Abstract As suggested by recent empirical evidence, one of the causes behind the widespread rise of inequality experienced by OECD countries in the last few decades may have been the increased flexibility of labor markets. The authors explore this hypothesis through the analysis of a stock-flow consistent agent-based macroeconomic model able to reproduce with good statistical precision several empirical regularities. They employ three different sensitivity analysis techniques, which indicate that increasing job contract duration (i.e. decreasing flexibility) has the effect of reducing income and wealth inequality. However, the authors also find that this effect is diminished by tight monetary policy and low credit supply. The last result suggests that the final outcome of structural reforms aimed at changing labor flexibility can depend on the macroeconomic environment in which these are implemented.


Recently, the leading performance of human pose estimation is dominated by top-down methods. Being a fundamental component in training and inference, data processing has not been systematically considered in pose estimation community, to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, we focus on this problem and find that the devil of top-down pose estimator is in the biased data processing. Specifically, by investigating the standard data processing in state-of-the-art approaches mainly including data transformation and encoding-decoding, we find that the results obtained by common flipping strategy are unaligned with the original ones in inference. Moreover, there is statistical error in standard encoding-decoding during both training and inference. Two problems couple together and significantly degrade the pose estimation performance. Based on quantitative analyses, we then formulate a principled way to tackle this dilemma. Data is processed in continuous space based on unit length (the intervals between pixels) instead of in discrete space with pixel, and a combined classification and regression approach is adopted to perform encoding-decoding. The Unbiased Data Processing (UDP) for human pose estimation can be achieved by combining the two together. UDP not only boosts the performance of existing methods by a large margin but also plays a important role in result reproducing and future exploration. As a model-agnostic approach, UDP promotes SimpleBaseline-ResNet50-256x192 by 1.5 AP (70.2 to 71.7) and HRNet-W32-256x192 by 1.7 AP (73.5 to 75.2) on COCO test-dev set. The HRNet-W48-384x288 equipped with UDP achieves 76.5 AP and sets a new state-of-the-art for human pose estimation. The source code is publicly available for further research.


We study stochastic gradient descent (SGD) with local iterations in the presence of Byzantine clients, motivated by federated learning. The clients, instead of communicating with the server in every iteration, maintain their local models, which they update by taking several SGD iterations based on their own datasets and then communicate the net update with the server, thereby achieving communication efficiency. Furthermore, only a subset of clients communicates with the server at synchronization times. The Byzantine clients may collude and send arbitrary vectors to the server to disrupt the learning process. To combat the adversary, we employ an efficient high-dimensional robust mean estimation algorithm at the server to filter-out corrupt vectors; and to analyze the outlier-filtering procedure, we develop a novel matrix concentration result that may be of independent interest. We provide convergence analyses for both strongly-convex and non-convex smooth objectives in the heterogeneous data setting. We believe that ours is the first Byzantine-resilient local SGD algorithm and analysis with non-trivial guarantees. We corroborate our theoretical results with experiments for neural network training.


5 Abstract: In todays era, information security is an important aspect in which data is secure from unauthenticated user. Unsuspected victim attacks the information for economic gain, individual gain and for other illegal activities. Phishing is one of them in which unauthenticated person tries to thieve personal confidential information. To avoid these illegal activities we have projected a new paper "An Anti-Phishing Framework Using Visual Cryptography". In this, image is generated which after exploit, decomposed into two shares. One share is kept with user and other with server. And when it requires that is at the time of login at particular site two shares are combined together to form original image. The image form by combining two shares will state that current site is not a Phishing site and also identify that user is authenticated one. So data can be secured from unsuspected person.


A time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) approach coupled with 14 different exchange-correlation functionals was used for the prediction of vertical excitation energies in zinc phthalocyanine (PcZn). In general, the TDDFT approach provides a more accurate description of both visible and ultraviolet regions of the UV-vis and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of PcZn in comparison to the more popular semiempirical ZINDO/S and PM3 methods. It was found that the calculated vertical excitation energies of PcZn correlate with the amount of Hartree-Fock exchange involved in the exchange-correlation functional. The correlation was explained on the basis of the calculated difference in energy between occupied and unoccupied molecular orbitals. The influence of PcZn geometry, optimized using different exchange-correlation functionals, on the calculated vertical excitation energies in PcZn was found to be relatively small. The influence of solvents on the calculated vertical excitation energies in PcZn was considered for the first time using a polarized continuum model TDDFT (PCM-TDDFT) method and was found to be relatively small in excellent agreement with the experimental data. For all tested TDDFT and PCM-TDDFT cases, an assignment of the Q-band as an almost pure a1u (HOMO)-->eg (LUMO) transition, initially suggested by Gouterman, was confirmed. Pure exchange-correlation functionals indicate the presence of six 1Eu states in the B-band region of the UV-vis spectrum of PcZn, while hybrid exchange-correlation functionals predict only five 1Eu states for the same energy envelope. The first two symmetry-forbidden n-->pi* transitions were predicted in the Q0-2 region and in the low-energy tail of the B-band, while the first two symmetry-allowed n-->pi* transitions were found within the B-band energy envelope when pure exchange-correlation functionals were used for TDDFT calculations. The presence of a symmetry-forbidden but vibronically allowed n-->pi* transition in the Q0-2 spectral envelope explains the long-time controversy between the experimentally observed low-intensity transition in the Q0-2 region and previous semiempirical and TDDFT calculations, which were unable to predict any electronic transitions in this area. To prove the conceptual possibility of the presence of several degenerate 1Eu states in the B-band region of PcZn, room-temperature UV-vis and MCD spectra of zinc tetra-tert-butylphthalocyanine (PctZn) in non-coordinating solvents were recorded and analyzed using band deconvolution analysis. It was found that the B-band region of the UV-vis and MCD spectra of PctZn can be easily deconvoluted using six MCD Faraday A-terms and two MCD Faraday B-terms with energies close to those predicted by TDDFT calculations for 1Eu and 1A2u excited states, respectively. Such a good agreement between theory and experiment clearly indicates the possibility of employing a TDDFT approach for the accurate prediction of vertical excitation energies in phthalocyanines within a large energy range.


Kenya's Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Act has been hailed as one of the most critical legislations and indeed one of the few landmark achievements of the ninth parliament and indeed of the NARC Government. Increasingly, however, concerns about the utilization of funds under this program are emerging. Most of them revolve around issues of allocative efficiency, rampant abuse and mismanagement in CDF operations, which has given rise to an increasing number of complaints from the public. However, while majority of CDF Committees countrywide are embroiled in acrimony and even legal battles, a few enjoy appreciation from their constituents and have even been recognized by various stakeholders for best management practices. These Committees have had excellent performances in the management of the funds towards the achievement of the intended purpose and as such have been able to attain real economic and resources decentralization. The question therefore is why some Constituencies are doing well in managing CDF.The specific objective of the study was to assess the extent to which achievement of CDF objectives has been a success factor in the management of CDF in Gatanga Constituency, one of those that have been rated among the successful ones in the management of CDF. The study, which took place between June, 15 and July 31, 2009 adopted a cross sectional survey to meet its objectives. The population of interest was the various stakeholders in the CDF activities and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive and correlation types of data analysis. The study noted that Constituents generally felt that if CDF was well managed, it would change the face of the country in terms of providing social infrastructure. The study also revealed that though majority of the constituents were generally satisfied with CDF management since it was established in the year 2004. However, management needs improvement in terms of both the projects and resources. Planning, organizing, compositions of CDF committees also require major improvement to bring about more successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. The CDF's National Management Committee (NMC) and Ministry of Finance should also ensure committee compliance to laid out procedures for project selection. It is hoped that the findings of this study will inform national policy dialogues and reforms in the CDF management.


Abstract The turquoise group has the general formula: A0-1B6(PO4)4-x(PO3OH)x(OH)8‧4H2O, where x = 0-2, and consists of six members: planerite, turquoise, faustite, aheylite, chalcosiderite and an unnamed Fe2+-Fe3+ analogue. The existence of 'coeruleolactite' is doubtful. Planerite is revalidated as a species and is characterized by a dominant A-site vacancy. Aheylite is established as a new member of the group, and is characterized by having Fe2+ dominant in the A-site. Chemical analyses of 15 pure samples of microcrystalline planerite, turquoise, and aheylite show that a maximum of two of the (PO4) groups are protonated (PO3OH) in planerite. Complete solid solution exists between planerite and turquoise. Other members of the group show variable A-site vacancy as well. Most samples of 'turquoise' are cation-deficient or are planerite. Direct determination of water indicates that there are 4 molecules of water. Planerite, ideally ⃞ Al6(PO4)2(PO3OH)2(OH)8‧4H2O, is white, pale blue or pale green, and occurs as mamillary, botryoidal crusts as much as several mm thick; may also be massive; microcrystalline, crystals typically 2-4 micrometres, luster chalky to earthy, H. 5, somewhat brittle, no cleavage observed, splintery fracture, Dm 2.68(2), Dc 2.71, not magnetic, not fluorescent, mean RI about 1.60. a 7.505(2), b 9.723(3), c 7.814(2) Å, α 111.43°, β 115.56°, γ 68.69°, V 464.2(1) Å3, Z = 1. Aheylite, ideally Fe2+Al6(PO4)4(OH)8‧4H2O, is pale blue or green, and occurs as isolated and aggregate clumps of hemispherical or spherical, radiating to interlocked masses of crystals that average 3 micrometres in maximum dimension; porcelaneous-subvitreous luster, moderate to brittle tenacity, no cleavage observed, hackly to splintery fracture, not magnetic, not fluorescent, biax. (+), mean RI is about 1.63, Dm 2.84(2), Dc 2.90. a 7.400(1), b 9.896(1), c 7.627(1) Å, α 110.87°, β 115.00°, γ 69.96°, V 460.62(9) Å3, Z = 1.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Acetylation is a widely occurring post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins that plays a crucial role in many cellular physiological and pathological processes. Over the last decade, acetylation analyses required the development of multiple methods to target individual acetylated proteins, as well as to cover a broader description of acetylated proteins that comprise the acetylome. Areas covered: This review discusses the different types of acetylation (N-ter/K-/O-acetylation) and then describes some major strategies that have been reported in the literature to detect, enrich, identify and quantify protein acetylation. The review highlights the advantages and limitations of these strategies, to guide researchers in designing their experimental investigations and analysis of protein acetylation. Finally, this review highlights the main applications of acetylomics (proteomics based on mass spectrometry) for understanding physiological and pathological conditions. Expert opinion: Recent advances in acetylomics have enhanced knowledge of the biological and pathological roles of protein acetylation and the acetylome. Besides, radiolabeling and western blotting remain also techniques-of-choice for targeted protein acetylation. Future challenges in acetylomics to analyze the N-ter and K-acetylome will most likely require enrichment/fractionation, MS instrumentation and bioinformatics. Challenges also remain to identify the potential biological roles of O-acetylation and cross-talk with other PTMs.


ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of x-ray dark-field imaging in projection radiography-based depiction of pneumothoraces in the neonatal murine lung, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that requires a timely and correct diagnosis. Materials and MethodsBy the use of a unique preclinical model, 7-day-old C57Bl/6N mice received mechanical ventilation for 2 or 8 hours with oxygen-rich gas (FIO2 = 0.4; n = 24). Unventilated mice either spontaneously breathed oxygen-rich gas (FIO2 = 0.4) for 2 or 8 hours or room air (n = 22). At the end of the experiment, lungs were inflated with a standardized volume of air after a lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered to the pups. All lungs were imaged with a prototype grating-based small-animal scanner to acquire x-ray transmission and dark-field radiographs. Image contrast between the air-filled pleural space and lung tissue was quantified for both transmission and dark-field radiograms. After the independent expert's assessment, 2 blinded readers evaluated all dark-field and transmission images for the presence or absence of pneumothoraces. Contrast ratios, diagnostic accuracy, as well as reader's confidence and interreader agreement were recorded for both imaging modalities. ResultsEvaluation of both x-ray transmission and dark-field radiographs by independent experts revealed the development of a total of 10 pneumothoraces in 8 mice. Here, the contrast ratio between the air-filled pleural space of the pneumothoraces and the lung tissue was significantly higher in the dark field (8.4 ± 3.5) when compared with the transmission images (5.1 ± 2.8; P < 0.05). Accordingly, the readers' diagnostic confidence for the diagnosis of pneumothoraces was significantly higher for dark-field compared with transmission images (P = 0.001). Interreader agreement improved from moderate for the analysis of transmission images alone (&kgr; = 0.41) to very good when analyzing dark-field images alone (&kgr; = 0.90) or in combination with transmission images (&kgr; = 0.88). Diagnostic accuracy significantly improved for the analysis of dark-field images alone (P = 0.04) or in combination with transmission images (P = 0.02), compared with the analysis of transmission radiographs only. ConclusionsThe significant improvement in contrast ratios between lung parenchyma and free air in the dark-field images allows the facilitated detection of pneumothoraces in the newborn mouse. These preclinical experiments indicate the potential of the technique for future clinical applications.


In previous studies we have shown that those male Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, that as fetuses resided in intrauterine positions (IUPs) located between two female fetuses (2F males) have lower circulating levels of testosterone, less well-developed genital musculature, and lower reproductive success than males gestated in IUPs between two male fetuses (2M males). We have also found that such 2F males spend more time caring for conspecific young than do 2M males, and that presence of a 2F male, but not of a 2M male, with a lactating female and her litter decreases the cost to a dam of suckling one litter while gestating a second litter conceived in postpartum oestrus. Here we show that some 2F males, those with circulating levels of testosterone similar to those seen in females of their species, show no interest in females in oestrus and fail to impregnate females with which they are paired. Such 'asexual' 2F males spend 30-50% more time caring for nestlings than do sexually active 2F males. We suggest that such asexual, highly parental 2F males are incapable of direct reproduction and are obligate helpers at the nest that can contribute to their own fitness only by assisting to rear collateral kin. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.


Study Design Triple blind randomized controlled study. Objective To establish the treatment effect of etanercept in acute sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation. Summary of Background Data Etanercept is a selective competitor of tumor necrosis factor-α which is a proinflammatory cytokine. It is currently used alone or in combination with other medication for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease. Methods Inclusion criteria were acute unilateral radicular leg pain secondary to herniated nucleus pulposus confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging scan. Exclusions were previous back surgery, spinal stenosis and any contraindications to the use of etanercept such as immunosuppression. The patient, the injector, and assessor were blinded to the agent being used. Follow-up was at 6 weeks and 3 months posttreatment. Oswestry disability index and visual analog scores were among the assessment criteria. Results Fifteen patients were recruited in a 4 years period with a 3 months follow-up of 80%. The etanercept group had 8 patients whereas the placebo group had 7. The average Oswestry disability index for the etanercept group preintervention was higher than that in the placebo group (53.6 vs. 50.4) and this remained the same after 6 weeks (46.1 vs. 31.2) and 3 months of follow-up (37 vs. 35). Visual analog score was also higher in the etanercept group versus placebo; preinjection (8.6 vs. 7.4), 6 weeks (5.0 vs. 3.8), and 3 months (4.8 vs. 4.5). Conclusions Small numbers of trial participants limited statistical analysis. The trend appears to show no benefit to the use of etanercept over placebo in the pharmacologic treatment of sciatica.


The effect of 16О → 18О isotope substitution on the properties of Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 manganites doped by Cr and Ru is studied. In these compounds, chromium and ruthenium favor (i) the suppression of a charge-ordered state and (ii) the formation of a ferromagnetic metallic phase. The 16О → 18О isotope substitution leads to the growth of the charge-ordering transition temperature (TCO), and to the lowering of ferromagnetic transition temperature (TFM) accompanied by a decrease in the content of ferromagnetic phase. The difference in the behavior of the Cr- and Ru-substituted samples is analyzed.


Adam Smith, based on his knowledge of issues originally discussed by Plato (Socrates) and Aristotle, which were related to his own knowledge of how the Tulip Bubble, Mississippi Bubble and South Seas Bubble were created, recognized that problems of economic downturns, inflation and deflation could be directly traced to the economic behavior of three categories of economic decision maker, all of whom were members of the upper income class in an economic state. Adam Smith categorized these three types of economic decision makers as "projectors, imprudent risk takers and prodigals." Essentially, all three types of economic decision makers in these categories attempted to make profits (money) without the production of any physical good or service. Such individuals attempted to use other people's money, by leveraging their debt position to obtain bank loans, in order to manipulate the financial titles to physical assets so as to increase the value of the financial asset, irrespective of any increase in the actual underlying value physical asset. Bankers are particularly attracted to such economic decision makers plans because of the possibility of making very quick, short term profits. Any potential long term losses are simply ignored. Following Aristotle's very advanced understanding of how money use or misuse can positively or negatively impact the macro economy, the goal of projectors, imprudent risk takers and prodigals is not C-M-C', but M-C-M' or M-M'. The latter two types of money use are purely speculative in nature. Smith concluded that these categories of individuals should not receive any access to bank loans since the long run results usually led to bank failure with resulting highly negative outcomes and impacts on the macro economy.
Smith then contrasts these types of economic agents with individuals he terms the "sober" people. The "sober" people are middle class, small business owners who desire to obtain bank loans in order to expand their existing business and increase their access to needed resources to make and sell more products. These types of individual are using money in the manner, again pointed out by Aristotle, as being C-M-C', to increase the amount of physical producer and consumer goods they could make in the future. Smith concluded that the great majority of bank credit and loans should be skewed toward these individuals, since this would lead to real economic growth, as opposed to the speculative, purely financial booms and busts engineered by, for instance, projectors such as John Law, Richard Cantillon or Andrew Dexter, Jr. early in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Smith conceived of the central bank as being independent of the private banking industry and the government. It could then enforce a policy of refusing to let private banks make loans to "projectors, imprudent risk takers and prodigals", while simultaneously encouraging the granting of bank loans to the "sober" people.
The contrast between a Mitt Romney type of economy ,where the "projectors, imprudent risk takers and prodigals" are able to get bank financing, which they employ for use as speculative finance (M-M'), is contrasted with a George Romney type of economy dominated by the "sober" people, where they employ the C-M-C' approach to the creation or real, physical wealth.
A nonlinear, coupled, Volterra model will illustrate mathematically precisely where the problems lie and what needs to be done to prevent future speculative collapse in the financial markets based on Adam Smith's path breaking analysis in the Wealth of Nations in 1776. This will require that the central bank monitor private banks so as to prevent them from issuing credit/bank loans to the Mitt Romney type of speculative, stock market financier - promoter, while requiring them to issue loans/credit to the George Romney type of sober business man or women.
A mathematical model is used to illustrate Smith's view of how banking policy can create economic growth while avoiding the problems of speculative finance that leads to bubbles and crashes, which are the primary cause of the problems of inflation and deflation as banker financed, speculative bubbles are created and then collapse over time.


