your readers may know my connexion with the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Services and its subcoamnittees I hasten to assure you chat the views ex-pressed here are entirely personal and, I fear, without significant support among the leadership of the profession.-I am, etc., D. E. BOLT Hampton Hill, Middlesex


Abstract : The revised FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency, defines a role for restoring essential services as one of five key lines of effort in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. By mid-2008, the U.S. Government had spent over $50 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq, the largest relief and reconstruction effort for one country in U.S. history. Since 2004, Congress has authorized $2.64 billion for Afghanistan. This large expenditure of money enabled the completion of infrastructure development projects such as water treatment plants, sewage treatment facilities, electrical grid improvements, and landfills throughout Iraq and Afghanistan in an attempt to restore essential services, build upon security gains, and win the population. Yet, the completion of these projects remains only loosely correlated to a reduction in insurgent activity. This paper offers an explanation for infrastructure development's inability to meet the expectations of its role in counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In many instances, the infrastructure development program in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrates an apparent misunderstanding of the definition of winning hearts and minds and a narrow application of the revised COIN doctrine. Specifically, this infrastructure development program, built on SWEAT analysis and CERP funding, often attempted to win the gratitude of the population, not their allegiance to the elected government. The amount of money spent and projects completed then became the measures of performance, to the exclusion of more appropriate, population-centric measures of effectiveness. The state of infrastructure disrepair can indicate how a local government currently fails to meet the needs and concerns of the local population; further, the improvement of infrastructure provides an opportunity to develop the legitimacy of that government. Focusing infrastructure development around smaller, community-based projects could enhance stability and build legitimate governance.


Bus is the main mode of urban transport in most cities in developing countries. Despite a high mode share, bus service quality is often poor and para-transit services are regarded as a problem in urban transport systems rather than a solution. Using Dhaka as a case study, this thesis investigates bus service quality through identification and valuation of thirteen important attributes using discrete choice models. The attributes examined are travel time, travel cost, waiting time, headway, priority seats for women, crowding inside the bus, boarding and alighting, picking up and dropping off passengers, bus stop facilities, driving quality, driver and crew behaviour, cleanliness inside the bus, and air conditioning.

Five focus groups were conducted to identify key qualitative bus attributes and their levels in order to design choice experiments for valuation. A survey of 431 respondents in Dhaka was then undertaken. Two choice experiments were designed and implemented within the survey, each with seven attributes (set A and set B) with travel cost as the common attribute. Multinomial Logit (MNL) models and Mixed Logit (MXL) models were developed using the Dhaka choice data. Twelve of the thirteen attributes were statistically significant at the 99% level. The values of in-vehicle time (IVT), waiting time and headway were BDT 34.80, 47.40 and 64.20 per hour respectively for low income groups in the segmented model. Waiting time has a premium valuation, 1.36 times higher than IVT, which endorses existing evidence. The highest valuation is for the dummy variable seating all the way which is BDT 42.20 for high income females. The next largest was bus stops properly, picks and drops passengers nicely , followed by wide door and mild steps for boarding and alighting , smooth and safe journey , bus stop with shed, but no seating arrangements , and air conditioning . The lowest value was BDT 4.61 for deck and seats are clean and tidy , for the low income group. The WTP for the qualitative attributes is high, but given the poor level of the existing service and low fare levels this seems reasonable.

Income has a significant impact on travel cost, as well as gender on priority seats for women and crowding inside the bus. However, household car ownership does not have a significant impact on any of the bus attributes examined. The high income group has 75% higher WTP for A set attributes and 79% higher WTP for B set attributes than low income group. Females have 76% higher WTP for standing comfortably all the way , but 38% higher WTP for seating all the way compared to the male. However, females have a WTP of BDT 0.44 for per percent of priority seats for women in contrast with males who have a WTP of BDT -0.11.

There is significant taste heterogeneity for both quantitative and qualitative attributes. The qualitative attributes for picking up and dropping off passengers, boarding and alighting facilities and driving facilities have higher valuation and this attributes came from the existing within the market competition structure in a highly fragmented bus market. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce competition for the market and incentives for bus industry consolidation.


There is a long-standing experimental observation that the melting of topologically constrained DNA, such as circular-closed plasmids, is less abrupt than that of linear molecules. This finding points to an important role of topology in the physics of DNA denaturation, which is however poorly understood. Here, we shed light on this issue by combining large-scale Brownian Dynamics simulations with an analytically solvable phenomenological Landau mean field theory. We find that the competition between melting and supercoiling leads to phase coexistence of denatured and intact phases at the single molecule level. This coexistence occurs in a wide temperature range, thereby accounting for the broadening of the transition. Finally, our simulations show an intriguing topology-dependent scaling law governing the growth of denaturation bubbles in supercoiled plasmids, which can be understood within the proposed mean field theory.


This paper examines the hypothesis that the gender salary gap observed in the academic labour market is predominantly explained by the differing average characteristics of male and female academics and barriers to female promotion. Preliminary analysis reveals that the crowding of women into the lower rungs of academia is a strong determinant of their lower average salary. This effect should be transitory as young women, now entering the profession, move up its ranks. We construct a rank attainment model and investigate the current and predicted distribution of females across ranks. Significant evidence of barriers to female promotion is revealed.


