Work stress in any profession is likely to be experienced by the employees employed there and university teachers are no exceptions in this regard. This study tends to examine the relationship between role conflict, role ambiguity and attitudinal outcomes of the job i.e. job satisfaction and organizational commitment of teaching staff in the largest and most populated university of Pakistan i.e. University of the Punjab. The data were collected from 160 teachers teaching in five different faculties of the university by using personally administered questionnaires. The findings of the study suggests that there is a positive and significant relationship between role stress i.e. role conflict and role ambiguity and work stress however work stress is negatively and significantly associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment of the teaching staff of the university under examination. Future research is needed in terms of what strategies teachers may use to cope with the work related stress in the university set up of Pakistan with a larger sample size and with examination of other causes and effects of work stress as well.


Within the last few years, a number of workers in the field of medicine have expressed dissatisfaction with the methods commonly used in determining the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. They have pointed out not only that the different types of hemoglobinometer use different values of concentration of hemoglobin for 100 per cent on the scale, but also that the methods themselves are for the most part not sufficiently accurate for use in diagnosis. Of these two objectionable features, the latter is, of course, by far the more serious. The confusion and misunderstanding caused by dissimilar scale values can be avoided simply by the adoption of a uniform method of reporting hemoglobin, as recommended recently by Lindsay, Rice and Selinger; 1 but if the method itself is not sufficiently accurate, errors in diagnosis are unavoidable. ACCURACY OF METHODS IN COMMON USE In order to obtain some idea concerning the accuracy


This paper describes the program execution framework being developed by the Grid Application Development Software (GrADS) Project. The goal of this framework is to provide good resource allocation for Grid applications and to support adaptive reallocation if performance degrades because of changes in the availability of Grid resources. At the heart of this strategy is the notion of a configurable object program, which contains, in addition to application code, strategies for mapping the application to different collections of resources and a resource selection model that provides an estimate of the performance of the application on a specific collection of Grid resources. This model must be accurate enough to distinguish collections of resources that will deliver good performance from those that will not. The GrADS execution framework also provides a contract monitoring mechanism for interrupting and remapping an application execution when performance falls below acceptable levels.


During the Ming Dynasty numerous new animal themes were created to convey political and ethical messages current at court. As the result a sophisticated language of Chinese animal painting was developed, employing both the animals' symbolic associations and homonymic puns. Hou-mei Sung's exciting rediscovery of some of these lost meanings has led to a full-scale investigation of the evolving history of Chinese animal painting. Distinct symbolic meanings were associated with individual motifs, but all animals were assigned a place in the universe according to the Chinese concept of nature. From the very early yin/yang cosmology to later developments of Daoist and Confucian philosophies and ethics, Chinese animals gained new meanings related to their historical contexts. This book explores these new findings, using the colorful animal images and their rich and evolving symbolic meanings to gain insight into unique aspects of Chinese art, as well as Chinese culture and history.


Kitha Griffin, M.D., is a woman who knows her own mind. She can't remember a time when she didn't want to be a doctor and, by high school, her interests had zeroed in on skincare. She set her sights early on Georgetown University for medical school, then quizzed admissions personnel to learn what they looked for in candidates so she could plan her undergraduate work accordingly.


Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) - the characteristic chromosomal abnormality in hematopoietic stem cells causes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). It develops during reciprocal translocation between long arms chromosomes 9 and 22. The translocation results in a fusion gene BCR-ABL which is responsible for synthesis of a constitutively activated tyrosine kinase. Cells carrying the translocations can be identified by several methods: cytogenetic analysis, FISH (Fluorescence In situ Hybridization) and RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction). One of the molecular methods uses to CML diagnostics there is also RQ-PCR (Real-time Quantitative PCR). It allows estimating very accurately the expression of the genes and application of molecular probe causes this method very specific and sensitive. Thanks to this technique there is the possibility to monitoring the therapy advance and minimal residual disease in CML patients. Up regulation of BCR-ABL gene, helps to detect the relapse even a few months before clinical signs of leukemia and modification of treatment. 60 patients with CML were qualified to the study group. All of them were cured in Hematology Department CMUJ in Krakow. Expression of BCR-ABL gene was measured for about three months. RQ-PCR method was performed by ABIPRISM 7700 using TaqMan technology. As a positive control uses to generate the standard curve plasmid dilutions were used. Differences between transcripts level during therapy were presented as a ratio of BCR-ABL to ABL copy number, and correlates to clinical image of the patients. The sensitivities of the tests were oscillated about 104 – 105. RQ-PCR method is very efficient and accurate assay to monitor BCR-ABL expression in CML patients treated with Imatinib and another tyrosine kinase inhibitors. RQ-PCR is reliable and sensitive method for monitoring CML patients after therapy. This is also convenient, robust and routine method for monitoring of minimal residual disease in CML patients. Quantifications of the level of residual disease using RQ-PCR has also therapeutic implications for the follow-up of therapeutic interventions for relapse.


Adolescent peer-aggression has recently been considered from the evolutionary perspective of intrasexual competition for mates. We tested the hypothesis that peer-nominated physical aggression, indirect aggression, along with self-reported bullying behaviors at Time 1 would predict Time 2 dating status (one year later), and that Time 1 peer- and self-reported peer victimization would negatively predict Time 2 dating status. Participants were 310 adolescents who were in grades 6 through 9 (ages 11–14) at Time 1. Results showed that for both boys and girls, peer-nominated indirect aggression was predictive of dating one year later even when controlling for age, peer-rated attractiveness, and peer-perceived popularity, as well as initial dating status. For both sexes, self-reported peer victimization was negatively related to having a dating partner at Time 2. Findings are discussed within the framework of intrasexual competition.


ROPS is an effective way to reduce casualty rate in the rolling accident. This paper introduces the design of a cab to strengthen safety-ROPS large wheel loader method. The finite element model, it's a ROPS rear, absorbers and supporting structure frame of the safety-cabs, was created. Force and displacement boundary conditions obtained in accordance with the international standard ISO3471:2008-The large deformation elastic-plastic finite element analysis, horizontal, vertical and ROPS vertical load cases of performance testing and the corresponding lab for investigation. The test results show that the design can meet the requirements of ISO3471 ROPS: 2008. Test results differences and simulation and welded joint of the fracture analysis on the reason.


Micro-cantilever has been proven as an outstanding platform for extremely sensitive chemical and biological sensors. MEMS cantilever-based sensor is becoming popular due to its high sensitivity, high selectivity, easy to fabricate and can be easily integrated with on-chip electronics circuitry. However, the interface circuit used in this kind of sensors typically has a very low resolution and this limits its capability in sensing the small signal generated by the micro-cantilever. One solution is by incorporating stress concentration regions (SCR) on the micro-cantilever which were found to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. This project will focus on optimizing the sensitivity of the micro-cantilever by modeling the micro-cantilever with the SCR technique. The model is then be verified by numerical simulations.


This article established the correlation between Human Resource Planning and Employee Performance in Rwanda; a case study of Peoples Bank of Rwanda. Utilizing Retrospective, descriptive survey research design, a close ended questionnaire and an interview schedule were employed to gather information which was utilized to respond to research questions related to the variables under study. Data was analyzed employing descriptive statistics like mean and item analysis, frequencies, percentages, tables, Pearson Linear Correlation Coefficient and Bar graphs. Human Resource Planning is significantly related to employee performance in Peoples bank of Rwanda, main branch in Rwanda. The researcher recommended that management should always focus on what the employees need in terms of training in order to improve their performance and the subsequent productivity. Sponsorship of employees for further studies should be taken as a priority by managers of people"s bank of Rwanda because it is through training that employees can acquire relevant knowledge and skills required for better performance in any organization. Management should also keep on considering the relevant employee needs assessment during the planning process in order to arrive at proactive decisions for the organization at large.


The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that produce a diversity of hormones comprising of adrenaline, the aldosterone and cortisol. The present study aimed at investigation of the histomorphometric features of chromaffin cells. There were two types of chromaffin cells. In squirrel, the first type was columnar in shape and brownish in color contained spherical nucleus located at the base of cells, which represented the epinephrine secreting cells, and the second type was polygonal in shape and light brownish in color contained spherical nucleus located in the center of cells, which represented the norepinephrine secreting cells. The adrenal medulla of hamster consists almost entirely of columnar or polyhedral chromaffin cells forming clusters and anastomosing cords separated by sinusoids, giving a strong reaction with methylene eosin stain more than that seen in squirrel. The statistical analysis showed that the means diameter of epinephrine cells and norepinephrine cells in the right adrenal gland in squirrel were lesser than those of hamster significantly at P<0.05, but in the left adrenal gland in squirrel the means were greater than those of hamster significantly at P<0.05. In conclusion, the present findings showed the reaction of chromaffin cells of hamster with methylene –eosin stain to be stronger than with hematoxylin-eosin stain, while the opposite was true in case of the squirrel.


New knowledge from the rapidly growing field of neuroscience has important implications for our understanding of human behavior in the social environment, yet little of this knowledge has made its way into social work education. This article presents a model for integrating neuroscience into instruction on human development, the bio psychosocial model, psychopathology, and social work theory. Key concepts such as critical periods of brain development, neural plasticity, memory, cognition, and the impact of stress and trauma are discussed. Case studies and discussion questions are used to demonstrate the integration of neuroscience knowledge into social work education. We argue that teaching neuroscience will enhance students' critical thinking skills and better prepare them for direct and policy practice.


