Aims Left atrial (LA) structural remodelling develops in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) according to the disease severity of the mitral valve and the presence of atrial fibrillation. Sustained active inflammation has been previously reported in the LA of patients with RHD, suggesting a direct role of cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of LA remodelling. Dendritic cells (DCs) have a major antigen-presenting role, and are known as crucial modulators of innate and adaptive immunity. We investigated whether DCs are involved in the pathogenesis of LA remodelling in RHD. Methods and results Immunohistochemical analyses were performed using antibodies to CD11c, CD209 and CD80 as markers of myeloid DCs, migratory-active DCs, mature DCs and infiltrated inflammatory cells including T lymphocytes (CD3) and M1 (CD68; pro-inflammatory profile) and M2 (CD163; pro-resolution profile) macrophages. Furthermore, tenascin-C, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that appears during ECM remodelling and inflammatory response, was examined. Infiltrated myeloid DCs, migratory-active DCs, mature DCs and other inflammatory infiltrates including T lymphocytes and M1 and M2 macrophages, were significantly higher in the RHD group than the non-RHD group. The positive area fraction for tenascin-C was significantly higher in the RHD group than in the non-RHD group. Conclusion Our histological findings suggest that inflammation may persist long after a bout of rheumatic fever, ultimately leading to ECM remodelling. We identified and quantitatively assessed several subsets of DCs and other immunocompetent cells, and our results indicated that activation of DCs has some role in persistence of LA inflammation in patients with chronic RHD.


The Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site was designed to help satisfy the data needs of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Science Team. This Site Scientific Mission Plan defines the scientific priorities for site activities during the six months beginning on July 1, 1998, and looks forward in lesser detail to subsequent six-month periods. The primary purpose of this document is to provide scientific guidance for the development of plans for site operations. It also provides information on current plans to the ARM functional teams (Management Team, Data and Science Integration Team [DSIT], Operations Team, and Instrument Team [IT]) and serves to disseminate the plans more generally within the ARM Program and among the members of the Science Team. This document includes a description of the operational status of the site and the primary site activities envisioned, together with information concerning approved and proposed intensive observation periods (IOPs). The primary users of this document are the site operator, the site program manager, the Site Scientist Team (SST), the Science Team through the ARM Program science director, the ARM program Experiment Center, and the aforementioned ARM Program functional teams. This plan is a living document that is updated and reissued every six months as the observational facilities are developed, tested, and augmented and as priorities are adjusted in response to developments in scientific planning and understanding.


This paper deals with landscape understanding and connectivity from an ecological as well as a human perspective. It is based on a broader research study known as EIT Climate-KIC SATURN (System and sustainable Approach to virTuous interaction of Urban and Rural LaNdscapes) co-funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), Climate-KIC and the institutions participating in this project. The aim of the study was to explore how landscape connectivity is perceived, on urban and regional scales, by decision-makers and key stakeholders as well as the impact this can have on building sustainable cities. The paper used a series of drawing and visualization workshops, community engagement methods, and participatory tools to identify the connection communities and decision-makers have with their landscape surroundings as well as the impact landscape connectivity has on our health and wellbeing. Through a series of specifically designed workshops following a landscape visioning approach, the paper explored how drawings and visualizations can support decision-makers to create a vision that addresses landscape connectivity, considering the socio-ecological factors in their area and creating a holistic regional approach between urban and rural landscapes. The study concludes that landscape connectivity is of major importance when creating visions for a sustainable future; however, a better connection between ecological and human elements needs to be established to improve landscape design.


Settled uneaten feed causes the most intense impact under sea cages, and settling velocity of the feed pellets represents a key parameter for waste dispersion models. Even if some data about physical properties of feed pellets have been published in the framework of salmonid rearing, there is a complete lack of information related to the Mediterranean Sea, as regards typical values of temperature, salinity and feed composition for Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata L.) and Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.). In this study we try to fill this lack, determining dimensions, water adsorption properties, floating times and settling velocities of a typical growing sequence of pellets for the species mentioned above, under defined laboratory conditions reproducing Mediterranean Sea water. The settling velocity increases with pellet size from 0.087, for the smallest pellet (3 mm), to 0.144 m s(-1), for the 5 mm pellet. The biggest extruded pellet (6 mm) falls slower (0.088 m s(-1)). The floating time before pellet's fall is found to be a critical parameter in determining settling velocity. The latter depends on pellet's size, water temperature and salinity. The examined pellets reach a 42% of weight increase after 10 min of immersion, while no appreciable dimension change is observed. Our results are in part different from previous ones and could play a role in evaluating and modelling Mediterranean aquaculture environmental impact.


Three hundred and two cases of Landry‐Guillain‐Barré‐Strohl syndrome (LGBSS) are studied and relevant literature is reviewed. The existing diagnostic criteria appear not in keeping with the histopathological and immunological findings of this condition, hence some modifications have been suggested. The role of steroids in the treatment of this disorder is critically examined, and no benefit is found to be gained from their use.


Background Zebrafish skin is composed of enveloping and basal layers which form a first-line defense system against pathogens. Zebrafish epidermis contains ionocytes and mucous cells that aid secretion of acid/ions or mucous through skin. Previous studies demonstrated that fish skin is extremely sensitive to external stimuli. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that modulate skin cell apoptosis in zebrafish. Methodology/Principal Findings This study aimed to create a platform to conduct conditional skin ablation and determine if it is possible to attenuate apoptotic stimuli by overexpressing potential apoptosis modulating genes in the skin of live animals. A transgenic zebrafish line of Tg(krt4:NTR-hKikGR)cy17 (killer line), which can conditionally trigger apoptosis in superficial skin cells, was first established. When the killer line was incubated with the prodrug metrodinazole, the superficial skin displayed extensive apoptosis as judged by detection of massive TUNEL- and active caspase 3-positive signals. Great reductions in NTR-hKikGR+ fluorescent signals accompanied epidermal cell apoptosis. This indicated that NTR-hKikGR+ signal fluorescence can be utilized to evaluate apoptotic events in vivo. After removal of metrodinazole, the skin integrity progressively recovered and NTR-hKikGR+ fluorescent signals gradually restored. In contrast, either crossing the killer line with testing lines or transiently injecting the killer line with testing vectors that expressed human constitutive active Akt1, mouse constitutive active Stat3, or HPV16 E6 element displayed apoptosis-resistant phenotypes to cytotoxic metrodinazole as judged by the loss of reduction in NTR-hKikGR+ fluorescent signaling. Conclusion/Significance The killer/testing line binary system established in the current study demonstrates a nitroreductase/metrodinazole system that can be utilized to conditionally perform skin ablation in a real-time manner, and provides a valuable tool to visualize and quantify the anti-apoptotic potential of interesting target genes in vivo. The current work identifies a potential use for transgenic zebrafish as a high-throughput platform to validate potential apoptosis modulators in vivo.


Eight preparations of soluble amyloid and degraded amyloid (DAM) were compared immunologically. Unlike amyloid fibrils, six of eight preparations of DAM proved to be relatively strong immunogens. Antisera to DAM reacted weakly or not at all with normal human serum or extracts of normal tissues, but were specifically reactive with amyloid fibrils or DAM. Comparative studies of DAM'S from eight different subjects showed some degree of cross-reactivity among them, yet demonstrated that they were not identical. Similar conclusions were obtained by quantitative precipitin and complement fixation analyses. Comparison of the amyloid fibrils with the homologous DAM by complement fixation and absorption studies demonstrated the existence in DAM of antigenic determinants that were lacking or inaccessible in the native fibrils. A search for amyloid precursors and antibodies to amyloid in the sera of 12 patients proved unsuccessful.


We measured concentrations and isotopic ratios of noble gases in the Rumuruti (R) chondrite Mount Prestrud (PRE) 95410, a regolith breccia exhibiting dark/light structures. The meteorite contains solar and cosmogenic noble gases. Based on the solar and cosmogenic noble gas compositions, we calculated a heliocentric distance of its parent body, a cosmic‐ray exposure age on the parent body regolith (parent body exposure age), and a cosmic‐ray exposure age in interplanetary space (space exposure age) of the meteorite. Assuming a constant solar wind flux, the estimated heliocentric distance was smaller than 1.4 ± 0.3 au, suggesting inward migration from the asteroid belt regions where the parent body formed. The largest known Mars Trojan 5261 Eureka is a potential parent body of PRE 95410. Alternatively, it is possible that the solar wind flux at the time of the parent body exposure was higher by a factor of 2–3 compared to the lunar regolith exposure. In this case, the estimated heliocentric distance is within the asteroid belt region. The parent body exposure age is longer than 19.1 Ma. This result indicates frequent impact events on the parent body like that recorded for other solar‐gas‐rich meteorites. Assuming single‐stage exposure after an ejection event from the parent body, the space exposure age is 11.0 ± 1.1 Ma, which is close to the peak of ~10 Ma in the exposure age distribution for the solar‐gas‐free R chondrites.


Vanadium dioxide (VO(2)) is a promising reconfigurable optical material and has long been a focus of condensed matter research owing to its distinctive semiconductor-to-metal phase transition (SMT), a feature that has stimulated recent development of thermally reconfigurable photonic, plasmonic, and metamaterial structures. Here, we integrate VO(2) onto silicon photonic devices and demonstrate all-optical switching and reconfiguration of ultra-compact broadband Si-VO(2) absorption modulators (L < 1 μm) and ring-resonators (R ~ λ(0)). Optically inducing the SMT in a small, ~0.275 μm(2), active area of polycrystalline VO(2) enables Si-VO(2) structures to achieve record values of absorption modulation, ~4 dB μm(-1), and intracavity phase modulation, ~π/5 rad μm(-1). This in turn yields large, tunable changes to resonant wavelength, |Δλ(SMT)| ~ 3 nm, approximately 60 times larger than Si-only control devices, and enables reconfigurable filtering and optical modulation in excess of 7 dB from modest Q-factor (~10(3)), high-bandwidth ring resonators (>100 GHz). All-optical integrated Si-VO(2) devices thus constitute platforms for reconfigurable photonics, bringing new opportunities to realize dynamic on-chip networks and ultrafast optical shutters and modulators.