., , The integuments of extant vertebrates display a variety of epidermal appendages whose patterns, morphology and terminal differentiation (epidermal keratins) depend upon interactions between ectodermal (epidermis) and mesoder- mal (dermis) tissues. In reptiles and birds, appendage morphogenesis precedes terminal differentiation. Studies have demonstrated that appendage morphogenesis influences the expression of the appendage specific keratin genes. However, little is known about the nature of the structural genes expressed by the epidermal appendages of reptiles. How pattern formation and/or appendage morphogenesis influence terminal differentiation of reptilian appendages is not known. The epidermal appendages of reptiles and birds are characterized by the pres-ence of both alpha ( (cid:97) ) and beta ( (cid:98) ) type keratin proteins. Studies have focused on the genes of avian (cid:98) keratins because they are the major structural proteins of feathers. The occurrence of (cid:98) keratin proteins in the scales and claws of both birds and reptiles and their immunological cross-reactivity suggest that the genes for reptilian (cid:98) keratins may be homologous with those of birds. In bird appendages, the (cid:98) keratins are the products of a large family of homologous genes. Specific members of this gene family are expressed during the development of each ap- pendage. Recent sequence analyses of feather (cid:98) keratins, from different orders of birds, demonstrate that there is more diversity at the DNA level than was implied by earlier protein sequencing studies. Immunological techniques show that the same antibodies that react with the epidermal (cid:98) keratins of the chicken ( Gallus domesticus ) react with the epidermal (cid:98) keratins of American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis). Furthermore, a peptide sequence (20 amino acids) from an alligator claw (cid:98) keratin is similar to a highly conserved region of avian claw, scale, feather, and feather-like (cid:98) keratins. These observations suggest that the (cid:98) keratin genes of avian epidermal appendages have homologues in the American alligator. Understanding the origin and evolution of the (cid:98) keratin gene families in reptiles and birds will undoubtedly add to our understanding of the evolution of skin appendages such as scales and feathers.


Altered antioxidant status has been implicated in schizophrenia. Microglia are major sources of free radicals such as superoxide in the brain, and play crucial roles in various brain diseases. Recent postmortem and imaging studies have indicated microglial activation in the brain of schizophrenia patients. Animal models that express some phenotypes of schizophrenia have revealed the underlying microglial pathology. In addition, minocycline, an antibiotic and the best known inhibitor of microglial activation, has therapeutic efficacy in schizophrenia. We have recently revealed that various antipsychotics directly affect microglia via proinflammatory reactions such as oxidative stress, by in vitro studies using rodent microglial cells. Based on these findings, we have suggested that microglia are crucial players in the brain in schizophrenia, and modulating microglia may be a novel therapeutic target. In this review paper, we introduce our hypothesis based on the above evidence. The technique of in vivo molecular redox imaging is expected to be a powerful tool to clarify this hypothesis.


Background Capacity in health research ethics review is key in Africa, given the increase in research activities, complexity, and use of advanced technologies. Harmonising ethics review frameworks can address challenges attributable to these complexities. Establishing an effective harmonised framework that is optimum or protection of the research subjects requires assessment of review capacity. The East African Health Research Commission commissioned a study to assess the capacity of Review Ethics Committees (RECs) in the East African Community (EAC) countries, as a step towards strengthening and harmonising the regions' capacity and review frameworks. Methods A desktop review of documentation (national and institutional guidelines, policies and SOPs) was conducted in five EAC countries. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from key informants. Qualitative interviews were used to collect views on stakeholders' perception of benefits, opportunities and challenges of harmonisation. Results Sixty-nine (69) accredited RECs were mapped. All countries had national ethics guidelines and National Research Regulatory Authorities, whose mandates varied across countries. 57% of RECs reviewed local and international research, 43% reviewed local studies only. On average, 91 protocols were reviewed annually across all RECs (range 15 to 200). Membership ranged from 6 to 22 members per REC, with age range of 29 to 75 years. Annual budget allocation ranged from $3000 to $2.9 mil"lion financed through review fees (84%) or/and institutional budget (14%). 71% of RECs had education policy but 41%had members with training in ethics. Review turn-around time ranged from 14 to 90 days. All RECs supported harmonisation and attributed it to improved efficiency, quality and standardised costs. Conclusion Similarities and dissimilarities were noted in the EAC countries' ethics review frameworks. Harmonisation should consider 1) harmonisation of policy frameworks and tools; 2) institutionalisation of regional joint review mechanisms, 3) standardisation of training and capacity strengthening, 4) Review of the REC operational and financing models.


Model reference adaptive control is applied to linear time varying systems and to nonlinear systems amenable to virtual linearization. Asymptotic stability is guaranteed even if the perfect model following conditions do not hold, provided that some sufficient conditions are satisfied. Simulations show the scheme to be capable of effectively controlling certain non-linear systems.


The microservice architecture is a popular software engineering approach for building flexible, large-scale online services. Serverless functions, or function as a service (FaaS), provide a simple programming model of stateless functions which are a natural substrate for implementing the stateless RPC handlers of microservices, as an alternative to containerized RPC servers. However, current serverless platforms have millisecond-scale runtime overheads, making them unable to meet the strict sub-millisecond latency targets required by existing interactive microservices. We present Nightcore, a serverless function runtime with microsecond-scale overheads that provides container-based isolation between functions. Nightcore's design carefully considers various factors having microsecond-scale overheads, including scheduling of function requests, communication primitives, threading models for I/O, and concurrent function executions. Nightcore currently supports serverless functions written in C/C++, Go, Node.js, and Python. Our evaluation shows that when running latency-sensitive interactive microservices, Nightcore achieves 1.36×–2.93× higher throughput and up to 69% reduction in tail latency.