A total of 119 patients with bladder cancer were irradiated over a period of 11 years. Fifteen had Stage B/sub 1/, 15 B/sub 2/, 38 C, 9 D/sub 1/, 23 D/sub 2/, and 19 D/sub 3/. The pelvis, bladder, or both received greater than or equal to7,000 rad (70 Gy) in 7 weeks in 78 patients treated with curative intent (Group I) and greater than or equal to5,000 rad (50 Gy) in 5 weeks in 41 patients treated for palliation (Group II). Major complications developed in 3 patients due to irradiation and were fatal in 2, while 22 had minor, self-limited complications which were often related to the technique used. In Group I, the 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 18% and 14%, respectively, whereas only 3% of Group II patients survived 3 years; however, reasonable palliation was achieved in a large percentage of cases. Superficial lesions (B/sub 1/) can be cured with irradiation (60% 5-year survival). Other prognostic factors are presented.


A case of transcatheter embolization of a celiac artery pseudoaneurysm in a 70-year-old man is reported. the pseudoaneurysm was considered to be the result of pancreatic anastomotic leakage and an intra-abdominal abscess following pancreaticoduodenectomy with irradiation of 66 Gy for pancreatic carcinoma. To avoid recanalization of the pseudoaneurysm due to retrograde blood flow, first all branches of the celiac artery were embolized with metallic coils, and then the celiac trunk was also occluded. Hepatic arterial flow was preserved by the right hepatic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery. After the procedure, the patient had no noticeable complications associated with the embolization nor any recurrence of the pancreatic cancer, and he achieved a 2-year survival.


Background Glucose metabolism transformation plays critical role in cancer cell malignancies maintenance. Aberrant cancer cell metabolism is considered to be the hallmark of cancer. S100A4 has been identified as an oncogene in a variety of cancers. However, its role in the cancer cell glucose reprogramming has been seldom reported. The aim of this study was to examine the role of S100A4 in aerobic glycolysis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods We investigated S100A4 expression in 224 cases of primary CRC and matched normal colonic tissue specimens, and explored the underlying mechanisms of altered S100A4 expression as well as the impact of this altered expression on CRC growth and glycolysis using in vitro and animal models of CRC. Results S100A4 was more highly expressed in CRC tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues (59.4% vs 17.4%, P <0.05). Higher S100A4 expression was associated with advanced node stage ( P =0.018) and larger tumor size ( P =0.035). A Cox proportional hazards model suggested that S100A4 expression was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (HR: 3.967, 95%CI: 1.919-8.200, P <0.001) and DFS (HR: 4.350, 95%CI: 2.264-8.358, P <0.001) in CRC after surgery. Experimentally, silencing S100A4 expression significantly decreased the growth and glycolysis rate of CRC both in vitro and in vivo . Mechanically, S100A4 could affect the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α activity as demonstrated by the HIF-1α response element–luciferase activity in CRC cells. Conclusions These results disclose a novel role for S100A4 in reprogramming the metabolic process in CRC by affecting the HIF-1α activity and provide potential prognostic predictors for CRC.


A combinatorial method for the design of spatially interlaced sparse array antennas is advocated. The cyclic difference sets are used in finding the optimum positions of the elements in the sparse sub-arrays that share a common aperture. A new methodology is proposed for increasing the number of sub-arrays that can be interwoven on a common aperture. Radiation properties of these sparse configuration are investigated by numerical estimations of the antenna array factor at different frequencies


The effects of natural sunlight and microbial decomposition on DOC, DON, and DOP were investigated along the salinity gradient of a temperate coastal plain estuary. The impact of sun- light-irradiated DOM on bacterial properties (bacterial abundance, production, bacterial growth effi- ciency (BGE)) was also followed. Surface-water light levels resulted in no detectable abiotic produc- tion of NH4 + or PO4 3- or loss of DOC. Bacterial decomposition of DOC was enhanced by 27 to 200% in irradiated relative to dark treatments. There was, however, no corresponding enhancement in DON and DOP remineralization. Significant differences in bacterial decomposition of light-exposed DOC were frequently observed following prolonged incubation (>7 d), suggesting that enhanced reactivity may result from photochemical modification of higher molecular weight organic matter. BGE in light relative to dark treatments was positively correlated (r 2 = 0.38, p < 0.01) with in situ NH4 + concentrations. In light treatments, significantly lower N and P remineralization in August 1999 cor- responded with low in situ inorganic nutrient concentrations and bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) and with elevated bacterial DOC utilization. In contrast, enhanced DOC reactivity in April 2000 dur- ing nutrient-replete conditions corresponded with net immobilization of inorganic N and P by bacte- rial biomass production, but without a concomitant impact on BGE. These findings suggest that the combination of photochemical and microbial alteration of DOM may increase bacterial demand for inorganic nutrients, alter BGE, and influence the partitioning of C between bacterial biomass and respiration.


This is the latest of American contemporary artist Fred Wilson's views on art and its sheltering institution, the museum. Wilson is best known for site-specific installations in which he rearranges museum collections into unusual displays of seemingly disparate objects. Using what appear to be standard curatorial and display practices, Wilson's exhibits examine unexpected relationships among objects, people, and places. Wilson developed So Much Trouble in the World at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College using the museum's permanent collection to shed light on the politics of museum collecting, cultural representation, and human nature. The exhibit raises questions about our past and its relationship to the present-whether at Dartmouth, in the wider United States, or beyond our borders. Wilson encourages viewers to scrutinize their own expectations of museums, art, and society in light of the economic and ideological mechanisms and relationships that shape them. The essayists in this book explore Wilson's installation, including the many artists, statesmen, showmen, and nameless others whom the artist encountered while producing So Much Trouble in the World. Daniel Webster, the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, Martin Luther King Jr., Francisco de Goya, Jacques Callot, Abraham Lincoln, Samson Occom, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Robert L. Ripley, and the horrific and tragic story of Ota Benga all have a place in this extraordinary installation and publication.


Sex determination systems in plants can involve either female or male heterogamety (ZW or XY, respectively). Here we used Illumina short reads, Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long reads, and Hi-C reads to assemble the first chromosome-scale genome of a female willow tree (Salix dunnii), and to predict genes using transcriptome sequences and available databases. The final genome sequence of 328 Mb in total was assembled in 29 contigs, and includes 31,501 genes. We inferred a male heterogametic sex determining factor on chromosome 7, suggesting that, unlike the female heterogamety of most species in the genus Salix, male heterogamety evolved in the subgenus Salix. The S. dunnii X-linked region occupies about 3.21 Mb of chromosome 7, and is probably in a pericentromeric region. Our data suggest that this region is enriched for transposable element insertions, and about one third of its 124 protein-coding genes were gained via duplications from other genome regions. We detect purifying selection on the genes that were ancestrally present in the region, though some have been lost. Transcriptome data from female and male individuals show more male- than female-biased genes in catkin and leaf tissues, and indicate enrichment for male-biased genes in the pseudo-autosomal regions. Our study provides valuable genomic resources for studying sex chromosome evolution in Salicaceae family.


In a genetic screen for regulators of synaptic morphology, we identified the single Caenorhabditis elegans flamingo-like cadherin fmi-1. The fmi-1 mutants exhibit defective axon pathfinding, reduced synapse number, aberrant synapse size and morphology, as well as an abnormal accumulation of synaptic vesicles at nonsynaptic regions. Although FMI-1 is primarily expressed in the nervous system, it is not expressed in the ventral D-type (VD) GABAergic motorneurons, which are defective in fmi-1 mutants. The axon and synaptic defects of VD neurons could be rescued when fmi-1 was expressed exclusively in non-VD neighboring neurons, suggesting a cell nonautonomous action of FMI-1. FMI-1 protein that lacked its intracellular domain still retained its ability to rescue the vesicle accumulation defects of GABAergic motorneurons, indicating that the extracellular domain was sufficient for this function of FMI-1 in GABAergic neuromuscular junction development. Mutations in cdh-4, a Fat-like cadherin, cause similar defects in GABAergic motorneurons. The cdh-4 is expressed by the VD neurons and seems to function in the same genetic pathway as fmi-1 to regulate GABAergic neuron development. Thus, fmi-1 and cdh-4 cadherins might act together to regulate synapse development and axon pathfinding.


Learning in the presence of adaptive, possibly antagonistic, agents presents special challenges to algorithm designers, especially in environments with limited information. We consider situations in which an agent knows its own set of actions and observes its own payoffs, but does not know or observe the actions and payoffs of the other agents. Despite this limited information, a robust learning algorithm must have two properties: security, which requires the algorithm to avoid exploitation by antagonistic agents, and efficiency, which requires the algorithm to find nearly pareto efficient solutions when associating with agents who are inclined to cooperate. However, no learning algorithm in the literature has both of these properties when playing repeated general-sum games in these limited-information environments. In this paper, we present and analyze a variation of Karandikar et al.'s learning algorithm [19]. The algorithm is conceptually very simple, but has surprising power given this simplicity. It is provably secure in all matrix games, regardless of the play of its associates, and it is efficient in self play in a very large set of matrix games. Additionally, the algorithm performs well when associating with representative, state-of-the-art learning algorithms with similar representational capabilities in general-sum games. These properties make the algorithm highly robust, more so than representative best-response and regret-minimizing algorithms with similar reasoning capabilities.