Understanding the factors influencing nanocrystal formation is a challenge yet to be realized. In comparison to the large number of studies on nanocrystal synthesis and their applications, the number of studies on the effect of the precursor chemistry on nanocrystal composition and shape remains low. Although photochemical fabrication of metalsemiconductor nano-heterostructures is reported in literature, control over the free particle formation and the site of metal deposition have not been achieved. Moreover, utilization of metal- semiconductor nano-heterostructures in photocatalytic reactions other than water splitting is hardly explored. In this thesis, we studied the effect of chalcogenide precursor reactivity on the composition, morphology and the axial anisotropy of cadmiumchalcogenide nanocrystals. We also investigated the influence of the irradiation wavelength in synthesizing metal-semiconductor nano-heterostructures. Finally, we showed that metal semiconductor nano-heterostructures can be used as a photocatalyst for alcohol dehydrogenation reactions. We explored the pathways for the formation of Pt and Pd nanoparticles on CdS and CdS{sub 0.4}Se{sub 0.6} nanorods. This study revealed that the wavelength of irradiation is critical to control free-standing vs. bound metal (Pt and Pd) nanoparticles to semiconductor. Additionally, we observed that metal photodeposition occurs on specific segments of axially anisotropic, compositionally graded CdS0.4Se0.6 nanorods due to themore » band-gap differential between their nano-domains. We used semiconductor-metal heterostructures for sunlightdriven dehydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of benzyl alcohol. Heterostructure composition dictates activity (turnovers) and product distribution. A few metal (Pt, Pd) islands on the semiconductor surface significantly enhance activity and selectivity and also greatly stabilize the semiconductor against photoinduced etching and degradation.« less


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate patterns of morbidity and mortality among bike riders and pillion seat passengers involved in road traffic accidents in Benin-City Nigeria between August 2003-July 2004.

METHODS
A total of Fifty-one bike riders and pillion seat passengers, who participated in this study were part of a larger study, involved in a road traffic accident and were brought to the accident and emergency unit of either the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) or the State Specialist Hospital between August 2002-July 2003.The injured ones were examined and dead patients had an autopsy done on them

RESULTS
A total of 51 cases of bikes riders/pillion seat passenger accidents were recorded representing 18% of total accidents. 35 motorbike riders/pillion seat passengers were struck down by cars (68.6%). Seven bike riders/pillion seat passengers (13.5%) were struck by articulated vehicles. 7 bike riders/pillion seat passengers representing 13.5% of cases were stuck by buses, 2 (3.9%) pillion seat passengers fell of bikes from epilepsies and sustained secondary injuries. Males were more in number with a ratio of 2.5; 1. One hundred percent (100%) or all motorcyclist and their passengers did not use helmets.

CONCLUSION
Cars struck down most bike riders and their pillion seat passengers. Males were more than females in number. The commonest autopsy findings as cause of death was intr a-cranial hemorrhage preventable by the use of crash helmets.


Description of the subject. This paper describes the development, evaluation and limitations of screening PCR assays based on genes and for use in GMO detection. Objectives. The aim of this research is to propose new PCR assays based on gene-coding sequences that will join a panel of existing screening assays to make better GMO detection possible. Method. Real-time PCR methods using double-dye probes were developed for genes frequently encountered in GM constructs and evaluated in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Results. Eight real-time PCR tests were designed based on the sequences of the bar, pat, EPSPS, gox, gus and hsp70 genes. Two of them proved of limited interest due to the presence of positive signals linked to the presence of the donor organisms: residual sequences of Escherichia coli in the master mixes for the gus PCR assay and while for the hsp70 PCR test, hsp70 being only used in GM maize at present, it is useless as hsp70 originates from maize. The assays for bar, pat, EPSPS and gox were found to successfully detect the corresponding structural elements introduced in GM constructs. Several PCR assays were proposed for the EPSPS gene in order to cover the different versions of the gene. Conclusions. Real-time PCR tests for bar, pat, EPSPS and gox were developed and met the expected performance criteria in terms of specificity and sensitivity. The targets can be amplified with the same PCR conditions as PCR assays already developed for the detection of promoters and terminators, and can be used in combination on the same PCR plate in order to provide wider coverage of GMOs and initial information concerning the GMO(s) present.


OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of autonomic symptoms and deficits in certain systems is known, but a comprehensive autonomic symptom profile in diabetes is not available. We aimed to estimate this using a laboratory evaluation of autonomic function and a validated self-report measure of autonomic symptoms in patients and matched control subjects from the population-based Rochester Diabetic Neuropathy Study.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Participants included 231 patients with diabetes (type 1, n=83; type 2, n=148) and 245 healthy age-matched control subjects. We assessed symptoms using a validated self-report instrument (Autonomic Symptom Profile) and evaluated the severity and distribution of autonomic deficits (cardiovagal, sudomotor, adrenergic) with the objective, laboratory-based Composite Autonomic Severity Score (CASS).

RESULTS
Autonomic symptoms were present more commonly in type 1 than in type 2 diabetes, with symptoms of orthostatic intolerance, secretomotor, urinary control, diarrhea, and sleep disturbance and pupillomotor, vasomotor, and erectile dysfunction significantly increased over healthy control subjects in type 2 diabetic patients. The prevalence of autonomic impairment was 54% in type 1 and 73% in type 2 diabetic patients. Severity of autonomic failure was mild overall (mean CASS 2.3; maximum 10), with orthostatic hypotension occurring in 8.4 and 7.4% of type 1 and 2 diabetic patients, respectively. Fourteen percent of patients had a CASS > or =5, indicating moderate to severe generalized autonomic failure. The correlation of symptoms with autonomic deficits (CASS) was better in type 1 than type 2 diabetic subjects and was weak overall.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that autonomic symptoms and deficits are common in diabetes, but mild in severity, and that the correlation between symptom scores and deficits is overall weak in mild diabetic neuropathy, emphasizing the need to separately evaluate autonomic symptoms.


Apoptosis plays an important role in the patho-biology of sepsis. The opsonizing             protein milk fat globule-EGF factor VIII (MFG-E8) is involved in apoptotic cell             clearance. Our previous studies have shown that administration of rat MFG-E8-containing             exosomes or recombinant murine MFG-E8 (rmMFG-E8) is protective in a rat model             of sepsis induced by cecal ligation of puncture (CLP). However, one obstacle hampering             the development of MFG-E8 as a therapeutic agent for septic patients is the potential             immunogenicity of animal proteins in humans. The purpose of this study, therefore,             was to express recombinant human MFG-E8 (rhMFG-E8) and characterize its biological             activity. Using an E. coli system, we successfully expressed and purified the             mature molecule of human MFG-E8 (Leu24-Cys387). The purity of rhMFG-E8 was over             99% and it was immunoreactive for specific anti-human MFG-E8 antibodies. Amino             acid sequence analysis by LC-MS/MS identified the purified protein as human MFG-E8.             Using primary rat peritoneal macrophages, we showed that rhMFG-E8 markedly increased             peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic thymocytes, which was as effective             as commercial rmMFG-E8. To determine the biological activity of rhMFG-E8 in vivo,             male adult rats were subjected to sepsis by CLP. rhMFG-E8 or rmMFG-E8 were administered             intravenously at the time of CLP. Our results demonstrated that both rhMFG-E8             and rmMFG-E8 reduced thymocyte apoptosis and plasma levels of lactate and IL-6             at 20 h after CLP, and improved the 10-day survival rate. Thus, we have successfully             expressed and purified biologically active rhMFG-E8. Our newly-expressed rhMFG-E8             is highly effective in the rat model of sepsis.


Background—We sought to determine the degree to which B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) adds to clinical judgment in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods and Results—The Breathing Not Properly Multinational Study was a prospective diagnostic test evaluation study conducted in 7 centers. Of 1586 participants who presented with acute dyspnea, 1538 (97%) had clinical certainty of CHF determined by the attending physician in the emergency department. Participants underwent routine care and had BNP measured in a blinded fashion. The reference standard for CHF was adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists, also blinded to BNP results. The final diagnosis was CHF in 722 (47%) participants. At an 80% cutoff level of certainty of CHF, clinical judgment had a sensitivity of 49% and specificity of 96%. At 100 pg/mL, BNP had a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 73%. In determining the correct diagnosis (CHF versus no CHF), adding BNP to clinical judgment would have enhanced diagnostic accuracy from 74% to 81%. In those participants with an intermediate (21% to 79%) probability of CHF, BNP at a cutoff of 100 pg/mL correctly classified 74% of the cases. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.86 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.88), 0.90 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.91), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.94) for clinical judgment, for BNP at a cutoff of 100 pg/mL, and for the 2 in combination, respectively (P <0.0001 for all pairwise comparisons). Conclusions—The evaluation of acute dyspnea would be improved with the addition of BNP testing to clinical judgment in the emergency department.


A cryostat specifically designed for maintaining nonlinear optical crystals at temperatures between room temperature and -175°C is described. The sample is held in a vacuum environment, and its temperature is kept within 0.1°C of the desired value by applying regulated power to a sample holder which is connected to a liquid-nitrogen-cooled heat sink through a thermal resistance. The system is easily constructed and can be evacuated with a mechanical pump. It can operate longer than 6 h on a single filling of liquid nitrogen with the pump disconnected.