: A complex of clinical and laboratory examinations of patients with bacterial chronic prostatitis was carried out. The patients were divided into two groups: 55 patients treated by the method of immunotherapy and 20 patients (controls) undergoing basic therapy. Immunotherapy was carried out with the use of polycomponent vaccine VP-4 containing Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia coli antigens. Vaccinal therapy was indicated in cases with infection focus associated with opportunistic bacteria, a prolonged torpid course of prostatitis and when different schemes of etiotropic therapy proved to be ineffective. The vaccine was introduced in 4 or 5 subcutaneous injections at an interval of 5-7 days. The study revealed that in cases of chronic prostatitis accompanied by microecological and immune disturbances the use of complex therapy allowed to achieve good clinical and laboratory results in 91% of the patients. In the patients undergoing immunotherapy the elimination of opportunistic bacteria from the urogenital tract and the restoration of affected microflora occurred.


We develop an analytical model for ultracold atom–ion collisions using the multichannel quantum-defect formalism. The model is based on analytical solutions of the r−4 long-range potential and on the application of a frame transformation between asymptotic and molecular bases. This approach allows the description of atom–ion interaction in the ultracold domain in terms of only three parameters: the singlet and triplet scattering lengths, assumed to be independent of the relative motion angular momentum, and the lead dispersion coefficient of the asymptotic potential. We also introduce corrections to the scattering lengths that improve the accuracy of our quantum-defect model for higher-order partial waves, a particularly important result for an accurate description of shape and Feshbach resonances at finite temperature. The theory is applied to the system composed of a 40Ca+ ion and a Na atom, and compared with numerical coupled-channel calculations carried out using ab initio potentials. For this particular system, we investigate the spectrum of bound states, the rate of charge-transfer processes and the collision rates in the presence of magnetic Feshbach resonances at zero and finite temperature.


Selogiri  sub district is one of tourism destination in  Wonogiri  district ,  both local tourism of foreign travelers. tourism destination is divided into three catagories there are general tourism , cultural tourism and culinary tourism. tourism  promotions that have  been  done  by  departement  of  tourism  in   Wonogiri  only  uses  brochures   and advertisements.The objective in making this information system is to make a media of tourism promotion in order to know by the public through the website. method  of design system uses system design based on object. meanwhile information system is made by using PHP and MySQL as a database. the result of website from the research contains information about tourism in Selogiri subdistrict. information system is tested by using WebQual  method. the tested result of show 81,1 %, it means that tourism website of Selogiri subdistrict is stated as good.


Focusing on the analysis of the more widespread media in our societies — television — this paper addresses what is considered to be the basic characteristic of the current media system, that is, the networking between interpersonal and mass media. During the last 15 years, we have witnessed a vast change in the media landscape. A change, not only due to technological innovation in mediation devices themselves, but also in the ways users have chosen to socially appropriate them, and consequently, how they have built new mediation processes. Change in mediation has been, during the last few years, the focus of the analysis of many scholars in the social sciences. We have gone beyond a communication model based in mass communication and into a communication model based in networked communication. This paper addresses what it is suggested to be the networking communicational model of informational societies. A communicational model shaped by three main features: 1) Communicational globalization processes; 2) Networking of mass and interpersonal media and consequently, networked mediation; and 3) Different degrees of interactivity usage. The second part of this paper deals with what is argued to be the new communicational paradigms giving rise to a new media system: 1) Rhetoric mainly built around moving image; 2) New dynamics of accessibility of information; 3) Users as innovators; and 4) Innovation in news and entertainment
models.


Adults of the large nematode, Toxocara pteropodis, have not previously been reported from extra-intestinal sites in their hosts, juvenile flying-foxes (fruit-bats of the genus Pteropus). In one captive bat which died unexpectedly, a nematode was found coiled within the gall bladder and common bile duct; in another, a nematode was in the esophagus and protruded into the laryngopharynx. Like other ascaridoids, this species is capable of aberrant migration.


This paper describes a system that detects and categorizes workpieces with random defects on electrodeposits glossy metal surface. The system is developed on the basis of combination CCD photoelectricity inspection technology, image processing and automatic control technology. In the system, a special illumination apparatus with a light source of diffused light is designed. Workpieces with defects are automatically selected through measurement with image enhancement retreatment, gray scale analysis, image binaryzation, feature extraction and image recognition. Hardware comprises sections of optics, image collection, and control circuits. Software is programmed in Visual C++ and assembly language. The system can resolve the difficulty of detecting random defects on surface under the conditions of high reflection and complex surfaces.


There are several electronic voting systems proposed in the literature either paper-based method, using voter's computer and internet or direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machine. These systems aim to satisfy the security properties like voter privacy, receipt-freeness, anonymity, verifiability, reliability, and usability. Besides, they mainly focus on the ballot tallying in order to solve the first conflict by achieving voter privacy and verifiability simultaneously. The most popular systems are based on homomorphic cryptosystems and mix-nets. These cryptographic evoting schemes require all voters to have an advanced knowledge of mathematics. This requirement may not be realistic for many of the ordinary voters. Some suggestions require voters to indicate their intent to some voting devices (e.g. DRE machines). Pret a Voter scheme, which is invented by Peter Ryan, is also another type of electronic voting scheme which is similar to paperbased systems. Although its backend uses advanced cryptographic mechanisms it is simple to understand for any ordinary voters. In the Pret a Voter scheme all ballot forms are generated by some election authorities in advance under the supervision of some audits. So, the authorities have the ability to read the voter's choice directly from their receipts. In this paper, we first describe the Pret a Voter scheme and its cryptographic primitives. Next, we investigate the efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of referendums in Turkey by providing a casestudy of the Pret a Voter scheme. We conclude the paper by proposing the possible improvements and suggestions for Turkish elections.


The psychological impact of predictive genetic testing for hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) was assessed in 114 individuals (32 carriers and 82 non‐carriers) attending familial cancer clinics, using mailed self‐administered questionnaires prior to, 2 weeks, 4 months and 12 months after carrier status disclosure. Compared to baseline, carriers showed a significant increase in mean scores for intrusive and avoidant thoughts about colorectal cancer 2 weeks (t = 2.49; p = 0.014) and a significant decrease in mean depression scores 2 weeks post‐notification of result (t = −3.98; p < 0.001) and 4 months post‐notification of result (t = −3.22; p = 0.002). For non‐carriers, significant decreases in mean scores for intrusive and avoidant thoughts about colorectal cancer were observed at all follow‐up assessment time points relative to baseline. Non‐carriers also showed significant decreases from baseline in mean depression scores 2 weeks, 4 months and 12 months post‐notification. Significant decreases from baseline for mean state anxiety scores were also observed for non‐carriers 2 weeks post‐notification (t = −3.99; p < 0.001). These data indicate that predictive genetic testing for HNPCC leads to psychological benefits amongst non‐carriers, and no adverse psychological outcomes were observed amongst carriers.


This paper assesses the role of bank and nonbank financial institutions' balance sheet foreign exposures and risk management practices in driving capital flow responses to global risk. Using a unique and previously unexplored dataset on domestic and cross border balance sheet positions of financial institutions collected by the IMF, we show that the response of overall capital flows to global risk shocks is associated with the on-balance sheet foreign exposures of nonbanks, but not with that of banks. A possible interpretation is that risk-averse and dynamically optimizing nonbanks reduce their foreign risk exposure when global risk perceptions increase, leading to capital flows, while banks tend to be hedged against these risks off balance sheet. In advanced countries, the findings suggest that nonbank portfolio adjustment to changing risk conditions may take place through derivatives transactions with banks, the hedging practices of which trigger bank related capital flows rather than portfolio flows.


Turnover among direct support professionals (DSPs) in community support settings for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been regarded as a challenge since tracking of this workforce began in the 1980s. This study utilized a group randomized controlled design to test the effects of a competency-based training intervention for DSPs on site-level turnover rates over a one year period. Results suggested that, compared with the control group, sites receiving the training intervention experienced a significant decrease in annual turnover, when multiple factors were controlled. Implications, including the importance of considering quality training as a long term organizational investment and intervention to reduce turnover, are discussed.


Nano-composite based on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), modified with polyaniline was prepared by in-situ oxidation polymerization method of aniline monomer in the presence of functionalized MWCNT. The prepared PANI/MWCNT is investigated by several techniques including microstructure characterizations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Then subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD) and then examined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD pattern reflects the high purity of the PANI/MWCNT composite and the low crystallinity which is attributed to the high molecular weight of polyaniline. The HR-TEM revels that the MWCNT were uniformly decorated with spherical PANI nanoparticles with nearly no agglomeration. The co-operative behavior between MWCNTs and PANI gives rise to the production of advanced functional materials with a wide range of applications.


A new type of haem-deficient mutant was isolated in Escherichia coli K12 by neomycin selection. The mutant was deficient in uroporphyrinogen III cosynthase activity as indicated by the accumulation of uroporphyrin I and coproporphyrin. The mapping of the corresponding hemD gene by P1-mediated transduction showed that the new gene was located between ilv and cya, at min 83 on the chromosomal map of Escherichia coli K12.


The molecular pathogenesis of focal/diffuse proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis was studied by cDNA microarray analysis of gene expression in glomeruli from clinical biopsies. Transcriptional phenotyping of glomeruli isolated by laser-capture microscopy revealed considerable kidney-to-kidney heterogeneity in increased transcript expression, resulting in four main gene clusters that identified the presence of B cells, several myelomonocytic lineages, fibroblast and epithelial cell proliferation, matrix alterations, and expression of type I IFN-inducible genes. Glomerulus-to-glomerulus variation within a kidney was less marked. The myeloid lineage transcripts, characteristic of those found in isolated activated macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells, were widely distributed in all biopsy samples. One major subgroup of the samples expressed fibrosis-related genes that correlated with pathological evidence of glomerulosclerosis; however, decreased expression of TGF-beta1 argued against its role in lupus renal fibrosis. Expression of type I IFN-inducible transcripts by a second subset of samples was associated with reduced expression of fibrosis-related genes and milder pathological features. This pattern of gene expression resembled that exhibited by activated NK cells. A large gene cluster with decreased expression found in all samples included ion channels and transcription factors, indicating a loss-of-function response to the glomerular injury.