Background: Suprascapular nerve block is a safe and effective treatment for chronic shoulder pain in arthritis, which can be performed either by direct imaging (CT guided) or in the clinic using anatomical landmarks to determine needle placement. Objective: To compare a CT guided versus an anatomical landmark approach in a randomised, single blind trial examining the efficacy of suprascapular nerve block for shoulder pain in patients with degenerative joint/rotator cuff disease. Methods: 67 patients with chronic shoulder pain from degenerative disease participated in the trial. 77 shoulders were randomised. The group randomised to receive the block through the anatomical landmark approach received a single suprascapular nerve block. Those in the CT guided group received an injection of methylprednisolone acetate and a smaller volume of bupivacaine around the suprascapular nerve. The patients were followed up for 12 weeks by a "blinded" observer and reviewed at weeks 1, 4, and 12 after the injection. Results: Significant improvements were seen in all pain scores and disability in the shoulders receiving both types of nerve block, with no significant differences in the improvement in pain and disability between the two approaches at any time. Improvements in pain and disability scores were clinically and statistically significant. No significant adverse effects occurred in either group. Patient satisfaction scores for pain relief using either approach were high. Conclusion: The CT guided control and landmark approaches to performing suprascapular nerve blocks result in similar significant and prolonged pain and disability reductions; both approaches are safe.


With the depth increasing continuously, more complicated of geological conditions, will make intersection in deep soft rock roadway is very difficult to support. In order to solve the intersection problem of difficult to support, combined with the third levels of the Fifth Coal Mine of Hemei, the coupling supporting design—anchor-mesh-cable + truss to control stability of crossing point—is proposed. Based software of FLAC3D, simulate the program applicable in deep soft rock roadway intersection. Application results show that the coupling support technology of anchor-mesh-cable + truss can effectively control the deformation of intersection in deep soft rock roadway.


A thesis submitted to the KNUST Business School, Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business administration, 2008


This paper reports a new colorimetric aptasensor for the detection of acetamiprid pesticides with high sensitivity and selectivity based on the enhanced peroxidase-like activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The aptasensor employs an S-18 aptamer as the target specific recognition molecule and the enhanced peroxidase-like activity of AuNPs as the signal transmission element. In the absence of acetamiprid, S-18 aptamer sequences can adsorb on the surface of AuNPs and enhance their negative charge density because of the attached negatively charged DNA backbone, which will inhibit the peroxidase catalytic activity of the AuNPs, thus inhibiting the oxidation of the substance 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). In the presence of acetamiprid, aptamer sequences can specifically bind with pesticide molecules to form an acetamiprid–aptamer complex which can interact with the AuNPs' surface through the adsorption energy of the nucleobases. Thus, the surface active sites of the AuNPs are activated and their catalytic activity is enhanced greatly, which enables the AuNPs to catalyze the oxidation of ABTS to generate green oxidation products with a characteristic absorption peak at 735 nm. The color variation is relevant to the concentration of acetamiprid, which can be determined using a UV-Vis spectrometer or even by the naked eye. The present colorimetric aptasensor has a dynamic range of 10–160 μg L−1 with a limit of detection as low as 1.02 μg L−1 and high selectivity against other competitive pesticides. Moreover, the proposed aptasensor can accurately and efficiently screen out acetamiprid in representative actual samples that contain trace levels of pesticides, suggesting that it has more advantages than traditional methods for the detection of trace pesticide residues. Such an ultrasensitive aptasensor will play a prominent part in agricultural product and environmental detection.


Let us begin with some recent popular culture. Consider the excellent film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse released to theaters in late 2018.1 At a point in the movie, the intrepid heroes Miles Morales and Peter Parker sneak into a lab run by corporate scientists, for plot reasons. During this scene, we discover that the lead scientist, a woman, turns out to be Olivia Octavius, a female version of the famous Spider-Man nemesis, Doctor Octopus/Doc Ock. While watching the film, my friend and I turned to each other and gasped like pre-teen boys; we had not seen it coming. And yet the movie warns us a moment before the reveal that we need to challenge our assumptions, as Parker quips, "I re-examine my personal biases," after being told that the head scientist, who he thought was a man, was in fact a woman. The writers of the movie left clues throughout the story making it clear that not only would a major antagonist be a woman, but it would also make sense and not be a big deal. However, I think a lot of us long-time Spider-Man fans were genuinely surprised, as we overlooked the tells throughout the film, noticing only after the fact, to our surprise and, perhaps, embarrassment. Peter Parker had to re-examine his personal biases, but so did a lot of moviegoers.


Comprehensive analysis of noise sources in photocharge detectors leads to two novel, compact pixel circuits for ultra-low-noise light detection using optimum bandwidth engineering. A synchronous 4T CMOS image sensor pixel with in-pixel amplification reaches 0.9e- readout noise, 1.5e- overall noise and 300μV/e- pixel conversion factor. An asynchronous 6T pixel for time-resolved pulse detection shows an amplitude noise of 12e-.


Information is critical in almost all decision making processes. Therefore, it is important to get the right information at the right time from the right sources. However, information sources may behave differently while providing information - i.e., they may provide unreliable, erroneous, noisy, or misleading information deliberately or unintentionally. Motivated by this observation, in this paper, we propose a statistical information fusion approach based on behavior estimation. Our approach transforms the conveyed information into more useful form by tempering them with the estimated behaviors of sources. Through extensive simulations, we have shown that our approach has a lower computational complexity, and achieves significantly low behavior estimation and fusion errors.


The MyoD gene can orchestrate the expression of the skeletal muscle differentiation program. We have identified the regions of the gene necessary to reproduce transcription specific to skeletal myoblasts and myotubes. A proximal regulatory region (PRR) contains a conserved TATA box, a CCAAT box, and a GC-rich region that includes a consensus SP1 binding site. The PRR is sufficient for high levels of skeletal muscle-specific activity in avian muscle cells. In murine cells the PRR alone has only low levels of activity and requires an additional distal regulatory region to achieve high levels of muscle-specific activity. The distal regulatory region differs from a conventional enhancer in that chromosomal integration appears necessary for productive interactions with the PRR. While the Moloney leukemia virus long terminal repeat can enhance transcription from the MyoD PRR in both transient and stable assays, the simian virus 40 enhancer cannot, suggesting that specific enhancer-promoter interactions are necessary for PRR function.


Social network sites are the new urban parks where people congregate, socialize and exercise leisure. Its web architectures however are being walled in, dictated by market systems and State ideologies. These cyber-enclosures are justified along the lines of privacy that garners protection, efficiency and functionality. There is significant concern for the potential irrevocable loss of the 'public' and 'open' character intended of internet infrastructures, fearing the fostering of social segregation, homogenization and corporatization of leisure and a loss of civic sense. This paper addresses these concerns by looking at contemporary material architectures that are shaping public social and leisure space, particularly gardens within gated communities and malls. It argues that for a comprehensive understanding on privacy and public leisure architectures, we need to recognize the parallels between these virtual and material spheres as social norms, values and laws permeate these boundaries.


The influence of simulated climate change on soil respiration was studied in a field experiment on 4 m × 5 m plots in the semiarid temperate Pannonian sand forest-steppe. This ecosystem type has low productivity and soil organic matter content, and covers large areas, yet data on soil carbon fluxes are still limited. Soil respiration rate – measured monthly between April and November from 2003 to 2006 – remained very low (0.09 – 1.53 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) in accordance with the moderate biological activity and low humus content of the nutrient poor, coarse sandy soil. Specific soil respiration rate (calculated for unit soil organic matter content), however, was relatively high (0.36 – 7.92 μmol CO2 g−1 Corg h−1) suggesting substrate limitation for soil biological activity. During the day, soil respiration rate was significantly lower at dawn than at midday, while seasonally clear temperature limitation in winter and water limitation in summer were detected. Between years, annual precipitation appeared to be important in determining soil carbon efflux intensity. Nocturnal warming increased soil temperature in 1 cm depth at dawn by 1.6°C on the average, and decreased topsoil (0–11 cm) moisture content by 0.45 vol%. Drought treatment decreased soil moisture content by an average of 0.81 vol%. Soil respiration rate tended to decrease by 7–15% and 13–15% in response to heat and drought treatment, respectively, although the changes were not statistically significant. Nocturnal warming usually prevented dew formation, and that probably also influenced soil respiration. Based on these results, we expect a reduction in the volume and rate of organic matter turnover in this ecosystem in response to the anticipated climate change in the region.


Changes in the Scandinavian LIS (Library and information science) curriculum during the last decade, interacting with librarianship as well as with society at large, call for a deepened understanding of the social dynamics of librarians' occupational identities. At least two central themes emerge studying the recent development of librarianship, namely the process of academisation and the implementation of contemporary ICT (information and communication technology) tools. This paper discusses Scandinavian academic librarians' expertise, identified as the roles of information seeking experts and as information literacy mediators; both coming to expression within the professional practice of user education. This is done through a theoretical discussion with points of departure taken in current theory of professions and in Patrick Wilson's writing on librarians' unique competence. The discussion is empirically illustrated primarily by examples from a study on 31 Scandinavian academic libraries' web-based tutorials for information literacy. Finally, some suggestions are made for the development of user education as well as for future research.