The antenna scattering matrix is based on a spherical vector wave expansion and contains a complete description of the matching, transmission, receiving, and scattering properties of an antenna. It is commonly utilized in near-field measurements and it can also be used to model MIMO antennas. Here, an approach based on the holomorphic properties of the antenna scattering matrix is used to derive physical bounds on the bandwidth of lossless antennas. The resulting bounds are expressed in the radius of the smallest circumscribing sphere and the polarizability dyadics of the antenna. The derivation and final results resemble both the classical work by Chu (1948) and a recently developed theory based on the forward scattering. However, instead of estimating the Q-factor through the stored energy, the low-frequency expansion of the scattering matrix is used to obtain a set of summation rules from which bounds on the bandwidth are derived. The use of Cauchy integrals and the low-frequency expansion in terms of the polarizability dyadics are similar with the approach in (Chu, 1948 and Gustafsson et al., 2007).


BACKGROUND Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) is an enzyme in the first step of the hexose-monophosphate shunt required for the generation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). Red blood cells of neonates with deficient G-6-PD are potentially susceptible to acute severe haemolysis and may result in haemolytic jaundice. This study was to determine the association between neonatal jaundice and G-6-PD activity and the degree of deficiency of this enzyme among the affected neonates. METHODS G-6-PD levels in jaundiced neonates admitted into the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital were assayed between May 2000 and April 2001 using Biotic (London) diagnostic assay kit method. Data was analyzed using SPSS (base 705) data Editor (Microsoft Windows 95). RESULTS A total of 102 jaundiced neonates between ages 1 and 10 days were studied. Out of the 102 jaundiced neonates, 39 (38.2%) were G-6-PD deficient with G-6-PD concentration of 48.89 +/- 72 mU/10(12) erythrocyte compared to 129.51 +/- 0.92 mU/10(12) erythrocyte in the remaining 63 subjects. The prevalence rate of G-6-PD deficiency among jaundiced neonates was 38% which is significantly high (p 0.05) in G-6-PD level in the males and females. CONCLUSION G-6-PD activity is low in a number of jaundiced patients. Routine assay of G-6-PD in jaundiced patients is recommended.


Enriched mRNA coding for the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) was prepared from 9-day embryonic chicken brains by immunoprecipitation of polysomes with antibodies to N-CAM. This mRNA programmed the translation in vitro of N-CAM polypeptide chains in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. Two independent N-CAM cDNA clones (designated pEC001 and pEC020) were derived from the enriched RNA. The specificity of pEC001 for N-CAM mRNA was verified by hybrid selection experiments. Both plasmids hybridized to two discrete 6- to 7-kilobase-long RNA species in poly(A)+ RNA from embryonic chicken brain and to lesser amounts of polydisperse material of smaller sizes (probably degradation products of the large RNAs). No hybridization was detected to poly(A)+ RNA from embryonic liver. Southern blotting experiments with pEC001 detected only one hybridizing fragment in chicken genomic DNA digested with several different restriction enzymes, suggesting that sequences corresponding to those within this region of N-CAM mRNA are present at most only a few times, and possibly only once, in the chicken genome.


ABSTRACT Sharks are at increasing risk of extinction. Being a key factor in maintaining the balance of marine life in the ocean, as well as regulating the variety and abundance of the species below them in the food chain, their depletion is threatening the whole marine ecological system. Aside from the fisheries industry regulation, public opinion plays a fundamental role in any conservation effort. However, unlike other iconic sea marine animals such as dolphins, sharks receive little attention, and conservation support from the public. Many scholars attribute such neglect to sharks' bad image amongst the public. The present study was aimed at getting a better understanding of sharks' bad image, using the Stereotype Content Model/Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes map (SCM/BIAS map), and its association with attitudinal and behavioral tendencies toward their conservation. Participants (n = 144; M age = 22.28; SD = 6.24; 66% female) were assessed in terms of their perceived warmth, competence, and approach-avoidance emotions related to sharks (and dolphins), as well as attitudes toward their conservation and their donation intention. Results showed that, congruent with the SCM/BIAS map, sharks fit the "threatening-awe stereotype" (high competence and low warmth), whereas dolphins align with the "protective stereotype" (high competence and high warmth). Results also showed that warmth was associated with more positive perceptions of sharks and positive attitudes toward their conservation. Warmth as a potential facilitating key factor in sharks' conservation promotion is discussed.


Background: Right heart catheterisation (RHC) using exercise-stress is the reference standard for the diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) but carries the risk of the invasive procedure. We hypothesized that real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance (RT-CMR) exercise imaging with pathophysiologic data at excellent temporal and spatial resolution may represent a contemporary non-invasive alternative for diagnosing HFpEF. Methods: The HFpEF stress trial (DZHK-17, NCT03260621) prospectively recruited 75 patients with echocardiographic signs of diastolic dysfunction and dyspnea on exertion (E/e'>8, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class ≥II) to undergo echocardiography, RHC and RT-CMR at rest and during exercise-stress. HFpEF was defined according to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP ≥15mmHg at rest or ≥25mmHg during exercise stress). RT-CMR functional assessments included time-volume curves for total and early (1/3) diastolic left ventricular (LV) filling, left atrial (LA) emptying and LV/LA long axis strain (LAS). Results: HFpEF patients (n=34, median PCWP rest 13mmHg, stress 27mmHg) had higher E/e' (12.5 vs. 9.15), NT-proBNP (255 vs. 75ng/l) and LA volume index (43.8 vs. 36.2ml/m2) compared to non-cardiac dyspnea patients (n=34, rest 8mmHg, stress 18mmHg, p≤0.001 for all). Seven patients were excluded due to the presence of non HFpEF cardiac disease causing dyspnea on imaging. There were no differences in RT-CMR LV total and early diastolic filling at rest and during exercise-stress (p≥0.164) between HFpEF and non-cardiac dyspnea. RT-CMR revealed significantly impaired LA total and early (p<0.001) diastolic emptying in HFpEF during exercise-stress. RT-CMR exercise-stress LA LAS was independently associated with HFpEF (adjusted odds ratio 0.657, 95% confidence interval [0.516; 0.838], p=0.001) after adjustment for clinical and imaging parameters and emerged as the best predictor for HFpEF (area under the curve rest 0.82 vs. exercise-stress 0.93, p=0.029). Conclusions: RT-CMR allows highly accurate identification of HFpEF during physiological exercise and qualifies as a suitable non-invasive diagnostic alternative. These results will need to be confirmed in multi-centre prospective research studies to establish widespread routine clinical use. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov Unique Identifier: NCT03260621.


China's banking system reform has made notable progress since 2002. After restoring their balance sheets, Chinese banks have aggressively increased lending and contributed to supporting the country' s economy given the global financial crisis. Thus far, the regulated deposit and lending interest rates, undeveloped capital markets, and restrictions in cross-border capital transactions have given banks an advantage in gaining profits. However, along with the full-blown reform of the economic system toward a market-oriented economy, the conditions protecting banks' profits will change in the future. The experiences of Japanese banks under the financial liberalization that occurred during the 1970s and 1980s indicate how important it is for commercial banks to change their business models in accordance with the fundamental changes in the economy. These experiences may be useful for considering the subsequent reform process of the financial system in China.


Purpose Autoantibodies (AAbs) with different retinal specificities were reported in cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) and autoimmune retinopathy (AR). The goal was to identify the small retinal proteins of apparent molecular mass of 23-kDa often recognized by patients' AAbs. Methods Sera specific for a 23-kDa retinal protein of 173 patients were investigated retrospectively by Western blotting and double immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. A proteomic analysis revealed new 23-kDa protein candidates, including guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs), heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), and Rab6A GTPase (Rab6A). Results Among the cohort of 173 patients, only 68 had anti-recoverin AAbs and the remaining 105 reacted with 4 unique proteins, which were identified as a Rab6A, HSP27, GCAP1, and GCAP2. Confocal images from a double labeling study confirmed the reactivity of AAbs with different types of cells in human retina, consistent with the target protein's respective cellular functions. Patients (62/173) had been diagnosed with various kinds of cancer, including 20% of patients who had anti-recoverin, 11% anti-Rab6A, and 5% anti-HSP27 AAbs. Only 50% of recoverin-seropositive patients had cancer and the individuals with anti-recoverin AAbs had a significantly higher likelihood to be diagnosed with cancer than patients with other anti-23-kDa AAbs. Conclusions The newly discovered retinal autoantigens may be involved in pathogenicity of CAR and AR. The recognition of AAbs against various retinal proteins associated with autoimmune retinal degeneration broadens the group of proteins related with these entities. Translational Relevance Patients with anti-recoverin, anti-GCAP1, anti-Rab6A, and anti-HSP27 AAbs represented diverse clinical phenotypes, so the presence of disease-associated AAbs provides important information for molecular diagnosis.


ABSTRACT The Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) was established in 2011, and is now one of the major international social-ecological systems (SES) research networks. During this time, SES research has undergone a phase of rapid growth and has grown into an influential branch of sustainability science. In this Perspective, we argue that SES research has also deepened over the past decade, and helped to shed light on key dimensions of SES dynamics (e.g. system feedbacks, aspects of system design, goals and paradigms) that can lead to tangible action for solving the major sustainability challenges of our time. We suggest four ways in which the growth of place-based SES research, fostered by networks such as PECS, has contributed to these developments, namely by: 1) shedding light on transformational change, 2) revealing the social dynamics shaping SES, 3) bringing together diverse types of knowledge, and 4) encouraging reflexive researchers.