Critical thinking (CT) and critical writing (CW) skills are no doubt one of the core requirements and necessary tools required in Higher Education (HE). Previous research has highlighted the need as well as the benefits of supporting students with critical thinking, yet few have identified strategies which can be used effectively to promote students' understanding and development of the concepts. This study identified some of the challenges often faced by students in HE with regards to CT and CW and explores how a targeted intervention could potentially develop students' understanding and application of CT and CW. In particular, the study found that although students were aware of what CT and CW were, they required explicit instruction on how to apply and demonstrate these concepts in their assignments. Using an action research methodology with a random sample of 10 students from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds at a university in London, England, the research found effective strategies through the use of a targeted workshop as an intervention to develop and enhance students' CT and CW skills. Participant feedback revealed the workshop had a positive impact on all the students highlighting the need for such interventions in order to suitably equip students with the 'critical' demands of studying.


This study targets one of the major energy consumers in the U.S. It suggests a new mechanical system that can recover a portion of the energy in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). The proposed system entails a hydro-turbine installed above the air diffuser in the aeration tank to extract the water-bubble current's kinetic energy and converts it to electricity. Observing the optimum location of the turbine required multiple experiments where turbine height varies between 35% and 95% (water height percentages above the diffuser), while varying the airflow between 1.42 L/s (3 CFM) and 2.12 L/s (4.5 CFM) with a 0.24 L/s (0.5 CFM) increment. Additionally, three water heights of 38.1 cm (15″), 53.4 cm (21″), and 68.6 cm (27″) were considered to study the influence of the water height. It was noticed that the presence of the system has an adverse effect on the standard oxygen transfer efficiency (SOTE). Therefore, a small dual-blade propeller was installed right above the diffuser to directly mix the water in the bottom of the tank with the incoming air to enhance the SOTE. The results showed that the maximum reclaimed power was obtained where the hydro-turbine is installed at 65–80% above the diffuser. A reduction of up to 7.32% in SOTE was observed when the setup was placed inside the tank compared to the tank alone. The addition of the dual-blade propeller showed an increase in SOTE of 7.27% with a power loss of 6.21%, ensuring the aeration process was at its standards.


Evidence of the existence of a special decodifier on the effector cells, with which inductor substances must interact in order to trigger their characteristic responses, has been found since the beginning of the century. These cytoplasmic sites are able to recognize, accept and receive the message transmitted by the inductor substance, giving rise to a specific cell response. Thus, the inductor-receptor binding complex interaction at the cellular level may alter permeability to ions as happens with neuro-transmitters, or can trigger pinocytosis in the case of apolipoproteins. Cellular receptors have been involved in the mechanism of action of several drugs and its dysfunction explains the physiopathology of a number of diseases. This may involve diminished clathrin protein synthesis triggering a defect in affinity, such as seen in malnutrition. It is also applicable in genetic disturbances, which are capable of precluding receptor development as in cases of familiar hypercholesterolemia.


The use of electromechanical film (EMFi) sensors in building a new robust touch-sensitive tablet-like interface is presented. The built prototype system includes a 40 cm times 40cm metallic plate with four EMFi sensors attached to its corners (26 cm times 26 cm active area), a four channel amplifier, and a computer with data acquisition card and analysis software. When the user interacts with the plate, the sensors measure the pressure distributed to each corner of the plate. The software calculates the position of the interaction relative to the center point of the plate and the force involved in the interaction. The device can detect both the static and the dynamic force involved in the interaction, and it has an average error of 0.18 cm in detecting the location pressed. Experimental results are discussed and directions for future developments are suggested


Objective To determine whether Ginkgo biloba is effective in treating tinnitus. Design Double blind, placebo controlled trial using postal questionnaires. Participants 1121 healthy people aged between 18 and 70 years with tinnitus that was comparatively stable; 978 participants were matched (489 pairs). Intervention 12 weeks' treatment with either 50 mg Ginkgo biloba extract LI 1370 three times daily or placebo. Main outcome measures Participants' assessment of tinnitus before, during, and after treatment. Questionnaires included items assessing perception of how loud and how troublesome tinnitus was. Changes in loudness were rated on a six point scale. Changes in how troublesome were rated on a five point scale. Results There were no significant differences in primary or secondary outcome measures between the groups. 34 of 360 participants receiving active treatment reported that their tinnitus was less troublesome after 12 weeks of treatment compared with 35 of 360 participants who took placebo. Conclusions 50 mg Ginkgo biloba extract LI 1370 given 3 times daily for 12 weeks is no more effective than placebo in treating tinnitus.


Between 1996 and 1998, Russia experienced a spectacular decline in economic activity which was followed by a dramatic rebound between 1998 and 2000. We use panel data to examine the impact of variation in household resources on six dimensions of nutritional status, distinguishing longer-run from short-term fluctuations in resources. Nutritional status is very resilient to short-term variation in household resources. Gross energy intake, adult weight and child stature change very little as expenditure deviates from its long-run average. Longer-run resources have a substantively large, positive and significant effect on energy intake, diet quality, adult weight and child stature. The evidence indicates that individuals and households are able to weather short-term fluctuations in economic resources, at least in terms of maintaining body mass and energy intake.


&NA; The primary intention of this study was to determine whether salivary alpha‐amylase (sAA) factors or the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) was a better predictor of dental extraction pain. This study followed a cross‐sectional design and included a convenience sample (n = 23) recruited from an outpatient oral surgery clinic. While waiting for their scheduled appointments, consenting patients completed both basic demographic/medical history questionnaires and Corah's DAS as well as submitted sublingual saliva samples. After their extractions, patients marked visual analog scales (VAS) to indicate the intensity of their intraoperative discomfort. Results of this study confirm that there is a relationship between a patient's dental anxiety and intraoperative extraction pain (r[21] = .47, P = .02). This study did not find that preoperative sAA factors (concentration and output rate) were related to either VAS extraction pain or DAS score. A strong positive relationship was observed between the concentration of sAA and the rate of sAA output (r[21] = .81, P < .001). Based on the results of our study, we conclude that dental anxiety has a moderate but significant correlation with intraoperative dental pain. Factors of sAA do not appear to be predictive of this experience. Therefore, simply assessing an anxious patient may be the best indication of that patient's extraction pain.


A currently very active field of research is how to incorporate structure and prior knowledge in machine learning methods. It has lead to numerous developments in the field of non-smooth convex minimization. With recently developed methods it is possible to perform an analysis in which the computed model can be linked to a given structure of the data and simultaneously do variable selection to find a few important features in the data. However, there is still no way to unambiguously simulate data to test proposed algorithms, since the exact solutions to such problems are unknown. The main aim of this paper is to present a theoretical framework for generating simulated data. These simulated data are appropriate when comparing optimization algorithms in the context of linear regression problems with sparse and structured penalties. Additionally, this approach allows the user to control the signal-to-noise ratio, the correlation structure of the data and the optimization problem to which they are the solution. The traditional approach is to simulate random data without taking into account the actual model that will be fit to the data. But when using such an approach it is not possible to know the exact solution of the underlying optimization problem. With our contribution, it is possible to know the exact theoretical solution of a penalized linear regression problem, and it is thus possible to compare algorithms without the need to use, e.g., cross-validation. We also present our implementation, the Python package pylearn-simulate, available at https://github.com/neurospin/pylearn-simulate and released under the BSD 3clause license. We describe the package and give examples at the end of the paper.


Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that early exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has long-term consequences that can influence disease risk in offspring. During gametogenesis, imprinted genes are reasonable epigenetic targets with the ability to retain and transfer environmental messages. We hypothesized that exposures to organophosphate (OP) flame-retardants can alter DNA methylation in human sperm cells affecting offspring's health. Sperm and urine samples were collected from 67 men in North Carolina, USA. Urinary metabolites of a chlorinated OP, tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, and two non-chlorinated OPs, triphenyl phosphate and mono-isopropylphenyl diphenyl phosphate, were measured using liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. Sperm DNA methylation at multiple CpG sites of the regulatory differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of imprinted genes GRB10, H19, IGF2, MEG3, NDN, NNAT, PEG1/MEST, PEG3, PLAGL1, SNRPN, and SGCE/PEG10 was quantified using bisulfite pyrosequencing. Regression models were used to determine potential associations between OP concentrations and DNA methylation. We found that men with higher concentrations of urinary OP metabolites, known to originate from flame-retardants, have a slightly higher fraction of sperm cells that are aberrantly methylated. After adjusting for age, obesity-status and multiple testing, exposure to mono-isopropylphenyl diphenyl phosphate was significantly related to hypermethylation at the MEG3, NDN, SNRPN DMRs. Exposure to triphenyl phosphate was associated with hypermethylation at the GRB10 DMR; and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate exposure was associated with altered methylation at the MEG3 and H19 DMRs. Although measured methylation differences were small, implications for public health can be substantial. Interestingly, our data indicated that a multiplicity of OPs in the human body is associated with increased DNA methylation aberrancies in sperm, compared to exposure to few OPs. Further research is required in larger study populations to determine if our findings can be generalized.