Although a recurrence of breast cancer is associated with significant distress, affecting healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL), little is known about women's experience during the recurrent breast cancer trajectory. The primary aim of this thesis was to explore women's experiences of health, illness and adjustment to a recurrence of breast cancer. Both deductive and inductive methods were used. The first aim was to explore whether HRQOL factors predicted recurrence. The second aim was to explore distress, symptoms and HRQOL, over time in women with recurrent breast cancer. The third aim was to explore what major concerns these women experienced and how they deal with their situations living with recurrent breast cancer. The four papers included in this thesis are based on selected quantitative data (Papers I–III) and qualitative data (Paper IV). Exploratory findings suggest that changes in physical well-being and nausea/vomiting may predict recurrence. Women with recurrent breast cancer experience multiple, concurrent, and persistent symptoms. Nearly ninety percent of the patients reported fatigue at the time of recurrence. Women with a strong sense of coherence reported a lower prevalence of symptoms and experienced lower levels of distress and better perceived adjustment to their illness, as well as perceived a better health and quality of life. Distress had a major impact on HRQOL. Over time, women adjusted to the many implications of a life-threatening illness through personal transition. By making sense of living with a threat to their lives, the women adjusted to their recurrence. The findings highlight the major existential impact of a recurrence. Promoting health is possible, even in severe illness and in unchangeable and almost unbearable situations. Opportunities to manage adversity remain. Women may transcend their illness by finding new meaning through discovering or re-discovering significant values in life, and creating wellness by being in the present moment.


13C and 1H NMR spectroscopy of plasma glucose was used to resolve the isotopomer contributions from tracer levels of [1,6-13C2]glucose, a novel tracer of glucose carbon skeleton turnover, and [U-13C]propionate, a tracer of hepatic citric acid cycle metabolism. This allowed simultaneous measurements of hepatic glucose production and citric acid cycle fluxes from the NMR analysis of a single plasma glucose sample in fasted animals. Glucose carbon skeleton turnover, as reported by the dilution of [1,6-13C2]glucose, was 56 +/- 2 micromol/kg/min in the presence of labeling from [U-13C]propionate and 53 +/- 4 micromol/kg/min in its absence. Therefore, as expected, the labeling contributions from [U-13C]propionate metabolism did not have a significant effect on the measurement of glucose turnover. For the group infused with both tracers, citric acid cycle flux estimates from the analysis of glucose C2 isotopomer ratios were consistent with those from our recent experiments where only [U-13C]propionate was infused, verifying that the presence of [1,6-13C2]glucose did not interfere with these measurements. This integrated analysis of hepatic glucose output and citric acid cycle fluxes from plasma glucose isotopomers yielded a noninvasive estimate of hepatic citrate synthase flux of 74 +/- 12 micromol/kg/min for 24-h fasted rats.


The paper introduces a framework for the formal specification of autonomic computing policies, and uses it to define a new type of autonomic computing policy termed a resource-definition policy. We describe the semantics of resource-definition policies, explain how they can be used as a basis for the development of autonomic system of systems, and present a sample data-centre application built using the new policy type.


Introduction
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a risk of mortality following spine surgery. Many studies have demonstrated that deep venous thrombosis (DVT) may affect and actually advance to PE, but few studies have shown how venous thromboembolism (VTE), including PE and DVT, affect blood markers after spine surgery. In this study, we examined changes in blood markers with PE or DVT after low-risk spine surgery, namely cervical laminoplasty or lumbar laminectomy.

Methods
Seventy-two spine surgery patients were studied. A 16-row multidetector computed tomography was performed before and 3 d after the surgery. Patients with a history of cerebral vascular accident or arterial thrombotic episode or pre-surgical asymptomatic PE or DVT were excluded. Plasma levels of soluble fibrin monomer complex, D-dimer, plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), and white blood cell and platelet counts were measured preoperatively and postoperatively at days 1, 3, and 7.

Results
No patient developed symptomatic post-surgical VTE. Six patients with asymptomatic PE and six with asymptomatic DVT were detected post-surgery, including one patient with both. D-dimer postoperatively at days 3 and 7 was significantly higher in the post-op PE group than in the no-PE group. PAI-1 preoperatively was significantly higher in the DVT and VTE groups than in the no-DVT and no-VTE groups.

Conclusions
Elevated D-dimer at postoperative days 3 and 7 is a predictive factor for the early diagnosis of PE after spine surgery. Moreover, elevated PAI-1 preoperatively is a predictive factor for the early diagnosis of DVT and VTE. Consequently, PE may occur through a pathway other than DVT.


Medical simulation is widely recognized as a didactic learning tool for students and health care professionals, with the aim to promote and implement measures dedicated to patient's safety. It is growing rapidly worldwide, becoming part of the curricula in medical schools and medical societies. It represents a useful method of training for rare and complex situations, with catastrophic potential, for which health care professionals have no experience, could not learn it individually and which could overcome them cognitively. Obstetrics is the only specialty in which relevant results on clinical outcome have been demonstrated in the area of great obstetric emergencies. Medical simulation will increase the level of technical competence and communication, will promote an ethical and responsible behavior and a multidisciplinary teamwork. Its end result will be the improvement of patients' safety.


What is the historical origin of judicial review in the United States? Although scholars have acknowledged that British imperial "disallowance" of colonial law was an influential antecedent, the extant historical scholarship devoted to the mechanics of disallowance is sparse. This limited exploration is surprising. Not unlike modern judicial review, the guiding question imperial overseers considered when disallowing colonial legislation was whether it was 'repugnant' to the laws of England. In response, this Note's first contribution is to explain the process by which the so-called repugnancy principle was enforced against inferior colonial law. Even fewer scholars have attempted to connect the ultimate repugnancy assessment to the historical context surrounding disallowed colonial laws. This Note's second contribution is thus to augment existing literature by exploring colonial Virginia's specific experience under imperial supervision. Among the scholars that have explored the connection between colonial disallowance and the origins of judicial review, some have documented the link between imperial legislative review of colonial legislation and James Madison's proposed constitutional solution to the problem of unrestrained state legislatures in the aftermath of independence. What remains to be explored, however, is how Madison explicitly drew on the history of imperial review of colonial Virginia's laws as he argued at the Constitutional Convention for a federal power to "negative" state laws. Accordingly, this Note's third contribution is to reveal that the historical practice of imperial review in Madison's native Virginia animated his proposed solution to check the unrestrained popular will of state legislators. Although his proposed solution was ultimately rejected at the Convention, that rejection was conditioned on the judiciary possessing the power of judicial review. By exposing this hidden link, this Note demonstrates that colonial Virginia rightly may be regarded as the intellectual incubator of judicial review.


During the operation of tractors with cantilevered body, the lateral wall of the hypoeutectic cast iron cylinder blocks cracked repeatedly. Three of the blocks were examined. The grain structure of the thick-walled part consisted of uniformly distributed graphite of medium flake size in a basic mass of pearlite with little ferrite. But the thin-walled part showed a structure of dendrites of precipitated primary solid solution grains with pearlitic-ferritic structure and a residual liquid phase with granular graphite in the ferritic matrix. The structure was formed by undercooling of the residual melt. In this case, it was promoted by fast cooling of the thin wall and had comparatively low strength. The fracture formation in the cylinder blocks was ascribed primarily to casting stresses. They could be alleviated by better filleting of the transition cross sections. The fracture was promoted by the formation of undercooled microstructure of low strength in the thin-walled part. Similar damage appeared in a cylinder head, in which case, the cracks were promoted by a supercooled structure.


Tunneling spectroscopy has been used to characterize the magnitude and temperature dependence of the superconducting energy gap (▵) for K3C60 and Rb3C60. At low temperature the reduced energy gap, 2▵κTc (where Tc is the transition temperature) has a value of 5.3 � 0.2 and 5.2 � 0.3 for K3C60 and Rb3C60, respectively. The magnitude of the reduced gap for these materials is significantly larger than the value of 3.53 predicted by Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. Hence, these results show that the pair-coupling interaction is strong in the M3C60 superconductors. In addition, measurements of ▵(T) for both K3C60 and Rb3C60 exhibit a similar mean-field temperature dependence. The characterization of ▵ and ▵(T) for K3C60 and Rb3C60 provides essential constraints for theories evolving to describe superconductivity in the M3C60 materials.


Vision-Language Navigation (VLN) is the task where an agent is commanded to navigate in photo-realistic environments with natural language instructions. Previous research on VLN is primarily conducted on the Room-to-Room (R2R) dataset with only English instructions. The ultimate goal of VLN, however, is to serve people speaking arbitrary languages. To do this, we collect a cross-lingual R2R dataset, extending the original benchmark with corresponding Chinese instructions. But it is impractical to collect human-annotated instructions for every existing language. Based on the newly introduced dataset, we propose a general cross-lingual VLN framework to enable instruction-following navigation for different languages. We first explore the possibility of building a cross-lingual agent when no training data of the target language is available. The cross-lingual agent is equipped with a meta-learner to aggregate cross-lingual representations and with a visually grounded cross-lingual alignment module to align textual representations of different languages. Under the zero-shot learning scenario, our model shows competitive results even compared to a model trained with all target language instructions. Besides, we introduce an adversarial domain adaption loss to improve the transferring ability of our model when given a certain amount of target language data. Our dataset and methods demonstrate potentials of building scalable cross-lingual agents to serve speakers with different languages.


Vitamin C (Vc) is a natural compound supplemented to culture media to guarantee the appropriate reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, as well as protect cells from oxidative damage and apoptosis. The current study was conducted to determine the effects of Vc (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 μg/ml) on the ROS production, developmental ability and quality of in vitro produced porcine parthenotes. The results show that: (i) the ROS levels in the embryos significantly decrease in the Vc-treated groups compared with the control (p < 0.05), (ii) the rates of blastocyst formation and total cell numbers in each blastocyst are significantly higher in the Vc-treated groups than in the control (p < 0.05); the optimum concentration of Vc is 20 μg/ml, (iii) the relative expression of Bcl-xL significantly increases and that of Bax is downregulated after Vc treatment. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling analysis indicates that the ratio of apoptotic cells in the blastocyst is also significantly lower in Vc-treated groups (p < 0.05) and (iv) Vc treatment can also increase the expression of the Nanog gene in porcine embryos, with a fivefold increase in 20 μg/ml Vc treatment compared with the control (p < 0.05). Therefore, Vc improves the development of porcine embryos by reducing the ROS levels. Vc addition in PZM-3 medium can decrease the number of apoptotic cells and increase the cell numbers in blastocysts to produce high-quality porcine embryos in vitro.