This paper investigates the economic impacts of two policy proposals: "Strom ohne Atom" (SOA) and "Moratorium Plus" (MOP), both of which contain a premature phase-out of nuclear power in Switzerland. While MOP restricts business-as-usual operation time of existing nuclear power plants to 40 years, which results in a cutback of 10-20 years, SOA foresees a reduction in operation time of 20-30 years and administers combined heat and power to substitute for nuclear energy. Based on simulations with an intertemporal multi-sector general equilibrium model of the Swiss economy, we quantify the price tags for risk reduction from nuclear power operation given additional constraints on back-up technologies. Costs of accelerating the phase-out of nuclear power for an average household amount to 200 CHF/a over the next 45 years under SOA and drop to 60 CHF/a in the case of MOP. If Switzerland were to assure carbon neutrality of a premature phase-out by the use of carbon taxes, adjustment costs would increase to 230 CHF under SOA and 110 CHF under MOP.


This thesis concerns a subject from algebraic geometry, a branch of mathematics. Geometry is the study of spatial structures; algebraic geometry looks at spatial objects that can be described using polynomial formulas and uses abstract algebraic methods to study properties of those objects. The possibility to use the power and precision of algebraic methods in combination with geometric intuition makes this a beautiful subject. K3 surfaces are a class of 2-dimensional geometric objects. There are infinitely many distinct K3 surfaces; it is not possible to enumerate them all. However, it is possible to create a "catalogue", in which every possible K3 surface occurs exactly once. This catalogue itself can be seen to be a geometric object; it is called the moduli space of K3 surfaces. A point of this moduli space corresponds to a particular K3 surface; a small displacement within the moduli space gives a small deformation of the surface. In this thesis we study the structure of the moduli space of K3 surfaces. It turns out that so-called modular forms are relevant to this. These are functions that behave in a very special way under the action of a discrete group of transformations. These modular forms contain a surprising amount of number-theoretic information.


Much leisure history deals with specific forms of activity or with the macro social and cultural patterns which mark leisure behaviours. However, as historians have turned to the micro-history of the everyday, individuals have become visible as producers and not only consumers of leisure. Mass Observation's Worktown archive offers unique insight to the leisure lives of Bolton's working class population between 1937 and 1939. Bound to the culture of the cotton industry and the spatial confines of Bolton, leisure served to form overlapping identities around work and neighbourhood. Everyday leisure accommodated mass cultural forms, while also remaining part of a local northern culture which grew from its industrial environment. The 'up-close' nature of the history of the everyday afforded by the Worktown archive provides new insights to leisure practices which become defined not only in terms of activity, but also involve conviviality, conversation and custom. This article argues that leisure was not so much a field of resistance but a sphere in which ordinary people were able to create their own leisure spaces through customary practice, language and an adaptation of employer-based facilities. Everyday working-class leisure was not confined to an illusory escapism of passive consumption but was active and engaged, forming social contexts, shared places and communal activities which helped form a collective consciousness and a sense of social and cultural identity.


In this work, ceramic matrix composites (CMC) were prepared by AFCOP process, using a polysiloxane network filled with metallic niobium and aluminum powders as active fillers. The liquid polysiloxane precursor was loaded with a suitable polymer/filler ratio in relation to stoichiometric Nb : C and Al : O molar ratios. Changing Al for a-Al2O3, which acted as an inert filler, non-stoichiometric conditions were obtained. The mixtures were blended, uniaxially warm pressed, and pyrolysed in flowing argon at 800, 1000 and 1200 °C. Thermogravimetry was used to follow the weight changes during the pyrolysis process. X-ray diffraction was used to identify the formation of new crystalline phases, such as Al2O3, NbC, Nb2C and Al3Nb in the composites. Sintered specimens were also characterized by SEM and EDS. The results indicated good potential for this system to obtain multiphasic composite material in the Al-Nb system at lower temperatures.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
In the next few decades, the number of Mexican American older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) will increase dramatically. Given that this population underutilizes formal care services, the degree of care responsibilities in Mexican American families is likely to increase at the same time. However, little is known about the changing need for assistance with instrumental day-to-day activities and emotional support by long-term patterns of cognitive impairment.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We use seven waves of the Hispanic EPESE (1992/1993-2010/2011) and trajectory modeling to describe long-term patterns of perceived emotional and instrumental support, and dementia.

RESULTS
Results revealed two latent classes of both emotional and instrumental support trajectories: low and high support. Specifically, those living alone were more likely to belong to the group with low support than to that with high support. Three latent classes for likely dementia were also revealed: likely dementia, increasing impairment, and no impairment. Those living alone were more likely to belong to the increasing impairment and likely dementia groups. The dual trajectory of emotional and instrumental support with likely dementia revealed that the probability of belonging to the low support group was highest for those with increasing impairment.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
These findings highlight the risk and vulnerability of those who live alone concerning perceived social support and dementia. Implications of the findings for the potential dependency burden on Latino caregivers are discussed.


Sāmoa has a double burden of malnutrition; obesity associated with the prevalence of non‐
communicable diseases, and continuing cases of underweight children presenting at hospitals
and health centres. A knowledge, attitude and practice survey of mothers/caregivers of young
children in eight villages in four representative regions of Sāmoa was completed in November
2015. The objective of the research was to learn whether international (WHO, UNICEF) and
government recommended feeding practices were promoted by district health workers and
understood and practiced by mothers or caregivers of children under five years of age. The survey
found that while key messages on infant feeding are generally well understood by nurses in the
district health centres serving these villages, the knowledge and practices of mothers and other
infant caregivers appears somewhat deficient. Most of them understood the importance of
breast feeding but only 56 percent of mothers and caretakers know that complementary foods
should be introduced, as recommended, at six months of age; 28 percent of the caretakers
thought that during the weaning period, solid food given once a day was sufficient, and that only
small minority took their infants to health centres for growth monitoring. These findings suggest
that there is a case for the reintroduction of monthly village‐based maternal and child health
clinics in cooperation with village women's committees.


This study aims to investigate the structural heterogeneity of real-life supply networks in the automotive industry, through complex network analysis of large-scale empirical data. The concept of complex adaptive systems, which considers the supply network structures as the result of emergence, has recently been well accepted, and a considerable number of models have been proposed. However, such models fail to capture how supply network structures may reflect the effects of various factors – product characteristics differ in terms of the degree of standardization, modularization and technological advancement, suppliers have different production capabilities, and different car assemblers may have different production strategies. The unique data we collected provides information about "which suppliers supply which auto-parts to which car manufacturers", which allowed us to first confirm the scale-free property of the distribution of suppliers' production capabilities, and to highlight a wide diversity of product characteristics. Furthermore, the bipartite network constructed based on the collected data was projected onto another information space, which resulted in a product network, exhibiting proximity between products. Analysis of this product network elucidated a high degree of structural heterogeneity of the auto-parts supply network, in which various factors may be reflected. The results of this study will contribute to the establishment of more realistic supply network models.


It is really tough to manually examine the raw data. The Datamining strategies are used to detect the applicable information from uncooked data. The data mining algorithms are efficient for retrieving a specific pattern. In Datamining techniques decision trees are the most commonly used methods for predicting the outcome or behavior of a pattern because they can successfully and efficiently visualize the facts. Presently several decision tree algorithms are advanced for predictive analysis. Right here we gathered a dataset for rubberized mattress, from coir board CCRI, and applied the several decision tree algorithms on the data set and as compared every one. Every set of rules gives a completely unique choice tree from the input statistics. This paper focuses in particular on the Fuzzy c4.5 set of rules and compares one-of-a-kind choice tree algorithms for predictive analysis. Here by using predictive analytics, a decision can be made for each rubberized firms.


Bio-ethanol is one of the energy sources that can be produced by renewable sources. Waste potato mash was chosen as a renewable carbon source for ethanol fermentation because it is relatively inexpensive compared with other feedstock considered as food sources. However, a pretreatment process is needed: specifically, liquefaction and saccharification processes are needed to convert starch of potato into fermentable sugars before ethanol fermentation. In this study, hydrolysis of waste potato mash and growth parameters of the ethanol fermentation were optimized to obtain maximum ethanol production. In order to obtain maximum glucose conversions, the relationship among parameters of the liquefaction and saccharification process was investigated by a response surface method. The optimum combination of temperature, dose of enzyme (α-amylase) and amount of waste potato mash was 95 °C, 1 mL of enzyme (18.8 mg protein/mL) and 4.04 g dry-weight/100 mL DI water, with a 68.86% loss in dry weight for liquefaction. For saccharification, temperature, dose of enzyme and saccharification time were optimized and optimum condition was determined as 60 °C-72 h-0.8 mL (300 Unit/mL) of amyloglucosidase combination, yielded 34.9 g/L glucose. After optimization of hydrolysis of the waste potato mash, ethanol fermentation was studied. Effects of pH and inoculum size were evaluated to obtain maximum ethanol. Results showed that pH of 5.5 and 3% inolculum size were optimum pH and inoculum size, respectively for maximum ethanol concentration and production rate. The maximum bio-ethanol production rate was obtained at the optimum conditions of 30.99 g/L ethanol. Since yeast extract is not the most economical nitrogen source, four animal-based substitutes (poultry meal, hull and fines mix, feather meal, and meat and bone meal) were evaluated to determine an economical alternative nitrogen source to yeast extract. Poultry meal and feather meal were able to produce 35 g/L and 32.9 g/L ethanol, respectively, which is higher than yeast extract (30.8 g/L). In conclusion, waste potato mash was found as a promising carbon source for ethanol fermentation with alternate nitrogen sources.


Abstract Baited branchlines were set from a tuna longlining vessel using an underwater setting device and their sink patterns compared with those of baited branchlines that were hand‐thrown. Using a paired /‐test at an hypothesised mean difference of 2 m, at a point 100 m astern of the vessel, baited branchlines set using the device were significantly deeper than those that were hand‐thrown. Baited branchlines set using both methods showed a high variation in then‐sink patterns; on some sets they sank faster than others. The underwater setting device has potential to reduce seabird bycatch substantially with minimal intrusion on the normal operation of a longline fishing vessel. It delivers baits underwater (removing the visual cue of a hand‐thrown baited hook to seabirds) and immediately places baited hooks outside the diving range of some vulnerable albatross species (Diomedea spp., Phoebastria spp., Thalassarche spp., and Phoebetria spp.).