Author(s): Packard, Rene Rupen Sevag | Advisor(s): Hsiai, Tzung K | Abstract: Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy enables multi-dimensional and multi-scale imaging via illuminating specimens with a separate thin sheet of laser. It allows rapid plane illumination for reduced photo-damage and superior axial resolution and contrast. By combining our approach with tissue clearing techniques, we reveal the entire cardiac structures and hypertrabeculation of adult zebrafish hearts in response to doxorubicin chemotherapy treatment. We incorporate light-sheet fluorescent microscopy and pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound to unravel the 3D architecture and electromechanical coupling of doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury and regeneration in the adult zebrafish model. 3-month old zebrafish were injected intraperitoneally with doxorubicin followed by imaging at 3, 30, and 60 days post-injection. We observed an initial decrease in myocardial and endocardial cavity volume at day 3, followed by ventricular remodeling and hypertrabeculation at day 30, and normalization at day 60. Doxorubicin-injected fish developed ventricular diastolic dysfunction evidenced by elevated E/A ratios at day 30, normalizing at day 60. Myocardial performance indexes were also elevated at day 30 in the doxorubicin group, indicating worsening of global cardiac function, followed by normalization at day 60. qRT-PCR to investigate the pathways involved revealed up-regulation of Notch signaling genes, particularly the ligand Jagged1 and target gene HEY2 at days 30 and 60. Treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT to inhibit Notch signaling attenuated restoration of ventricular function, demonstrated by persistence of abnormal E/A ratios and myocardial performance indexes at day 60, thereby implicating Notch pathways in the cardiac regeneration process. Our results suggest that doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury leads to ventricular remodeling, followed by activation of Notch signaling to promote hypertrabeculation and restoration of cardiac function. Next, we developed and studied invasive, and non-invasive imaging approaches to characterize atherosclerotic plaques. Four-point electrode systems are commonly used for electric impedance measurements of biomaterials and tissues. We introduced a 2-point system to reduce electrode polarization for heterogeneous measurements of vascular wall. Presence of endoluminal oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and lipids alters the electrochemical impedance that can be measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We developed a catheter-based 2-point micro-electrode configuration for intravascular deployment in New Zealand White rabbits. An array of 2 flexible round electrodes, 240 i?½m in diameter and separated by 400 i?½m was microfabricated and mounted on an inflatable balloon catheter for EIS measurement of the oxLDL-rich lesions developed as a result of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Upon balloon inflation, the 2-point electrode array conformed to the arterial wall to allow deep intraplaque penetration via alternating current. The frequency sweep from 10 – 300 kHz generated an increase in capacitance, providing distinct changes in both impedance (Ohm) and phase (degree) in relation to varying degrees of intraplaque lipid burden in the aorta. Aortic endoluminal EIS measurements were compared with epicardial fat tissue and validated by intravascular ultrasound and immunohistochemistry for plaque lipids and foam cells. Thus, we demonstrate a new approach to quantify endoluminal EIS via a 2-point stretchable electrode strategy. In the next study, a new absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) method with the novel positron emission tomography (PET) 18F-Flurpiridaz radiopharmaceutical was developed, taking advantage of its early kinetics and high first-pass extraction by the myocardium. We performed the first in human measurements of MBF in 7 normal subjects and 8 patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). PET images with time-activity curves were acquired at rest and during adenosine stress. In normal subjects, regional MBF between coronary artery territories did not differ significantly, leading to a mean global MBF of 0.73 mL/min/g at rest and 2.53 mL/min/g during stress, with a mean global myocardial flow reserve (MFR) of 3.70. CAD vascular territories with l50% stenosis demonstrated a mean MBF of 0.73 at rest and 2.02 during stress, leading to a mean MFR of 2.97. CAD vascular territories with ≥50% stenosis exhibited a mean MBF of 0.86 at rest and 1.43 during stress, leading to a mean MFR of 1.86. Differences in stress MBF and MFR between normal and CAD territories, as well as between l50% and ≥50% stenosis vascular territories, were significant. The significant decrease in stress MBF and ensuing MFR in CAD territories allows a clear distinction between vascular territories exhibiting stress-inducible myocardial ischemia and those with normal perfusion using 18F-Flurpiridaz PET. In the last study, we studied the ability of fractional flow reserve by computerized tomography (FFR-CT) to predict subsequent coronary revascularization. FFR-CT provides non-invasive functional assessment of the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis. We determined the FFR-CT values, receiver operator characteristic curves and predictive ability of FFR-CT for actual standard of care guided coronary revascularization. Consecutive outpatients who underwent coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA) followed by invasive angiography over a 24-month period from 2012-2014 were identified, sent for FFR-CT analysis, and results stratified by coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores. Coronary CTA studies were re-interpreted in a blinded manner, and baseline FFR-CT values obtained retrospectively. Therefore, results did not interfere with clinical decision-making. Median FFR-CT values were 0.70 in revascularized (n=69) and 0.86 in not revascularized (n=138) coronary arteries. Using clinically established significance cutoffs of FFR-CT ≤0.80 and coronary CTA ≥70% stenosis for the prediction of clinical decision making and subsequent coronary revascularization, the positive predictive values were 74% and 88%, and negative predictive values 96% and 84%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for all studied territories was 0.904 for coronary CTA, 0.920 for FFR-CT, and 0.941 for coronary CTA combined with FFR-CT. With increasing CAC scores, the AUC decreased for coronary CTA but remained higher for FFR-CT. The addition of FFR-CT provides a complementary role to coronary CTA and increases the ability of a CT-based approach to identify subsequent standard of care guided coronary revascularization.


Etlingera pavieana (Pierre ex Gagnep) R.M.Sm. (Zingiberaceae family) is commonly found in Southeast Asia. The rhizome of the plant is used as a spice and folk medicine in southeastern Thailand and Cambodia. The extracts, essential oil, and compounds from E. pavieana were found to possess a variety of pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiatherogenic, and antimicrobial effects. Furthermore, phytochemical studies have reported the presence of various chemical constituents, the main being phenylpropanoids such as trans-4-methoxycinnamaldehyde (MCD) and 4-methoxycinnamyl p-coumarate (MCC). Therefore, E. pavieana seems to be a potential source of natural products for treatment of various diseases and promotion of good health.


Fuel properties are always considered as one of the main factors to diesel engines concerning performance and emission discussions. There are still challenges for researchers to identify the most correlating and non-correlating fuel properties and their effects on engine behavior. Statistical analyses have been applied in this study to derive the most un-correlating properties. In parallel, sensitivity analysis was performed for the fuel properties as well as to the emission and performance of the engine. On one hand, two different analyses were implemented; one with consideration of both, non-aromatic and aromatic fuels, and the other were performed separately for each individual fuel group. The results offer a different influence on each type of analysis. Finally, by considering both methods, most common correlating and non-correlating properties have been derived. In case of combustion phenomena some heterogeneous combustion were measured as base study and investigations were continued with a partly homogeneous combustion to see the effect of fuel homogenization and influence of each non-correlating properties. Separate DoE (Design of Experiment) tests have been implemented for each fuel and DoE models were developed and analyzed. Constraint points from the models and measurements have been studied in more detail and sensitivity analysis has been conducted concerning engine emissions versus fuel properties. Results display a correlation matrix of fuel properties based on Pearson method as well as sensitivities of each fuel properties to each engine emission and performance in partly homogeneous combustion. Finally, sensitivity analyses present criterions to find out the impact of each fuel and properties at each operating point and to verify the relationship between properties and engine outputs. Furthermore, it is resulted that at homogeneous combustion the highest influence of fuel properties exist in the part load and low speed area of the engine map. For the sensitivity analysis, the most independent fuel properties were applied. Results show good approaches for the NOx and PM emissions by using partly homogeneous combustion at the part load points. Besides, this analysis highlights the influence of the most independent properties to the NOx and PM emissions in different area of the engine map.


A crucial challenge in development of robust paper-based analytical devices (PADs) is the lack of sensitivity. Electrokinetic stacking is a kind of unique sample preconcentration for low-abundant charged species, which can be integrated to PADs to enhance the sensitivity. In this work, we bring new insights into the mechanism underlying an electrokinetic stacking technique based on a field amplified stacking (FAS) effect implemented on a simple paper fluidic channel. Here, we reveal that the acid–base titration reaction between the cations/anions in the background electrolyte (BGE) and the OH−/H+ ions from water electrolysis plays an essential role in the development of the electric field gradient. This was experimentally confirmed by changing the BGE type, monitoring the current variation and pH characterization. Based on the new knowledge, the paper-based FAS was successfully extended to stack cationic analytes. Eventually, a model protein of bovine hemoglobin (BHb) in its anion form was 150-fold stacked within 60 s. This work shows that the sensitivity of PADs can be greatly enhanced with effective use of this simple and low cost electrokinetic stacking technique.


Intravenous norepinephrine (1.0 µg/kg body weight) produced a strikingly uniform pressor effect in rats. The average blood pressure rise was 54 mm Hg, the peak rise occurred in less than 20 seconds, and the blood pressure returned to baseline in about 2 minutes. The aorta was rapidly depleted of potassium (15–18%) by the norepinephrine injection, depletion occurring within 20 seconds (time required for exsanguination) after the peak of the pressor effect and persisting throughout the period of the pressor response. Aorta sodium concentration did not increase concomitantly either in time or in quantity. No other tissue studied (stomach muscle, left ventricle, psoas muscle) showed a parallel alteration in electrolytes. Therefore, injections of norepinephrine appear to selectively affect permeability of vascular smooth muscle to potassium.