A two-component, two-dimensional friction model for a lubricated line contact, operating in boundary and mixed lubrication regimes, is developed. The friction is explicitly decomposed into the solid and the fluid shear components. The solid component is due to the asperity interactions and the fluid shear arises from the lubricant present at the interface. The friction model includes the sliding velocity, the instantaneous separation of the sliding bodies, normal to the sliding direction, the normal load and fluid properties. The model is based on unsteady friction experiments carried out under constant normal loads and time-varying sliding velocities. The model is applied to quasi-steady sliding, unsteady continuous and intermittent sliding, including sticking and momentary reversals of motion. In each case it becomes possible to track the instantaneous fluid shear and solid friction components.


MUPs (major urinary proteins) play an important role in chemical signalling in rodents and possibly other animals. In the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) MUPs in urine and other bodily fluids trigger a range of behavioural responses that are only partially understood. There are at least 21 Mup genes in the C57BL/6 mouse genome, all located on chromosome 4, encoding sequences of high similarity. Further analysis separates the MUPs into two groups, the 'central' near-identical MUPs with over 97% sequence identity and the 'peripheral' MUPs with a greater degree of heterogeneity and approximately 20-30% non-conserved amino acids. This review focuses on differences between the two MUP sub-groups and categorizes these changes in terms of molecular structure and pheromone binding. As small differences in amino acid sequence can result in marked changes in behavioural response to the signal, we explore the potential of single amino acid changes to affect chemical signalling and protein stabilization. Using analysis of existing molecular structures available in the PDB we compare the chemical and physical properties of the ligand cavities between the MUPs. Furthermore, we identify differences on the solvent exposed surfaces of the proteins, which are characteristic of protein-protein interaction sites. Correlations can be seen between molecular heterogeneity and the specialized roles attributed to some MUPs.


The paper presents the main ideas of the virtual test bench concept for rapid obtaining of the reliable characteristics of compressors based on a multi-level mathematical model with a two-step identification using data obtained from mathematical models with a high order of accuracy. One of the possible identification algorithms and the results of its successful testing are given on the example of a centrifugal compressor stage developed and tested at NASA. The authors created a pilot version of a digital analogue of a centrifugal compressor. Its main feature is that it is created based on a multi-level mathematical model with a two-step identification by the data obtained from mathematical models with a high order of accuracy.


This paper summarizes the recent development of an adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control technology called variable camber continuous trailing edge flap (VCCTEF). As wing flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. The initial VCCTEF concept was developed in 2010 by NASA under a NASA Innovation Fund study entitled "Elastically Shaped Future Air Vehicle Concept," which showed that highly flexible wing aerodynamic surfaces can be elastically shaped in-flight by active control of wing twist and bending deflection in order to optimize the spanwise lift distribution for drag reduction. A collaboration between NASA and Boeing Research & Technology was subsequently funded by NASA from 2012 to 2014 to further develop the VCCTEF concept. This paper summarizes some of the key research areas conducted by NASA during the collaboration with Boeing Research and Technology. These research areas include VCCTEF design concepts, aerodynamic analysis of VCCTEF camber shapes, aerodynamic optimization of lift distribution for drag minimization, wind tunnel test results for cruise and high-lift configurations, flutter analysis and suppression control of flexible wing aircraft, and multi-objective flight control for adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control.


Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis which affects the skin and musculoskeletal system. If not diagnosed early and treated effectively it can result in joint deformity and disability. Treatments such as oral disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologic therapy are effective but have side effects which could limit their use in certain individuals. Further research aimed at identifying cases earlier in order to improve outcomes is currently being conducted.


A negatively-charged and nucleus-targeted DNA tetrahedron is rationally designed and used as a nanocarrier of positively-charged metal complexes. This tetrahedron speeds up the translocation of metal complexes into the cell nucleus, and inhibits the growth and invasion of glioma cells by triggering vascular mimicry-associated signaling pathways, thus achieving precise glioma treatment.


Abstract We investigate feature selection methods for machine learning approaches in sentiment analysis. More specifically, we use data from the cooking platform Epicurious and attempt to predict ratings for recipes based on user reviews. In machine learning approaches to such tasks, it is a common approach to use word or part-of-speech n-grams. This results in a large set of features, out of which only a small subset may be good indicators for the sentiment. One of the questions we investigate concerns the extension of feature selection methods from a binary classification setting to a multi-class problem. We show that an inherently multi-class approach, multi-class information gain, outperforms ensembles of binary methods. We also investigate how to mitigate the effects of extreme skewing in our data set by making our features more robust and by using review and recipe sampling. We show that over-sampling is the best method for boosting performance on the minority classes, but it also results in a severe drop in overall accuracy of at least 6 per cent points.


This paper presents a control design for the one‐phase Stefan problem under actuator delay via a backstepping method. The Stefan problem represents a liquid‐solid phase change phenomenon which describes the time evolution of a material's temperature profile and the interface position. The actuator delay is modeled by a first‐order hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE), resulting in a cascaded transport‐diffusion PDE system defined on a time‐varying spatial domain described by an ordinary differential equation (ODE). Two nonlinear backstepping transformations are utilized for the control design. The setpoint restriction is given to guarantee a physical constraint on the proposed controller for the melting process. This constraint ensures the exponential convergence of the moving interface to a setpoint and the exponential stability of the temperature equilibrium profile and the delayed controller in the ℋ1 norm. Furthermore, robustness analysis with respect to the delay mismatch between the plant and the controller is studied, which provides analogous results to the exact compensation by restricting the control gain.


The structurally related immunophilins cyclophilin 40 (CyP-40) and FKBP52 have been identified as components of the unactivated estrogen receptor. Both immunophilins have a similar molecular architecture that includes a C-terminal segment with a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain predicted to mediate protein interaction. hsp90 is a common cellular target for CyP-40 and FKBP52. Deletion mutants of CyP-40 fused to glutathione S-transferase were immobilized on glutathione-agarose and then used in a rapid hsp90 retention assay to define regions of the CyP-40 C terminus that are important for hsp90 binding. Our evidence suggests that the TPR domain is not sufficient for stable association of CyP-40 with hsp90 and requires the participation of flanking acidic and basic residues clustered at the N- and C-terminal ends, respectively. Both microdomains are characterized by α-helical structures with segregated hydrophobic and charged residues. Corresponding regions were identified in FKBP52. By preincubating myometrial cytosol with lysates containing bacterially expressed FKBP52, we have shown that FKBP52 competes with CyP-40 for hsp90 binding. Our results raise the possibility of a mutually exclusive association of CyP-40 and FKBP52 with hsp90. This would lead to separate immunophilin-hsp90-receptor complexes and place the estrogen receptor under the control of distinct immunophilin signaling pathways.


This research focuses on big data visualization that is based on dimensionality reduction methods. We propose a multi-level method for data clustering and visualization. Whole data mining process is divided into separate steps. For each step particular dimensionality reduction and visualization method is applied considering to data volume and type.  The selection of methods is based on their speed and accuracy. Therefore the comparison of the selected methods is made according to these two criteria. Three groups of datasets containing different kind of data are used for methods evaluation.  The factors that influence speed or accuracy are determined. The rank of investigated methods based on research results is presented in this paper. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.47.1.18813


The formation of fracture process zones in polygranular reactor core moderator graphites subjected to four-point bending has been investigated. The three-dimensional digital image correlation technique has been combined with resistance strain gauge measurements to evaluate, both the localised and the global displacements during testing. The non-linear load-displacement characteristics prior to peak load are correlated with the localised displacements which can extend up to ~3mm (process zone) from the tensile surface of the specimen. At peak load a macro-crack propagates rapidly along an irregular path controlled by the direction of the applied tensile load and the microstructure of the graphite. These cracks arrest prior to complete separation of the specimen. Localised tensile process zones extend for distances of up to ~3mm ahead of the tips of these cracks.


Baseball and rap music are often not considered culturally or historically synonymous, but a shift appears underway. This research examines how 239 rap lyrics reach across the formerly confined (mostly racialized) boundaries of baseball to engage the sport through its reference to 128 baseball players. A thematic analysis explores how the languages of baseball and rap culture intersect through linguistic translation. The authors develop a broad understanding of the positive and negative "baller" references, and how it could affect the future growth of baseball role models for Black youth athletes. Thus, baseball "text" as a source language translates to rap "text" as a target language to form a commonly constructed language at an intersection of music, sports, and masculinity.