Microglia act as the first and main form of active immune defense in brain. However, in animal models, research on these cells is limited to the superficial layer of the brain, due to the lack of a deep-imaging technique. Here we break this depth limit using three-photon fluorescence (3PF) microscopy excited at the 1700-nm window. Three-photon action cross-section (ησ3) measurement lays the basis for dye selection and the resultant maximization of 3PF generation. 3PF imaging suppresses the surface background, leading to a much improved signal-to-background ratio compared to the commonly used two-photon microscopy (2PM). We can image microglia 1124 µm below the brain surface in vivo, 3.7 times deeper than previous results using 2PM for microglia imaging. This technique enables us to visualize microglia in the white matter layer in vivo for the first time.


TiO2 (Vis-TiO2) thin films absorbing UV and visible light in regions of 250-600nm have been successfully developed by applying a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition method. SIMS depth profiles of Vis-TiO2 revealed that the O/Ti ratio gradually decreases from the top surface (O/Ti ratio : 2.00 ± 0.01) to the inside (1.93 ± 0.01). This unique declined O/Ti composition (anisotropic structure) may be the origin of the significant perturbation in the electronic structure of Vis-TiO2, enabling the absorption of visible light and their high photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation. In fact, it was found that the separate evolution of H2 and O2 from water could be successfully achieved under visible light or solar light irradiation by applying these thin film photocatalysts in an H-type glass container separating the two aqueous solutions by a TiO2 thin film and proton-exchange membrane, having H2 evolution from Pt side and O2 evolution from TiO2 thin film side, respectively.


A pregnant mother who cannot deliver vaginally has to undergo caesarian section. Caesarian section is a process by which a baby is delivered via a cut through anterior abdominal wall and uterine wall. The objective of this exercise is to study the case series of caesarian section in Muar Hospital and to study its relationship with maternal sociodemografic factors such as ethnic, parity, socioeconomic factors, residence, height and weight gain as a predictors. A case-control study was carried out in Muar Hospital from June, 1996 till December, 1996. The target population was mothers who delivered f. at the hospital. Cases of 210 mothers who delivered by caesarian section were gathered with its control of 210 mothers delivered vaginally by frequency matching for age. Information gathered via treatment record kept at the Hospital Record Office. Study , showed that the most frequent caesarian section performed in the hospital was I emergency caesarian section (65.71%) as compared to elective (34.29%). The most frequent indication noted were repeat caesarian section ( 18.1% ) followed by fetal distress (13.81%) and disproportion (13.81%). Univariate analysis showed that there was no significant association between caesarian section with parity, ethnicity and education status. However, caesarian section was significantly associated with maternal working status, family income, residence, the status of antenatal care, height and weight gain. (p value <0.05). After controlling for confounder by multivariate analysis, caesarian section was found significantly associated to the status of antenatal care, residence, height and weight gain. (p < 0.05). Odds ratio for a pregnant lady to undergo caesarian section was 2.6 if she was to have poor antenatal care, 2.8 if she lived in town, 3.4 if she had a short stature of less than 145 cm and 88.9 if she gained weight more than 0.5 kg per week. Thus, antenatal care, maternal residence, height and weight gain may be used as a predictor for caesarian section in a pregnant lady. Steps must be taken by the health staff to improve the nutritional status of the children, so that malnutrition is really abated in the country .Malnutrition may lead to stunted growth. The health staff should improve the quality of antenatal care given as well as mothers should be motivated to participate as well. Mothers with weight gain problem should be given diet counseling. Therefore, a dietician is needed during an antenatal clinic session.


Along with the market demand increasing, cigarette distribution center urgently needs to improve their working efficiency by reasonable storage modeal. This paper proposed an integrated scheduling model of automated high-rise warehouse combined with traditional flat storehouse, by planning the storage capacity in traditional flat storehouse and optimizing the storage spaces in automated high-rise warehouse, ensuring intelligent management while achieving flexible storage operations. This model effectively shortened the operating time compared to other storage models. Finally take Zhengzhou Cigarette Distribution Center as an example to analyze.


Aerosol particles in the lower atmosphere exert a substantial influence on climate and climate change through a variety of complex mechanisms. Consequently, there is a need to represent these influences in global climate models, and models have begun to include representations of these influences. However, the present treatment of aerosols in global climate models is highly simplified, omitting many processes and feedbacks that are thought to be climatically important. Thus, there is need for substantial improvement. Here we describe the strategy of the U.S. Department of Energy for improving representation of the properties, processes, and effects of tropospheric aerosols in global climate models. The strategy begins with a foundation of field and laboratory measurements that provide the basis for modules describing specific aerosol properties and processes. These modules are then integrated into regional aerosol models, which are evaluated by comparison with field measurements. Issues of scale are then ...


The microhematocrit provides accurate and reproducible test results. This laboratory procedure is useful not only in determining the hematocrit value, but also in the identification of conditions that may be of primary interest to the clinician. The information it provides is valuable in treatment planning, in choosing an anesthetic technique, and in helping to avoid operative and postoperative complications. This test can be easily and inexpensively performed and can be incorporated into the normal office routine with little difficulty.


We prove that the domain of outer communication of a stationary, globally hyperbolic spacetime satisfying the null energy condition must be simply connected. Under suitable additional hypotheses, this implies, in particular, that each connected component of a cross-section of the event horizon of a stationary black hole must have spherical topology.


SURFACE PHOTOVOLTAGE STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON CHARGE DYNAMICS IN NANOSTRUCTURED SILICON By Puskar Raj Chapagain, Ph.D., 2015 Department of Physics and Astronomy Texas Christian University Dissertation Advisor: Dr.Yuri M. Strzhemechny, Associate Professor of Physics Optoelectronic properties of nanoscale materials are significantly affected by their surfaces because of the presence of intrinsic and extrinsic electronic states in the bandgap. Thermally or optically driven charge exchange between the bulk and these states directly affects the surface band bending of these materials. Physisorption, chemisorption or desorption of environmental species at the surface also bring in additional modifications to the surface electronic structure, thereby, changing the surface potential barrier. The focus of this work was to investigate the influence of the environmental conditions on the surface band bending in nanoporous silicon (NPS), as well as some other nanostructured materials, using transient surface photovoltage – a non-destructive and highly surface-sensitive experimental probe. The potential barrier in NPS was monitored in a wide range of pressures, going down to high vacuum, and in a variety of gases. Due to the different rates of physisorption and chemisorption processes, we observed a coexistence of multiple components in the SPV transients occurring on different time scales and under different ambient conditions. We suggested a model elucidating the roles of intrinsic or extrinsic states in the surface transport properties of NPS. The importance of results is discussed in relation to potential applications of the studied materials in optoelectronic gas sensors. In order to distinguish between different surface charge transport processes affected by adsorption/desorption, we employed monochromatic illumination using several different wavelengths for selective excitation of these processes and compared these results with the ones observed for a polychromatic illumination containing both superand sub-bandgap wavelengths. The scaling of transient SPV onset slopes in NPS vs. the excitation intensity was found to deviate from the linear dependence commonly observed in conventional bulk semiconductors. Considering driftand diffusion-mediated surface charge redistribution, we discuss possible reasons for such discrepancy in nanoscale materials. We also performed transient SPV measurements for NPS filled with magnetic metal nanoparticles, in vacuum and non-vacuum environments, and found that the embedded filler does not affect the photoresponse of the material, a finding beneficial to potential dual spintronic/sensor applications. Finally, using similar approaches, we compared results obtained for some other nanomaterials with those described above, and demonstrated that the behavior observed for NPS is not generic, but rather unique and germane to NPS.


To construct a genetic linkage map of the heterothallic yeast, Cryptococcus neoformans (Filobasidiella neoformans), we crossed two mating-compatible strains and analyzed 94 progeny for the segregation of 301 polymorphic markers, consisting of 228 restriction site polymorphisms, 63 microsatellites, two indels, and eight mating-type (MAT)-associated markers. All but six markers showed no significant (P < 0.05) segregation distortion. At a minimum LOD score of 6.0 and a maximum recombination frequency of 0.30, 20 linkage groups were resolved, resulting in a map length of ∼1500 cM. Average marker density is 5.4 cM (range 1–28.7 cM). Hybridization of selected markers to blots of electrophoretic karyotypes unambiguously assigned all linkage groups to chromosomes and led us to conclude that the C. neoformans genome is ∼20.2 Mb, comprising 14 chromosomes ranging in size from 0.8 to 2.3 Mb, with a ratio of ∼13.2 kb/cM averaged across the genome. However, only 2 of 12 ungrouped markers hybridized to chromosome 10. The hybridizations revealed at least one possible reciprocal translocation involving chromosomes 8, 9, and 12. This map has been critical to genome sequence assembly and will be essential for future studies of quantitative trait inheritance.


Postprint This is the accepted version of a paper published in Translation and Interpreting Studies. This paper has been peer-reviewed but does not include the final publisher proof-corrections or journal pagination. Access to the published version may require subscription. This article addresses the relationship between text and paratext in the publication history of Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita. Such paratexts include Nabokov's own afterword to the 1958 American edition and his postscript (published in 1967) to his own translation of Lolita into Russian, as well as various introductions and afterwords, both in English-language editions and in translations of Lolita into Russian and other languages. A particularly interesting type of paratext is constituted by annotations to the main text, and the analysis focuses on parallel examples published in annotated editions of Lolita in English, Russian, Polish, German, Ukrainian, and French. The analysis shows that the most detailed annotations concerning the totality of the English and Russian Lolita text and paratexts can be found in editions published in languages other than English and Russian, whereas most English or Russian editions seem to focus on the respective language version. There is still no complete, annotated edition of the bilingual text containing all the authorial paratexts.