There is a widespread belief that a lack of education is the primary cause of public apathy to climate change. Yet, despite the global campaign to promote education as a tool to combat global warming, empirical evidence on the causal effect of education on climate literacy and pro-environmental behaviours remains worryingly scarce. Using the raising of the minimum school leaving age law in England from 15 to 16 years of age in September 1972 as a natural experiment, I showed that remaining in school as a result of the reform causally increased the level of comprehension about the causes of climate change. However, I found little causal evidence that more education also improved the pro-environmental behaviours of those who were affected by the reform. This raises an important question of whether policies aimed at improving climate change awareness through education can effectively produce long-lasting changes in pro-environmental behaviours.


An abnormal susceptibility of the sickle red blood cell (RBC) membrane to deformation could compromise its permeability barrier function and contribute to the exuberant cation leakiness occurring during the sickling phenomenon. We examined this hypothesis by subjecting RBCs at ambient oxygen tension to elliptical deformation, applying shear stress in a viscous medium under physiologic conditions. Compared with normal and high-reticulocyte control RBCs, sickle RBCs manifest an exaggerated K leak response to deformation. This leak is fully reversible, is both Cl and Ca independent, and at pHe 7.4 is fully balanced so that Kefflux equals Nainflux. This abnormal susceptibility is also evident in that the K leak in response to deformation occurs at an applied shear stress of only 141 dyne/cm2 for sickle RBCs, as compared to 204 dyne/cm2 for normal RBCs. Fresh sickle RBC membranes contain elevated amounts of lipid hydroperoxide, the presence of which is believed to provide the biochemical basis for enhanced deformation susceptibility. When examined at pHe 6.8, oxygenated sickle RBCs acquire an additional, unbalanced (Kefflux > Nainflux) component to the K leak increment specifically ascribable to deformation. Studies with inhibitors suggest that this additional component is not caused by a known leak pathway (eg, either K:Cl cotransport or the Gardos channel). This abnormal susceptibility of the sickle membrane to development of cation leakiness during deformation probably contributes to the exuberant cation leak taking place during RBC sickling.


Having a central position in the Eastern European region, Serbia has a high potential to base its economic development on various forms of cooperation with surrounding countries. Its geographic location enables Serbia to develop infrastructure, especially traffic infrastructure, cooperation in fields of tourism and agriculture, as well as frontier collaboration. When the neighboring countries join the European Union, our country will find it's self in the European Union surrounding. Serbia's accession to the most significant European integration certainly is one of the major goals of economic politics.


Satellite attitude control that utilizing momentum bias and magnetic control is a class of complicated linear quasi-periodic system. According to asymptotical stability theorem of linear time-varying system, a new approach to magnetic controller design is presented in this paper. Simulation result is given. It is shown that high pointing accuracy of roll/yaw is achieved.


What distinguishes leaders from ordinary managers? The authors present three distinct philosophies of leadership - political, directive, and values-driven - advocating each in turn to challenge the reader's own assumptions. Through extensive interviews with executives, the authors show how leaders who hold certain prejudices or predispositions can resolve classic managerial dilemmas.


I recently produced a 30 second piece of instrumental music for a short film, Matt V Beast [vimeo.com/meatbingo]. I decided to explore how far I could develop this piece and use it as the basis for further compositions. Using Ableton Live, NI Reaktor and Kore2 I processed a longer version of the piece through several experimental generations and used the outcomes as the basis for 4 new pieces of ambient/glitch music.


This thesis reports the findings of an in-depth narrative study, involving 23 foster-fathers from within an independent foster care agency. The foster care of 'looked after' children in Britain has undergone considerable organisational change over the last few decades. This change to fostering has coincided with feminist and sociological discourses that have developed our understanding of family and gender relations. However, as research and practice have tended to focus on how women look after fostered children, these new ways of looking at gender roles and family relations have not been applied to families who foster. This focus on women as foster carers preserves traditionally gendered roles where women are seen as homemakers. Therefore, there is little understanding of what it is that men do within fostering families and men are routinely assigned a secondary role, as support carer or breadwinner, to a woman main carer. This study aims to add to the understanding of foster care by using feminist concepts around intersectionality and performativity to reappraise the literature and reflect on foster-fathers' experiences as they see them. Data were gathered through mixed methods involving foster-father interviews and observational diaries alongside gathering data from 70 social worker questionnaires. While men in the study performed traditionally masculine roles, many were also seen to take on roles normally performed by women. The study highlights the complexity of foster-fathering because men were seen to perform roles and tasks that are not currently attributed to them. This complexity is often overlooked in both research and social work practice. The findings from this study show men developing caring alone in isolation from social workers. Furthermore, the findings suggest social workers could better support men and women negotiate roles within fostering that extend beyond performing gender which reproduce existing male breadwinner and female homemaking roles.


The first occurrence of the alien gastropod Melibe fimbriata in the Taranto marine coastal area is reported. This mollusc was observed on muddy bottoms covered with dense algal beds mainly composed of Chaetomorpha linum, Gracilaria spp. and the invasive chlorophyta Caulerpa racemosa. Occasionally, M. fimbriata specimens were found in proximity to mussel farms. Most specimens of M. fimbriata were observed during diurnal foraging activity and associated with anaspideans species, like native Aplysia depilans and the lessepsian immigrant Bursatella leachii. Melibe fimbriata can be considered a definitively resident species in the opistobranch fauna of the Taranto seas.


The paper explores the key factors affecting the corporate culture formation and development. Recently, the issues of corporate culture, especially in large organizations, trigger the focused attention of a number of management theorists and practitioners. It is a relatively new and insufficiently researched concept, both in this country and abroad. People make the foundation of any company, conversely any organization directs its activities towards a person fostering a multifaceted diversity of organizational culture brought in by each employee. This wide spectrum of variety is shaped by the uniqueness of each individual. Each person's genetic background is exceptional which stems from people's diversity of the universe. Ukrainian national individualism specified by the nature of social life plays a dual role in building a corporate culture domain of domestic business structures. Given the equity capital formation under the indirect ownership-based principle of "from individual to collective", this feature of a national character contributes to corporate philosophy tailoring. The paper suggests a definition of the "corporate culture" concept as a set of values, beliefs, opinions, perceptions, expectations, symbols as well as behavior norms and patterns, traditions, rituals, etc. that have developed in the organization or its divisions during its life cycle and which are accepted by the majority of employees. The system of leadership based on encouraging practices is proved to be most effective. Diligent, initiative performance of management instructions, hard creative work in this case depend on the remuneration policy. Thus, incentives should be meaningful for a performer and feasible for a firm. Insights to a range of theoretical and practical aspects in building employee's corporate culture are provided. The personnel particular role in facilitating the enterprise performance efficiency is revealed. The paper verifies the need to implement coaching in terms of effective training practices for staff development.


The liver is the largest organ of the body and the main site of essential biochemical reactions in the human body. This is useful for detoxification of toxic substances and the production of biological molecules. Therefore, liver damage leads to severe consequences. Because herbs and herbal antioxidants are used to detoxify and treat liver disorders, this review was conducted to report the most important medicinal plants affecting liver disorders and diseases. Key terms liver cancer, medicinal plants, liver disorder and medicinal plants, liver disease and medicinal plants, effect of extract and essential oil of effective medicinal plants on liver tissues in rats, mice, and laboratory mice, and effect of extract and essential oil of medicinal plants on liver disease were used to retrieve relevant publications indexed in databases IranMedex, Irandoc, ISI, PubMed, Scopus, SID, Magiran, and Google Scholar. Based on the evidence found in this review, the medicinal plants Zingiber officinale, Cucurbita pepo, Citrus reticulate, Petroselinum crispum, Andrographis paniculata, Silybum marianum, Camellia sinensis, Nasturtium officinale, Physalis peruviana, Thonningia sanguinea, Nigella sativa, Cichorium intybus L., Terminalia catappa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Curcuma zanthorrhiza, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Kigelia africana, Alchornea cordifolia, Boerhavia diffusa, Schisandrae chinensis, Tinospora cordifolia, Brassica rapa subsp. rapa, Lygodium flexuosum, Carica papaya, Solanum fastigiatum, and Cheilanthes farinosa are some of the most important medicinal plants affecting liver disorders and diseases. © 2018 BRNSS Publication Hub. All rights reserved.


New media forms often open up new understandings of aesthetics. Japanese comics (Manga), and animations (Anime) arose in a time of limited social constraint. This allowed them to explore unmentioned topics and develop new aesthetics that involve Fan Service and the Glimpse. Fanservice is the random and gratuitous display of a series of anticipated gestures common in Manga and Anime. These gestures include such things as panty shots, leg spreads and glimpses of breast. In their valorization they indicate a deep philosophical concern with the status of personal experience. These vagrant moments of libidinous possibility underwrite the anticipation of sensual fulfillment; they indicate the genuine access of the personal to a realm and/or moment of reality in which the physical and the imaginative are co-extensive. The connection between the eye and desire is re-established in defiance of the general requirement in society to deny the Glimpse. The Glimpse, in its mediated form as Fanservice, confirms the imagination as the dimension of the interpersonal: someone else also already understands the glimpse. This is perhaps the "darker" freedom because it offers to forgive the otherwise unique nature of vantage (I alone could see from where I stood). What I see you could also see; how I see you might also see. The Glimpse affords a new aesthetic understanding of being within the transitional world of the adolescent. Gibson, JJ. (1979). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin. Marcuse, Herbert (1979.The Aesthetic Dimension: Towards a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics. Erica Sherover, trans. London: Macmillan. Mulvey, Laura ([1975] 1992): "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". Screen 16 (3): 6-18. Schodt, Frederik L. (1996). Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. Winnicott, D. W. (1971). Playing and Reality, London: Tavistock Publications.