The main aim of this work is try to electrodeposit metallic niobium films from roomtemperature ionic liquids. Nowadays electrochemical surface treatment is one of the most used approaches in industry. Aqueous solutions has been the most widely used process mainly because of advantages such us low cost, non-flammability, high solubility of electrolytes, high conductivities resulting in low ohmic losses, high solubility of metal salts and high rates of mass transfer. However, despite these advantages there are several limitations in using aqueous solutions such as limited potential windows, gas evolution processes that can result in hydrogen embrittlement, passivation of substrates, electrodes and deposits, and the necessity for hazardous complex agents such as cyanide, causing environmental contamination. These are the reasons why new non-aqueous solutions to electrodeposit niobium have been researched. One of the main limitations in using aqueous solutions is their narrow electrochemical window. The major reason for carrying out electrodeposition in non-aqueous electrolytes (such as conventional organic solvents, molten salts or ionic liquids) is water and air stability and the wide electrochemical window of these media. Alternatively, also high temperature molten salts have been used extensively for niobium electrodeposition. They have wide potential windows, high conductivities and high solubility for metal salts. In fact, they have most of the advantages of aqueous solutions and overcome most of the limitations of aqueous solutions, but their one major limitation is the very high temperature (more than 750°C). Therefore, the alternative to high temperature molten salts was an ionic substance that melts at a low temperature. Over the last few decades, room temperature ionic liquids have been widely studied in various scientific fields due to their interesting properties, such as negligible vapour pressures, high chemical and thermal stability, acceptable intrinsic ionic conductivity and wide potential window. Ionic liquids are molten salts with melting points below 100°C and they consist entirely of cations and anions. The development of ionic liquids, especially air and water stable types, has attracted extensive attention since they have outstanding physical properties. The aim of this work will be the analysis of available literature data in order to have precise knowledge about niobium behavior in the different electrolytes and to get new information about possible electrolytes based on ionic liquids.


Background: Probiotic supplementation to women during pregnancy and lactation can modulate breast milk composition, with immune benefits being transferred to their infants. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of high-dose probiotic supplementation to women during late pregnancy and lactation on cytokine profile and secretory IgA (sIgA) in breast milk and thus to study if differences in breast milk composition can affect lactoferrin and sIgA levels in stool samples of newborns. The safety of maternal probiotic administration on neonatal growth pattern and gastrointestinal symptoms were also evaluated. Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 66 women took either the probiotic (n = 33) or a placebo (n = 33) daily. Levels of interleukins (IL-6, IL-10 and IL-1β), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and sIgA in breast milk; and the level of sIgA and lactoferrin in newborn stool samples were analyzed at birth and then again at one month of life. Antropometrical evaluation and analysis of gastrointestinal events in newborns was also performed. Results: Probiotic maternal consumption had a significant impact on IL6 mean values in colostrum and on IL10 and TGF-β1 mean values in mature breast milk. Fecal sIgA mean values were higher in newborns whose mothers took the probiotic product than in the control group. Probiotic maternal supplementation seems to decrease incidence of infantile colic and regurgitation in infants. Conclusion: High-dose multi-strain probiotic administration to women during pregnancy influences breast milk cytokines pattern and sIgA production in newborns, and seems to improve gastrointestinal functional symptoms in infants.


"Now available as a paperback, it has become an indispensable work in any discussion on the influences on the framers of the Constitution". (Harvard Review -- paperbacks) "These impressive essays by eight Native American leaders and scholars present persuasive evidence that the American colonists and U.S. founding fathers borrowed from the Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian political institutions in drafting the U.S. Constitution and in creating democratic traditions ... a timely, forceful book". (Publishers Weekly) "The authors make a compelling case for the existence of an Indian civilization of participatory democracy rich in its respect for individual human dignity, yet steeped in values of community.... One thing is clear. The American conscience cannot rest easy when the plight of the Indians is not in our consciousness". (New York Times) "This is a finely tuned chorus of articulate as well as academically recognized native voices, and their work is persuasive". (St. Louis Post Dispatch) "An important and great book". (Library Journal) "Underlying all Indian claims for our attention, and all the arguments in this fine book, is the issue of Indian sovereignty.... Since the Indian peoples are legally (and in common justice) entitled to far more land than they are asking for, why not return to them the dignity of sovereignty as well?" (Peter Matthiessen) This groundbreaking work, which was written into the Congressional Record, has major implications for future relations between Indian tribes and the governments of the United States and other nations. It presents the strongest case ever made for Native American sovereignty.


Effects of different acid hydrolysis conditions were studied relative to the chemical transformations of lignin in eucalyptus, sugarcane bagasse, and sugarcane straw, and on the transformations of multiple polysaccharides in eucalyptus. The acid hydrolysis using 12 mol/L sulfuric acid followed by acid hydrolysis using approximately 0.41 mol/L sulfuric acid was used as the reference for the lignin and sugar analysis. During acid hydrolysis, the relative amount of lignin increased with longer reaction times and/or greater acid concentrations for all biomasses. The overestimation of lignin in harsher acidic conditions resulted from the summation of lignocellulosic-derivatives (pseudo-lignin) together with lignin itself. Lignin reactions (dissolution/deposition) for bagasse and straw occurred in a greater extent than for eucalyptus, considering similar conditions of acid hydrolysis. The sugar transformation during acid hydrolysis was also investigated for eucalyptus. The sugar content quantified in eucalyptus decreased as the acid concentration and/or reaction time in the second hydrolysis increased. Glucose, galactose, and mannose were more resistant to harsher acidic conditions than xylose and arabinose. However, the most severe conditions (121 ºC, 90 min, and 6.15 mol/L H2SO4) caused complete sugar degradation.


In 1926 I1described a ventilated oxygen tent in which adequate cooling and drying of the air was achieved by passing the air directly over chunks of ice instead of through metal coils. It was found that this provided a more comfortable atmosphere for the patient than had been formerly secured.2Since that time, I have modified the tent by providing an increased ventilation as well as a rheostat which regulates the degree of air movement and thus the amount of cooling of the air necessary, a factor that varies in individuals of different weights. Thus, infants require a higher atmospheric temperature, and the air flow through an ice and salt mixture should be much reduced. Children and small adults give off less heat than adults and need a moderate air movement, whereas large adults should have a large air movement to lower the atmospheric temperature within the


This paper provides an insight on the use of various participatory approaches to develop ICTs to the rural farming communities. The paper shows how collective groups of farmers can be empowered through involvement of different stakeholders in a participatory action research. The paper also discusses how participatory action research will help the farming community in adopting ICT‐based solutions for agriculture. This in turn will contribute in solving problems as well as assisting decision making in identifying technological and agricultural needs. In this study, a total of 64 researchers and extension workers and 320 rural farmers were involved. Primary data were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire and interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics tool. The results indicate that many ICT‐based solutions for agriculture are not adopted by farmers and other stakeholders in various agricultural value chains because those ICTs were developed without using participatory approaches. Moreover, the results from study indicate that participatory action research approaches such as Participatory Communication (PV), Participatory Video (PV), Participatory Learning and Action Research (PLAR), Farmer Participatory Research (FPR), Informal‐Mobile Learning Research (IMLR) have a significant impact on the effective use of ICTs in rural farming community and the agricultural domain in general. Among of these participatory approaches, the IMLR and PLAR have shown to be more effective because of availability and interactive mobile learning environments that excite interests, commitments and encourages participatory attitudes among famers and researchers. This study provides an evident that ICTs has a dominant position to alleviate rural poverty and strengthen the agriculture productivity through participatory approaches. We recommend that a strong commitment of all actors in agriculture value chain is needed so that they can collaborate to identify the problem, analysis and design possible solutions and finally, implement and later on use those developed ICTs to increase agriculture productivity.


Starting from a microscopic model for a spherically symmetric active Janus particle, we study the interactions between two such active motors. The ambient fluid mediates a long range hydrodynamic interaction between two motors. This interaction has both direct and indirect hydrodynamic contributions. The direct contribution is due to the propagation of fluid flow that originated from a moving motor and affects the motion of the other motor. The indirect contribution emerges from the re-distribution of the ionic concentrations in the presence of both motors. Electric force exerted on the fluid from this ionic solution enhances the flow pattern and subsequently changes the motion of both motors. By formulating a perturbation method for very far separated motors, we derive analytic results for the translation and rotational dynamics of the motors. We show that the overall interaction at the leading order modifies the translational and rotational speeds of motors which scale as O[1/D](3) and O[1/D](4) with their separation, respectively. Our findings open up the way for studying the collective dynamics of synthetic micro-motors.


Canola may be marketed as oilseed, oil or meal. Supply and demand of each of the commodities is influenced by, physical factors associated with land and weather, substitute commodity competition, land-use competition, production indirectly associated with canola such as that within the livestock industry and the effects of technology and more specifically plant breeding. Furthermore, domestic agricultural and international trade policies, standard of living, and political stability of countries involved in the canola market together with exchange rates will also affect supply and demand for canola products. The implications of genetically modified canola also need to be understood along with each of the aforementioned factors and their relationship with each other to help predict the future for this crop. This paper provides such an overview and explains how Western Australia fits into the market.


This paper will discuss simulations of the full ionization process (i.e. plasma burn-through), fundamental to creating high temperature plasma. By means of an applied electric field, the gas is partially ionized by the electron avalanche process. In order for the electron temperature to increase, the remaining neutrals need to be fully ionized in the plasma burn-through phase, as radiation is the main contribution to the electron power loss. The radiated power loss can be significantly affected by impurities resulting from interaction with the plasma facing components. The DYON code is a plasma burn-through simulator developed at Joint European Torus (JET) (Kim et al and EFDA-JET Contributors 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 103016, Kim, Sips and EFDA-JET Contributors 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 083024). The dynamic evolution of the plasma temperature and plasma densities including the impurity content is calculated in a self-consistent way using plasma wall interaction models. The recent installation of a beryllium wall at JET enabled validation of the plasma burn-through model in the presence of new, metallic plasma facing components. The simulation results of the plasma burn-through phase show a consistent good agreement against experiments at JET, and explain differences observed during plasma initiation with the old carbon plasma facing components. In the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the allowable toroidal electric field is restricted to 0.35 (V m−1), which is significantly lower compared to the typical value (∼1 (V m−1)) used in the present devices. The limitation on toroidal electric field also reduces the range of other operation parameters during plasma formation in ITER. Thus, predictive simulations of plasma burn-through in ITER using validated model is of crucial importance. This paper provides an overview of the DYON code and the validation, together with new predictive simulations for ITER using the DYON code.