Recent epidemiological and clinical data suggest that persons with low folic acid levels and elevated homocysteine levels are at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanism is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that impaired one-carbon metabolism resulting from folic acid deficiency and high homocysteine levels promotes accumulation of DNA damage and sensitizes neurons to amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) toxicity. Incubation of hippocampal cultures in folic acid-deficient medium or in the presence of methotrexate (an inhibitor of folic acid metabolism) or homocysteine induced cell death and rendered neurons vulnerable to death induced by Aβ. Methyl donor deficiency caused uracil misincorporation and DNA damage and greatly potentiated Aβ toxicity as the result of reduced repair of Aβ-induced oxidative modification of DNA bases. When maintained on a folic acid-deficient diet, amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutant transgenic mice, but not wild-type mice, exhibited increased cellular DNA damage and hippocampal neurodegeneration. Levels of Aβ were unchanged in the brains of folate-deficient APP mutant mice. Our data suggest that folic acid deficiency and homocysteine impair DNA repair in neurons, which sensitizes them to oxidative damage induced by Aβ.


The state of the skeleton was studied in 62 patients with otosclerosis to investigate diagnostic potentialities of 99mTc-phosphonium, of them in 34 patients the diagnosis was confirmed at operation. 38 patients suffered from acute and chronic otitis media, 18 from cochlear neuritis, 4 from Meniere's disease. Scintigraphic imaging was processed quantitatively. When comparing skeleton images of the patients and persons of the control group (25 persons) it was established that radionuclide investigation of the bones with 99mTc-phosphonium of patients with hypoacusis was a highly informative method for determination of a degree of disorder of the temporal bone. Systemic bone affection was observed in otosclerosis. Considerable RP fixation was found in patients with an active course of the otosclerotic process. A group of patients in whom hypoacusis was combined with disorder of the osseous capsule, was detected among the patients with acoustic neuritis. Scintigraphy with 99mTc-phosphonium was recommended as an obligatory diagnostic procedure for patients with hypoacusis.


: Microscopy of gram-stained impression smears is used for the rapid diagnosis of microorganisms in the wound. The shin tissues of patient P. with suspected gas gangrene of lower extremity soft tissues were microscopically found to have gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that were morphologically similar to C. bifermentans that were identified as C. septicum on cultural diagnosis. The pathogenic C. septicum strain spores were likely to be formed in the macroorganism upon exposure of the pathogen to a patient's defense factors and to a package of therapeutic measures. Microbiological data should be used only in combination with clinical and instrumental findings and the results of other laboratory studies when the optimal technology is chosen to treat gas infection. By keeping in mind that there may be clostridial gangrene in the patients and the experience of clinicians and bacteriologists may be insufficient in diagnosing this pathology, it is necessary to strengthen the training of physicians in the diagnosis of this pathology.


The R package CFC performs cause-specific, competing-risk survival analysis by computing cumulative incidence functions from unadjusted, cause-specific survival functions. A high-level API in CFC enables end-to-end survival and competing-risk analysis, using a single-line function call, based on the parametric survival regression models in the survival package. A low-level API allows users to achieve more flexibility by supplying their custom survival functions, perhaps in a Bayesian setting. Utility methods for summarizing and plotting the output allow population-average cumulative incidence functions to be calculated, visualized and compared to unadjusted survival curves. Numerical and computational optimization strategies are employed for efficient and reliable computation of the coupled integrals involved. To address potential integrable singularities caused by infinite cause-specific hazards, particularly near time-from-index of zero, integrals are transformed to remove their dependency on hazard functions, making them solely functions of causespecific, unadjusted survival functions. This implicit variable transformation also provides for easier extensibility of CFC to handle custom survival models since it only requires the users to implement a maximum of one function per cause. The transformed integrals are numerically calculated using a generalization of Simpson's rule to handle the implicit change of variable from time to survival, while a generalized trapezoidal rule is used as reference for error calculation. An OpenMP-parallelized, efficient C++ implementation - using packages Rcpp and RcppArmadillo - makes the application of CFC in Bayesian settings practical, where a potentially large number of samples represent the posterior distribution of cause-specific survival functions.


Abstract. Disproportional warming in the northern high latitudes and large carbon stocks in boreal and (sub)arctic ecosystems have raised concerns as to whether substantial positive climate feedbacks from biogeochemical process responses should be expected. Such feedbacks occur when increasing temperatures lead, for example, to a net release of CO2 or CH4. However, temperature-enhanced emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) have been shown to contribute to the growth of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which is known to have a negative radiative climate effect. Combining measurements in Eastern Siberia with model-based estimates of vegetation and permafrost dynamics, BVOC emissions, and aerosol growth, we assess here possible future changes in ecosystem CO2 balance and BVOC–SOA interactions and discuss these changes in terms of possible climate effects. Globally, the effects of changes in Siberian ecosystem CO2 balance and SOA formation are small, but when concentrating on Siberia and the Northern Hemisphere the negative forcing from changed aerosol direct and indirect effects become notable – even though the associated temperature response would not necessarily follow a similar spatial pattern. While our analysis does not include other important processes that are of relevance for the climate system, the CO2 and BVOC–SOA interplay serves as an example for the complexity of the interactions between emissions and vegetation dynamics that underlie individual terrestrial processes and highlights the importance of addressing ecosystem–climate feedbacks in consistent, process-based model frameworks.


The major envelope glycoprotein genes (ORF5) of seven Czech isolates of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) were amplified and their nucleotide sequences were determined. ORF5 displayed nucleotide and amino acid identities of 87.5-100% and 87. 6-100%, respectively, among the isolates. In a phylogenetic tree, all European isolates were grouped in a genotype distinct from that of reference American strains (VR-2332, IAF-Klop). Among the European isolates, two different clades were identified. Two Czech isolates (V-501 and V-503) and Italian strain PRRSV 2156 fell into one clade. The remaining European strains comprised the second clade. Surprisingly, two separately clustered strains (V-501 and V-516) were isolated from the same herd. Additionally, the possible effect of in vitro cultivation on the nucleotide sequence was analysed. Nine point mutations in the ORF5 region resulted from 152 in vitro passages of the V-502 isolate in MARC-145 cells.


This research stems from efforts to infuse quantitative literacy (QL) in an online version of college algebra. College algebra fulfills the QL requirement of many college's general education programs, and is a terminal course for most who take it. In light of the course's traditional content and teaching methods, students often leave with few QL gains. An online problem-based learning environment provides a unique means of engaging students in quantitative discussions and research, yet little research exists on online courses in the context of QL. This study examined a lecture-based college algebra course versus an online, QL-focused section.Students in each section took the QLRA and responded to an open-ended prompt regarding their mathematical disposition during the first and final weeks of the fall 2014 semester. There were statistically significant gains in the online students' QLRA performance but none for the face-to-face students. Qualitative analysis of the responses revealed drastic differences in students' attitudes and their outlook on what utility mathematics has to offer. Implications include that project-based learning in an online environment is a promising strategy for fostering QL in terminal math courses; the study also highlights the need for accountability of QL outcomes in math departments nationwide.


Under existing tax and benefit rules, households on low-to-middle incomes frequently face
high rates of withdrawal of state support as they increase their earnings. The introduction of the Universal Credit does not fundamentally change this situation,
though there will be a complex mix of winners and losers. For households with the lowest earnings, the very highest withdrawal rates (where each
additional £1 of income is reduced by 90p or more) will be abolished. However for others,
withdrawal rates will get steeper (rising from 70 per cent to 76 per cent for existing tax
credit recipients). Under reasonable assumptions about the structure of the future system, full-time workers
on low wages will tend to be better-off under Universal Credit if they are supporting
partners and children , but slightly worse-off if they are single. Lone parents working less
than 16 hours a week will benefit, but those working longer than this will be worse-off.
People who are not working will have increased incentives to do small amounts of work if
they do not have a working partner, but in many cases less incentive if their partner does
work. The precise pattern of winners and losers is highly sensitive to as yet unresolved
details of the Universal Credit, such as how the childcare tax credit will be replaced.
The nature and level of childcare support introduced will affect the ability of many
families with children to earn a reasonable income, and determine whether work
continues to pay.


This essay contributes responds to David Blake's re-envisioning of university popular music curricula. In what follows, I engage with Blake's suggestions for a post-hip hop pedagogical toolkit and propose ways to expand the discussion to encompass a larger holistic examination of popular music curricula. More specifically, I consider external factors that affect pedagogical choices and examine how specific course objectives and assessments might look in the context of Blake's proposed materialist discourse.


Autonomous chemical sensing platforms capable of operating independently for long periods of time (months, years) at an acceptable cost are not currently available, and it can be argued performance has not advanced significantly despite decades of intensive research. The key issue is how to maintain such devices within calibration, and to validate their calibration status remotely.
New approaches to controlling sample and reagent movement in microchannels could play a central role in the realisation of autonomous chemical sensing platforms with capabilities that go well beyond those of existing sensor technologies. Our capacity to create and characterise structures with 3D spatial control ranging from molecular scale through nano, to micro and even macro-dimensions opens exciting new opportunities to understand and mimic the molecular world of biology and chemistry. For example, Figure 1 shows complex 3D structures formed from soft gel-polymers with sub-micron resolution, enabling pores with pre-determined topographies to be created within films and beads. When these polymers incorporate a photo-switchable or chemo-switchable moiety, the pore dimensions can be controlled using light or changes in the local chemical environment. This in turn enables uptake or transfer of material through the pores to be controlled, in a manner similar to many bio-systems.
Furthermore, nano-dimensioned features can be created inside microfluidic channels to produce soft polymer actuators for fluid control, or channels with switchable characteristics such as surface roughness [1], or controlled uptake and release of molecular guests. In addition, fluidic coatings can optically report their condition (e.g. whether they are in binding or passive form, or molecular guests are bound) reflecting the chemical status along the entire length of the fluidic system, rather than at a localised detector [2]. The same characteristics can be integrated into micro-vehicles such as droplets, beads and vesicles, or microrobots that can also move spontaneously or be externally directed to specific locations, where they can perform tasks such as autonomous leak detection and repair [3, 4]. Such advanced functions mimic the active behaviour of cells in our own circulation systems, and perhaps provide the pre-cursor to developing analytical devices in which the fluidic system plays a much more active role in condition diagnostics and maintenance in order to extend the functional lifetime of autonomous devices far beyond the current state of the art.