Study Design. Case report. Objectives. To present a rare case of a giant schwannoma of the cauda equina. Summary of Background Data. Giant spinal schwannoma of the cauda equina, which involves many nerve roots, is rare and there is usually no ossification in the schwannoma. It is unknown whether or not complete excision is preferable if the tumor is located in the lumbar lesion. Methods. A 57-year-old woman had a 10-year history of low back pain. Scalloping of the posterior surface of the vertebral bodies from L3 to the sacrum was found. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a giant cauda equina tumor with multiple cysts. Central ossification revealed by computed tomography and an unusual myelogram made the preoperative diagnosis difficult. Results. The patient underwent incomplete removal of the tumor, decompression of cysts, and spinal reconstruction. The tumor was proved to be a schwannoma. The postoperative course was uneventful and she has been almost free from low back pain for 3 years and 4 months. Conclusions. Giant schwannoma in the lumbar spine region is usually excised incompletely, because complete removal had the risk of sacrificing many nerve roots. In spite of the incomplete removal of the tumor, the risk of recurrence is low.


The incidence and cause of hypernatremia in twenty-five very low birthweight infants were determined by a retrospective analysis of their clinical course during the first 72 hours of life. Ten (40%) developed a serum sodium greater than or equal to 150 mEq/l. This was associated with a greater weight loss than found in normal infants (5.3 +/- 2.6%/day vs 1.7 +/- 2.3%/day, p less than .05) and with more time spent under radiant energy, but not with the amount of water, or sodium received. The severity of hypernatremia correlated with birthweight (r = -.47, p less than .05) and with postnatal weight loss but not with sodium intake. The excess weight loss in the hypernatremic group, when added to their average measured fluid intake suggests an estimated optimal fluid requirement of 150 ml/kg/day in the environment described. The hypothesized mechanism for hypernatremia is dehydration, possibly through insensible water loss.


This paper calculates the quantitative significance of the welfare effects of wage compression in Sweden. This is done in a dynamic general equilibrium model with overlapping generations where agents choose both schooling (human capital) and assets (physical capital). This paper shows that when labor markets are competitive even low levels of wage compression lead to large welfare losses, since wage compression creates costly unemployment among low-skilled workers. This welfare loss can be significantly reduced (but not eliminated) if firms and unions bargain over efficient labor contracts. In both cases, the effect of wage compression on the supply of skilled labor is rather small, since the disincentive effect of a lower, high-skilled wage is, to a large extent, offset by a lower opportunity cost of schooling due to higher unemployment.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Balanced occlusal arrangement of artificial teeth and balanced occlusion is a specific type of occlusion that preserves the stability of complete dentures. Balanced occlusion comprises realization of tooth contacts at the working side as well as at the balancing side, at the same time. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of balanced occlusal arrangement of artificial teeth on the decrease in reduction of edentulous alveolar ridge.

METHODS
A longitudinal study on 91 fully edentulous patients was conducted using their panoramic radiographs and parameters of vertical dimension of edentulous ridges. All the patients were clinically examined by the same and a qualified dental practitioner. Numerical values of parameters of vertical dimensions of edentulous ridges and lines were statistically processed and compared using the Student's t-test.

RESULTS
Vertical dimensions and heights of edentulous ridges were different after comparison of parameters in complete denture wearers with balanced occlusion and complete denture wearers without bilaterally balanced occlusion, as well as between male and female edentulous patients. Statistically significant differences of heights were established in complete denture wearers' with a set of artificial teeth without balanced occlusion, at the baseline and 12 months after wearing of complete dentures.

CONCLUSION
Balanced occlusion is a favored occlusal design in setting of artificial teeth in conventional complete dentures, which preserves edentulous ridge and influence the stability of dentures.


The authors investigate the overall structural balance of stiffness from the viewpoint of load transfer and load paths. The concept of load transfer balance is examined and graphically expressed using U*. Index U* is a new concept introduced by the authors to express load transfer in structures. The load transfer balance is calculated for an automotive body structure under conditions of vertical loading on the front suspension. The load transfer balance of a body affects the drivability of an automobile. Through the use of figures showing the U* distribution along load transfer paths, the balance of load transfer is clearly expressed. From these figures, it is shown that frontal load is mainly transferred to the lower structure rather than to the upper structure in the vehicle body used in this study. Diagrams and histograms for U*sum, which is the summation of two kinds of U*s, are presented in this study to show the load transfer balance more precisely. These figures show that the transition of load transfer balance to the lower structure is caused by the stiffened support effect near the rear supporting points.


A population average regression model is proposed to assess the marginal effects of covariates on the cumulative incidence function when there is dependence across individuals within a cluster in the competing risks setting. This method extends the Fine-Gray proportional hazards model for the subdistribution to situations, where individuals within a cluster may be correlated due to unobserved shared factors. Estimators of the regression parameters in the marginal model are developed under an independence working assumption where the correlation across individuals within a cluster is completely unspecified. The estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal, and variance estimation may be achieved without specifying the form of the dependence across individuals. A simulation study evidences that the inferential procedures perform well with realistic sample sizes. The practical utility of the methods is illustrated with data from the European Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.


In the United States a patient has sued a doctor for failing to diagnose AIDS, resulting in a two‐year delay before correct diagnosis and treatment.1 At least one similar case has been commenced in Australia and more are likely. The time has come when courts in this country are likely to find that failure to diagnose symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS will constitute negligence.


While the organizational dynamics of collective management systems have received much attention, relatively little work has focused on how households adapt their economic strategies in response to collective management regulations that impose constraints on the range of options available to households. In this paper we investigate the evolving interaction between household management strategies and collective management regulations for one or both of two ecologically interdependent floodplain resources, lake fisheries and seasonally inundated grasslands. Smallholder management strategies involve varying combinations of three main activities each associated with one of three main floodplain habitats: annual cropping on river levees, cattle ranching on natural grasslands and fishing in lakes. These three activities play complementary roles in the household economy. Annual cropping is both subsistence and market oriented, with cash from crop sales often invested in purchase of cattle. Fishing, in addition to providing animal protein, generates income for household purchases while crops are growing. Cattle ranching is the main savings strategy for smalholders, providing funds for family emergencies and capital investments. Despite the fertility of soils and the higher productivity per hectare of fishing, cattle ranching has expanded steadily on the floodplain at the expense of farming and fishing. Over the last two decades, communities throughout the Amazon floodplain have developed and implemented collective agreements to regulate access to and use of local lake fisheries. Depending on the measures included, the impact of these agreements on household management strategies can range from negligible to highly significant, requiring major adjustments to compensate for reduced fishing income. Expansion of smallholder cattle ranching has taken advantage of unregulated access to community grasslands. Unregulated access to community grasslands has been a major factor in the growth of smallholder ranching, and many households have far more cattle than could be sustained on their own property. The result is a classic tragedy of the commons in which growing numbers of cattle are overgrazing grasslands and degrading the productive capacity of floodplain fisheries. Concerned with the impact of cattle on floodplain habitat and conflicts between cattle owners and farmers, many communities have developed collective agreements to regulate grazing on grasslands. As with fishing, the impact of these agreements on household economic strategies varies depending on the degree to which they limit the number of cattle families can graze on grasslands. In this paper, we investigate interactions between smallholders household economic strategies for two major common pool resources and their respective management regimes. The paper identifies conflict between collective and individual strategies for long-term security as the critical issue for floodplain resources and concludes proposing a more household-based approach to collective management.


The emerging threat of a pandemic avian influenza is currently the subject of vigorous scientific investigation. Although the complex transmission of the H5N1 avian flu still remains to be elucidated, reports have shown that avian migration and human activities such as the trade of poultry have roles to play in the transnational spread of the disease 1. Unfortunately, the transportation of birds does not solely comprise of legitimate commercial poultry consumption. The illegal trade of exotic birds is a challenge in most existing avian flu surveillance programs. The exact role of exotic birds in avian flu transmission is controversial. Nevertheless, the capture of H5N1-infected eagles smuggled from Thailand en route to Brussels airport in October 2004 heralds the plausibility of considering exotic birds as contributors to the worldwide spread of the avian flu 2. In April 2005, 5,000 to 6,000 migratory water birds in Lake Qinhai, China died as a result of H5N1 infection 1. In the Philippines, it is estimated that at least 300 exotic birds are illegally brought into the country yearly from different sources within the Asian wildlife black market 3. In spite of the existing regulatory safeguards against wildlife trade and surveillance of the Philippine Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, the covert trade of exotic birds is still rampant 4. The Philippines may just be a trivial link in the global trade of exotic birds, but the problem it represents is not by any means insignificant as the rest of Asia is still very much in the epicenter of an emerging pandemic. Given the impracticality of controlling the migration of birds, we suggest greater vigilance on human activities that can contribute to the spread of the avian flu especially if it concerns unregulated commerce of potentially-infective exotic birds. As it appears, border safety, customs security, and wildlife protection groups have a stake to share in this emerging public health issue that threatens the global community with its repercussions on food supply, trade relations, international travel, and world health.