Many of the actions taken by the Federal Reserve during the COVID-19 pandemic are intended to address a deterioration of market functioning. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced purchases of Treasury securities and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), in particular, "to support the smooth functioning of markets" in those securities. Last month, we showed in this post how one metric of functioning for the Treasury market, market illiquidity, jumped to unusually high levels in March amid massive uncertainty about the economic effects of the pandemic. In this post, we extend our analysis through April and zero in on early 2020 in particular to better understand how the Fed's actions evolved in relation to day-to-day market developments.


Introduction: Approximately 170 million people are infected with HCV. The efficacy of treatment for chronic hepatitis C has increased markedly over the last 2 decades. Optimal patient management requires thorough knowledge of the adverse effect profiles of drugs used for this condition and strategies to mitigate these effects. Areas covered: The efficacy, safety and tolerability data associated with IFN-based therapy, with particular attention given to the two licensed pegylated IFNs (peg-IFNs), are identified by focused searches of Medline. Recommendations for the management of adverse events are also given. Focused searches of PubMed are done using the terms peginterferon and chronic hepatitis C. The results of large randomized clinical trials are emphasized. Expert opinion: Patients receiving treatment with peg-IFN plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C must be monitored closely for adverse events. These events can be effectively managed to maximize patients' adherence and thus the chance of treatment success. Direct-acting antiviral agents are expected to be approved in the near future and will be used in select patients with a peg-IFN plus ribavirin 'backbone'.


Broadcasting interactive learning applications through the digital TV promises to open new pedagogical perspectives, also in a life-long learning perspective, given the wide penetration of the medium. This article proposes an open flexible and composable framework for the development, the delivery and the presentation of t-learning courses in interactive digital TV (iDTV). The framework is divided into two main parts: the production side, where the course is prepared and the client side, where it is presented on iDTV, and where the user can perform the educational interaction. The course production is supported by an ad-hoc designed authoring tool, while the runtime user interaction on iDTV is managed by a multimedia course player providing personalization services and a library of educational and entertainment elements and services. Seven experimental t-learning courses were created by pedagogical experts in several knowledge domains and served as an important test and evaluation bench for the framework, in view of the upcoming extensive end-user testing.


Airway smooth muscle cell hyperplasia contributes to airway remodeling and hyperreactivity characteristic of asthma. Changes to potassium channel activity in proliferating human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells have been described, but no regulatory role in proliferation has been attributed to them. We sought to investigate the expression of the intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channel K(Ca)3.1 in HASM cells and investigate its role in proliferation. Smooth muscle cells derived from human airways were grown in vitro and K(Ca)3.1 channel expression was measured using Western blot, RT-PCR, and patch clamp electrophysiology. Pharmacologic inhibitors of the channel were used in assays of cellular proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to identify cell cycle regulation. HASM cells expressed K(Ca)3.1 channel mRNA, protein, and activity with up-regulation evident after transforming growth factor-beta stimulation. Pharmacologic inhibition of K(Ca)3.1 led to growth arrest in cells stimulated to proliferate with mitogens. These inhibitors did not cause cellular toxicity or induce apoptosis. We have demonstrated, for the first time, the expression of K(Ca)3.1 channels in HASM cells. In addition, we have shown that K(Ca)3.1 channels are important in HASM cell proliferation, making these channels a potential therapeutic target in airway remodeling.


In multi-core designs, distributed embedded logic analyzers with multiple trigger units and trace buffers with real-time offload capability through high-speed trace ports can be placed on-chip. This brings new challenges on how to connect the debug units together in such way that the limited storage space in the trace buffers can be used efficiently. This problem is further aggravated when shadow registers are used to capture data for some signals in the design. In this paper, we propose a new architecture that can dynamically allocate the trace buffers at runtime based on the needs for debug data acquisition coming from multiple data sources and user-programmable priorities. Experimental results show that using the proposed architecture, real-time observability can be improved using only a small amount of on-chip logic hardware, while avoiding excessive storage on-chip.


Comparative histologic observations were made of the sinuatrial nodes of avian hearts from a short-tailed shearwater (Puff inus tenuirostris), a black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), two ducks (Anas platyrhycha domestica), eight Japanease quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica), a pigeon (Columba livia domestica), a macaw (Ara macao), three budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and a jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos). The node lies between the right atrial myocardium and epicardium at the right caudal region of the orifice of right anterior vena cava, where the right and left sinuatrial valves come close each other and fuse with the right atrial wall. The sinuatrial node is well developed in the duck, black-crowned night heron and budgerigar and enters into the both sinuatrial valves and, in the budgerigar, further into the sinus septum. In the duck and black-crowned night heron, the node is composed of two types of cells ; the one is atrial muscle-like cells and the other has morphologic characteristics intermediate between atrial muscle fiber and the Purkinje fiber. The node cells of the budgerigar are of the intermediate cells, while the nodal cells in the jungle crow, macaw, short-tailed shearwater, pigeon and Japanese quail are totally atrial muscle-like cells. The nodal cells of these birds are continuous with the adjacent ordinary cardiac muscle fibers and subendocardial Purkinje fibers of the right atrium, but do not reach to the atrioventricular node. There is an extensive network of Purkinje fibers beneath the endocardium and around arteries in both atrial walls, though not as far as to the atrioventricular node, nor to the ventricle.


INTRODUCTION
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory condition with significant morbidity which requires lifelong follow-up with healthcare providers. Clinic visits, hospitalizations, surgical interventions, and medications impart notable physical, social, and financial challenges for patients. Furthermore, they place considerable strain on provider time and healthcare resources. Telemedicine has been gaining popularity for the cost and time savings achieved through remote patient monitoring. However, despite its widely reported success and acceptance, notable concerns have also emerged in its capacity to manage patients with varying degrees of disease activity, comorbid disabilities, and limitations to the access to technological services.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
We will search PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Google Scholar databases using key terms to extract articles assessing telemedicine in IBD management. Articles published between January 2000 and May 2021 will be included. Two rounds of literature review using a three-step method will be performed. Risk of Bias assessment will be performed using Covidence, and quality assessment of selected articles will be done using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
The results of the systematic review will consider the reported context in which telemedicine was used, its efficacy and acceptance among patients and practitioners.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study analyze the patient's satisfaction with telemedicine together with the feasibility of implementing and conducting this new approach. The implementation of this technology present important challenges for physicians and clinics, especially for the management of IBD.


Legal, quality, efficient, and purposeful actions by official and responsible persons in state bodies and legal entities in exercising entrusted public authorities and official duties are the foundation and guarantee for public services and state bodies functioning in general. From ancient times to the present day there have been individuals and groups who, instead of working in the interest and on behalf of the state bodies and public services violated rules of service and thus committed various abuse. Abuse of official position or authority is the ground criminal act against official duty punishable by severe prison sentence. The act appears in the form of exploitation of official position or authority in overstepping the boundaries of official authority or failing to execute official duty. Depending on the perpetrator's intent and type of consequence caused, this criminal act has primary and three expression forms. This paper discusses concept, elements, characteristics, and forms of the misuse of official position and authority as the principal official criminal act in legal system of Republika Srpska.


An accurate temperature gradient calculation is essential for displacement ventilation (DV) system design, since it directly relates to the calculation of the required supply air flow rate. Inaccurate temperature prediction can cause the poor thermal comfort and w sizing of the ventilation and cooling systems. Several simplified nodal models were developed and implemented in the various building simulation software to estimate the temperature stratification in rooms with DV. Recent studies reveal that the multi-nodal models provide the most accurate temperature gradient prediction. However, the most building simulation software uses the air models with only one air node. The present study introduces the dynamic temperature gradient model for DV and investigates the effect of thermal mass on the temperature stratification. The model was validated with the experimental results of the lecture room with displacement ventilation. The room air temperature measurements were conducted during three weeks at 20 different heights. The supply air temperature and occupancy rate were recorded during each scheduled lecture. The developed dynamic nodal model is able to accurately calculate the air temperatures in occupied zone. The effect of the thermal mass and varied heat loads on the indoor air temperature stratification is analysed for the lecture room with DV.


The Wintershall Noordzee operated K18 Golf field is located ca. 50 km WNW of Den Helder in the middle of a restricted
military area (Figure 1). The gas field was discovered by well K18-7x in 2005 and subsequently appraised by well K18-8. The reservoir consists of a 270-m thick Rotliegend (Permian) sandstone reservoir with average porosities of less than 10%. The reservoir quality is very heterogeneous and of a tight nature with average permeabilities of 0.6 mD. The well K18-8 showed
a maximum gas rate of 200,000 Nm3/d at 25 bar FWHP before hydraulic fracking while K18-7x was tested at 56,000 Nm3/d
at a 12 bar FWHP. A hydraulic frac in the K18-7x top interval increased the production to 370,000 Nm3/d at 128 bar FWHP.