Three simple models of synchronous hardware are given; using linear discrete, branching discrete and branching real time. A simple notion of abstraction is introduced, motivated by the need to ultimately view such models as scientiic theories that make empirical predictions. It makes the signiicance of design rules explicit. Two abstractions from the branching discrete to the linear discrete model are given. They shed some light on the roles of consistency, deadlock and determinacy. The stronger of the two depends on a notion of dynamic type for processes which ensures deadlock freedom. A reasonably strong abstraction from the branching real to the branching discrete model is given. This depends on a ner notion of type which is a reasonably physically plausible formalisation of the timing properties of certain real components.


BACKGROUND
We and others have recently shown that tumor characteristics are altered throughout tumor progression. These findings emphasize the need for re-examination of tumor characteristics at relapse and have led to recommendations from ESMO and the Swedish Breast Cancer group. Here, we aim to determine whether tumor characteristics and molecular subtypes in breast cancer metastases confer clinically relevant prognostic information for patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The translational aspect of the Swedish multicenter randomized trial called TEX included 111 patients with at least one biopsy from a morphologically confirmed locoregional or distant breast cancer metastasis diagnosed from December 2002 until June 2007. All patients had detailed clinical information, complete follow-up, and metastasis gene expression information (Affymetrix array GPL10379). We assessed the previously published gene expression modules describing biological processes [proliferation, apoptosis, human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2) and estrogen (ER) signaling, tumor invasion, immune response, and angiogenesis] and pathways (Ras, MAPK, PTEN, AKT-MTOR, PI3KCA, IGF1, Src, Myc, E2F3, and β-catenin) and the intrinsic subtypes (PAM50). Furthermore, by contrasting genes expressed in the metastases in relation to survival, we derived a poor metastasis survival signature.

RESULTS
A significant reduction in post-relapse breast cancer-specific survival was associated with low-ER receptor signaling and apoptosis gene module scores, and high AKT-MTOR, Ras, and β-catenin module scores. Similarly, intrinsic subtyping of the metastases provided statistically significant post-relapse survival information with the worst survival outcome in the basal-like [hazard ratio (HR) 3.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-10.9] and HER2-enriched (HR 4.4; 95% CI 1.5-12.8) subtypes compared with the luminal A subtype. Overall, 25% of the metastases were basal-like, 32% HER2-enriched, 10% luminal A, 28% luminal B, and 5% normal-like.

CONCLUSIONS
We show that tumor characteristics and molecular subtypes of breast cancer metastases significantly influence post-relapse patient survival, emphasizing that molecular investigations at relapse provide prognostic and clinically relevant information. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: This is the translational part of the Swedish multicenter and randomized trial TEX, clinicaltrials.gov identifier nct01433614 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/nct01433614).


Defined benefit (DB) pension plans are, in principle, the best vehicles for delivering retirement income, but the structure that is substituting for them—the defined contribution (DC) plan—has, to this point, delivered uneven and often inadequate results. The authors believe that DC sponsors can do much better in the future by adopting the best features of DB plans while maintaining many important advantages of DC plans. They show how outcomes for investors using DC plans can be greatly improved.


: The histotopographic features of the structure of the upper and lower layers of the tentorium cerebelli and the range of the age and individual variability of its dimensions were studied on 152 preparations. The main neuro-vascular structures are located in the lower layer of the tentorium. Two extreme forms of the structure of the neuro-vascular bundle are distinguished: main-line and spreading. Various localizations of the tentorial bundle are described: lateral, medial, and separate bilateral. A zone of the tentorium cerebelli that is relatively poor in vessels and nerves and comparatively favourable for incision is established. Measurements of the tentorium cerebelli according to age and sex made it possible to determine the optimum length of its incisions.


Constructions of space-frequency (SF) codes for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems with nt transmit antennas and Q subcarriers are considered in this paper. Following the pairwise-error-probability analysis, it is known that in addition to the conventional rank distance criterion, the minimum column distance of (nttimesQ) SF codes serves as another benchmark in code design. SF codes with larger minimum column distance are expected to have better performance. Following this principle, the rate-diversity tradeoff for the MIMO-OFDM channels as well as two SF code constructions are presented. The first construction is obtained by right-multiplying the code matrices in a maximal rank-distance (MRD) code by a fixed (QtimesQ) nonsingular matrix. Codes obtained from this construction are called linearly transformed MRD (LT-MRD) codes. Minimum column distance of the LT-MRD codes, when averaged over all code ensembles, is shown to meet the Gilbert-Varshamov bound. For the case of constructing the (2times256) quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK)-modulated SF codes, it is shown that the LT-MRD codes can provide a much larger minimum column distance at the value of ges50, compared to the values of 3,5, or 6 obtained by other available constructions. The second code construction, termed cyclotomic construction, is reminiscent of the construction of the Reed-Solomon codes except that the code polynomials are now selected according to the cyclotomic cosets of the underlying field. Exact minimum rank distances of the resultant codes are presented. It is shown that this newly constructed code is asymptotically optimal in terms of rate-diversity tradeoff. Bounds on the minimum column distance of these codes are also given


The analysis of closed claims and litigations can
provide an invaluable tool to improve patient safety by minimizing adverse
anesthesia-related outcomes. Analysis of collective data describing such claims
is integral to develop new guidelines aimed to reduce adverse anesthesia-related
events. In this study, we give a descriptive analysis of anesthesia-related claims
at the Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA. The study analyzed different
components in anesthesia-related closed claims and litigations such as medical,
demographic and socio-economic factors. From 67,000 procedures in
anesthesiology care provider, related cases claims were made in 0.057%
(38/67,000) of all cases. The majority of claims involved procedures involving
Caucasian females aged 51-55 years. The highest risk periods involved early shift
times during Monday and Tuesday, particularly of procedures performed during
August. About 33% of all cases in which death occurred involved patients who
received an Obstetrics/Gynecology or an Orthopedic procedure under general
anesthesia. The majority of closed claims and litigations cases were
distributed between procedures treating nerves injuries and anoxic
encephalopathy. The OR and PACU at urban hospitals had the highest claim rates.
MD anesthesiologists constituted the lowest proportion of all anesthesia
providers involved in closed claims incidents. The average compensation paid
was predominately in the range of $200,000-$250,000. In addition to reporting
anesthesia related factors involved in closed claims and litigations this study
also includes a series of recommendations which may work as a framework for
improving anesthesia practices.


An entirely new functional material named photonic fractal has been developed. It can strongly localize electromagnetic waves in a dielectric fractal cube called Menger sponge without reflection and transmission. The wavelength and frequency of the localized mode can be predicted using a simple equation associated with the fractal geometry and the spatially averaged dielectric constant of the Menger sponge structure. A wide variety of applications to communication, information, energy, sensing, medical care, and other fields are considered. Design and fabrication of Menger sponge fractals with epoxy resin and ceramics, their electromagnetic wave responses, integration of photonic fractals as well as potential applications are reported.


In a significant early case, the ICTY commented: "The essence of the whole corpus of international humanitarian law as well as human rights law lies in the protection of the human dignity of every person… The general principle of respect for human dignity is... the very raison d'etre of international humanitarian law and human rights law."Is it true that international humanitarian law and international human rights law share the same "essence," and that essence is the general principle of respect for human dignity? Is it true that, in the words of Charles Beitz, humanitarian law is "perhaps better described as the law of 'human rights in armed conflicts'"? To answer yes, I argue, amounts to a reinterpretation of IHL that drifts far from its history. This reinterpretation is what I label human rights thinking (to distinguish it from doctrinal specifics). In its origins, IHL was not designed to protect human dignity, but to reduce human suffering; it was a form of disaster relief. Human rights law, by contrast, originated as a blueprint for the kind of peacetime societies that would no longer plunge the world into what the UN Charter calls the "untold sorrow" of war.Nevertheless, law changes. Perhaps the nature of IHL has evolved over time in the direction of human rights thinking, and should evolve that way. That is the view I defend – with some qualifications – in the final sections of this essay. First, I explore the very different genealogies of IHL and human rights law, and explain how human rights thinking migrated into IHL. I attribute the migration to international criminal law, military occupations, and reactions to the U.S. war on terrorism. In the final sections, I explore two ways human rights thinking can be pursued in wars. One of them, I will argue, overplays and overestimates what human rights thinking can accomplish. It does so by, in effect, willing away fundamental differences between war and peace. The other is an approach that I have defended for more than three decades. It consists, at bottom, of taking a civilian's-eye view of the disasters of war and reading the law accordingly – recognizing, one might say, that Mother Courage and her children matter just as much to the law of war as Henry V and his band of brothers.