The precise anti-synchronization control of uncertain chaotic systems has always remained an interesting problem. The anti-synchronization control of multiple different orders uncertain chaotic systems increases the complexity and enhances the security of the information signal in secure communications. Hence, it confines the hacking in digital communication systems. This paper proposes a novel adaptive control technique and studies the double combination anti-synchronization of multiple different orders uncertain chaotic systems. The proposed adaptive feedback control technique consists of three fundamental nonlinear components. Each component accomplishes a different objective; (i) stability of the closed-loop, (ii) smooth and fast convergence behaviour of the anti-synchronization error, and (iii) disturbance rejection. The theoretical analysis in (i) to (iii) uses the Lyapunov stability theory. This paper also provides parameters adaptation laws that stabilize the uncertain parameters to some constants. The paper discusses the simulation results of two representative examples of four different orders uncertain chaotic systems. These examples demonstrate anti-synchronization among hyperchaotic Lü, uncertain chaotic Shimizu Morioka, uncertain second-order nonlinear duffing, and uncertain parametrically excited second-order nonlinear pendulum systems. The computer-based simulation results certify the efficiency and performance of the proposed anti-synchronization control approach and compare them with peer works.


Exploration within the Kopervik play is impeded by difficulty in imaging the Kopervik Sandstone on seismic data due to the lack of acoustic impedance contrast between the sandstones and overlying shales. The exploration method employed in the mapping of the Kopervik play fairway of the South Halibut Basin on poorquality 3D seismic data, leading to the Goldeneye Field discovery, is described. In the early 1990s, Shell/Esso acquired acreage in the South Halibut Basin based on the identification on 2D seismic data of a number of potential stratigraphic traps in the Kopervik play. The first well targeted an Apto-Albian isochron thick, just south of the proven Kopervik fairway, but encountered no reservoir. Subsequent mapping better delineated the fairway as being restricted to the southern fringe of the South Halibut Shelf. The basal sequence boundary was mapped locally on 3D seismic data and amplitude extractions were interpreted as showing erosion at the base of the Kopervik channel complex. At the northern edge of this fairway, a small four-way dip closure identified above Goldeneye on a regionally mappable seismic reflector did not conform to deeper structure, suggesting the presence of a thick section of mounded Kopervik Sandstone. The presence of gas/condensate in thin Jurassic sandstones in a well immediately north of this closure, far removed from the Jurassic gas kitchen, suggested that long-distance migration had occurred along the Kopervik fairway and hence that gas might be trapped at Goldeneye. The Goldeneye discovery well, drilled in 1996, encountered a 305 ft column of gas/condensate above a thin oil rim within the thickest section of Lower Cretaceous Kopervik Sandstone so far encountered in the Outer Moray Firth. Subsequently, two further prospects were drilled with mixed results. The Goldeneye structure is now considered unique within the Ettrick sub-basin of the South Halibut Basin.


Turing's work on computability served as the founding theoretical framework for computer science. It aimed at formalizing the intuitive notion of algorithm and gave birth to the concepts of logical automaton and abstract machine. The latter are used to evaluate the expressiveness of programming languages. However, current systems are difficult to model within an algorithmic framework and question the relevance of the classical model. The systems we know are indeed characterized by continuous interactions between human agents, physical and computational processes. Programming these interactive systems requires to specify causal relationships between processes, and not simply the execution of computation. In this paper, we propose to define an equivalent of the classical abstract machine, to model programmable interactive systems. Based on our distinction between computation programming and interaction programming and previous theoretical works that have questioned the classical framework, we elicit the minimal requirements of an abstract machine for interaction. This work is a fist step toward an interactive model to evaluate the expressivity of interaction-oriented languages.


Isocyanates may be involved in the development of chronic obstructive airway disease among exposed workers. A short-term exposure to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at concentrations near the permissible levels was investigated to examine whether there was an association with changes in pulmonary function tests and in potential markers of airway injury and inflammation in bronchial lavage (BL) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Seventeen subjects without respiratory symptoms (eight smokers and nine nonsmokers) were exposed once to ambient air and once to TDI (5 parts per billion (ppb) for 6 h followed by 20 ppb for 20 min) in a randomized, single-blind sequence. Pulmonary function tests were repeatedly assessed during exposure and BAL was performed 1 h after each exposure. Biochemical studies on lavage fluids included albumin, immunoglobulins, antiproteases (alpha2-macroglobulin and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor), potential indicators of epithelial cell function (secretory component and Clara cell protein), and cytokines (tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-8). Exposure to TDI caused a modest decrease in specific airway conductance (sGaw) (p=0.053) and in maximal expiratory flow at 25% of forced vital capacity (MEF25%) (p=0.015) when compared with ambient air. Exposure to TDI resulted in a slight increase in BAL albumin level (TDI: 26.4+/-12.5 versus air: 21.8+/-8.6 microg x mL(-1), p=0.044) and in BL alpha2-macroglobulin concentration (TDI: 0.07+/-0.061 versus air: 0.05+/-0.04 microg x mL(-1), p=0.021). This study suggests that exposure to low toluene disocyanate concentrations is associated with minimal but detectable changes in airway calibre and in epithelial barrier permeability. The pulmonary effects of long-term exposure to low levels of isocyanates require further investigation.


Abstract. In this paper a model for the estimation of the number of potential fatalities is proposed based on data from 19 past floods in central Europe. First, the factors contributing to human losses during river floods are listed and assigned to the main risk factors: hazard – exposure – vulnerability. The order of significance of individual factors has been compiled by pairwise comparison based on experience with real flood events. A comparison with factors used in existing models for the estimation of fatalities during floods shows good agreement with the significant factors identified in this study. The most significant factors affecting the number of human losses in floods have been aggregated into three groups and subjected to correlation analysis. A close-fitting regression dependence is proposed for the estimation of loss of life and calibrated using data from selected real floods in central Europe. The application of the proposed model for the estimation of fatalities due to river floods is shown via a flood risk assessment for the locality of Krnov in the Czech Republic.


Assessing liquidity in fixed-income markets is becoming very important in the current context of extremely low interest rates which, in general terms, is encouraging the acquisition of riskier and (potentially) less liquid assets. Although there is the perception that bond market liquidity could have worsened over the last years in international markets, none of the current studies has reached a clear conclusion. In this paper, we propose a liquidity synthetic indicator (LSI) on Spanish debt, applying the methodology that Broto and Lamas (2016) used for US markets. We compute six individual liquidity indicators that represent the elements that characterise a liquid market (tightness, resilience, depth and breadth). We use price and transaction-based indicators for government and corporate debt when data is available for the period 2005-2016. Our LSI shows several episodes of significant worsening in liquidity conditions, related to the Lehman Brothers' collapse and the European sovereign debt crisis. After a sizeable improvement of liquidity in 2013-2014, the liquidity indicator has deteriorated over the past months as a consequence of lower trading volumes. The current ultralow interest rate environment and more capital demanding regulations could partially explain these results.


Maize is rich in genetic and phenotypic diversity. Understanding the sequence, structural, and expression variation that contributes to phenotypic diversity would facilitate more efficient varietal improvement. RNA based sequencing (RNA-seq) is a powerful approach for transcriptional analysis, assessing sequence variation, and identifying novel transcript sequences, particularly in large, complex, repetitive genomes such as maize. In this study, we sequenced RNA from whole seedlings of 21 maize inbred lines representing diverse North American and exotic germplasm. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection identified 351,710 polymorphic loci distributed throughout the genome covering 22,830 annotated genes. Tight clustering of two distinct heterotic groups and exotic lines was evident using these SNPs as genetic markers. Transcript abundance analysis revealed minimal variation in the total number of genes expressed across these 21 lines (57.1% to 66.0%). However, the transcribed gene set among the 21 lines varied, with 48.7% expressed in all of the lines, 27.9% expressed in one to 20 lines, and 23.4% expressed in none of the lines. De novo assembly of RNA-seq reads that did not map to the reference B73 genome sequence revealed 1,321 high confidence novel transcripts, of which, 564 loci were present in all 21 lines, including B73, and 757 loci were restricted to a subset of the lines. RT-PCR validation demonstrated 87.5% concordance with the computational prediction of these expressed novel transcripts. Intriguingly, 145 of the novel de novo assembled loci were present in lines from only one of the two heterotic groups consistent with the hypothesis that, in addition to sequence polymorphisms and transcript abundance, transcript presence/absence variation is present and, thereby, may be a mechanism contributing to the genetic basis of heterosis.


is controversial and presents difficulties in its investigation that the topic was addressed. The Common sense pathology series is intended to assist medical practitioners in the choice of appropriate laboratory investigations and their interpretation. Each unit is extensively reviewed before publication. I believe that Unit 27 presents a balanced and well considered view, emphasising that there are no definitive diagnostic laboratory tests for CFS and that other conditions may be associated with similar clinical features. Laboratory investigations may well be indicated in the diagnosis of such other conditions. Scepticism about CFS as a clinical entity, implied by various points raised in Dr Meyer's letter, is shared by many. Continued assessment and careful evaluation of all aspects when the condition is suspected should, in time, provide an answer to. this question. Meanwhile the Pathology Education Committee believes that Unit 27 will assist some clinicians in arriving at a correct diagnosis when faced with patients presenting with symptoms of "chronic fatigue syndrome".


Translations of the native notion of shamanic agency of the Siona Indians of Colombia is explored throughout different historical and social contexts. The polysemic concept rau is central to the shaman's capacity for establishing relations of exchange and negotiation with humans and non-humans. As the embodiment of his power, it fits within a semantic field that conveys the waxing and waning of life cycles. Sharing a series of qualities with the Melanesian concept of mana, rau should be understood as a social phenomenon whose use and meaning has transfigured through time and space. However, unlike the globalization of new mana, the important notion of Siona shamanic agency has been substituted by representations of the ritual substance of yajé as key symbol for power and knowledge as Siona rituals have been revitalized in their dialogue with the ethnic identity movement and the neo-shamanic network that associates sacred plants with primordial knowledge and agency.