The development started in 2011 with two subsea wells, one horizontal (K18-G1) with five fracs and one vertical (K18-G4)
with two fracs. The gas is produced via NAM's K15-FA platform. The horizontal well was producing above expectation and the vertical well's production was lower than expected. The latter showed pressure build-up after one-year shut-in, indicating poor connectivity. An additional horizontal well (K18-G2) with four fracs came into production in 2015 and showed preferential depletion of layers and blocks, which is expected in this 'labyrinth' type of reservoir. Given the current expected production decline of the three producers, a fourth producer might be required soon. A better understanding of the seismic data is therefore required and will be first explained in the following sections.


This article will argue that Janet Laurence's and Fiona Foley's 'Edge of the Trees' , a permanent installation at the entrance to the Museum of Sydney, is an allegorical microcosm of non-Aboriginal Australia's and, in some ways, Aboriginal Australia's current perception of its Aboriginal history and its place in a national identity. This article will examine the role of the 'Aboriginal Memorial' and contemporary Aboriginal art, in particular that of Laurence and Foley, in relation to traditional and modernist ideologies. The work will be exposed as an expression of modernist and colonialist ideas, rather than the traditional memorial and somewhat all-inclusive postmodern perspective that is implied and perhaps intended. The argument will expose the ambiguity within the concepts of traditionalism and modernity and will ultimately deduce that for two nations to survive distinctively, in close proximity to each other, they must maintain difference, even though that means never reaching complete acceptance or forgiveness. Australian society, much like the 'Edge of the Tress' installation, will forever oscillate between binding and separation, between "us" and "them".


The PbSe thin films prepared through chemical bath deposition technique. The effect of deposition period and pH was studied to determine the optimum condition for deposition process. The structure and morphology of thin films investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The optical properties measured to determine transition type and band gap value. By the X-ray diffraction results it has been confirmed that polycrystalline nature with cubic in structure. X-ray diffraction data showed that the most intense peak at 2θ = 25.35° which belongs to (111) plane. As the deposition period increased up to 80 min, the film gradually grew thicker as shown by the AFM images. It is observed that the best crystalline of film is obtained at pH 1.5. Also, AFM images revealed that the grains distributed over the substrate surface. The band gap value found to be 2.6eV with direct transition.


Background: Infection by HPV oncogenic subtypes is the causative agent of half a million cancer cases in developed countries every year. The objective of the present study was to assess: the knowledge and beliefs of young Greeks about HPV infection and potential factors that discourage them from HPV vaccination. Materials and Methods: The present group consisted of 825 individuals, 18-35-years-old, who voluntarily completed some questionnaires. Results: The attitude and consequent decision of women, considering HPV vaccination is associated with general vaccination attitude, mothers' beliefs, parents' educational level, family income, knowledge about HPV, the doctor's attitude, and individual's health beliefs. Conclusion: In Greece, as well as in other countries where HPV vaccination is neither a mandatory nor a school-based program, increased education of physicians and parents would substantially enhance HPV vaccination acceptance. Intervention strategies should focus more on providing adequate and reliable information to eliminate any doubts on HPV vaccine's safety and efficacy.


This paper provides an introduction to the special issue of the Review of Economic Dynamics on "Cross Sectional Facts for Macroeconomists". The issue documents, for nine countries, the level and the evolution, over time and over the life cycle, of several dimensions of economic inequality, including wages, labor earnings, income, consumption, and wealth. After describing the motivation and the common methodology underlying this empirical project, we discuss selected results, with an emphasis on cross-country comparisons. Most, but not all, countries experienced substantial increases in wages and earnings inequality, over the last three decades. While the trend in the skill premium differed widely across countries, the experience premium rose and the gender premium fell virtually everywhere. At a higher frequency, earnings inequality appears to be strongly counter-cyclical. In all countries, government redistribution through taxes and transfers reduced the level, the trend and the cyclical fluctuations in income inequality. The rise in income inequality was stronger at the bottom of the distribution. Consumption inequality increased less than disposable income inequality, and tracked the latter much more closely at the top than at the bottom of the distribution. Measuring the age-profile of inequality is challenging because of the interplay of time and cohort effects. JEL classification codes : D31, D91, E21 Author


We consider the iterative solution of symmetric saddle point systems with a rank-deficient leading block. We develop two preconditioners that, under certain assumptions on the rank structure of the system, yield a preconditioned matrix with a constant number of eigenvalues. We then derive some properties of the inverse of a particular class of saddle point system and exploit these to develop a third preconditioner, which remains ideal even when the earlier assumptions on rank structure are relaxed.


Cancer is one of the major health problems in Malaysia. This disease has become increasingly important as a public health concern with the development and progress that has been achieved in this country. Each year cancer affects at
least nine million people world-wide and kills five million. Cancer has been reported as the fourth leading cause of death in Malaysia. The incidence of cancer in Malaysia is estimated to be around 150 per 100,000 population. This means there are about 35,000 new cancer cases each year. In the year 2000, there were 40,244 admissions for cancer in government hospitals. As the number
of new cases of cancer growing every year, Malaysia is facing a serious shortage of expert oncologist. Currently, there are only 28 oncologist in Malaysia with 7 of them working in government hospitals. Furthermore, scientific studies and successful control activities have indicated that one third of all cancer cases are preventable, and a further one third are potentially curable if diagnosed
sufficiently early. Unfortunately, delays in detection of cancer are common among Malaysian cancer patients. One solution to these problems is to develop a medical expert system that can replicate the expertise of an oncologist. Expert system can play an important role in assisting a doctor to manage their daily duties. It can also improve productivity and replace an expert at any location and time where expertise is not readily available. With the growing influence of World Wide Web (WWW), the expert system can be deployed on the WWW where the system is available anytime and can be easily accessed globally by large number of people. Thus, this study will explore the deployment of a web-based medical expert system that can help to diagnose and provide early detection of cancer. The system will also create the awareness and educate the public on possible preventive measures and risk involves by providing a simple
and friendly questions and answers session.


The in vitro effects of methotrexate (MTX) on cell cycle progression and DNA synthesis of L1210 leukemia cells were studied by the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd)/DNA analysis technique. Low dose (10(-8) M) MTX, which slightly inhibits clonal replication of the cells, delays progress across the S phase, and treatment for 24 h results in a slight increase of the S-phase population. Much higher doses (10(-7) M and 10(-6) M) of MTX, which strongly reduce the clonogenicity, prevented the progression of cells at the G1-S boundary and across the S phase, but not in the other phases. The cells arrested at the G1-S boundary were able to incorporate BrdUrd in the medium for 6-12 h after the start of treatment and then lost the ability to incorporate BrdUrd. By determining the colony inhibitory activity of MTX, it could be shown that not only S-phase cells but non-S-phase cells are susceptible to cytotoxicity of MTX. MTX-induced S-phase arrest is closely associated with an alteration in the distribution of BrdUrd-labeled cells, and MTX apparently inhibits BrdUrd incorporation into L1210 cells as the dose and duration of treatment increase. These results suggest that MTX-induced cell cycle perturbation is related to inhibition of DNA synthesis.


Relaxed consistency models have been shown to significantly outperform sequential consistency for single-issue, statically scheduled processors with blocking reads. However, current microprocessors aggressively exploit instruction-level parallelism (ILP) using methods such as multiple issue, dynamic scheduling, and non-blocking reads. Researchers have conjectured that two techniques, hardware-controlled non-binding prefetching and speculative loads, have the potential to equalize the hardware performance of memory consistency models on such processors.This paper performs the first detailed quantitative comparison of several implementations of sequential consistency and release consistency optimized for aggressive ILP processors. Our results indicate that hardware prefetching and speculative loads dramatically improve the performance of sequential consistency. However, the gap between sequential consistency and release consistency depends on the cache write policy and the complexity of the cache-coherence protocol implementation. In most cases, release consistency significantly outperforms sequential consistency, but for two applications, the use of a write-back primary cache and a more complex cache-coherence protocol nearly equalizes the performance of the two models.We also observe that the existing techniques, which require on-chip hardware modifications, enhance the performance of release consistency only to a small extent. We propose two new software techniques --- fuzzy acquires and selective acquires --- to achieve more overlap than allowed by the previous implementations of release consistency. To enhance methods for overlapping acquires, we also propose a technique to eliminate control dependences caused by an acquire loop, using a small amount of off-chip hardware called the synchronization buffer.


N europhysiological techniques are widely used throughout neuroscience to provide a window into the activity of living neurons and neural circuits, and to study the properties of the elements-largely ion channels and transporters-that mediate the electrical behavior of cells. This chapter considers a range of approaches for evoking, detecting, capturing and making sense of the huge diversity of signals generated in neurophysiological experiments. The majority of the units focus on recording electrical signals at a single point in space using glass micropipets of the type pioneered in the late 1940s by Gilbert Ling and Ralph W. Gerard. [Specialized approaches that allow recording over a large spatial extent in neuronal ensembles using multi-electrode arrays (UNIT 6.15) and voltage-sensitive dyes (UNIT 6.17) are also covered.] In a conventional micropipet recording, a technique that is at the bedrock of contemporary neuroscience and is still enormously popular today, a capillary, pulled to a fine tip and filled with electrolyte solution, is used to sense extracellular or intracellular potentials on the scale of a single cell. Using electrodes of this type, it has been possible to record nerve cell behavior in a variety of species and in all components of the vertebrate peripheral and central nervous systems. An early application of microelectrode recording was made by Sir John Eccles, who characterized the magnificently complex electrical activity of neurons in the cat central nervous system, allowing for a description of the cellular basis of behavior.