Many engineering problems are governed by partial differential equations which can be solved by analytical as well as numerical methods, and examples include the plasticity problem of a geotechnical system, seepage problem and elasticity problem. Although the governing differential equations can be solved by either iterative finite difference method or finite element, there are however limitations to these methods in some special cases which will be discussed in the present paper. The solutions of these governing differential equations can all be viewed as the stationary value of a functional. Using an approximate solution as the initial solution, the stationary value of the functional can be obtained easily by modern global optimization method. Through the comparisons between analytical solutions and fine mesh finite element analysis, the use of global optimization method will be demonstrated to be equivalent to the solutions of the governing partial differential equations. The use of global optimization method can be an alternative to the finite difference/ finite element method in solving an engineering problem, and it is particularly attractive when an approximate solution is available or can be estimated easily.


Some programs are doubly-generic. For example, map is datatype-generic in that many different data structures support a mapping operation. A generic programming language like Generic Haskell can use a single definition to generate map for each type. However, map is also arity-generic because it belongs to a family of related operations that differ in the number of arguments. For lists, this family includes repeat, map, zipWith, zipWith3, zipWith4, etc. With dependent types or clever programming, one can unify all of these functions together in a single definition.
 However, no one has explored the combination of these two forms of genericity. These two axes are not orthogonal because the idea of arity appears in Generic Haskell: datatype-generic versions of repeat, map and zipWith have different arities of kind-indexed types. In this paper, we define arity-generic datatype-generic programs by building a framework for Generic Haskell-style generic programming in the dependently-typed programming language Agda 2.


The implementation of technology and, in particular, eCommerce technologies has had unforeseen consequences for the relationship between managers and employees. To be able to operate in an increasingly global and competitive environment, retail banks have had to develop new ways of dealing with their employees. Issues have arisen that have necessitated a rethink in the way employees interact with customers and this, in turn, has required changes to human resource strategies. The question we address in this paper is what are the employee capabilities and qualities retail banks must develop to satisfy both more sophisticated customers (who demand flexibility of interactions, responsiveness and convenience) as well as the organisation's own needs (including expanded sales opportunities, cost containment or reduction and customer loyalty) when implementing eCommerce technologies. The paper discusses two case studies illustrating some of the issues with which banks, as service organisations, have had to deal. These two banks have taken rather different approaches in their use of technology to interact with their customers and this has implications for the way they manage their employees who deal with those customers.


Objective
To investigate the clinical feature and treatment outcome of paediatric posttraumatic endophthalmitis.

Methods
A retrospective case study was performed.Twenty-six paediatric posttraumatic endophthalmitis children with 26 eyes were enrolled in Shandong Eye Hospital from April 2014 to April 2017.The clinical features, causes of trauma, time and mode of treatment, complications and visual acuity were analyzed.The subjects were graded according to the prognostic status, and the prognosis of the children was compared among different treatment time, vitrectomy time, operation frequency and antibiotic application.

Results
Of 26 cases, including 20 males and 6 females, aged from 1 year to 13 years, the average age was (6.56±3.25) years. The subjects were divided into infant group (2 cases, 7.69%), preschool group (10 cases, 38.46%) and school age group (14 cases, 53.85%). The main cause of injury was wire, accounting for 34.62% (9/26). Syringe needles accounted for 15.38% (4/26). Fireworks accounted for 11.54% (3/26). All of the 26 cases received vitrectomy, 24 cases combined with lens extraction (92.31%). Among the 26 cases, 8 cases had no primary visual acuity record; in the remaining 18 cases, the visual acuity at last follow-up was significantly improved when compared with the preoperative primary visual acuity (χ2=7.385, P=0.033). The positive rate of pathogenic bacteria culture in aqueous humor and vitreous humor was 23.08%(6/26), gram-positive cocci was the main pathogenic bacteria of posttraumatic endophthalmitis, which account for 83.3% (5/6). The prognostic grade was grade 1 in 15 cases (57.7%), grade 2 in 7 cases (26.9%) and grade 3 in 4 cases (15.4%). There were significant differences in the number of prognostic grading cases among children with different hospitalizing time or vitrectomy time (all at P<0.05). The hospitalizing time, time of vitrectomy, number of operations and systemic application of antibiotics were positively correlated with the prognosis grade (rs=0.580, 0.414, 0.428, 0.535; all at P<0.05).

Conclusions
Children with posttraumatic endophthalmitis should undergo vitrectomy as early as possible, which can receive better prognosis.

Key words:
Children; Posttraumatic endophthalmitis; Vitrectomy; Clinical manifestation; Outcome


Agriculture is associated with many of the leading threats to freshwater ecosystems, which are the most threatened environments on Earth. The overarching goal of my dissertation was to advance our understanding of the relationships between agricultural landscape structure and aquatic biodiversity and water quality, to identify potential management options for farmland aquatic ecosystems. In Chapter 2, I investigated the responses of anurans to agricultural landscape structure, with the particular goal of testing predictions about the influence of farmland compositional and configurational heterogeneity. I found that, while forest cover was the strongest predictor of anuran richness and abundance, farmland configurational heterogeneity was also positively related to abundance. In Chapter 3, I investigated the direct and indirect relationships between agricultural landscape structure and different physicochemical and biological measures of water quality in farmland drainage ditches. I found that physicochemical water quality was most strongly related to landscape composition, specifically, amounts of forest cover and high-intensity crop cover in the surrounding landscape. I also found support for a positive direct relationship between a biological measure of water quality, macroinvertebrate richness, and configurational heterogeneity, and indirect relationships between macroinvertebrate richness and landscape composition. In Chapter 4, I examined whether macroinvertebrate traits can be used as reliable indicators of elevated levels of specific agrichemical pollutants in farmland drainage ditches. My results suggested that macroinvertebrate indicators are probably less efficient than rigorous chemical sampling for the monitoring of specific contaminants in farm wetlands. Taken together, my results suggest that landscape management to support farmland aquatic ecosystems should focus mainly on landscape composition; in particular, agri-environmental policies should aim to increase or maintain amounts of non-crop cover such as forest, and reduce or maintain low amounts of high-intensity crop cover. My results also suggest that increasing farmland configurational heterogeneity, through reducing crop field sizes/increasing edge density, can be an effective management option to enhance aquatic biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. In addition, my results indicate a need for more management actions in our region to reduce nutrient pollution, and stronger policies for routine water quality data collection, as well as establishment and enforcement of water quality standards.


A predistorter-high power amplifier (PD-HPA) pair has become a common practice in wireless communication to compensate for nonlinear distortion due to HPA. However, the PD-HPA pair still produces severe signal distortion when the input signal exceeds the PD-HPA's saturation level. The effects of such distortion on bit error rate (BER) degradation in downlink direct sequence-code division multiple access signals (DS-CDMA) are analyzed. We establish which signal characteristics at the HPA input are the factors contributing to BER. Assuming that the baseband CDMA signal is characterized as a complex Gaussian process, we develop analytic expressions for the BER and the contributing factors to BER.


Knowledge is the resource that contributes the most to an organisation's competitiveness. Construction projects usually introduce project teams from different disciplines. Hence, knowledge in projects is complex and difficult to manage. To efficiently manage knowledge in projects, various strategies and tools have been applied over the years to support knowledge management (KM). Building information modelling (BIM) is a technology that has recently gained a lot of attention in the construction industry. The main feature of BIM is object-oriented and parametric modelling with the functions of dynamic visualisation, life cycle simulation, early analysis, coordination and collaborative working. Many studies have explored the functions of BIM mainly at the information level. However, only a few studies have considered the management of knowledge in a BIM environment. To fill this knowledge gap, this study explored the potential and expectation of a BIM-based system for early collaboration among contractor, facility management (FM) and design teams in the design stage. This study chose semi-structured interview as the main method to collect qualitative information. A total of 30 experts working in the construction industry were interviewed. On the basis of the analysis results of the collected information, a discussion was presented on how BIM can facilitate KM activities and relieve KM challenges. Therefore, the discussion focused on the requirements and expectations of the integrated KM system in a BIM environment that can facilitate the early involvement of construction contractors and the FM team into the design stage. This study also provides a new research direction for the transformation of research focus from BIM to building knowledge modelling. This paper is the revised version of the paper that has been published in the proceedings of the Creative Construction Conference 2018 (Wang et al., 2018).


While there have been many studies of how to schedule applications to take advantage of increasing numbers of cores in modern-day multicore processors, few have focused on multi-threaded managed language applications which are prevalent from the embedded to the server domain. Managed languages complicate performance studies because they have additional virtual machine threads that collect garbage and dynamically compile, closely interacting with application threads. Further complexity is introduced as modern multicore machines have multiple sockets and dynamic frequency scaling options, broadening opportunities to reduce both power and running time.
 In this paper, we explore the performance of Java applications, studying how best to map application and virtual machine (JVM) threads to a multicore, multi-socket environment. We explore both the cost of separating JVM threads from application threads, and the opportunity to speed up or slow down the clock frequency of isolated threads. We perform experiments with the multi-threaded DaCapo benchmarks and pseudojbb2005 running on the Jikes Research Virtual Machine, on a dual-socket, 8-core Intel Nehalem machine to reveal several novel, and sometimes counter-intuitive, findings. We believe these insights are a first but important step towards understanding and optimizing managed language performance on modern hardware.


A two-phase laminated composite was prepared by stacking one layer of thicknesspolarized 1−3 piezoelectric composite (PECP) plate between two layers of length-magnetized 1−3 magnetostrictive composite (MSCP) plates in the thickness direction. The PECP plate consisted of 0.68 volume-fraction PZT bars embedded in Spurr epoxy matrix, while the MSCP plates comprised 0.51 volume-fraction Terfenol-D particles embedded and magnetically aligned in Spurr epoxy matrix. The dielectric, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties of the laminate were measured as a function of both frequency and magnetic bias field. A giant magnetoelectric voltage coefficient ( αE) of 15.4 V/cm·Oe was observed at the resonance frequency of ~59 kHz under a relatively low bias field of 0.75 kOe. This resonance αE was ~30 times larger than its non-resonance values, showing promising application of the proposed laminate in magnetoelectric conversion devices.